The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-31

bus heis, an average Of 2s5 per acre. the largest
in the country. While conservative author
tiles regard these figures as too high, they make
no attempt TO limit the whestraising capacities
Of the state 10 less than 2C0y0o0,00o bushels an
nualIy. There has never been Q failure Of crop,
yields OF 40 TO 60 bushels per acre are COM
mon and on one measured acre In 1890, over loi
bushels were raised. This was test acre, cul-
twisted with the utmost csre. In 1880 tbs value
Of wheat and four shipped from Puget sound
ports wss 81 $4,000, almost entirely from the
crop of 1885, In 1880 the hop product reached
5000 bales, sold at highly remunefatire prices
Large areas In Western Washington are peeui-
larry adapted 70 hop culture, as are siso many
localities in the Eastern part of the state Inc
average yield Is Loo to 1,s00 pounds per acre.
Oats, rye and barley yield heavy crops: pota-
toes 400 to 500 bushels per acre; other vegetables
In like abundance, while fruits Of every KIND,
on-tropicai, thrive TO degree unknown else
where. Washington Is certainly the paradise OF
the farmer, the gardener and the dsiryman, for
grasses are green and growing the year through.
xIsERAL WEALTH.
People in Washington have not yet learned all
there Ia on top OF the ground and cannot be ex-
pected 10 know all that lies underneath. Ger
tainly the iron and coal are inexhaustible-
State officials give the coal product OF 1890 at
1,3ss. 773 tons, while the United States census
Office reports only s93, ia tons, worth at the
mines s2,z13,755 Much OF the coal is of excel
lent quality for cooking purposes. The iron
mines have been paid little attention, but the
beginning has been made In development The
smelter at Irondale, a suburb of Port Townsend,
produces the best csrwheel iron known In the
world. Shelters are being erected at Kirkland,
suburb Of Seattle, and at EllensbuTgh. The
bullion product of the state IN 1880 40
reported by the director Of the mint
at Washington City, was not large
hint frAS n<ad he iv1er
the mines, which now are receiving much at
tention and promise TO become one OF the Lead
ing industries Of the state In the immediate
future. Clays OF all kinds are abundant and al
ready serve many lines of manufacturing.
Other minerals, both precious and base, offer
alluring openings to the capitalist and pros
pector.
Washington, and particularly the western half
OF the state is covered by heavy forests Fir Ia
the most abundant, followed by cedar and
spruce. The lumber output of the state for 1890
was I,s2s, III I'D feet, and the cut has had no
pereeptble effect on the supply. The quality OF
fir lumber is unexcelled for ship, bridge and car
building while Washington cedar is IN demand
the world over. The foreign trade Is large, and
demands further investments in milling enter
prises.
MARITIME ADVANTAGES.
The state Is so situated that It has taken
nigh rank among maritime communities. Inc
existence of the Doldrums and Calm Belts in
the Pacific forces every ship crossing the ocean
or rounding the Horn to approach the coast OF
Washington before entrance can be made to a
port further south. The state has four openings
70 the high seas, Puget sound, GrGys harbor,
shoslwater bay or, as IL Is now properly known,
Willapa harbor, and the Columbia river. Each
has large and growing commerce, the tonnage
OF vessels entering and clearing under register
alone at one customs house on Puget sound
amounting to 1888, 04 tons for 1890 The value
OF imports was ssI4, 377, ana exports a, 092 l47.
As the state has q water area of $500 square
miles. the fisheries within the state are of great
value, while all ocean fishing in the North Pa
cifc may be relied upon TO increase state
wealth.
FINANCES
Washington has offered every inducement
for the investment of capital. No usury
laws have been enacted and none are
contemplated. Capital is encouraged and then
left alone, yet excessive interest charges not
demanded. The effect of this wise lack OF legis-
lation is that Washington has q banking capital
of SEAS per capita, while the rich state OF
Illinois has but $50 per capita and some states
little more than IS per capita The people them
selves are provident and ambitious to become
capitalists-5,634 depositors in the savings banks
having an average to their credit of 1926.
Points touched upon in this bulletin are given
more In detail In those now in press. Complete
they furnish testimony TO establish the fact
that Washington is destined to become one of
the richest and most powerful of the common
wealths Of the Union.
Seattle, WASH, 1891.