New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-24
U1SUTVG7OV TERRITORY.

~
Territory this year does not seem to meet with
puch favor in Congress. The last census gave
the Territory a population of 75,OOO-only
about half the number which the new AppOr-
tionment law requires for the constituency Of
single member of Congress. States have been
created with a less population, 1t is true, ana
there is one which after eighteen years MEM
bership of the Union only musters $4,000 IN
habitants, but the general opinion Is that there
should be no further experiments OF the Nevada
sort and that Congress should invest no lerrl-
tory with the rights of Statehood until 1t has
the population of a Congressional District IN
the older States or in all probability will grow
up to that figure by the time its people can
frame a Constitution and put the machinery OF
full self government into operation. In the
case of Washington there is no doubt that III
three or four years the proper number OF IN
habitants will be reached, but in the meantime
there need be no hurry about assuming the
burdens of taxation incident to State OrSani-
cation. The movement in favor of admission
to the Union appears to be mainly confined to
the politicians of the Territory, and to have
little support among the farmers ana business
men.
disappointed the expectations formed in the
East when Jay Cooke described the beauties
and resources Of The Puget Sound region in his
Northern Pacific Railroad prospectuses. The
country is peculiarly attractive to the lover OF
bold and picturesque scenery, and aDoundS III
natural wealth of productive soils, heavy
timber and valuable mineral deposits, but as
long az there were vast unOccupled tracts III the
nearer West this side of the Rocky Mountains,
accessible by rail, few emigrants were willing
to make the long journey to the distant Pacific
Coast The rapid settlement OF Dakota, Ne
braska, Kansas and Colorado, and the APP
proaching completion of the Northern trans
continental railway line, which promises to run
its trains from ST. Paul through to Puget Sound
by the close of 1888, changes the outlook for
the Youngest of the Pacific communities. En-
terprising men with some capital to invest lii
land or business, who want to get little III
advance OF the rush of Western emigration,
could hardly find more favorable locality to
make their venture and wait for what the
future may bring than Washington Territory.
The cost of getting from New ork City TO the
Puget Sound ports is about 5000 for frSt-class
passengers, and about halt that sum for those
who are willing to travel in cmigrant cars.
The route is by rail to San Francisco and
thence by sea. To reach the eastern part CT
the Territory, which is the best agricultural
section and is separated from The Sound region
by the barrier of the Cascade Mountains. tray
ellcrs 20 from San Francisco by steamer to
| Portland Oregon, and thence by rail up the
valley of the Columbia.
About hall of the population of Washington
a. IL. ri..rn
| a remarkably productive wheat country has
| been rapidly developed during the past few
years. The surface of this region is chiefly
rolling bunch grass prairie. with timber along
| the banks Of the streams and the soil, though
containing a good deal OF alkali, is said to pro-
| duce an average of thirty bushels of wheat to
| the acre and to improve by years of tillage.
Wheat farming is found to be profitable there
| even when the price is rs low as 90 cents u
| bushel. Within the past two years large por-
| ton OF this productive section has been penc-
| trated by railroad system which has trunk
| line running up the Columbia valley for 300
miles and numerous local branches extending
southwest into Oregon and west through the
| counties of Washington lying along the
Idaho boundary. Through Eastern Wash
| ington runs also the Northern Pacific
| road, now completed as far as Pend dOreille
Lake in Northern Idaho. Thus there is no
| lack of railroad facilities in the new wheat
country. The grain is hanlcd by rail to Port
| land aud there shipped in sailing vessels which
go to Europe by way Of Cape Horn OF the
| Straits OF Magellan. Stock raising is also n
profitable industry Ill this region, the animals
| feeding on the nutritious bunch grass the year
round To find a market they are now driven
across Idaho TO points on the Union Pacific
Railroad. The profits of this business must
increase considerably when direct railway
communication is opened to Eastern cities.
In Western Washington the settlements are
mainly numbering towns in the forests on the
shores of Puget Sound and its many deep arms
and bays. There IS scantlly developed agri-
| cultural country in the broad valley between
the Sound and the Columbia River, travcTstd
by a railroad soon to be extended To Portland
and to form the extreme western division Of
the Northern Pacific main line. Settlers who
have the strength and patience to clear the
land of heavy growths of timber viii find
plenty of room in this region, aud have the adj
| vantage of nearne.s 90 large towns and to
water and rail transportation. For the rest, all
| the world has heard OF the deep blue waters of
| the Sound, where the side of a ship touches the
| shore before lis keel grdzes the bottom, of the
| enormous fin tree, that grow upon its banks, Of
| the coal mincs OF Newcastle and Puyallup OF
+, the myriads Of salmon that seem eager To be
| caught and cooked, of the perfect climate for
! two-thirds of the y,aI and of the rainy, fOggy
winters, and of the hopes of the people of the
Sound ports that tho China and Japan trade