Document 10: Seattle Chamber of Commerce Report, September 7, 1897
Erastus Brainerd Scrapbooks, vol. 1, p. 7. Microfilm copy, University of Washington Libraries; original, Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress.
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Seattle, Washington
Sept. 7, 1897
To the Trustees of the Chamber of Commerce;
Gentlemen:
The undersigned, a committee appointed at a general meeting held August 30 of the Chamber and of merchants interested, called to devise a scheme calculated to give general publicity throughout the country to Seattle, its resources and its special advantages as the outfitting point for and port of departure to the Alaskan gold fields and also to counteract the efforts of other cities in the same direction, beg to submit the following report of a tentative project:
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To advertise Seattle as a centre of commerce and as an outfitting point in such newspapers of the largest Eastern cities as other coast cities are now using...
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To place on file in public libraries and hotels...copies of Seattle's leading periodicals.
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To place short advertisements in country seat newspapers to promote Seattle's general interests.
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To prepare and supply to such newspapers as may be induced to use it, a map showing Seattle's surpassing merit as a centre of Alaskan and general commerce.
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To supply, under direction of this committee, by means of local organization...correspondence to the home newspapers of our citizens from different sections of the country.
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To supply photographic views and illustrated articles to such periodicals as may agree to make use of them.
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To issue an official guide without advertising and...giving such Alaskan information as is necessary and setting forth Seattle's importance in commerce and general business and to secure distribution...by railroad....
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To secure advertisements in newspapers as such...means...may be used at the least cost and to the most advantage.
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To answer all inquiries and supply maps and other information to correspondents.
In conclusion [it is] our united opinion that there is a great business in store for Seattle in the immediate future, provided than the city takes proper steps to secure it and does not allow any considerable part to be diverted fro here by strenuous competitive efforts. We look upon the Alaskan trade as an indication of what we may expect and that in itself will be great.