TTTE SCBANT03S" TBIB U J'E SATUllDAX. aiUKJWTNGr, JrEBKTJ All if I, 1S9C,
J.
The Story of
A Great1 Battle.
General W. W. H. Davis Graphically Describes
The Bloody Engagement at Fair Oaks.
Parts of an address recently deliv
ered by General W. W. H. Davis, of
Doylestown.' before tne Bucks County
Historical society upon the battle of
Fair Oaks will be read tvlth Interest in
this locality because of the fact that
Governor Hartranffs Fifty-second
regiment (recruited from Luzerne,
what Is now Lackawanna, and Wyom
ing counties) was In the same battle
and served In the same division with
General Davis' One Hundred and
Fourth. The address in point was not
a nistory, but a chapter merely of per
sonal recollections. General Pa vis said;
There was a heavv storm th nlitht be
for the battle, and the dash of light
ning, crasn or thunder and pouring rain
itemed-like-a war of the elements pro-
pnetlo 01 tne terrible conflict of the mar
. row. T-ha uouiitry wus flooded. Satunluy
was clear and sultry, and the forenoon un
usually quiet. In camp the men were
lolling: In the shade. About 10 o'clock an
aide of Ueneral Joe Johnston uassdd
through my camp a prisoner from the
picket Hue. . and. about 11, three shells
from the enemy's lines fell within our
eampi, but we thought nothing of It at the
front, in the meantime, however, bus
plelons .were aroused; the troops were
rorming- unu the artillery horses har
nessed. . "
our headquarters' mess had Just tin
iehed dinner and were dlsousstntr the cam
paign In front of our cabin, when an nl.ln
J lhisey.djis.herl.iip- with inTdfiler to hav!
the reKiment under arm 'immediately.
It wus in line In a few minutes. This was
a little after li We did not aspect a but
tle, thinking it. an onl.lnurywJiip. Shortly
after J"reeeved an order to naroh the
regiment nearer the tVllliuiiiilhtifg oaii to
support 'a' battery. This was liiil a short
distance, ami we formed on the buttery's
right In' a. piece of tlnber. Wsxwere next
oritereil to advance 2iH) yards' ta,le u clear
ing, where the line was ipiii kljgyeformeil
and dressed as on parade. We.voulil see
nothing of the1 "enemy. There was timber
In front and nearly till arotUHPuK . At this
time my own' regiment wss4S arily force
at, the front on this part otlie uHeUI, and
was theMlrst to 'receive: thjha;K of ine
enemy. ' ' . ,
It Is the general Impfesslotrtnat arml'.-s
go out to tight derkeil in all th "pomp,
paruile and'drctinistance of glarttfus war,"
as we see It represented, in plot res, but it
Is far from the truth. Men need not be
dressed 'In finery to be killed, and they
eem to realize it, for they generally
divest themselves of every UM4 article.
They frequently go to Uls fiMd Iwlthout
their coats, und sometimes with their
sleeves rolled up. My regljnat wore
trousers and blue blouses, an!,. carried
Austrian rifles that would kill at a thou
. sand yards. A reliable gun, plenty of ani
. munition and a stout heart are, the most
needful equipments. A battle is no dress
parade affair.
. Tho F.ncrar Sighted, t n
Soon after forming our line in t,he clear
ing, the enemy was seen In thii edge of
the timber In front, and began coming
out in great numbers, firing ss they ad
vanced. Bullets began to full in our ranks,
coming with a whizzing, hissing sound.
Increasing every moment. The regiment
stood In line, ami had not fired 'a., shot.
The men were restive. Thinking the time
to open fire hnd come. I ordered them to
load, followed by "Beady," "Aim." At
this moment. Sergeant Major Wallazz, a
former pupil of "Stonewall" Jackson,
came running up and said, "Let me say
. fire?" 1 assented: he gave the word, and
400 bullets were discharged Into the masses
of the enemy In our front, within point
blank runRe. , This- was the first volley,
and gave notice throughout the army the
battle had begun. It must be borne In
mind thnt, whll thenp nrellmlnariea were
going on, my regiment stood alone, with
out any support.
Other troops were soon in position, and
the action became general, both sides load
ing and tiring as rapidly us possible. My
-men began to fall, killed and wounded;
the former lying where they fell, many of
, the Utter walking and others being; car
ried off the field. The fire grew hotter and
hotter, but the men stood up to their
bloody work as cheerfully as on dress
parade. They were cool, and there was no
flinching. They stood in an old clear-up
furrow, and there the cartridge papers
lay by the basket full. During tft hottest
of the tiring one of my men, a strapping
' big fellow, called out to me, "Ito-you see i
that, colonel, they have put a bullet
through lny canteen and the water is
running out." He was told to attend to
kls work and not mind it. Our fight rest
ed on thetlmber, and seeing a movement
of the enemy to flank us in that direction,
Companies A ana u, i.apiain nogers ana
Lieutenant Kephnrt, were pushed Into the
woods to. prevent It. -:;.J
A chargo with Fixed Ilayriitiets,
'.'We had now been under tire bre, than
,. art. hour) our line had been Wellr.pmln
taihed, but many men had fajpVfej.. The
senemjt was pressing us 1ft front ani-on tho
Hank and threatened the 'battery, wa. 'were
supporting. At this crisis the trteh were
ordered to fix bayonets and chants. They
sprang forward, with a tremendous yell,
about luu yards across a piece of .ground
covered with low bushes, one-halt the
regiment lumping over a worm fne, the
colnr-bearera planting the flags'-fn the
soft ground, and laying down byvVhein.
