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SS ee MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1928. “Seattle of 1923—Largest City of Its Age in the World” THE SEATTLE STAR -_ vl The F Ss. Aa Ie arnuus') uannsiity “The World’s Scenic City and the Healthiest “The Seattle of Less Than 50 Years Ago—What a Contrast!” 1875 — SEATTLE — 1923 By W. A. IRWIN Spot on the Globe” T would have taken some stretch of imagination for the pioneers whose pictures are shown in the accompanying view of Seattle taken in 1875, or thereabouts, to have visualized the Seattle of 1923. Less than 50 years afterwards— what a contrast! Looking backwards over the traveled ‘roads, what memories can be recalled among the living of today, for ‘there are still a few with us who can rightly claim par- ticipation in shaping the affairs and assisting in the development of this wonder city of Seattle. For the past four weeks it has been the writer’s en- deavor to give to the residents of this city and suburbs, and to others in whose hands copies of these articles have fallen, an acquaintance and knowledge relative to the ma- terial prosperity, the undeveloped resources, the scenic splendor, the healthful conditions of life in this great metropolitan city. Of course, the writer is assuming that ‘ou are interested, and, methinks, wondering wherein your terest lies. Without question, we have arrived at a period in Seat- tle’s history and life when we must shake off abits and mode of thinking of the small country town. his is a big, metropolitan city, alive and teeming with opportuni- ties, and the quicker we absorb this fact the better. Sur- rounded as we are with undeveloped natural wealth un- equaled in any city on the glcbe, we must acquire the habit of thinking big things; then we will do big things. Why, the surface has not been scratched. Look at and think of Seattle's tremendous growth. In fifty years, or less, it has become the largest city in the world of its age. Dwell on this thought for a moment or two! Doesn't this tremendous fact mean something to you? Do you imagine that we are at the end of its growth? Why, we haven't started to grow yet. To you believe Alaska, that vast, enchanting country to the north, has finished pouring its golden stream into this city? Have you ever given a thought to the uses that dts vast timber areas can be put to in the way of pulp for paper making? What of its mineral wealth? What of its vast coal and oil lands? Last year Alaska’s commerce was valued at more than eighty-two million dollars, As a re- sult of our President’s proposed visit to Alaska this sum- mer, of which we are assured by its capable governor, Scott C. Bone, the eyes of the world will be turned to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. in thinking of big things, don’t forget the billions of feet of timber yet uncut in this area tributary to Seat- tle. Think of the unlimited supply of fish in our rivers and adjoining waters, not forgetting the potential possi- _ bilities of the hundreds and thousands and millions of : es of cut-over land yet undeveloped for agricultural and other uses. Those lands, tributary to this city, and others in Western Washington, should, and undoubtedly will, pro- vide the greatest dairying areas in the world, due solely to climatic conditions. In a previous article your attention was directed to the large areas of undeveloped land in King County. You ean- not fail to have been impressed with its size. Think of the possibilities here in dairying, berry and fruit growing, poultry raising and many other intensified farming proj- ects too numerous to mention. Don’t forget to develop the areas around us and watch the city grow. Think of the electrical energy already developed and in process of development for power and lighting purposes! The Puget Sound Power & Light Company has invest- ments of one hundred million dollars in hydro-electric de- velopment and public utilities in and around Seattle. In 1928 this company will spend two and a half millions on improvements and extensions. It has an annual payroll of six millions of dollars. Interests identified with the great General Electric Company are known to have ex- pended already some five millions at Priest Rapids on the Columbia, tributary to Seattle, with immediate plans for a power and irrigation development running to sixty millions of dollars, Did you know that the Pacific Telegraph & Telephone Company right now is making plans to accommodate a population of approximately 700,000 in Seattle within fif- teen years? Do you ever visit our waterfront and see what’s going on there? a Do you realize that our commerce amounts to almost two million dollars every working day? Is there another city so well equipped for expansion of trade and commerce as Seattle? Look at its marvelous waterways and tideflats, where rail and steamship meet, where vessels from all parts of the world discharge their cargoes and carry away products of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is served by seven transcontinental railway lines. I wonder why these corporations have spent millions to get to Seattle? But why go on? Has not enough been said to convince the most skeptical of the potential pos- sibilities of Seattle and its cutlying districts? The writer is not flattering himself that he has by any means ade- quately done justice to the subject. This is at best but a feeble attempt and-no one realizes it more than he does what a great task was undertaken. iI have been inundated by facts and information about enterprises, manufactur- ing and otherwise, that exist here of which I had not the remotest idea. It is simply marvelous. I fancy I hear you say: “In what way or how am I benefited by any efforts I may put forth to swell the ibuiation or inerease the business activities of Seattle?” Well, let us see. Increased population means increased buriness activity. It means increased wealth. It means more labor, a greater distribution of wealth. It means greater taxable wealth. It means a greater number of taxpayéfs—the only way, as