Seattle, Washington - History, 1891 (part 6 of 14)

Whoii tlie ftjderul troops assumed control of the city tlie troul in its worst asjiuctH was over, ami there was nothing to do hut to m.aiQ<:;J taiu the order already secured hy tlie citizen soldiers. Cieueral Gib-" bon heartily approved the counw the autiioritios had taken previous to his arrival and asserted tlmt nothing sliort of the extivme inensnres ciirviefl out would liave Havod the city fram a general and |io3sihly "bloody conllict. The onters iasueil by Governor Squire were eudoi-sod and carried out by Cloneral Gibbon, even more stringent onlers w issued, and the conviction was noon forced ui>ou the people government condneted nndor martial law could be rendered inconvenient and decidedly unpleasant. Under the contnil of the fed Itwops the city ]iresent«l the appearance of n milit«ry camp. Day nnd nigbt eiddiers wtooil at every .-itreet corner, ;md their presence had a niOMt salutary elTect. The saloons were closed and for several days absolute prohibition reigned in the city. Several pei"sons were arrested for uttering revolntionary and treasonable language, but a short imprisonment led tbeni to take a more sober and i-ea-sonable view of matters.

On Wednesday, a short time iirior to the arrival of the federal ti-oops, Governor S([uir(? issued an order creating a general court martial for the trial of all offenders brouglit before it. Tiiis court was composed of Cajttain Joseph Green of tlic Seattle Rifles, president of tlie court ; Captain J. V. Haines of Comjiany D ; Captain George Kinneiir of tin' Home (iuards: Lieutenant ('. L. K. Kellogg of tlic Seattle Rifles and Lieufi-nant J. B. Mftcalfo of Company D. Captiiin George D. Hill, assistiint adjutant fti'iienil, iicte<l as judge advocate of the court. Tbo order coti.slituting tiiis court wa.-! set aside on the 11th and tJu' same ofhcers were a[j|K»iiiled to constitute a militiiry commis- sion with power to inquire into all nuitters which might be brought before them for consideration. James Hamilton Lewis was appointed aid to the commission and W. D. Wood stenographer. The commissjion ht»ld frequent mei^tings for the trial of civilians who were charged with otfenci^s during the pendency of martial law, hut its proceedings were privately conducted. A court martial was also constituted by General (ribbon, composed of I'^nitecl Stat<'s army officers, for the trial of soldiers for breacli of military discipline.

On Tuesday, February IHtli, the military crmimission, which up to this time had been engaged in the investigation and trial of civilians charged with of!en<ling against martial law, was dissolved. On the following <lay (leneral Gibbon in n grnpnil order inforuird Provost Marshal A. E. Alden that the TnitiMJ States commissioner of the third judicial district of Wasbin^ton Tcrritorv had full authoritv to take cognizance of all offences l)rouglit brfon* him for investigation bv the United States district attorncv or his assistant. lie therefore ordered the provost marshal to turn nwr to the Tnitcid States marshal of the territory on the warnnit of the commissioner, (\ II. Metcalfe, Louis K. Kidd, J. J. (^uinn, M. McMillan, D. T. Cooper, J. T. Winscott, Michael Cunningham, .Junius Rochester and John Kcane, who had been previouslv arrested ])v tlie militarv authorities.

These nine men, who were alleged to l)e the lending instigators of the movement to exi)el the ChinauKMi from Seattle, Winv brought up for preliminary examination on a charge of conspiracy, befon* United Stat^\s Commissioner Eben Smith, on February ISth. J. H. Ah'tcalfe, James Hamilton Lewis and Junius Rocla^ster, the last named having been released on bonds, appeared for tin* prisoners. The government was represented by United States District Attorney William H. White and A.ssistant United States District Attornev C. H. Hanford. The examination was continued for three davs, the testimonv of manv witnesses was obtained, and at its close? Connnissioner Smith decided that sufficient evidence had bcn^n adduced to hold all of the prisoners, with one exception,* for trial on the charge of conspiracy. Three of them

*The exception was John Keane, who was completely vindicated in the examination. The evidence showed that his influence had been exerte<l in favor of peace and order and that he had refused to take any i)art in the unlawful attempt to expel the

As hfts been stated thon- was a gpuerttl tiesire on the i»irt of th« 3 citizen!) of Seiittle to rii! the city of Chinnnien within the linei* of hi* J and humanity uad us soon an the unfortunate state of atrairn LTt-atod .] by unlawful efforts to exjid them had sonicwhut im|>i-uveii, inoneyj was ruised by subacrii'tion to pay the fnres of all riiiniinioii who] desimd to lewve tlie city. On Hatiirday, February 141h, the stenmep j Gmrgc W. Elda- tfM»k nne hnndi-pd and ten away, Ifaving at the J time about fifty who dwiixti to go, btit who won? unable Uj get ] on board, as the stenmer»had received nil the steerage pasf^ngottj slio was allowed t^j eurry. The reinahider returnwl to their quKrl^raJ to await another opportunity. No disordiT or confusion marked t occasion, and the cuulrast between the iH'acefuI and efleetivo mctliM which prevailed, and the liirbulence, tumult and turiiiuil which c acterized tho preet'ding Sunday was most striking. A few days aft«rJ the Elder milod. sovtral of the fow remaining Chinamen departed. ani|J tha city for a time was well-nigh dt^wpiilnted of this elaaw of reBideut8;4

As ttie conditions wbifli made newHsary ttie inf=tiluti<in of martial law in Seattle pa.ssed away, Governor Squire was iin|iortHne<l by the citi/euK generally to revoke his |>roehnnation suspending the civil anthorities. In response to a letter from the mayor stating that the powers of tlie civil aulliorities hud bven aiignienled by a large addition to tlie jiolice force, that a nt'w military i-onipany had been formed and that tho otlici-s laid been strengthened by new recruits, and tliat the civil jJowtT would now be ulile to subdue any riotous attempts and maintain good order in the t^ity, Governor .Squire, on Februarj' 22d, issued a proelaniation revoking and annulling his former proclamation declaring martial law. Tlie resumption of the usual fonn of government occ'iri'ed wlien tlie city was well pre]>aivd to defend its citizens. The city w;is quiet, the mob liad dispersed and many wlio bad composed it iiad sluuk out ol' siglil. The ringleaders of the

Chinese. Utiileil States Attorney Wliite, who was coucluctiiig tlie prosecution, was compelled to admit this. In speakinj- of Keatic, he said, "He appears to have disapproved of forcible expulsion and refused to sorve on tlie committee."

The federal trooi)s remained in Seatth^ lor many months after the city was turned over to the control of the civil authorities, remaining until peace and (juiet was fully restored, and the ability of the people to maintain law and order was thor()Uo:lilv established. No further attempt was made to molest the Chinamen. Ahiny of the men who had been chiefly responsible for the trouble left the eity,and as the business depression which had furnislK^l the cause of the agitation passed away, the bitterness it engendered disappeared.

The anti Chinese ri(;t marked the lowest point which was touched during the business de])ression which followed the X'illard collapse in 1883 and continued for almost three vcars. In the autumn of 1886 an improvement in the situation was jKiceptible. Immi<i;ration again began to add to the population of the rity. A number of wealthy, energetic and progressive men removed to SeattU' fron» various parts of the country. New entcrjn'ises were j projected. The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railway project, tiic result of the latest etl'ort of the people of Seattle to build an incK'pt'ndent railroad to Eastrrn Washington, took definite shiijx-, larucly tlirou^ih the efforts of Daniel II. Oilman, w-ho had sometime i>eiore I'eniovrd to Seattle IVom New York City. The construction of this road was l»e<;uii in ISST and pushed vigorously during that and the two followinu' vtars. Other railroads were projected, and work was be;;un on sonit* of them.

These things, together with the geut'ral revival of business and the reaction which was naturally to be e.\]>ected, again put Seattle on the upwardgrade. Money became i'asi(M', and real estate values became firm and then began to rise. The new people, who were coming to the city at the rate of many hundred each nH>nth, brought fresh capital and new ideas. Old animosities were lost sii^ht of in the new interests that demanded attentif)n. The city iMitercMl upon the era of prosperity which has continued to the |)resent time, and which was marked, mid-way, by the great lire of 1880.

Appearance of Seattle tiefore the Fire - Begluniiig of the Great Disaster - Progress of the Flames - Burning of the Opera House - Efforts of tile Fire Fighters - The Tacoma Fire Company - Fury of tlie Wasting IJlc in cut - Property Destroyed - Preservatiou of Onier - Work of the Police Force and Military Companies- Thrilling Incidents of tlie Day - Appearance of the Burnt District at Night- Extent of the Loss - Assistance Rendered by Firemen from Tacoiua, Portland, OlympiB. Port Towusend atui Snohomish - Measures for Relief of the Destitute - Generosity of Neighboring Cities - Steps Toward Rebuilding and Improvement - Memorable Mass-meeting after the Fire - Spirit Shown by the People Face of a Great Calamity - Work of Re-building b^^n Amid Smoking RuiM - Scenes and Incidents after the Great Coiiflagration.

present tlic tiwtc iiifliru'H llit' otlu-r wiiy, ftiid deBtriU'tive evoiit* are passed over with small notice. A middle course, liowever, sliould be followed. By great destructions rubbish is cleared awny, and what men never would tear down is thrust out of the i)atb of progress. Those who were eonservjitive and ctiulious because their pi-ojierty interests ipelined them to that coursf, suddenly bi'come aggressive and radical for the same reason. With the burning up of old buildings, there is a burning up of old methods and old ideas, and there is no prospect of even the old measure of success unles.-? the very best methods are introduced. A great tiro is, tlnTefore, in a certain sense an a.ssistance to the growth of a city, ami is ]uit by any means an unmixed evil. As a matter of fact every gmwing city inevitably reaches the period of combustion at sometime. Wooden structures, slianties, heterogeneous agglunierations of arcliilectuai';d mi.-ilit.«, and compromises lietween respectability and cent, per ccni. profits, are eertuin to burn all together, if once igniti-d, atxl the ignition is as certiiin to come.

ridding tlio place of much that was worthless, destroyed values that it has required millions to replaces It will always be remembered as a disaster by the people who were here at the time and who lost property. It is also a historical landmark, dividing the old times from the new, and will for manv vears he the event from wliich the business and domestic attairs of the jKM)pU' are dated. Such has been the change from the old to the new that the people who were here before the event seem as hi'longin^ to another historical period.