This was on the enemy's side of tF' .fence.
Klre was reopened and the enemy. fhui-keil
for a short time, it wns fool-hardy, but
. had the desired effect. Seeing we must re
linquish our ground unless reinforced,
an officer was sent to General Casey, wltn
the request that he send us a regiment.
The officer passed twice between, Abe nre
of the. two armies und returned unhurt.
This gallant deed was done by Lieutenant
Ashenfelter. About this time a"large
white flag, with a black square1 'In the
middle, appeared in the enemy's ranks.
Borne of our men, thinking It a flag of
truce what should be done, and were told
to lire at it as rapidly as possible. A vol
ley brought down the bearers, but-tt was
Immediately seized and raised by another.
Soon after ' they raised another flag, a
whits cross with stars on a blue Held.
Many of their men had white muslin tied
round their hats. , ' '
The regiment had been In action nearly
three hours, and nearly one-third of the
men had fallen; the promised reinforce
ment not arriving, we could hold our
ground no longer. There was no order to
retire; the men were HHrnlly pushed back
. Jy the superior force of the enemy. Indi
vidual soldiers on the other sme came
near enough to strike my men with their
muskets. The regiment retired slowly and
sullenly, neither officers nor men run
ning. When it retired "the enemy was
pressing It In front 'and on both flanks.
and. In a few minutes, our retreat would
Vhave been cut off. He was already shoot
ing down our buttery horses some dis
tance In the rear of our line of battle. The
guns had been previously hauled off and
saved. Many of our men, after emptying
their own cartridge boxes, got a. -'fesh
upply from the boxes of their oWqrl and
wounded companions lying aroundthem.
The rifles were discharged so often the
barrels burned their hands. - and, the
grooves were so furred" I saw some of my
men place the ramrod against a ,tt;ee to
force the cartridge home. -'"'r
An Instance 'of Gallantry.
One 'of the most gallant things I ever
witnessed was the rescue of' one of the
flogs at Fair Oaks that presented by the
ladles of Bucks county. - You will recall
(the charge of the regiment. Its entangle
Intent with a low worm-fence and the
(planting on the enemy's side of the fence,
where the fighting was renewed, and con
tinued until forced to retire. ,
f In the confusion and excitement of re
tiring one flag was left on the enemy's
klde of the fence and they made a. bold
effort to capture It I ordered those near
est not to retire without bringing the flag,
when Major Cries, Orderly Sergeant Myers
Mid Color Sergeant Puroell sprang for It.
fne enemy seeing the movement .rushed
.or .the flag at the same time. Purcell,
rka saw already secured us own flag.
with it In his band, jumped over the
fence, seised the other and pulled It from
the ground. The enemy ' were not quick
enough and lost the coveted prize.
As Purcell mounted the fence to return,
with both flags In his hands, he was struck
by a bullet and knocked over, carrying the
flags with him. Regaining his feet, he
handed one flag to Sergeant Myers anil
started to the rear with the other, but.
becoming faint from loss of blood he gave
it to Corporal Mlchener. who brought It oft
In safety. Both flags were delivered to the
regiment that evening after the battle
and received the most cordial welcome.
The three prominent actors in the little
drama were all wounded Major Grles anil
Sergeants Purcell and Myers the major
dying a few days afterward. The govern
ment recognized the gallantry of Ser
geant Purcell by presenting to him a medal
of honor. This Is but a single episode' of
gallantry among thousands thut occurred
during our great war.
(Ivor-Anxious Surgeons.
While the- battle was raging In our im
mediate front, on our left, 2w or Suu yards
away, other portions of our division were
sustaining an equally stubborn contest.
General Casey, our division commander.
' a conspicuous figure sitting on a la r bo
iron-gray horse on the Wllllamsport road,
apparently as unconeerned as if it were
an ordinary fluid day. In this direction
the country was open a short distance, but
on our right and rear ull movements were
obscured by bushes and timber. The iliri
of battle from the constant llrlng of can.
non and small arms was ulmost deafeninK.
When the regiment fell buck a number of
our wounded men Were lert on the Held,
und some twenty of them were found tho
following Monday 'morning in a sm;ill
house to the left of our last line of battle.
They had crawled or been carried there
by some of their comrades. .
