The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-11-27
TERRITORIAL TALK.
A Description of the Puget Sound
Country by q Former Resi-
dent Of Sedalia.


Correspo Idence to the Bszoo.
SEATTLE, w. T., Nov. Is.
Dnring the past few years much hss
been said of Washington territory, and
more especially of the western portion
known as the Puget Sound country, and in
many respects it is remarkable and worthy
of notice. The Puget Sound is q body OF
salt water. an oblong inland sea. connected
with the Pacific ocean by q wide channel
and extends from the British America line
at the extreme northwest corner of the
United States toward the south, almos,
two hundred miles, and is probably thirty
miles in width, but containing many is
lands. 1t is in few places that a channel is
found wider than ten miles.
Here the climate is mild and very health.
fui, the winters are quite damp, with but
little snowfall the summers are dry and
cool. Warm ocean currents tend TO reg
ulate the temperature, SO there is neither
excess of heat nor cold. The soil is found
to be unusually rich, but so heavily tim
bered is the land that it is very expensive
and tedious work to prepare it for tilling.
Summer nights prove too cool for matur-
ing corn, and the climate, not such as will
produce wheat suitable for -four, but the
soil and climate. seem especially adapted
for growing hops, hay, oats potatoes, fruit,
berries, &c One ton of hops or raspberries
and from two to four tons of timothy hay
to each acre is usually raised, the hops are
worth about $3.50 and hay SIS Per ton.
Nowhere can be found SO excellent a
quality and such quantities of timber. The
magnificent FIR and spruce trees are as
straight as arrows and many of them from
one to two hundred feet tail. The forests
also contain considerable cedar and elder,
and some ash and walnut. Mixed booms
of logs are now worth S. to 81, and rough
timber So per thousand
Extensive coal beds lay along the entire
eastern side of the sound, usually cropping
out on hillsides about twenty miles from
the waters edge. Coal mines are already
established in two or three places, produc-
ing quantities of superior fuel which re-
tails at about 81 per ton. Large deposits
of iron ore are found also, but rs yet are
not being utilized.
Laundering is the chief industry of the
country now, and when land is robbed of
this growth there is the finest of soil re-
naming for the farmer.
Puget sound is navigable for the largest
ships andvessels throughout Its entire extent
as it is quite deep and free from reefs and
rocks. Alrea iy heavy traffic in lumber
and timber for the manufacture of ship
spars has been established and quantities
are being shipped to England, China, South
America and elsewhere. Thus gradually
but firmly establishing a commerce des-
tined to enrich its people. Hundreds of
tons of salmon are caught from the sound
annually and canned or packed for ship
ment to the south and east. Plenty of fish
and game for home consumption can at all
time be furnished very cheaply.
1t would seem that in this healthful eli
mate, with its rich soil, living could be re-
duced 10 a minimum, and with an abupd-
ance of timber, iron ore and coal, the sound
and ocean as medium by which to always
be able to ship surplus productions, besides
the facilities offered by incoming railroads
for quicker transportation, that as a natur-
al result the people must prosper.
We find many Cinnamon and Indians
throughout the towns and the country.
the natives are idle and quiet.
which to base any material
OoJSCtlOh 10 cltncI CldSS 1HcS6 lUOidnS
seem to be neither bad nor good for any
thing, and might be well represented by
ciphers, or say one large cipher for the
whole lot.
Seattle is the largest and most prosper
Gus city of the territory. 1t is located on
the east side of Puget Sound, and contains
about 10000 people. All lines of business
and professions are fully represented, and
there is good demand for
money at from twelve TO
eighteen per cent. something like a half
million dollars are being expended in
and some fine ones have been
showing the intention of the |
people TO remain. From the town one has
a commanding view of the bay and vessels |
below, and the forest and snow-capped |
beyond, 10 the west; truly a |
pleasing sight and desirable location In |
the town are ten saw mills three daily pa
pers, four banks, four good hotels, three !
stave factory, three furniture |
factories, a massive coal bunker from which |
is sent monthly about twenty thousand |
tons OF coal TO Frisco" Portland, ETC., :
good Catholic hospital. complete town
schools, Catholic seminary, territorial uni
versity, together with some ten
churches, showing that the mental
md moral training is not neglected, though
Ill are so busy gathering in the worlds
goods.
The statistics and reports are founded |
Upon facts, and sound we'll, and probably
here is no country offering SO good an
opening for men of ali lines of business
Is Puget Sound country, yet people must
lot deceive themselves by thinking that
he fortunes and honors are SO easily ac-
Iuired here as some represent. There are
men here representing the brains and cap
tai of the east and California
established already, and it is
With some difficulty that new corners
stablish themselves. No exception is
ound to the rule of sthe survival of the
ttest," and if one will come determined
nth hopes not too high, he will find a
coll