Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-29
Correspondence TRANSCRIPT

kskAsSSesSV . AoAsOOAsRSsl
Times are booming on White river
and the Stuck Just now. Il 10 safe TO
say that it will be long time before the
like can possibly OCCUR again. Those
who have ''taken time by the forelock"
and have got something to sell, are In
luck. The hundreds Of laborinQ men
on the different lines Of railroad on the
east side Of the Sound now being built,
or in operation have got to be fed.
Good wages are paid, both for common
and skilled labor, besides team work u
required. All this, in addition 10 the
new ventures in hop-raising, the build.
ing Of the new storage and drying
houses that are going up in all direc-
tiOns, demonstrates that TIE good time
so long desired for by our valley farm
era, has indeed como at last. The con-
trast between the past and present is
most striking. Three years ago sheep
were bought for only two dollars Per
head; now, spring lambs bring over
three dollars; potatoes, 81 par buahel,
stock hogs 6H cents per pound gross.
Land has gone way up beyond the reach
Of ordinary purchasers, One small in
ferior farm of fifteen acres brought
$500. Another Of 10 acres, vine maple
bottom, but no improvement whatever,
sold for $40 per acre. The railroad nov
building runs most of the way back from
the river through the low bottoms.
These low bottoms will now b cleared
up and drained. There are about TO-
600 acres OF these unoleared low lands,
lying between the Black river and the
Stuck river bridge, that will produoe
from two to three tons Of hay per acre.
Were it not for the building Of the road,
these low bottoms would have remained
unproductive for years to come.
The work On the road IL being push
ed as fast as possible, but there II 90
much piling required that IL ID allow
work. Even whore the ground ID not
soft and yielding, Il II necessary 10 e.
tend the track on piles in many places,
SO that the overflow frem the river can
pass beneath. Should Q general oyer
How, like that of 1867 occur, there ID NO
telling what damage to both bridges and
track would be done. The track layers
are putting down about one hak mile Of
track per day, and are nov about one
mile from the crossing Of White river.
When that point 10 reached, the bridge
timbers, which are all framed ct the
sawmill near Stuck, will be brought
down and set up. From that point Il Il
eight miles to Black river, where con.
necti0n can be made With the MARROW
guage road from Seattle 70 the coal
mines. believe that this eight mile
stretch IL nearly ready for the dss. and
II 10 expected that trains can run 70
Black river By the 18th of September, in
time for Mr.. Willard 70 ride to Seattle,
a. contemplated.
Light showers have fallen the past
two weeks, with prospect Of moro
rain. The smoky atmosphere u clear
ing of and that oppressive feeling
which all have felt u passing away.
Grading on the new railroad to The
Green river GOAL mines sas begun. One
hundred and 6fty men are At work, and
II h said that the whole foFcs now at
work on the White river road will soon
be transferred to the former read. The
wagon road across the Cascade noun
taina, by the Snoqualmie pam, will Be
finished in abeut two weeks. Soms 20
hands are working ON this side Of The
summit. Hop picking will commsuee
In two weeks. Tho crop 10 fair, but
short of o full nop. Late planted hops
VIII be helped out by the rain nov fall
ing. Potatoes will b Q short crop. x.
SLAUGHTER. Aug. II. 1883.