The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-12-01
Puget Sound. Washington Territory.
Its adaptability for Settlers-The expe-
rience of a Honoluluian.


October 20, 1858. )
EDITOR COMMERCIAL When / left Honolulu in
December last, many of your readers wished me to
write to them about the resources of Puget Sound and
the practicability of settling in that country. to which
[ was then bound on board the bark Glimpse, ria
San Francisco. l consented to do this as soon as 1
became sufficiently posted to give them reliable in
formations; and with your leave 1 will attempt to do
SO, through your excellent Journal.
arrived at Port Townsend, on the Sound, on the
10th of April last, with only three dollars that 1 could
call my own. l there found r. Blake, a tinman,
with whom l had domiciled some two years ON the
Island of Maui. He was doing a very good business
at his trade, and had already made enough to pur-
chase a town lot, upon which he had erected a store,
and filed it with goods and wares, such as stoves and
tinware. his whole stock amounting to some SO ,00O,
for which he did not owe a dollar. l also found Mr..
J. Appleton, formerly a Honolulu policeman, who
was doing a fair business at his trade, boot and shoe
making, after having expended all his resources in a
fruitless attempt on Fraser river. l also found two
Emore of your citizens engaged on a farm Of govern
|ment land,-Mr. Bond, confectioner and cracker
baker in Honolulu, and his brother-in law, Mr.. Pitt.
both having excellent claims of rich bottom land, on
which they raised excellent crops, which they are
now and have been for some time engaged in harvest
ing anu TAKING 10 market. Incy all seem nealtny
and contented, and now the returns for their labor
and perseverance have rendered them pau piIikia,
as the kanakas say.
A word about the resources of the country. 1t
abounds in immense forests of fir and pine, and there
are at present over 2OO0 men engaged in and about
the mills in the lumber business, and about 200 sail
of vessels are employed on the Sound freighting lum-
Der to various markets. This lumber trade makes a
good home market for the farmer, and gives employ
ment to mechanics. The country is we'll watered,
and interpreted with prairies and bottom land for
cultivation, and the high prices of vegetables and
beef make it profitable for the farmer settling either
for grazing or cultivation. There are many claims
not yet taken, situated upon the numerous bays and
rivers of the Sound. At Port Discovery, a few miles
west from us, on the straits, there is an excellent har-
Dor, and the land has given returns of 700 bushels
of potatoes to the acre. There have been rs many as
sixty bushels of wheat and 700 bushels of onions
taken from one acre of land on the bottoms of Che
halls valley in the southwest part of our Territory,
by a MIR. %Shotwell, who says, in speaking of the natu-
raj resources of this country, s.In my Judgment the
new resources q Washington and Oregon Territories
are greater than were the resources of New England.
when our Pilgrim Fathers landed on the rock of Ply
There is now in that one valley of Cheha-
lis from 40 to 90 miles square Of unoccupied bottom
land, intersecred by numerous streams and rivers,
some of which are ~navigable for steamers.
So much for the resources of Puget Sound, and
now a word about the practicabiiity of settling. With
out wishing to be thought egotistical, l will refer to
my own experience. As I said before, when | landed
at this place, Port Townsend, my stay in San Fran
cisco and passage had reduced my funds to three
dollars. | Immediately found employment, and hay-
ing somewhat replenished my exhausted funds, with
a few dollars. l set about looking for a claim. Just
at that time, and less than one month after my ar
rival, | found an old acquaintance by the name Of
Joseph Richardson, a shoemaker from Honolulu.
Fraser river victim, but who had been for
the last few months employed at Cape Flattery Light
House. In company with him. | embarked in the
farming business. We found . location suitable
about three miles from this town. and only half :
NILE from the Bny. and on tie ~ day Or May last,
p'tceed our tent. Or elaimnI = What is called hersa
Eimhsr bottom. Although lsle h The se6son, Ne
nanAsed to clear q shout ~ >sr>o, snd splant Il
Nib potato. aud Nraa = Sae68