When the regiment. fell back from ha
first line to the second, it was by squads,
and single files, and., in doing so, we lost
several oflic'ers anil men. lieutenant Mc
Dowell was killed at . tills-time. He was
shot dead wh'nVtuiklng to Captain Pick
ering, fell on his face and was left lylnjr
there.' He was 'stripped by the enemy.
Captains Corcoran and Swnrtzlander and
I.leutenanis llehtrrle anil Ashenfelter were
wounded on the second line; AsbenfeKer
had a little "adventure in getting to the
rear that was not down on the bills. He
was shot in the ankle and taken to a.
cabin in the woods, where he spent the
night. There he was joined by a couple of
young surgeons, who. supposing him to l.o
asleep, were overheard talking about cut
ting off his foot, one of them remarking;
it would be a "nice operation." The lieu
tenant now let himself be heard, saying.
as he would have to be a party to the
operutlon, his consent wouid have to be
obtuined, which could not be had while hla
sword was able to do duty. This closed
the professional aspirations of these younir
sawbones In this direction. Lieutenant
Ashenfelter died of that wound many
years afer. It might have been better for
him hnd these young doctors taken the
case in hand.
After the Buttle. .
About sundown the regiment, some I"0
strong, assembled at the rifle pits near the
Held hospital a mile' In rear of where the
battle had begun. The organization had
been tolerably well maintained, and here
the flags were delivered to it. The battle
was now over the weary lav down to rest
and the wounded to die. The regimental
wagons were saved by the quartermaster
sending them to the rear when the firing
began, hut the camp enulppage, bagguge
and iiersonal effects of the officers and
men fell Into the enemy's hands.
The result of the battle left the regiment
in a very forlorn condition. Both officers
and men lost all their clothing except
what they had on their backs. Kvnry
camp utensil was gone but their tin cups
and in these the men had to do their cook-
Ing until a new supply was obtuined. The
loss of comrades and the reaction from
the great mental and physical strain had
a very depressing effect, and It required
considerable effort to be cheerful. The
depression was aggravated by . the bad
weather. But this gradually passed off.
On Sunday a few men supposed to be
killed or wounded reported for duty, and
tne old routine ana discipline were re
established.
There is a humane side to war. despite
the blood and carnage of battle a silve r
lining, as it were and It Is evidence they
do not entirely rob men of their finer feel
ings. The night of the battle the enemy
occupied my headquarters cabin, and it
was tilled with his and our wounded. All
concur that they treated our men with
kindness. Among the uninvited guests
was General Roger A. Pryor, of Virginia.
He assisted a surgeon lnamputating the
leg of one -of my men on my handsome
Mexican blanket, which was ruined. Me
treated our wounded to some fine wines
and other liquors our mess received Just
before the cull to arms, and the contents
of our well-filled mess-chest, which Chap
lain Grles arranged In the morning, sup-
piled them with rations until removed on
&'nday. The enemy curried a number of
our wounded to the shade of an old. build
ing nearby and supplied them with crack
ers and water. Corporal Solly reported
that he was carried off the field by order
or a uoiueuerate colonel. ;
An occasional Incident relieves the
harsher features of war. When the reg
iment was culled to arms, the owner or a
pet coon left his precious In camp, secur
ing him by running a sergeant s sword
through a ring In the chair and then
Into the ground to the hilt. When the
owner returned to claim his property. It
was gone, and never heard of afterward.
A pet cat was more fortunate. It, too,
was left in camp, but survived the day;
lived to complete the campaign on its
owner's knapsack, and died in tranquility
at Gloucester Point, Va.
Wnr'e Horrible Ride.
Nothing Is sadder or more revolting
than a battle field after the struggle is
over. It shocks every sensibility. While
the tight Is on, with body and mind fully
occupied, and the fircest passions aroused,
there is no-time to seriously contemplate
the surroundings; but after It is all ovor
and the passions have had time to cool, if
one visit, such scene of strife and look upon
the work he had been engaged In, he will
then fully realize the brutality of war, and
what an awful thing a battle really Is. The
following will give a faint idea of the ap
pearance of a battle Held and the scenes
that meet the eye:
The battle was fought on a Saturday. I
did not visit the field, but, on Monday
morning, a detail of two men from each
company was sent there to Identify and
bury the dead, accompanied by several of
Scers, including the adjutant chaplain and
Captain Pickering, whose reports reachel
me. The adjutant says of his visit:
"Never can the recollection of that fleU
be effaced from the memory of those whs
visited It on that day. The weather be
ing extremely hot, with frequent showers,
the dead had become bloated and swollen
until their clothes would hardly hold
them, and blood still oozing from gap
ing wounds, the ground saturated with
gore. Flies, In myriads, swarmed around ;
dead horses with saddles and bridles ntlll
on; broken guns, remains of camps, with
the food cooked for Saturday's dinner, un
touched; the air polluted with stifling
odors from decomposing bodies; wounded
men in the agonies of death, all tended to
make the heart sick and the soul shudder
at the sight. I visited the late headquar
ters of the One Hundred and Fourth.
