The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-01-12
OUR NORTHWEST MISSION.
BY REV. ELMER J. FELT.

ny REV. ELMER j. FELL.
1t takes no prophets eye to read the
future of Puget Sound and the State of
Washington. And yet perhaps no one
saw that future more clearly than did
Rev. @. HI. Shinn, as he pushed out over
the West, picking out here and there
the strategic points for his Western cam
paign. While there is nothing local
about Mr.. Shinn, and he cannot be
charged, certainly, with ever losing the
larger view of UNCONVENTIONAL possibili-
ties in any infatuation for particular 10
calities, ii is yet sure that he never more
clearly manifested the wisdom of his
missionary policy than when he struck
into the thriving cities of the extreme
Northwest Spokane, Tacoma, Seattle
and Portland, and stood ground until he
had organized parishes, set them to
work, and located minister somewhere
in the territory.
Puget Sound is destined, not alone by
the trend of trade, with it's uncertainties.
but by it's geographical position, the
marvellously rich country it borders.
and its unsurpassed harbor and wharf
facilities, to be the terminus of the.
trans-Paciic and trans continental lines
Her steamships to and from the Orient
shorten the distance from Hong Kong
and Yokahoma to New York by more
than day and a half-a fact apprecia-
ted by our post-office department as evil
denced by the sending and receiving OF
Oriental mail via Tacoma. Our trade
with the Orient is but beginning as
compared with what it will be when we
have learned to treat those countries as
we should and have made an intelligent
effort to serve their interests. The cor
quest of China by Japan will mean a
great deal to both countries, and with
the establishment of peace upon the
reasonable terms the civilized world will
expect Japan to concede, a considera
BILE impetus will be given the civiliza-
ton of both countries. This means
larger needs to be supplied by our ex-
portations. And it is plain that Puget
Sound will do an increasing major part
of this trade.
The State of Washington undoubted-
ly surpasses any State in the Union in
her Inclination of mineral, agricultural
and timber resources. She rivals Penn
sylvania in iron and coal; Colorado in
gold and silver; the middle Northwest in
timber and wheat; and she offers admi
rable facilities in climate and soil for
fruit growing Capital can find here
the raw material for nearly every branch
of manufacture. A large rolling mill is
Just completed in Tacoma, the first in
the State. Two large smelters; one at
Tacoma and the other at Everett, are
smelling from 100000 to 100000 worth
OF ore per month. And this is only a
beginning. 1t is inevitable that these
resources will be developed. Tacoma
leads the entire Pacific coast this fall in
the amount of her wheat exports. 1t
has been impossible at times to secure
charters fast enough to care for her
shipments.
And when to all these natural resour-
ces is added the further one of climate,
so cool in summer as to require light
wrap in the shade. and so warm in win
ter that rosesbloom in the yards continu-
ousIy; and last, and, to the aesthetic,
chief of all. the beautiful scenery which
is framed by the Olympic and Cascade
ranges finding its simplicity in the blue
tinted waters of Puget Sound, and it's
grandeur in the towering, snowrobed
Mt. Tacoma, he is blind to the inevita-
BILE who does not see that destiny sits
invincible on these northwest heights.
Spokane, too, has a destiny in the
scarcely less certain evolution of the
eastern half Of the State. She is al
ready a busy manufacturing city with
water power sufficient for city of mag
nifcent proportions. She must natu-
rally enjoy in healthy growth the devel-
ment of the State. Tacoma and Seattle,
the leading cities of the Sound. with
more than $4,000 inhabitants each, have
locations for the development of trade
unequalled by any cities upon the Pa
ciHc coast. And they are recovering
from the financial depression with a
yigor which shows what their future
must be. Both will be large cities.
Tacoma stands at the head OF naviga-
ton on the Sound. and with the North
ern Pacific terminus, aud the Great
Northern, Union Pacific. Southern Pa
ci6c and the q. B. & Q. roads already