The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-15
RICHES OF SEATTLE.
Great City in the Midst OF In
exhaustibIe Resources.
COAL SUPPLY FOR CENTURIES.
Mountains OF Iron and Marble-Un-
equalIed Inducements are Offered
to the Investor.
seattle Letter in Boston Post.

Ei0n OF W dSlingL0u east Oh the NdSCduS
mountains succeeds TO the name OF the
INLAND Empire. That portion west OF the
Cascades is called Western Washington,
and this section of the state is undoubt-
eddy richer in its wealth of natural re-
sources than any other section OF THIS
country. This may seem an exaggerated
statement, but make it in all sincerity,
and trip once made through this Puget
sound country viii convince the most con-
servative capitalist and investor. The
Cascades. the dividing line between East
crn and Western Washington, are, next to
the Rockies, the grandest range in North
America, and extend from Alaska TO the
lower end Of California, a distance OF 5000
miles Mount Rainier in plain view from
Seattle, is majestic, and one of the Hottest
peaks in America, having height Of A.
444 feet A large proportion of Western
Washington is densely timbered with fr,
cedar pine of all kinds, oak, maple and
alder, interspersed with small areas of
praire or open land.
The prairies, valleys end river bottoms
afford fair proportion of excellent soil. /
had supposed that Western Washington
was almost exclusively timber and min
eral country, and was greatly surprised
such as cereals of all kinds, fruits, garden
vegetables "a potato weighing nine pounds
was raised here), and all varieties of ber-
ries. This country is, of course. in its in
fancy, and at the present writing timber is
king, and when say timber, | refer 10
the finest in the land. Thousands and
tens of thousands of acres of timber, tim
Der on hills and mountains and it seems
to me an abundance for everybody for
years to come. The bottom lands. when
cleared off, are the very best for farming
purposes; the cost of clearing varies from
$40 to SIS per acre. Mr. Griffith told me
that the expense Of clearing has deferred
settlement TO some extent, and have no.
ticed that the result is that thousands of
acres of the richest lands remain in the
vicinity of the best cities. towns and set
Elements. The settler should remember,
however, that once cleared, they are rich,
and indeed exhaustless. A ten-acre patch
of such lands, am told, yields anywhere
from $500 to 81 900 per acre, and is worth
more than any average i00-acre farm in the
East.
The soil produces large yields in wheat
and oats, while hops is a staple crop
Fully ten thousand people are employed
in the hop season picking the crop, which
amounted the last season to over 900
bales. The average yield of hops is 1900
pounds to the acre. are rated nrst in quail
ity, and in some respects they are better
than the New York hops, and are equal
in every respect TO the German or English
product. The following from the Seattle
PosT-INTELLIGEycER of January ., 1883, is
applicable TO the present, and is explana-
tory of this glorious country Farmer
John Wilson came in from his home on
Lake Washington (about two miles from
the business district) yesterday, and left at
this office bouquet of bridal wreaths and
roses plucked from his garden. Mr.. Viii
son has 100 acres of land, which he cleared
UP himself. This year he cut eighty tons
of hay. He keeps eight cows, which melted
him the past year 500. His potato crop
averaged 500 bushels to the acre. He has
young orchard from which he gathered
400 bushels OF apples, besides peaches,
plums, figs. grapes, berries and other
small fruits"
hardly think any New England farmer
can show the above record.
A prominent man aptly and very cor
rectly states that western WASHINGTON is
the Pennsylvania of the Pacific coast"
Mr.. l.. II. Griffith, who has resided here
for eight years, has given the coal mining
industry considerable study. has tramped
over the fields from every point of the COM
pass, and has lent assistance to developing
several mines. His assertion that there is
aH W tcteEu w SuiNCltnL TO
supply the Pacific coast for centuries does
not, in point OF the facts, seem in the least
an exaggeration. 1t can supply all the
wants of iron OF our great nation for an
equally long period. How important all
this is can best be realized when we con-
slider the fact. long well established, that
the richest. mines in the world and those
best calculated TO increase the national
wealth are those of coal and iron. Neither
the silver mines of Mexico nor the gold
mines of California or the diamond mines
OF Oolconda have ever contributed To the
world 1.-THE of the dement's which have
resulted IN the opening UP and operation
OF the coal and iron mines of Great Britain
alone. The coal fields OF Western Wash
ington are all within a radius of forty
miles of tide water. and afford easy means
for rapid shipment. The principal mar
kets are California and Oregon. Strong
timber covers the coal fields, and is
utilized IN constructing tramways, houses,
sheds and devices necessary in mining
work and development. The coal seams
chiefly operated In the Puget sound basin
range from Ignite, semi-bituminous and
hitumlnous TO anthracite, and are found
useful not only for steam and domestic
purposes, but also for forge coal and coke.
These veins range in thickness from three
10 eighteen feet. are numerous and admir-
ably located for cheap mining
Another rich resource of the state is iron,
which IS found IN the vicinity of Puget
sound. over half q million dollars is in
vested in iron works at Irondale, near
Port Townsend, which have been in opera
tion for several years. Pig iron OF a SUI
perior quality is shipped from this locality
10 all the leading points ON the Pacihc
coast Petroleum and gas are found in all
the leading coal regions, and can readily
imagine the establishment at Seattle of
great oil retineries, and the countless in
dustries that have made Pennsylvania
and Ohio famous. when the crude
petroleum for the one and the natural
gas fuel for the other shall be piped TO the
tide water. East of Seattle and near the
sginmit of the Cascade mountains are
large quarries Of building stone and white
marble. In fact. in all those raw materials
and necessary auxlliaries To the successful
upoullding OF great manufacturing and
improvements enterprises, Washington
may be said 20 excel almost any similar
area IN the world. OF this large. rich area
Seattle * the central city and the metrop-
Oils Of the Pacific Northwest 4 Young
giant, both IN business and progress. she
has today recovered from the terrible fire
which swept her away but little over 4
year ago, and from population Of about
), ~ IN 1850 now has nearly s000 souls
As the center Of the rich tributary coun-
Ivy described above, Seattle offers induce
mentS 70 the investor which are not
equailed on any part of the continent.
livery day new mines, new opportunities
ard new enterprises spring up, which il
taken IN time by the investor lead on to
fortune. Money Is wanted here 20 develoD
the rich resources that are here in and
around Seattle. and | know of no other
part of the country where such profits can
be made and the investments are As safe.
4 .F.,, - L. s~f