The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-05

side" route from Fairhaven 10 Seattle, VIA
Deception pass, is at present filed by the
little steamer Wasco, whose manager, Cap
tain Holbrook, is indefatigable in his
efforts to please the public. The fare be-
tween Fairhaven and Seattle is but 81;
the limited accommodations are excellent,
but the superior beauty of the inside route
ought to command the service of much
larger steamers. The day cannot be far
distant when the favorite tourist route to
Victoria from Seattle will be the inside trip.
At present the superior size, speed and
comfort of boats like the Kingston, City OF
Seattle and olympian sends the bulk OF
tourist travel to Victoria to the outside
route.
Somuch for the Sound country, viewed as
a delightful stamping ground for tourists;
for people who desire to rest themselves
by viewing the glory of the mountains
and the sunlit shores by day, and the
moon-kissed waters by night. But all the
travellers through Puget Sound are not
tired tourists, who come here to find a
balm for hurt minds and bruised nervous
systems and to feed wind pudding to their
starved imaginations. These other trav-
elers are of harder and more practical sors,
on whose speculative eyes the scenery OF
the Sound is as utterly lost as was the
grandeur of Niagara upon the tailor who
saw nothing in 1t but an excellent place to
sponge a coat. What will the man of
practical mind, seeking place to invest
money, or a workingman looking for
place to invest his labor and grow up with
the country, say of the "Sound?" On the
outside route, from Seattle to Victoria,
Port Townsend wears an air of depression,
but if the country behind it justifies its
reported richness Port Townsend will yet
be as prosperous in business and popula-
ton as it is beautiful in its commanding
site and surroundings. On the ''inside"
route Anacortes is clearly in q depressed
condition and so. for that matter, even are
the fine towns of Whatcom and Fairhaven
on Bellingham bay, compared with their
condition year ago. This situation is to
be expected at time when business depres-
sion prevails throughout the whole United
States. These new places are, of course,
the first to feel and to show the effect of
the general prostration of industry. They
are not old enough yet to have devel-
oped much manufacturing; the large
Improvements" have been so far COM
pleted that large amount of labor has
thing to do. AS a consequence, the bust
ness of the local stores, saloons, ETC., has
suffered severe shrinkage; men, who have
nothing to do and no money to take up
land and work it, must perforce go else
where, and for the next two years we do
not look for much growth of population on
Bellingham bay, but at some not distant
day the 10000 people that compose What
com and Fairhaven are sure to consolidate
under one government, and then fine
city will be born. Whatcom has an ex-
cellent electric motor line completed; a
good system of water-works; there is good
timber behind it, and good land under the
timber; and Lake Whatcom will prove
every year place of increasing attraction
for pleasure-seekers. Fairhaven has what
Whatcom lacks, an excellent hotel, the
Fairhaven, which Manager Taylor, form
erly of the Quincy house. of Boston, has
made the best hotel in the whole Sound
country from Tacoma to Victoria. Neither
Seattle nor Tacoma can boast of as excel
lent, well appointed and well kept house
as Fairhaven. 1t is clear, therefore, that
when Whatcom and Fairhaven unite they
will be well equipped for business, and
after the present season of depression,
which is likely to prevail until the next
presidential election is decided, we may
look for better times on Bellingham bay.
1t is not reasonable to suppose that 10000
people of energy and pluck will suffer their
settlement to fall into decline and decay
for lack of effort to hold their own, and at