Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-09-15

Rev ID. j. Pierce, of this city, re-
Gentle gave the Eas, Oregonisn this
description of two of the mill ports
OF the Sound:
One o. the prominent features of
the Sound country will always De its
milling centers. An eastern clergy
man. reading one of my articles in
the balmy air Of Puget Sound. writes
TO know how we manage our logs
without snow, suoposing this element
necessary 10 their transportation.
But the peculiar formatior of the
Sound, filled with deep indentations,
brings large portion Of the land in
10 close proximity 10 the coast line.
whence the logs are lowed TO all
parts of the Sound by steamers, by
means far superior TO the bobsled Of
New England.
Port Gam BILE is about forty miles
from Seattle. on a little bay Sdmirs-
bly, adapted TO hold Its huge booms
Of logs. The milling company own
everything about the town, including
about thirty neat cottages, in which
you will find every evidence of q
comfortable home. There Is q neat
school house with two rooms and
forty pupils. and q church neatly fin
ished with spire and bell. The mill
rattles out about l50, 900 feet of lum-
Der per day, and is Q wonder to be-
hold. One feels inspired with the
ancient saw, (if indeed such cutting
object may be conceived as an inspi-
ration. so often quoted by wood-saw-
yers: "Of all the saws that / ever
saw, never saw q saw saw as that
saw saws" A large hook is driven
into a log-four logs sometimes a.
tached at one time-a man gives 8
jerk at half inch rope. and the logs,
attached by the huge links of an iron
cable. move forward with the unerr-
ing discipline of the Queens troops
at Balaklava down to death. Anoth-
er jerk, and one of them places itself
upon the executioner's block, where
in three minutes il is divest ed of all
its wearing apparel, and dissected in
to blocks, for the gang saw. Five
minutes more and twenty instru-
ments of death have passed side by
side through its heart, leaving only
only one inch pieces. The outsides
are distributed. trimmed, adjusted,
and passed to the planer. The small
parts are stripped into laths, and the
waste conveyed on az iron cart to
the fire dump, where the smoke OF
the burning ascends continually.
$50, 600 feet per day for one year of
800 days would be 10000, 900. feet,
which, at $40 per NJ. would bring
$3.50, 900 per year for this single port.
1t has been running over twenty
years, has several vessels of its own,
and employs 200 men in its home
work.
Seventeen miles up the western
arm of Puget Sound, called Hoods
Cahral, is the thrifty little town of
Seabeck, another milling port which
has heretofore turned out about TO-
coo feet per day. but is now erecting
an additional mill at an expense of
$40. 900, expected TO cut 100, 900 feet
per day, which with the old mill will
equal Port Gamble in volume. The
homes are more elaborate, the yards
more spacious. and the boys decided
ly steady. A very careful lady as
sures me that there is not person in
town whom any respectable person
need fear to associate with.
A fine school house with spacious
grove around shows the enterprise
of the people, and librsry of $50
choice volume, free to all, supported
by voluntary subscription, reveals
q high literary taste. We have the
name of Mr.. Knight, former engi-
neer, prominently connected with
the enterprise, and We sincerely wish
every place might be enlightened by
such Knight as he. A fine organ
is in the hall with the library, which
is over the cook house, the bell rings
in good congregation, and we feel
that this Is a model of wilderness civ
ilizstion. The families are intelli-
gent. neat aud very tasty. The boys
are quiet, and the saloon is the only
quarter from which we hear q
''noise" during our four days So
journ. An old man gels too full of
the "spirits" and attends church. but
is elected by volunteer, and departs
on the next steamer to be known no
more here. Captain Gilbert, OF the
Coast Survey. is located here for the
present summer. and his genial fam
lily and intelligenia crew" make a
pleasant reinforcement to the town.
givingi il a natural! appearance by
their U. s. flag and ten tents.