Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-01-01

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| Of climate and soil apparently charging
| the products Of horticulture and the or
chard with all the slemepts Of perfect
I development.
In the interior Of the co1nty. slonl
| the nuueroas valleys of tie Nook
sack river and ia tributaries, corn,
| coaches ssd other products reQsirinG
/ sarzeer sights and ternperss9re OF
greater average hight than that Of the
coast, mature readily and yield prolific
ally. Tasacoo OF Q superior quality i
successfully grown.
| Stock thrives upon the plentiful
grasses and elovers indigenous TO the
soil. Fine large salmon have sold on
| Beliin2ham Bay daring the last season
for from three 70 ten cents each. The
streams aud lsks swarm With treat.
\ Along shs shores Of the bay salmon
trost Of delicious favor are plentiful.
Famous halibat banks lie fev miles
oct from BeIlingham Bay. God, In
numerous varieties, founders and ether
salt water ash are not only abundant,
bat very cheap. Oysters are plentiful,
while clans, crabs aHd mussels can be
| had by the cart load. Dog fsh are
exceedingly abundant and are caugh,
in great numbers for their oil. At
Point Roberts, st the northwestern cor
ner of the county, is probably one of
the best salmon fishing stations In the
entire northwest. Deer are killed in
numbers which make the bssinsss
hatchery. Grouse and ph, asa t. sboand
in the woods. Geese and dacks in
astonishing numbers cover the waters
Of BeIlinphsm Bay during the winter
a afAr m
part Of the county, Wills the bear and
the forest.
The mineral deposits Of the county
consist chiefly Of iron and coal, the
former as yet undeveloped. Vast de-
posits Of bog-iron ore exist in the
northern part Of the county. EIten-
sive coal beds have been found in vari-
ous localities in the vicinity OF Lake
Whstcom and have been developed
enough to prove the existence of prac-
tically ireIhsastible veins Of an excel
lent quality Of bitumip Gus coal.
The Chucksunt Bay sandstone of
this county 10 justly celebrated as An
elegant and durable building material.
The Incorporated city of Whatcon Is
the county seat. situated on BellinRhsm
Bay, . magnificent iandlocked bsdy of
water six miles in length by three IN
width, furnishing an absolutely safe An
choraee for the largest vessels.
The Bellingbam Bay and British Co
lambia Railroad, about two miles of
which is completed from New Whatconi,
will eventually connect that point and
the lines of traffic centeriDg at the Bay
with the Canadian Pacific.
Settlement has steadily progressed
during the past few years and the county
is becoming populous, with a stroER,
vigorous and energetic class of men.
The climate of Whatoom county. and
especially at Bellinghau Bay, is admir-
able. The rainfall 10 not excessive.
| There are no moss- covered roofs. An
equable temperature prevails. Puget
Sound, upon its western shore. has a
wonderful eq ualizing influence upon the
climate. The waters of this vast Med
iterranean Of the North are ever ebbins
and flowing to and from the sea. Colder
than the surrounding atmosphere under
the vertical rays of the sun, they Absorb
its heat and moderate the warmth oil
midsummer; while the genial JapaE
current. which finds its way through thu
Straits of Fuca and to the shores OF Bel
lineham Bay, constantly parting with III
surplus Of osloric during the colder
months, tempers the riRors OF midwinter
These and other exceptional circum
stances undoubtedly make the western
part of Whatcom county one of To,
favored localities of the globe.
| Number of school districts, %; mum
Der of sehoolhOuses, 70; average value
Of schoolhonses. 1900; total value o
sohoolhouses, 5000; number of schoo
children, 958; number Of teachers, q
average salary of teachers per month
Gas.
The population Of the county is state,
at 1896. Assessed valuation Of property
1853 go.
WHITMAN COUNTY.
Whitman is another of the great grail
producing counties of the Territory.
has an area of about l,025 900 acres, o
which there we're seeded this year aboa
II 900 acres. The average yield Of whea
IL reported to be Is bushels per acrt
Wheat raising ranks first, stock raisin
second in importance. The total grail
yield 10 estimated at 2, 500, 0Oe bushels 70
the present year. Stock raising 10 Civ
ing way to agriculture.
Population Of county. 10.473. Assesset
value of real estate, $1.lS9, 639; improve
ments on same, $49i ,652. Assessed vAla
Of personal property. $l,sl5.623. Tota
valuation. $3,+99,9li.
In the county are six heuring mill
and Ave sawmills.
The Columbia 4 Palouse Railroad,
branch Of the Oregon Railway d Navi
Cation Co., traverses the entire length O
the county. east 10 west, about liz miles
The Pennington branch, junction a
Cslfax, will undoubtedly be built mex
year, IN time TO remove the crop.
Principal points in the county ar
Oslfax, Paloase City. Pullman, Farm
ipgten, Garfield, Endicott, Almsts. Pin
City, Uniontovn, Cotton and Penewava
Collar is the county seat.
Namber OF school districts. 80; uu
Der of sohoolhouses, 70; number of schet
children. 40l4; number Of teachers, IL
total value OF school buildings, &37 go
Average salary of teachers, $40 pc
month. An academy under the patron
age of the Baptist church is located &
Colfsx.
YAKIMA COUNTY.
Yakima county is situated near th
eenter Of the Territory, having the Ca,
. cade range of mountains for its vester
ana the Columsia river for its easter
boundary. IL has q vast body of pa,
torsl lands, and supports large herds G
cattle, horses and sheep. The soil {
the bills aud plains is composed of bs
I salt and volcanic ash. Tue valley land
. are of the same elements, more or le.
sccompani, q by alksli. Fields of th
soil have borne good crops for thir'
consecutive years, without fertilizer
/ IL IL unfortunate that so large a PORTO
of this county IL occupied by tue Yal
ina Indian reservation. Yet there il
, vast region still open TO the settler.
The Ahtanam. Wenas, Mckee. Sela
and hatcher valleys are especial
adapted 10 agriculture, and with b'
little irrigation produce fine crops {
wheat, hops, Germ, tobacco. sorghum 40
g choice variety Of veesta bles, inciudin
Lima beans and sweet potatoes; al.
5 fruits. including peaches, grapes AZ
p melons.
Extensive improvements in irrieatio
are planned, and II they are ascou
plished. this region will be wonderful
rich and productive. Hundreds {
small bitches have already been COL
structes, and the good results are a,
, parent. There Is no difficulty in obtail
. ing water from the abundant stream
having a suitable fall.
The recent construction Of the Nortl