, 1883-03-08
A GR0WL ABOUT THE MAILS.
A Word To Port Townsend Business
Men.
Editorial CorrespondenCe.l

Editorial Correspondence
From La Conner north we found
land excitement, and immigrants
thicker. Ploughing through the
beautiful waters past Fidalgo Bay,
Padilla, Saamish and other growing
localities, we bring up at the old coal
compdny's wharf below Sehome, on
the south eastern shore of Belling-
ham Bay. South of us is the newly
plated townsite of Fairhaven, of
which more hereafter. Dan Harris,
its enthusiastic proprietor, revels i'll
a railroad terminus dream in which
the chief figures are putting locomo-
tives, corner lots, rushing business
and piles of money. He has already
sold some twenty odd lots, and has
risen to Sl25 each for corner lots s-re
fusing $1,000 for two blocks, We
tramp along the beach past Sehomc
around the bend of the bay to What
com, the city of Kansas colony fame
and great expectations. Here we
md three hotels all crowded with
boarders. About thirty passengers
came in on our steamer, the Idaho,
and we are informed that some fifty
odd came yesterday on the City of
Quincy. From here they scatter in
all direction-generally looking for
farming land or timber Capt. Hen
ny Roeder greets us from the steps in
front of hotel and laughs till he
surely feels good clear down to his
boots. Capt Roeder is one of the
original townsite proprietors. He
has watched and waited here and
hoped against hope for a city to spring
up for twenty or thirty years, and now
Tue prospective early tulfillment of
the prophecy and expectation of long
ago is none the less sweet because
tardy-oh, so tardy! Capt. Roeder
probably laughs in his sleep now, to
make up for lost time. We take time
enough to look around and ask ques
tions, The Kansas colony citizen is
pretty numerous fellow here-and
he means business from the first
ground hop. H. feels himself re-
moved far enough from the grasshop
per of the plains to be safe, and here
lie is driving his pegs to stay. A few
families have just arrived (about ~
persons in all)--the latest addition to
the colony. DIR. Van Zant, president
of the colony, is here-keen, business
like, far-sight and calculating. The
principal drawback heretofore has
Deen a lack of money; but now a
friendly capitalist is advancing $25,-
900 with which the colony expect to
complete the sawmill already partial
ly constructed, the sash and window
blind factory, and the twenty five
houses, all part of the stipulation
between between the colony and the
townsite proprietors, upon condition
of which the former gets five acres at
the mouth of Whatcom creek with its
magnificent water privilege, and a
large interest in the contiguous land.
The mill is substantial, two-stOry
concern, the frame of which occupies
4Ox200 feet of foundation. tits part
ly niled with new machinery, though
the roof is not yet on and very little
saving has been done except by the
the shingle machine. Whatcom creek
is damned short distance above and
the water, carried in a tlume to the
mill falls distance Of about thirty
feet, turning an immense turbine
wheel, furnishing the | over for driv-
ing all the machinery of the mill.
Doubtless the local demand for lum
Der, doors, furniture, etc, will keep
the mill going for long time to
come, yet the intention, we are told,
is to construct wharf to deep water,
a distance of 5000 feet, over a mud
fiat more extensive than Whatcom
has use for, to accommodate foreign
demand. Whatcom town property
has advanced in value, we learn, from
100 to 300 per cent within the past
year, and regular "boom" " may be
expected as soon as titles can be per-
fected so that transfers can be made.
Obtaining command of the quarter
deck of a jaded cayuse-the only one
to be had we proceeded to cover the
distance to Ferndale, on the Nootsack
river, u distance of about nine miles
by the road Jogging along, Judge
Eldridge overtakes us, on his way
home, two miles from Whatcom. Mr..
Eldridge has a pleasant front claim"
overlooking the bay, and his comfort
able farm house, orchard, lowing
herds and fertile fields bespeak thrift
aud enterprise Notwithstanding his
severe loss by fire two or three years
ago. At
FERNDALE
We find the commencement of city
about the size of San Francisco us
soon as it is built up. Ferndale is in
thn midst of n valley which for fer