, 1888-11-08

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| TURAL AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
Port 7etcHseRd. HGsA. Ter, Oct. 10. 1888.
For many centuries the Strait o.
/ Gibraltar was the western boundary
OF the old world. All eyes turned tc
the East. Every dream of empire
every thought of power, every mode
". iinproVsmeRt, every hope ofriches,
ui :, ~ or of fame shaped it's way tC
tho Orient The gold and the prec-
ious stones of India were 10 the East
the learning of Arabia and mysteries
of Egypt were in the East. East
ward the crusaders swarmed to take
the Holy City, and even Columbus
was seeking the East when he dis
covered the West, and turned the
finger of destiny to the 0ccident-
For four hundred years now the
sweep of progress has been to the
West. In the Western world has
grown up the greatest nation in the
worlds history, and there seems no
bounds to the possibilities of the fu-
ture. So long as the natural increase
of the earth exceeds the decrease SO
long will the steady current
from the East to the West continue;
the old world will continue to pour
its surplus into the new and the East
into the West, seeking equilibrium.
The Atlantic region will become
dense with people. the Mississippi
Valley will be filed, and the Pacific
coast grow rich and populous. Here
and there great trade centers will Nd
just themselves IN an evenly balanced
continent. Near the point where
the Straits of Fucu merges into that
superb stretch of sea water known as
Puget Sound, nature has marked the
site for city, where one as large as
New York can stand.
Port Townsend already has place
on the map and recognition among
men and in trade circles. Nowhere
do coming events cast their shadows
before in clearer outline than in this
little city of the Strait and Sound.
These are some of its advantages:
It is the first American mainland
touching point by water with Alaska.
Australia, Japan, China and India
while on the other hand it is the last
house of call for out going traffic,
and whether it is the flow of growth
coming in or the ebb OF products go :
ing out, Poit Townsend, like the
larded measure of Cessim, in the
Arabian tale, retains share. 1t; is
the port of entry for the Puget
Sound collection district, and all
vessels must stop both coming and
going. The government has already
expended 100000 for a custom
house, and $120, 600 has been appro-
priated by Congress to make needed
additions Here ia the seat for the
foreign consniates; the United States
Marine Hospital is here, and . reven-
ue cutter sails in and out of the port,
doing police duty for Uncle Sam. A
military post is near by, apd half
million dollars is given to build forth
fcations near the lighthouse, in an
appropriation bill made before Con-
gress. More American tonnage is
registered in Port Townsend than in
any other port except New York. It
is the Pacific watch-towsr; the future
Gibraltar Of the Pacific Northwest.
1t has q harbor capable OF shelter
ing the largest fleets, the only harbor
in the Northwest to which ships can
sail to anchorage, saving expensive
towsgs fees. The largest ship can
sail into it without ever hitting up-
on unseen shoals and hidden rocks,
and vessel can lay its broadside
sheer up against the shore almost
anywhere, with no other danger
than that of abrasion when lifted or
lowered by the tides, which vary
from ten to fifteen feet. The har-
Dor is three miles by six in size, with
depth of from five to fifteen fath>
oms, better anchorage than up
Sound ports; and 1000 will cover
damage to shipping ia thirty-five
years of common use.
It is nearest to the coming fishs.
| ries Of the North Pacific coast, which
must become an insxhaustibls source
of wealth. New England Fl shsrmen
have already made this their head
quarters- Salmon, cod, trout and
| other food fish abound, and the
finest halibut in the world are taken
along the shore for Thousand miles
to Alaska. A schooner recently
caught 10000 pounds OF halibut in q
day; another took 5000 worth oi
seal skins in short trip.
It has at its door the only iron
Ismeiting furnace in Washington ter.
ritory, with q capacity Of fifty tons q
day, TO which is being added Q roll.
ing mill plant costing over million
dollars, for the manufaeture Of steel
rails aud plates for ship-building
and with iron, marble, building stone,
coal and lumber within reach, wht
will say the peninsula city cannot be
made great Workshop Its im-
mense timber resources are barel!
touched. Trees are OF many kind
and can be- put to many uses. Th'
douglas FIR or Oregon pine is tn
acme of fine timber In the tree i
is tall, often 800 feet high, ant
Istraight, and single tree has beeI
known TO cut 10000 feet. 1t can be pu
Through the plsner green, and COM
Tout smooth as Eastern or Southern
pine that bas been in pile for year
| Although rear the 49th parallel o
j north latitude the grass grows tn
winter through, ( and flowers bloom
in the open air at Christmas time
Snow seldom falls and then lies bu
short time. Much less rain fall
than on the opposite side Of tn
lSound The extreme range is tel
/ degrees above zero in winter to nine
Ity above in summer. The cyclon'
and blizzard are unknown; there ar
mo thunderstorms TO frighten, n,
winds to destroy. and no ysnomou
insects and snakes. IRstead of be
ling depressed by lassitude hard T.
shake off, as in Southern California
ior Florida, one is constantly buoyst
Iup by tonic of salt air and th'
life giving qualities of the sun who's,
heat never oppresses. Nature OF
this parallel east of the Rockies fol
long msnths forces man to abandon
her and resort to artificial heat, bu
II L T. 4