Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-11
Yakima Signal.

safety. Implying into 1t here ana
there are numerous streams, some of
which are nayigable for considerable
distance into the interior. Nearly the
whole Of Western Washington IL cover
ed with dense forest composed of pine.
fir, cedar. spruce. vine maple and other
trees and vegetation peculiar to a warm,
humid climate. on to the ives.
Of the Sound and between it and
the ocean arise III massive grandeur
the Olympic mountains with snow
capped peaks, and off TO the east and
ranging along the center OF the Cas-
cades, are seen several lofty white pill
lars, including Mount Rainier, or Ia
homa, which Is nearly l5,Uo feet In
hight The Sound country" rs West
ern Washington Ii often called, includes
numerous thriving young cities, some of
which, In the magnitude OF their busi-
ness with the outside world, "a well az
in the extent of their domestic enter
prise, would astonish most Eastern PEG
pie who are not familiar with the
facts. Among these cities Seattle Is
much the largest and has made for
several years the mast rapid strides III
growth and business. The next In i'm
uortance IL Tacoma, which derived its
existence, As we'll as most Of its present
significance. from the fact that 1t has
been selected as the terminal city of the
Northern Pacific Railroad. The coun
try bordering upon the Sound and eX
tending back to the mountains is rich
IN coal and lumber, and the soil when
cleared yields astonishing crops of hay,
gram and vegetables. Tho coal exists
IN great abundance and Is easily mined.
Ii - shipped III immense quantities to
San Francisco and other markets. The
cedar trees even more wonderful than
were the cedars Of Lebanon) are often
found from 30 to 80 in hight,
and frs which measure over 100 feet to
the first limb are abu dant. 1t Ia, the
greatest lumber region III tho known
world Spars and other rare ship tim
beers are conveyed from Puget Sound t.
all parts of the globe. The climate OF
Western Washington is warm and wet
the average winter temperature being
about 33 degrees above Zero, with fire.
auent copious rains. During the SUN
mer season II rains less and the tenn
perature IL mIlder, although the
climate is quite equable the year round,
flowers being Often seen blooming in
gardens IN the midst OF winter. The
scenery is grand, especially in the sum
mer season, when the weather Is fair.
lie warmth and moisture together re-
suit in producing a vast amount Of fog,
however. and the presence Of this dur
ing much of the year, as we'll IA the ex
oessive quantity of rain, renders the
climate Objectionable to many until &C
customed To this popularity.
Eastern Washington IL as radically
Different. from Western Washington in
It's leading characteristics as one coua-
try could we'll be from another. Gener-
ally speaking. 1t IL an open or timber
less region, and is therefore chiefly Il 1ed
as "A farming and grazing country. It's
chief rivers are the Columbn aud
Snake, which have their junction near
the center of the Territory. Besides
those rivers are numerous smaller
streams, which have their sources in
the mouataiu ranges, some OF them
flowing eastward from the Cascades,
some from the Blue Mountains which
lie TO the southeas and some from Ceur
d'Alene Mountains, III Northern Idaho.
These streams, with the exception Of
the Snake aud the Columbia. are In
most places fringed with u growth Of
small timber, composed chiefly Of cot
tonwood. birch and underbrush. Nune
of them. save tue Columbia and Snake,
are available for opposes of navig .tion.
Taking ones position upon some ele-
waited point and looking over this vast re-
gion known ~ Eastern Washington. the
general appearance Is that of al end
less contigulty If grass covered hills
Instead of arising. however, in sharp,
angular, ragged peaks and points. the
appearance IL that of y gentle undula-
ton. Thus viewed at a distance the
color of the landscape Is shat OF q dull
gray, To people who have been accus-
toned 10 tue landscape of Eastern
States the appearance of this country Is
hard to describe. 1t has sometimes oc-
Cured Ia the writer, while taking a
bird s-eye view of Eastern Washington,
that II one could possibly imae'n he the
scene that would be presented by
numberless herd of elephants of Uneven
hight. standing close t7vether ~ far as
the vision could extend. IL would not be
altogether unlike the long. gray, rolling
hills Of this region. The scene Is ap-
palling. though moI oto: Gus; grand, but
not beautiful. These timberiess hills
are covered with what is known rs
bunch grass. As a feed for stock this
grass has no superior. Ii shoots 40
early in the spring and after maturing
II retains its strength. like the best OF
hay. throughout the entire winter
This grass and mild, dry climate
combine III giving Eastern Washington
Its superiority a. stock country,
Passing through the country, and esp--
cially through the settled portions. the
scene Is less monotonous. Nestled In
among these timberiess hills, which
seem Ia roll III such wild, wastefn! con
fssion, are charming valleys. which have
become tue abode OF prosperous and
happy people. They have built no
thriving towns and villages. surrounded
with fine farms, which display evidences
of thrift. Gram. vegetables and frui; of
the finest quality and in large quaint
ties, are produced with much less labor
than III most ether countries. The soil.
generally speaking, is rich, ashy
loan, which Is easily plowed and cult.
vaisd. Eastern Washington. As whole.
Is divided mp into numerous large dis
tric's, bearing names which they have
derived from streams which pass
s.AAPeAG AAS ptQtSs pt {lesfS Il
the Walla Walia country. which sur
rounds prosperous city OF the same
name. North of this is the Palnuse
country, he spokane country and the I
big Bend country, all lying east and
south of tie Columbia, and west o!
Idaho. West Of the Colum hia, and cas-, t
OF the Cascade mountain range. Is EN- /
oraoed the remainder of Eastern Wash /
ington. This region is divided int.
two large districts, known as the Mick /
itat country and the Yakima country. /
The Yakima country lies north o, the /
hhcki.at. and includes an are. of
nearly lo.uoe square miles. The west
cru boundary being the Cascade range
OF mountains. the Yakima country 10
penetrated from that direction by pu- /
merous long spurs which trend east /
ward IN the direction OF the Columbia.
between these long hills or spurs are
numerous fertile valleys. By soms an
usual freak Of nature the Yakima river.