Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1880-09-03
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Agents for the "Teller."
SEATTLE, w. f., Aug. 2lst, 1880.

last eve, on the steamer Messenger, a
light breeze had cleared the atmos
phere Of portion of the Snake arising
-frcm the numerous fires in the timber
near the margin Of the Sound on both
siass so that we could quite distinctly
see objects upon the land from the
numerous islands, hays and small in
dentations Of water making into the
land, all skirted with the evergreen
forests and underground, with an occa-
sional farm clearing extending to the
water, and the numerous wickeups Of
indians at different points along the
beach all combined, rendering the seen
cry highly interesting. We left Port
Hand on the morning of the 10th in a
dense fog and smoke, and we're two
hours behind time in reaching Kalama,
where the cars had been in wait for us.
The transit across the N. P. r. road
from Kalama to New Tacoma was
anything but pleasant. The track
was very dry and dusty, and the for
est fires had filed the atmosphere with
smoke, so that one could see but
short distance from the cars and the
dust and the heat made the interior Of
the passenger cars almost intolerable.
We notice several little Villages in the
woods along the line and numerous at
tempts at making farms in the timber
and few fields Of grain in a healthy
condition, hut nothing like the fields
of Eastern Washington and Northern
Idaho. The road passes up the Cow
litz river long distance and there
passes the divide and reaches the val
ley Of Chehalio and traverses some
distance what arc termed the Chehalis
bottoms, which in appearance to one in
riding over them are tho best lands
along the road. We crossed several
gravel prairies and among them Gelva
prairie. These seem to be productive
81 grass and grain in places. But OF
stinted growth at Tenino a marrow
gauge branch road DIVORCES to Olym-
pia distance Of 10 miles, while the
Z Z . K -.
main road proceeds to Tacoma along
the coast side Of the Sound and reach
Is commencement bay by heavy
grade Of severa. miles and terminates
upon large aud substantial wharf
under the high bluff upon which the
town Of New Tacoma is located, upor
this wharf is constructed ine no
tel and numerous buildings used by thu
company for Offices and stores and {
large warehouse convenient to thu
shipping on the bay side and the rail
road on the opposite, above this il
large numbering mill belonging t.
the company, end further east-divirge
across the shallow part of the ba,
upon filing. the company's road to Viii
keson aud the coal mines a distance 0
80 miles from Tacoma. WESTWARD
they have track upon filing nearly
mile into the bay, constructed for tn
purpose Of extending their coal cars t
deep water, where the coal can b
readily placed upon sea going vessel
even during low tide. The averag
tides at this point are about Is feet
The N. P. Company have cxpende'
largely in making improvements a
this terminus. They own all the Ian
fronting the new town and nearly t
the old town about mile and Q hal
below and own much of the frontag
in old town The site Of the old tow
I should regard AZ much the best ia
city. It is fronting the deepes
channel, its elevation from the waite
is much moregradual and uniform an
theplain inference gather is that u
timately the road will be extended I
the company's property west of the Of
town, after all their town lots upo
the hill Of the new town have bee
dis9osed OF to purchasers, many {
WHOM just now seem eager to bu,
Since the news Of the purpose Of til
company 70 build the branch roa