, 1883-03-08

Growers bill in Congress to grant q
franchise to the Oregon Short Line
Company to construct the line indi-
Gated above. However, there are
some drawbacks. In the first place
the whole scheme is manifestly inim-
ical to the Canadian railroad COM
pany, as it is to the Northern Pacific
company; and again, if the latter and
the Oregon Short Line folks have
practically consolidated, as recently
stated, what would be more natural
than for them to try and get the right
of way on this road simply to pre-
vent any one else from constructing
it! Railroad people, like many other
white men," are mighty onsartin."
The managers of the Kansas colony,
while hoping for II railroad at an
early day are by no means depending
upon it. They wisely conclude that
here are the natural elements for
building up country rich in agricul-
ture and manufactures, that will soon
er or later attract railroad by the
business created. An alleged rail
way survey begun not long since
near Whatcom extended few miles
inland and stopped at body of fine
timber land; members OF the colony,
concluding that it was merely pri-
vate timber specializing enterprise,
went out and took up sixteen or
eighteen of the choicest timber claims.
Since then, the projectors say the sur
vey will soon LIE continued for the
branch railroad line. Maybe it will,
but in the language of the noble
child of the tol est, 'klonas."
OTHER ENTERPRISES
Messrs. Fuller, Horton and others, of
New York, are here with capital at
their back, looking up the chances of
Il salmon fishery. There is talk Of
the probability that the famous Ska
git coal and iron deposits may be
worked at the end of a railroad twelve
miles long, extending inland from
Bellingham Bay. Men of experience
and financial ability are debating al
ready the chances of success with a
woolen mill at Whatcom. 1t is also
confidently stated by knowing ones
that Mr.. Bartlett, proprietor of part
of the land just south of Sehome, will
soon invest heavily in other manufac-
turing enterprises.
These are few of the many
chances ahead of the bay and neigh
borhood described. If half of them
come to successful fruition, the fu-
ture of the place is assured.
Northern Whatcom has been neg
lected somewhat in the past; its con
venience and even rights have been
ignored by steamboat people, by the
telegraph company and by the govern
ment. Its mail facilities are shock
ingly poor, and the mails it does
have are unnecessarily irregular. lr.
Irregularities in certain postotiices in
connection with the registered letter
business have been grayely com
planned of to the authorities at Port
land, without redress thus far.
WORD TO OUR BUSINESS MEN.
Port Townsend business men ought
to look at once to their interests in
connection with the growing busi
ness of this section. People here are
generally remarking about the mat
ter. The mails going north from Sc
attic, east of WILDLY Island, are de-
pendent more or less upon the tides,
on account of having to call at such
points as La Conner. In conse
quence of this there is q difference of
from six to twelve hours in the times
of delivering the mails at the end of
the route; the inconvenience result
ing need not be described. Mails
going north from Port Townsend are
not affected in the least degree by
the tides, hence they can be delivered
with more regularity. Goods are
bought in San Francisco and con
veyed to Seattle, thirty miles past
Port Townsend, after which they are
sold and shipped back again past our
doors TO points north of us-and this,
too, when the buyer would prefer to
trade nearer home, had he the facil-
ity for so doing. Such state of af-
fairs should not be allowed to contin
ne. Our merchants can buy goods
in the market at the lowest rate go
ing; our freighting facilities are un-
surpassed by those of any other point;
hence there is no reason why we may
not control all the trade that is nat
arally tributary to this point. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether proper en-
terprise will be developed in this mat
ter, and the profits of large and
growing trade be used to further our
municipal growth, or whether the
golden opportunity will be allowed
to pass unimproved.
We learn that the semiweekly mail
service asked for between this DOiut