The Republican journal., 1885-05-14

Garden. by Charles Dudley Warner. 3. Fire
side Travels, by james Russell Lowell. The
Luck of Roaring Camp, and Other Stories. by
Bret Hart. D. Venetian Life by william Dean
Howells. 6. Wake Robin, by John Burroughs.
Other volumes will be announced later. The
series will be plainly bound i'll smooth cloth,
and sold at the uniform price of one dollar
volume. The publishers hope by giving choice
literature in comely form at low price to meet
with substantial recognition from the lovers of
good books.
Letter from Washington Territory.
NUMBERING IN THE CHEHALIs VALLEY. A
FERTILE SOIL. THE CLIMATE AND THE
PEOPLE.
Correspondence of the journal.
MONTEsANO, w. r., April 90 Since [ have
been here l have learned something of the
merits and demerits of the country, and es-
pecially of the Chehais valley. Its principal
business is numbering, having the finest timber
and of large growth, while the natural facli-
ties for getting it atioat are uneXcelled any
where. The Chehalis river rises in the Cas-
cade mountains and runs about west into the
passes is very level, with numerous sloughs
The timber grows close to the water and is cut
SO as to fall along the banks, where it is sawed
into lengths to suit and then with Jack screws
rolled overheard and hoated to the mills at
little expense. A number of new saw mills
have been built and other buildings erected,
and if the lumber trade improves this must be-
come very prosperous place.
The soil is very rich and free from stone. and
within the past year more attention has been
paid to farming, but the country Is new and
undeveoped. The land produces beyond my
expectation. | bought some cleared bottom
land last year, and cultivated it, and was sur
prised at the amount of vegetables Il small
piece of ground would produce. | went to
work in down east style and had a system in
putting in the seed, although the mo>sbacks
laughed at me for being so particular. People
who have lived here for many years are rather
thriftess owing to the easy way of getting Il
living, but the genuine Yankee is giving them
points and they are catching on and holding
their land very high. This is one great hind
rance to the development of the country.
The climate is delightful. | have seen no
snow since the 18th of january. We had Il
storm of >leet and snow that remained on the
ground about week, but when the Chinook
wind came from the Pacific it all went off ut
once, causing a heavy freshet, which did much
damage i'll consequence of the river overflow
ing its banks, but it left sediment on the bot
tom ianu that serves as a fertilizer | had my
land ploughed in February and in March plant
ed my garden, and have given it the first hoe
ing. They call any where from one quarter Of
an acre to three acres a garden here, but mine
comes nearer the first. | have straw berries
quite large and also currants and gooseDerries.
| think vegetables mature more slowly here
than in Maine, owing to the cool nights. The
temperature of the air does not change here
as 1t does in Maine The ground has been open
all winter and the heat in summer is hot so
intense and changeabie.
As to the people here, many of them are
from Maine, some from the Provinces and
many from Kansas, but the best and most en-
terprising are from Maine. Do we expect to
become Il State soon? Oh, no. But had Mr.
Blaine been elected we should be admitted. as
inhabitants. You can hardly realize how much
The journal interests Us. We almost fight to
see who shall have the first readng-that is,
Fred and Frank and do, for we are all alone
now. De | ever think of my home in Maine !?
Oh yes, and can never have 50 many near and
dear friends arounu me rs III stvchton, but my
health is better here, aud as rule people lieo
much easier here than in Maine | do not,
however, want to be understood as encourug-
ing any one to come here unless they can bring
capital to 60 into business, rs the country Is
flooded with foreigners, owing to the cheap
fares on the railroads. J. W. NJ.
MIR. Marden sends Us copy of the Chehalis
Valley Nidettc, Il weekly paper published AT
Montesano, from which we CLEAN the following
items supplementary to our correspondents
letter:
The Hoquiam Mill Co.. dlsburse. S400 per
day. This is big item in a country like ours.
| The establishment of a -taNe and barrel far-
tory at some point on The Chehali> river, con
| tiguous 10 the timber district, would be a pay
| ing investment TO the proper parties.
| The North Bend, which sailed "Wednesday
| for san Francisco. was loaded with 4ll 900 feet
of lumber on board. She also carries the first
consignment Of hops ever shipped out of Che
| nails county amounting to so bales or about
| 5000 pounds, representing some SloU0.
| Logging wages this season in the valley are
/ considerably lower than on any previous season
| for years. The wages paid to hands this year
| will be from $26 TO so per month, against $40
| to Sll0 last season. The decrease in the price
of wages will more than make the difference in
| price of logs, and allow the logger small mar
| gin of profit.
| TO the right party there is an excellent OPP
portunity in this city 10 establish a bank, ANA
| DC general brokerage and exchange business.
| We have the building erected for that purpose,
containing the necessary vaults, etc, and all
we need is the man with the coin. Several
| thousand dollars could be loaned out to very
| good advantage in the county.
/ The hop industry of this valley is beginning
| to attract considerable atenti on from those en-
| gagged in agricultural pursuits. No better eli
| mate and soil can be found in any country than
| Chehals county possesses. ana we are of the
| opinion, founded upon experience obtained IN
| sections devoted to hop culture, that abundant
| success awaits the hop grower in this county
| 1t is one of the umeruu> industries that can be
prosecuted with success in our much-favored
| region.
The Use of OH IN storms at Sea-
The photographic Office of the Navy De
partment has for several months been engaged
in collecting data to determine under what cir
| cumStances the use of oil is most etcacou> il
diminishing the danger of breaking seas during
gales of wind. When sufficient data have been