The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-07-15
The Northwest Corner of the Republic.

The Northwest Corner of the Republic.
The Congressional Record is not ordinarily
the most amusing publication IN the world.
A daily transcript OF dry debates and com
monplacc speeches in the Senate ond House
of Representatives may be instructive, but
will seldom be funny.
Once in a while, however, a comparatively
brilliant number appears. One OF this sort
WAS published on Thursday of last week. The
first column is headed admission CT Wash
lngton," and under that title are the following
lines
There is land of pure delght-Dr. Watts
Knock and il shall be opened unto you.-Ri6b.
These excerpts are the prelude to speech
by the Hon Thomas Ii. Brents of Washing
ton Territory That gentleman Is a Delegate
/ in Congress- and he wants the northwest cor
ner of the country admitted as a state. We
hope the region is as rich ia gems as was his
remarkable discourse.
Most people probably know where Wash.
lngton Territory Is, but we doubt whether
many persons know what 1T is like. Here Is
the picture:
"Huge conlcal mountain peaks here and
there rear their lofty domes tar above the yer
dure.clothed range below into the region OF
eternal snow; crystal cataracts pour their
ceaseless fOamy torrents from dizzy heights
limpid streams wander through grassy mead
ows, ripple through verdant woods, or dash in
madness through dragged mountain gorges
clear lakes, bordered with perennial green,
and a thousand other enchanting sights, greet
the eyes and charm the senses of the lover OF
natures romance"
Certainly this is different from any other
country known 10 mortal man. A llmpid
stream which dashes IN madness through a
cragged mountain gorge is gift which nature
has vouchsafed to no other region on earth.
Yet, says Mr.. Brents, Senator of the Uni
ted States lately spoke with contempt of 1.-The
perpetual snow banks of Washington Terrific.
| ry" The delegate hurls back the imputation
with scorn:
THAT Senator did not say, for doubtless he
did not know that those snow banks only cor
Onate our grand mountain giants which pierce
the clouds, great Natures lightning rods, that
ever serve to neutralize the electric currents
and give US that pure, healthful ozolc ar en-
Iioyed elsewhere after maddened thunders have
consumed the muggy poisons OF the atmos-
phere Laved by the warmed Japan current
and its aerial concomitant, the balmy chinook,
throughout the year our climate Is mild, equa-
BILE, and wonderfully healthtul, as will appear
from this table showing the annual death rate
per thousand IN the United States, the several
States the District of Columbia, the principal
European CounulcS, anu usniuSp'h lSi-
rltory."
| Here Mr. Brents having descended from
eloquenoe to figures read a long table showing
that Washington Territory had the smallest
death rate in the world, and hence the Senator
mnst have been entirely wrong in speaking of
the snow banks there as perpetual
| Next we learn that Goldfish averaging thirty
inches in length and eighteen IN glrth around
the shoulders are caught in Pugent Sound. A
most delicious sardine also abounds. The
names of the rivers rival those of Maine. The
Cowltz and the Naselle, the Willapaw, the
Chehalis, the Humtulups, the Nooksack, the
Stillaguamisb, the Skagit, the Snohomish, the
SnoQualmio the Dawamish, and the Puyalup
invite the navigator or allure the angler. The
Chehais and the Humtulups empty INTO
Gray's Harbor "listenIng in placid composure
to oceans angry roar" Here are clans of
prodgtous size. 1t is land of bic trees, and
millions of them. Puget Sound is to be the
great navy yard of the future. 1t is ION ma,
lures grand belt line of trade and travel round
the globe, and at the blvouac of empires on
ward march" OF course. So was Duluth a
few years ago.
Washington Territory is such very nice
country that the best thing MIR. Thomas II.
Brents can do Is to 90 hack there at the ear
hest opportunity--and stay.-N Y. Sun.