The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-10
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Union City.

- ~ AAOSS' Nv"
growth and prosperity OF Union
City, gave to the Port Townsend
Call an interesting sketch OF his
town. He says that some day
there will be a great trade done
by the merchants of Port Town
send in the Hoods Canal country,
and the more energy they display
in getting that country opened up
and developed the quicker they
will realize good returns.
"Hood's canal" continues Mr..
Hogg, "has been neglected and
hitherto unthought of section OF
these great waters because the
more promising localities of Puget
Sound have first claim ed attention,
but now that every part OF Wash
ington is filing up with people: all
parts of it, good, bad and indiffer-
ent, is eagerly examined and the
results in many instances fairly as
tonish even the natives.
"But you asked me to tell you
something about Union City and |
may Say to begin with that if you
will take your eye off Pasco for
awhile and place both of them on
Union City you will see town
grow.
at has been for years trading
post and supply headquarters for
the farms and logging camps of
Mason county, and is the home of
Hon. John McReavy, a member of
the legislature and a gentleman
pretty we'll known on Puget Sound
as a liberal minded, progressive
citizen. He still owns the hotel
and store there and a good deal OF
the town site, but by pursuing d
most liberal policy in encouraging
people to loca:e in that locality is
doing a great deal for his town and
county.
"The town is most beautifully
situated on the elbow of the canal.
1t has most picturesque and mag
nificent country all around it, but
of course, scenery don't go tor
much in town unless it has some
other substantial backing to sup
port it. There is one general store,
carrying a stock of $4,000, first
class hotel, school, boat building
establishment, shoe maker, black
smith shop and photographer.
That's all the business there is at
present. SO you can see that the
town is just in its infancy and
there is splendid chance for men
to get in now while property is
cheap and before the boom begins.
Two steamers are now running up
Hoods Canal, one from Seattle
and one from this city.
THE RAILROAD.
"Will the Port Townsend South.
ern pass directly through the town,
Mr.. Hogg?"
"rhe road is surveyed to run
along the water front Of the town
south by Johnson's creek and Un-
Gle Johns creek, thence by Clo-
qualn or Porter's creek, thence to
the old line. BY this revision OF
the survey a great difficulty of con-
struction by way of Purdy's pass,
was obviated."
"TEere are other railroad plans
talked of for Union City, are there
notW
eyes, the business men of the
country are trying to induce the
Gray's Harbor railroad people to
run branch line into Union City
to connect with the Port Town
send Southern and it is only a
question Of time when the connec-
ting link will be built. Another
thing on this railroad subject is
that the two ends of the Port
Townsend Southern, one at Gail
Gene bay and the other at Union
City will be connected by ferry,
until traffic compels the construc.
ton OF land route around the
canal on the west side.
RESOURCES.
"What are the resources of Ma
son county and the section contig-
nous to Union City1'
"Mason county has an area OF
about 900 square miles and it's
chief product SO far has been lum-
bering. 1t has immense forests OF
fir, cedar, maple, ETC., thousands OF
acres of which has not yet been
touched. Most OF this timber lies
back Of the foot hills and will have
to be transported to tide water, in
the future by logging railways.
"Yery little attention has been
paid to farming, as yet, although
the Skokomish river valley and
several other valleys arc as rich as
any in America.
what are the mineral pros
pects!"
eve found outcroppings of coal
near the town and | have learned
lately that Messrs. j. M. Buckley,
Paul Schulze AMI other officers of
the Northern Pacific have filed
mineral claims on what they attest
is mountain of iron ore. 1t has
been repeatedly claimed that there