Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-07-29
For the OBSERVER.
Letter from Mai. H. p.
Jones.
TACOMA, WAsHING1oN,

EDITOR OBSBRvER-DEAE SIR:
Some time since l wrotc you a few
lines descriptive OF scenes, etc, in
the west, bot have never heard
whether you received them or not,
but as this is a holiday, aud no bust
ness being done, | will venture an-
other letter, hoping that it may be
OF interest TO some OF yoar readers
who have never been in The west.
The condition OF things. SO tar as my
visits have extended, is about Toe
same in Montana, Idaho, aud Wash
ington as in the east, the same dull
ness n trade depression 10 r~eal-es.
tate, and a universal cry of bard
times and no moaey. Compared
with what it was tour years ago,
this city is very quiet, aud one can
See many stores aud dwellings for
sale or rem 10 every direction.
This hotel is on Pacific Ave, the
main business theroughtare. aud yet
10 this block, and on one side of the
street only, there are eleven large,
handsome stores acant aud which
were all occupied two years back.
But the place has grown wonder
fully and this country has great re-
sources. Tacoma claims now about
$4,000 inhabitants and is a very
pretty place, with a splendid cleo
trio street railway system, running
in almost every direction, in city
aud suburbs. The county cour,
house just being completed is one Of
the fines, buildings in the country
it is built Of white and dark stones,
prettily contrasted and cost S350,000.
This would be considered rather an
expensive luxury for Orange county,
but it is o thought out OF the way
here.
The growth of vegetation Of all
kinds in Western Washington is al.
most uncomfortable to persons who
have never been out here, and, no
doubt the following statements will
by some be considered as exaggera.
ted, but they are true nevertheless.
For the benefit of some it may be
we'll to state that | do not drink, nor
use opium have not been reading
Munchausen, or Eli Perkins, and atn
not an habitat newspaper -correspon.
dent, my letters to you being my
only venture 10 that line.
First as TO small fruits you never
saw such straw berries as are raised
around this town. and on some OF
the islands in the sound they are
being brought in daily by the hun
dreds OF crates, aud are selling at 2
to D cents a quart, and some of them
are so large that you cannot pretend
to eat them without first cutting them
TO pieces 10 many instances 16 OF
them will make a quart. l don,
know what the yield is per acre, bu,
the price is SO very low that the
growers complain bitterly, say they
are losing money, aud threaten 10
pillow up their vines unless they can
} get better figures.
Now to change the subject a lit.
tie. 10 many Of the yards in the
residence portion OF town, there are
!, GREET quantities of roses, that equal
the Sber'ies in comparative size a
lumber of bushes of the LA France
VARIETY may be seen upon which
there are hundreds of roses that will
measure six, eight and more inches
in diameter, Ii is the same thing
with regard to timber, this whole
section from the divide OF the cas-
cadcs, down TO the coast, being Gov
cred with a dense growth of enor-
nous trees. While down at the
Tacoma Mill, at Old Town, Last eve
ming my attention was called to
some timber that would pass for
large almost any where; they were
cutting one log that was s feet in
diameter. In another part of the
mill a gang saw was ripping out
flooring plank from two square
pieces one on top of tue other, and
at II passage was turning out lit
~ two plank. There is one mill
here ;ha. can cut 10000 feet an hour.
Out on the wharf at the mill visited
by me, there are two square sticks
OF sawed timber that will give o
some idea OF the size of the trees {:
they are each Is inches square, one
is li0 feet aud the other los feet
lons, aud there isn't a siugle knot in
ether Que. 1t any of your readers
doub. this statement they can step
down there on the street cars for
. censs and verify i, for themselves,
which would be she only way. as |
cannot very we'll take the sticks
home in order TO prove my veraci,y.
| have not >been 10 Seattle vet,
bu, 60 over there early tomorrow
morning, will probably be on aud
around tho sound tor a few weeks,
then toward Portland aud from there
TO San Francisco, Los Augelss, &c.
OF course the hard times are having
a bad effect on my business, as on
al. others, but l am selling some
/ goods IN evoFH fowp on2 f1aE tor q