The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-08-25
A Trip to Puget Sound.

| The track of the railroad leading into
| Olympia is laid on piles across the south end
OF the Sound for long distance, the station
is on the west shore, while the city is built
on the opposite side. The Carlton house, at
which We put up, is small but well kept
everything being neat and served up in good
style, the coffee as good as might be had in
a private house, a rare thing by the by, in
hotels, as l had more than once &C.
casion to realize before reaching Van
couver again. Indeed the traveller, after
tasting. is often inclined to say: ''If this be
tea, it is coffee | want; but if you call this
coffee, then bring me tea" Why will land
lords palm off such denominations upon their
guests? Do they think that travellers upon
entering hotel leave all sense of taste be-
hind them, as the doomed of Dante's Inferno
leave hope at the portal, that they can no
longer tell chicory from coffee or oleomarga-
rine from butter?
Among other objects OF interest visited by
our party was the capitol, with its library Of
five or six thousand volumes, which we WIS.,
tied in company OF Col. N. H. Owings, Ter
ritorial Sec'y of State and his pleasing lady
From the gallery in front of the library is to
be obtained one of the finest views magma
BILE down the Sound for at least Is miles di-
rectly north. This consider the finest view
1 enjoyed during the whole trip and the
reader may be sure that this is saying q
great deal, since the Sound offers constant
succession of lovely sights, and in fact from
Olympia to Port Townsend the lover OF the
beautiful in nature is led from surprise to
| surprise, from delight to delight among the
islands, canals and promontories OF thismatch-
| less inland sea. At present there seems to
| be very little doing at Olympia and one is at
loss to understand how the people contrive
to earn living, for there does not seem to
be much farming nor manufacturing going
on, except perhaps the canning of clans, a
new industry started a couple OF years ago
with good prospects of success. seeing that
the supply OF clans is abundant and prob
ably will be durable. The clans are OBJ
tanned from the Indians, who appear to have
a sort of monopoly Of the shell fish trade; at
least no one fishes for them but they. One
can obtain from these men bucketful of
clans. enough for a meal for half dozen
persons, for about 10 cents, or wheelbar.
rowful for so cents Oysters here are very
small but quite sweet; like the clans they
can be purchased cheaply. The streets Of
Olympia are being graded and altogether
this must be . pleasant place to live in.
There IS no telling what its future may be;
in this age, railroad kings are autocrats who
create or kill cities at will, regardless of ma.
tural advantages. Some present or future
Willard or Gould may yet look favorsbly
upon Olympia as Boaz did upon Ruth Of old.
At present. Olympia appears to be out Of the
line of travel aud commerce; but incline "a
the belief that both will return some day;
the position is too inviting to be slighted fol
any length Of time.
A small steamboat took Us On the second
day, at seven in the morning. down the
Sound on our way to New Tacoma and Seat.
tie About 10 A. N. We came up 70 the wharf
ct Stsilscaom. . small town prettily situated
1t the hottom Of bay sssmingly four By
eight nils4 o. one side Of which The pens
tsntiary = nesfling in . cove facing the san.
ny south. Steilaooom has . dns beach ia
froat snd grad old Aount RanisS, - sx-
tinct volcGno I'D The noblest Of saccesoiou
q psaks eevsrsd viii psgpstnal sAou> I