The fact that within a space of one hundred and twenty acres, divided off into sixtv blocks, there was as much as ten million dollai's worth of productive i)roperty to be bnrncd, indicatrs that, even in the old time, Seattle was a ma^nitic(Mit city. Tlic simple elimination of such value in the .space of twelve hours is one of the stailling facts of its historv.

To get some i<lea of the value that wa^ converted into smoke and ashes in that short s|)ace of time, the reader should, in imagination, look down the business streets on a clear n»orning in .June, ISSJJ. Front street was then, as now, a busy thoroughfare, with a considerable number of attractive and costlv buildiiiLrs. .Vnioui^ the most noticeable of these w-as Frye^s Opera House, on the east side of [\w street, at the corner of Madison. It lookecl to the we<t, across Front, and over the tops of a row of wooden structures, known as the Deiniy block, from the circumstance that Mr. Dennv had formerlv owned it. Here were a carpenter shoj), furniture rooms, grocery stores, and a lodging house. Across Marion street on the south was the wooden structure known as the Colman row, a ramshackle building, too valuable to tear down, and yet not wodh preserving. On the east side of Front street, stood the Reinig building, on the corner of Marion, and the Kenny building on the corner of Columbia, with wooden buildings between them. On the west side, cornering on Columbia street, was the magniticeut "San Francisco store," a structure of brick, with goods and Iniilding together worth nearly half a million dollars. TIk^ rest of this block to the crossing of Yesler avenue, constituting a double block, was well built w-ith brick. South of the San I^'raucisco ston* were the Cnion ])lock, the Poncin building, the Safe Deposit building, the Cordon Ilardw-are

Hero Commercial street began, and dnwn its long extension ono saw the matwive brick of Schwahacher liifw., the Arlington liotel, Harrington &. Smith's hwrdwuiv store, tliu bank uf Dexter Hortou & Co. and numerous hounhng houses, siiojis and wuloons. South of this the eity was spread out on the fiats and over the water. Here wers located the huge coal bunkers, the maniniotii sawmills of Sl«fc*oii 4t Post and the Ori>gon Improvement Coiupany and many factories and other buildings.

The mosi notabU^ l.uilding-H r.n Sivtuid str^rt w.-re tlif Colonial building on the northeast corner of Second and Columbia, the BostoU block, ft costly strnctuie of brick, stone and iron but recently completed, and tliB Butler block, a threo-story wooden building on Uifi' corner of Jamea street.

Lookinj; along the water front llui eye rested on a lino of docks and warebouHi^R ; ocean steamers were lying at rest b)' the docks ; sail vessels were anchored in the harbor, and a number of tugs and small passenger -stcamer.s were pufhiig noisily about the bay. On such a day Seattle was in tlie utmost hurrj- of labor and hopefulness. The day of depression wa-s over. The day of achievement was upon the people. Literally time was money and all were striving to make the most of each pa.ssing moment.

The sixth of June was sueli a day as has been described. At 2:30 in the afternoon of that day the fire began. The weather was bright and clear. The air was still and sultry during the morning. There had been no ruin for si;voral wt'i'ks, aud everytliiug was dry and ready to fall an easy prey tu lbi> Ihimes.

The lire \yvg:\u on the iinrlh side uf the main liusiness part of the city, wheri', witli lliefreiilli'iioriii wind that sjirungupas the afternoon advanced, it bail the best p()ssil)le eliauee tu spread to the whole quar- ter. It started in a building on the M<^utli\vcst corner of Front and Madison streets, ()\vne<l hv Mrs. M. J. Pontius. Theeircunistance was quite trivial. In the basement of this frail wooded structure, was a paint shop kei)t by James Ah'(Tou*j;}i. Here a workman was boiling glue, which, suddenly rising, ran over on the stove and ignited, dripping fire down upon some shavings below. Thinking to (juench the sudden flames, the workman cast at them a bucket of water, but not skillfully, for by the act the whole lighted mass was scattered over the floor, which was soon covered with the ilamcs. The oils and turpentine were kindled instantly, an<l as the wind j)assed underneath the floors and timlx^rs, the combustion was forced into the apertures, and carried through the passages to thr ajjartiiKMits above. Flames and smoke j)oured from every window, forcing their way upward and seeking to find es(^ape Ihrongli the roof. In lliis condition the fire department found the building. Engine coin]>any No. 1 got to work expeditiously, laying two linens of June from the hydrant at the corner of Front and Columbia streets, and commenced ])laying on the burning cornices. The firemen began the attack with the more confidence since this had been a favniite hv(h'ant of theirs for hose ijractice. Engine No. 2 on arriving l)egan pumping saU water. Tlu* crowd began to cheer as thev marked the earntst etlbrts oi' the tiremen. The inmates of the hous(»s were assisted out with their valuables, but expected to return before evening and Ixgin the task of cleaning away the dirt and litter. But the conljdent slnrnts wen* soon turned into cries of excitement and wonder. The water had failed. The slender streams made no impression. What seemed an affair of but a few moments now assumed a serious aspect, and the gathering crowd realized that the block must go. All set to work with expedition to save the goods, which were brought out and piled in the streets; while the flames rose without interruption, and now waved high in the air from the center of the block.

It was soon feared that the heat would become so great and the showers of S])arks so fretpient as to carry the lin^ across Front street, whither the wind was directing it, and set fire to the rows of wooden roofs on the east sid(\ Hard work was therefore^ done to save these

Thefie low buildings, however, did not prove to be tht- poiut of J danger. In its usecuding course, slightly deHocted by the westerly J breeze, the fire directed its heat to a much higher object, To the di»- I may of those who looked up at Uib t^pera House, they wiw a .-ilender tongue of llame growing on thu nmn^iuril rix)f. and at the ery, "The I Ojmra House is on fire !" all eyes were luniftd thither, and the probo- j bility of a great conflagration was rt-uiizcd, I

The imposBibility of saving the great building soon became evident I Tlio Denny block was now buniing furiously, the streamers of firs I leaping up and falling back to bo burled up once more; and the' I houses across t\w way also wore now wriipped in finmes. To reach tha I Opera House, therefore, involved standing at the angle of fire, with 1 the burning building above. Men that attempted the attack here 1 were driven back with garments atirc; the hose melted as it was put in position. The engines were therefore wlieeled around to Second a sti-eet. J

By the magnitude of the firo the whole city vf&s now arouse*!, and ^ it WHS seen that there was no control for the wild element. It would stop only at the great biick barriers. The whole city force was therefore called out with a view to ssiving pi-operty and preserving order. Josiah Collins, chief of Ibe fire department, was absent fi-om the city. His assislaiit, James Murjihy, jiroved to be utterly incompetent. Discipline in the department was, tberefoiv, .soon at an end. As the flamcH spread and flic faet beeame ajijiarent that the fire was beyond the control of the fire dejiartment, the necessity of a thorough organization of all forces at the di.-'po.-'al of the city, both to fight fire and to save pro|K'rty, was jierceiveil. Witli great i>ronii>tness Mayor Robert Monin liogan organizing the crowds of men on the streets. Three objeet.swere aimed at - to ulicck llio (ire, if jiossible; to save property; and to jirevcnt theft and inet'odiarisni im tljc part of the irre.spousible characters whn saw in this conl'iisiijn the chiini-e of jilunder. Parties of workei's wore organized In earry j;o(ids I'rum the building.s throatciK'il, and in a very ffw niiruiles they were seen in long lines jiassiug articles of value up tlnM^ross strei>ls, or hurrying fliem to the docks, where it was thought all was saf(\ bocaiisi* of tho wind from the bay wafting the flames and sparks in tht* other direction. To preserve the peace, Chief of PoHee Butterfleld swore in one liundre<l sj)ecial j)oHee.

To follow the further progress of the eonflagration, it will he necessary to look in detail after these three classes of uwu so suddenly organized.

The first work to he eonsich'red is that of the fire-tighters. Tlie fire had started very nearly in the center of the city, north and south, having on the north mostly the residenci^ jjortion, and on the south the business portion. On the east, up tlic hill, was a residence <iuarter, and on the west it was less than two blocks to tlie water front. The crowds detailed to prevent the spn jul of the lire IkmI to work in front (on the south) whither the wind wns driving it, at the rear (on the north) whither it was advaniring in spite of the wind, an<l on the east, wliere it would naturally sweej) up tlie hillside.

By four o'clock, an hour and a half after the tire began, the Openi House was a ])urning cnldron of lire within, with the red tongues leaping out of all the windows, and the coin]>ustion ha<l passed across Madison street and taken hoLI uj)on the Colnian block, which, being of wood, kindled instantly and burned furiously. On the east side of Front street the Keinit:- building also caught, and within five minutes the Kennv block on the same side at the corner of ( olumbia, began to blaze up at the top, being lighted by showering s{)arks on the roof. By this time Hose ('om])any No. 1 was compelle<lto remove to the corner of Cherrv street, and everv buil<lin<x between Madison and Columbia streets was burning, making four entire blocks that were throwing up ignited l)rands to rain down upon the great brick blocks below. Much hope was entertained that tlu^ ]>rick walls of the San Francisco store would resist the advance^ of the flames, and to assist tliem an effort was made to blow up tlie Colman block. But the heavy charges of dynamite ha<l no eH'ect in arresting the flames but added a cert^iin convulsive horror as their heavy peals rose up amid the noise of the tire. I'j) to this time the projjrietors of the San Francisco store had felt little anxietv, but now thev saw that tlieir magnificent building and stock were d(H)med. Nevertheless it was not to be sacrificed without an eflbrt. Wet blankets were liung at every window. A party went U» tht> roof and drew up n hose by means of a line, but lliere wai nn prossnre of water. A cliargv of j djTiamite was csplodeii under the Wliitt building Hcroas Front street, , but it fniled to move tlte .^trurtiire. About this lime, twenty minut«e i to fivB, thi! U(Muig building fE>lI, throwing it8 Houth wall uoroes tlie i street towni-da tbo White building which almoat inimetlinU-ly began i burning. Tht> futility of saving the San Francisco elnre wns now seen, and dyntimite was plaeed under ita massive eonior to try to ' blow it up but this also failed. Soon this noblo pile was burning, the Union bloek south of it and the witire block on the east side to Oherrj' were soon incUnled, making aix entire blocks now burning. The air i becHine full of sparks, brands and burning boards and was heated in every direHion to an oven'.-* temtjerature. The crowds of people were almost black witli «nioke and dust and pant^'d in the i^tifiing air. Piles of good;) tliat had be<.^n placed in tlie nuddle of ero»3 streets were ignited by falling cindern. Etrorta to stop the forwanl progress of the fire were now atuioat abandoned. In twenty minutes it had swept from (blnnibia street to Oherrv, and was now face to face with the greatest buildings in Uic city. IIupu of a stay was excited for a few , moment^ by the sudden shifting of the wind to the south, driving back tlie Hanies wliicli, before this counter current, now rose to a great height. At the walls of the Safe Deposit building, on the west side of Front street, and at Clierry street, together with the clicck of the south wind, there was a temporary retardment, and about this time John Collins, owner of tlie Occidental hotel, was offering the entire value of tlie Butler block for tlie privilcjio of tearing it down. But the pause in the progress of the fire Wiis .>^hort. The wind suddenly veered, now blowing stiff from the northwest, and tlie Safe Deposit building began to glow, and soon flames lanvt from its windows. The Gordon Hardware building followeii, and the roar of (lie tire was broken by the exidosiiiii i)f over lliirty tons of carlridj^es kept in store here. At the Seattle Hardware .-toi'c, wbicli iii'xt cau^dit, twenty tons of cartridges went oil'. l',.\|i]iisinn,s \vri\> nuiinriius Inmi oils or alcoliolios in contined phiccs reiideri.>d gascais liy t\n- lical and exiiloding with a loud report fbe iiiomeiif they rosi' and louciied the btirning air. The fire now leaped across CheiTy street anil imssed tlirough the block to

