The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-10-29
THE LAKE wAsHfNaToN CANAL.
Its Construction viii Benefit skagit
County as Well as Seattle.

Its Construction viii Benefit skagit
County as Well rs Seattle.
Mount Vernon Herald.
The city of Seattle is greatly interested
in the early construction of canal link
ing the waters of Lake Washington with
those of Puget sound, and she has further
more besought the moral assistance of
other communities In the state To that
end good deal has been said and
written to the effect that there are SO many
rivers in Western Warrington that need
improvement that it is unwise and impoli-
tic for any community outside of Seattle
to commend or to aid In any fashion the
proposed canal. Such directors, however,
lose sight of one thfng-ths value of the
home markst--that 10. the value Of the
market created by . large and prosperous
city reasonably near At hand.
Unquestionably the building of the Lake
Washington canal will result in the growth
of Seattle TO a city Of very large proper
tons This city must find its principal
supply Of provisions ana provender in ad-
iaoent regions. IL must always look TO
Skagit county very largely for its supply
of hay and oats. Today, In spite of the
recent disastrous food, in spite of almost
every condition that ought to increase the
price of the products of this. the lead
ing agricultural county OF the Puget
sound basin, hay and oats are COM
manding but really very little more than
they did year ago. Potatoes and other
vegetables are. ii anything, lower. Why
is this? The home market is not large
enough. Ii Is true that great deal Of
Skagit county oats goes to San Francisco,
and some even to Honolulu. While the
value of these markets Is not to be dis
counted. yet the tact remains that neither
anl
ever pay the net figures for the
grain of Skagit county that coula
be realized in Seattle were that city
the size of Detroit, Cleveland or Buffalo,
and more than this; give Seattle city of
two or three hundred thousand inhabi-
tan,s and she wouldibe purchaser of a
thousand and one things grown on the
farms and in the orchards and gardens OF
this country that can never be shipped TO
either San Francisco or Honolulu. In
more ways than one the interests of West
egn Washington, and notably OF Skagt
county. are involved with that Of the
Queen city ard must always be So
As 10 the improvement of our local
waterways this is TO be said: They need
10 badly enough, but il is hard 10 get the
government TO move in any matter oil this
kind until il Is shown beyond the shadow
of doubt that some good reason exists
therefor. Given large central market on
Puget sound and every avenue leading 10
II will be Substantially and permanently
improved in very short order. In some
respects Seattle very much resem-
bles Baltimore in the matter OF sit
uation. The latter city Is the mar
ket for the whole state OF Mary
land and more particularly those portions
OF the state bordering on CHESAPEAKE bay
and adjacent portions OF Virginia. For
years the streams tributary 20 the Chess-
peaxe bay went unimproved or had 10 re-
main satisfied with bettsrments OF very
cheap character but the growth OF BATH
more settled the question tho right way.
Ii was soon found that the interests OF
that city were indissolubly allied
with those Of the communities
trading with her and lying az her very
front door. As result millions OF
government money have been spent In
dredging. deepening and stEaightening
channels naturally 800 shallow and too
crooked for safe and speedy navigation.
Additional lighthouses have been built,
new buoys anchored and ell manner OF
Improvements made that never could have
been vruEg from the reluctant hands OF
congress but for the tact that large,
prospsrous and powerful city found 1t to
her undoabted interest 20 lend her AID ana
influence In their behalf
The same story will De repeated on fagss
sound The Lake Washington cana Is
going 10 do NOBODY ouisiae OF Seattle
particle Of harm. On the contrary, IL Is
going 10 DO everybody from NsAh bay TO
Olympia great deal Of good. lis nrst
result Stll be 10 increase the gresfn and
prosperity Of Seattle: its next Will %
through shAt medium 70 increase The
prosperity II the whose SQUAD country.
and IN addition 10 these benefits u Will
draw the attention of the whole Land ana
foreign lands TO The state 81 Washington.
IL viii Induce the Investment Of capital
aere ana the Location Of industries aat
enterprises Row unthoaghi Of or deemed
xtalnnarr