, 1877-04-07

Ihrre haN been great deal written
and sril about the lands. soils, and vari.
ouN branches of business on Puget Sound.
Letter, of inquiry reach Us every mail
inquiries not alone about the lands and
natural resources, but about cities. towns,
naviGnble waters, population, and degree
and kinds et oprQvrmcnts already made.
To answer all these letters through the
columns of the STAR would leave little
room Tor anything else. We do CLAIM
that Puget Sound and its tributaries are
as fine bodies of inland waters ms any
man OF reason can ask for. They are
free from storms, tempests, tornadoes
AMI excessive heat. They are navigable
for vessels of all classes and sizes, and
good anchorage can he found near the
shore anywhere. In fact, Puget Sound
is not only n large inland sea. but it is
all one vast harbor. It's waters are
crowded with nm abundance of edible
fish, game birds float on its sllrface-in
many places, millions of them, in the
proper season, feed on the water or dark.
en- the air in their flight The rivers are
sometimes, in many places, literally
choked with salmon and trout. In Il
few months more our own beautiful river
will teen with its countless numbers Of
different varieties OF these delicious table
fish. All the larger game is plenty in
the surrounding forests, including the
elk, hear. deer and panther, with occa-
sionally II wolf; while in the mountains
can he found both wild sheep and goats
All the towns, villages, cities and mill
sites are growing and prospering, be-
cause eligibly situated tor commerce,
surrounded by inexhaustible timber for
ests and soil fully equal to that of any
State in the Union when once brought
under proper state of cultivation; and
because our population is gradually in
Creasing with men of families, who come
for permanent homes, and mean, most of
them, to remain.
There is one thing, however, that every
honest newspaper man ought to admit
and set forth when writing descriptive
articles of Puget Sound The area of
valuable agricultural land that is desti
tute of timber-we mean prairie lands
is very limited. Very few farms can be
taken up but will have to be cleared.
Marsh and tide lands generally form an
exception, but they have to be diked.
We say we think we are not overstating
the truth when we assert that all our
lands are more than equal in richness
and productiveness to any OF the North.
ern States, when once brought under cul-
tivalion. We also think that the cost of
clearing farm and making other neces
sary improvements will be no greater, in
labor reckoned at fair rates, than the cost
of lands already improved, in other
States, per acre in money. Then, there
is this advantage, that two-thirds of our
bottom lands, marshes and tide flats
will be forever inexhaustible; the an.
nual overflow, like that of the Nile
keeps them perpetually rich. We have
also medium climate, neither hot MOI
cod-mih and healthy-and can always
be sure of never.failing crop.
This we consider a fair statement, in
brief, of the advantages we can offer the
immigrant seeking permanent home.
We say nothing about the chances Of tax
ing up mill.sites now unclaimed, or oil
embarking in other branches OF business,
because every pioneer knows that such
chances exist in all new countries. We
do not claim that our county, taken as a
whole, possesses lhy advantages over
our sister counties.9 These &marks will
apply to all parts of Western Washing
ton rs far as We know. Wethink our
people in morals, intelligence and enter
prise, are not one whit behind any county
in the Territory. Our little town is
healthily growing, our valleys are grad.
ually settling up, and our forests are re,
ceiving the attention their magnitude de.
serves. We cut and marketed in this
county last year between forty and fifty
million OF fir and cedar logs We want
population-laboring men, business men,