, 1884-02-28
ISLAND COUNTY.
Pen Picture Of the Fertile Island
East Of Us.
lE ARGUS REPORTER RAMPANT.

YE ARGUS REPoBTER RAMPANT.
WILDLY Island may be said to be
/ at the gate way of Puget Sound. Ii
i of irregular shape, some GO miles
in length. varying from 1 to & miles
! in width. From Port Townsend the
crooked shore line of the Island, pre-,
senting in many places the broken
precipitous cliffs washed by the tides
of ages, is plainly visible, and alto
gether the foreboding aspect of out
ward appearances are calculated to
mislead the observer in a casual
view of this Island, which although
composed for the most part of wild,
uneven land. timbered and 9th erwise,
contains thousands of acres of rich
farming and pasture lands, of which
the IS OF 50 farms upon the Island
are composed. The most fertile and
beautiful portion is undoubtedly the
locality known as Ebey's prairie, be
ing situated midway of the Islano S
length, nearly opposite Port Town
send. The distance from the latter
place to the point of landing on the
Island is miles. The steamer Vir-
ginia, Capt. Hastings, makes daily
trips between these points
EBEY's LANDING.
At present there is no wharf at this
landing place, and small boat is
used to take passengers to and from
the steamer, making the trip some
what dangerous in this respect, and
proving a detriment to the interests
of shipping. It is understood, how
ever, that warehouse and wharf will
be built during the present year, which
has been a long delayed enterprise,
driving a considerable trade of this
section toward the shipping point of
Coupeville, q miles distant, on the
east side. From Ebey's landing one
beholds what is properly known as
one of natures garden spots, -four.
ishing amid great waters and mass
i've timber, for which the land of
Washington is celebrated. Within
this somewhat charming valley, for it
assumes the aspect of a valley in
gently sloping hills, are found the
elements of prosperous community,
broad acres that seem well fenced
and bearing evidence of culture, neat
substantial, and even elegant farm
houses, agricultural machinery aud
farming implements of modern I'M
proved patterns, a church and school
house Of good appearance, and what
is noticeable throughout the Island
an excellent people. This section
| derives its name from Col. Ebey, one
of the first settlers of it in 1851. who
owned large tract of land, which
was afterwards subdivided and sold.
| Col. Ebey was former collector OF
| customs for the Puget Sound district,
| and was killed in an Indian outbreak
in 1858, in this vicinity. The farm
house of Mr.. J. A Ebey. son of Col.
] Ebey, near the beach, has been con-
verted into q hotel, where pleasant
| reception awaits the traveller. Oi
whatever business pursuit, We COM
mend the travelling public to the ex
celIent bill of fare aud hospitality
extended to those whoss In
terests leads them over this route.
Mr.. Ebey has also established {
stage line, making trips daily to
Coupeville, connecting with steamers
which touch at this point on the
line between Seattle and Whatcom
| But, before proceeding further, We
propose to visit some of the farms oi
| this prairie, and in doing so find ev
idences of general prosperity. From
Mr.. VIM. Engle, a resident of many
years, we learned that upon his land
the average yield of grain per acre
has been so bushels, potatoes 20(
bushels, and of hay 81 tons. A:
this may be taken as fair sample o.
the soil in this neighborhood, it will
be readily understood that such land
is exceedingly valuable. We fine
| the products of these farms to con
sist principally of hay, grain and
potatoes, with fruit and vegetables IL
abundance. Considerable live stock
Of different kinds are raised, although
no farm is as yet confined exclusively
to this business. Upon the farm OF
VIM. Crockett, situated among several
other fine farms in the vicinity OF
Admiralty Bay, the writer was shown
a very attractive orchard, remarkable
for the large proportions of apple
and pear trees, a few of the latter
measuring from 16 to 10 inches in
diameter, said to be as large as any
in the Territory, and apple trees tc
the size of at least Is inches in di-
a1neter. 1t is worthy of note that
these premises contain some inter
esting relies in the shape of block
houses, erected in 1857 to protect the
families from the hostility of the
Northern Indians, who at that time
were inclined to plunder and murder
whenever opportunity offered The