The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-10-03
Letter from Puyallup.
PCyALLuf. Sept 29th, 1877


Ed. ISrELLIGENCEI-A At Elhi leave
the hop fields. Harrison Van Bibb.r
has saw and grist mill here, built en-
tircly by himself; be has a sash saw and
edgcr-, AMI turns out about 5000 feet
Of lumber Il day. for which he finds a
home market and ready sale. His grist
mill Is one Of the most complete for its
SIZE l have ever seen. He says he can
make as good flour rs they make i'll Or
egon. and | believe il. Situated in some
agricultural district he would be ben
eht to the community and make for
tune. tie has the most complete little
grist mill in the country.
Over the mountains. by a fair wagon
road, l strike South Prairie, a bcauti-
iul valley of about 600 acres, level as a
table. and excellent land There are
three families living here, and the Puy.
aliup railroad runs through it to the
coal mines. and the company intend 90
make this the junction where their
road Will diverge TO eros. the noun
tains. South Prairie has a sensation
they have haunted house, which it
Will not do to laugh at, rs they are
willing TO take an oath it is true. Over
the mountains again through rough
and rugged road 1 struck the grade of
the railroad about i've miles from the
mine, and as the horn sounds for dinner
| arrive in time for most picturesque
scene. The swarthy miners emerging
from their hole in the ground, their
lamps still burning and fastened to their
caps; the carpenters, laborcrs and Others,
all vending their way to the board
lnghouse while have time to sit down
and look around on the truly wonderful
scene. First, the coal beds, and there
can be no doubt in the world that they
have coal in inexhaustible quantities
aud OF the very best quality. 1t is crop
ping out on the hill sides in every di-
rection; in fact, is not one mountain,
but mountains Of coal. The town is
built Of shakes and the houses are mud
died together in an irregular manner
temporarily built. as the land belongs
TO the coal company aud is not yet sur
veyed. They are surveying it now,
AMI lots will be laid out shortly and
more permanent buildings erected 40
soon as the track is laid and lumber can
be got here. z. A. Stone has hotel
here and g stock of general merchan-
disc; it is the only hotel in the place,
and the only place where a traveller
can get n bed Mr. Stone is an old ho-
tel keeper. has good, clean beds and sets
good table. lie is an old newspaper
man. too. having published paper at
one time in Kirksville. Missouri.
Robbins & Travis have u nice stock
of general merchandise, and intend en-
larging their store as soon as the lots
are surveyed aud they eau get lumber.
Lewis Bow is in charge of the store.
They also keep the railroad boarding
house, where they feed the men regular
ly, anu transient custom besides.
s. Fritschack, formerly with Baxter
II Co.. of your city, hasa large stock of
boots and shoes. ana is manufacturing
all the time.
Frank Bender has the only meat mar.
ket in the Puyallup valley. He drives
pSCi tbC
slaughters three bceves week, besides
hogs and sheep.
The bunkcrs and trestlc work for the
mines is the most complete thing of the
kind l ever saw. The frame work is
large and solid. and looks as if it had
grown together instead Of being
framed, so perfect are all the joints. 1t
is being constructed under the direction
of Mr.. Charles Coppin, OF your city.
He is the bunker aud trestle builder of
the Sound. and those who know him
know what that means; those who don't
will have to see his work to appreciate
it. He has twenty-five men at work.
1t will be finished to ship coal in two
months. though it can be used in about
four weeks. The trestle from the mine
TO the bunkers is 100 feet long, ~ feet
wide, and 36 fee: high; the screenings
bunkers are 45x4S. and IS feet high;
the store bunkers at the end are 4sx200,
and 81 feet high A track runs or
either side, 50 that cars can load from
both sides of the bunkers
W. b. Fsllews is the superintendent
of the coal mines He is gentleman.
and what is better for the ceal company
understands his business and does it.
The mine on the vein they are on at
present is in 400 feet and they have
continuous VEN of ten feet, though
irregular, and although your papers ut
Seattle simply termed the lead Is de-
grees 10 the right. the vein is maintain
ing its size and improving its quality
as they 90 III When the railroad gets
here. which will be in short time. they
will work the other veins. which are
already opened.
am going to Steilscoom. to the
Lunatic Asylum aud the L. 5. Peniten-
tiary. and if they will let me out soon
will u,riia Won fran, fhara ID