Here I found the log hut filled with wound,
ed and dead soldiers. Some were our own
men. Th wounded had been refreshed
from the stock of provisions left by the
field and staff. At the door the bloated
carcass of a dead horse still lay, while
under our shelter tents were numerous
dead rebels."
Chaplain Grles reports: "Close by the
house of Seven Pines I found Blasts, of
Company F, lying 'dead. His brother,
who was with me,' recognised him. We
burled .him. as decently as possible and
then began to look for more. Close by
we found a rebel still greening with the
maraots warming in and out el the.
wound in his head. In a tent were two
dead rebel officers, and outside was a cap
tain of. a Michigan regiment . with his
named pinned on his breast. In the road
were two L'nion soldiers, regiment un
known, and a number of miscreant shy.
sters loafing under theshelter of an old
barn, and looking on coolly whilst tre
wagons were passing over the leg of one
of the dead heroes. I dragged the body
out of the way, and directed a stuplfled
captain, who was looking' on, to put the
men at work burying the dead. At the
old log hut we found a sad sight, as w.11
as along the road to It dead soldiers.
Union and rebel, horses and broken
wagons, in the camp of the Twenty-third
Pennsylvania lay the fresh meat Issued
to them the morning of the battle. In
the old hut were dead and wounded packed
close together, some of the living hardly
showing signs of life. We ministered to
them und got them off to the rear. We
then struck through the wood toward the
line occupied by the regiment in the bat
le. searching for the wounded, hut found
none except of other regiments. From
the Pair Oaks building we started for the
regiment. The road was lined with dead
horses, and In the fields were dead rebels
lying In rows like the wlnow work of a
reaper. The' air was loaded with stench,
and the sun almost overpowering."
Calculating the Loss.
The loss of the regiment during the bat
tie is a natural Inquiry.. The night before
it had about tuo present for duty. The
two companies sent to the picket lines
reduced the number 100, leaving 400 with
the colors. Of these 10 officers and !S6
enlisted men were killed, or wounded, and
CI captured on the picket line, a loss of
over 40 per cent of the number engaged,
GLIMPSES OF WELSH MINING .LIFE
Shoni Rachel's Ride.
He was called Shoni Rachel, his fa
ther was called Tomos Rachel, and the
other' children were all Hachels, and
everybody In Cwmcoed knew Rachel.
She was the head of -the-nrm; .When
Tomos married her, his own surname
an appendix commonly dropped at
Cwmcoed was lost sight of, aa well
aa his individuality. In the fame of
Rachel, and the firm of Rachel & Co.
loomed as large In the minds of the
neighbors as the Co-operative stores.
Rachel & Co. were universal providers'
of squabbles, fights and salacious gos
sip, and they gave a free entertain
ment every Saturdny night in front of
the house, by way of advertising the
business.
Shoni's full, rlghi name I only saw
.but once a secret shared by few In
Cwmcoed but thereby hangs another
tale.
He was renlly a good-hearted sort of
a fellow, and he was the only sympa
thetic link between the Rachels and
their peace loving neighbors. He be
longed to the Indispensable class of
hauliers, who hold their lives so cheap,
who divide their time almost equally
between the coal-pit arid the"" publlc
hause, seldom seen in any dress but a
trim, duck-suit, besmeared with oil.
with a leather shield strapped to their
backs as If disdaining the use of it. In
front, and placed behind as if to glance
off a chance shot.
Hhonl and I were great friends, and
when one Saturday afternoon I visited,
the pay office for the last time, and took
leave of many a grimy friend before
starting out on a college career. Shoni
actually forced five shillings Into my
waistcoat pocket. I could not afford
to be proud then, Shoni knew right well
that 1 was badly In' need of the money
and his kindness was like the whirl
wind, and-to say that It -was so much
less money for the Black Lion that
evening would be to furnish tho weak
est reason why I accepted Shonls gift
with gratitude. When the Great Led
ger will be opened and the Investigation
of our tangled accounts will begin. . I
shall be very much surprised If those
five shillings will not set off a spree or
'two In Shonl's debit. ,
Our friendship was struck on this
wise. Before dragging my weary
limbs a tedious mile and a quarter to
the pit's bottom, I sat down to rest
awhile at the "double parting," where
lamps were lighted and tested, until
the dust raised, by the mad stampede
of men and 'horses a sort of -a daily
rehearsal at the close of the "turn" of
the rout of Bull's Run or of Waterloo -
would clear that I could make my way
out with tolerable precision of step. As
I was sitting there, I heard a belated
haulier come thundering down the level,
then came to a BUdden .stop. Then I
heard a brief, fierce straining of man
and. horse, as (f both were, under a
crushing load. Soon I recognized
Shonl's voice .giving an illustration of
the rare capabilities of the Welsh lan
guage, which Is strong In terms of love
and of anger, and by means of which a
Welsh haulier has developed swearing
into a tine art.
