Show TRAVELS NO 2 tuesday may at 9 am a m I 1 boarded a northern pacific train and lett jett portland oregon for seattle state of going down the jolt jelt bank of the and the columbia rivers riven for a distance of nine we arrive at boble where our long train is ie backed out oo on three sections upon the immense Ini mense ferry boat feet long tad and we are taken across the great columbia which blob at this par titular point is only a mile wide on the washington side stands the town of kalama which is partly built on the river bottom and partly on the timbered hillside continuing the jour ney down the right bank of the columbia we soon leave that stream and pus up grade along the banks of the cowlitz river through the heavy timbered state of washington this country is ie but sparsely settled as yet openings in the timber have only been made here and therland there and all the towns villages and farming districts through which we passed date back only a few years two of the largest towns on the road are Che Obe hails halts and centralia at the latter town a branch railroad takes off cir in a northwesterly direction to Olympia the capital of the state an aa we approach tacoma the lofty mountain peak known as mount ranier becomes an object of special interest on our right this majestic peak reaches up to feet above the level of the seas sea and to is the third highest mountain in the unitta states like mount hood mount adams and aad mount st helenc it is one of those remarkable peakes rising from the heights of the cascade casena range which centuries ago belched forth lava and smoke from the earths interior in other words word it is an extinct volcano volean oo at 3 pm arrived at tacoma when I 1 hail had my first glimpse of the salty waters of 01 puget buunk tacoma a city of about inhabitants to is built upon a peninsular promontory which runs out into the sound to u point forming a triangle the highest point of tue the promontory is in its center a moderately high ridge extending its whole length th until at its extreme northern point it is enu ends in ao an abrupt bold precipice the resident portion of tacoma is situated upon the higher ground and is thus lifted above the stir and the noise of the business port portion ioD the citizens continua continually by enjoy the purest of air the abe best belt of drainage aud and the most moet delightful of views the bay with its quiet waters water and green Is to is given a spirit of life by a multitude of water ater craft from ih we tiny canoe pleasure boat and noisy tug to the dignified ocean steamer and full rigged ship moving hither and thither or lying quietly at anchor in tile the bay or moored to the be dooks looking eastward a most beautiful landscape greets the eye back of which the imposing majesty of mt mr tacoma la lifts its mighty head far into tile the sky be the soul of the ibe erver ever so 90 impressible it must be stirred with sudden wonder and awe from the quiet pastoral beauty ot the valley oi 01 the puyallup river to this great white robed monarch of all the mountains to is a contrast which has but few if any equals in the w burld rid there are higher mountains in the world than tacoma but not one ome other known peak that rises so grandly alone from the level of the sea to such a height at the present time of the season it is in covered with a complete robe of snow from the line of green foothills in which its abse abnee is lost jost to the distant observer obi erver to the top where the steam of a slumbering volcano at times hovers over its crown forming what is sometimes called the liberty cap looking to the west there are the he jagged peaks slid and white dinow caps cap of the he olympic or coast range forming an other beautiful and distant horizon in 1880 tacoma had a population of ton ten years later it was a city of an increase of per cent in ton ten years tacoma is miles north of portland continuing the journey from tacoma we travel forty miles to seattle the metropolis HB ot of the state of washing nW ton and boasting at the present time of inhabitants inba bitante situated on a gently rising slope the town affords un an inviting appearance from the distance it stands on the die east side of W what bat is known geographically as an elliott bay on the east side of puget paget bound anu and ot otly only ly a few miles sout southeast boast of the of juan de ae faoa the laud land or harbor line lice forms a semicircle semi circle rising in terraces from the water front continuing for a mile to the east the rising summit attains to the character of a perhaps feet high the growth of seattle has been something wonderful according to the untied united states census the city had in 1870 1107 inhabitants there were in 1880 and in 1890 twenty million dollars dolla rss worth of property went up in flame and smoke in seattle Se attles a great fire are of june 6 1889 but tle ashes were scarcely cold when her enthusiastic citizens began to build anew better stronger and more beautiful than before A city of brick stone and lion iron has since arisen and aad notwithstanding the hard times which are felt here the same as in other business part of the city presents an activity and bustle which puts the traveler in ID mind of new york chicago or san francisco the city of seattle embraces within its bun darles thirty ons one square miles its greatest distance from no noite th to south is eight and a half mile ailee from east to west six and one fourth miles mile its eastern boundary Js Is formed by lake washington a beautiful bresh water lake twenty miles long and from two to five miles wide from which seattle gets its supply of drinking water this remarkable lake la is at a certain point only two and a half miles from elliott bay its mean level la is twenty feet above blab water on pullet sound and it rune almo almont t pr parallel allol with the acoree of F eleiott bay seattle has ninety miles of graded streets twenty five miles of wood paved streets street the streets vary in width from forty to one hundred and twenty feet feel thirty one miles of sewers are already completed about five million dollars has baa been subscribed by its citizens toward cutting a canal through the hill bill eastward to connect lake washington with the bay the maits main object of this gigantic under taking is to be able to run the ocean vessels into the fresh water which will kill a certain worm that ingraffe inz Ing rafts itself into the hulk of a vessel and destroys its timber but which perishes the moment it comes into contact fresh water the excavating of this canal will also supply the amount of dirt necessary nece esary to make a dam across the upper end of elliot bay which would by filling up turn trio the extensive tide flats or mud flats into a profitable business property already quite a portion of the city is built upon extending over a mile out into the bay the state of washington of which olympa elymia la is the capital but seattle the metropolis ip is milos miles long by about wide it I 1 la very rich in coal and lumber and is sometimes ome times called the pennsylvania or of the pacific coast the precious metals are also found in abundance in many districts the yield of wheat to la prodigious applet appler pears apricots plums plumeD prunes fUnes peaches cherries eb erries grapes and the dif different terent kinds of berries flourish to in the greatest grea teet profusion A large portion of western washington is densely timbered with fir cedar pine oak maple and alder interspersed with small areas of prairie or open land the area of the whole state is square miles or acres acre the first actual settlement in what is now the state of washington was made in 1845 prior to this the country was known only to trappers trapper and for far traders territorial government was organized in 1868 1858 and washington was admitted into the union as a state to la november 1889 in my travels so far I 1 have had bad many interesting conversations with follow fellow passengers passe on the situation in utah and the history and doctrines ot of the latter day saints saint it is in evident that a great change has baa come over the people of our land to io regard to the mormont Mor mons in my former travels on a missionary the more mere mention of mormonism would elicit enmity and ridicule but now BOW the knowledge of th the presence of a mormon oder elder in a railway oar car or on a steamboat will simply give additional importance to the situ atigo and his acquaintance will generally be sought conversation solicited and questions asked io in a respectable manner A man always meets with people who have visited utah at ova one time or another and those of that kind with whom I 1 have conversed on this trip have invariably expressed themselves as being highly pleased with what they saw and heard board in the city of the saints I 1 stop in seattle over night and proceed to vancouver british columbia tomorrow morning ANDREW JENSON seattle washington may 14 1895 |