Jaiiu's stnrl in twenty niinntt's. Tlicrc was now a jx^ssibility that it would ho ^io]i\>vi\ l>y th(» ^rcat Ycslcr-Lcary l)uil<lin<i: on tlu» west side of Front street and the hn^e stone, iron and hriek ()cei<lental hotel on the east side. For a lont^ time the former liehl its own, presenting an impregnahle front to the assauUin<^ eohimn. Hut tlie sliowers of brands and sj)arks and tlie l>hists of seorehing air tluit were sent curling over and around the striieture finallv found a vulnerahh* j^oint on the soutli si(h', and in a few moments the j)innaele was reached 1)V troops of lire. The walls of the buildings adjoining fell with a crasli at tlie north side of the Yesler-Leary building, and it, already heated to a melting point, eraeklcMl into flame at every window and cranny. The woodm buildings near by were licked up into clouds of gas that I'ose some >('or<* of feet before reaching air enough to explode in visible flame. On the east side the lire shot across the old Yesler buildings juid tin- entirr melting heat andsuperheate<l air was leveled at th<' gn-at hotel. It stoo<l grand and defiant for a little time, then suddenly burst into fire along its whole north side. At the same moment the l>utl<*r block, of wimxI, flashed out all over. In a short time the tin- had passe<| through the ( )ecidental and leaped across Yesler avenue. It had now overeome all the opposition set in its wav bv the fire brigad(\ althouuh the Seattle dei)artnient had been reinforced fixjin Tacoma. had nut with no sensible check from the wind that blew for a time froui the s(aith, and had overcome all the buildings that ollei'ecl a show of re>istence. It presented a broad front extending from Secon<l sti'eet along Yesler avenue to the docks on the west, and in its track before it were the sawdust flats and that populous but not very grand portion of the city built owr the water, with such great .^ructures as tin* coal bunkers, the steamship warehouses and the sawmills. Upon this prey it advanced without the .slightest check. ^lany fine .structures, as the Arlington hotel and the Squire building, lay in its course. Leaving it, however, to burn its way unopposed to the water on the south, the efforts to check it on the north and east shouhl be n(»ticed.

It might be supposed that, as the wind was mostly from tlu^ north, the fire would have made little advance in this direction. But such was not the case. Here were inflannnal)le buildings, the great mills

Tho fire wius deliberate in t-rosfiing Miiiliwn street to the north, but! creeping under the bas^oinentri and piling upon which thf bnildingsJ hero rcstpJ, it Imd by threi; o'clock envelopwl the Conimen-iai mil Crawling under tlit> wharfing, it spruad thenco across thti strtt^l to thaJ blacksmith m]hi[i, uikI soon was burning furiously upon it. The Kvxy J yon building st<x)ii nest in its course, and one stream of waU-r wrsJ played upon it, but lo no purj>oNo. Running uudor the piling the firs I advanced north rapidly along tlm water front and hooii swept over all I the buildings wtst of Front slrwit. VVarrhousu alter wari>house crum-*f blctl, and the liollow along the f lo|>o to the water was a caldron of] fire. Tho Starr brick block Wiia buruod, but tho lire was confined byl it and did not redch Front street until it caught on the Oregon House, and also swept the Hopkins building, a large wooden structure. The buildings on the east side wore burned as far up as Spring street, but heiv encountering the excavation of the Ilolyoke building, the Hames were ebeckcil. On the west side they burned up to University, hut here meeting the (iilmore foundation, were also stopped.

Yet it was not without a -struggle that the course of the flames W!iM arrest<'d. There were the siilewalks and street planking for the mad element to run on, and, although at the foot of the street there was a water lot, the trestle of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern might carry it to the Canadian Paeilic docks beyond. On the east side of Front stniit, a low doors totlie soutli of University, was a small woollen house. Here the great liglit was made and the northward spread of the (lames was cheeked. A bueket brigade was formed, numbering sixty or seventy men, the water supply being obtained at the bouse of Mr. A. A. Denny. Time after time the structure was in a blaze, but in every case it wa.s i-cseued. It is said that it was ignited as many as fifty tiiiu's, but lierr the fire paused on tlie north. The burning sidewalk was turned over by the firemen and thrown over the hill. The street phinking was t<»rn up and east out of the course of (hmger. A ti<»r of sjianties was torn down and thrown into the bav. At the railroa<l trestle a brigade stationed themselves with l)uckets, and, drawing salt water from beneatli, sueee(Ml(Hl in preventing the spread of the flames to the warehouses on the north. A line of about two hundred men was then formiM] from the bay up to Front and University, passing up buckets of water t<» keep down the coals and sparks that were c<»nstantly starting into life. This barrier was effectively preserved and the residence portion of the city to the north was no longer in peril.

Along the water front, from rniverity street to Yesler avenue, all was soon a ]>illowy sea of fire, the wo()<leii, or corrugated iron warehouses ]>urning fearfully. At Yesler avenue an organized effort was made to withstand its progress. The crowd tore down a row of shells extending from the Posf-Infflllf/f iirrr building, in the rear of the Yesler- Leary building, to Yesler's wharf. But this labor was futile, for the fire caught on the scattered ruins and burned with no less vehemence. At five o'clock Yesler's wharf was burning. At six, therefore, all between the water south of I'niversitv street, and Secniid street on the east was a mass of coals and fire. To one standing at some i)oint of prospect, as the house of A. A. Denny, it was like looking upon a volcanic lake - red and white coals orlowini^ and shinin«j: under the wind; an<l on the further side an ascending wall of flames.

The fight on the east side was even mon* desi)erab» and stubborn than on the north. From the Opera House the fire ran across to Second street and reached a two-story frame building occupied by Harris & Greenus for a paint shoj), on the lower floor, and by Mrs. Storv for a nmsic room above. It was burnin(>: at 4:20, and Adl within half an hour. The fire next enveloped a small buihling occui>ied as a photograpb gallery, and passetl rai)idly to the Ilaller buihling at the corner of Columbia street. Tiii^ building fairly melted before the heat, ijnd was gone too quickly for effective action. From this the fire passed across Columbia striM't, kindling u]M>n Boyd's photograph gallery, and advancing thence upon the row of wooden buildings extc^nd-

The conHagnition passed i|nii-k!y tbroiij;!] on the west side of Keeond street from Clierry to James, nnd, witli tlie column from Front street, fell njmii the Oecidentni. On the east side .John Collins' house, yielded aOer a hen(ie i-onlest. The Mailory house, adjoining on the ea.st, was saved. .\l Trinity church, im the corner of Thii-d and Jefferson streets, a s)iiirk set lire to the rectory and from this the church caught and both were burned. At "I'esier's mansion, tho most strenuous exertions were put t'ortli. Wet bbnikets and carpels were hung over the root", and tlie sparks were attacke.l as they fell. The building was saved. To protect the court house a small building op[)osite was torn away, and the fire was arrested hero also. At the Catholic church a gallant sUind was made, and that corner was held. By these efforts the spread of the fire to the eastward was stopped. Sliade trees in several instances acted as an effective wall, i)r(*venting tlie advance of the flames.

A cireiimstanee meriting double notice was the coming of the Tacoma fire company. At thn^e o'clock telegrams were sent to Taconia, Port Townsend and Portland for help. The firemen of Tacoma respon<led promptly, and uhont lorty men with a hose cart and about eight hundred feet of hose were put aboard a special train, U:> which then.* was given a clear track, and covcM'ed the distance^ in fifty-eight minutes. As thev dashed into town thev were <i:reeted with cheers. They got to work at once and were of the greatest assistance in checking the spread of the flames.

Those who attempted to save i)r()perty met with only i)artial success. As is usual in such cases, goods wer(» hurried indiscriminately into the streets, and were there injured or burned. Many things were taken to the wharvc^s, there to be overtaken by the (ire. Out of the great stocks which were so rapi<lly swei)t by the (ire, it was useless to try to save much. Yet in three particulars there was effectual preservation. These were in tlie Safe Deposit building, and in safes; on the steamships ; and in the pocket. Whatever was gotten into either of these respective places was preserved. At the Safe Deposit bills, notes and documents were deposited in gi'cat numbers. At the wharves were the two steamships Ancoit and Mvxiat. When it became apparent that the wharves must burn, the Anam, under Captain Wallace, began to load with valuables, much of it Ix'ing private property. WHien loaded she withdrew into the bav and watched the wharves burn. The Mexico loaded with merchandise brought from the stores in dravs, and when filled also drew off into tlu* bav. The hack drivers and draymen and expressmen worked like Trojans, and in most cases made no extortionate charges.

As to the preservation of order, it may be said that this was done without great effort. Some thirty arrests wc^re made for theft. A case of incendiarism occurred between South Third and South Fourth streets, on Yesler avenue, where a man was seen carrying coals into a house that had not hoen burned. A thief who snatched a purse from

Nobody is helieved to have been killed dui-ing the in-ogresw of th«i fire. There were many thrilling rescues, us where Fred Spencer, of j Port Townseiid, carried ii woman out of the Hiiencer lodging house at'l the peril of hie Ufe ; find where Daniel Sullivan hmught a child, at f groat risk to himself, from n lodging house on Wushington street.] Those in the lodging houses on the flats and below Yesler avenue J escajMxl witii tlieir lives only, as the fire was swcepiug around tliwt ] avenues of esuijie on both sides. In a miniber of eases women, over- 1 eomo with heat and excitement, fainted, and some were even set into convulsiou.s. tiomv of thow who were lading their buildings were thrown into the wildest oxcitenient, and were even seen to wring tlieir hands and tear their hair. Others, however, wen- |X!rft«lly cool. Mr. Frye, who owned the oj^era house, spoke of his loss in a jocular way,,,! and said that he was figuring on a bill of iron and nails for a uuv'l building.

