The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-09-18
From Guemes Island.
PORTAGE CITY, FIDALGo IsLASD-sUiP
HARBoR, GCEMEs ISLAND.

/ SHIP HAhBoR, ". T.. Sept. ;, 1877.
I'D. ISTELIIGEScER:-W the blue
vaulted heavens above; the long black
fir trees, alder trees. great and small,
stretched out before my eyes like SO
many evidences Of their former great
ness, over which the flames have swept;
with huge fir stump for my table;
with the lates. WEEKLY ISTELLIGEy.
GER, 50 large and ncwsey, spread out
before me, | am half inclined TO talk TO
you and the readers of your valuable
! paper. this afternooa, feeling more like
that than burning. slashing or stump
ing for building place A little Of
this kind OF reportorial recreation goes
good way with me.
As write | can see the busy work
men over Ship Harbor channel, and
hear the jolly sound of their hammers
and axes as they make progress in
house building and slashing ut the fu-
ture great city of this part of Puget
Sound, and for the present l will name
il
PORTAGE CITY,
The most appropriate name for city to
DC built on what has alway been known
as 1.-THE Portage" Oh the northeast corner
OF Fidaigo Island, just little ahead on
the same line as u Gibral.er rock or
guardian Of the east end of the harbor,
the finest on the Sound
Already this little city has attracted
the attention OF jealous real estate deal
ers who own few corner lots at some
other Sound port, and they begin to
howl already and to speak dispsragingly
of the noble efforts of Mr.. Bowman
and our Sheriff Allen and you County
Treasurer. Capt. Hill. Let the iaded
horse vince" "Despise not the day of
small things" 1t is beginning and
handsome one it is; only five miles from
the Straits of Fuca; world is in such
fact. when the only mode of transpor-
tation is by ocean ships. aud they come
right up this channel "a fuking" in
full sail any time. A wharf will be
built, and also a warehouse for the
grain Of this vast grain-producing Sec
ton.
When shippers calculate on the short
distance from here to the ocean, when
compared with doubling Cape Horn.
(Whidby Island } they see at once there's
millions in this route. Already
CAPT. MORSE.
Of the Dakota has said he would come
to this port for load of grain when
ever it is here for him, and when he
does we'll give him the warmest old
reception he ever had, for Aliens new
hotel will be finished then, and house
warming We will give it. in honor of
Capt. Morse and the stAunch old Dako
tn For we must have some recreation
here once week, after hard season
OF work. Bowman is a first class caller.
aud Mr.. John Schultz. of Fidalgo, q
prince among violinists, while Allen
will come in on the basso profundo, and
some of our lady friends will give the
organ accompaniment, aud in addition
to this we are to have the Dakota
band" Of which Tom Merry wrote SO
graphically. some time since. And. by
the way. we all know Toms writing,
and are glad to see the INTELIIGENCER's
local columns brim fnll of his wit and
fine hits on all subjects.
Already the location of the city al
the portage has attracted the sea side
goers. for several families from Seattle
have been here; the latest arrival being
that of NJ. V. B. Stacy, Esq, the man
who infused more life into Seattle when
tunes began to droop, a year ago, in
the way of forwarding her street i'm
provemehts and in real estate transac-
ticns than any dozen Of her other
citizens combined-and we welcome
him and his family to our sea side city
on Ship Harbor- destined to become
the Long Branch of the North Pacific
coast.
In addition to the shipping advant-
ages over all others on the Sound. there
are fine copper mines OIL Fidalgo Island
Owned by John Shultz. as yet undevel-
opsd. but tests made have proven that
there is mine of wealth easy of access
on his claim. There is also one on
Guemes Island. owned by W. o. Bry-
ant. resident on the Island. aud Nor
gan. one of the engineers on the steamer
Dispatch.
Pleasure seekers will ask you. "how
are We to get to Portage City, where
We can spend such delightful season
bathing, fishing and hun,ing'" They
can leave Seattle on the j. b. Libby,
zone of Capt Bri,tan's steamers carry
ing the L. 5 mails and passengers on
Monday at : o'clock A. NJ. under CON-
mand Of the ablest and most reliable
of commanders,
CAPT. TOM BRENNAN,
Who will take the bestof care OF his
guests. and land them safely st Portage
City. being one Of his new landing
places. He can always land there fer
there is water sufficient in the harbor to
float the Great Eastern within ten feet
of shorc-no mud flats there. The cap
tain, we think. is little too accommo-
dating for the good of some OF his slow
customers along the route, who take
advantage OF his kind generosity and
delay his steamer longer than IT seems
necessary. especially when he has an
anxious 10, of passengers bound Ter
Seattle. We think the people should
show q readiness TO also Accommodate
the steamer and be on hand. and when
they have grain TO load away up some
creek that they build . wharf or drive
niles So that a steamer can load In some
kind Of safety.
II the stranger seeking lands. or the
L. h..