The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-02

There has been "a time within those years
snen cattle cclA ret find wild grass Or
clover OF tbs gro1s1 Dursax tne sane
years the Thermometer has only two or
three times been as high as 20 degrees
2 tbs shade and very seldom above
Of the temperature Is shoEn BY the facs
thzt there are criy rs degrees between
the averages Of the warrnesst and the cosd-
est months And another fact that -
~orthy Of note T. that the number OF
clear days each year. instead Of being
quite small as Eastern people are wont TO
Imagine, Is fully mp TO the average OF
most OF the Eastern and Middle states.
Last year, for instance. there were ~
fair and only s. cloudy days. and thu
average number OF fair DAYS in ZACH year
for the past I'VE years has been ~. II can
need no argument 20 convince a student
OF these figures thai this must be q very
healthfui country. From June l. 1ss, TO
July l. 1856, only forty-lve deaths were
reported IN the entire county. and assum-
ing these figures 90 be correct the per-
centage Of mortality Is only IS per 100
In an estimated population OF E.eoa Very
few localities In the entire country can
show 80 small a ratio. During the same
period there were rs births and III mar
riages reported The population Of What
com county. according to the census OF
1879. was 534. In 1850 X had grown TO s.ls7.
and In 1880 there were 1851. being an In
crease Of about 600 per cent for each de-
cade.
The population Is about equally divided
between the cities and country. the most
thickly populated portion Of the country
being the Nooksack valley. Beside the
Bay cities there are three incorporated
towns-Bldne. Lynden and Sumas-snd
several others thar are not Incorporated.
of which the principal ones are Ferndale,
Custer, Everson and Goshen. The accom-
psnying map shows their location n
gives q clear idea of the trend OF the
Nooksack river and its tributaries. the
locations OF the several lakes. the nown
coal deposits, the splendid system OF rail-
roads and public highways and The bar-
bors IA in~dentation of the coast line.
Besiingham bay. upon which the chief
cities are located Is unquestionab bly, n
OF the finest harbors in the world. II Ii
six miles In width and including Chucka-
nut bay. which is In itself one of the best
harbors on the coast, X covers an area
OF about seventy-five square miles. Its
depth varies from -four ard one-haif to
twenty-six fathogns. the average being
twelve fathoms. Its bottom Is of such a
character as TO afford the securest an
chorage. and the ~nelghboring islands and
bold -promontories On the mainland amply
protect IL from the severest storms. From
INC ohd6lG NtALAty i&3At AOA "A 4 ~ AAlo
corporate limits OF Fairhayen the shore
line Is mountainous. rocky and heavily
timbered. Fairhaven itself Is hiliy. he
hills sloping gradually from the harbor 10
a height OF 800 to 400 feet and affording
beautiful sites for residences. The divid-
ing line between he two cities crosses
Sehome hill. about 100 feet I'm height. he
summit of which commands one of the
grandest views imaginable OF mountains
and valleys. lakes and rivers. n island
studded waters.
From the western base Of this hill the
ground stretches away In a broad plateau
for miles TO the northeast, broken only
by gentle fluctuations. Upon this the city
Of New Whatcom. the county seat and
largest city Of the county. is built. h
greater part of the city Is level as a plain,
but the eastern portion Is somewhat
broken as IL approaches the low range OF
hills which sepa rates IL from Lake What
com, a beautiful sheet of water eleven
miles in length, one TO three miles In
width and very deep. the lower extremity
OF which approaches TO within two and a
half miles OF the city hall. 1t Is a match
less natural reservoir for the city's grav-
ity water system. Its surface being 3l5
feet above the level of Bellingham bay.