At sunset the fire was within bounds but was still terrible. In the gathering darkness it resembled a volcanic crater. Far into the night it burned, easting such a glare upon the Imy as to throw the ship|)ing into distint't view. The coal bunkei-s, with about three hundred tons of coal, burned the longest. During the night a throng of people from the lodging houses passed Uj> and down the streets, sjjcnding the night without sleep, while some sought shelter on the bill. As the night was warm, there was no sutt'ering. Those who had friends or accjuaintances were, of course, well provided for.

Such was the beginning, progress and end of the fire. Regarded in itself, the aftiiir was wholly accidental. Tlier*; was no sjiceial danger with a supply of water. But, (iiis failing, the city was practically at the mercy of the flames. The destruction was, however, considerably limited by the successful opposition to the flames along the north and east sides. By the exertions of the expres.>jmen, and of the steam-

Hegilation'S Aptkk Tiik Fikk

The situation of the eity innnediately upon the night of the sixtli was sueli «s to call for extraordinary measures. Th(» entire vicious eK'nuMit was unhoused and seatten^l through the resi<h*nce (juart^T. In their <lestitution they wouhl he certain toeonnnit <le}»redations unless especially guarded. Furthermore, tliere were many others needing shelter and food. The lodging houses, tlie grociTies, the restaunuits, bakeries and meat sho|>s were ([uiti^ largely consumcMl. Without public provision and relief, there would necessarily be suffering. To meet the emergency a special meeting of citizens was called to assemble at the court house at eight o'clock. A citizens' (M)mmittee was ajjpointed to swear in special |)olic(S and to look after the welfare of the city in conjunction with the police and militia. The following were selected : I). A. McKenzi(% chairman, 1). E. Durie, Douglass Young, Frank Sedeh N. B. Colt, i). OTIara, P. W. Kochester, T. II. Dempsey, Alfred Garton, C. B. Nichols, ('. II. Kittingerand l\ Corcoran. The committ^*e swore in two hundred special offi(rers, who did effective work in keeping order during the evening and night.

** All saloons are hereby ordered to close, under penalty of forfeiture of license. No person will be allowed to sell or dispose of intoxicating liquors without further orders.

* From Victoria, B. C, help was sent immediately, Mayor Grant and Chief of the Fire Department Deasy concurring. The steamer PoUer was chartered by a number of the gentlemen of the city, and a fire engine and one thousand feet of hose, with the chief and a company of twenty-two men, were started. The}' did not arrive, however, until half past four the next morning, but did valuable work in preventing the spread of flames on the wharves. From Portland, the engine Multnomah, fully manned, arrived at 2:30 a. m. Fire companies from Olympia, Port Townsend and Snohomish were at work from early morning to midnight of the seventh.

Tile saniL- diiy the mayor puLUslied a notiuo for the relief of the dfslitiik^, and lo provide for the militiamen and others on duly, na follows :

" All persons haviiiu arms saitable for policemen and special officers will report that fact to Colonel J. C. Haines, conitnandant, at tlie Armory.

The Armory hpcnme tlu' genpra! hfndqiinrtera of t\w inilitiiry and ivlii'f du))nrtinc'nts. I'crniits Wt'i-e i!*!*uc<i next niorniti^; nllou-iiig Iiersoiis to remove goods that wore stored in the streets or to work in the rubbish of thu destmyod buUditigs, but us somt' of these wore thought to hftvp fallen into the hands of irpesponsiblf eharacters, the [dan WHS discarded. On t)ie next day fJovenior Moore arrived from the capital, and, acting in his capacity as commander of the National Guard of Wiisliington, issuod an order that Colonel Haines have fidl authority to commntid the ser\'ice of all members of the First Regiment, and that transportation for the service be furnished. At 11 a. m. Company (' reported for duty, and at 1:30 ]i. m. Company G reported. Comjianies B, D and E, who had Iwen on duty all night, were thus relieved. Several days later Company H, of Vaneouver, was added to the force on duty.*

Meiisures for relief were no less prompt. The generosity and sympathy of the neighboring cities, particularly of Taeoma, offered without ostentation and prompted by friiMidliness alone, will not he (juiekly forgotten. J. A. Hatfield was api)ointe<l eommissary, and at an early hour in the morning of the 7th loaded vehicles began to appear before his quarters, and until ten at night he was kej)t luisy taking care of the supplies. At 5 o'clock in the morning the steamer Quick'Hfep arrived from Tacoma with a full load ; at nine came the (.'lara Brown, from the same place, and at six in tlie evening tin* (^uickMep came with another load. Froni Port Townscnd the revenue cutter Oliver Wolcott came up with twenty tons of provisions and blankets, with news that more was soon to be ready. At two o'clock a special train from Tacoma arrived bringing a hirge party of Tacoma i>eople, not only with provisions, but i>reparcd to st't up (piartcrs and receive and wait upon the suilerers. With the utmost kindness they assured the authorities that the business men of their city hcid am]>le supplies at their command and needeil onlvto becommandcMl in order to forward all that was needed. Thev sccuhmI a vacant lot on the corner of Third and Universitv streets and there erect(Ml a tent thirtv bv twentv feet, furnished with tables and ston^l with provisions. Arrangements were made here on the most extensive scale, no less than to feed six thousand people a day so long as niMcssary.*

*The names of the Tacoma relief committee were as foUows: David Wilson, commander; H. C. Wallace, secretary and treasurer; Hyron Barlow, chairman; A. C. Smith, Walter Thompson, W. H. Pritchard, K B. Cushin^^. C. O. Claypool, T. O. Abbott, Thos. Carroll, J. A. Frace, H. P. Hoagland, Harry Sliorp, W. C. Sharpstein, J. P. Hooey, J. W. Anderson, J. P. Conley, Henry Drum, P. A. Paulson, Harry Lowe, Lewis Foss, W. P. Sunberg, Clifford Viant, Frank Carroll, (). K. Spooner, J. B. Cromwell, Scott Hewitt, A .C. Brokaw, C. A. Dorme, O. B. Hayden, H. R. Cox, Will Grier, A. F. Stafford, Herbert Griggs, R. B. Lehman, I. B. Keats, H. Wilson, Charles Uhlman, H. C. Huston, Geo. Chandler, Y. C. Blalock, T. B. Wallace.

one, army officers and members of the Grand Army saying that they behaved like veterans. Strict orders were given by the officers that no persons should be allowed within the burnt district without giving the countersign. In only one case was it reported that the order was disregarded, the wonl being required of strangers and acquaintances alike.

A considerable number were found who had not as yet been providt^d for. These wei-e, in a number of ciiseft, women who were sick. Sleeping accommodations as well as food were provided. As a nvimber of days passed it was unavoidable that some conaiderable number of those who were able to provide for their iieco^eities at tlie stores or restaurants - which in most canes made no extra charges - began to depend upon the free Ijibles, find the policy of ofi'ering work and ]tay instead of food wa,-! adopted as soon as practicable. Yet in spite of these few eases of unworthincs-s, inealculable good was done by the bounty of the public and the charity of the ladies.*!

t*As additional names of these noble ladies the following, who reported to relieve those first on the ground, should be inserted: Mesilanies Haskins, Brown, Dearborn, Spaulding. Flynn, Ida Dearborn, R. Popple. A, E. Hathaway, L, S. Willis, Sarah Hall, F. L. Walkins, Mary Chandler, Hinnifln, Josenbaus. Scott, Randolph, and Misses A. Sansen. Kate Pierce, Minnie Mattison, Ella Claughley, A. S. 'V^'illia]I]s,

Among others doing all in their power t4) relieve destitution should be mentioned CapUiin Brown, who, with his steamer tlie Clara Broini, went to all points along the S()un<l gathering up eonlrilnitions and turning them over to the eommittee without charge. He also brought an excursion from Taeoma and turned the proceeds over to the committee. Wm. C. Meydenbauer, upon getting his bakery in operation once more, sent two hundred loaves of bread to the committee. Other bakers did likewise. The I^igct Mill company sent a cargo of provisions by their steamer, the Yakiiiui. Henry Villard made a short visit and encouraged the people by saying that their old time grit and enti^rprise would defy this ealainity also, and that th(» fire was a blessing in disguise. He promised to use his inHuenc(* to get a reduction of rates to help the city ri'build, and afterwanls amply reileemed his promise.

The Tacomans kept open their tent and sp(»edily erected others for lodging accommodations. They stayed l)V Seattle, some days feeding fully three thousand persons. Twenty cooks and half as many dishwashers were rcxjuired. In recogniti(;n of their fraternal fidelity the Seattle city council passed tlie warmest ri*sohitions of gratitude, expressing eternal friendship for Taconia and her people.

When subscriptions were linally closed it was found that Taeoma had sent a value of nearlv twenty thousand dollars besides ixq-sonal service. San Francisco sent ten thousand dollars at once; ()lyinj)ia, one thousand ; Virginia City, Nevada, four thousand ; Portland made in the course of time a considi^rablc donation. The utmost liberality was manifested on the part of all business correspondents at Portland, San Francisco and the East as to furnishing new stocks of goods and making new accounts for old obligations. Nowhere was there numi-

Moore, Jennings, Sohwatka, Maude Wood, Myrta Bagley, Sprague, Rochester, Graves, Iva Ghormley, Grace Youngman, and Zanette Baxter; also Mesdames Brown, Daniels, Boone, Bush, Burwell, Niesz, Gould, Levy, Baum, Lidsley, Herron, Alelt, Ball, McComb, Smith, Daultou, Pautliig, Black, Sanders and Calvert, and Misses Ward, Cass, Gilbert, Chandler, Illig, Robeson, Bettinger and Bagley. New faces at the eleventh hour are spoken of as Mrs. R. P. Daniels. Mrs. I^tliel Carter, Mrs. Addie Hanley, Miss Ada Sprague, Mrs. A. B. (Tcorge. Mrs. M. J. Chandler, Mrs M. T. Goss and Mrs. L. S. Coomer.

