Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-04-03
The Opinion Of u Abroad.

x En-. STANDARD: In compliance with
your very courteous request to furnish you
some notes of my observations in the East,
during my recent visit, ! place the follow
ing at your service:
Nv attention was mainly directed 70 such
qussiions as relate most particularly to tho
future prospects and development Of Wash
iugton Territory. l found IN general, in
ali well.informed circles, that Washington
Territory and Puget Sound are synonyms !;
that the impression is general that it is Pu-
get Sound which gives character and value
the Territory. Questions in regard to the
size Of the Sound, its character and capac-
ity as a harbor, its accessibility from the
sea, the possibility Of finding an easy way
from it eastward, to connect it with East
ern markets, were asked and repeated in
every such circle. The impression seemed
general that at an early day the vast capac-
ity Of the Sound, its relation to the natural
lines Of foreign going commerce, and the
ease with which it can be connected with
the great highways Of land commerce, must
develop it into great commercial center,
the successful rival of any other center on
Pacific coast. As ccntc,s of commerce, but
two points are ever named in Eastern CON-
mcrcial circles, viz: San Francisco and
Puget Sound. 1t is actually a marvel
how nearly to-day the latter stands in tho
public mind rival to the former. often
spread before gentlemen of intelligence
map of the coast, and not one ever thought
Of indicating any place or point between
Juan dc Fuca aud the Golden Gate as
possible competitor for anything more than
a local trade. These two were universally
spoken of as the places where the trade of
the occidental slope of the continent must
pour out upon the bosom of the Pacific
ocean.
OF course the question of railroads to
open communication with the East is
largely discussed. The claims Of compa-
MES supposed to be rival are canvasscd.
Still it is observable that public opinion is
rapidly concluding that not one only, but
several avenues Of approach to the Sound,
must be opened, or VIC cannot reach any
high advancement; that We must be con-
ncctcd with Oregon, Eastern Washington
and Idaho, as we'll as upon direct line OF
communication with the Eastern States,
over the shortest and most practicable
route; that in this respect the only sensi-
bic and statcsmanlikc view is to aid all by
every possible encouraging word and means,
and to aid the first most, as most certain to
render indispensable all others.
Our climate, too, lying as our country
does in such high latitude, is, to the peo-
pie in the old States a continual wonder.
1t is hard for them to believe that with the
latitude of 40 ~. isothcrmal line is that
of Richmond or Charleston, and nothing is
more frequently desired than an explanation
of that phenomenon. The explanation be.
ing so plain and obvious, they are. howcv-
err, easily satisfied on that point.
lam frequently asked here, what are
tho probabilities as to an emigration. My
is, that for year or two the
South will be our formidable competitor
for tho emigration from the old States.
Their comparative ncarncss, case of access,
the chcapncss Of land, all make them so.
But there are so many hcart-tics stretch
ing over the Rocky Mountains, 50 general
an impression Of the excellence of our eli
mate and the fruitfulness of our soil, that
many will find their way over to IFS the
present year, and an increasing number
subsequently.
One thing impressed my attention, that
to perhaps half n dozen men the people Of
the East owe nearly allthcy know Of Wash
ington Territory. We have already lost,
lost immensely, by having no organized
and public effort to disseminate intelligence
through the Western States, among the
common people, in regard to our Territory.
The Legislature could could do no wiser
thing than to make liberal appropriation
Of money, to DO expended by competent
man, or committee Of men, in the prcpara-
ton Of full gazetteer for general and cheap
distribution, by the agency Of n personal
canvass, all over tho old States. Six
months Of work Of such an agency, would
turn tide Of thousands Of people to us
and return to our Treasury four-fold.
A word in regard to the present state Of
railroad enterprises. The Northern Paci.
fc have as yet done little, though it is cx-
pcctcd they will begin their work the COM
ing Summer. The Union Pacific has
nearly reached the point from which their
survey turns northward toward Puget
Sound, their declared objective point. The
Central Pacific expresses an intention Of
turning southwark and reaching the Mis-
sissippi by the way of the Smoky Hill fork
IF the Arkansas time cnncrlot;nc, turn lines
to the Pacific. Col. Hudnutt is now in
the middle Of the Blue Mountains, and is
making a thorough survey, asccrtainiug
grades, &C., and assures the people that
the company are designing Immediately to
prosecute the work.
On the whole, more than ever before, l
have faith in the future Of Washington
Territory-its near future. It seems 70
me that the weary waiting Of years is about
to be compensated; that the great 6rst
want not only Of the material but tho spir.
itual and educational interests Of the Tor.