, 1884-02-28
WIooNiy Argus.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY y. 1851.
Editorial Notes.

Editorial Notes.
/ Queen N.c-criu'~ look : ont. and
gives evidence that the soul OF her
John Brown is still marching on."
The article !coyicd by Us from the
OTegoaim On the woman suffrage
question deals with that subject in
an able manner. The fact Is that bat
very few of the leading men Of this
age oppose woman suffrage. and only
occasionally Il moss backed relic Of
the silurian age Is outspoken against
it.
1t does not seem to have occurred
TO any critics III discussing the recent
loss Of the UmatilIa to suggest that
she might have been taken into Port
Angeles karbor and beached with
perfect safety. where the fifty thous-
and dollars deemed necessary to raise
her where she now lies IN Esquimalt
harbor would have been saved to the
owners or underwriters.
From q gentleman residing at Vic
toria we learn that the province north
of the line is enjoying its full share
of the prosperity just now invigor-
ating the whole Pacific Northwest.
The passage of the Settlement Bill,
and the assurance of the Canadian
Pacific Railway have done much to
inspire public confidence in the fu-
ture of the province, stimulate local
industries, and induce large invest
ments of foreign capital. The line
which separates British Columbia
from Washington Territory is
more imaginary than real, and the
prosperity of either must inevitably
affect the other
A petition is being circulated in
Port Townsend. asking Congress to
allow the \. P. r. r. Co. to retain
its land grant on its Pacific division,
under the belief that it is construct
ing the Cascade branch in good
faith, twenty five miles of the same
having been accepted by the Presi-
dent. The belief. also, that the tax
ing of this land grant from the com
pany would retard the construction
of the Cascade branch for years to
come, probably Strengthens the de
sire of th9 people to let the company
have the land Then, too, a large
number Of sales of this lan1 have
been made by the company to set
tiers, and to unsettle those titles
would cause endless litigation, ex-
pense and trouble to innocent parties.
Let the company have its land, but
compel it to construct the Cascade
branch within reasonable time.
PUBLIC BU1LDINe.-Port Townsend
people will rejoice to know that the
congressional committee, having had
under consideration the bill to appro-
pirate S56,000 for a public building
at this place, has agreed to report
favorably on the same As the favor
able report of the committee on any
bill is considered to be about nine
points in the battle, the fate of the
appropriation measure for this place
may be said to be VIGOROUSLY as
sured. 1t IS not only Il matter Of
eongratulation to our people. but a
matter of justice to the commerce of
Puget Sound 1t is high time indeed
that our custom house had a perma-
nent and safe abiding place; likewise
the local post Office, and in course of
time the land Office which our snarl
ing neighbors, the Seattle and What
com papers, would fain depllve US OF
With the proposed improvement an
assured fact, Port Townsend will
boom tins year beyond the expecta-
ton of her most sanguine citizens
not because she is a booming town,
but because she could not help ii
with such an impetus to carry public
confidence forward to high pitch.
Hnrrah for the new public building
Now that the city council is being
petitioned to establish permanent
grade ON Water street, would it not
be a good tim to petition for an off
cial survey of at least the lower pari
of town? 1t seems that very prim-
tive method OF aseertaining metes
and bounds was adopted when the
town was first laid out Mr. Fowler,
it is said. drove a crab apple stake il
the sand for starter for his prop
erty. and Messrs. Hastings an6
Plummer measured from that, div
ing similar landmarks 10 indicate tie
lines of streets and lets. When 6
survey was made under an act OF tie
Legislature, Incorporating the town, {
discrepancy was found TO exist, ano
ever since there has been more or lesi
uncertainty about lines and st.eat
corners. As leng as people were
erecting nothing but peeisha5le
wooden buildings tho question of a
few inches OF land was Insignificant
but now that the old order of things
is passing away, and permanent,mas.
sive stone buildings are being orsct-
ed, it is of vital importance that
property owners should know exact