Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-02-15
S.ATt RDAY, IEBRU AIRY l.. i>h2.
Eeriy TO a Letter Of Inquiry.

We published two weeks ago letter
handed to Us by Jos. CnslI!nan, Esd.
Receiver Of Public Moneys, received
hy him from q gentleman in the States,
aa!,in. great variety Of questions Ill
regard to our Territory, with view OF
making it his permanent home should
the favorable impressions he had formed
of the Territory be confirmed. We
promised our friend, Mir. eastman, to
answer his numerous questions through
the columns of the Standard, which
VIC now propose to do to the best of
our ability.
The first inquiry, OF "what portion
of the land west of the Cascades is tilla-
bic" cannot be answered. with any de-
gree Of accuracy-we can make only a
rough estimate. The proportion OF
prairie to the timbercd land is about
one-sixth of the whole. There is about
one-tllird of the remainder that will
make No. l farms when cleared of its
timber, onc-third of which is rich
aluvial bottom land, the principal
bodies of which arc on the Columbia ;
the Puyallup river, in the vicinity of
Seattle, on the SQUAD; the Chehalis
river, cmptying into Gray's 1larbsr,
and its tributaries cmptying in from
the north. There is more or less bot
tom land, very rich and desirable for
settlement, on all the streams empty
ing into the Sound, the Columbia, and
'Shoalwater Bay; most of which streams
are navigablc for a greater or less dis
tancc for vessels of light draught and
small boats. A reference to the late
map of Mr.. Cotton will give better
idea of our rivers than we could con-
vey by description.
The rich bottoms of the Columbia
are liable to be overlooked by the June
frcshct, which rendcrss them less de-
sirablc for cultivation than the land on
the Cowlitz, Chchalis, &c.. that are
never overhowed except in the winter
months, and only then once in four or
five years. These bottom lands are
composed of prairie and light timber.
Near the mouth of the Columbia, on
Shoalwatcr Bay, Gray's lIarbor, aud on
the Sound, we have large bodies OF
what arc called tide praiIies, that fur
nish large amount of the best of graz
ing for stock. They are generally firm,
so that wagon can pass over them
safely, and most of them are only over
flowed by the winter and full moon
tides of May and June. The sol! is
the richest in the world. and will pro.
ducc anything that is raised on the up
lands in great perfection where the
tides are kept off by embellishments OF
from two TO three feet in height We
have seen the finest or timothy on
them, where tie seed had been left by
campers.
1t is our opinion that & poor HAN
can make Il farm easier on our iimberc,l
river bottoms than on our upland rrai
ries, and when made will produce foul
times as much: sixty bushels OF wheat
eighty of oats, seventy or eighty a
peas, five hundred of potatoes ant
onions, being 20 Uncommon yield
lie can build his cabin on the upland
back OF the bottom. letting his farm
run down to the river; the bottom.
being from fourth to three-fourths O
mile in width.
For example: n man may go on tc
one of these bottom farms in February
with provisions enough for six months
(Which lac can earn by a few days Ia
Dor in the settlements adioining,) will
nothing but his axe and gruLbing hoe
and he can clear and put in groun,
enough in two months to SUPPORT :
family Of ordinary size for twelve
month. When it is ready for market