Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-07-18
rnoM WAsHrNaroN srAEE.
An old Baxterite Tells OF Its wonderful
Mountains, Forests and Resources.
From the southern Argus.

EDITOR SOUTHERN ARGUS: When |
one leaves one state to settle In anoth- |
err he generally has an idea that ne |
would like TO tell his friends Of the
advantages of his new home. Often
IL is the case in writing that things |
are greatly exaggerated and l write |
this letter simply to deal In facts and q
plain, unvarnished statement. Prob |
ably all the readers have ere this read
of the great things of this new state of
Washington. All the unfavorable
things are not mentioned. All the
large tales are told-the small ones are
not heard of. Washington today is
more talked about and written about
than any other state in the northwest.
Washington today is receiving more
free advertising than any other state.
If any one will take map Of the Unit
ed States and look II over they will
perceive that Washington is In about
the same latitude as Maine and ut a
glance will suspect that this must be a
cold and barren state, but before this
letter is ended they will easily sec that
their judgment Is unsOund 70 far as
western Washington or the Puget
Sound country is concerned, for this
letter is confined TO that part only.
Eastern Washington we know moth
ing about. Washington is large
state, a state of large things and large
immigration. Look at her mountains.
Mount Rainier towers Ia IA feet above
the surrounding country with snow
the wear round. Think of looking up
nearly three miles and mile of that
in eternal snow and ice. Grand 1t is
and one never ceases to talk about the
huge monster. Mount Baker, 11,0O0
feet high aud so miles east Of here,
on any cloudless day we can see as
plainly as if it were at our very door.
To the east also is the Cascade range
which prevents the western blizzard
from penetrating this sound country.
Then to the west is the Olympian
range, also a wind protector in its
way. Washington has large noun
tains, but who has not heard Of her
large forests, of almost the largest trees
IN the world from which the supply
for future generations must come, and
which they will thank the state OF
Washington for. Some writers argue
that the timber of Washington alone
will supply the world for 800 years,
hut they are mostly real estate dealers
who have land to sell at enormous fig
ures. In Kansas City, in or about the
year 1883, Ex.Lieut. Gov. Furness OF
Nebraska, who was sent with two
other parties by the government to in-
spect the forest of Puget Sound, read a
paper before the American Horticnl-
tural society in which he stated that
there were 10000 square miles of for
est in TIE Puget Sound country alone,
but he never said that it would supply
the world for 500 years, but that II
might supply the United States for
LOO wears. At the rapid destruction
of the forest now going OH I have no
doubt that he was correct in his state
ment. Nobody here, it seems, has any
regard for the forests OF this country.
They are wasted in the most extrav-
agant manner. The best, is put i'll
sawlogs, the rest is left to the mercy
of the flames. 1t is simply crime
the way it is destroyed. How l think
of treeless Kansas, suffering for the
want of 1t, while here they suffer be-
cause they have too much of it. Think
of quarter section of land with from
10 to Is million feet of lumber on il
and I am told of a 160 acres of land
near here on which ii is claimed there
is 100000 feet of lumber. and from
the forests have seen l believe 1t to
be correct. Think Of log 90 feet
long and 8 feet in diameter at The
smaller end and II feet at the larger
end. l have seen in the city of Seattle
the bottom of the first cut of log that
was u feet in diameter and according
to the count of the rings was 400 years
old when Columbus discovered Amer
lea. Not over Is miles from here is
cedar stump on which y people were
able to stand and which cost thu
owners of the land $65 10 have takeI
out. / could fill several columns will
the same kind of remarks about the for
esis of Washington. When these ar
gone we will never see their like again
1 may say this, however, that thos'
who have never seen these monster
will have an opportunity to see one a
the worlds fair in Chicago where
understand they are to place a fir ire
OH exhibition that will stand 300 fee
hiyh. The forests OF this state at tn
present time supply most of the bust
ness and labor and now that the de
mand is not so great for lumber every
thing is dull, for upon lumber depend
everything else and it will so cOnlinn'
for wears to come. When lumber j
in brisk demand then things liven VI
in all other branches Of trade.
But Washington has other advan
tages than forests. She is known Z
be rich in minerals, such as coal, irol
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