Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-09-05
In THE FAR NORTHWEST,
A Chicago Traveller Gives His I'M
preston of the New State on
Puget Sound.
Its Soil. Climate and Production-the
Magnificent Scenery and Won
derful Growth of Timber.

SEATTLE. Wash.-[Special correspond
ence of the Chicago Evening Journal.
This city is full of eastern people who are
looking over the Puget Sound country,
with a view Of investing or settling here.
1t is the same army of pioneers that has
kept abreast of the wave of civilization
across the continent, but they find the
natural condition so different from those
In the states east of the Rockies that their
former experiences are of little value in de-
termining the rapidity of development
here
EASTERN AND WESTERN WASHINGTON.
The Cascade Range divides the state
into two parts known here as Eastern and
Western Washington. Western or Puget
Sound division. Is the most populouS,
having $4,000 population, while Eastern
Washington has but llS,000. The soil
and climate of the two divisions are en-
tirely dissinilar. but in neither division
of the state are they the same as in the
states on the Atlantic slope. East of the
cascade the temperature is.higher in the
summer and as low III the winter Is In
Illinois or Iowa, but the rainfall in the
summer months is so small as to be of no
use to the farmer. There are fertile val
leys and arid plains, with but little timber,
while In the western half or the State 1t Is
neither warm in summer nor cold In winter,
and the whole country Is covered with the
most remarkable growth OF timber to be
found In the temperate zone. This city Is
in the center OF Western Washington and
is growing in wealth and numbers at a
pace that strikes a casual observer as being
out of proportion to the development of
the agricultural and mineral resources on
which the city must rely for its permanent
prosperity Ore is told, however that
there are many rich and fertile valleys
under cultivation that are tributary to the
Sound cities; that hundreds of numbering
camps and saw mills give employment to
thousands of laborerS, and that this Ill
dustry is but in its earliest infancy.
The land in the valleys is certainly very
fertile. and will bear most of the crops
grown in Northern Illinois. The notable
! exception is corn which, owing to the cold
nights, will not mature here nor IN Oregon.
| Wheat, oats. potatoes and barley return
| immense crops, while hops are grown with
a success not equaled elsewhere on the
| continent. Apples. pears, plumS, cherries
and the smaller fruits are abundant. ana
grown with the certainty of an annual crop
that is unknown to the Eastern hortlcul-
| turiSt.
THE FORESTS.
A great source of wealth to the state,
but an equally great drawback to the
! pioneer farmer, are the immense tir and
cedar trees that originally covered the
| whole face of the country, and ON which
| but little impression has yet been made
! I, L., ,F +,na
| are six and eight feet in diameter at the
base, and from two hundred to three hun
| bred feet high measured the stump of
| a cedar last week that was twelve feet
! across, and have heard of several larger
ones. Such large and numerous Stumps,
with dense underbrush, must be remov-
ed before the land can be titled to any
advantage. and to hire this done costs
more than a farm is worth in the east.
These drawbacks will not always keep such
fruitful land out of cultivation, however,
and many farmers are already getting
little clearings which will in time become
as large as the boundaries of the farm.
THE SUMMER CLIMATE
here is cool and delightful, and combined
with the unsurpassed scenery will some
day make this region tavorite place of
summer residence A ride through
Puget Sound, with the snow-clad Olym,
plan and Cascade Mountains both in view.
is sight not to be forgotten.
THE MOUNTAINS.
The smoke from forest fires usually
shuts off the view of the mountains before
the first of August, but fortunately for me a
breeze from the ocean one morning blew
back the enveIoping cloud of smoke and
revealed the mountain mOnaTchs of the
continent. Mount Rainier can, it is said,
be plainly seen for more than 100 miles
on land, aud for even IA greater distance
at sea- Its height Is l4,00O feet, and
Mount Hood and Mount Baker are but
| little lower. Unlike most of the high
mountains of the world they are isolated
peaks and their whole height can be plain
" seen from the sea level. have the
word of a fellow traveller who In his
travels has circled the earth and skirted
the base of the Himalayas that they are
the most symmetrical and look the highest
of any peaks he has ever seen.
A good quality of
BITUAuNOUS COAL
IS mined in the foot kills few miles east
of Seattle. A large part Of the supply Of
the whole coast is from here. iron is alsC
found in close proximity, and the enthusi-
astic residents expect that Wash
ington will some day rial Pennsylvania
as a manufacturing state. At present the
manufacturers cannot successfully com
pete with the cheaper labor of the East
but the air Is full of rumors of wealthy
Eastern capitalists who are looking ou
for sites for extensive manufacturing
plants Without doubt the great min
eral resources of the country will in time
be a great source OF wealth.
THE TIMBER LANDS.
Tie magnificent growth of timber
covering the hills, mountains and valleys
is the surest source of the present pros
perity of the state. Some of the larges
saw mills of the world are on the Sound,
and the supply OF logs seems inexhaust
lille. Many of the mills are 10y the water
side, and ships are loaded with boards al
they come from the saw, the capacity O
the mills being so great that an ordinary
ship is loaded in a few hours.
The great value Of this timber land Ii
well known to the rich lumbermen of thu
East. and many of them have their agent.
travelling over the country inspecting
standing timber and purchasing all tina
can be Lought at a reasonable figure. 4
! claim Of $50 acres, which can be obtained
by an actjtl residence of six months OF
the land, ledily sells for from 81 900 to 81
900. according to the value of the timber
and its accessibility.
THE POPULATION
of the state as shown by the Federal cen
sus Just taken. is 346,000 This makes
Washington the second of the Pacific
| Coast States in point of population, put
ing her ahead OF Oregon, where the cen
suS figures 6eIl far short of the local esti
mates. W. A. H
The Scotch Nationality.
Among the various nationalities which
contribute their quota to the making up Of
the population of New York city. the most