The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-10-23
PUYALLCP ITEMS.
( FOR TIE ISrELLIGESCER.

A family Of immigrants arrived in
the Valley last week from Illinois.
They will probably settlo near White
river. 10 tie jerry Ssilley neighbor-
hood.
Frank Clark was in the Valley last
week circulating spe.i,lon 10 the Leg
/ islsture for the removal Of tie county
seat from Stellacoom TO New Tacoma.
The thing has the smell OF the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company about
IT.
Mr. Robert Parker hal several head
OF sheep killed las, week by Indian
dogs.
Mr. l. + Tho pson is moving lis
household goods to Tacoma, preparatory
10 making that place his family resi-
dence ia future.
Your correspondent was favored yes
terday with a pleasant call from Mr.
Ward. business manager and local edi-
tor If the SETTLE Post. who is canvass
ing the Valley in the interest Of his
paper.
Two threshing machines are st work
i'll the Valley.
Nearly everybody is iniisposed Of
colds, etc.
The Methodsts are holding pro-
tracted nesting at Sumner, with the
Rev Mr. Dudley Of Tacoma as principal
cxhorter.
Everybody is smiling and happy
since they have sold their hops. Their
improved circumstances can be noted
from their new Sunday-go-to-meeting
clothes, and outfits generally. I'M
provements will soon be made about
their houses and farms that will as
tonish the natives. So much for good
bop prices.
There i, quite a lot Of grain yet
standing DOT In different parts of the
county. Mr. White, Of Councils Pral-
rie. has some IS acres uncut. which he
stands fair chance Of losing. He had
about 900 acres in grain this year.
which was said to be exceptionally
heavy. 1t was sown too late in the
spring. however. to ripen before the
rainy season Set In. He is building
large dry kiln in which to dry the grain
after it is threshed. but this would ap-
pear to be an uphill business" Bet
ter to have sown his wheat in the fall.
Puyallup Valley is not much Of a
grain producing section. Farmers give
most of their attention to hop-growing.
They only aim to raise grain enough
for their own use, many Of them not
even doing that. But they are begin
ming to find out that it doesn't pay to
make q specially of hops. True, it
has paid we'll enough this year. but
this is an exception. The most Of them
are arranging to raise greater variety
Of crops in future than heretofore.
Now that they have been placed out Of
debt and in easy circumstances by the
good price received for hops this year.
they will tndeavor to so conduct their
business as to keep their heads above
water hereafter.
The railroad lands earned by the
building Of the Puyallup coal road,
have come into market. The lands In
the Stuck Valley are rated ut So per
| ucre. cash down. or 81 IN insta.lments
during 5 years. or "a 80 in years, with
: per cent. interest. This is a much
more reasonable price than was general.
ly expected by the people. though it is
all the land is worth in its present wild
state. The Company has certainly
shown commerdable wisdom in thus
placing the land within reach of buy
ers. though it was obviously to their
interest to 10 SO. It will insure the
speedy settlement of that fertile sec.
ton. which is destined soon to be
known as the richest agricultural por-
ton of King and Pierce counties. 1t
would long since haze become the
happy homes Of prosperous farmers
if it had not been locked up under a
railroad grant The even sections have
long been occupied, but the odd Sec
tions, though mostly held by different
parties, under promise Of sale by tie
Company when the land should come
into market, have remained unimproved
aud unCccupied on account Of the price
If the land being unfixed; and for
some peculiar reason it seems to have
been ordained that the best and biggest
part Of Stuck Valley should fall within
odd sections. Perhaps tho devil FORE
saw into whose hands it would one day
fall. and craftily set to work while
things were yet chaos. to influence the
will Of the Almighty to so shape the
Valley that it would fall into the pos
session of the Northern Pacific Rail-
road Company. But be that as it may,
the truth remains that the Company
own the major part Of It, and it is graft.
flying, under the circumstances. to know
that they are willing to dispose of it on
such easy terms. 1t is certainly cheap
land at the price asked for it, and will
not long remain unoccupied. The
soil is rich slluvium, and so deep as
to be almost without bottom. 1t re-
quires ditching and the land must be
cleared before it can be brought into
cultivation. The ditching and clearing
however are an easy matter. On most
Of the land there is . good fall. '" and
the required bitches can be made for 40
or so cep,s ROD. A ditch around
each 40 acre lot will drain the land
we'll. After the land becomes dry the
clearing can be accomplished almost en-
tircly by setting fire to the standing
brush. The brush is very thick but
there is no large timber. After the land
is cleared it can be sown TO grass seed
and will produce from to tons per
acre Of hay. After the land is sramped
awhile by cattle feeding on it. i. be
comes SOLID and turns TO clay.
The community was shocked last
Sunday morning by an announcement