The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-12-18
County and City Official Press
Monday, December l8.
SKETCH OF WASHINGTON
TERRITORY.


lowing account of Our Territory, Or
more particularly. its Eastern portion.
which will no doubt he Of interest to
many inquirers abroad
Washington Territory extends through
nearly eight degrees Of longitude. COW
eriug about three hundred and sixty
miles Of the frontier of British Column
bis, and has an average breadth from
north tn south of over two hundred
miles. Ii has an ARA Of G9994 square
miles. or ii, i96, lGO acres Of which /.
100000 acres are surveyed. Allowing
for The waters of Puget Sound and the
mountainous districts there are 81. 900
100 acres Of timber, prairie and bottom
iaIas open fer settlement; Of these.
10000. 900 are covered with timber ;
$500. 900 arc rich alIuvial bottom, AMI
100000 acres are prairie and barren
land. The Territory is divided into two
natural divisions by the Cascade Range.
which runs north aud south parallel to
the Pacific coast. ia 40 west longitude
These divisions which are Of unequal pro
portions, differ in soil climate aud ,opo-
grsphy. The portion lying east of tae
Cascades. embracing 10000 square
miles. is known ~ Eastern Washington
The great natural feature Of this sec
tion Is the Columbia River, bich en-
tiers the Territory i'll northern line ut
Al deg. west longitude. AMI putsues a
westerly and sortherly course for four
hundred miles. until it reaches the A6th
degree. Of north latitude, when it re-
fleets sharply to the west, forming for
about three hundred miles the boundary
between the State Of Oregon and Wash
ington Territory. This noble river has
great commercial advantages, magniti-
cent scenery, and can be made useful in
irrigating some Of the barren plains
adjacent to it, thus causing them to pro-
dace in abundance grains, grasses aud
cereals. II receives .n ats course SOW
eral ri-cfs which traverse this section,
lot which ara the Snake, Waila
Walla. Winachee, Okanagan, Spokane.
Yakima, Klickitat and others Of lesser
Importance. Its principal tributary.
The Snake river. receives tho waters Of
the palouse, Clearwater. Tucanon and
many minor streams These rivers have
an aggregate length within the Terri
tory Of eight hundred miles. The
whole Of Eastern Washington may be
denoininated ono vast, unbroken prairie,
from the southern boundary Of the
Herritory to the Spokane river, dis.
tance of ono hundred and fifty miles.
the only prominences to be seen are the
slopes OF the mountains. which are coy
cred with evergreens. The surface is
generally high. rolling and irregular.
will. occasional plains. The irre:u-
tarities look as If they had been Gu,
off by glacial action and deposited in
. regular series in lower levels North
OF the Spokane the general characters
tacs OF the country undergo decided
Ehangc. the basaltic formation giving
way to slate, quartz aud limestone. and
fiie surface breaking into hills and VAL
1cys, covered with liberal supply OF
various kinds Of timber The Walla
Walla Valley III the southeastern por-
fion, embraces one million acres OF very
good arabic land. capable of support
ing large population. Land in this
valley commands from two To ten dol
Jars per acre, for it Is useful for either
agriculture or grazing purposes Grain
rs raised in large quantities, the aver
ssrgu 0sld being rather high Whea.
averages twenty five bushels per acre.
Oats 30. corn 40, rye 20. peas and bean
4S. potatoes 500, carrots 1000. cabbages
10000 pounds, and hay two and one.
bait tons. Fruit is raised III profusion
snd Q. excellent quality. Beef. wheat,
wool aud hides are exported from Walla
Walla 10 Portland aud San Francisco.
aud its grains. cereals aud fruits fluids
"a ready market in the mining regions
Vt Idaho and Montana In many cases
the above averages have been doubled
in fact these statements will answer for
all Eastern Washington. uniting the
yield of the good and bad soils. There
is agricultural land enough in the east
ern portion to support large popula.
ton. yet its great productive feature is
the extensive grazing ranges which ex-
ist In the Walla WallA. Paiouse, Xii
kitat, kititas aud Yakima Valleys
These ranges are covered with . profu-
sion of bunch grass, which retains its
nutritious qualities through the
Winter, thus taking all labor away
from the ssock-raises, as cattle thrive
upon ii the year round. In severe
Winters stock have 10 I've fed. but this
occurs very seldom. The princi-
pal industry of Eastern Washing ,ou is
ssoek-raising. . mayke. being found in
British Colnmbia, Western Washington
and IN Oregon. Large quantities of
wheat, tlear ami Wool is shipped by way
oi Portland ~ the Sandwich Islands
and Earope Though the country is
nos very heavily simheresi. yet il hiss "a
good supply Of cottonwood. alder, pine
and cedar, which grows principally up
on the margin If the rivers AMI ea
agricultural lands.
The climate e this ssc,ion IL very
,aissi for Is latitude. In the Walla Wal
Valley the average temperament for
spslcg is - doss IN summer. IS deg
in autumn, - deg ia winter. ;. d~s
yearly n,e..n. 81 deg Tae average ais
nual rainfall IS - ieches Thus the
climate Is similar - tia; oi Baltimore
Mssylaad IL Colv.l,c Valley, further
asx,h. the winter j. several irgrvy
es.lsiss, approaching that Of Northern
Indiaaa or ohio.
Tie first American settlement Wa