Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-06-16

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the question to that arbitrament.
THE PRESENT.
We have seen the early struggles
which ushered in the county of Thurs.
ton up to the time she became the
seat OF the government. From that
time her growth and Importance until
very recently was the growth and i'm.
portance OF the State. She is
still the organic center of the State
and progressing rich resources OF
minerals, timber and agricultural
lands, she must continue to be one OF
the greatest, il not the greatest coun-
ties, in the coming State. Let us
glance at her as she is today. OF her
climate it is not possible to speak in
terms of too high praise. She stands
pre-eminent for the mildness and
equahility OF weather in all seasons.
To the Eastern mind this will seem an
exaggeration. To the average citizen
OF the Eastern and Middle States, who
have heard such tales of the wild
Northwest, this country seems almost
Arctic in its severity. 1t is only re-
Gently that they have come to realize
the truth, and every man who writes
a true account of the climate to friends
in the East is public educator.
What one of the denizens of New York
for instance will believe that roses and
chrisanthemums bloom in our gardens
in December? That our lawns are
green and beautiful throughout winter
that snow is seldom seen, except in
the white peaks OF our magnificent
mountains? That only at rare seasons
the thermometer touches zero in the
winter and that only for few hours9
That though our flower gardens bloom
in December, we plant our vegetable
gardens in February? How shall
they know that when they are seeth-
ing in the burning sun of July day,
the gentle breeze from the Olympic
range, cool and delicious, pours down
upon this lovely and picturesque land?
How shall they picture to themselves
the GOODNESS and eternal calmness
that seems always to be waited to us
on summers day from the eternal
SHOWS that lie like a crown of glory
about the brow OF Mt. Rainier? How
shall they who sit beneath the
deafening peals of thunder and the
binding flash OF the forked lightning,
while the rain comes down in floods,
ever dream OF the gentle shower that
falls in dreamy cadence upon this
thirsty soil, as the blessing of the
Omnipresent on the promised land?
How shall we picture it to them? The
cold facts are too tame. The average
temperature Of the spring months is
81 degrees Fahrenheit, for summer
67 degrees, for autumn SO degrees,
and for winter 38 degrees. In the
month OF January, which comprises
the winter season, snow sometimes
falls, but seldom remains more than a
few hours. The days, as rule, are
clear and calm with falling tempera.
ture and frost at night, followed by a
foggy morning, which draws the teeth
OF Jack Frost, as it were, and vegeta-
ton and fruit trees suffer no injury
from his bite. AS fact the fruit trees
are budding even in December. This
fact and the further one that fruit
grows in great abundance is complete
proof that the winters are almost
tropical in their mildness. And for
the summers! What can be said OF
them that will be simple Justice?
They are simply the ideal summer.
From April to November one long,
glorious, splendid succession of sunny
days, when life seems to flow like a
peaceful, quiet, happy stream; the
beautiful summerland of the poet
dream. The realization of it is found
in Thurston county. The long de-
licious twilight extending to 9 or 10
O'Clock in the evening, succeeded by a
cool night, through which we sleep in
perfect comfort with absolutely never
the shadow of discomfort, makes a
summer night the perfection of hu-
man bliss.
THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF the topography of this country
may be summed up in few words.
Along the eastern line of the county
lies the rich bottom lands of the MIS-
qually river, gradually rising toward
she west. Yelm prairie on the east
side of the river, is about five miles
wide by two long. Chambers prairie
lies about four miles southeast of
Olympia, while Hawks prairie, Tenal-
quot prairie and Bush prairie, lying
in the middle and southern portions
of the county, are all of similar size
and quality. Mound prairie, the
largest in the county, is about fifteen
miles long and two wide. 1t derives
its name from a large number OF
mounds scattered over it's whole sur
face and central one rising to the
height OF one hundred feet. Twenty
feet above the base Of this mound is
large spring of clear, pure water,
which fertilizers the broad rich fields.
Lying between and around these
prairie lands are magnificent forests OF
timber, through which are many
streams that never fail. What field
is here for the energetic settler! The
prairies furnish grazing at all seasons
and the bottom lands rich fields for
cultivation, while the timber of the
uplands will in a few years be a
source Of unbounded wealth. They
furnish fuel and lumber for the needs
OF the settler and the surplus affords a
revenue. Then the soil of the up
lands, after the timber is cleared away
yields rich returns to the farmer