I hastened to Shonl's rescue, and
found him sitting on one of the rails,
panting like a hound after a hunt, with
his lam; on the ground.
"What's the matter, Shoni?" I said.
"Rhys, is if you? Look under that
blank tram."
I looked and saw the track derailed
and the wheels 6f the tram, which car
ried over a ton- of coal, fastly lodged
between the sleepers. The road repairers
had replaced some of the rotten sleep
ers with new ones, but had not filled the
f paces between them with coal dust as
they sliolild have done. . .
"Well, do you Bee him?" asked Shoni.
"See whom?" '
"Man alive, thedevll himself Is there."
I looked again with strange curiosity,
for we, the mpn of Caegarw Pit, be
lieved In the personality of his sable
majesty, and during our morning whiffs
at the "double parting" before separat
ing for our stalls, we had some strange
Ktorles to relate of his majesty's period
ical Inspection of the works, especially
after the strange case of Will Arha
Wew had eked out. But I could not see
anything of him around and under the
wheels.
"He Is none now for sure, Shoni," I
said. "Suppose we try again."
As Shoni had now ceased to call his
sable majesty names, his sableness al
lowed us to extricate the tram in no
time and place It once more on the rails.
"No," said Shoni, "you must ride out
with me. I'll hook on an empty tram
at the parting, and if you will keep a
foot on the hook. It'll be all right."
I knew the trick right well. My
door boy days were as yet fresh In my
memory. Had I not many a time joined
in the mad rush out by hanging to a
horse's tail, while another horse was
snapping the 'tail of my coat, myself in
total darkness, having lost my light in
the scramble? Besides, Shonl's kind
ness was Imperious, and to cross him
meant to fight him. which alternative
few dared to accept. Without the
slightest hesitation, therefore. I pluced
myself at Shonl's tender mercies.
The train was soon fitted out. Shoni
Jumped on the iron shaft between-the
tram and the horse. Old "Leader
needed little stimulus, he knew that his
feed was waiting for him, and the rttd
was clear. But Shoni kept his short
whip In constant use, and indulged his
turn at phrase making all the way.
My! that was a ride! Dick Turpln
Paul Revere, 'Sheridan, Rattlesnake
Pete were simply not In It. The box of
a locomotive running sixty miles an
hour was a hotel piazza compared with
my place in that empty tram with one
foot on the hook. It was not the speed
so much as the attendant horrifying
oangers mai maue inai rme a rei-oru
smasher. The timber framework of the'
level looked like a solid grey arched
wall. Once a timber "collar" made a
deep groove through the coal on the
tram, darting a piece of coal on my
neck, the mark of which I shall carry
with me to the grave. I expected .every
moment to be telescoped Into the load
of coal In .front of me, and be after
wards weighed and dumped for steam
coal to run an Atlantic liner, unless
"Billy Fair Play" would dlscovet' me
and pick me out as a piece of shale.
But 'Shoni knew his business, and I
was not the only one who would trust
Shoni In a push.
As we ncarcd. a dangerous Incline,
"Leader,", by force of habit, slackened
speed, for there "sprags" were thrown
Into the wheels to break the moment
um. When the train was long and
heavy, a sprag was shot Into every
wheel on one side, with a few random
shots from the doorboy on the other
side. Shoni jumped down and threw In
Just one sprag. Jumped up again on the
shaft and flourished his whip cruelly on
"Leader's" back. Down we swept the
steep Incline. My faith in Shoni was
melting like wax. He was evidently
breaking the record for recklessness.
When half way down the Incline, crash
went the sprag, and Shoni shouted to
the 'horse like a madman. He. dared
not Jump down in that narrow way and
leave the horse to his fate, for he would
be crushed immediately under the
wheels as many a poor haulier had met
his death.' All that he could do was to
hold his lamp as high as he could for
"Leader" to see the road. Neither did
I wish to complicate matters by taking
my foot off the hook, and jumping down
from behind. . Whatever was going to
happen 1 felt assured thnt I would come
out the least hurt. If I could come out
at all. Still I felt my hair expanding
Into a foot ball mop. It was like plung
Ing down Pike's Peak in a toboggan.
Hhootlng the Lachlne Rapids on the St
Lawrence Is a childish diversion
compared with it. It was more like
shooting down an enormous waterplpe
from a reservoir among the Welsh
mountains to Manchester or Liverpool.
If "Leader" should miss a foot, there
would form on thnt incline the follow
Ing geological stratification: Ffrst, a
fossil horse; then a fossil man, presum
ably pre-hlstoric; then a thick seam of
coal Intermixed with wrought Iron; then
another pre-hlstorlc man; nnother layer
of wrought Iron: a layer of petrified
timber; then a hundred tons of sand
stone boulders.
' But old "Leader" was not going to
end his record that evening, though he
tried the game once too often soon uf
ter. He undoubtedly grasped the situa
tlon, and felt that three lives, two hu
man und a third hardly less, depended
on his presence of mind and unerring
step.
