Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-04

Notwithstanding tho abuse heapsd up
On the region traversed by the North
srn Pacific Railroad in it, 105-mile SEC
lion bstween the Columbia River and
Puget Sound, II ID pretty fair coantry,
and In some respects lovely country. |
Omitting the first four or five miles,
which runs through the wooded belt
that fringss the Sound, the road for
twsuty miles is located through
natural park, the spring loneliness OF
which ID mot surpassed anywhere. The
ground, though not fertile, is covered
With sward Of the gresnsst grass, up
on which thousands Of domestic ami
mails may be seen grazing, while the
lark makes it's home in every bush. and
Alls the air with it, clear, sweet notes.
Il il prairie section, bat rolling, and
With every variety TO give delight to the
eye. Natural roads, a. good AZ the best
paved streets of the city, cross In every
direction to suit the convenience OF res
idsnts, furnishing drives that would
mako Stanford, Vanderbilt and Bonner
mad with envy Of our more favored
people. This prairie is encircled with
timber, while little clumps Of fir, pine
and oak can be seen here. there and
svsrywhsrs, and groves Of young trees are
on every hand. rising from tho ground
70 Q hight Of from twenty TO forty feet
A number Of lakes and streams are to
b sssn, while grand view OF Mount
Rainier IL furnished ON a clear day.
Passing this prairie few miles. aud a
prairie of another character il reached,
In the vicinity Of Tsnino. Here the
los Of portion Of the beauty is CON-
psnsated by the increased fertility OF
the soil, and some really fine farms
and farming country arc TO be seen.
This ID particularly the case in the Che
halls country, which is more Of the val
10y character, the river and its branches
flowing through It, and being bordsred
with maple, cottonwood, cedar and fir
timber. Between there and the Cow
litx Isl pisoe Of higher and dryer land,
With . long stretch of burned timber.
The improvements hero are OF an In
fseioe character, compared with those
On either side. but that they will always
b 20 10 cannot believe. Tho country
b rouehsr. and the clearing harder. In
ths distance can 10 seen belts Of open
land, and ct piacss along the line are
lev asrss undsr cultivation that plainly
show what the country il capa-
bic Of. Tho Humphrey farm, at Olequa,
marks the descent into the Cowlitz. and
n Q plaosof which its owner may well be
proud, Il In located on high ground,
and far above overiows, yet the soil
b Of tho best, and the cultivation quite
thorough. ALI through tho valley mag
Aosut places can be ssen, and in some
parts tho settlements are close enough
10 give the appearance Of country
towns. The Cowlitz farmer has much
to make him contented and happy, and
his measure would be full to overflow
ing were it not for the overflows Of the
river. There ia an appearance Of thrift
and plenty from one end Of the road to
the. other. The towns at the stations
have al grown up since tho advent of
tho road, and their newness il quite ap-
parent. They have already passed the
older towns Of the country adjacent.
Evidence Of an increase of population
can b sean ON every hand. New houses
are building, new homes making, and
new farms being carved out of tho for
81. The road itself il fine piece Of
work, being in good condition, riding
easily, and the trains making fast time
over It. Good a. tho country is through
which tho road passes, it is not, in an
agricultural sense, a. good as is the
country generally adjacent. Tho road
was built with no reference to that OBJ
Jest, but on the contrary was made to
avoid the lower, more indirect, lengthy
and costly route that would havo been
necessary in running through the heart
Of the agricultural region.