The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-06-21
SlloHOmIsH COUNTY.


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lEdyidee Morse In snohomish sun-
This rounfy Il situated On the ears
10 a pucri soznlf. IL IL 1s1nded by
King eoussfv on the south, by the
sam,uit "a The Cascade mountains on
IT, eat and ky Hkakit eo1nty On the
nnrth. euohoFnish City IL the county
sess. The sra Of Snohosnish counfy
i shosss 2.sfD square suiies, OF MT far
from .fyDyAt0 acres 81 Land ffs nortn
and s0ush s5aies sse parallel 70 ssrn
other, the boundary hne On Tree
sffles running due eastward from sAiS
v.frr h, the summit Of the mountains
IL east and west boundaries are n
reruisr The rest side feinR f-onfstisd
~ tsse varying shsfe-ifne OF FHgss
sunni. uhik the broken and curved
line forming the crest Of the Cascade
~.rrp n mountains ~ q height Of
sprp~ nm feet above the sea Il IL east
I'm boundary. Tbs distance across
ff1e county. from north 70 south. IL
fhiyty-<ix miles. OF the width Of SIX
epvernn,ens survey townships Of land
Fyo-a east 10 vest the distance IL. on
~ average, not far from seventy
miles. In some r9aees not tssfng over
HHsy and in others being fully eighty
miles from the summit Of the n'o1n-
tain. 70 the sea. Thus the total area
at the county IL over ore-aaf ~ great
- the whsle state of C0nnecticuf, and
the extent and variety affords re
sources greatly exceeding those Of that
state. Within It's houndarif- are
found almost every variety OF soil and
many kinds OF climate. Nearly ali Of
tbs surface IL covered with very heavy
timber. The heaviest and best Of any
region near Pngef Sound The rain
fail varies In different parts of the
county, hut, taken a. = whole il ex-
eecds the average rainfall Of the rest
of the Puget soand basin, and this Is
the reason Why the timber IL denser
anil vegetable growth OF all kinds
rsnker than elsewhere on the same
grade of soil near the Sound. Geuer-
Ally speaking, the surface Of the west
hall 81 the comfy IL nearly level. while
the eartern half Is quite mountainous
THK ssonosrsa kIvER
And it, tributaries drain the southern
half Of the country; the northern part
Of the county Il drained by the stilia-
guamlsh. Each vi these rivers fork at
about twenty miles from salt water.
The branches of the stiiiaguamish are
called north and South Fork. The
north fork of the snohotnish Il called
the ssykomish river. while IT, other
fork IL the snoqnaimie. Most Of the
snognalmie river IL in King county.
II drains the northeastern part OF that
county. having is source In the FAM
Gus -nolualmie Pass. Of the Cascade
range of mountains, and, when about
hall way from its source ~ ia union
with the Snohomish. flowing over the
celebrated snoqualmie Falls, 2st feet
high, over 100 feet higher than Niagara,
excelIing them in beauty IL not In
grandeur, and forming one OF the most
attractive features In the natural scene
ry Of Washington Territory.
The Snohonlsh Is some two or three
times as large az the Stiiiaguamish
river. All tbs year rouni the Sno-
hofnish Il operated up 10 Snohomish
tity BIZ steamboat, distance of
about fifteen miles. For part of the
year, steamboats, ascend some sixty
miles farther. Or nearly TO snolualmie
Falls. Over fsn miles of river channels
OF the Snoh5mish and it, tributaries,
are nayigated by steamboats, the great
or part of the year. At present. only
the lower portion Of the stillaguamish
II navigated, but, with some improve
ments TO It's channel, over fifty miles
OF the channels and the sloughs Of the
river can be made suit
able for navigation the greater part Of
each year. Counting the shore lines
of the Sound, there are over 10 miles
OF navigable waters within OF on the
borders Of this county.
OF the lands Of the county, about
So. 900 acres may be classed rs marsh
and river bottom lands. of the very
best quality for proiucfiyeness about
500 .nOO acres are fertile upland<, from
first 10 second class Ia fertility; while
the balance are mountains or other
semi sterile uplands, most Of which
are covered with heavy timber. With
the timler removed, there Il prsbably
less than I0O,00 acres, in the county,
that would not make excellent pastur-
age. At present
THE BOTTOM LANDS
Are most sought after for farming
purposes, and the upiands for the fir
timber. mostly found thereon. Over
Que fourth OF all the timber cut on
Puget Sound has been cut from lands
Ia this county. to-day il Is the leading
industry here and fully one-fourth of
ali the timber remaining standing,
within the Puget Sound basin, is 10
be found within the limits OF this
county. As the timber IL cut from
the front and near the rivers, the
ordinary logging ''skiddei' roads are
superseded BY logging railroads or
tramways, where logs are hauled on
logging trucks by mules and horses.
then. a. the roads are extended. steam
power replaces horse or mule power.
and steel rails the wooden trainways.
In this way, before many years, sew
eral lines OF railroad viii be built from
tide water way up into the noun
,ains. when once built. the resources
In coal, iron and other minerals are
sufficient 90 make these roads perma-
nent, 10 say nothing OF IT. agricultural
development in the meantime.
The river bottoms are from one 20
he mountains narrowing NJ m.
streams arc aseenfIpd hnt The area ~
lottom land l. mere a al hy The numer-
nua hranrhe~ into which thee streams
divide when IN. miner nart ri their
rours, il reached The general level
NJ the upland Tor some twenty miles
from ALT water Il ahnu, THREE hnndre1
feet above the sea thea The t,rs, t,o,
III. are reached From hers ths
rronnd becomes more hrolcn hnt
Viii many intervals ~ isv,l lana ua,;I
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