We reached level ground In safety.
With a sigh of relief 1 descried the
glare of light at the bottom of the pit.
"Leader" was sent steaming and loam
Ins into the stable, and Shoni and 1
were quickly bounced Into daylight.
With a smile of triumph Shoni over
took a band of hauliers as they were
leaving the lamp house. At the risk
of three lives he had accomplished his
great purpose of keeping an appoint
ment at the Black Lion.
Rhys Wynne.
(By tb C nrtev of H. H. Kohliout.)
GEORGE MEREDITH, BRILLIANT ENGLISH NOVELIST.
' from tht Chteftgo Tlatt-BtraUi ", V'.X-
In the -Wonderland
Of North America-
Twenty-Fifth Letter of Northwestern
Travel The Peerless City of Seattle.
Written for The Tribune.
In our last letter we parted with our
readers ratber abruptly, while yet on
Puget Sound, admiring the natural
wonders of God's universe, and perhaps
detained you too long; but the half has
not been told of the boundless resources
of this "Evergreen State" called the
"great treasure house of the Creator"
nor Puget Sound, the world's harbor on
the greatest of Oceans. The far-seeing
statesman, William H. Seward, during
the negotiations for the purchase of
Alaska, said: "The greatest triumphs
'of mankind will be won on the greatest
of oceans." Nowhere on this great
ooean (Pacific), or even on this conti
nent do you And a harbor equal to Puget
Sound, which will eventually get the
bulk of the commerce of the Pacific
coast. The geographical position of
both Tacoma and Seattle Is such that
their future must be closely Identified
with the development of the commerce
in the Pacific ocean, especially Seattle,
which is destined to be 'the greatest
shipping point in the world.
Seattle Is nearer the great markets
of Asia and Australia than the; other
Pacific coast ports, and the commerce
now going from New York via Liverpool
and St. Petersburg to Russia, will soon
go direct from Puget Sound and mainly
from the seaport of Seattle, which is the
extreme western terminus of the four
trans-continental railroad systems.
Seattle's Magnificent l uture.
When the great Russian railroad, the
trans-Siberian railway from Vladlvoc
tock, a Pacific . seaport of Siberia, to
Moscow is built, Seattle will be natur
ally the greatest shipping point for that
continent. Russia intends to have that
road completed in two or three years,
and at the rate of Its present construc
tion it would be considered rapid work
even In .this country. It means the
opening to commerce and colonization
within that time of a region fully
twice as large as the United States, and
containing natural resources of prob
ably equal value and variety a region
Including not Siberia alone, but also
the vast Chinese empire.
At present vessels . leave Puget
Sound ports ' for Guatemala, Chill,
China, Japan, England, Hong-Kong,
Australia and ' British India. The
trade of China alone Is $150,000,000 an
nually. While San Francisco has a
good harbor, the city is not located so
that It can command the trade of the
interior. It Is the same- with Port
land, which is "a hundred miles Inland
and over a way which Is often dan
gerous for even large vessels. I re
peat, no where on this continent do we
find a harbor equal to Puget Sound.
Our eastern friends do not realize that
the most beautiful portion of the great
northwest, the1 region of the setting
sun. Is really along the shores of this,
the finest body of water In the world,
if real, natural beauty be the standard.
Do not charge me with being an en
thusiast. Once come here In summer
and sail over these placid waters, and I
venture to affrm that your summer
outings will henceforth be arranged for
the far west of our. own native land,
and not for Europe, Nature has ap
parently designed the state of Seattle
to be the entrepot of a vast ocean com
merce. The land-locked harbor already
commodious and safe, will, when the
vast Improvements now begun are
complete, be without any' question, the
finest harbor-In America.
Another reason may be given that
has made Seattle what she Is as a sea
port. She naturally has the trade of
all this upper sound country even into
the British possessions and Alaska,
and will hold it through her unrivaled
resources and shipping facilities. The
Well-nJgh boundless resources of this
wonderful region are just beginning to
be understood and developed. Coal,
Iron, timber and soil "richer than all
the gold mines of the globe," and a
mild climate that rejoices the hearts of
shivering mortals who come hither
from colder climes and a glorious
fruit country, all conspire to make the
seat .of empire.
i Seattle's ITenutiful Environs.
One says: "There Is a land of pure
delight, and it Is not far. from Puget
Sound, and the campers In that land
are the saints who dwell In the cities' of
Tacoma and Seattle." Having visited
and studied thoroughly the former city
and enjoyed -Its-attractions, of course
tho 'latter must be visited also. Those
who come from the east are quite as-
torilshod at the grandeur of the scenery
and ,the framework of ocean, lake and
mountains encircling Seattle as it city.
Rome Is known as the "City of the
Seven Hills;" Seattle may be spoken of
as the city of seven times seven hills.
The mountains and seashore are here
In combination. The snow-capped
OJympla and Cascades encircle the city
and harbor, which gives it the name of
"The Young Giant of Puget Sound."
