Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1862-05-14
cilmass, Sell, ana rakeas Il prsars...

]. ]. MsGilvra, Esd, formerly an Attor-
nsy Of this city and new holding Fed
sral appointment ia Washington Terrific
ry. 1t will be read with interest as
Tariasias ea as#s from samF sad aeld /
0LYapIA, WAaHNoTos TxRRrroRY, !
March Is, 1862. |
Your readers may be interested by
few words on the resources and tokens OF
progress Of this region. In the aEst place
as to the climate, The summer Is truly
delightful the days are comfortable
warm and the nights comfortably cool
excellent sleeping weather. The average
winter temperature il not much colder
understand, but Ii Ia then very rainy
The vet season has already commenced
and Is, Of course, unpleasant. The |
country is very healthy Mt all seasons Of
year, except to those prsdisposed to pull |
minary or rheumatic diseases. To such |
our long, wet winters are unquestionably |
painful. The last remark applies only TO |
that portion Of our Territory between the
Cascades and coast ranges OF mountains.
East Of the Cascades the climate Is drieE,
and more healthy in the particular men
toned, and Ia generally healthy.
The principal available resource Of this
portion Of the Territory at present, is its
Lumber, but that is almost inexhaustible
in quantity, and Of excellent quality for
ship building and building purposes gen.
orally. The best spags in TIE world are
obtained here and Of any length required,
up to 800 feet. Coal is obtained Ia con-
siderable quantities at BelliDghan Bay.
The fisheries of the Inlet, Sound, and
Straits, when developed, viii undoahssd-
| ly prove an abundant source Of wealth.
Salmon, cod fish, oyHters and CLANS are
| obtained IN abundance. We are not only
| in an excellent place for fitting out whal-
ers, but We are almost ga sight Of the
best whale fisheries.
The amount of land thai can be used
for the purposes Of agriculture, both west
and east of the Cascades, 10 comparative
| ~ small, and il costa great deal Of
labor and much time, on account Of the
| density Of the timber, to redaoe what
there is, to q stats Of good cultivation
| that is. west Of the Cascades. East of
the Cascades, so far as | have travelled,
the general appearance Of the country
| latter you leave the magnificent and
picturesque scenery of the Cascade
Mountains lis a barren waste, with here
and there elump Of sage brush or
grouse wood, and now and then patch
Of bunehgrass. Occasionally, however,
yoa find running through this waste q
narrow belt Of fertile soil, bordering q
stream, vending its way 70 the Columbia
have not been here long enough to
speak more at length about the climate
than have done, but think ii may be
truthfully said thai CUR climate on the
whole is preferable to that Of Illinois
L. is certainly mildeT and more equable.
From what | can learn. the climate @gst
Of the Cascades more resembles the eli
. mate of Illinois. Yet it is NOS there so
cold on the average, and is very much
dryer, there being scarcely any rain In
the summer.
There is one thing more in connection
with the country west of the Cascades.
which had nearly forgotten, and that 10,
that it is the best fruit country in thu
} world. But to resume. IL this country
is wanting in agricultural resources, tbs
deficiency is more than made up by ia
, mineral wealth. The Nsz Perees gold
mines, about one hundred miles east Of
I! Wallawalla, have proved very productive
the past season. The newly discovered
/ gold mines on Salmon river, about ont
hundred miles south east from the Nes
Peroes mines, are without doubt the rich
est Jet discovered on this coastal least
/ so say old California miners. Emigra'
tion is pouring into that country nov
from all parts OF Oregon and California
) and think il may reas onably be expected
Q that there will be from ffty to seventy
Eve thousand people east Of the Cascades
| in ttlis territory, by the middle of mex
; summer. Than 10 the north Of Us, in TIL
j British possessions arc the Frazier Rive
= and Cariboo Mines, which are also verJ
, rich and think the natural result Of al
. this emigration will be TO deveiope al
l the permanent resources Of the country
and especially the agricultural. have n
doubt but that the great highway O.
| thorouxhfare between the Atlantic State
. and the Pacific will be by the Missouri
0 River TO Fort Benton, thence across thl
. mountains by Mullins read to the heat
waters of the Snake River, thence dow
-. the Snake and Columbia Rivers TO Mont
, icello, at the mouth Of the Cowlitz river
and thence by railroad to Olympia, tn
!, head Of tide water navigation on Admi
: ralty Inlet. This is the most natural an
: easy channel Of communication besweel
: the Mississippi River and the Pacih
/, Ocean that exists on the continent. The
X this route is capable Of continuous lin
10 of settlements for nearly the whole dis
: lance. Ii this new gold hstd prove
Development Of this country will be b,
rapid strides, and will aAord one OF "a
best fields for enterprise In the world
!. But If ths gold mines fall TO attract ami
: grafton, and the resources of the aounsr,
!, are 10 be developed By the ordinary mean
!. and way, 1t will DO sometime befor
: Washington Territory will become
81 State. Unless the mines eresse q bonn
. market ~ they no doabk will the agsi
4 culturisEs can undoubtedly find NOR
e profitable location. The beat tloar ha
a baau selling hsre tho past sunanes for ..
8 per barrel. and | don't we'll zee hew
z can bring more, when Eseollees thai "
. depend upon New York and Europe TO
8 market, thereby being brought into di
reos competition with Illinois and Cd
q other Westesn and Middle States, wit
b she odds Of transportation by tha way o
eI Cape Horn against us. Il 10 10 be hep
4 ed land think IL may reasonably be AZ
i peeEed that new and EaoEe s0nyenisn
q markass will be found for COR surplu
4 produce with ths increase and extansiai
: Of our trade with she Sandwich Islands
! 0hiaa, Japan and the Easa Indies; ba
. these are all masters of speculation, an,
In the fasurs ut best. Bul ~ said be
fore, In all human probability, the mines
gold and sazTas (for forgot 90 Eaansioi
! thai is IL supposed the newly sliscoyare,