Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-06-13

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Hoods Canal and the Raging Pa
cific.
There is perhaps no portion of the
United States, near a thickly settled
center OF country, that is as little
known and which is misunderstood
to such an extent as is the Olympic
peninsula, lying between the waters
of Puget Sound and the Pacific ocean,
in the western portion OF Washington
This body of land is rectangular in
shape, being ninety miles wide at its
northern extension and about fifty
miles in width at the south. The
total length of the peninsula is about
eighty miles. The total area is some
thing like $500 square miles 1885,
GOO acres.) The Olympic range Of
mountains, from which the peninsula
itself derives its name, runs the entire
length of the peninsula. commencing
in the form of slight elevation near
Cape Flattery and extending in a
southeasterly direction gradually rises,
until at Mt. Olympus, eighteen miles
south OF Port Angeles, an elevation of
$3.50 is attained. From the latter
peak the course of the range is little
south Of Mt. Constance, 7,77O feet
high, and distant from Quilcenc about
twelve miles; thence south twenty
miles to a point near lake Cushman /;
then west about eighteen miles to the
Quilcene river, just above the lakes of
the same name. This is the general
course OF the main range that forms
the divide between the waters flowing
into the straits of Fuca and those flow
ing into Hoods canal, and the streams
flowing south and east into Gray's
harbor and the ocean.
OF the entire $500 square miles of
territory contained in the peninsula,
about 1850 square miles Q,890,OOO
acres) are mountainous lands, not
suitable, perhaps, 10 every purpose of
agriculture. In addition to the lands
mentioned above there are no less
than $50 squsre miles ESQ., 600 acres)
mostly surveyed on the north and
east sides, along the straits and Hoods
canal; 800 square miles (575, 900 acres)
mostly surveyed, on the south side of
the mountains and north of the Che
halls river and Gray's harbor, and
drained by the Satsop, Winoochie,
Wishka, Hoquiam and Humptuleps
rivers, and 5000 square miles (83O,OOO
acres), 64,OO0 acres of which are sur
veyed west of the mountains and ly-
ing on the waters flowing into the
Pacific, the principal streams of which
are the Osette, the Quillayutc and its
four branches, the Dicky, the Solduck,
the Killiwan and the Baachiel, the
Hob, the Queets, the Raft, Quinault
and the Chehalis. Three of these
streams, viz: the Solduck, the Hob
and the north fork of the Quinault
each drain part of Mt. Olympus, the
last fork of the Quinault heading in
Mt. Constance. The Queets penetrates
the interior to a considerable dis
tance. Not one of these streams is
navigable at the present writing for
steamboats,, although the four largest
of these rivers could be made so for
distances varying from fifteen to
twenty miles from their mouths, at u
very moderate cost for improvement
work. They can all be made navigable
for small boats, and driven with logs
to within few miles of their heads.
Along these streams are about $50
square miles, 224, 900 acres of rich bot
tom lands. The soil between the
mountains and the coast is good, and
is generally adapted, when cleared, to
farming, grazing and fruit-raising. In
the mountain districts arc many small
and rich valleys and a great abund-
ance Of good grazing lands. The pen
insula as whole is heavily timbered
with fir, cedar, spruce and hemlock,
the latter wood predominating on the
western slope, with cedar a good Sec
ond. The prairies are small and far
between.
Coal float is found on q number of
streams of the peninsula, but as yet
not much prospecting has been done
for this valuable mineral. Iron crops
out in considerable quantities in sew
eral places. Gold is found in the sand
of nearly all the streams and within
the last year or two few prospectors
have penetrated into the mountains,
and have as far as learned met with
fair encouragement for their work.
These prospectors have brought out
some very promising looking gold
quartz, silver and copper groupings.
Tin ore yielding rich assay is found
in paying quantities on the Skoko-
mish. On the western slope of the
peninsula is found clay, some OF it
white and some yellow banks,
and very extensive groupings of ele-
CANT sandstone have been found in
this same district.
The streams are alive with the best
of food fishes, and it is the huntsman's
paradise. On the Quillayute and its
branches are between 300 and 500 set-
tiers. Twenty-one claims have been
located on the Queets this spring,
about thirty-one on Quinault, and the
beach from the agency down to the
harbOr is now all taken.
The Quinault Indian Reservation
extends from the Moclipse to the
,sneets, along the ocean and back to
the Cuinault river lake. It contains
about 20 square miles, or ll4,OOC
acres. According to q census taken
1oot 70 II t1oro v,o., Al. o,> ASCV-