It matters not whether tho tourist en
ters the city by dayllgth, when the de
tails of a most picturesque scene are
clearest, or at night, when the electric
lights of the entire city gleam across the
bay, the effect, in either case. Is most
pleasing and Impressive. This favor
able Impression is strengthened when
the city Is explored In detail and Its
public buildings and tasteful residences
are admired. In either Instance It is a
beautiful picture.
Supposing the "whole world and the
rest of mankind" to be as much inter
ested In Seattle as we are, we will tell
you something of what we see In this
young, enterprising and matchless city.
to begin with Seattle Is delightfully sit
uated on the shores of Elliott Bay,
an arm of Puget Sound, twenty-five
miles from Tacoma, its formidable
rival. The sight on approaching the
city from the steamer Is of a city built
on a hill side, like Duluth, Vicksburg,
etc., every large building standing out
by itself and affording the best pos
sible .view of a large part of the city's
area. There is a continuous range of
buildings,-from Smith's Cove, on the
north, to the head of . the harbor on
the south, a distance of five or six
miles. At night the scene from the
harbor 'is strongly remindful' of San
canclsco, and the orescent-shaped
harbor, to that of the Mississippi river
at New Orleans us .lt appeared to
us on a former visit. The first thing
that attracts the notice of the visitor
as he nears the landing is the well or
dered water front, with Its long range
of . wharves and slips which - affords
ample wharfage room for hundreds of
vessels, large and small. The line of
wharves extends northward almost as
far as the eye can reach and' the "tide
flat" enterprise when completed will
provide acres even miles of water front.
Resembles Shoe String.
The city Is located upon a hilly strip
of land facing the west and. the sound,
from two to three- miles in width (be
tween purct sound and Lake WMhlni.
ton) and twenty-flve 'miles long, lying
parallel with the sound. The land line
forms a seml-clrcle, rising In terraces
from the water front, quite similar to
her neighbor, Tacoma, and Is encircled
In the rear by lakes Washington and
Union which are connected by a small
narrow canal, vlrtuilly forming a con
tinuous waterJlueJn the rear. .
On lunding we are at once Impressed
with the vim, energy and thrift of the
people, manifested on every hand. We
find broad avenues running parallel
with the shore laid oyt over the
wharves, which are thronged with
drays and conveniences of every kind,
and busy people hastening to and fro,
while engines and cars are moving up
and down the. numerous . tracks upon
the thoroughfare, which Is called Rail
road avenue, laid out by the city for
public and commercial use. Going from
the wharves we soon- emerge 'Into a
broad street, leading to a lurge triangu
lar space or square, which is the "hub"
of the city.. From this - square-(occidental)
the main lines of truffle radi
ate and from here Is the best place to
start to see the city.
The appearance of Seattle on Com
mercial and Front streets is that of a
city of 100,000 inhabitants. There is a
continuous stream of people on the
sidewalks, while cntts, drays, cabs
busses, carriages,' 'wagons ' and ' also
cable and electric cars are found on all
the main avenues.
Like a Western Chleaco.
Almost the entire' business section of
the city covering. sixty-four acres, was
destroyed by fire on June 6, 1S89, when
120,000,000 worth of property went up In
flame and smoke. The ashes were
scarcely cold when the enthusiastic
citizens began to build anew.' better,
Btronger and. more beautiful than be
fore. Think of ltt Within one year
thereafter, over a mile and a half of
business blocks, from three to eight
stories high, were built In the burned
district by her Indomitable citizens a
record unsurpassed by any other city
6f Its size In the Known world.1 A city
of brick, stope, and iron has arisen,
monumental evidence of. the energy,
pluck and perseverance of the people,
and of their fervent faith, jn .the future
of a Seattle; giving it 'added beauty and
stability. It is impossible not to ad
mire the marvelous enterprise of this
people. No evidence' of this disastrous
fire of June 6, 189, remains today, un
less It is found In the great rows of
magnificent brick and stone structures
of Imposing appearance 'and modern
architecture, whore once was a mass of
charred ruins and smoking debris.
Seattle's Marvelous Growth.
I Seattle Is, we think, justly called the
"Queen City of the Sound," for It leads
all other towns In the state . in all
things, essential to prosperity, and will
keep that lead. The growth of the city
has been" simply marvelous; Thirty
years ago It was a straggling village.
In 18T0, the town had a population of
1,100; In 1890, the census showed 43,847;
and In 1885, It had over 63,000 souls,
who live in an atmosphere of excite
ment and thrift and their business en
terprise, push and 'responsibility and
"go aheadlsm," would stagger the or
dinary eastern business man. This Is
the place for people to come, who have
pluck, sand and back bone, and come
to stay. An observing stranger will
notice at once how very few gray hairs
and bald pates are found among the
citizens. Yes, this is the city of young
men, pre-eminently so; and the driving
energy manifested on all sides shows
the material that they, ate made of.
