Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-02-10
kE.NERs TO COMMANDMENTS.

II ~ ~. u Ice fL.h- TOO great lIX
rf.n oar time 10 answer by letter the ,sri.
ca inquiries that We ale constantly sc.
ceiviu- IN regard 20 the country aai
various matters Of business and curiosity.
We have cInclulcl to again devote TOR.
ton of onr space to answers to correspond
,nt. Former experience convnces us
thu; many IT the topics embraced in these
inquiries and answers will be Of interest to
the general reader.
e. Il, 81 P,Ml, Waa.-Wc arc always
happy to furnish information conccrnin.
this country TO anxious inquircrs, and
woald be glad tc have you and the '.sev-
eral other young men Of sober aud indus
,r;ous habits" of whom you speak, make
their homes with us, providing they can
put up with such fare and prospects as we
have to offer them. We will give you our
own impressions, founded on quite an OK.
tended experience, concerning the several
most important matters upon which you
seek information. AS you ask us to give
our "advicc upon all points most mportant
to those who seriously contemplate ventur-
ins upon so long a trip and into so wild a
country" our first direction will be that
you collect all the information you can
concerning the place to which you wish to
cmigratc; from this information you will
deduct at least fifty per cent. for the cx-
aggcrations that have always prevailed in
the FIRST accounts of distant countries, after
which, VIC now inform you as matter of
fact. that no matter what preparation you
may make, many Of your expectations will
not be realized, and you will be greatly
disappointed should you come. We are
led to remark this in your case especially,
by the enthusiastic manner in which you
speak of the "splendid prairies and count
less cultivated acres" of your beloved
native State" 1t is not in the natural
course of things that a person raised in
any of the prairie States should, after the
novelty of contrast, be favorably impressed
with the sombre and almost unbroken for
ests of Puget Sound. Here the prairie
man must at first be quite as far from home
as Jack on shore. As to climate, we refer
you for details of temperature, rainfall,
&c, to almost any of the numerous publ
cations concerning the Pacific Coast, re-
marking in general terms, that we have
about six months of winter and rain, with
like period of sunshine.
Your numerous questions in regard to
"the business of the town aud the couu-
try" and "what field is tho best for new
comers," embrace what is really important
to those who contemplate emf yration.
They are also the most difficult to answer
in manner that shall do justice to our
self, to the stranger and to the truth
The staple product Of Puget Sound, as is
known everywhere, is lumber. 1t is un-
necessary to enumcrate the various indus
tries that depend upon this. We have
other natural resources that are yet unde-
vcloped, among which are almost unlimit.
ed coal fields, our fisheries and our agricul-
tural capacity which is considerable. Ag-
riculturc here does not generally present
an inviting field to those who have farmed
in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota,
or any of the prairie States, yet those who
have followed that business with ordinary
industry and perseverance have been
successful. The class of people who have
been reared to make living in the country
can always find enough here to do, and it
is perhaps true that our towns are already
too large for the country-by which We
refer of course to population. The pop
ulation of Olympia ranges from 1900 to
1900. "The principal occupation of its
people," has up to this time been holding
Office, printing newspapers and keeping
boarding. houses, to which there has been
lately added the land agency business.
This is said to pay we'll. aud appears now
rather to be going ahead of the others.
No capital is required. The manner Of
conducting the business is somewhat like
this When you meet customer who is
fasting for land, you take him up on a
high mountain and sell him anything he
fancies. You then take tho money that
you get from him and purchase the land
from the owner with part Of 1.-THE bal
ance is your percentage. There is also
said to exist what is known as the thimble-
rig system, in which some act as cappers
or ropers-in. AS to "the best way to
get here"-it is to get an appointment to
some Office; at least that is the way that