Disgruntled Manufacturer Bails on Tacoma
L. Walker, a woolen mill owner, claims he was pushed out by crooked business associates in Tacoma and is coming to Seattle to set up a new shop.
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L. Walker, who opened a woolen mill in Tacoma last May, intends to establish a new plant in Seattle following what he describes as an experience of bad faith from his Tacoma business partners. Walker, who provided $70,000 in machinery for the venture, alleges that after he got the mill running and profitable, the directors ousted him from the property without warning. He told reporters he intends to bring his machinery to Seattle and have a mill running within sixty days, regardless of whether he secures local partners. Walker, a veteran in the industry and former president of the California Wool Growers' Association, stated he is ready to move his operations to our city to escape the treatment he received in Tacoma.
“His account of the treatment he has received from the Tacoma men who are interested in the mill there forms a strange commentary on their business methods.”
The rivalry between Seattle and Tacoma for manufacturing prominence is a defining feature of Washington's regional history. Walker’s move highlights the fluidity of capital and industry during Seattle's early growth phase, as it sought to position itself as the 'metropolis' of the Pacific Northwest.
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