, 1885-12-31

Y
tainIy would be kept out: and said
he. 1T ought to be denied statehood
foI twenty years as punishment for
such an ignoramus as its
to Washington"
Jefferson County.
from Governor Squire's Mc->asr.I
Jefferson county extends from
Admiralty Inlet on the east. to the
Pacific Ocean on the west: lies be
tween Clallam county on the north
and Kitsap county on the south, and
contains upwards of 1900 square
miles.
The western end of the county,
lying along the ocean abOnt midway
between Cape Flattery and Gray's
Harbor. is still a bowling wilderness,
and although reliably reported to be
rich in agricultural soil and valuable
timber. it has never been even
thoroughly explored.
The central portion of the county
lies across the Olympic range of
coast mountains, the highest peaks
of which are clothed IN perpetual
snow, yet have been explored sufli-
ciently to disclose large valleys, val
liable for stock RAM es; also deposits
of coal, iron and precious metals.
The eastern end only. bordering
upon Puget Sound, at the junction
of Fuca Straits, with Admiralty Ia
let, or Puget Sound proper, at Port
Townsend, Bay Port Discovery Bay
and Hoods Canal, contains all the
settled and developed portion of the
county. This settled portion in
cludes Discovery, Leland, Quilcine,
Docaboos and Chimacum valleys, the
last named already famous as a dairy
ing region and for its product of
IRON ore.
Ii contains seven post offices, four
large steam saw mills, and an iron
smelling furnace, and already main
tains population of 264l souls, hav-
ing increased from 2l75 In the year
1880.
From its geographical location, as
to the commerce of Puget Sound,
Jefferson Is one of the most import
ant counties in the whole territory
Port Townsend, its county seat, is
one of the leading towns on Pnget
Sound, and the Importance of its
commercial prospects are indicated
hy several significant facts: FIRST, it
is located just inside of the line of
fOrtitication proposed for the defense
of inland waters. Second, ii Is the
port of entry for the entire collection
district of Puget Sound. Third, the
beautiful bay on which it is located,
has q length of six miles, and an
average width of three miles, free
from rocks, bar, or shoal, with an
chOrage neither too deep or too shall
low, and room for the entire navy
and merchant marine Of the United
States to ride in safety at the same
time. Fourth, it is a natural center
of trade and travel, having mail
routes and lines of travel radiating in
all directions. 1t is nearly opposite
Victoria, the seat of tho provincial
government for British Columbia,
and is connected Herewith by Il
daily mail, and is also the southern
terminus for the proposed mail
service to Alaska. 1t has a semi
weekly mail to all post offices in
Clal!am county and along the Straits
of Fuca, distance of ninety miles
westward; semi-weekly ana pro-
posed daily mail northward 100 miles
to Semiahmoo, near the British Col
umbia boundary line, and interme-
date points in Whatcom and San
Juan counties; a tri-weekly mail to
Island county; daily mail to all south
ern ports on the Sound, and daily
mails to local points within the
county-all carried by steamer; be-
sides it has the first port on Puget
Sound reached by ocean steamers
every eight days from San Francisco.
Port Townsend has population of
1000 and is one of the healthiest,
priettiest and most properons towns
in the Territory.
Its growth is already characterized
by magnificent brick and stone
buildings, indicating a solidity and
stability seldom noticed among the
young and growing towns of the
west. The new government custom
house to be erected here, the United
States Marine Hospital, already
built the military station at Fort
Townsend, three miles distant, near
the head of the bay, steam saw mill
IL the edge Of the town, sash and
door factory, foundry, machine shops,
brewery, cigar factory, and the mag
uIhcent smelling works and man
moth saw mill on the southern shore
Of the bay, all bespeak a city here in
the near future, teeming with
hardy, industrious people, and buz
zing with manufacturing industries.
1t Is the seat of district court.
having both United States and Terri
tOrial jurisdiction, to which four ad
joining counties are attached for
Judicial purposes.
The immense maritime business
transacted here through the customs
collection district, amounting in du-
ties to upwards of S7O,090 annually.
brings an excessive local trade with
The LARGEST ocean trade
with foreign countries, necessitates
the presence here OF British, French,
ChIian and other cOnsuls.
Port Townsend'slfne public school,
her opera house. her four churches.
all Indicate intellectul culture and
literary privileges, while Ler First
National Bank, organized two years
ago with $4,000 capital, subsequent
ly increased to $4,000, in It's large
and substantial stone building, indi
cafes a healthy and solid business
basis. Some of its tire-proof build