Biifore the Kre luid eciisod burning, a meeting of cittzeno called til consider tho sitiiatitm and to take st^jis for the eoiltinuanctl and iirotoetiun of business, A number of i^erioua queiitionH natup-f ftlly present*^! themselves, Should t!ie city itermit the eivctiou otm wooden buildings temporarily for the ncconimodatiou of husinesafl Should the destruction of tho buildings be tukon advantage of tarn widen and straighten the main Htre(<ta? Something of the int{>ntiong4 of the property owiiei's it was desirable tfl know, so that tlic prui;pi>d of the business ne^ds for the rest of the season might be better coI-J tiulattid. The ability and disposition of tho banks to furnish tiiono] for rebuilding needed also to lio known. To discover llie drift and) puq>oses of the eitizens on these ijuostions a meeting was called take place at the First Regiment Armory iit ik'ven o'elock on th«3 morning of the seventh.

;Vt the liour appointed five or six hnndivd of the business men assembled, and then occurred a meeting, tlie records of which, read in the light of subsequent events, were of the most extraordinary character. The business men of Seattle seem at that moment to have been endowed witli prescience, and their impromptu disposition of the grave matters before them was directed by a certain spontaneous sagacity that could not have been improved upon. The secret of both these results was iloubtless tluit in the midst of the disaster all was forgotten except the determination to build the city again and to take at once such measuix's as would result in the highest public good. The old Seattle spirit was once more alive. While the hearts of all were moved by tliesi- lurgc ideas, wbiitli all were united in acting upon before personal or .selfish iTilcn-st cinuc in U> mar their unity, almost anytJiing could be done, Seattle is peculiarly a city whose policy has been directed by the voice of tlie peiii)le at tlie public meeting.

ful or buoyant. Upon the call to order Mavor Moran announced that the city council, which would meet in the evening, wished to know before taking the action made necessary by the fire, what was the wish of the citizens as to permitting the erection of temporary wooden strueturas within the fire limits, and whether they desired the straightening and widening of the })rincipal streets. An almost unanimous expression was made that tln^re should be no wooden shanties allowed, that the streets should be improved and that all action should be t4iken on the presum})tion that Seattle was to be rebuilt in the most substantial manner.

Judge J. P. Iloyt was first called upon. As a leading financier his views and advice Wi're opportune. After speaking of the necessity of housing the business in some manner, he a<lde(l, "We meet to-(biy in the presence of a calamity, but the people of S(nittle will rise and pull together as they have always done when danger faced them in the past. Within five years they will have built a city that will stand forever as a monument to their enterprise. The banks may be depended upon to aid with all their power." Thi' Judge and the banks were heartilv cheered.

G. Morris Haller, l)eing next called upon, said that he was unqualifiedly op}>osed to wooden structures and added, '* We want to straighten out the cross streets; we want to put Front street right through. The property owners should giv(^ u[> twelvi* feet on each side of the street, making a fine thoroughfare ninety feet wide."

Governor Ferry feared it would work a hardship to compel all property owners to build at once of stone or brick, but closed by saying," This has been called a great catastrophy. I don't think so. 1 heard a stranger say '1 ntner kninv n live, go-ahea<l city that was injured by a fire.' That's the kind of a city Seattle is. Already it is rising from its ashes. As an evidence of the spirit of this city I will tell vou that vesterdav afternoon, when the walls of his hoti*l had fallen in and his house was fast going up in a chariot of fire, John

Culliiw saif! Ui me, ' Tomorrow, Governor, I will ask plans for a i)etler iiotol tliflii that pvct was.' Now let me say tliat thowe who wish to huihl hricks can got mom-y of the hanks hi^rc, and when they nin low wi- cim get all the money we want in San Kraneiw-o." The jp)Vernor expresstil tiio spntimcnt o( all in siiyiiig tliat Front street must ho made nhietyfeet wide.

Aiij;its Afai-Icintosh iironiised for the hanks that they would not make money from the niis^fortunes of the [leople. Heaaonnhlo soeurity was 111! tlioy wished.

money, hut I've got enough to oonimenco rebuilding as soon us the liricks get cold ; and I'll build longer and higher and lietter, and so will all of us. Seattle does everytliing on a grand .seale; when we have II tire we have the biggest one. and now we'll go t« work ami huild the higgest and grandest city. My friend, Guy Phiuney, has men at work in the smoking tn>nches now, and will commence laj-ing stone to-[nori-ow morning. CJeorge Frye has let the contnict and will have n better opprn house within sixlv diiys. Tiilk about defeat' why you can't kill this town. We've fought a great monopoly ; we've fought water - would to God we'd had more of it yesterday - and now we won't let a fire eon<]uer us. In eighteen months we will have a straight row of briek i)alaet.s for our merchants, in a straight line from Stet-ion it Post's sawmill to lielltown, and the glories of the new Seattle will ecli|j.se the brighte.-'t dreams of the most sanguine."

Judge Ilanlbrd now rose and spoke of the necessity of settling the waterfront i]uestion and of replatting the city. In closing he said : " Seattle lias not burned uji. The men - the bone and sinew of Seattle - are here. We have our families; our houses are saved, and in eighteen moutlis we shall have a grander city than we have ever dared to dream of" lie moved that a connniltee of five be appointed to assist tile council in replatfing the city.

Speaking to this motion, ex-(iovernor Sijuire favored improvement aiul ui'-icd that tiny build from the Ixitlom up. He spoke of the necessity of caring for the sick and destitute.', and pledged five huu- cired dollars for their ex})onscs out of his own pocket. He siiid on <jIosing, " Let me say that, although I have only a few hundriMl dollars in the bank, my credit is good, and I will rebuild every one of my l)uildings that was burned."

Judge Hanford's motion was [»asse<l amid great enthusiasm, and Haller's motion not to allow anv wood in the fire limits was carried with uproarious unanimity. A relief connnittee of five, with the Mayor as chairman, was provided. The announcement that Tacoma had raised a relief fund of ten thousand dollars in an hour, was loudlv cheered and the sum was gratefully accepted, though it was the sentiment that Seattle should ask nothing. A (lucstion was asked whether to forward money which had been raised previous to the tire for the relief of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, then suffering from a disastrous flood. It was decideil to send it, notwithstanding the necessities of Seattle's own j)eople.

At the evening met^ting citizens were invited to take part with the council. The conclusions of the morning were carried without dissent. No wood should Ik; allowed in the burned district. Business might be done in tents, upon special ]>ermit of tlu^ city officers, but no saloons need aj)ply. Any tents erected without permission should be torn down.

The committee on re-i)latting was constituted as follows: \V. E. Boone, Thomas Ewing, C. II. llanford, (J. M. llaller and J. V. Iloyt. The relief committee was composed of the Afayor, r.r-o///c'/o; E. P. Ferry, Thos. Burke, J. R. Lewis and G. II. Ileilbron. The payment to the committee of Gov. S(juire's contribution of five hundred dollars, and a hundred dollars from William Cochrane, led the list. Judge Lewis afterwards made a private contribution of nearly two hundred dollars. The necessity of accommodating business and commerce, to be n)et in the manner indicated at these meetings, was most jiressing. Unless stores were opened trade would necessarily go to other points and the city would suffer greatly. TcMits, with plank flooring, were soon obtained and spread. Within five days snowy lines of canvas began to cover the blackened blocks, and l>efore a fortnight business was crowding the streets as before. During the remainder of the summer and through the autumn and winter business was thus housed.

Mudi vftlual'lo pro|>ert;V wits saveil from iiilferiiip, and the proper persona wore BllownrJ to seiinih the ruins for vahinWea and to open safcjf without ilisturlmnce. On the i-leveiith, as the guni-d Wiis U.-<njiiiiiig worn out by raiistant ser\-ice, it was deemed safe lo withdraw them ami Ifavt' t\w distrit-t to the iwliw. In a short time thousands of people wen* on the grounds, the grcnter number saying that they wore in search of nslics. But it was socni apparent that tlie vicious cInsseH were in the majority and that their object was to find valuables - monoy, gold articles, plate, etc. The crowd soon developed into an unruly mob beyond tlio control of tlie police. Tiie tiiilitary guard was therefore speedily recalled, and a body of relic hutiterp that the police i-ould not move, was Bi^ut out of thu burnt district in short order by thp advance of two columns of soldiers with fixed bayonets. Ciuard duty was then continued until the city authorities were prepared to uuforce order, (.Considering the extent of the disaster, the numbers of all clasaea turned loose and the amount of property exposi'd, the order maintained during this period was remarkably good. The greatest credit is due to the National Guard and all its officer!).

Evkxtm Aiter Thk

Work of Rebuilding the City - Growth in Population and Wealth - Sad Circnmstanccs Connected with tlie Death of Dr. T. T. Minor and G. Morris Haller - Their Loss a Public Calamity - .Adoption of a New City Charter- Outlook for the Fcture of Seattle.

NO tinu' was lost in making efforts to rebuild. Reasons for beginninj; at om-c wen- iiunieron.s ami good. In the ru!?h of business in tlic city al the time, every day's dclny in getting back on the old footing mean! loss. I'.vi'ii more, in u lime of sudi expansion, the failuiv to aeconimiHlate those seeking openings liere would mean the loss of growth. A still inoiv urgcMit ivnsoii for haste* lay in the fact that, while money for rebuilding could be readily obtained if there was to be such general improvement as to make certain the m(*tro{K)litan character of SeattUs little could be borrowe<l for a grade of work inferior to that whi<*h had been swept awav. The citv was looked upon by outsiders as consisting of its men, and, if they showed spirit and energy, that was sufficient security. But without this demonstration there was no foundation for credit. The situation was realized from the moment the destruction of the old city became certain, and just as soon as the embers began to cool, the work of reconstruction was begun, and was continued without interruption until the ruins had l)een replaced with large and stately buildings and the business district of the citv was once more a scene of commercial activity. Indeed, the speed and thoroughness with which Seattle was rebuilt wa*^ phenomenal and almost without precedent. KightetMi months after the great disaster, all traces of it had been nMnoved. Where woollen buildings had formerly stood were massive buildings of brick. Where brick buildings had been were palaces of commen-e, the superiors of which but few cities possess.

Thus Seattle once more demonstrated its right to exist and its ability to ])rosper. It had previously shown its superiority to disaster and opposition. It now rose superior to the scourge of fire. The disaster did not end the era of prosperity and ra[>id growth. It only marked an epoch in that era. The city continuetl to grow. The population increased more rai)idly than ever before. New enterprises were set in motion and newindu.stries inaugurated. Not content with recovering the ground lost, the city attained a i)osition far in advance of any that it had previously reached. Indetnl, the prosperity was such that many, attributing it all to the fire, were led to look upon that event as a blessing rather than as a calamity.

