, 1884-02-28
The land Office at Port Townsend.

IS AttLu S-lLCS 1t IOII 1UHIS2AU-
.hac,,1s Eni..prissI
The bill introduced by the Hon. I.
II BTeuts. to create the Ouileute
Lane District. and locate the district
office at Port Townsend. is a step to-
wards bringing the business pertain-
ing to the Lower Sound where /
properly belongs. Not only The land
office business. but the trade manut
factures, and the dcTelopement Of the
country, have been unduly advanced
on the Upper Sound, while the great
CT advantages, resources and attract
ions of the Lower Sound have been
constantly and persistently ignored.
The commerce of Puget Sound enter
ing from the ocean from the Fuca
straits. reaches the Lower Sound first.
before it enters the winding channels
that lead to the Upper Sound. The
route of the railrOrd from Lake Su-
perior to Puget Sound through the
Skagit Pass, as was at first proposed.
Is fully two hundred miles shorter
than any route proposed that termin-
ates on the Upper Sound. The coal
and IRON mines on the Skagit river.
are only about 30 miles distant from
the Straits, and can reach them by
water, down the okagit river, and
through Deception Pass or by rail
road to Ship Harbor, and Burrows
Ray. located at the inner entrance to
the Straits. They are not over SO
miles from ITOndalc, where extensive
iron works ais already established:
only twenty miles from tide water, at
Point William; and 10y overcoming a
grade of 400 feet. they can reach Bel
lingham Bay at WhatcOm, not over
thirty-five miles distant. The Frazer
river valley, with the terminus Of the
Canadian Pacific Railroad. and the
Capitol of British Columbia. cannot
be classed otherwise than as belong
ing to the Lower S0Undreg;On. The
timber OF the Skagit, Samish, and the
Nooksack valleys, which has hereto
fore been toWed t0 the Upper Sound,
can be manufactured into lumber on
Bellingham Bay. at Edison. Ship
HabCT, Bay View and Deception
Pass, ii better advantage than up the
Sound, fifty 10 hundred miles from
the Straits. Wholesale houses 10
Gated at Port Townsend. Victoria,
Nhatcom and IacOnner are nearer.
and therefore more accessible. to the
merchants doing business on the
Lower Sound. than those located 1T
Seattle and Tacoma The interests
Of Whatcon- Skagit, San Juan. Island
and jefferson counties, lying as they
20 adjacent 10 the Straits OF Fuca.
and III the track Of commerce leading
from the ocean to the Upper Sound,
require not only Il Land Office at Port
Townsend EUl they should foster
trade and manufactures Of every var
cty ii their midst, which have hithcr-
to been drawn to the Upper Sound by
the superior enterprise and discrim-
iuutiCl of the business men
in that locality. The present
inconyeHic1t accommodations, and
the enormous expense involved ii
going 10 PuIt Townsend, are the
principal objections urged by the
RerejHe and NoI against locating
the district land office 1t that place.
Il j. true. the expense al present Is
0ut Of all reason, compared with the
longer and chcuper route to Olympia.
But who believes that the enterpris-
ing merchants OF NAatcom ana Port
Townsend viii long permit Nr
EeecEer's gospel ship 10 monUpoiize
the trade and growth Of these thirty
ing towns,with his Prohibitive charges
OF i between the two places! When
the new iron steamers arrive. now On
their way here. the star and North
pac,fo will he put on the Seattle
Whatcam route These viii probably
go by way Of Port Townsend. con
meeting with Skagit county, at Ana
COrtaS and Point William. and posi-
bly, at Deception Pas. Small steam
ers - Lacgnue, and up the Skugit.
could connect with these boats n the
latter place, or At Auacortos. Thu
~, . vtiart.ou 10 ,he diIici and
ofica I.aiuE located {. Port Town
send. ,Aas would affect the people of
Skagit and " hatcum Counties, would
be removed.