The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-30
Tuesday, Aug. 80. 1881.
LAUREL SHADE. ETC.

DER Improvement uivlu-d l0tO CD8Ve
nient lots for garden. fruits. grass. etc
Above the farm is q foe camping
ground for visitors. Mr. McGilvra has
. nice wharf and four boats for rowing
or sailing upon the lake. The beauti-
ful lsurels shsGe tie dwelling and sf-
ford a pleasing view Looking out
from this point . grand scenery pre-
sents itself. Lake Washington being
out of sight of Puget SQUAD 10 com
parahvely unknown to the public. 1t
is uneuestionsbly one Of the grandest
fresh water lakes in North America.
II is twenty eight miles long from
north 10 south and from two and half
to FIVE miles wide. Its depth 10 from
100 10 600 feet. Whore the bluffs ter
inmate abruptly to the water large
ships could come upT 70 the. shorA but
where the tlopes Ct the bluffs are
grsdual, the wateg il shallow near the
shore. Several creeks empty into this
lake and one river flows ont Of il into
White river. There are seven bays
running up into the main land from
the lake. A few miles from its lower
end rises up Q bold island. which is
called Msrcsr Island. 1t 10 two and
one-qnarter miles wide and Eve miles
long. oval in form and covered with
heavy timber. Two or three claims
are taken up on it. The shore line of
this lake and its bays inclusive of the
island, is 100 miles. On its shore line
is timber country with fertile soil.
The land 10 somewhat hard to clear
but when cleared is Of very great value
for the production Of I'll manner of
soft fruits. apples. pears. plums. cher
ries. peaches and apricots. Red clover,
timothy, orchard grass and blue grass
grow we'll on these lands. All manneE
of root crops and garden vegetables
quickly grow exceedingly Eank on this
virgin soil.
About fifty families have taken up
clsims around this lake. mostly on the
west side. within from two TO six years.
and though many of them were in low
circumstances, yet by being sober and
industrious they are now we'll to do
and conteuted. Most of them are for
eigners. Between Laurel Shade and
Seattle ell the land is taken up. but on
the east side of the lake. beyond the
first tier of claims, there are not less
than 400 quarter sections of as good
land IS is taken. subject to homestead
claimants. A considerable amount of
the land around the lake belongs TO
spectators. There is as fine timber in
ell this district as can be found any
where on the Sound waters. The for
est timber is FIR, cedar, alder, maple,
ash, and near the water, cotton wood.
The underground is hazel, willow, alder
and tbimbleberry. There are fine loca-
tions here for dairy purposes.
Seattle is the trading post for the
lake settlers, where they find ready
sale for their products. One Of the
chief settlements on the east side of the
lake is at o gradual beach FIVE miles
northwest of Laurel Shade and one
mile north OF Eagle Point. A neat
Congregational church has been lately
built there, with Rev Samuel Greene as
pastor. He has about twenty members
in the organization and a fourishicg
Sunday School. A day school is taught
in the basement of the church. Al
Eagle Point Mr W W Easter and his
family reside. Mr. E owns claim aud
is doing well at gardening and raising
fruit. Along the shore line of his
claim the writer discovered a very
large deposit Of potter's clay. He will
not assert that it is frst.olass potter
clay. but firmly believes that it is. A
stratum oflighter colored clay is found in
the vicinity Of the potter's clay, which
10 believed to be fire proof brick clay OF
the best quality. Between Laurel
Shade aod seattle 10 O bill of FIRE proof
clay near the road Lake Washington
can be connected with Puget Sound by
means Of . ship canal. Between this
lake and Union lake is Q low dent 10
the main lead 81 shout 400 yards, and
between Union lake and the Sound is
another low dent Of about i200 yards,
through both of which dents q shin
canal can be made at o cost of not to
exceed SIS 900.
The dfpth Of water in Union Lake is
sufficient to Aoat large sea vessels at all
times The surfSoe Of the water on
these lakes Is about fifteen feet above
mean tide on the Sound. A couple OF
locks might be necessary in connecting
the lakes with the Sound. There i
not finer location for Q navy yard on
this northwest coast than is on Lake
Washington st Mercer Island. There
are no tides nor storms here. the lake
being perfectly land locked. There
are not less than FIVE superior sites for
sxtensiv lambering blishm a. a
around this lake. The whole country Il
underlsid with superior stone coal, and
the accessible timber is beyond coupu.
tation. The entire country around
these lakes would soon becorns fiuitfu]
gardens. orchards and grass lands il
safe navigation was had 10 Seattle.
Rich iron ore crops out around this
lake. Hare 10 one of the best undeyel.
cped sections of Western Washington
Territory.
Millions Of dollars worth of timber
hsh. stone coal. dairy and garden pro-
ducts, fruit and hay can d produced
for foreign trade on and around Lake
Washington If this canal be built. ]
Am informed that surveys for this
canal have been made and its cons,ruc.
tion 10 considered entirely feasible.
DAVID aEwsoME.
A Boston furniture factory is making