I see it, of reducing taxes. Does that not mean some- thing to you? It m increased‘values to our lands, It means increased values to investments already made. [t means a rapid rise in real estate values, due simply to increase of population. Nothing else makes it. To give you an illustration of how population affects real estate values, cast your eyes on the picture of Seattle in, 1875. I am not going, in this illustration, to say that I am accurate as to dates or locations, but somewhere around 1852 the United States government granted to three individuals what are known as donation claims, at no cost to them for the land involved. ‘This property extended along the waterfront from what is now King Street and First Avenue South to Denny Way and First Avenue, then eastward to appragimately what is now 17th Avenue, Remember, there were no white people to speak of living here at that time, and yet today, in less than seventy years, population—nothing else—has given this land a value that runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, just stop and reflect. Note these men shown in the picture above. Did they visualize the future efforts and growth of Se- attle? Did they see the enormous fortunes that lay at their feet? Yet you say to yourself, “What possi- bilities! Oh, how could they overlook such oppor- tunities?” Some of them didn’t—most of them did. But what about you today? Remember the old say- ing, “If our foresight was as good as our hindsight, what might have been?” Can you see Seattle 10 years from now? Do some thinking. Reader, there are today, for the man who will see, abundant opportunities for profitable investment, in lands inside Seattle and in its suburbs—equal to any that have gone before. When cities arrive at a given population, the natural increase in numbers causes constant increase in realty values. True, values change, but it is not a dif- ficult problem to follow the trend of a city’s growth both for business or residential purposes. There are many respectable, responsible real estate men in the city of Seattle able and will- ing to point out these opportunities. Increased population means not only increased values in business locations, but it means increased value of the lot upon which the most humble home is erected. And, by the way, lumber does not cost much today. A good time to build. The signs of the times read “PROS- PERITY.” Commercial papers, whether emanating from Wall Street or from your banking institution, are speak- ing of the good times coming. Had you not better heed the call? Does it not tell its own story—“‘Seattle the Largest City of Its Age in the World!’’ Increased population means greater institutions of learning, a multiplicity of advantages in all forms of pleasure, the arts, the sciences, etc. With these facts before us, may I not suggest that we, that means all | us, dedicate ourselves to the continuance of the good begun in such a humble way by the founders of this city’ At this point I expect the thought oceurs to you: “What part do I, or can I, play in the wp- « building of this city?” You can be loyal to yourself, you can be loyal to your family, in many instances to the city of your birth, by — sending broadcast to the world the information that you of our own knowledge possess, that will create a desire in others to seek advan-~ tages that living in this marvelous city and ite - neighboring territory offer. If every one of us could be made to realize the im- portance of one’s own personal responsibility in advancing Seattle's interest, giving the, same consideration to the — city’s development, politically and materially, as one gives to his own business, marvelous results would be forth- coming, The trouble is, we don’t realize, we don’t think that it is our business, but “leave it for George to do.” Nobody has a mortgage on this city. What benefits one directly or indirectly benefits all. There’s no class dis- tinction here, This is the psychological moment in the history of Seattle to put on our “SEVEN- LEAGUE BOOTS.” It occurs to me that an organization could be brouth into being, like one that I know of, whose members would be practically unlimited and which could become a source of power for great achievement. Let us join © hands in telling the world of the wonderful conditions — under which we live and thrive in this beautiful city on the shores of the world-famous Puget Seund. Yet it is one thing to publish these facts and to bring population here—and people are coming by the thousands. What then? Are we a city of hospitable people? Are we actuated with the right thoughts and thé right actions? Do we extend the hand of welcome without selfish motives? / { What about the old Seattle Spirit in the days of yore (before knocking was invented) that took the hand of the newcomer and helped him, halal him to develop his ideas and his business problems, made him feel a welcome that he couldn't obtain anywhere else? NO, the old spirit of Seattle is not dead. No, indeed! It is living! It is here—a vital part of the energy and creative forces that are silently operating and which are determined and will ‘succeed in perpetuating the fact that “SEATTLE IS THE LARGEST CITY OF ITS AGE IN THE WORLD”—the world’s scenic city and the health- iest spot on the globe! THANK YOU! ee NOTE—‘his is the fifth and last article in a series of full-page advertisements, made possible by courtesy of the Puget Mill Company, one of the earliest pioneers in this part of the world. This company located its business of logging — ‘ and manufacturing lumber on Puget Sound in 1853, and the fires at its mills have been burning continuously since. The Puget Mill Company has been associated and affiliated with the upbuilding of this part of the state during this entire period of seventy years. 1 am requested by Mr, ©. G. Ames, its manager, to take this- means of expressing the deep appreciation of the company for the commendatory letters from and suggestions made by hundreds of business firms and private citizens of Seattle concerning this series of articles, “7 Ww.