The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-05-22
A Letter from Olympia, Wash.

OLYMPIA, Wash, May Sc Special
Correspondence. )-Olympia is the
present capital of Washington, and
for location and the beauty of its
surroundings is unsurpassed by any
city on Puget Sound. 1t is located
on the eastern prong or inlet of the
Sound 200 miles from where the
strait of San Juan de FuCa pours its
high tide current into the Pacific
To the northwest of the city the
coast ranges of mountains lift high
their hoary heads crowned with the
white canopy of eternal winter. The
city of Olympia this beautiful May
morning is a veritable bower of
bloom. Never have | seen such a
wealth of apple, plum, cherry and
pear tree blossoms. Every little
homestead in the city has its orchard
and failure of the fruit trees just
mentioned to produce an abundant
harvest would be red letter day on
this coast. The mild winds from
the Pacific temper the atmosphere of
the summer months into delicious
GOODNESS, and the same tropical cur
rents of air that rustic through the
palm groves Of the tropical islands
of the southwest Pacific modify and
control the temperature of the winter
months.
There are about 5000 people here
who are actual residents of this city.
The floating population at the pres
ent time is large. Young men from
Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas,
Missouri, and especially from the
States of North and South Dakota,
are here looking for an opportunity
to better their fortunes. I will say
to the young men Of Wisconsin:
Don't come out here without money.
This is not All agricultural country.
Government lands suitable for cult
walton have long since been taken up
under the presumption or homestead
laws and unimproved outside prop
erty is high and difficult to handle.
1t costs on an average of SIPS to
clear up and prepare an acre of such
land for cultivation. An energetic
young man who comes here with
So, 900 and with determination to
cultivate small portion of the soil
of Western Washington will certain
ly succeed. | do not mean by this
statement that men who come here
with SIS in their pockets cannot sue
coed Success is sometimes Great
ure of circumstances, but is more
often controlled by the perseverance
and determination Of the individual.
1t does not cost a great deal to live
in this country. | am stopping at
frst-class hotel and am paying e
cents for my meals and so cents for
an excellent bed. Female servants
get all the way from $40 to $40 per
month. Good cooks and housekeep-
ers are in great demand and hard to
find. There are about II men here
for each and every one Of the unmar-
ried fair sex toselect from. There
are many old bachelors who have
pleasant homes and who would be
glad to take wives providing they
could get them. A business man in
this city who is also something Of
wag, proposed that | should start for
the east and advertise for train
load of nice old maids. While | was
after the women, he proposed to
placard the Sound with hand bills
setting forth that on certain day in
the city of Olympia, county of Thurs
ton and State of Washington. there
would be grand auction, at which
$500 nice old maids would be
knocked down to the lowest bidder.
''What are you going to give me as a
commission for such an unheard- of
| iob?" said /. "Well, said the Sound
speculator rehectively, "s5 is about.
right for sweet miss of 16 summers
and ST. for each and every maiden
lady past the age of 80 summers.
The tough old maid who says she is
only q [ don't want and won't ac-
cept at any price, and you must
bring them out here at your own
risk" Then turning to me with
merry twinkle in his eyes he said:
"The State of Washington must be
civilized and it can't be done with
out women. On the day of the auc-