, 1890-06-19
" ASH NG TON.
The Past and Future of
the State.
MR.. J. T. HAMILTON
Valuable Data Furnished by
Q. FL. Amerin.
RESOURCES OF The STATE
The Article Treats of Both the
Eastern and Western Por.
tions OF Washington.
RESOURCES OF THE STATE
Written for the REviEw.l

gests name. Whether or not this
state received Its name first as ter
rltory from the greatness of WASH
ington, the father Of our country, we
ARE not prepared to say, but believe
sometimes acts are done by force of
general laws while unconscious of
I he same, and such may be the case
In this instance, US the state of
Washington has proved to be justly
entitled to the great name of WASH
ington. 1t reminds Us Of the quo
tation from that great book Of his
tory aud law, the bible:
''The iirst shall be last and the
last shall be first" The last state
admitted Into the Union, but the
first now before the minds Of the
American people.
Ex-Governor Cox, of Ohio, who
has held positions Of the best his
government could bestow and whose
opinion is equal to any, said that he
believed the state of Washington
would be the most prosperous In the
Union and that Puget sound would
In time be hcmmed In by fine resi-
dences aud castles, while her waters
would be play yard for pastime.
General Gibson said that while he
was In this state, then territory,
he was greatly impressed with her
future and from the following we
may see why.
The state IL divided into Eastern
aud Western Washington by the
Cascade mountains. while each of
these sub-divisions has advantages
peculiar to itself. The western part
contains about one-third of the state
ind the eastern two-thirds. The
western has the Puget sound OF 100
miles In length, which Is the
largest In the world, and a
harbor unequaled, while the
largest vessels from sea may easily
come into port. The principal cities
are Seattle and Tacoma, while small
towns are sprlnging up all along the
Sound which will make a mass of
towns with equal natural advant-
ages, and from this cause 1t has been
predicted that no one town will ever
become metropolis.
The resources Of Western WASH
iugton are principally timber, iron
and coal, timber being the greatest
of these, and has no equal on the
globe, being from four TO twenty
feet In diameter, and would supply
the world FOR 900 years with the
same yearly demand as in past years.
Iron is found east of Seattle forty
miles, and thirty miles east of Fair
haven, on the Skagit river. Coal IL
found twenty-five miles from Seat
lie, aud fifteen trains arrive daily,
supplying most of the coal used In
Washington, Oregon and California.
The western portion has some very
fine farming land In the valleys,
and the greater production Is
hops, which land Is worth from
800 to $1,000 per acre, the yield
averaging 1900 pounds per acre,
while New York averages 800
pounds and New England 500
pounds. Over 1900 pounds have
been raised on single acre near Sc
attic. Silver and copperare found on
the west side OF the Cascades.
Western Washington has one
transcontlnental railroad, the North.
ern Pacific, while the Union Pacific
makes connections with the O. II. Il
y. by boat. The western portion of
the state has the commercial trade
of Alaska, n portion of British
Columbia and foreign, and will com
mand the trade of Japan, Ms she Is
100 miles nearer than San Francisco.
There are fourteen Indian reserva-
tions In the state, eleven In Western
Washington, three of which have
been opened for settlement and 9TH
crs soon to he. These reservations
contain the finest farming lands of
Western Washington. The Indians
of to-day have passed their savaged
state Of inheritance, and are more
honest and upright than the class of
whites who hold low stations In life.
Seattle, named after an Indian
squaw, is situated ON Elliot bay and
presents n very beautiful sight "a
approached from the sound. 1t Is
surrounded by fresh water lakes.
viz: Lake Union, within the cityis
limits; Lake Washington and
Green lake, on her borders-all
noted for their beautiful scenery and
fine fishing. Seattle has four rail.
roads leading TO various mines OF
iron and coal.
Tacoma derived her name from
the Indian name Tahoma, meaning
"away up" II k twenty eight
miles south of Seattle by water and
forty miles 10y rail, and as you ap-
preach 1t on the sound, you would
not imagine the busy city back Of
the abrupt bluil. The Northern
Pacific railroad has its terminu :
here, and have erected quite extern
slve buildings. These cities, of
about 5000 inhabitants each, have
made rapid progress In population,
trade aud improvements. Tacoma,
previous to the Seattle fire, was the
larger, but now they may justly I've
be termed the twin cities of the
sound.
Gray's Harbor has Of late been at
tracting the attention OF the whole
commercial world, as II lies on the
coast with n harbor nearly equal TO
that of New York, enabling the
largest sailing vessels to make mort
I'm iul sail, and one railroad nearly
completed and IA prospect of Others
In near future, which will make il
IA dangerous rival for the other coast
cities.
Olympia Is the capital OF the state,
thirty-siN miles south Of Tacoma al
the head Of tho sound ON Budd's
inlet, and Is noted for Its picturesque
prominence when approached 10y
the sound.
EASTERN WASHINGTON.