Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-04-30
THE YEARS PROGRESS

4
and on the lips of the residents of Bell
Ingham bay is, When are we going to
have change for the better? We
think that ordinary observation and
justify the assertion that
most people are about as long in discov-
ering change for the better when
times are hard, as they are in seeing
and preparing for a change for the
worse when times are good. Our read
ers all know that it was recent his
tory of the whole people of Puget
Sound that they refused to part with
their holdings under blind belief that
everything would continue to advance
until it became well nigh impossible to
part with enough to save them from
great financial losses. We discovered
all at once that we were in the very |
midst of very great depression. Most
of us will probably be just as blind to
any improvement, until we sudden y |
find ourselves in the midst of easy cir
cumstances. The truth is that change
has already set in, and the country
generally, including Bellingham bay,
is in much better condition than it
was year ago. Our lumber and shin
giles and coal are the three products
which we have for shipment and upon
which we have chiefly depended for
development until such times as the
more difficult and expensive resources
could be made available. Compare
the conditions of these products with
those of year ago and see how much
better the outlook is. Then not mill
on the Bay was running full time and
the only ones being operated at all
were the Cornwall mill and Mr.. Wood
in's. Then the Bay and the Nooksack
, river were full of logs for which there
, was no sale, and we had no market and
no access to any at living rates for any
( thing in the lumber line which we
, could manufacture. Then but five
2 shingle mills had been constructed and
= they were hardly operated at all for
: want of market. Now the logs are
gone and prices have risen to fair
: values, loggers have taken to the woods
] again and many new camps have been
! opened, and our orders come for lum-
] Der and shingles by the million for rail
] and by the ship load for water trans
: portatIon, and hundreds Of thousands
: Of dollars are now coming to this county
a where only hundreds we're coming a
J. year ago.
: The coal developments have gone on
e well, and thousands Of tons are now
{ being shipped where . year ago there
o was none. We have likewise discov.
i cred that the fishing industry is to be
= one " our great sources Of wealth, and
!. q large plant il now ready for the bust
j. Dess. There have, within the last year
q been hundreds Of acres Of land cleared
e and will This year aggregate large
is yield n valuable products. In only
/. one thing have we failed to materially
d improve, and that IL the price and sail
~ u dtg blocks and acreage property
II FOr the former they are high enough
- yet, and for the latter it is much to-
" high, fact which has prevented tn
" Investment u large amounts Of none.
p In that class u property which woul'
3 have led 10 much more rapid i'm
At provcment Of the lands, and to
ie greatly increased production an
h. wealth.
4. The fact il we are beginning to e>
10 hlbit the faith In our resources whic
Of we have advertised for others TO reat
III and are doing something TO help on
.s- selves. There was time in the hi
as tory Of our towns when the people WEI
ty crazed with the prospects Of quick gair
I'd and large profits to particular indivi'
ne uals, all to arise, as then believed, o,
Mt of some speedy movement on the pa
n of somebody else, but there never h'
ar been so great certainty
81 permanent improvement In I'll
n development of the country as I
of the presept time. This means growt