, 1884-03-06

TJuSASAA-
PoRT TOWNSEND may as well drop
its ambition to possess a Z. s. Land
Office. It cannot be unless its people
are content with the territory EN-
braced within Jefferson and Clalam
counties, with possibly San Juan
thrown in. Island county has no
land office business, all its land being
entered years ago; Kitsap likewise.
Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and
King, will have nothing to do with
the proposed land Office down the
straits. Port Townsend may do well
enough as port of entry, owing to
its contiguity to the ocean, but it
does not follow that it would be
equally advantageous to settlers away
off here on the eastern mainland of
| the Sound. Our settlers would re-
quire chart and compass to find
Port Townsend.-La Conner Mail.
Island county has lots Of available
agricultural and timber lands yet,and
the sameis being taken, too. 1t may
be true that some of the La Conner
people would require chart and
compass to find Port Townsend.
From the above it would seem that
some of them hadn't sense enough
to go in out of the rain unless they
were told. One of the Seattle pa
pers opposes the creation of land
Office at this place, for the very osvi-
GUS reason that an unreasonable
jealousy givcs that journal a kind of
a dog-in-the-manger tendency. 1t
may be that the La Conner man is
afflicted in the same way. We would
prescribe good soaking for his head
and a dose of eatnip tea. Grannies
usually combat the mullygrubs in
that way. Seattle people can reach
Port Townsend as easily an cheaply
as they can Olympia, without con
suming more time, either. By the
same token La Conner and Whatcom
county people can do the same, as
well as Snohomish people-even
granting that they see fit to come by
Seattle. But there is no reason why
they should all take that roundabout
route, unless it might be the cheap
fares on the east side to Seattle; and
even that state of affairs is not going
to last always. We are going to have
reduced fares on the routes leading
north and south from this place or
know the reason why. La Conner
people can come to Port Townsend
to do land business with great deal
less Inconvenience and expense than
Claiam comfy people would have in
going to La Conner, Seattle or
Whatcom. The La Conner scribe
who attempts to discuss this subject
as above noted is presumed to have
intelligence enough to comprehend
the fact that no new land district will
be formed of Jefferson, Clalam, San
Juan and Island counties only. Ieay-
ing Whatcom attached to Olympia:
he probably knows that to object to
Whatcom boing included in the pro
posed new district is simply to object
to the whole thing. This senseless
carping at proposed public change
having for its object the accommoda
tion cf the people, betrays little
ness of mind that is deplorable. It
must surely react upon the alleged
leaders AID newspaper scribblers who
propagate SUCH short sighted ideas.
The people who are thus to be cheat
ed out of their rights through such
1espicable cat hauling and petty
iealousies viii remember the papers
that exhibit such ittleness.
The government has determined to
send an expedition to the relief of
1t. Greeley, who has been penned up
in the artic regions for three years. |
Three vessels viii go up the east side |
OF the continent One of these yes
sells was presented to the government
by England, courtesy given In re-
turn for the saving OF an English art.
&c exploring ship by q. S. sailors few
pears ago.