The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-25
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( EARLIEST Settlers ON THE SOUND. s.


IN Of lar August left here ard went 10
Puget sound TO look ~ taai counfrg-
saw 10 sickness there during that time
TIE people who have been living there
for the past SIX years told me that they
rad rot krown 81 any case OF any kind
there have never bean 70 the L u1fsq1A
yet. but saw some % those that lived
and they all pronounce II 3 very healthy
well a. gooa wrsztng country /
have never been 10 thu mouth o. tne 20
iumbia. but I am told IL is a very healthy
place. In regard 10 the climate. / Ike
q far better than / do that Of Iowa. /
never saw anything like as hot days
here a. I have known there. and the
nights are about the same temperature
All the year round on account OF sea
breszes and the snow peaks thar are
aoove ia. There are some here that say
they would prefer the cold dry winters
% the Northwestern states 20 the warm.
wet ones here. but they are welcome 70
them from me As regards the face OF
the country about 100 miles above mere
there ~ range OF low mountains
which leaves the Cascades and rivers IN
northwest direction. CT ossing the VIII
and thence from the willamette 10 the
Columbia and down IL 70 the Coast range.
that all the upper country trade has
TO cross them in order 10 Get 20 market.
The valley between the Willamette and
Coast ranges next TO the Columbia -
about fifteen miles in width and twenty
I'VE miles long, and = called the Tualatln
lands and is rather inclined 20 bake In
the dry season, but produces wheat.
potatoes, etc. This is divided from
try by the ChetaIen mounts
aims. a spur OF the Willamette range.
which nearly cross the valley about OPP
Up 10 the head of the Willamette Is gem
orally rolling. and ID Is better adapted TO
grazing and farming purposes the far.
the Columbia Is generally broken until
you get TO the chehalis and Puget sound
country. The chehalis is valley about
twenty miles IN width and very much
resembles the Tualatin plains In appear
ance. The Sound has four rivers empty
ing along it's Eastern shore. The valleys
OF those rivers will average about fifteen
miles In width and ninety In length.
They are about equally divided in prairie
and timber. The valleys are divided by
ranges of low mountains rlratng from
the Cascades. where they head. TO the
Sound.
II spent about six weeks travelling over
this Sound country last August and Sep
tember and found wherever | went plenty
of the best of springs of living water. The
principal kinds OF timber are white. yell
low and red hr and white cedar. AS re-
CARDS the height and magnitude | have
seen trees not less than II feet in diameter
and 80 feet high. AS 10 the cedar on Pu
get sound. / saw boards which the Indi-
ans split out for their houses that were
than ~ inches thick. As regards COM
mercial advantages. rich fertile valleys.
convenience to market, health and album
dance of fish OF all kinds. Puget sound
Is decidedly ahead of any country l ever
saw.
'"The reason why 4 am not living there
at this time Is that / have not got that
other rib yet 81 am waiting for IL TO set
tie. You need not be surprised IL you see
me in Iowa this next winter. Land clainsin
this country rate great deal higher than
they do in Iowa. Some claims could not
be bought at any price hardly. Claims In
this portion OF the country rate al from
81 600 10 SIS CO.., according TO location. AS
regards government land, there is no
prospect Of IL being all taken UP for the
next Ave years. ] mean good claims. AS
TO the immigration, We have accounts OF
a great many coming, but have not got
here yet. Carpenters. wages at this time
are from s. to s. per day. Every kind OF
per month and found. There Is at this
time more hands than work and very lit
tie money TO be had. and when the emf
grafton gets here there viii be great
their board. At the time | wrote ] was
getting from 50 cents TO 81 per hour. /
got from 5 TO - per cord &c, for cutting cutting
lumber. $40 per day for taking account OF
lumber for vessels. Common labor was
from s. to S. per day and found. But since
the immigration come In last fall wages
began TO come down and work scarcer
ever since.
Il send you with this five numbers of
the Spectator which viii contain the
prices current here OF almost everything
here without II is potatoes and onions.
The former Is s. and s. per bushel and the
latter s. per bushei Onion seed sold FOR
81 per ounce this spring. | have never
been 10 the gold mines yet, but expect TO
go about the middle OF next month,
You inquire II there are 8 great many
pretty girls In this country. For my part
I have not seen hut one or two since [
left Iowa. and have never been TO church
with one yet AM IL YOU should ever
come here without one you will be apt 10
stay In your state OF single curSedness IS
long as you stay here.
Tell mother and Abhfe Jane and ali the
rest that | intend TO write TO them next
mail and al least once a month while
am in the mines. Also tell them that
them. and that I want them all 10 write
to me IL II Is ever so little. II does me
4 great deal OF good TO hear from home,
and | beg OF YOU not 10 let this be the
last time shall hear from you.
Please give my love and best respects
10 all inuuiriug friends. while | remain
-. {. HoIGATE."
Mr. Holgate did much towards the up
building Of this city He was interested
I'm mining and was killed NJ Silver city,
Idaho. in 1851. while defending the Golden
Chariot mine. one of hts many properties.
AZ a mark o. respect the people Of Idaho
and Nevada erected a great monument
over his grave. In those days the tele-
graph was unknown in the Northwest and
the first animation Dir. Hoigate's relatives
In this city had of his death was upon
learning OF this monument being taken
10 silver city from San Francisco, where
q was designed