In the midst of its prosi>erity Seattle was stricken with sorrow by the untimely death of two of its most prominent and respected citizen.s Dr. Thomas T. Minor and (1. Morris Haller. Th(\se gentlemen, accompanied by Lewis Cox, a brother-in-law of Mr. llaller, left Seattle on a hunting expedition in th(^ last week of November, 1889. After several days of indifferent sport near the mouth ot the Stilla- guaiiiiHli i-ivor, iii Siioliomit-li ooiinty, llioy deterininiKi in go Ui Whidbey islam], hoping to Imve Iwtter sucwsa tliere. Iii the afternoon of I December 2d, they left StBiiwootf, at the mouth of the StilhigiituuUli, in their canons, intending to eroB« lo the isluml, » distance of tliirlccn miles. The wat«3rs here art- somewhat treacherous owing to erosa-currotits tind tidi'-rijts, and, in nttemitlinj; to cross ihuni in their frail canooH, the three gentlemen were enttjring upon a most dangerous undertaking. They di<l not rewlixe this. liow«v«r, and gtiily bade good-by to those who watched tliem leave tlie landing at Stanwood.

They were neviT agivin seen aiivu. A full wwk pMssitl after tlieir di8api>eftrance before any anxiety was felt in regard u^ them at So-attle. When sevend moi-o days hiid pafMcd without their return, however, their f^iend!^ bcoftnie thoroughly alarmed. Scftith jmrties were firganiKod and every effort was made to discover what fait- had befallen the ili-sturn^d huntt-rs. After some dftys of inleniie anxiety, the canoes in which they had sailed were cast upon tlie beach. A few other articles known to liave belonged to members of the party were recovered. All hope of the safety of the missing onns was then abandoned and the city gave itself up U* griof,

Dr, Minor and Mr. Haller had occupied positions of the utnuHt importance in Seattle and in the state of Washington. Dr. Minor wa.s one of the acknowledged leadei-s of the Re|)ublican party in the state. He had served a-s mayor of .Seattle and as a menilwr of the convention which framed the constitution of the state. For yeare he had been a })roniinent leader in Seattle and no imjwrtjint move was nmdc in busines.s, in politics or in social affairs without his approval and co-operation. Mr. Haller, though a younger man than his companion on the unfortunate hunting cxi)edition, was scarcely less prominent. He occupied a liigh jiosition in business circles and in society. In politics he was a Democrat and was one of the acknowledged leaders of his jiai'ty. The death of two sucli men was justly regarded as n calamity to the slate. IJotli honses of the legi.-lature. which was then in sc.^fiou, passed resolutions expressive of sorrow jnid .'iynipathy. On Sunday, December loth, memorial services were held at the First Regiment -Vrmory in Seattle. The menibei"s of the legislature and large delegations from the ditlei-eut cities on the Sound weiv in atteiidaner. TIk* entire state was siricken witli s<ht()W and Sejittle was lx)we(l in grief as if in tlie presence of some great national calaniitv.

Si?veral weeks later the body of Mr. Ilaller was rcn-overed and thai of Mr. Cox was also found where it had been cast upon the beach. No further trace of Dr. Minor was ever found.

In October, 1890, tlu^ city adoi>ted a new charter. It had been found that the form of goyernnient which had been satisfactory to Seattle in its yillage days was inadeiiuate to meet the wants of a great and growing city. A charter commission consisting of thirteen of the most prominent citizens was therefore chosen in accordance with the state law, and after seyeral wi*eks of deliberation it submitted a charter for the future goyernnient of the city. This was ado})ted by the yoters at an election held on October 1st, IHJM), and Harry White, w^ho had been a member of the city council under the old goyernment, was chosen as the first mayor under the new.

The new system of goyernment is still on trial and there are grave doubts as to whether it is as well adapted to its purpose as that which it succeeded. However that may l>e, nobody who has sympathetically followed the story of Seattle from its scttltMuc^nt in the midst of an almost unbroken forest to its present position of commanding greatness, can doubt that this chosen city is destine<l to win in the future greiiter victories than it has w(m in the i)ast, or that its loyal, courageous and enter})rising})eople will continue to bear forward the banner of progress which they have borne so loftily in the years that wer(\

Character of KBriy Comnierce - Tlic Lumber Trade - Developineiil of Coal Mining - Veakf's Mill and its Effect upon Horly Growth of Seattle - Early Merchauts - Statistics Relating to Grain, Coal Hnd I.uraber - I'eriod of General Ctnumerce - Report of Governor Squire - Volume of Exports - Tonnage of Vessels Engaged 1 in Trade - Preseut Conditiou of llie Commercial Interests of Seattle.

THK coininorcial ilevelopiiiciit of SeattU: hiiH Iwori signiticaiit uiwiJ characteristic of tin- city. A« oiii; of iiiuny points along tl« almost illiiniUble waters of Piigct Soiiml. witli its two thousuiid mile* of shore iiiie, mo^t of which is quiet find shelkTcd. Ihi^ city had aij first no pre-eminence over any one of the scori' of milling and coaling:] stations between the Straits of .liuin dp Fucii and Budd's inlet. The character of the business done in the eadiest. tind even up to the pn eut, times did not favor, and indeed almost positively forbade tlie con-' oontration of business at any oiio [K)int, Thu vcascla llr^t entering the Straitii for piling and square timl)ers hove to in any hay where the forest trees overhung (bf wiiter iind where a foree of settlers or Indians could ho obtained to fell the trees and handle the logs. When, a few years later, the pioneers of the lumber business began ei-ecting their mammoth sawmills and cutting the fir and cedar timber into beams and jdanking for the markets of California, South AmericJi and the Pacific islands, they found bundreds uf sites just as good as Seattle and discovei'cd nothing in the nature or circumstances of that business to make coneentrjition iit all advnnlageous. All the tendencies were, on the contrary, toward di.-ipersitm of it over the whole ai-ca of the Sound ; for, desiring as huge bodies of timber as jiossible, at the least expen.se for logging and of towage of rafts to the nnll.'i, the lumber mannfaefuring compjinies soujfbt places near the great forests to erect their mills, each endeavoring to secure legal |Hi.sseHsioii of (he contiguous tract, to the extent of many sections, or, perhaps of whole townshii>s. Hence it came about in a number of years that the mills of these companies were dispersed along the shore at a distance of from five to t(^n miles apart, and each carried on its own affaii*s in a manner of })erfect independence. Each had its own ships, and being put thereby in <lirect communication with the markets of the world, they kept their own stores, their own shops, their own l>oarding houses and built the houses for the lodging of their employes. Such milling points as Port Gamble, Port Madison and Port IMakelev, were absolutely independent of any place north of San Francisco, and no snuill j)ortion of the profit of the business done was derived from the numagement of the shops and stores, and from the l)oard and rents.

There w^as nothing in tlie nature of tlic waters or shores of the Sound itself to forl)id such an arranucment and manaiiement of the lumbering l)usiness. I]y this inland sea all juirts were treated alike. No l>ars, reefs, shoals, currents or shrltiM-ing hills made one place essentially better than another. There was no ])lace lixed bv nature as the one pre-eminent lumbering station. Seattle^ so far as she derived her commerce from this source, had no advantage over a score of places on Piiget Sound. As the first place chosen for a steam sawmill, it enjoyed priority in time, but was soon passed in ex])ort of lumber by other places, and has long since ceased to export the article, but has become a consumer l^eyond its ))roduction.

By the coal mining industry, which rose nc^xt and l)egan to Hourish about ten years after that of luml)ering, the area of commerce was restricted and the number of commercial sites limited. As coal was not found in paying quantities on the west side of the Sound, all that shore was separated from the hope of enjoying commercial preeminence. On the east side, too, the sites were limited to three - Bellineham bav, Elliott bay and Commencement bav.

At Bellingham l)ay the coal mined, while lit for use, was soggy and dirty, and uj)on discovery of scmiething better was s])eedily discarded. At Elliott bav coal of the best (lualitv was discovered and mined and attracted shi])ping from l^oHhind and San P^-ancisco, and within ten years these mines were su{)plying nearly half the coal consumed on the coast. Without (juestion this fixed Seattle as the leading shipping point of Puget Sound. Developnient of the mines of Pierce county, whose coals are almost ecjual in extent and quality to

IJut as iicitlicr coul nor hnulier - but jiniiu - in the (rliii'f fX|iiirt of I Uiu state, tlie gniiii Mlii])]iiTij; will be tlio iieicl grentttst «lf[i Ut ^in. It may be frankly luiid tliat this is not yet attuinod. Muuli of the I grain of EiLsteni Wai«hinglou and Orc^'on, and of Idaho, goe.- (o J sen by way of Porthuul. But that this is owing to the unnatural 1 railroad conditions hit]i<;rU) luaiiitaiiH^d is woll ultustcd by the [tresviit I desire in railroad circlei) to push the roads heretofore terminating at i Portland on Ui I'ugrt Sound, so ns to bring the grain of Hit- inland f emiiire through the puss of tiie Colunibiu, and oven from lln' Willft-' mette valley to tlicsi! watt're. No foolish claim nood bo uiaUc thai ail I the grain of Oregon will be 8bipi>od hy llie Sound. So long as Porfc- 1 land )m.s the use of her rivers, and the deei«?ning of tlieir ehauncb J goes on under the operation of artilieint government works, a con»^l siderahlo pro[)ortion of the surplus of thiit region, perhaps oue-half ta-| three-fourths, will seek thi* sea by the Culuinbia. But, conceding Mi niueh to Portland, obnen'o the advantage still allowed to the Sound ; for no one will claim that any considerable portion of the products of Eastern "WaHliiiigton will go hy Porlhind when suffieient railroad coniniunication is opened lo (he Sound by competing line-s sueh as are already under way.

By no means is it yot true, nor will it he claimed that all the shipping of grain will bo done from Seattle. Almost the whole shore line of (he Sound on tile cast side is adaptj-'d to the l>uilding of wharves and elevators suitable f()r Hliipj)ing grain. Yet the advantages of eonc-ciitration so tliiit ships may find a full cargo at the point t*t which they are iHspatelicd by charter, are sncli that the grain ship]>ing business will not lie very widely dispersed. The point will be fi.xcd where the ships can come iienrest the grain ticlds, which is at Seattle. For the grain from the sonlli, Tacomu b;is eipiiit facilities, but for that from (he cii.'.t, Scaltle is (lie n.^arest totln' the greatest number of productive sections - being I'ljUiilly near by the Stanijicdc pass, and nearer by the Sno'iualmie, the (Jady, and the Skagit passes.

