, 1853-10-01
From our StcilacOOm Correspondent.


>
Mr. EDITOR -
Taken as a whole, there is not prob
ably community in our whole country.
whether on the Pacific coast or Atlantic
,lop', about the great Lakes or in the roJIe
valley OF the MIssissippi,-lhat is more EN-
mcnlly active and industrious, than Is tins
OF ols. Search carefully the whole Ter
utory, and you will hardly find a man who
is not constantly employed, physically Or
mentally, and who is not excited by a laud-
able ambition of winning for himself a res
pcclabe position in society. The reasons
for this are not to be traced wholly to the
men themselves, for there are some among
US as constftutionally careless and indoeul
as can be found in any community cast Of
the Rocky Mountains, partly, perhaps
principally, to the great natural advantages
that Washington Territory possesses, and
| the lscllltes that it affords 10 men Of but
ordinary capacity even, 10 acquire wealth,
| if they will but embrace NOW the fine op-
portuniIies they have, and prosecute what
ever work they do undertake, with ardor
and energy. This, it cannot be denied, is a
great incentive 10 vigorous action, for man
is naturally prone TO look upon riches as
the greatest good he can acquire.' But it
is not, by any means, the only one that our
people now have to spur them on, for there
is daily influx into our new territory OF
men from all quarters OF our country, who
not only possess ability to conduct, but the
means 10 carry on any branch Of business
that promises but the remotest prospect of
success, and who seize with a,dity upon ey-
cry thing by which they can gain an hon
est penny. This is truth, and one, too,
that is not over looked, for our people are
quite sufficiently intelligent and far sighted,
both 10 know and see, that there are hun
dreds Of claims along the shores of our sound
and upon our beautiful prairies, that in a
few years will really be worth fortunes to
their owners, even if the entire improve
ments upon them amount to nothing more
than rural log-hut and, also, that it be-
comes them, as the first settlers in the coun-
try, to choose now, if they would not wish
to experience the modification of seeing
strangers come in and rapidly grow rich up
on the very claims that they have neglect
ed 10 secure. At present there is no scare
ity at all of good claims, nor will there be,
| presume, for years to come but for all
that, it is but fair 10 presume that among
people 50 intelligent aud eager as those who
are daily ilocking into our Territory, that
the most valuable and available sites will be
located every day, and that in a short time
it will be an extremely difficult matter for
The " old hands" 10 find a spot unoccupied,
one-half so valuable, as many they have
heretofore been in the habit OF regarding as
hardly worth thought.
If am not very much mistaken, there
are many men on Puget Sound who will
experience painful regrets as long as they
live, that they did not, when it was wholly
in their power, secure claims that later
comers have taken, and which are every
day growing almost doubly valuable, instead
OF running about the Territory in the vain
hope Of finding some thing better. have
no disposition, whatever, 10 censure those
who have spent their time and money in
cruising about from place to place, now up
and now down Sound, across 10 Hoods Ca
nal, and along the Straits Of Fuca, in search
of the most desirable location, for many, aye,
all Of them, have come thousands cf miles,
braying the dangers Of a Cape Horn voy
age, or enduring the hardships Of journey
across the plains, Ito say nothing Of the
time and great amount OF money spent) to
reach this country, and it is but natural that
they should be excited by u strong desire
to not only find a SPOT that will remunerate
them for the great expense attending their
long journey, but one, also, upon which
they can spend the remainder Of their lives
in "peace and plenty"
do not blame men for refusing 10 "go
il blind " in matter of such vital import
ance to them as this, and after month or a
year perhaps learn that their claims are not,
and cannot, ever be worth a dollar, and
that their time and money both have been
thrown away; but do censure them when
they refuse to locate upon spots that COM
mon sense plainly teaches will soon be high
ly valuable, not only as they contribute 10
health and happiness, but also in pecunia-
ry point of view, and 60 running about,
hither and thither, because some interested
individuals have told them that such and
such places are the best in the Territory,
and just exactly calculated 10 suit them. |
blame them, too, when they abandon their
claims to look for others, without doing
enough on them 10 ascertain whether they
are valuable or not Some have done this,
and not been at all benefited either, further
than the good they derived from season
spent upon The stool of repentance"
After all is said, however, it must be ae-
| knOWled0ed that there ara still Thousands of
claims in our Territory; and that man
could hardly select spot, contiguous to
the water, at least, that will not eventually
be worth something handsome. B.
DS-We have received the proceedings Of
ademocratic meeting in King county. with