Seattle’s Own: How Local Capital Built the Denny Hotel Without Asking for Help

The subscription to the stock of the Denny Hotel is practically closed. A few shares yet remain to be taken, but pledges covering them all are in hand, so it may fairly be said that the financial arrangements are complete. Plans for the structure are all worked out in detail, bids are in hand, and nothing remains to be done but to award the contract, purchase materials, and put up the building. Excavating will begin this week, and the work will be pushed with the idea of having the hotel open for the entertainment of guests within a year from this time.

Mr. Denny, the chief promoter of the enterprise, is particularly anxious that there should be no delay, and he will not find his coadjutors in the work backward in urging it along.

Seattle may now afford to boast a little over the way this project has been put through. It took time to make plans, time to judge of their respective merits when made, time to work out the mountain of detail, time for builders to do their figuring; but when all these tedious processes were done and it came to raising the money, the job was short. But four days ago the scheme was presented practically to the public and the thing is done, done at home by our own people. There has been no appeal excepting at home, no dependence on fostering corporations.

This has always been the way with Seattle. She has always stood and she stands now equally and fairly on her own feet. She pays her own way; she asks no favors and she only demands fair play. Everything that Seattle has is her own, acquired not by subsidy or gift, but legitimately earned by herself. With perhaps a single exception, every building in Seattle has been put up by money earned by Seattle or upon a credit firmly established here.

As with our buildings, so with everything else. Our new tabloid rounds belong to our own people. They illustrate the faith of our people in their city and its future, and their earnings will remain here.

Never before was Seattle more prosperous. Even now, before the beginning of what is called the 'building season,' more than five hundred structures are in progress. Within ten days beginnings have been made on six brick business buildings, and twenty more will be under way within thirty days. There has been an awakening to the necessities of expanding business and its evidence may be seen in preparations for solid building now in progress in a host of localities.

For a city founded as Seattle was, overcoming obstacles as she has been facing as she is in the face of persistent effort to put her down, connected with a hundred great resources, holding relation with every avenue of trade and commerce, and above all with the mighty resource of a resilient spirit trained to independence and self-help—for such a city so situated what must the future have in store?

It is not the habit of the Post-Intelligencer to boast, but it feels proud of the way our people have come to the front on the hotel proposition. It is proud to exist in and champion a community which backs itself, stands up for its rights and holds its eminent place by virtue of its own spirit and energy.