, 1877-06-22

serves most efficiently the purpose
for which it was intended. Return
ing from this point to the mainland,
| distance Of from two to three miles,
VARYING with the stage of the tide,
we cross the channel, narrow, tor
tuous passage, admitting, at low wa
ter, only small sized vessels, although
the bay has abundant accommoda-
tions when once entered. An enter
prise was mooted here some years
ago, during the time Of the steamer
Eliza Anderson, under Capt. Finch.
1t was abandoned, after some little
parley and speculative, conjectures,
on account of false idea of self in
terest and true business tact on the
part of a few citizens of the place.
Had the prime impulse of the move
ment been acted up to, wharf and
warehouse would have been built
near the light house, on the inner
side of the spit; and steamers run
ming between Victoria and Sound
ports would have called regularly,
leaving passengers, mail, freight, etc.
The result of this would have been
that Dunginess to-day would have
already attained respectable dimen-
sion as a town, property of all kinds
would have been far more valuable,
and a thousand other evidences of
prosperity would bear testimony of
the potency of steam when har-
messed up to serve the purposes of
ambitious man. As it is, the place
is as isolated, in some respects, as
though it hourishsd in the Northwest
coast of Greenland; emigrants do
not "stop Off here and look around
as they would if it were included in
the regular line of steam travel; and
the simple fact that here are regular
line of steam travel; and the simple
fact that here are represented superior
farming and numbering interests is
all that can be cited to account for
any growth at all.
THE VALLEY
OF Dungeness river bottom includes
some of the finest farming land in
the world. 1t was settled principal
ly between the years of '57 and go,
and presented in those days an al
moss unbroken forest oe alder, maple,
cedar, fir, hemlock &C., mainly the
first two named. 1t now contains
from II to 20 farms; varying in val
ue from $500 to $4,000 each, and in
size, from 20 to 100 acres each in ac-
tual cultivation, those of Messrs.
A. U. Davis, Capt. Smalley, 5. 5. lr-
win and G. H. Lotzgazell being
among the most valuable. The prai-
rie, which lies on the front, skirting
the harbor, and only partially sepa.
rated from it by a narrow strip of
timber, embraces the farms owned
by E. H. McAlmond, Thos. Aber-
nethy, VIM. King, E. Cline, VIM.
Payne and Jno. Thornton. Their
soil is mostly of an excellent quality,
though much different from the bot
tom land.
The two voting precincts of Dun
geness and Sequim represent in the
neighborhood of so voters, and about
as many farms; the aggregate value
of the latter reaching figures far
above those the travelling and trans
porting facilities of the place would
indicate. The produce exported an
nually to San Francisco, Victoria
and Sound ports, is carried almost
exclusively by sail vessels, and rep
resents all kinds of roots and cereals,
but mainly wheat, oats, barley, hay
and potatoes Work oxen, the most
valuable on the Sound, are raised
and sold from here to supply the de-
mands from the lumber woods. A
large surplus of beef cattle and hogs
are also raised. A few dairy. farms
furnish a considerable amount of
butter for the market; and no doubt
in the course of time, butter and
cheese making here will become one
of the important industries.
Among the farms between Dunge-
ness town and Port Angeles, are sew
eral occupying prairies, usually about
convenient size for one claim. OF
these may be mentioned those of J.
J. Rogers, ]. Davidson, Il. Hoffman
and Ellen Sterming. A vast amount
oflumber has been taken from this
vicinity; and much more remains.
Loggers are still at work, the most
extensive operations being those of
Port Discovery Mill Co. A wooden
railway track extending about three
miles back, is used by them to haul