Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-25
Nasiliaatun Standard
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON TER.
FRIDAY, APRIL IS, 1879.
Returning Loneliness.

1t took a good deal OF preaching,
Last Winter, to convince strangers
that Olympia would survive the DESC
lation and gloom of the rainy season,
and come out at last, one of the
most beautiful towns on the coast.
One sojourner from the bleak and
snowy East, compared our weather
to the diluvial age of geology, nor
could he be convinced that we were
not trifling with him when We boldly
asserted that Dame Nature would
get through washing pretty soon,
run her clothes through the patent
wringer and hang them out to dry;
that she would then brush the cob
webs from the sky with her bosom
of sunbeams, sweep the hearth, tidy
MP the children, make her toilet and
turn our landscape into a boudoir
fairer. than anything this side of
Paradise. But as the pleasant
weather advances, our predictions
are being signally verified, and our
newly arrived down-east cousins are
now quite as lavish of their praises as
they were of reprobation few weeks
ago. 1t is true, old Winter, like q
silly dotard in his second love, hung
around the premises long after the
beautiful Spring had taken posses
sion. Right gladly would the old
fellow have made her his le-
man but the parent gods would not
give their consent, and he has
crawled back into bis dreary cave.
1t is safe to say that our city is un-
surpassed in the beauty of its sur
rounding landscapes and easy ap-
proaches. Olympia is situated at
the head of the great valley of the
Sound, and, consequently, much
nearer the general level of the sur
rounding country than those places
nearer the foot OF the valley. Prin-
cipally to this fact, are we indebted
for our convenient accessibility from
the rural districts, matter of no
small account TO an ambitious seaport.
Many of our rival down Sound
towns are environed by stupendous
bluffs that practically forbid cutting
through or grading down to that de-
gree required by the grown enter
prises Of town and country. The
only hope Of Seattle is to become a
city of terraces, and her property is
bonded to-day, for expenses incur
ned in establishing the lightest grade
that eau be tolerated.
Port Townsend essentially con-
sists of an upper and lower town.
Better than this, she can never hope
for, otherwise than through the ex-
tremely improbable intervention of
some natural convulson of nature.
An earthquake might possibly ele-
vate the lower town or depress the
upper, and thus render more accessi-
BILE to each other tide water and the
back country, but such things do
not happen more than once in the
lifetime of a geological age.
Tacoma labors under similar
disadvantage and may content her
self for all time with an upstairs
and Downstairs. Of course, we
would not enhance the importance
of our own city by pulling down
Others, since we are only now detail
ing few natural relative advantn-
Eages. In running a couple of miles
mp an easy grade, the Olympia and
Tenino railroad takes its passengers
from our wharves to the open prairie,
the natural plateau of the country.
Our principal carriage thoroughfare
from the business quarters of town
to the country can be Travelled at an
easy gait any time of the year. To
the many inquirers as to our situa-
tion and surroundings, the facts to
which we have called attention are
well worthy of candid consideration.
A TRUE FAITH Is SHOWN BY Coop
WosKs.-A large collection of valua-
BILE books is on the way by rail to the
Tacoma Library. These books are