, 1875-08-12
A Travellers View OF Puget
Sound.

n
after a sojourn OF few days. or weeks
perhaps, upon Puget Sound. returns to
Northern Wisconsin and gives his views
of this country through his local paper.
Though most of his statements appear
prejudiced or exaggerated to our old set
tiers. they are in the pain very fair and
candid reflections of the impressions
received from the superficial view by an
emigrant from the beautiful prairie
country of the old North West. To
such one, seeking o farm, the first
view of our dark forests and rugged
hills present anything but an attractive
appearance to the husbandman who
has been accustomed to lands in state
of nature ready for the plough and been
content to haul his fuel and fencing for
miles over bleak prairie, and compell-
ed to shelter and feed his stock one-
half the year, subjecting himself and
his family, in the meantime, to the rig,
ors of polar region, and the balance
of the year to periodical tempests which
at times desolate whole regions; from
which vicissitudes we are entirely ex>
empt.
With the admission that this country
is not specifically attractive to the hus-
bandman seeking a new location; that
tbs unlike anything in the old North
west. which facts should be known to
all who contemplate removing hither,
We will proceed to notice some points
apparent to the writer under considera>
ton. He first says:
"This region is in the main covered
with heavy fir timber. The lumber
business has developed already to quite
an extent, but how profitable it is can
not say. infer, however, that it is not
at present remarkably SO, as last year
the mills suspended operations"
Bordering upon Puget So1nd and ex-
tending hundred mills in every direc-
ton excepting that upon the ocean, is
the finest body of fr-timber, for COM
mercial purposes, upon the Continent.
There are ten large milling estab ish-
ments upon the Sound, none of which
suspended operations last year. or at
any other time, in consequence of being
improbable, though last year they felt,
in a measure, the universal pressure
which existed upon all industrial and
commercial enterprises, which is more
than made up by the buoyancy of the
present season. The owners of these
mills, in the main, commenced opera
tions here as mechanics or loggers, with
out means. and are now the men who
would rank anywhere among the wealthy
classes. He further says:
''In seme localities there are rich coal
mines which already receive some at
tention and promise to become at an
early day the source of great deal of
wealth to the Territory"
One year ago there was not a coal
mine being operated in or about this
locality. Now there are three in opera.
tion, delivering from 800 to 400 tons
daily for shipment, with reasonable
probability of the product being increas-
ed to 1000 tons daily within the next
ninety days. giving employment,in min
ing and transportation, to not less
than 200 men, with constant increase
in prospect. These coal mines are
flanked by inexhaustable iron mines of
the best quality of ore. and the proba.
bilities are that the manufacture of iron
will, ere long, be the leading industry of
this section. Yet, in view Of this bus
mess and prospects, the writer says:
Il think never was in place where
business was so overdone as in Seattle.
Wages are about the same as here; per-
haps they are trife higher, but at
present it is next to impossible to get
job"
We say. from a personal knowledge
of the subject, that there i not town
of 10000 inhabitants or less in Wiscon>
sin, in which the demands of profitable
trade are equal to those of Seattle to-
day. The coal trade of the next year at
this point will amount to nearly or quite
81, 10000 the lumber business OF four
mills on and about this bay will amount
to $3.50, 900. Besides which, the coun-
try trade and the jobting business with
country stores is fully equal to those of
towns of like population in older settled
communities. AS for the demand for
labor, Of the hundreds of emigrants who
have landed upon our wharyes during
the present season, but one who desired
it has fail ed to obtain immediate remu-
nerative employment, and the demand,
as yet, is far in advance of the supply.
Cinnamon are employed only becau-e
white labor cannot be had to meet the
demand. Again, he says:
Gas farming country it is q joke.
There is no good preirie land, the most
of it being utterly worthless. The bulk
of the timber land is inferior to ours SO
far as soil is concerned. There are
streaks of soil along the creeks that
make into the Sound that are very loa,
my and productive. But these bottom
lands, what little there is of them, are
subject to overflow in most ms tances,
which makes them undesirable proper
ty. This overflow occurs in midsummer,
Just the time 10 do the most harm, the
occasion being the melting of the noun
tain SHOWS. The fir land, as it is called,
!. comprising very large portion of the
Sound country, is quite broken and
. stony. 1t costs to clear this timber land
from twenty five to one hundred dol
lars per acre. While there 1 never
heard any one claipa that it was a far
ming country. Fruits, such as apples,
pears, cherries, plums and2prunes are
very abundant