It Is estimated that there are fifteen
thousand young men here. Young men,
too, of a line quality, many of Purl
tan stock, a large proportion of them
being graduates of our best eastern col
leges. Thtey have brought not only
their school training with them, but
their religion also. How grandly this
testifies to the Influence of Christian
training in the fam'llles of the east.
There is an Impression among some
that in these far western states the
people are without much education or
culture. I would say right here, that
anyone who has such a thought will
need only to take a tour through these
states to hav his mind disabused.
Both Tacoma and Seattle are composed
of men and women of exceptional re-
flnement and Intelligence, with an
agreeable and cultivated society, and a
tone of hopefulness and confidence per
vading all classes. There Is a senti
ment here that ought to be everywhere.
"Let us stand by our town, our people,
our financial institutions, and be will
ing to lose all we have rather than do
anything to Injure the commercial In
tegrity .and honor of Seattle." It la
this spirit that has made this city what
It Is; It Is this spirit, as known to In
vestors In the east, that led them to fur
nish the means to develop this western
metropolis; and during all these months
and years of commercial stringency ev
erywhere, Beattle. In spite of her set
back and Indebtedness, Is meeting her
engagements, constructing new busi
ness blocks rl inaugurating enter
prises fraught with great possibilities
for the city, and which mark the dawn
of a new era of prosperity for its in
telligent and enterprising people. OC
these the construction of the Laka
Washington ship canal and the re
claiming of the tide-flats will be de
scribed In my. next letter.
J. E. Richmond.
mm
No matter how violent or excruciating)
the pain, the Rheumatic, BedrMden, In
firm, Crippled. Nervoua, NeuiTtlflc.
prostrated with diseases may suffer,
RADWAY'S READY RELIEF
Will Afford Instant Ease.
For .headache (whether sick or nervous),
toothachs, neuralgia, rheumatism, lum
bago, pains and weakness In the back,
spine or kidneys, pains around the liver,
pleurisy, swelling of the Joints and pains,
of all kinds, the application of Raaway a
Keady Relief will afford immediate ease,
and Its continued use for few days efface
a permanent oure.
Inatantly stops the meat excruciating
pains, allays Inflammation and cures oen
festlens, whether of the Lunge. Stomach,
Bewela or other glands or mtMoua mem
branes. Radway'g Ready Relief
CURES AND PREVENTS
Celde, Coughs, Sore Throat, Influarw
it, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Rheu
matism, Neuralgia, Headache,
Toothache, Asthma, Dif.
ficult Breathing;.
CURES THE WORST PAINS In from
on to twenty minutes. Not one hour
after readtng thls advertisement need any
one BUFFER WITH PAIN.
INTERNALLY A half to a teaspoonful
In half a tumbler of water will in a few
minutes . cure. . Cramps, Spasms, Sour
Stomach, Nausea, Vomiting. Heartburn.
Sick Headache. Diarrhoea, Colic, Flatu
leney and all Internal pains.
RADWAY'S READY RELIEF,
Price, 00c. per Bottle, Sold by all
Druggist.
CcIuien Proi:J
DR. HEBRA'S .
VIOLA CREAM
a and' Ten. anil re
bbM ead'Taa.
ameihe (kin to its oiigV
Ml fmhneav producing e
leer ead kealthy eonv
fission. Superior to au face
t: jnrjrim - nr.-;
if laiaMnna And nerfwtl ImmIh. At .Tft
eVatxlatai of mailed lor Men, send tot Clieale.
VIOLA MCIN SOAP t I. m m
est ruMat an mimiiu a u- mm, tmt vtuntai
ami a m mi. umauttjm mt liSulily mm
ask MeraasiM, FriM iSSCema.
Q. C. BITTNER eV CO., Toldo, (V
tPheiVby Matthaw and J"B
1 $
$w$)m sow'
(Action
TO our patrons:
Washburn-Crosby Co. wish to assure their many pad
rons that they will this year hold to their usual custoaa
uiinmiug siHii.ii.1 ulu vv lit AT until the new crop
la fully cured. Nev wheat is now upon the market, and
owing to the excessively dry weather many millers ara
of the opinion that tt M already cured, and in proper
condition for milling WashburnCrosby Co. will take)
no risks, and will allow the new wheat fully three)
months to mature before grinding.
This careful attention to every detail of milling haa
' placed WshburnCrosby Co.'s flour far above other
brands.
tIEGARGEL a CONNELL
Wholesale Agents,
EVERY WOMAN
MfiraiWUIIIWWIHle U VH WUi Ult 0fjl p
Dr. Poal'o Pennyroyal Pills
The J ate prompt, tafe atd eartaia In reralt. Tho ctaolao (Pr. real's) asrer 4laje
nolnt. Hut mvwb.'vll M. Addien fail. II asiaua Co.. aanland. O. "
For sals by JOHN H. PHLi Q, Pbaraolsti cor. Wyoming Avsnu sn
pruo 8trMVSorinton P -j .