, 1890-10-09
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
WILDLY Island Chosen as
the Probable Site.
BEAR HUNTING IN TACOMA.
An Eastern Thunderstorm in q
Western Country--A Cloud
burst In Idaho.

contains the following concerning
the probable site of the soldiers
home in this state:
The commission appointed by the
legislature to select site for the SOL
diers' home have at length found
one that apparently possesses all of
the needed advantages. The loca-
tion Is on the east shore of WILDLY
island, twenty-eight miles from Sc
attic.
M. NJ. Holmes, n member of the
commission, was seen by Press
reporter this morning in relation to
the site.
'I have visited the spot" snid
Mr. Holmes, land am very much
pleased with II. 1t is in Saratoga
passage, OH the direct route from
this city to Bellingham bay, and
has an excellent harbor. The pro-
prietors OF the site are j. Anthems
and A. =. Kirk, and they offer to
give 100 acres to the state for the To-
cation of the home. The spot Is one
mile north of Sandy point. There
Is n steamboat landing at the place.
"The timber that formerly occu-
pied the site has been logged Off
years ago, and the land is overgrown
with small alder. 1t could be easily
cleared.
There Is bench containing
about forty acres, then a small hill,
and the remainder of the land is n
gentle slope toward the sound.
There IL an excellent beach all along
the water front aud good harbor.
Water is supplied by two streams,
having their source in springs
among the hills back of the site.
These two streams would afford an
abundance of water, not only for
drinking purposes but to run an
electric lighting plant and any other
machinery necessary. One Of these
streams alone flows 1000 gallons
per hour, aud the other Is about the
sane size.
although I should prefcrto have
the home located between this city
and Tacoma, | consider this site far
preferable to anything that has been
offered us between these two points.
The site at Nashon landing Is n very
good one. 1t would cost $4,000,
however, whereas we got this one
for nothing. Moreover, where the
water on the WILDLY island can be
procured 10y gravity system, at
Nashon island 1t would have to be
pumped.
"Albro Gardner, the civil en-
gineer, has been employed to exam
inc all of the sites that have been
considered and report on their eligi- |
bility us to water and sanitary mat
ters. His report will probably be
ready about the 10th of this month,
aud as soon after that date as possi-
BILE the commission will hold meet
ing and the final location of the
home will probably he decided
upon"
The party which has been explor-
ing the Olympic mountains, under
the command of Lieutenant O'Neil,
has about finished its labors and
some of the members have returned
to Seattle. In the Press, published
in that city, appears the following
account of the travels of one division
of the party: Three members of the |
O'Neil exploring party have re-
turned. They are two privates of
Company ID, Fourteenth United
States infantry, in charge of Ser
geant William Marsh, of the same |
company. The O'Neill party, on
reaching the mountains, separated,
each division of the party starting |
out in different directions. Ser
gcant MarshalPs party went to the |
headwatcrs of the Toklan and fol-
lowed that stream down to its |
mouth. They were at one time |
1900 feet above the level of Toklan
lake, and their entire exploration |
was through the most dense thick
cts and over very rough country. |
None of the members of the party |
We're inclined TO. talk, SO but few
facts We're ascertained from them. |
On their way through the country
they struck n belt of the famous
Alaska yellow cedar. The engineer
of the party pro nounces Ii very fine,
and worth $3.50 thousand 1t IL can
be gotten out. The exact location
of the belt could not be learned, as
the members of the party were under
orders not to give the location until
tlle OFFICIAL report was nlaue.
The entire trip was most diff
cult one, and the men are bronzed
and toughened from their long ex-
posure. The entire trail they
traversed was cut out of the brush
entirely by themselves. One stretch
of country thirty miles in length
was SO dense that they were weeks
getting through it.
While travelling in the mountains
they We're confronted by deep
chasm, nearly 100 feet broad; this
they endeavored to bridge by falling
trees across it, but as fast as the trees
could he felled they would break In
two. After seven days of hard
labor they managed to get bridge
across the chasm aud get out of the
country. This is but one incident
In many of their exploration.
A little over wcekag o, says the
Tacoma News, John Scholl, in one
of his hilarious moods, purchased
young black bear. Not knowing
what TO do with 1t, he persuaded n
friend to place 1t In his cellar over
night. TIE cellar was under n sa-
loon nt Eoiirtaontb atraat and Pm