Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-11-17
AFFAIRS ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE.
A Trip TO Washington Territory aud
Victoria. q

The following extract from a private let
ter received IN this city. gives some late rar-
tieulars OF affairs in Washington territory
aud theIeabOuts:
san FRANCISCO. oct 2S. lS7I
= / got hacE week ago last = ttnr-
day from g trip 10 washington territory an.
Victoria, Il. c. One of the main obj acts OF
my visit north was 10 SPY out the la,d win
. view 10 possibly locating there found
Puget Sound 10 be a much better and more
promising country than 1 had anticipated
but like every other new place, it req nj -es
capital for enc To go there and make "A Ger
tainty. AT Seattle / found the livelieSt bu-
SIness point on tbessouuf. THIS place am
Satisfied, is destined To become the CONNER
ci3l metropolis OF The northwest, aud within
ten years Will be the largest city on the Pa
cihc coast north OF san Francisco. Last wear
tue town more than donbled. 1t now has a
population of nearly 5000, and not a vacant
house or store In the place. A local mill for
the man ufacture of doors and window sashes
Is unable 10 supply the home demand for
buildings. There are two stone banks being
britt, and other substantial houses are going
up Real estate has already gone up; a lot
for one OF the banks 90 by 60, having cost
So,Cc0. Sill, there ere fine opportunities for
investment in lands In and about Seattle.
Besides the coal, iron and lumber resources
OF the sound, its salmon and herring fish
cries Did falr 10 become great sources OF
wealth. Its waters fairly bristle with fish la
season. At Muckitteo, some thirty miles
from Seattle, over 1000 salmon were enclosed
10 draw o. the seine about two months ago
A number of small rivers empty into the
sound and their extensive bottom lands ara
among The most fertile in the world. Thir-
teen hundred pounds OF hops were raised TO
the acre on these bottom lands last wear from
yearling vines. When the railroads now pro-
Jected are completed Seattle will become the
cn'TepOf for 1nillions OF bushels of grain from
eastern Washington and Oregon. The har-
Dor is fully equal TO that of Portland. Me-
But two great wants of the sound are money
and men. There are ouly 5000 inhabitants
IN the entire territory, aud the demand for
money with which 10 make improvements
enables the banks TO get two per cent.
month on real estate security of the first
class. The northwest coast suffers for want
OF direct rail communication with the east
All the immigration passes. perforce,
through California now. The Golden State
so well satisfies the bulk of the immigrants
mat they DO not care TO look further, al
though The northern country offers them
much fairer pastures in which TO pitch their
tents. Oregon and Washington territory, in
my opinion, have had their climate basely
SiaDdered. Instead of having "thir,eea
months In the year rainy" the United States
signal Office returps for western Oregon dur
Ing twelve years past, show an ave q se of Z23
Gear, ~ rainy, and snowy days tn the
year. The rainfall is less in western Wash
lnelon, while there il about the same
amount of snow. The Thermometer seldom
goes down 10 zero in winter or above So0 in
summer on the sound. Grass is green the
year round, as snow seldom lies more then
rev hours after falling. Stock requires no
more housing than in California The Sc
atle coal mines supply about 600 tons daily
Whteh IS about one third the present entire
coal trade OF Puget sound. The coal trade
can he indefinitely increased, as the whole
SOUND county seems to be a vast series of
coal fields. the trade between San Fran.
cisco and Puget Sound is large and steadily
Increasing. Besides large fleet of lumber
men and other coasters, it employs two lines
al steamers. The Pacific Mail Steamship
company is the latest competitor for this
l'aGe, having lately closed a contract by
which the company is bound 10 run three
steamers month for five wears touching al
Victoria with Her Majesty's mails