, 1881-08-27
Letter fton Hon. Wn. A. Newell
Gsv~rusr sf Washiagisa Territory.
OLYMPIA. June 10Th. 1851

me forcibly OF an obligation which am con-
! scious OF having too long neglected. to write
/! to you personally ss my wam and valued
friend; and through your journal, TO the
innumeiable friends Of my youth and Insn'
hood in Monmouth county, the birthplace
and tie burial place OF my kindred, icr
many generations. the home OF an intelligent
advanced and prosperous people, who have
done me 50 many honors, and towards whom
my hear, will ever turn with effectionate
reno mbranoe aud respect.
l am pleasantly located At the capital OF
Washington Territory, 0lympis, beautiful
c:ty at the headwaters Of Puget Sound, sit
uated upon an elevated peninsula extending
downward tive miles into the Sound, bur-
dered on either side by an smphitbeatricai
elevation covered with evergreen firs. From
the capitol, which contains the Legislative
halls. the executive chambers. and the terri
,erial iprsry-and Which IS built upon the
highest point, at thecenter Of the selaiclrcn-
lar elevation-there can be seen one OF the
crandest views in the world. The Sound IN
front stretches towards the straits, orns-
mented with sail and steamships, Sound
steamers. Indian canoes; the Coast Range,
Olympic ana Cascade mountains, with their
perpetual hines OF white, purple and gold,
lofty anil grand as they msy be. dwindled
into comparative insigniticance by the mon
ster mountains Rainier, running up into the
heavens fourteen thousand five hundred feet;
and at intervals along the Cascades, its COM
panions Helens, Baker Adams and Jeifsr-
son, all covered with the everlasting SHOWS.
The Snoauslmie and the Spokane waterfalls
are equal in beauty. and exceed in height
by several hundred ieet. the falls OF N;ags-
"a. These, with the immense forests, make
up and constitute scene unsur pas ssed IN
gr randear and extent The city is arranged
in avenues and streets intersecting each other
at riait ,aH-les liz provided win public
plazaslLIrge snd numerous public buildings,
and not a few handsome residence lt IL
the centre Tor the receipt snd distribution OF
productions and merchandise for Il large
surrounding region which is rapidly lmpFov-
ing; and is destined, on account OF It's com
mercial advantages and agricultural, timber,
mining and manufacturing advantages. 10
become a place Of large commerce and trade.
Two hundred miles from the sea, all the
vessels OF the world can ride upon It's bar
Dor 4 railroad connects the city with the
Northern Pacific from the Sound 10 the
o. D. I
All abbreviated account Of this great country.
Washington Territory borders on British
Columbia on the north, Is separated on the
south from Oregon by the Colunhis rirer,
and the i6rh parallel oi latitude is bounded
by idaho os the east, and the PacIiic on the
west contains seventy thousand square
miles. making forty five millions Of acres
an area equal IN extent to the state OF New
York and all the New England States, ex-
cept Maine Al space twO-tifths eastward
from the sea are the Cascade mountains
which run nearly NORTH and south, and divide
the territory into Washington Eas. and
Washington West. which regions dIiier en-
,Irely from each other in physical character.
istics and clim,ts and largely productions.
The West contains mountains, forests,
waters and minerals alluvial bottoms and
rich. inexhaustiblo grazing and agricultural
lands There must i've twelve Of fifteen NIL
lions OF acres of white, yellow and red hrs,
cedars, maple, alder, spruce, pine and other
varieties OF forest trees. aud much ot such
timber As Is not to BE- found elsewhere; the
fir and cedar, especially, are OF enormous
extent and growth. The average Of the full
growth fir is perhaps four feet III diameter.
many OF them ten and twelve. and some OF
of them are measured for fourteen ieet. 4
friend here informs NE that he has cut
twenty-two thousand feet OF lumber from
one tree. The cedsrs also are Of stupendous
grown. Ikncw OF one specimen OF solid
wood which measures siXty-fGur feet and
four inches III circumference. Two hundred
millions of feet OF humber were shipped dur
ino the past year to the markets OF the
world. Coal deposits exist III large varieties
and in absolutely inexhaustlble proper
tions nearly II not quite all OF the Puget
Sound basin beng nnderlaid with anthracite,
bitnminous and coke making coal Many
| al the mines border on the IA 'igable waters,
are easily worked, and easily transported 20
the markets of the Pacific. and are readily
available for manufacturing purposes. These
mines are already open by rail to the Sound
and the Columbia, and more soon to be de-
yeloped. Iron, bog, magnetic and hernia
| tite. and OF the very best quality, is found in
| great abundance, and several foundrles and
| othor iron works are IN snccessfui operation.
! The iron is said TO be very we'll adapted 70
/ the m,nnfacturr Of car wheels Gold, silver.
copper, cinusbar, lead, Piumbago and tin
are found in many OF the mountains, and
| ,ber. is no doubt that the most valuable OF
| these Will, in time, be largely developed.
| Marble. granite sandstone, limestone and
f;pp claws and sands are also found all over
the Sound country The waters oil the ter
r;tory make up remarkable feature Of its
! advantages. The ocean shore contains all
of the barho.= and inIcts Of the Pacific coast
| az the United States southwark, excepting
| the bay Of san Francisco sharing the Colum-
b,a with Oregon.
| Pnget Sound covers al ares oi Two thoas-
| and sJua1e miles, all OF which Is tide water;
! penetrates the interior Two hundred miles,
| bas two thousand miles OF shore line, has
hold shores. is iree from rocks, shoals or
bars. has PLACID surface, is hundred faith
/, oms deep in many places, Is navigable st low
| water ior any ship pihE. and Is studded with
.is,an6s. large ana sF.lail, which are covered
| With forrest trees. or are ol the highest agri-
! cultural fertility No fewer than fifty rivers
,eun.y into the Sound and sea The Colnn-
h;, affords a thousand miles OF naUgable
! waters: and drains With lis tributaries thsee
! hundred thousand square miles OF territory
! Other large and navicable rivers, hereafter
! to be greatly improved BY removing cbstruc
tions. empty into the same great reservoirs,
oiving besides navigation an extent OF water
| - h. occasional fall. OF probably not
less than five hundred miles. Grsys Harbor,
| An inland Sea oi ;ae Pacific, into which empty
, rhe Chehalis and other rivers, affords even
a better inlet and harbor than the Columbia,
and the same is true OF Sboaiwater Bay
| F,esh water lskes abound all over the terri
tory the largest OF which is Lake Washing
ton rear Seattle, within three miles OF Puget
| Sound. which covers an area OF forty-one
miles with almost untathomable, hmPld
waters. Lake Chelsn, in Eastern Washing
ton. Is still larger, a wierd lake IN the Iniest
OF the plains, in hinge cleft OF rock, which
seems 70 have opened expressly 10 receive
the waters. The rocky walls stand hundreds
of feet high IN almost perpendicular difec-
| tion, and the length of the lake Is thirty
miles. The waters are clear, beautiful and
calm and the stiffness as OF the grave, Is DIS
| ,urt,ed onIy by the birds and beasts which
.eek this marvellous, enchanted spot MIN
eraI lakes. alkaline and sulphuroUs, sald 10
r.ossess remarkable curative properties, are
| al.n sound. Medical Lake, large body, Is
distinguished for its STRONG alkaline proper
,;se Is fayorite resort for invalids, anc
n,om;.e 70 be \ grea. medical Aecca. 10
trrh;ch many may conc and be healed OF their
f an0