The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-11-05
A GOOD SKETCH .

Rev. DIR. G.. II. Atkinson, Of Port
land, publishes in the Wea Shore. for
October. very readable and practical
sketch of his observations in the White
River Valley, of this county. Here is
what he says Of it
twenty-five years finds the White
River settlements extending up nearly
10 the mountains and through all the
tributary valleys. The forests are slow
lv giving way to farms. Fine mead
ows, well set In the tame grasses. on
which bands Of choice dairy stock are
thriving, contrast with the dense woods
and tangled underground of wild ia
trre. Houses. barns and fences show a
good degree of comfort and thrift on
part OF their owners. yet the depth and
richness Of the soil is the most marked
feature. What has been cleared and
cultivated in patche- reveals the wealth
of what remains in large areas in its
primitive wildness. The river winds
gracefully with geesle current. bending
now to the range Of hills on the right
and now to those on the left, much like
the beautiful rivers Of New England.
Autumn and winter storms of rain and
snow often raise it quickly bank-full
and OVERLOOKING, and occasionally fill
all the valley, and enrich all the land
with mineral and vegetable alluvium
from the mountains and hills. This
process has gone on for ages, until the
whole valley, from tho tide waters of
the Sound to the base of Mt. Rainier
and the lower peaks. is formed into a
continuous bed of choicest soil for the
grasses, the cereals. the vegetables and
tine fruits, which grow large and abund-
ant wherever tested"
OF the railroad he says: "The narrow
guage railroad, commenced three years
ago, and now in the hands of j. NJ. Col
man, ESQ, is vigorously prosecuted by
HIM, already taps the Talbot and Rem
ton coal mines and brings their pro-
ducts thirteen miles to the ships deck
and drops them into the hold. The six
and a half miles of continued railroad,
now in process Of construction to the
Washington Lake or Seattle mines, so
called, is a rugged hill climb Of 460 feet
: to the large coal bunkers at the mouth
OF the long tunnels of this well-tested
and invaluable deposit Of domestic and
railroad steam coal. When completed.
two months hence, and when some old
rails are replaced by new ones, the road
will have capacity of carrying thou
sand tons day from the mines and
! dlscharging them on board the ship at
! q cost Of 80 cents down to 80 cents per
ton. This will be from one to two hun
dred per cent. cheaper than the present
rates. aud will place this coal in San
Francisco in very close competition
with the most favored Goals of the Coast
and do much to displace foreign Goals
even in ballast"
The most valuable portion of the ar
ticle is the tribute which he pays to the
excellent furniture woods of our valleys
as follows:
THE forests Of these alluvial valleys
are mostly Of deciduous trees. Ash,
maple and alder. of excellent quality
for HOUSE. furnishing and for furniture
in theH natural colors, abound. 1t is
found that the brown aud white ash.
and the curly and birds eye maple.
and even the alder. take fine polish.
The former rival the black walnut aud
tho French walnut in variety of style.
richness Of lustre and delicscy Of grain
Mess-s. Hall s. Paulson have ven.
tured this season to erect IAN extensive
mandatory on the bay and at the rail-
road depot, to make furniture from
these native woods for the San Fran
cisco market. Their orders increase
for these goods. They send from 50
to 100 bedstsads per steamer, every 10
days, to the maFGet below. which be-
gins to exclude those from the East
More laborcrs are thus employed here
and more homes Of the people made
comfortable, aud more money is kept
, in circulation among Us. 1t is truly .
noble enterprise for them aud for the
whole community. Instead OF buying
| our furniture from Eastern manufactur-
ers at such great cost. we can make it
ourselves OF better materials and EN-.
ploy men and boys at home.
NAebsSS. DtetsOu a GOots Just oppOSltc.
have large msp1fsctory of sash doors,
mouldings. and other build;sg lumber.
which they can furnish for the homo
trade and for export at rates that will
arrest in part the large drain of funds 50
long suffered for the import Of these
things.
Seattle is thus building up itself in
solid strength by home manufactures
Its sntcrprising men take hold Of work
that will employ the people and bring
tribute to all clssses OF workmen. The
example 10 . noble one for oil our cities.
Especially it ought to arrest the wanton
destruction Of thsse valuable finishing
and furniture woods with which our
forests on the alluvial land abound. In
/ short time maple. IN ash or IN alder
| will be worth - much - the black
walnut 10 in lllinois and Indiana. 1t is
wrong to make fence rails Of our Hne
cedar. or cut up our oak. ash. maple.
dogvood. az alder into firs wood. The
day 10 coming quickly when thess lum-
Der trees will s. worth from ten to one
| L.. -