The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-26
IN CLALLAM COUNTY.
An Example Of the Resources
Of Washington.
A lGuss a Unequnled and UnsoucAe1
Elmbsr waiting 1bP The Hn0o
OF the SETTLER.

OF the SeSt1ees
The wealth and resources Of come Of tho
districts Of this state that are ~ YET IN
developed II well Illustrated BY Joon W.
Corson. who returned yesterday from SIsa-
lam county. Mr.. Ccrscn left Seattle rWo
weeks ago with ". E Hagan. who repre-
senfs an Eastern syndicate. which. u =
understood. IL interested IN . proposed
railroad through tho Olympic persueoa4
Mr.. CorSon said last night:
I'VE made the trip for the purpose Of
learning just what were the resources On
the Olympic peninsula from the Straits
south along the coast toward Gray's Har.
Dor. a. far ~ the Quillayute and Ho nv.
ers. ! do not think any one who has noe
bsen there has any idea Of that country.
We look out here from Seattle westward
and Sc tho snow-capped Olympic noun.
tains. and while l have often heard that
beyond them was . very wide expanse OF
timber and a fine agricultural district.
could never bring myself to fully credit
It. had always heard that there was the
greatest quantity Of the best timber in
the state. and that in the valleys OF tho
Solduck. Quillayute. BoEochiel. CAiowa
and Ho rivers was magnificent farming
country. but now I know from personal
observation that the half was never told
on the Straits Of Juan de Fuca. very
good harbor. and the first and probably
the only one on the Straits until you
reach Port Angeles. and the natural out
let OF the region south OF IL Leaving
Ciallam Bay for the interior. about three
miles from the bay We entered what
might be called the great ar timber belt.
and ! venture to say that nowhere In
Washington Is such umuer to DO found
as can b found In almost unlimited guam
titles through that country. For example.
one day we Travelled about twenty miles
on horseback, and by wagon. We had with
u an experienced timber cruiser and e.
timator. . photographer and several men
thoroughly familiar with the country.
and were completely equipped to get
thorough idea Of the region We traversed.
As was saying. We travelled that day
about twenty miles over an area a. level
as . Minnesota prairie and through =
tract Of timber twelve to fifteen miles
wide OF solid dr and cedar. ard ouch tim
Der a. / will venture cannot b seen any.
where else In the state OF Washington. or.
- for that matter. in the United States.
I'VE frequently along the trail stopped
to take pictures, and at almost any point
could focus our instrument upon dozen
fir trees. six. seven and eight feet In diam
ster. scaling, according to the estimate OF
our cruiser. l5.oo0. 5000 and 5000 feet each.
and many Of them great deal moro than
this. We traversed about fifty miles
through this forest, heavy with fir. spruce
and cedar. with also considerable hemiock.
zone surprising feature. and one which
would like some scientist to explain. Il
tho several treeless prairies found in vari-
Gus places among the trees. I am famil-
lar with the Minnesota prairie. for exam
pie. and We trayersed four prairses In our
journey from Clallam bay to the mouth OF
the Quillayute river not at all unlike the
Minnesota prairie, except that 1t seems to
be deeper and better soil. And you would
have to scrutinize the state Of Washington
closely to md any more productive or bet
ter cultivated or beautiful farms than have
been built there ON those prairies They
have . soil as rich as the sun shines on.
and climate entirely favorable to agri-
cultural pursuits. II any one imagines that
that Is snow region, the fact that they
raise on those farms everything that can
be raised in the hot summers Of the East
proves to the contrary. asked particu-
larly about corn, and found from uni
versal testimony that they not only raised
sweet corn for the table. but that 1t ripens
and they raise their own seed. which can
hardly be done IN the region anywhere
around Puget sound.
The Soiduck river runs from the Olym-
pic mountains to the Pacific ocean. In its
course distance OF probably fifty or sixty
miles-sn direct line q little less. On
either bank Of this river for a distance OF
several miles is . solid body OF fir and
cedar. chiefly fir. The Solduck is q strong.
beautiful river. without q jam In It. az
fording perfect facility for driving these
logs to any point desirable near its mouth.
All these rivers, the Solduck. the Bogochiel
and Caiowa, empty anto the QuIllayute,
and at the mouth OF the Quillayute. while
# might not and would not without q
large expenditure Of money. make any
harbor. are several extensive lagoons or
sloughs which would AFFORD the finest boom
ing waters imaginable.
THE Qulllayute river Is a. fun Of sal
mon as the Columbia OF the Fraser. But
one thing is needed to make that one of the
most magnificent sections Of the state.
Today II Is absolutely Inaccessible. No
boat lands at the mouth of the Quillayute
There Is no possible way for the settlers
IN there to get their timber or their pro-
duce to market except by means OF q rail-
road. A railroad from Clailam bay to
the mouth of the Quillayute. with one or
two branches. would tap that magnificent
domain OF timber and agricultural re-
source; and . railroad b sure to go In
there. The settlers Of that section are
fully awake and alive TO tho condition
ana are intent on getting . road. and while
am not at liberty to say very much on
the proposition OF a railroad, I feel free
to say that the subsidy which the set
tiers in there offer to the enterprise. and
which Is already largely raised and vii
soon be completed. assures an immediate
construction Of railroad through that
eoarn<rvs