The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-31
DAILY INTELLIGENCER.
Wednesday, Aug. 81, 1881.
ACIFIc'CoUNrY. w. n.

The Willaps is the lar est stream
putting into ShoaIwater Bay, but there
are half a score Of smaller rivers. Each
Of them has little valley and most Of
them are sparsely settled. Next to the
WIllspa that of North river which en-
tiers the BAY at its extreme northeass
point is the largest. The course of
this river upward from its mouth is
noTthward for several miles where il
turns toward the cast. OF the North
river valley proper. little is known.
The few who have examined it, have
never left the banks of the river, but
their reports agree that it contains
large areas of land. rich in quality and
comparatively easy OF cultivation.
This valley has never been surveyed.
Mr. Henry, Of Olympia, under engage
ment with Surveyor General McMick-
en-. is now in with party of men and
by the close or the present summer will
have Thoroughly explored it and located
section lines. The principal difficulty
to be encountered in settlement is the
transportation problem, everywhere on
this bay . great ons. Parties entering
should be prepared to live 9 year with
out returns for their labor. 1t is par
ticularly adapted to the requirements
of colony, and twenty-five or g hun
dred families working with q common
purpose In common interest could
find happy homes and in time grow
rich. 1t would be hard fight for q
settler alone and single handed to go
into this wilderness and unless Q COM
pany with some capital-no great sum
would be required-goes in it will
probably be some years before the coun-
try is opened. Two families have lived
near the mouth of the river several
years, and three brave fellows have
gone this season into the heart of the
country. What they will do remains
to be seen. The river can never be the
main outlet for the valley, and it is not
yet decided whether the natural and
cheapest way out is through the Che
halls river on the north side, which
puts into Grays Harbor. or the Villa
pa on the south side. Col A K Bush,
formerly of the army. very intelligent
man who is now resident of the Will
lspa, four miles above the South Bend,
has given this subject some attention
and is confident that the easiest outlet
is on this side, aud builds some hopes
for his place, Riverside. as the point of
future Importance with reference to
North river business.
Each of the various other river VAL
leys offers free lands to settlers, and in
most of them settlement is easy. Peo-
pie coming In without ready money can
always find employment among their
neighbors to help along the first year
or two until living can be got from
their own new places, and as in all new
countries the old and established set
tiers are ready aud willing to lend g
helping hand. To the industrious i'm
migrant, with or without capital. Shoal.
water Bay offers fine field. Much la
Dor and some hardships may be en-
countered, but good results are certain.
Opportunities for investment il small
way are numerous and the man who is
looking for growing country can do
no better than come over here.
The people of Shoalwater Bay do q
little of everything and not much in
particular. The only export is lumber,
and the South Bend mill is the only
means of making it. This mill cuts
$4,000 feet per day and its monthly
shipment is ! 100000 feet. Schooners,
OF 200 tons carriage capacity come up
the river to South Bend and load from
the docks, carrying their cargoes to
San Francisco where they find ready
sale. Spruce is the only lumber sawed
in any quantity. in fact. the only tim
Der available here. Most of the spruce
which goes into the San Francisco mar
ket comes from the South Bay mill.
The next important industry is log
ging. dependent of course upon the
mill. Good logs bring 81 so per thou
sand feet in the river, an advance of
rs cents above last years prices.
There 10 little regular business be-
sides milling and logging on the bay.
except ranching. in which the greater
part of the population engage. A few
men-not more than q dozen-work at
oystering and few others trade about
from point to point in plungers. Other
work is casual and irregular. During
the salmon season of the Columbia
river about one hundred and fifty
young men and boys leave their homes
here and work at the fisheries, which
always afford all-summer work at good
wages.
An indication of the result OF farm
labor can be cleaned from the prices
current At the South Bend mill, the
only regular buyer of produce on the
bAy-eggs, rs per dozen; butter. 25
cents per pound; milk, 10 cents per
quart; fresh pork. Q cents per pound;
mutton, cents; beef, 5 cents; bacon.
l2H cents and small fruits 10 cents.
The prices OF merchandise at the mill
store are about e5 per cent. in advance
of Portland rates.
The bay and the rivers running
into it swarm with fish--sslmon. SAL
mon trout. tom cod, porgies and
founders. The salmon are inferior
and much smaller than the Columbia
river or Chinook salmon, but are yalu-
able Cor food. The bottom of the bay
almost anywhere yields clans. there
being five varieties, each, as an old
settler told me. better than oil the 9th.
ers. C.ne-eik. deer, bear and forest
hirds-ahound on all sides. and the
wooded ranges near the streams afford
line hunting. In winter the bay
swarms with water fowl.
The most important industry of Pa.
chic county in point Of value Of pro-
duction and the least important in