, 1879-08-14
the FUTURE OF PORT TOWNSEND.
WHAT MUST BE DONE.
By an old citizen.l
EDITOR ARGUS


EDITOR ARGUS
When, at the last municipal election,
voted against the city being taxed for the
purchase of fire engine, it was without
any feeling ofanimosity against the par
ties who, by patriotic effort. had so labori-
ously worked tor the means of purchasing
one. cast my vote against 1t for two
reasons: First, That the citizens who
were most interested In its beniticent pur-
pose should we. ever have the misfortune
TO see fire IN our midst had not dis
played that accustomed generosity that l
have so generally seen In all parts Of the
Union. Secondly. | thought ir was
enough for the city 10 bear the much
larger expense In inture, ia order to sup
port and carry it through In an effective
manner, IN tho purchase Of IA lot, building
n house aud supplying it with the means
Of Obtaining water, etc. Speaking of
water, leads my imagination to take
higher flight.
Maybe this fire organization Is the germ
OF that era OF prosperity which its found
crs must have looked forward to, and
which nature evidently intended when she
made the harbor OF Port Townsend-the
most comnodiouS. the safest and easiest
OF access on our Pacific coast.
Twenty years ago paid five hundred
and seventy dollars toI Il corner lot that |
saw, few months ago. sold for less than
two hundred dollars, had so much conf
dence in the future prosperity ofthis most
eligible city. Have lost the faith then
had? answer you, Mo-! Every year
that passes over my head serves to confirm
il. Whenever think on the future OF
Port Townsend, picture 10 myself the
incalculabe advantages of this matchless
harbor. have heard it continually re-
marked, time out Of mind, that Port
Townsend has no back country resources,
no agricultural lands. to ald in building
upa large city. l have at all times had
thO OppoSitS PS"'
Let us take a view from the water along
the coast, at the Olympic range from
Quilcine bay to Nesh bay and Quillyhute.
You will see low lands intervening all
along, from two to ter miles In width
This Is distance Of about q hundred
miles. will not say that one-third OF
the land will ever be worth cultlvating.
But affirm that there Is not one-fiftieth
part of 1t that cannot be made subservient
To the farmer or the stock-nser. IN some
Way or other. These lands have hitherto
been held to be Of little or no value. COM
paratively speaking. Let us look upon
them with All eye TO the future. 1t has
been said that we have no prairie; / say
that we HAVE prairie-a prairie OF wa
ters, that can never DO over cultivated; q
prairie teeming with riches Tor the COM
Tort and support OF mankind, and mex
haustible. 1t was the grand prairie for
the Aboriginee before us, aud will DO Tor
posterlty hereafter. There is another por-
ton Of our back country which. geologic
ally speaking, we know no more about than
does q resident of New York, Il there an
Intelligent man among us who does not
believe that we are as wealthy at the back
OF lis as Mt the front? Only imagine!
From two to ter miles from the Goa mine.
the iron mine the quarry, to the fishery.
Where OH the face Of the earth can you
hnd such abundance Of natural wealth?
Then take into consideration the most ge-
mai climate for the Caucasian to be found
IN the world. will these Intervening
lands always be yalueless, with these two
great sources Of natural wealth so near to
them?
L Will say but little abont our situation
ior railroad terminus, which believe to