Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-03-20

cold water in all directions. Bounded by
the main land on the east, and by islands
on the north and west lies the great bay
of Bellingham-la locked and protec-
ted from all gales that sweep along the
coast. The water of this superb bay has
never been rougher than the water of
New York harbor is when an autumnal
gale Is blowing. The depth of water
varies from fathoms close to shore to
20 fathoms in the outer bay. The
water is not too deep to afford
good anchorage Vessels, sailing YES
into Bellingham Bay. They pay no tow
age charges, as all sailing vessels that
trade to Tacoma and Seattle do. Loaded
at Fairhaven they spread their sails and
sail down the broad bay to the Straits of
Juan de Fuca and out to the ocean.
Lying off the Fairhaven wharf and
looking to the north and east the saw
toothed crest of the Frazer river noun
tains, snow-capped and glowing in the
sunlight, is sharply d. fined against the
deep blue horizon. Southwark the white
serrated mountain crest trends, here up
lifted into lofty peaks, there showing as a
ragged cloud edge above the evergreen
forests, to rise again in long slopes that
upward turn at The Sisters, and then TO
swell into lofty mountain dome at
glacier furrowed and eternally snow-clad
can be seen from Bellingham bay. And
between the western Hanks of the rugged
range and the water the land is appar-
emily as level as the Kansas plains. The
bay shimmers In the strong sunlight as
polished silver. Salmon leap high in play
above its surface. Occasionally the dark.
almost humanlike head of the seal rises
out Of the pure, clear water and the ami
NAL gazes through beautiful black eyes at
the passing steamers or ships with set
sails and then noselessly sinks into the
water to resume the pleasures of the
chase after salmon. Large flocks of gulls,
gray, blue, white and brown in color fly
noiselessly to and fro, or gather In ilocks
of several hundreds and fly to the water
front of Fairhaven, where they float idly
ON the water, or engage In friendly dis
putes relative to the ownership of choice
bits Of food that have been east ON the
water. 1t Is no unusual thing at Fair
haven to see 800 gulls hoatingly lightly
ON the tiny waves within twenty feet of
the principal street. The birds gazing
fearlessly at a crowd of people who watch
them with pleasure-lit eyes. No Fair
haven boy ever throws stone at these
birds, it matters not the natural deprav-
ity of his childish heart.
East of the bay the land slopes grad
ually upward till an elevation OF, say 200
feet, is arrived at. Then level land, or roll
ing land back for a mile or two, and then
level land with few ridges for miles.
There are lakes back of Fairhaven from
which the water supply Is being drawn,
and every lake is stocked, naturally
stocked, with trout. The best trout fish
on the continent is within two miles of
Fairhaven at Lake Padden. At Lake
Samish, which is eight miles from Fair
haven, there is most excellent trout fish
ing.
The bottom of the bay is paved with
shell fish, food fish dart through the
water. Smelt are caught by the boat
load. A menhaden steamer could be
loaded with smelt in these waters in hall
a day, during February and March.
Enormous crabs, that are twice as large
as their eastern brothers, whom they far
surpass in flavor walk sideways over the
fats at low tide. Hundreds, yes, thou
sands of these shell fish could be caught
on tide. Where one crab can be caught
in Mecox, or Shinnecock, or Great South,
or Peconic bays on Long Island, twenty
can be caught in Bellingham Bay. And
while Long Island fishermen are killing
time and dozen king fish, dozen
twenty. pound salmon can be taken out OF
these waters, and every one of the dozen
will cause bamboo rod to throb with
life, and the reel TO sweetly sing.
Steamboats,, some stern wheel, some
propellers, move swiftly TO and fro over
the water. Ferry boats that are crowded
with passengers, puff as they move from
wharf to wharf, ships sail in, ships sail
out, cat-boats move swiftly through the
water There is row boat that contains
pleasure party bent on salmon fishing
y,onder long, low boat, modelled after
the clipper ships, moves lightly over the
waves driven by long paddles that are
thrust into the water by lean, copper
colored arms. The paddles glisten in the
sun as they rise and fall and family the
Puget Sound Indians boat song floats
over the water as the canoe slowly
approaches or disappears.
The buzz of saws In near by mills, the
clang of steel bars on the wharf. the
sound of carpenters hammers, the cries
of workmen, and the hum of industry
causes the air about Fairhaven to re-
sound. Here men are Telling timber and
burning that already felled, there gang
of men are laying water pipes, and yon
der many men are grading streets. AT
noontime a small army Of men tramp up
and down the streets, and at evening
quitting time the streets are thronged
with men who carry buckets. The sun
sets, and then crowds of me-. walk slowly
along the broad sidewalks or gather In
groups to talk. Money is plentiful and
the workingmen are enjoying life. Daily
the town grows. Over hundred new
buildings, including a handsome brick
hotel and many expensive business blocks,
are in course OF erection. Fairhaven seen
today, and then seen after the interval
of a month, would not be- recognized.
Men, civil engineers, who carry instru-
ments ON their shoulders and who are ac-
companied by men who carry steel rib
bons with which TO accurately measure
distances, are met at short intervals
This party drives stakes to locate foun-
dry, that to fix the position of a new saw
mill, and yonder party under the direc-
ton of smooth-faced, keen-eyed en-
gineer drive the corner stakes of the
Fairhaven Steel and Iron company's
building. The pile driver that lies close
to the waters edge, and whose heavy
hammer rises aud falls with great regu-
larity and loud noise, Is driving piles on
which to build coal bunkers, and thai
other pile driver is engaged in pounding
the piles of new wharf into the sandy
bottom of Bellingham bay, the commerce
OF the town having increased so great,
that II can no longer be handled ON one
wharf.
The distance from the Straits Juan d.
/ Fuca to Fairhaven Is about twenty-fou
miles less than it is from the head of thu
straits to Seattle, and about tifty-on'
miles less than it Is to Tacoma Owinl
to the sweep of the tide through marrow
channels the distance from the head o
the straits to the towns at the head OF thu
sound Is towage distance all. A ship ar
irving from the sea can sail into Far
Ravens harbor and discharge portion
of her cargo before she can be towed t.
either Seattle or Tacoma. To tow in an'
out of the ports of the upper sound cost
about 5000 per ship. This charge can b
saved at Belingham bay.
The water front of Fairhaven has beef
reserved for manufacturing purposes
This front extends from Chuckanut ba.
to Fairhaven, about three miles. Not
foot of water front has been sold. saw
for sites on which to establish manufac
turing industries. All along this tire
miles an expert stone thrower can stan'
on the shore and east stone into waite
that is over thirty feet deep at dead loN
tide.
Ballot Reform.