Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-01-06
SHIP HARBOR, FIDALasO ISLAND

high officials of the n. p. and o. IL 7.
railway companies and of the official
action of the Northern Pacific railway
company ratifying the action of the dir
ectors declaring their intention 10 buihl
q branch line from tho Spokane bnd on
the line of that railroad via Wards Pass,
an the head waters of the Skaset river to
FiJalgo island. along what was in the
original scheme OF that company, and be-
fore Jay Cooks failure, the main line,
(while the line to Portland was then the
branch) it has beea suggested to as that
the time has come when some facts con.
corning Ship Harbor. and Fidalgo Island,
would he acceptable to the readers of the
NORTHWEST ENTERPRrsE.
1t is observed that among the inmi-
grants and sight-sccrs who have been
crowding the Idaho and City Of Quincy
for some months past, there are not infro
queutIy found lately arrived people from
beyond tho Rocky Mountains, who have
heard Of Ship HARDER and Fidalgo Is
iand-and who wish to know more. To
ms Ike answer to general cnquiry-Where
10 Fidslgo Island and what is it like9
What kind OF . hsrbor 10 Ship Harbori
What sort Of . place 10 Anacortes, and
what kind OF country is there back OF it,
and around tive are compelled, how
ever, by the demand on our space, at
present to write With only . little more
than outline brevity, and to subdivide
the matter through several successive
Issues.
LOG ATION.
The location OF Fidalgo Island. which
is strictly speaking not an island, but Q
portion OF the east OF mainland shore Cf
Puget Sound 10 its larger sense Of tie
Fuca meditcrranean-is ON de Fuca
Strait at its inner extremely, and precise
opposite to or due east OF the middle Of
the entrance thereto from the Pacific
Ocean, in latitude 40 degrees. so minutes
north. Referancc 10 made IN this con-
nectlon to the NORTHWEST ENTERPRISE
map Of the Fuca mediterranean, publish
e,l in connection with this issue Of the
paper. - elsewhere noted. This i. .
copy Of the map prepared by Amos Bow
man, mining end civil engineer, isr the
information Of the U. q. Treasury and
Postal Departments several years ago,
aud delivered to Chief Engineer Thielson
ct the time oi the first visit to Fidslgo
Island OF the North Pacific railway mag
nstss under the Willard regime, on. board
the Welcome, Ut Apsc0rtes. about July
1880, and 0y him, in due course of time,
TO Postal Agent Simpson at Portland.
The map shows the whole of the Fuca
mediterranean in British Columbia and
Washington Territory, without paying
the usual regard to that ultima thule Of
all the geography extant, III, boundary
line, cutting it in two in the middle and
leaving out Of sight the great valley Of
the fraser, the important coal, iron aud
agricultural regions of the Gulf Of
Geosgia and the relation to Puget Sound
Of the Canadian Pacific railway. or the
commercial central and strategical'y COM
handing location OF Sup Harbor. situat,
ell upon tie northern and northeastern
aide Of Fidalgo Island, in relation to oil
railway and ocean steamer navigation
enterprises in the northwest. there cannot
and will not I've raised hereafter any ques-
tlon-from any quarter in possession Of
this or other means Of being duly in
formed. Centrally situated On the har>
Dor in relation to anchorage and wharf
frontage. 10 the knoll, hamlet and post
office Of Anacortes, the pleasant home Of
the EHrERPRIsE. Il 10 the so1vcrging
point at the present time Of four inpor-
tant local steamer lines. represented BY
the Idaho and Oity Of Quincy. on the in
side route, from Seattle, semi weekly. and
weekly respectively; the Hope, outside,
from Port Townsend ssmi.weekly, and
the same steamer from Victoria, weekly;
three VI which routes or lines Of regular
service ere continued northwsrls along
the mainland; one Of them ~ far q
ssmiahmeo, but stopping ct the boun
diary line, few miles from the mouth al
Fraser river and the Canadian Pacific
railway terminus in Gems quence Of the
slowress Of the Customs Department IN
establishing at that poilt the uecs ssary
clearing and entering office. Besides this
there arc two locally owned steamers ply.
ing up to this time irregula,ly from the
important mainland farming sections I'd.
jacsnt to N, where they are owned, repre-.
sented By the SAmish and Nookssck nv.
err, BY which codnection may be made IA
Victoria and elsswh. re. ~ above inslicst-
ed. More important, however, than any
Of the above points Of location, - ~
lated to communication. 10 the fact that
6hlp Hsrb0r 10 the availsbls lower sound
grain and produce port for regular ocean
steamers plying ~ common carriers be-
tween the Fuca mediterranean and San
Francisco; one or another Of the three Of
Tour independent lines running regular
steamboats, bring, It wall Be safe to cay,
~,~~ar~s1 IN imnrOvo thu Ounortunitios