The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-01-18
Correspondence and County Notes.
HARrsrEIN Jan. Is 1895.

1t seems an injustice to tax fruit
growers for young orchards until
they come into bearing, or to tax
farmers for improvements, while
those who do not improve their lands,
like SPECTATORS, land sharks, syndi-
Gates, mill companies aud the North
ern Pacific Railroad, which hold lands
for speculation, escape such taxes and
profit by the improvements of others.
They don't help to build roads or set
tie the country, but rather hinder and
retard the development. The only
remedy for this is to Tighten the tax
on improvements, and to raise it on
timber lands, which the county Asses
sor can use his discretion in doing, to
some extent.
If Shelton would harness her water
power, construct an electric street
railroad and have electric lights, it
would attract considerable attention
With a car line from the Point it
would he more convenient for the
Islanders to trade there.
Mason county to send to the agricul-
tural department at Washington for
farm, garden and flower seeds for ex-
perimental purposes. You should
make returns of your success. and it
will only cost you a postal card. You
are taxed to support the institution
and Should share in its benefits
We should be happy if we could Sc
cure change in our school districts,
so that all the children could avail
themselves of the privileges. There
are fye children on the Island who
cannot get to school under present
conditions.
J. Doff1emeyer, Fred Billings and
another Olympia crack shot were out
On a still hunt for deer during the
snow, but failed to get any game.
M. M. Vineyard and VIM Box were
over from the mainland, and the for
nier says his main crop this year will
be onions.
When CoXey and Cleveland get to
the happy hunting ground what will
Nebuchadnezzer say: "Mene, Teke1,
Peres'', or keep off grass" Daniel
V-26-S.
A large number of homesteads in
Mason County are being held by bach
elors, old and young, evidently without
the sand to get marrid. We learn
that one of the former class proposed
to young girl, having made up his
mind he would take up with most any
one; but she thought otherwise and he
is yet on the still hunt.
Your correspondent wishes to know
if hogs are allowed to run at large and
also if parties holding land for pastur-
age are not obliged to build half of
line fences ABIDING improved land.
There is state law to restrain hogs
running at large, providing for taking
up, damages, etc. We know no law
to force the building of line fences
under the cond itions named. Unless
land is fenced stock cannot be res
trained Adjoining owners should
work in harmony and construct the
line fences; but the custom is that the
party who first desires it's enclosure,
fences the land. 1t is also cheaper to
do this, where adjoining owner will,
not co-operate.-ED.1 o TEMPoRA.
HOOD CANAL, JAM. Is. 1895.
E. L. Chalcraft, formerly Superin-
tendent of the Indian school on the
Puyallup reservation, but lately ap
pointed superintendent of the Indian
Training School at Chemawa, near
Salem, Oregon, visiting the Skoko-
mish reservation last week and took
away four of the advanced boys for
his school. Martin Thomas, George
Johnson.
The highest water known on the
Skokomish for thirty years came last
Saturday and Sunday. About %
inches of snow had fallen, which had
settled some with cold rain, and
farther up the valley and on the hills
it was deeper. This went off with the
rain of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday so that the water was
foot higher at the agency than has
been known for twenty years. 1t was
in large number of houses in the
bottom. A few cattle and horses
have been drowned, and number of
small bridges washed away. About
third of the apron on the reservation
side of the bridge across the Skoko-
inish river at the Webb place, was
carried away. 1t is in the brush below
and can be obtained again. The res
ervation dixie has been damaged to
the amount of over a hundred dollars,
and other damages to government
property will amount to nearly hun
dred more. 1t is said that jam in
the Skokonish river above Purdy's
place has formed nearly mile long.
Men have been at work for several
weeks cutting the logs in the river, so
that when the water should rise the
logs along its banks could be easily
run down, but this was SO sudden and
great that it was worse than ever.
But the worst accident CT all has
been the drowning of Samuel Mat
thews in the north fork of the Skoko-
mish last Friday. He and Solomon