, 1876-01-22
Western Washington.

The Territorial Board Of Emigration will be
Of interest to our many E.strrn subscribers
who are unacqus nted with ,his Territory or
! its resources:
Itinclutea tina, portion lying between the Cascade
Mountains on the east, the Pacific Ocean on the
west, the Columbia River on The south and BStish
Columbia on the north, ItcStends about rDnr de-
grecs Of latitude and three ofloudtude. It's north
ern limits the 40 tn pnplcandits southetn IA the
the mid channel OftAc Columbia River in l,ti
ude 45 deg, 33 min Ithss an area OF nhont %
Gl5 square miles, the principal part Of which is
heavily tlmbercd with magnificent forests Of fir,
pine and cedar It's great commcrcnl artery is
Puget Sound, which lea between the Cascade
Mountains ard the Pacific Ocean. II covers an
area Of about 1000 square miles and has q coast
line Of 800 miles and is 100 miles In length. II
is navgahlc for ships " the largest model, there
being neither rocks or shoals from one end to the
other. Vessels can lind anchorage within few
hundred feet Of the shore IN from five to twenty
fathoms OF water and storms are unknown to 1t.
Western Washington l. divided into three great
a
basins.--he Columbia, Chehalis ana Puget sound
t.. CDl,m>i, basin n il rccGda, from the liver
bottoms IL high and broken; i's so is n mixture
Of clay and lo0m welladapted To the production
OF grasses. The river bottoms are exceedingly
fertile, but they are exposed to overflow during
the June frcshct which often raises the Col,nl.
ba from ten to twenty feet. Along the CowIity
Valley there are large tracts OF fertile land suit
able for grazing or agriculture North Of the Col'
unbn Is the Chchas basin, which embraces two
thoisaud square miles ofthc best land in the Ter,
ritory. This is called the garden spot VI the Ter
ritory and extends from Gmy's Eurbor to the
Cascades. The Chchnlis river, which is nayignble
for light duught steamer. distance ofsiXty miles,
trnverses the basin and offers the people an oppor
tunity ofgctting their produce to market, This
basin varies in width from fifteen 10 tlfy miles.
II il composed principally 0frich bottom lards and
back Of this lies hills and table lands useful for
grnzng and cultivation hrgc body Of rich land
also, lics along the WilloMh river, an important
stream emptying into Shoalwatcr Bay. The Puget
s0nnd basin proper embracing about l,2O0 square
miles. has varld soil, portions being gravelly,
hnt along ts numerous water courses rich auvial
deposits exist The basin is supposed to be one
vast field Of coal, rs groupings have been fonnd In
almost every locality where It has been sought
for; It.is bountfny supplied with excellent rivers
and streams, which empty into the Sound, offering
unusual facilities for internal navigation, as many
OF them are navigabe fOrsrnal steamers forseycrll
miles from their mouths.
The productions Of Western Washington arc
hay and the grains nnd fruit common 10 Il temper
ate climate except corn and peaches, which are
raised only In favored localities No country is
better for cereals and fruits, especially berries,
which grow in great profusion, many OF the varie.
ties being unknown in the Eastern States. Hops
are cultivated in some localitcsan yicldabundaut
ly, and from their peculiar excellence and siac0nd
ready market In San Francisco for foreign cypor
taton. Though the summers arc comparatively
'ry, drouths arc unknown, as are also destructive
'ts
-" T,,. climate Of Western Washington Is Of very
pcratnrc. There are really but two sea.
w" ,' 49,. 1t aud the dry; the former beginning in
s' lasting until April, aud the latter
,ccupyIrr the r, na'n"cr OF t"eyoar Inc average
empcra,nrc for tn wet season Is ~ degrees Tor
tho dry,63 pcErecs .,., M -. H.,
the nights are always cooL
Lumber and coal arc the pr. ncipal articles OF eS'
Dor, Thcrc orc sixteen lmn. her mills on The
Sound ent.ngcd in nitrrroductiop, .iaNp-h '"P'v'N
Of from 20. 600 10 100 oO0 feet each mr. hav' Whie
ot Seattle Bclli"gham Ray and other p"ln's oh-
mcrous coal mines are open and many thonsan'
tons are being shipped 10 San FmncF yearly |
II ia estimated that 00,Ooo, 900 feet tof lumber
are manufactured annually In our Territory Faiu'a
at 5000, 900. Ship building is"arr''d on extensive
ly nud no country IN the world offers greater faci
tiles for this business than the Puget Sound basn
The csnortaton OF fish II alsc destined at no dis
,ant dat 10 become prominent business Tor hsh
Of MANY varieties md excellent quality abound IN
the waters Of the Territory and the rich yielding
fishing grounds OF the north are more convenient
to the Territory than any othcrport ofthe United
Rtates: tire ciinintc Il betterRtied for cnrng ami
drying than any other part Of the Pacific Coast
and finally, shipping can he built cheaper on the
Sound than el4ewharc on tlle Continent.
The population Of the Tcrritoty is estimated at
$4,000, ofwhIch i?0OO are In Eastern Washington
and the remainder in Western Washington. Ex-
cept In Colvillc Valley. there nre but few inhNh-
tdnts in the northeastern part Of the territory hut
settlements exist In nearly all parts OF Western
Washington. rhcschooland school laws are ex-
ce,cntand the territory Offers educational facilities
which are very superior, considering It, limited pop.
ulation territorial University Is located at Sea.
tile, and the towns have excellent public and rri.
vate sctools. The roadsot the territory extend to
al, portions oft where settlements have been mad'
The. Northern Pacific Railroad, tits hoped, will be
completed from one end oithe territory TO the other
in few years, and this, when done will open COM
unication with the different sections and afford
much needed means Of transportation for thepro
ducts OF the interior TO good market
a-Aa ~ AAh Aaa at al ab