Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-05-09
OLYMPIA WASHINGTON: FRIDAY EVENING NAV q 1901
Ten years ago the railway facilities


of Washington consisted of the North
ern Pacific line from Kalama to Ia
coma, the road from Tacoma up the
Puyallup valley to the coal fields, DIR.
Bakers little road from Wallula to
Walla Walla, and a short coal road
running out from Seattle. Now the
total trackage is 1900 miles, and all
but about 200 miles is the result of the
efforts of the past decade. An average
OF over 100 miles year of new rail-
way lines for ten years past is certain
ly very satisfactory showing for a
community not now numbering more
than 100000 souls and which ten
years ago hardly numbered $4,000.
OF the present railway mileage about
500 miles are operated by the North
ern Pacific company, and nearly 800
miles more are controlled by compa-
nies closely affiliated to the Northern
Pacific in their traffic relations.
A few years ago it would have been
thought the height of folly to build
railway line practically paralleling the
the navigable waters of the Sound, yet
the roads now under construction will
occupy both the eastern and the west
ern shores OF this beautiful inland sea,
one line going down the western side
as far as Port Townsend, and the other
lines forming connections along the
western shore, from Tacoma to What
com and Vancouver. So great has
been the development of the Puget
Sound country in recent years that
these lines appear to have a good
business basis. They keep back a few
miles from the Sound, 80 as not to
come into close competition with the
steamboats,. They will settle many
agricultural valleys, and also develop
a large business in logging and lum-
bering. The road now in construction
down the Chehalis to the Gray's Har-
Dor towns also appears to have sound
basis in country capable OF furnish
ing a great deal of traffic. Other new
projects which appear to be warranted
by the growth of the country are the
roads from Vancouver, on the Colum-
bia river, to the Yakima valley, al
ready commenced, and the projected
road from the Chehalis to Shoalwater
Bay.
UNDEvELOPED RESOURCES.
Very few of the resources of this
State can be said to be fully devel-
oped, so nearly all the vast list could
comp under this head.
What is needed is capital to devel-
op the very extensive and valuable
iron mines. These are in proximity
to lime and coal, and all are conven-
lcllt W tlue.WAteT.
On the upper Skagit river are said
to be extensive quarries of the finest
marble. Specimens coming from
there were suitable for statuary.
There are mines o! gold and silver,
lead, copper and other minerals that
are pronounced to be vaster in extent
and richer than those of C9ur dAlene
in Idaho. These are at present COM
paratively inaccessible, but projected
railways will soon reach them.
Off the coast OF Washington are
banks that afford the finest cod and
halibut fishing. The difficulty in uti-
lizing them arises from the fact that
the banks extend into British waters,
and American vessels are not permit
ted to follow the migratory fishes to
northward. This circumstance prac-
tically destroys the value of the fisher
les for both nations, as the banks ex.
tend along the coast of Oregon, Wash.
ington, British Columbia and Alaska,
and the schools of fish are constantly
changing their position. Vessels, if
not permitted to follow them, must,
therefore, be alternately busy and
idle for certain periods.
Petroleum is believed to exist un-
der the Puget Sound basin, and ex-
perts have stated that it will certainly
be found in paying quantities when
ever borings are made to the proper
depth.
Thousands of acres OF the richest
lands that are overfowed only by the
highest tides exist on Puget Sound,
Gray's Harbor, Shoalwater Bay, and
the Columbia river. These lands are
easily dyked, and, when so prote cted,
yield almost Incredible quantities of
oats, hay, and other crops.
Large areas of bottom lands are
covered with the cottonwoods out of
which paper pulp is made, and the
limited number of mills for using it.,
now in operation, are paying invest
ments.
Forests of larh and white pine, finer
and more extensive than any yet
operated by loggers. exist in remote
localities where railroads of considera-
ble length must be constructed to
move their products.
Hemlock bark for tanning purposes
may be readily and cheaply obtained,
and also other raw materials for the
manufacture of leather. The few
tanneries in the State are paying
profits to their owners.
Altogether, there is no more invit-