The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-06-13
P200a WASHINGTON TukH1EoRY.
LA Comes, Washington Terri
Nav 10th, 1872,

uny <VSlly ACSZ.
YEDIToRs COURIER "A few lines
from this western country may be Of
great BENNETT TO those of your many
readers who contemplate emmigrating
to new country. am not
able to give you correct history my
self. Here Is what Mr.. John s. Hittlc
says of Washington Territory in writ
ing Of the Pacific Slope of the United
States:
Washington Territory, which is now
poor and thinly populated, is destined
to be one of the chief centres of wealth
and civilization ON our continent. II
possesses resources which will com-
mand people and business. 1t has the
finest inland navigable waters, the
greatest number of deep and secure
harbors, the most valuable forests and
the finest fisheries of the world. With
the adjacent territories, Oregon and
British Columbia, alone i'm our hem.
isphere has o moist, equablc and cool
climate like that of England and Hol-
land. tits on the shortest line of trav-
el between New York and Shanghai.
1t is the western terminus Of a trans
continental railroad that will command
the largest local trade from districts
now nnoccupied. With these advan-
tages, Washington must assume q very
important place in the future Of the
United States. Its chief city will rival
San Francisco. In Washington as in
California the snowey range districts
are very different in climate, soil, nav
igation and general value. The east
side is very dry and barren, and COM
paratively poor in agricultural re.
sources. The west, is moist. fertile.
well timbered and rich in agri-
culture and not SO we'll adapted to
stock raising as the east side. Snow
and ice make their appearance nearly
every winter, but do not remain long.
The navigation of Puget Sound Is
never closed by ice, nor IL the weather
cold enough for much sleighing, and it
does not rain as much here as il does
in Oregon, and we do not suffer for
rain in the summer, consequently
avoid the necessity of irrigating the
land"
People are learning all these advan-
tages, and are coming in from Oregon,
California, and the Eastern States. and
arc settling In this country very rapid
", and this {Whatcom) county, is get
ting its full portion Of settlers. This
county is composed of the richest bot
tom lands in the world, and coal is
found in extensive deposits near navi-
gable waters On Dillingham; Bay, in
this county, 10000 tons are mined an
nually. in quality It is not equal to the
Eastern coal, and yet its consumption
is increasing, and the mining will con-
tinue to increase in value. The town
in this county that seems to be of the
most importance and has the most ag-
ricultural improvements in La Comes,
and the surrounding fats which are
Called the Swinnomish flats. These
flats are diked in order to fence out the
high tides. Once this is done he must
be shiftlcss creature who can't be-
come wealthy in q very few years. La
Comes is situated on the Swinnomish
slough near the mouth of the north fork
of Skcdget river. The valley of the
Skedget is settling Up fast with an in
telligent population, Who, together
with the inhabitants Of the fats, viii ct
Some future fIsne form the wcalthicst
-. 49,. !. $780,, :. . u. {.