Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-12
klIExssrRe.


AProEtsinx Town..-Cheap Previsions
Need Of o Railroad, &C.
} EDrToa PosT- ISrKLLfeExcxs
A pen picture Of Ellensburs and vi
cinity. as seen by clam-digRsr, nigh
not be out of place ia your columns
particularly at this time. for much at
,sntion is being directed to this section
|, Nv first view of this town, a month
ago, was favorable one, and under IA
vorabie circumstances. Ii was dlrins
the 4th Of July week therefore had a
fine opportunity of seeing the whole
country in a day. so far as the people &c
to make mp country. Think of 27C
! wagons in procession. That is what ]
saw IN this modest little place on the
Fourth. and every one was we'll filled
with II en-, women and children. Besides
this there was horseman or two-how
many l am unable to say. doubt If
any one undertook the task of counting
them. There was a string Of them
perhaps more than one would see OH the
Sound in years. The celebrations was
held couple Of miles from town, and
| to see this procession or the march out
Was indeed a sight worth seeing. There
vas but one thing needed to complete
the picture-not drop of water to be
seen, with the exception of barrel or
two that had been renamed from the
fact that the owner did. once upon a
time, have IN his possession a few lem
ons. All of this was Ellensburg in full
dress. Here | am back aqain-my sec
ond view-the contrast is marked. The
Fourth has gone and haylng time has
come; so has gone the storm, and the
calm has set Inset in with q vengeance,
too, for Ellensburg is about az quiet a
town as one can scare mp.
When leaving Seattle l was fatterine
myself that l was getting rid of that Ito
mel threadvorn topic q railroad. I
fear my leap was from the frying pan
into the fire. The only advantage have
here Is the scarcity of people and pa
pers. The question has therefore not
50 heavy a head of steam. And well
might the people here want railroad,
for / never saw a place more In need of
one, and there are but few places in
which a railroad company could better
itself.
The fact Of having lived within 100
miles of this valley for number of
years led me TO the belief that could
form a pretty correct idea as to its ad-
vantages; but the experience / have
gained lately has wrought a complete
change in such ideas. lean now under
stand INV SO little Is known of the Kit
titas by those who have never seen il.
have seen enough, during the past
two months, to convince me that the
people of Seattle could make no better
investment than building railroad into
this valley via the Snoqualmie Pass.
Between the farming and mining inter
ests, both of which are but in their in
fancy, / will venture the prophesy that
the investment would be a good one,
even if the road should not be carried
beyond this valley. You have every
thing needed by the farmer; he has Just
those things you are unable to produce.
and which you are compelled to ship
from abroad at great expense. Your
liverymen should sec the hay that is de-
livered at the town for from 81 to sc
per ton. lnever saw better. Why, they
WOuiu kCCi tCuuptCo W cthft q DhCk bEdlu
over for q lot of it. Every other pro
duct is about in the same proportion.
The finest ham is but lac. per pound.
bacon, 1la.; potatoes, 25c q bashel;
wheat is held at 40c., but can be bought
for less, and the best -four is only worth
from So to "a a barrel. Small garden
vegetables are drug in the market. Ii
groceries,, dry goods and such Things
were to be had at even about Seattle
prices, one could live very cheaply; but
that Is Just where the shoe pinches. The
farmers have to do some rastlinR to get
for even a part of their produce the
prices | have mentioned. Many have
now their last years crop on hand, with
bat little better prospect for this years
crop.
Anything that is shipped in here from
abroad Is necessarily sold at pretty bly,
prices--from so to rs per cent. higher
than the same can be bad on the Sound. |
i have been told il costs from % per
cent. up to bring goods from San Fran
CISCO 10 Eliensburg; so you see even the
merchants here don't get it all. Aside
from all this, the country is no Garden
OF Eden. Ii has its disadvantages as
well as other places; /. O., abundance of
wind and scarcity of water. he for
mer. however, is held at u premium by
the old settlers as great disease pre-
ventive. There is probably some truth
in this.
have never in my life seen a place
where 80 much business IL done on SO
little money. Wheat and cayuses seem
TO he the motive power; even the doc
tors aud lawyers have to receipt their
bills in consideration OF one or the other.
The mechanic experiences no difficulty
IN obtaining work, II the same power
can be made TO keep his body and soul
together.
A Nutshell description of Ellensourg.
the county seat of kittitas, might be
the best way of picturing it. III head
the list with the first national bank, two
weekly papers. two Eotels, one restaur-
ant, four general stores, three drug
stores. tho more need apply one Jew
eler. one meat market, two harness
makers. four blacksmith shops, two tin
shops, one bakery, two BARRIERS, two liv-
cry stables, tive furniture stores, five
bar-rooms, seven lawyers. seven doctors,
one public school building and two
churches, Catholic and Methodist. All
of which is backed Mp by population
of about 25OO souls. 400 of whom live in
the town.
l should like to say a word or two
about the people and how they live. but
/ have done well il have not already
tired You.
Young indeed must be the one Who
has never heard the proverb that there
Is nothing wasted. Even should this
letter be consigned to the waste basket,
the preverb will nevertheless be true.
for the time have spent upon is might
have been put to a much less useful
purpose. ELLIcoTr.
ELLgSsBURa, Kittitas county, w. T.,
Aug 3, 1884.