, 1877-01-13

A VISIT TO THE MONTEREY
OF PUGET SOUND.
COUNTY SEAT OF PIERCE COUNTY.

As the earliest civilization, or
rather American-ization of Califor-
MIA was begun at the quaint little
old town of Monterey, so Stella
COON was, in former days, the me-
tropolis of Puget Sound and the
home of the pioneers about the
Mediterranean of the Pacific. It
was far ahead of all other points
when we were up here during the
Fraser river times and had q good
send-of in advance of all other
places. Seattle was then q slovenly-
looking village upon piece of salt
marsh, long since obliterated by
countless cart-loads of saw-dust and
gravel. Olympia was a sleepy
looking place and had not yet risen
to her present beauty as Terri
torial capital, dotted with beautiful
houses and ornate gardens. And
the great-grain garden of the Swim
omish was inhabited but by rowing
bands of listless Indians.
THE HUDSON BAY POSTS
At Fort Nlsqually, had done con-
siderable towards enlivening Stella
COON and laying the foundation of
the trade which centered about
there. But the local capital which
made the trade OF the place did
nothing to advance its prosperity.
Money earned there was put into
real estate in San Francisco and
Portland, or invested in mining en-
terprises in Cariboo or Idaho. All
this time the dreamy burghers Of
Steilacoom were letting the rest of
the Sound grow up slowly about
them and carry off its commerce
piecemeal. Port Gamble has reared
the two largest mills on the Pacific;
Tacoma is the entrepot for our trade
with Oregon; Port Ludlow has the
most extensive shipyard west Of the
Rocky Mountains; Port Townsend
is building up big trade with Sit
ka and intermediate ports; Madison
has
SENT FORTH HER WILDWOOD
Into every sea where commerce
unfurls her white wings above the
waves; Blakely's fires, like those up
on the vestal virgins affairs of old,
are never quenched; Seabeck's mills
roar out the joyous din of industry
Freeport contributes her quota to
the wealth born of hewn forests; and
last, not least, our own little city
ships her coal abroad to pay for ar
ticies consumed in her ripe c1viliza
tion. All this time, the pioneer
town stands still, almost desolate in
her beauty and grand in her fallen
pride. Why this should be, we are
at loss to imagine. Certainly, she
has the prettiest town-site and the
most beautiful drives, of any place
north of San Francisco, excepting
Victoria. Her waterfront is fully
equal to that of any point upon the
Sound and she has a fair agricu
tural section at her rear. The only
remedy we can see, is for some one
to
INJECT ENTERPRISE
Into the dreamy old place, by loca
ting a saw-mill or some other manu-
factory there. There are good bod
les of timber less than twenty miles
from there and milling operations
could be conducted cheaply. Ship
building could also be made success
full there, just as soon as mill was
erected, for the schooner Glars
Light was built there by Pincus &
Packsher. and that firm are able to
make like investments whenever
they can do so on reasonable terms
They own the fine bark Henry Buck
now plying between San Francisco
and Nanaimo in the coal trade. But
there is no use of talking about ship.
yards apart from saw-mills. The
thing has been tried and found want
ing; and until Steilacoom gets 9
mill she will be the same dreamy old
place that she is today.
THE DRIVES
About Steilacoom are really beauti-
fui. Some six miles to the eastward
of the town is a station on the
Northern Pacific railroad, called
Lake View, where the Pierce coun-
ty folks take the trains for Portland
Between this station and Stella.
COON are the two lovely sheets OF
water-American Lake and Gravel.
ly Lake-either of which would be
considered rival to Killarney by q
painter. Here may be had, from
May to October, the very best Of
trout fishing, while the adjacent
woods abound with pheasant" and
deer. Of all camping-places on the
Pacific coast, we regard the envi.
rons Of Steilacoom as the fairest
And whether we live in such place
or not. we like to see it 60 ahead and
not subside into apathy as if its
guardian angel was the disembotlied
spirit of Wilkins Micawber.
THE DISTRICT COURT
Was in session while we were there
Judge LewiSpresiding. The legal
profession was we'll represented,
considering the meagerness of the
docket; there being Messrs. Nc