Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-14
FAJRHAVEN'S OPPORTUNITY

1t will doubtless be remembered that
lust prior to the completion of the main
line Of the Great Northern railway, a
body of the citizens of Seattle COM
munieated with Mr.. Hill concerning
the matter of celebrating that event.
He replied that at later day than the
one proposed, and when the road
should be fairly opened, he proposed to
bring about three hundred capitalists
and business men over the line for the
purpose, among other things, of show
ing them the country and resources,
and suggested a postponement of the
celebration until that time. So far
as the celebration is concerned it is pro-
posed to make it distinctively Seattle
affair, Just as Fairhaven would do if it
were proposing to celebrate that event,
but 50 far as the visit Of the large body
of capitalists is concerned that is mat
ter in which every point on the Sound
is equally interested. The Great
Northern railway has at least very
large indirect interest in the growth
and development Of every place which
it touches, and Of every thing in the
country tributary to any point reached
by 1t. The most ordinary business
prudence suggests that any investment
in any enterprise in Whatcom county
which would make business for the
road would be just as welcome, and
would receive the same encouragement,
as though that investment or that en-
terprise were in any other part of the
state. 1t is but fair, then, to assume
that when a large body of business
men shall be brought over the line by
those interested in it, they will be
shown as much of the country and
made as familiar with its resources as
possible. In that aspect of the case
Fairhaven is as largely interested as
any other place can he, because it can
make a better showing of materials out
of which to build up wealth and pros
perity and commerce than can be found
elsewhere on the Sound. 1t will, how
ever, require some effort on the part Of
our people to demonstrate these facts.
Tourists cannot go everywhere and see
everything, and unless some pains
shall be taken 10 make an exhibit of
our resources we are quite likely to not
have them fully understood or appre-
ciated.
With little trouble and small out
lay of money we could make an ex-
hibit of resources in iron alone which
might lead to the development of a
great iron industry at this point. We
could procure bog iron from Lynden,
magnetic iron from the Nooksack, a
variety of ores from the Skagit, coal
from Blue Canyon, coal, coke and fire
clay from Jennings, lime from Roche
Harbor and elsewhere, a hundred va
rieties of valuable clay and maDx other
things which are not open TO the
casual observer as is our timber, unex-
celled barbor and beautiful scenery.
In fact there ought to be kept in Fair.
haven at all times large exhibit Of all
these products of the county, not i'm
the vest pocket pieces which we some
times see in show windows, but in
quantities which would indicate that
they come from a deposit containing an
abundance. Then we could procure an
analysis of our ores and Goals and cokes
to exhibit along with them, together
with maps showing their location, ac-
feasibility and much additional in
formation which would be valuable.
II this course would in the end lead to
the development Of but single one of
these industries, and the opening of
new coal mine, the building Of blast
furnace, the establishment of pottery
or the manufacture of fire brick It
would be the beginning Of new era
for Fairhaven. The chamber of COM
merce Is the proper and only organized
medium through which this good work
can be accomplished, and this is a field
in which 1t can SOW with fair promise
of ultimately reaping rich harvest.