The Republican journal., 1888-02-09
Letter from Washington Territory.
Correspondence Of the Journal


TACOMA, W. T., Jan. 10, lsss. We have
Just passed through one of the worst billiards
known in this part of the country by those
who have been here for twenty-five wears.
The mercury was down to zero for three morn
inys and about six inches of snow fell during
that time. The wind was from the n. L. and
the heaviest known for years, and ! think
can testify that we all felt the cold fully aS
much as we do in Maine when it is l5 deg. be
low zero. This was certainly an exception for
the Puget sound country. Three days ago a
man west of the Cascade mountains, about 40
miles from this place, frozc 10 death in his bed :;
but the truth is he was drunk and very likely
not we'll covered. There has been much suffer-
ing among the poor, as no one in this country
is prepared for such cold weather. The day
after the blizzard. when it had cleared oil, old
Tacoma mountain presented a beautiful sight.
This mountain is "A, ,444 feet high, and when the
weather is clear it is one of the grandest sights
lever saw, but on this occasion it seemed more
beautiful than ever, for from its peak, towering
high above the clouds, could be plainly seen a
column of steam issuing from its crater. Some
said it might be snow, as the wind probably
was moving with great velocity at the summit
of this mountain, but others who had seen the
steam before assured Us that it was steam. 1t
is said that the snow Is one hundred and fifty
feet deep on this mountain.
The snow on the Cascades that are not more
than 1000 feet high has been falling at the rate
of three feet every twelve hours, for two or
three days. and the snow and cold weather to-
gether have nearly stopped all business. not only
of the railroads, but has prevented the ships
coming into the Columbia River. This river is
frozen over at Pasco or kinewick, so that they
cannot cross on the boat and yesterday they
We're laying rails across on the ice in order to
get coal for the of the engines, well as for
the people at Ellensburg and other places The
eastern mails We're sent around on the Oregon
Short Line via. Portland but the Columbia was
frozen at kaama. and the cars could not get
acrOss at this point. So tAat all the Puget
Sound ports have been cut oil and have re
ceived no eastern mail for week.
This countryis filling up with Eastern people
very fast, and in the near future Puget Sound
will swarm with craft Of all descriptions. The
supply of lumber, coal, iron and other ores is
ineXhaustible, and the opportunities for farm
ing stock and raising are good. AT the present
time, the Indians play an important part in
furnishing potatoes, cabbage, turnips, and In
fact all kind of vegetables. Provisions, cX-
cepting flour and potatoes. are very high, as
there is not quarter as much raised here as Is
consumed. And the demand is increasing
every day. The cost of living on Puget Sound
has advanced 33 1-3 per cent since last June.
There is an abundance Of fish in the Sound, but
they are high. All kinds of fish are sold from
the markets as they cone out of the water for
10 to u cents per ID. 1t matters not whether
they are tomcods, smets, ilOunders trout or
salmon, they are all of price. Flour is very
cheap, $4.25 buys the best. large portion of
the business men in this city are Germans and
the amount of goods sold in this city in a day l
will guarantee is six times, If not ten times,
what is sold in Belfast. l do not know the
number of inhabitants in Belfast, but there are
in this city about $4,000 people The popula-
tiOn has increased about five thousand in the
last six months, and there is not day but they
come pouring in by rail or steamer. Many 60
back into the country, take up land, build u
log hut, and SO start in for fortune. This is
the third time l have been here and have
spent two winters here or nearly so. Up to
the present time, l am not prepared to say
whether l could like the country well enough
to stay the rest of my life. AT my age think
old Maine is good enough for me, but Maine
cannot furnish half the business there il here
in any branch except manufacturing. Bucks
port is my home. 1t Is beautiful place and
might be made an attractive summer resort
with little effort. All other business has
gone out from us.
DIR. C.. +. WARE.