Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-03-05

Df attractiveness, aud greater progress Of set
ilement and society in this far OF domain OF
Uncle Sam than we were prepared to learn;
SEATTLE, w. s., Jan. l1th., 1870,
Seattle is situated on Elliot Bay, Puget
Sound, and about forty miles from Olympia,
the capital of the Territory, and ninety miles
from Victoria, British Columbia. We are away
off in one corner Of Unclc Sans domains. We
can eat breakfast at home, and supper in Eng
lish territory. II does not, therefore, cost much
to go to foreign country. A line of steamers
run from San Francisco to Victoria, and there
Is steamer once week from Olympia TO Vic
toria. by the way of Seattle. Olympia issitua-
ted at the head of Puget Sound. A telegraph
Office here connects with any part of the U. s.,
and with British Columbia. There is also line
of steamers from Portland, Oregon, TO Puget
Sound. Puget Sound is navigable for the lar.
gest vessels. The Great Eastern could anchor |
in safety at Seattle At Fort Madison ship is |
now building, which, they say, will be the lar
gest ever built on the Pacific Coast Fort Ma
Olson is twelve miles from here, and there Is
small steamer goes back and forth every day.
There are good facilities here for ship build
ing; timber almost inexhaustible, and plenty
of saw mills which saw from 10000 to 100000
feet of lumber every twenty-four hours. Fir is
the principal timber here, and ship carpenters
prefer it TO any other. 1t is strong and easy to
work. Timber here is of almost any size, from
one to ten feet in diameter, and more than two
hundred feet long
This is a great country for spars, and many
are shipped from here to foreign ports, and
millions of feet of lumber There is no oak
here of any account This is greatly dversi-
fed country, with its lakes and rivers, noun
tains and valleys, interspersed with open prai-
ries.
The prairie lands here are good, and there
are splendid farming lands along the streams,
and bordering on the lakes. There are two
lakes near town; Lake Union is mile and Lake
Washington is three miles out Lake Union
is one mile wide and three long Lake Wash
ington is about twelve miles wide and twenty
five long, and at one point there is only 100
feet of land between the two lakes. A canal TO
connect them is to be cut There is coal
mine on Lake Washington which was sold a
few days ago for $25,0 600. BY the canal between
the two lakes cut, coal can be taken within less
than two miles of the steamboat landing. Coal
is selling at SO II ton, at the dock now, and
wood n, "a a cord Flour is worth SO u bar
rel butter so cents pound eggs 80 cents u
dozen; potatoes 60 to 70 cents a bushcl.
The climate is mild and quite regular it
does not go by extremes. In summer ii is not
extremely hot during the day, and roasting
during the night 1t gets warm during the
d Y, but is always cool at night, so that person
can always get good nights rest Blankets
are comfortable the year round. The winters
, are mild; seldom any snow except upon the
mountains. Last winter there was no snow in
2 Seattle, and but little rain, and this winter we
have had no snow as yet, but considerable
l rain since the first of November. We seldom
hear any thunder or see any lightning here
The first week of this month worked outside
l in my shirt sleeves, and was comfortable. But
; for the rain u person could work outside the
, year round. We do not have short dashing
rains, as in the east, but gentle come doacns
f which last from one to three weeks. They
have been building here all winter; the I'M
, provemcnts continue to go on rain or shine
y More than 100 buildings have been put up here
I since last March, and the indications are that
3 and summer. The people generally are under
, the impression that Seattle will be the Western
n Terminus of the Northern Pacific r. r., ant
c that this will be n great metropolis, and they
$ all want front seats Many are coming to this
It section of the territory and taking up farms
c The country around here is very heavily tim
s bercd, with fir, principally, and some ceda
n along the streams. The most productive farms
/. are along the streams.
r When the weather is clear we can sec snow
c capped mountains at any time of the year. w
d can sec the snow on the top of Mt. Ranie
>, from here, which Is IA hundred miles distant
@ Within about 60 miles of here there is tn
: highest fall of water in the United States, tn
= Snoqualamie Falls. 263 feet high. In fact
It whether it be of lovely landscapes, charming
o wales, magnificent mountain views, picturesque
d hill and dale scenes, grand and rugged rive
n scenery, majestic snow peaks or of gorgeou
II sunrise or sunset splendors-nei,her Ohio o
I. ST. Lawrence, Susquehanna or Potomac, no
Il the valleys or hills, the mountains or snow,
ia submits of the famed senic regions of TIN
!. country beyond the Mississippi, can excel il
/, all these forms and phases of natures beautie
and wonders, the views presented on Puge
Sound and throughout the Territory Ther
Is all kinds Of game here, from Wild rabbits L
"a grizzly bears. There is deer and elk, panther
II and wild cats, grouse and pheasants, and will
r geese and ducks. We can raise good irui
a. here, There arc gold mines within two day
,e travel in the mountains. 1t is all gold an,
no silver here We see greenback once in
a. while, but business Is done on the coin basis
/. Ship carpenters get "a day they are plent
Il on the Sound, yet there may be room for moi'
IN Good joiners are not very plenty. We hav
/, good water in this part of the town in cgl
4. feet wells. Some places they dig forty fee
a, and some parts Of the town Is watered by pipe
- from good natural springs. Seattle was incol
os porated this winter. There Is rather mike
a, population here of Chinese, Negroes and Ii
"A dians, and they are all well mixed, The /,
oe dams are nearly played out, and Chinese al
- getting plenty, but there is good society her
ht There are two Protestant Churches and oil
u, Catholic. There are other denominations hei