Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-29
Similarly Situated.

concerning transportation interests
of the interior of the continent:
The Mississippi river, aroused from its
long slumbcr and shaking OF its chains,
suddenly enters the arei Il III which the
Titanic forces OF modern commerce are
struggling for asccniancy III the III rib
west, a. a competitor MOI e powerful than
all its railroad rivals. The fact that whoa;
can be shipped t. Liverpool Ivy the way
OF New Orleans 1t Il much less cost than
the ordinary rates oftranSpoiting il to New
York is Il fact OF stlpt nduu> commercial
significance. il is destined to revolution
i've the grain trade of the west. For this
neW competing route cannot lie owned OF
controlled by any corporation. 1t is
natures and the peoples untolled path to
the sea, and l. free - all whH choose to
float their fleets upon its current. Even
in the infancy of the development OF the
barge system, the diversion of the grain
traffic to the river route has been So great
that the great trunk lines have already
been forced to reduce their rates on grain
to figures which, it is said, do not pay the
actual cost OF transportation.
1t needs but glance at the mag
nificent region in which it is our
good fortune to have our lot cast, to
ste that the people of Puget Sound
are similarly situated, with a vast
leverage in their favor. In round
numbers, Puget Sound has two,
thousand miles of shore-line and th =
whole border is practically one con-
tinuous harbor for deep sea-going
vessels. Along the whole vast an
chorage lie virgin forests, the pro-
ducts of which, whether masts for
d" some tall admiral" keel timbers
for floating leviathans, choice woods
for the construction and decoration
of palaces, sash and doors, rough
lumber, or whatever else in that
line is needed for the use and ac-
commodation of man, can be placed
upon vessels which may sail direct
to any point of the compass, north,
south, east or west, to Europe, or
the great empire with history of
countless centuries.
Along these shores lie lands of I'M
surpassed and inexhaustible fertility.
Whatever the temperate zone pro-
duces in perfection, wheat-barley,
oats, rye, FAX, fruit, honey-only
await the hand of industry to crowd
barn and wharf with practically i'm
measurable quantities for export.
The world, which is continually
growing about the quality and lack
OF quantity of butter and cheese,
can rest assured that if the national
dairy lands aligning Puget Sound
could be utilized to their true pro-
ductive capacity, every oleomarga-
rine factory in the world would ter
inmate its practically unnecessary
and really offensive existence, and
lordly vessels, laden solely with dali
ry products would leave Puget
Sound almost as frequently as schoon.
er and barkentine leave now.
These are simple facts, the real
significance of which are hardly un-
derstood by the fortunate jewellers
upon the splendid sheet of water,
which if it does "peter OUT within
few miles of our own place of resi-
dence, is practically as accessible to
to US as any body. Of this great
highway, as much as of the Missis-
sippi, if not more, it can be said that
cit is Natures untolIed path to the
sea, and is free to all who choose to
float their fleets upon its current"
The great Florentine, in conclud'
ins his matchless poem, closing with
vision of eternity, was compelled
to drop his pen with his self-imposed
task-at least to his large under
standing-uncomplete, and to round
out his glowing apostrophe with thu
exclamation "vieor failed the tow
ering phantasy," and SO in the at
tempt to forecast the measure of thu
large renown which awaits this lag
nifcent combination of soil, climate
scenery, and productive capacit.
which is known as the Puget Sount
country, We, and all who undertake
the task, must feel that doing GU
very best, the work is incomplete
and that we must leave for future
generations the work of a due ap
probation of the immeasurabl,
grandeur of this portion of the Grea
Republic.
Let us not lose sight, however, o
the task which it is the duty of al
who are here present to perform il
part. A new era is dawning upol
this hitherto isolated, but none tn
less grand reserve of the great west
Nature, kinder to us than to less ia
vored regions, speaks in the voice
of the waters which lave our shores
and says to the malign spirit of mo
nopoly, whose hand is at the throa
of less favored regions, Thus fal
hast thou come, but no further shall
thou CO." and here under benign
COMMUNICATION, of oil Tho bocf a1a,napf,
of success in all that can show forth
man in his best estate, it remain!
the privilege for the paragon o.
animals to work out a destiny
which shall challenge the admira
ton, if it does not arouse the envy
of the world.
If our language should seem to