The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-10
ITS WEALTH OF RESOURCES.
Three Chances for Every New Conner
to Establish Himself.
Reasons why seattle's Commercial SUI
premacy Can be Maintaincd-Traits
Of the People. Advantages Of Soil,
Climate, Location, Beauty Of Scenery

CHIEFLY on business connected with his Of
fetal position, that of first assistant post
master general, but under circumstances
which gave him time to visit the country
at large. He spent about two weeks wholly
in Seattle, made a complete tour
of the Sound, visiting all of
the principal cities and towns, afterward
going south as far as San francisco, visit
ing the leading cities. During his stay he
made many changes in the postal service of
incalculable benefit to the people of the
Coast, and more particularly of the Sound
country. and ordered many others Last
night he spent in Tacoma. and today he
will visit Spokane Falls, going thence East.
By the time he has reached Chicago he
will have visited all of the leading cities of
the West.
When General Clarkson first arrived in
Seattle he was approached by reporters
who asked him to state his impression of
the country. He then declined to talk con-
corning the country, saying that he pre-
ferred seeing it first. Yesterday just be-
fore leaving the city reporter of the PosT-
INTELLIGENcER called upon him and found
him quite willing to speak of the country.
Mr.. Charming f. Meek, general manager
of the Denver. Texas q Gulf railroad. q
corporation subsidiary to the Union Pa
ci6c system, who returned from San Fran
cisco with General Clarkson few days
ago and who had never before visited the
Soxnd, was present and warmly approved.
of all that General Clarkson said.
II find it very pleasant to talk of this
new country" !" said General Clarkson. 81
felt very ditfident and reluctant to speak of
Z nfk lcl AZ
investigation of its prospects. have now
spent nearly month in Washi hington and
have made pretty full investigation of the
resources of that portion OF the state lying
west of the mountains and have made q
tour of Puget sound. visiting all of the inn
portant towns and cities. Puget sound
when seen is an assurance of the greatness
of Western Washington. It is beautiful
and may fairly be called the Mediterranean
of America. and / know of no body of
water in the world to equal it. 1t is an in
land sea. Its islands are fertile and the
best and most productive of farming lands.
It's shores are lined with forests. When
they are cleared off. rich farming lands of
prodigious producing power are left in their
stead. Nature has been very prodigal in
her gifts to this country. Your forests are
the best now in existence in America and
you could maintain the present population
of your towns and cities and keep them GO
ing forward on the lumber crop alone. The
Middle states have turned to Washington
for their lumber. Indeed, this state has
usurped the country as far east as Chicago,
taking the lumber trade of this vast section
from Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Your tall and shapely trees are furnishing
masts and spars for the ships of the world.
Iowa, my own state-made up of prairies-s
which has enormous demands for lumber,
now buys of Washington. Your fir tim
Der, which is proving to have greater ten
sile strength than oak. is being used in my
state for bridge purposes and for everything
requiring strength and quality. Tens of
thousands of houses there are covered
with Washington shingles. I merely use
the state of Iowa by way of illustration of
what the other states are doing in the way
of consumption or your products. You
must be very rich indeed in forests when
you can maintain the waste in timber
which a traveller sees here every day.
Whole forests are slashed and cleared every
Gay, and the trees burned as they fall. You
are wasting enough timber every year to
make one of the economical old states very
rich.n
what do you think of the chances in
Washington for people coming here to go
into business or to makesa living in city or
country?"
''As / was pioneer in Iowa, going to
that state with my father when lad, be-
fore an inch of railway had been built in
the state, living whers everything we
raised had to 60 with OK teams 100 miles to
find q market, and as have seen that
great state develop into a commonwealth
of 1000, 600 people. have some qualifica-
tions to judge of q new country. / know
by personal experience of the hardships of
pioneer life, and know how to form an es
innate of country IN the rough and OF the
experiences of newcomers. A man should
always speak guardedly when his words will
influence other people in selecting homes.
Thoughtlessness or speaking without reason
for opinion are both inexcusable when your
words are apt to be taken and acted upon
by people wishing to better their fortunes;
but with this sense of conscience / speak
of this country. When l say think it
affords the best chances now remaining in
America for people wanting to work and
establish themselves. feel am warranted
by facts as they exist Comparing with
Iowa again. would say that the new
conner without means, or with small means
or large, can find good and sure oppor-
tunities here. The man of little means
would find three chances here. where the
pioneer in Iowa found but one, for these
reasons: The natural forest which covers
Western Washington is a fortune
ready TO the hand of the enter
prising man. After the forest
is cleared away, the soil, with its wonder
full capacity for production, affords him
another chance. After that there is the
farm under ground. the mineral wealth
which, ! believe, will prove to be fully
equal to that of Pennsylvania, for you
have already developed everything in the
line of minerals that Pennsylvania has ex-
cept oil and gas. and in their place you
have gold. silver and copper, which Penn
syIvania has not. You not only have this
farm under the ground, but also farm
under the sea in your fish. In the latter
product alone you can equal Massachu-
setts or any state on the Atlantic coast. In
these various things the state of Washing
ton has assurances Of great future.
''You have not only this superiority of
soil and natural wealth. but also superior
ity in location and climate. Your border
is on the sea and Puget sound gives you an
inland sea which affords you a market
direct with Asia and all that rich western