“In a country where everyone else is blind, the man who can see is king. And in a lumber country where only one mill can saw straight boards, the major city is born.”
William C. Speidel, Jr. tells a satirical history of Seattle in You STILL Can’t Eat Mt. Rainier, a novel illustrated by Bob Cram and published in 1961. He writes as a local of the city, knowledgeable of the landscape and cultures. This book begins with anecdotes about the city’s founding fathers, native neighbors, “famous fights,” and big corporations. Part II describes the city’s must-see spots and entertainment value, and Part III lists “mouth-watering” eateries throughout the “Queen City” of the Pacific Northwest. Printed on bright yellow paper and bound in between vintage city maps, Speidel’s comic guide book is worth a glance just for its quirky cartoon illustrations.
“An interpretation of the facts that may or may not be approved by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce…
Name: “Queen City” of the Pacific Northwest
Measurements: (In quarter miles). Bust 30, (West Point-Laurelhurst)… Waist 10 (Yesler Way)… Hips 28 (Alki-Seward Park)… Height 64 (north-south city limits).
Age: 110 years… or 108 years… or 92 years. (Pioneer founders landed in 1851… platted in 1853… incorporated in 1865… disincorporated in 1867… reincorporated in 1869).”
By Maya Steinborn