Without dwelling upon what will be the development in the future, this chapter will give as nearly as possible the record of the commercial development in the j)ast, by which Seattle beaune esUiblished as a lumbering station, and as such made the village, and by which it gained pre-eminence as the point for shipping coal, which it lias not yet resigned. It will show, also, the extent to which it has advanced in gaining the grain ship|)ing business. Some of this is woven in with the history of railroad deveIo])ment and of the struggle for existence, but it will be treated here only from its bearing on commerce and trade, with as little as ])ossible of repetition.

Fii'st will be given an account of the establishment of trade, the kinds and extent of exports and im])orts. nn<l a list of business houses with some stat^'inent of the growth of the city ; following this will be given, lis nearly complete as may be, some sketch of the men themselves who built uj) the trade of Seattle, in the order of their coming hither with a business aim. Materials for this are not so abundant as could l)e wished, the main dependence being the files of newspapers, and the recollection of the men concerned. While lacking in absolute accuracy and completeness, the record will be as truthful and comprehensive as possibl(\

Perhaps there is no one feature in whic^li the attainments of the present day are so disproportionate to their ultimate volume as the commerce of Seattle, yet it is even now by no means insigniiicant.

In presenting a view of the rise and growth of this branch of the city^s enterprise, it will be convenient to treat of it according to its [)eriods of dervelopment. These have been about four and may be denominated according to the kinds of ex{>orts. The first by this division would be the period of square timbers and piling from aV)Out IHoO to about 1853-4 ; the second, the i)eriod of sawn timbers and lumber, from 1853-4 to 18(54, and onwards indefinitely ; the j)eriod of coal from 1864 to the present; the period of grain ex])ort from 1888 and onwards. The latter j)eriod might, perhaps, with more |)ropriety, be called that of general commerce in all commodities.

The Sound stvirccly got a full share of this vi-ry ourly ('Hlifornia tnide. siuce thero were liut the nioBt acmit Hcttlenientii along ifa nhon'«, and few i^pt^iins won' jirepared to furnish ti load hy monnt^ of their own cww. It WH8 frrpm the Columliia, therefnrt', that tlie most of tha timber and wliij)-sawi>d lumbor that went to C'lilifornia, was obtainwl. Oexmsionnl vessels, however, made their way to the Sound, and as the demand for tiuibers beniine known nnd the poople of the seltlometitB' found the means of doing wi, piling was reguUirly hauled out of th«' woods to tJie beuclies eonvenii'iit for landing, and to a considprabl* exlont squared for sills, plates, bridge timbers, etc. Just how muchi this i-..i.imen-c amounted I" in tW *-v\u-^,- <,f n yrar it would not easy to say ; yet several eargoes a season left Elliott bay each summer bcfoR' the Indian war, and this was only a fraetion of the amount which left the .Sound.

In handling those heavy and bulky timber the strength and ingenuity of the settlers was taxed to the utmost. In some eases they had no j>ower but their own arms, and by skids, ei-owbars and blocks and tackles worke<l the logs to the shore and loaded them into the ship through the stern hatches. In eoui-se of time they obtained cattle and logged out the timbers as in the later days.

While this was the i)eriod of .square timbei-s, these being all that tlie SoiukI had to expurt, it was also dislingiiisluti as a lime of trading adventuivs. Small tnuling vessels, mostly brigs, would come to the towns along the sliinvs iif the Sound, having Hour, pork and butter and ]irovi.sioiis, ;iml clothing and untinns to trade oH' at prit-es aeeoi-ding to the purses and needs nt (be jicojde. As California gold iviis not scarce, and as goods am! Yankee notions were, the traders often made a handsome profit on their articles. Vessels bearing men of means and intelligence exi)l<)ring the watei-s for business or city sites or f(»r the i)urix)s<:» of examining the timber with a view to loc^iting sawmills, also arrived, and from the towns an<l mills established as a result of such investigations oj)ened out the second i>eriod.

The effect of this tra<l(» and export of timbers on Seattle was (juite marked. It was not the thing that made the place, but was that without which the place could not have been made. Tnlike the agricultural or grazing portions of the Northwest, the |)rimitive wilds of Elliott bay offered no means of livelihood, ex(H'])t to a limit<»d extent by stock raising and fishing. To stick at nil, the settlement must make some use of the tiling l)estowed most lavishly by nature, the timljer. Most opportune, then^fore, was it that there was such a demand for this in California as si'ut vessels cruising after it to the Sound. On Alki i)oint, at Seattle, and on the Duwamish, tin* [)ioneers relied on this for their means of liveliliood.

This began with the coming of II. L. Y(»sler, in October of isr>2, with a view to cutting lumber on the Sound for the San Francisco market. The great mills at other points were all locattul and set in openition within four or five years thereafter, by IVabody, Koeder, Thompson, Campl)ell, Cranney, Orennan, Bliim, Williamson, Kenton, Walker and othei*s, as mentioned in a previous chaj)ter.

Yesler^s mill did not create the town, vet it did more than anv one thing to fix the seat of the place. It created a business sufficient to furnish employment to nearly all the men in the town, and to attract othei's. As the first steam mill, and the first mill of any caj)acity, it gave a t<nnporary advantage to the town. i)lacing the means of building decent hous<»s and est^iblishing pleasant homes within the reach of the people. The effect of this in fixing the people here was very great. The pioneers of Seattle were, first of all, home-makers rather than money-makers. Having once fixed their family st^at at this place an<l having acquired the home interest alter the disruption of their old ties in the stiites from which thev came, thev clung tcnaciouslv to the lionie» tliey liad made with tlioir own IiamlH in the wildpmeas, T! hiutiiiess, hff (Liul iiiuuls of siip[ioi'l (ilTurdi'd by Vesler's mill gav« frcdb atrfiigth Ui Ihp nriginal advnnUge held hy kSeHttle. Now, iiiM^ad working at piling Hiid aijUiin- tiiiihL'Pi, the people of EUiotl bay tuniedi thuir attention to logging and to seeking employment in tlie mill, Mr. Yesler giivcj the prurert'iice to tlie original Seattle people, and to* cousidBmblB degree assumed the responsibility of finding eniploymeot for tlie people of the place. By this means the town was h^ together, and. before the Indiait war, beeiime ostiiblLslied as the chH| place on the lower Sound.

The eapa(;ity of the mill wiis fourUfeu thousand feet |M>r day. / feature of Mr. Yesler's hnsiness hero wius his extreme liberulity in th< use of Inn money. InHtead of following the [Kpliey of [jiitting hia proBtfi in the xecuriticH of other places, lie loaned to his neighbon^ often with no adequate seeurity, and at a personal loss. Bnt thereby he kept In operittioii undertakings that musi otiierwiso have pai from Seattle.

Like the other mill owners ho had his Htock of goo<ls, and kept hii mess house for such employee as had no homes of their own. Thes^ however, became village centres, and Btimulated a public spirit intend of dampening it.

The advantage now hold by Seattle in biiving a productive farming region on the White and Duwamish rivere, and such valleys as those of the Cedar, Creen and Snoquiilmie rivers at a greater distance now became apparent. No other town on the Sound had theae rich lands at its hack. By this fact Seattle became, to some extent, a diatributing point for a flourishing agricultural region.

Up to 1860 the value of the lumber cut was not greatly in Qxce&e of one hundred lluiuaand dolInr>i a yejir; the eut for that year being about five million feet for all King county. In 1870 the product had doubled, yet the value i-ould nnt have been twice as nuu-h, since the price was falling'. In l.sso ii ijiid reached forty milli<ui feet, and in 1890 alwut two hnndivd million leel, making a lotal value of three million dollars, about the same as tliat of the coal exjiorted. The lumber j-erind, ibi refon^, is not ].assc.i. ancl has liardly been ecli]wed, but yet it is no longer ilistiuetive,.siiice but little of the lumber is ship- ped, the great l>ulk being al)Sorl)e(l in the uses of the eity. Distinctively, the himber jKTiod of export is from about lSo4 tol8G4, or j>ossibly a few years later. During tliat period Seattle was distinctively a lumbering point. It revolved around the mill, and seemed to liave no separate existence. A stranger not knowing its potencies in other directions, would not distinguish it from tlie other milling points until, in 18G1, the erection of the Territorial Univei'sity sliowed a higher ambition and energy, and in l.S()4 the promise of coal Ixntame visible. During these ten years the ])lace had tlie stores of Yesler, of C C. Terry, of Iloiion, Denny & Phillips, of Williamson, and a few others not sosteadilv nuiintained. In ISflO there were lait twentv families in the town.

Tue Coal Pkkiom

An account will be found elsewhere of the discovery and development of the coal mines east of Seattle. Diseoverv at a verv earlv period, of coal on the shore of Bellingham bay led to the belief that it might be found at other points along the Siamd. Indications were observed on the banks of the Duwamish in a canvon back of Steele's landing, but upon examination showed no value. The vein next up the stream was found on the IMack river, opposite the present town of Renton. Extensive examination was made by the proprietor and some of the coal was mined, and, although proving a fairly cond)ustible article, and in the absence of all else probably worth digging, was soon given up as inferior. On Coal creek, east of Lake Washington, the next mine was examined and this proved an excellent lignite. It was opened and the mine known as the Newcastle, producing what is usually called the Seattle coal, has been mined to this date, having produced over a million tons since oi)ening. Near the union of Cedar river with Black river, in the vicinity of Kenton, is the Kenton mine and above this the Talbot. The (xreen river mines are at a distance twice as great, and produce an article still better. On the Snoipialmie river are still other iields and mines, worked to some extent. A number of veal's were j>assed in experiment and it was not until 1S71 that any considerable shi[)ment was made, this being 4,9 IS tons. In 187G the product of the mines near Seattle had reached about one hundred and forty thousand tons, about three-fouillis of which was shipped.

Kroni a special report of James F. Jouts, mining engineer and I suiwriiitendent, to Governor Stitiire in 18*<4, the following accurato-l description of the mines and the aiais of King eoimty is tAken :

The outpnt has been increasing annually since 1*47^, from a few hundred ti £18,74:2 tons in 1HS3, which equaled nearly twenty-two pet cent of the Pacific Coast I consumption, and fifty-five per cent, of the product of the territory.

The beds are, beginning at the lowest, fourteen feet, ten feet and 6ve feel ill 1 tliicknesB, The formation is folded into what ii geologically tenitcil "basins," witU f their sidea sloping from thirty degrees to fifty degrees, and the course of the tiend of I the sxia about north eighty degrees wesL

The Franklin mine is located in King county, on sections lit, IS and 7, township 21, north range 7 east, Willamette Meridian, on the border of Green river, thirty-two an<t une-hatf miles from tide water.

