The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-28
SETTLERS ON THE oUEETs.
Timbered Valleys shut in by Mountain
and Sea, and SWarming With Game.


ABERDEEN, June 27.-Ispecial. IA c. Hunter,
who was one of the party that sailed from Puget
sound some weeks ago on the schooner Lucy
Lowe for thefwestern slope Of the great Olympic
peninsula, was in Aberdeen today On his way 10
Portland. In conversation with Q PosT-IsTELr
LIGgSCER representative, Mr.. Hunter gave some
interesting information concerning this section
of the state, which he's excited much interest
during the past year. The Lucy Lowe sailed
from Tacoma to the Queets valley an d carried
q colony of about forty people who were in
search of government land The vessel stopped
at Cape Fattery for fair weather. and from there
made nine trips down the coast before she could
find the water calm enough TO land. There is
not q single harbor from the cape to
Gray's Hsrbor in which q vessel can
reach the shore, and 1t was necessary for the
Lucy Lowe TO anchor of shore and send her
cargo in on the backs of Indians or in their
canoes This was done, and the party soon had
scattered along the Queefs valley, which il from
two to four miles wide, and selected their
claims, which they intend to hold by squatters'
rights until such tine a. government survey
can be had.
The soil OF this valley, or rather these valleys,
for there are two branches of the Queets river,
Is as fine any in the world, asd very deep. Ii
Is covered with brush and timber, there being
scarcely any open or prairie land. The timber 10
large and of very fine quality, being principally
The settlers found plenty of game bears being
met with at almost every turn. and deer and elk
being plentiful. There are also plenty of grouse.
quail and pheasants, the latter being OF unus-
ually large size. In fact, Mr.. Hunter says the
region is veritable hunters paradise, and on
account OF Its inaccessibility must for q long
time remain so.
While there is land end room for thousands
OF settlers along the west side of the Olympic
peninsula, Ii viii be long time before it is &C.
cupied, because 1t is SO hard to reach. As be-
fore remarked there Ii no bay or harbor nearer
than Grays harbor, which is about thirty-hvs
miles south OF the Quetts. From Grays harbor
TO the Quiniault Indian reservation the beach
affords the finest roadway imaginable, but
from the north, some twelve or fifteen
miles, the hills come down abruptly to the
ocean, rendering passage for footmen danger
GUS at any time and almost impossible except at
low tide. 1t is entirely impossible TO ever make
wagon road along the beach north of the
reservation, and inland the country is so broken
that il would be costly job. This leaves the
country at the mercy OF some railroad company.
AT present there is no store or supply depot in
reach of the settlers on the Queets, of whom
there are over sixty, but Mr. Tisdale has q
schooner load OF goods on the way, and will
soon erect store at the forks of the river, some
six miles from the ocean. The great difficulty
and cost OF getting supplies in viii make them
come high to the settlers, but they depend
on their guns TO furnish meat, and are content
70 live on simple food, no doubt they will man.
age 20 pull through the summer. The country,
no doubt, possesses many attractions TO the land
seeker, but not until 1t has railroad communi-
cation can there be much settlement or any de-
velopment. /: is really as much cut of from
the world now as though walled in.