Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-01-13

on sup I1aTOpi, inSiuNiHS MS ptIlouICul
disappearance and reappearance, TO prove
ND finally upon his homestead, sold tn the
railway company in the summer of 1882.
A business man of excellent capacity,
GOOD address and great shrewdness, San
non made the acquaintance in San Fran
cisco about 1870 OF Hazard Stevens, son
of Governor Stevens, from whom he
learned the essential points and general
conclusion of Governor Stevens invtsti-
cation of tue land and sea approaches Of
Puget Sound deemed important by the
railway company. Before the necessary
s,eps could I've taken by the railway COM
psny through ita agents Mr.. Shannon WAS
on the ground, in the attitude OF nome
stead settler, and all efforts to buy him
out we're iruitless. A degree OF coolness
resulted between him and the agents OF
the old regime. which has been healed
! over as stated, presumably by the greater
financial ability If not greater appecia-
| ton of the new.
! 1t remains to be mentioned under this
head that after the Jay Cooke failure and
temporary abandonment of the direct
route several of the persons formerly IN
position in the company to know made
no further secret of it, but on the con-
trary stated positively that the intentions
of the old regime were definitely settled,
rs they were but thinly disguised, in favor
of the only har6oi of the mainland on
Fuca Straits.
While Tor many years longer population
was still far in advance rs to numbers on
the older settled Upper Sound, and in
Oregon, the Lower Sound was decidedly
elen ated to the backwoods by certain
advel Sc influences, which perhaps designs
eddy kept back its development. Steam
ers could not be run proftably anywhere
to market except up SQUAD in consequence
of the absence of customs facilities on
| tins side OF the Straits Governor Ste
ven. WAS dead aud his knowledge OF The
country was Loot sight Of. All the termi.
nus speculations had proved disastrous
to all concerned, and there Was no inilu-
ence in the company, nor no Immediate
necessity in favor NJ tho railways con-
struction in the first instance along II di-
lect route to the straits. A railway down
Sound in the meantime WAS suprrtuity.
Fidelgo Island was out of the world and
spoken Of much Ike the mouth of Che>
halls River.
1t was during this period, on sunny
day in April, 1877, when tue FIRST white
lady "settler" on Ship Harbor walked ito
shores. and finding them in state of ma
ture, aud
Lovely, like Cap sants."
declared her desire to abandon even civil
lization in favor of suoh place. To the
new proprietress herself this decision.
and the credit of building wharf and
store ON the Anacortcs farm, are wholly
due. Through the influence Of Mrs.
Frances Fuller Victor, the writer ot The
New Penelope" in 1879 postoflice was
established, which 0n the suggestion If
another highly accomplished lady oil
Portland, IN the absence of any other ex-
listing available or appropriate title, re-
celveL the round sounding Spanish
name" OF the lady Of the lady Of Ship
Harbor already mentioned. AS bonds
men Tor the first postmaster Of Anacortes
the record of the Postofiice Department
shows the names of Hubert II. Bancroft,
historian OF the Pacific States, and Paul
Morrill, Vt the Sacramento Union. From
1879 to 1882 Anaco.tes, almost unsided,
has been fighting the battle Of tlrc lower
sound mainland--in favor OF customs IA.
cilties permitting traffic with Victoria on
The west and British Columbia on the
north, and in favor of the establishment
of regular ocean steamer service to this
port, for the direct shipment Of grain aid
other produce from, and OF store goods
to the counties of Whatcom and San
Juan in all Of which enterprises, notwish
standing an active and powerful opposi-
ton covertly exerted from quarters owing
and protesting friendship to our interests,
Allotted by the paltry conduct OF few
individuals adversely influenced by them,
or variously minded in our midst, success
has followed, and continues to follow
every effort made by our people in their
own behalf. The NORTHWEST ENTER
PRISE having been called into existence
in the woods by reason OF this state of
affairs in March, 1882, as champion OF
the rights and interests of the section de.
scrlbed and represented by Ship Harbor,
has in lifetime Of ten months developed
support aud constituency significant of
. new ordsr Of events On the Lower
Sound.
The Settlement OF Anacortes, planting
in 1877 the first white family upon Ship
HarbOr on Fidalgo Islapd MA. the sional