The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-01
HOODS CANAL COUNTRY.
A Virgin Field for Investment and
Enterprise.
The Moxs Remarkable ship Canal in the
worId-A Vast UndeveIoped
Territory.

Northwest coast. - map o. W aS1iuEton
territory dated 1855. By E. Giddings. as
sistant surveyor general, showing public
surveys In the territory. On il the loca-
ton OF the Northern Pacific Fzilroad i in
dicated by line running from the ColHra-
bia river 10 Tenino, and thence branching.
one line touching Puget sound at Seattle,
leaving Commencement bay many miles 70
the westward, and the other passing along
the western shore OF Hoods canal 70 Port
Townsend. For several years the COM
pany contemplated building upon this line.
In May. 1s69, Judge Swan was detailed BY
the company 10 make q reconnaissance of
the canal with reference to the resources Of
the tributary country. Upon the failure
Of Jay Cooke when it was decided to run
the line TO tide water az the nearest posi-
bic point and the bottomless bay became
the terminus, au of these charts that
could be found were destroyed, and very
few Of them are now extant
As result Of this change in the location
OF the line OF this road. a vass region of in-
caiculable material wealth. penetrated by
one of the Sounds most important
branches, remains until this day q virgin
field for investment and enterprise.
Hoods canal has been heretofore almost
overlooked by the settler and investor, not
wishstanding the mighty food of immigra-
ton and capital for the past few years
pouring into the Puget sound basin. drawn
by the fame Of its resources and matchless
commercial advantages We have here
the most remarkable ship channels in the
world. commercial highway direct 10 the
entrance 70 the Straits of Fuea, penetrating
for 7{egruro IS Sfx4xz s.,a ..,Efac
gion rich in many OF the staples OF COM
merce, without a city and its amazing
wealth almost totally undeveloped.
About twenty miles south of Port Town
send Foulweather bluff, the northern point
of the great peninsula dividing the two
main branches OF the upper Sound, sepa-
rates the waters of Hoods canal at its
mouth from Admiralty inlet. From. this
point the channel extends southwest about
fifty miles, varying in width from three
10 twelve miles, to the mouth OF the Sko-
komish river, at which point it becomes
narrower and makes an accute angle, ex-
tending about fourteen miles in north
easterly direction to its extreme head at
Clifton. AS it is only two miles from this
point to Cases inlet, an eastern branch of
the Sound, many have asked the question
If Hood dug his canal according TO con-
tract in not cutting through 70 this pas
sage leading into Admiralty inlet About
midway between Foulweather bluff and
the Skokomish there is an enlargement of
the canal from which projects Tarraboo
bay, about twelve miles due north. This
bay divides near its head, the western
branch forming Quilcene bay, upon which
is located the promising town Of QuiIcene,
an agricultural hamlet nesting among the
foothills OF the 0lvmpics. the port OF q
rich agricultural district The canal is
remarkable for its depth and the entAe
absence of ali distractions. II Is navigable
TO its extreme head for the deepest draught
vessel ever launched. being from twenty
five 10 seventy fathoms in depth. without .
rock or a shoai
The great peninsula on the eastward con-
tains large area OF rolling, timbared land,
cut by the fertile valleys OF Beef Harbor
creek, Duwatto creek, Anderson creek.
Stevens river and Tahayet creek. In these
valleys OF the Peninsula are to be found the
greater portion of the population along
the canal at present, and in time, as their
ranches become opened up, they viii con-
tribute largely 10 the wealth of the canal
To the westward lies the vast, unin-
habited, unsurveyed region stretching
away to the Pacific that will, when its re-
sources are developed. cover Hoods canal
with the fleets Of commerce.
AZ the mouth Of Tarraboo bay the foot
hills OF the Olympic mountains tut out abb
ruptly nearly 10 the beach From this
point the range, extending southwesterlv,
DIVORCES from the shore-line. leavening a
widening plateau from 200 10 800 feet in
elevation and stretching along the canal TO
the mouth of the Skokomlsh river, where
Il Is about ten miles in width The soil on
the plateau is dry aud graveily. but will be
good grazing land when cleared. This
plateau Is penetrated by many fertile val
leys, extending far back into the unknown
wilds Of the Olympic mountains. The Do
quihus. Doseewallop, L0ilawaup and Ham
ma HANNA are the principal streams fiow-
ing into this side OF the canal, and into
these valleys many settlers have taken up
claims during the past year. particularly
into The valley of the HANNA HANNA.
The timber OF these valleys is remarkably
heavy and the soil unexceiled in fertility.
Another rich region that has drawn
many settlers IS the rich bottom lands
about Lake Cnshman, lying beyond the
plateau and FIRST RANGE OF foothills,
through which the north fork Of the Sho-
komish river passes, about ten miles back
OF the eanal There il here a small colony
Of yonng men. college graduates. some Of
them OF well-known families. of the East.
whose courage IN penssralng into these
Wild selitudes vii certainly he rewarded.
The unusually rich agricultural land here
Is covered with dense timber. the ssumpase
Of soaae sections having been estimated hv
experts st 90 on COO feet.
The valGe OF the timber product that vii
reach the worlds market through Hoods
canal - vast beyond computation. The
dense forest covering the plateau and val.
ieys. covering the foothills AID Slopes Of
the Olympic mountains to the timber lines
on The southern aud western slopes AZ the
range, = al tributary 30 the canal. In AL
diEion 10 TIE eammoa lr saa cedar. there
are large bodies 81 raagn fieut veglaw cedar.
the moss valuable timber We have
As prssens she larring camps eomprfse
nearsg the entire POPULATION q the canal
There we're during the past season shsas
fifteen camps. their cat being aboat g9.ao.-
90 AoSEinE along The canal has beer
carried on for over thirtg wears. vss oaig
usrFaw strip slong tie shore. extending no
farther back than as an or team can ueue-
srsie. has oesn ca& The great boaiv 81
tiNlher, heaytsv as st extenas hack from the
eAnSl, sfsl remains unsonehed. The moss
extensive iogRing woTks oa the carAl ara
operated ~ the Puget Nh Company al
Clifton. FAeY have from thar point ~or.
ssrueted . standard eAage rAilroaa. knswa
- TIE En3an River r&swAv. whieh was b.
gun II ISIS, e. h&s hen extended autn
nWw conSkr1efe4 mlshfn tAree raEgaS az Pea