There are three coal beds developed ranging from eight feet to eighteen feet in thickness. The coat is of the bituminous kind and is chemically richer in carbon than the Seattle coal. The analysis of the three beds is as follows :

The Roslyn mine, east of the Cascades, turns out 419,471, and Thurston county, from Bucoda, .*>S(),420 tons, placing King county in the lead of all by nearly 70,()()() Ions, or a value a (juarter of a million dollars.

Exact dat^i of the volume of exports IVom Seattle for the yeai*s since a custom house has l)een established cannot be obtained, owing to the fact that the vessels passing out through th(* straits have Ixn^n recorded at Port Townsend as sini])ly from the Sound in general, and not from any particular i)oint on it.

Since 1884, statistics relative to the entire customs district have been jmblished, and Seattle, as the chief city, may claim a chief share.

The commerce* of the state, and more ])articularly of the Sound, for 1884, is somewhat minutelv <lescribed bv (Governor Siniire as follows :

The commercial relations of Washin^Uni Territory are widely diversified. The remark of the collector of customs for the Puj^et Sound district to the effect that only two ports of the United States exceeded Port Townsend, the port of entry of this district, in American ocean steam vessels for foreign trade, to wit.. New York and San Francisco, forcibly suggests this fact.

The extensive ramifications of the trade of the western division of the territory is further made apparent by the fact that vessels have cleared during the year for which this report is rendered for ports in British Columbia, Mexico, Hawaiian islands, Australia, Fiji islands, China, Japan, South America, Kngland, Ireland, Central America and Peru. Besides, a coastwise trade with California and Alaska furnishes an important factor in the premises. The surplus grain, wool, and salmon of the eastern and southern part of the territory have hitherto been principally shipped by way of the Oregon custom house at Portland and Astoria and no account has been taken of these productions, which for the purposes of a full showing would belong to this territory. Thousands of cattle are being driven or shipped by rail direct to the east without any custom house record being taken of their numbers and value; and shipments of grain for this season have been made by rail in the same direction; so that the aggregate exports of the territory cannot now be accurately computed.

The amount or freight handled at Tacoma b; the Northern Pacific rsilrood, towit.: 232,2!H4 ions received (including coal) and 2il,(ll)2 tons forwarded, for the year eliding June 311, lWi4; and the further fact that the Orcgou Improvement company handled 5l),)ltM) tons of comiuercial freight during the year at their docks and warelionses in Seattle, besides 23.j,li>T tons of coal, are important items in the group of fuels connected with this subject, which must challenge marked atteulion.

TTie list of eigbly-four steam vessels, ranging in size from the five ton propeller ti the tpleiidid aleamer Olympian, now registered at the office of the collection district ' of Pugel Sound (all of which are employed in the domestic freight and passenger traffic of Puget Sound alone) furnishes another suggestive item in this connectiou.

The numlrer of vessels documented of Port Townsend. port of entry for Puget j Sound collection district, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 18S4, was 184, of wfaiefa numlier 8li were sailing and TH steam, witli a total touage of il,Si2. tons. There wer« entered and cleared jn tlie same district at the custom house for the fiscal year ending June at), 18*1, \,l>^ii vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of IKW.flia tons. Of this number 1145 vessels were coastwise, having A'2ti,\-£i tons, and 1,443 were foreign, with a tounuge of (IT2,3S» tons.

At least one third of the Puget Sound tonnage is of licensed vessels running to San Francisco and other coast ports. They are not rciiiiircd lo report to this custom house and are not included in the above estimjite. Adding these lo tlie alwve to ] olitain the aggregate totinnge of Puget Sound, it is fouuc! to consist of 2,384 \ witEl a tonnage of I.X!l,i!il

In addition to the above there were exported during the fiscal year 1883, hops t» the value of f 1,000,000, making an aggregate of exports of nearly fU,OuO,000. Total value of exports of foreign trade for fiscal aggregating 47,657 tons, 89 being sail and 80 steam. The number entered and cleared was 2,l;i0, aggregating 930,374 tons, of which 178 were coastwise and 1,952 were foreign ; adding one-third for the unregistered vessels to San Francisco brought the total up to 2,840, with a tonnage of 1,240,499. The proportion of American to foreign was 25 to 1. There were built fourteen new vessels, eight steam of G75, and six sail of 907 tons. The total collections for the year were $47,575.83 ; a falling off due to reduction in tonnage dues on vessels entering from foreign ports, and other fees. The t()tal value as apj)earing from official sources of exports was, foreign, $3,1S4,908; domestic and coastwise, $7,000,000; total of $10,184,908.

For 188G the following summary may be given. Owing to the shipments of the products of the Territory directly to the east and by way of the Columbia river route through Oregon to the Pacific Coast, it is not i)0ssible to give an exact statement of the commerce of the entire territorv. The onlv official data to l>e had is from the custom house at Tort Townsend, the port of entry for Puget Sound, at which the records show the total value of exports for foreign and domestic trade for the fiscal year to be about $10,000,000. Thus far this has not included any record of our exports of wheat, which had mostly gone by way of Portland and have Ix^en classe<l as Oregon wheat.

The fleet of steamers belonging to the collection district of Puget Sound, and engaged in domestic business thereon numbered in all, ninetv-five vessels.

For 1889 the entrances aggregated 1,540,009 tons, and clearances 1,555,009 tons ; the value of foreign exports l)y sea from Pugt^t Sound $3,011,682, and of domestic nearly $8,000,000. The custom house

Tlie hinihev trade of tho entire I'liget Sound country for IHSit, of ^ which Sfatthi is the leading eity, and for whose benefit, to a large extent, this trade still continite^, reached a value in ISSf* of over J ?12,000,0(KI, the rut I>eing about ono billion feet. The market wa extended to the Mississipi valley, to IJoston, and even to Ixtndon. I 900,000,00(1 shingles were miunifaclured.

Tilt" total number of vessels owned and controllod on the Sound J in l«8il vim 152 in fn^ighl and paasenger traffic on the Sound, and 87 4 oiwan craft ; 110 of the former, and Ki of tho latter, wur** fit«am ve»-| eels. The aggregate tonnage of all was 8i),87fi. Forty of these were ] owned by residents of Seattle.

Of the principal milln cutting for export. Port Blakeley wa« irrst, despateliing eighly-nirif rjirgocs, agfiregatiiig almost fifty million j'.t!. The Tncoma Mill foinimny dcsjiatclioil seventy-one cargoes, of nearly forty million feel aggregate. The Port Discovery Mill conii>any, sixtysix, of over thirty-three iiiilliun aggregate. The Puget Mill comimny, from Port Gamble, fifty -eight cargoes, of over thirty million feet; from Port Ludlow, thirty-four cargoes, of over eighteen and a half million feet, and from I'tsiilady, thirty-four cargoes, of over eleven million feet in the aggregate.

For 1890 the record is as follows; TlietoUdof the year for imports in liond was SIK14,;S77, of which $808,777 was tea and the remainder principally vrnoh and pelts.

Subjoined we give tlie year's recorii of imports atul exports of the Puget Sound district, compiled from the Ixioks of tlie custom house, I'ort Towiiseud. It should be stated that many vessels ])]yiiiK regularly lietweeti Pugel Sounil and California ports, in the luoilwr iiiid coal trade, take out a license for oue year, and are not required to enter or clear at the custom lumse on each \'oyiij,'e. The statistics are from Oecemher 1, ISSH, to Novemlier 30, 1H!KI. oue full year :

The Cut For The State

('oninu'icial intci-ost.s bcgiui at Seattle, in the most niitur.il nnuiiier, iK'iiig but an oiitgniwth of the trading from the ves.'^elf! that come to the place for |)ilinff and square timbers.

As soon as the peojile then beiv wei-e as.>*nred of a sale of timbers, tliey made ready earfjiies, which the crafts toiik alxiard, loailing tlie haiger and more unwieldly round limbers through the front hatches into the liold, and adding, if ohtiiinahle, a dcek Ioa<I of square timbers. While tlins l:iking on a cargo, Ibi' captain carried on u trade with the peiipio on buai'd the vcssid. It was soon seen to lie profitable to Iwive the reniai'ning stock behind at the village, lo be.ioM off on commission. To Mr. A. A, Denny, lirsl fell the lot of taking .sneb goods, and disposing of them. .\ sloh' was thcrefniv proviiled, at the northwest corner of Comnieivial and Wai^hington strecl.s, being in a building onr-storv liiti:h, and abo'it tweiitv hv thirty trot. Iloru, tor a short time, ^^r. Doiiiiy sold goods on commission, hut soon associated with himself, Mr. Dexter Horton and Mr. Phillips. The stock kept on hand was of all sorts - })rovisions, hardware, cloths, cutlery and notions, but was not of large yalue. Soon after undertaking this business, ^^r. Denny and his partners were able to place themselves upon an indej)endent basis, the former going to San Francisco to purchase his annual stock. At the time of the Indian war, Mr. Denny withdrew from the business, to (Miter thr yolunttHM* seryice. llorton and Phillips continued together a number of years, until the institution of the bank by Horton, and the death about the same time of Phillips. The business was then passed to Atkins ^^^ - Shoudy, and subsecjuently to Crawford & Harrington, since further transformed to Harrington and Smith.

A second establishment was that of ('.('. Terry, who (» fleeted a trade with Dr. Maynard, and obtaincMl a business site at Seattle, and afterwards purchased tlie west half of the Horen donation claim.

Upon the establishment of Yesler's mill, th(^ |>roprietor began to keep a small stock of goods for his liands, but this business was gradually restricted to Hour, feed and the like.

Plummer and Chase soon began a business at the southwest corner of Commercial and Main stnu'ts. Also on Commercial street. Dr. Williamson had a store. Some Jewish merchants also kept a shop for a short time before the Indian war.

All of these were general variety stores, sui»plying the wants of the townspeople and of the settlements on the Duwamish, the White and the Black rivers. The money in the settlement at the time was that brought by the pioneiTs themselves, which, in some cases, as of Mr. Yesler, was considerable ; or was obtained on the spot by sah^ of j)iling and square timbers; or of beef, j)ork, butter and vegetables from the young places along the river. As soon as the saw mill was running, a steady inflow of specie began.

The great wholesale business of Harrington <.t Smith was established in Seattle in 18(17 under the firm name of Crawford cV: Harrington. Tliese two gentlemen had been engaged at Portland with tin* large house of Corbett & McCleay, but, looking for an independent business