The Last of the Pioneer Orchard

Two or three days ago a woodsman was noticed applying the axe to some of the larger fruit trees in Dexter Horton's orchard on the corner of Second and Cherry streets, which trees on being felled were converted into stove wood. This operation gave rise to a great many rumors, one of which was that Mr. Horton was clearing his lots preparatory to erecting a magnificent bank building; another rumor was to the effect that a block of wooden business houses was to be built on the lots, and so on. In order to get at the true state of facts, a reporter of the Post-Intelligencer called on Mr. Horton yesterday and requested of him a statement of facts in regard to the matter. Mr. Horton received the reporter courteously, and with a smile of surprise on his countenance, replied: 'There are several reasons for my cutting down these trees. In the first place most of them have outlived their usefulness and have almost ceased to bear fruit. In the second place, it would cost considerable money to fertilize the ground around them sufficiently to bring them back to their former productiveness. In the third place, the trees had grown to such a size that they even spread the entire ground, shutting out the sunlight. I have only removed about one half of the trees, which will give the remaining ones a better chance to thrive.' 'When and by whom was that orchard set out?' asked the reporter. 'The trees in my orchard,' replied Mr. Horton, 'were the first fruit trees ever set out in Seattle. They are more than thirty-one years of age, having been set out by Rev. D. Blaine in 1854, who at that time owned the property, and from whom I purchased it years afterward. Sometime in the future I expect to improve that property, but for the present it will continue to be Horton's apple orchard.'