The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-22

-ounsry ncrsh OF the GHK a. Mexico rixa.
naturally have su9xesse6 the possibilities.
From sne Atlantic 10 TIRE Pacific was then
s. rou ons piece os territory, wnsrh- al
though arsexp.ored. lay On the nscs
tempting strategic point sron nssseh 70
command the two great oceans.
Spain was then one OF tire grea: mari
tssne nations and had extensive ro~sss-
ssons IN the southern p@rs q Ane-scz-
England Was her graf rival. ia, had made
such advances ina: I. was rosslhis for
fsrseesns man like william Patterson 20
coneeIve Of the great career there wculd
b. for England IL sastead o@ being small
island on one side OK an ocean and stun
OF. except by long ssss efrcEisoas routes.
from all the rest Of sne world, * could
stretch out SIS commercial arms ard reach
trs great highways % trade.
The Pacific coast Is still regarded by the
people on the Atlantic a. merely far on
strip Of comparatively little importance.
II has 40 manufacturing interests Of great
extent. bur Ia rrodncsivsness has only
been checked hy the lack OF population
The per capita q returns from natural re-
sources Of this Pacific strip has been great
or than THAI OF the whole Of the Eastern
states. giving allowance for the number Of
years. squared by population
Had the early settlers cor1e 20 the Pa
ciae coast instead of settling on the bleak
and forb.1dsag shores OF New England.
this would have been a vast empire. There
e. 81. ot4-r ss<
the variety OF resources. All that the Pa
c:f.c coast states have may be found east
OK the Mlsssssappa. bat thsy are wisely
scattered and In atteniated proportions.
Passing TAP the narrow strip which con-
stiiu.ss California, oregon. Washington
and the coast line Of Alaska. perfection
and abundance are to se fouad In degrees
auelaaisd within a similar distance from
the ocean highway. Gold has been found
eiesew here, but only after expensive VOTE
ing. and then In thiniy laid-ouf auanuues'
there has been nothing Ike the 'ihas u
California or Alaska. The world Mas
scarcely s@en an equs; To the quantity OF
silver put out by the Esines OF the coast
The Yield of wheat 70 the acre fur sur
pasaes that on the esst side o. the noun
saias. The oranges excel In quality those
% fal-tArn~sa Florida Fruits of all kinds,
berrsa. vegetables and grains crow IN
abundance, and are nowhere exeelied IN
flavor. The corn Is sweetsr than in Iowa:
the hops are OF a better quality than in
New yoak. The timothy and clover are
more nutritious than the hays of other
states. The variety and quantity OF fish
is equal at ieas. to ina; OF AIRY other wa
tiers. and some Of the varieties are con-
sidered among she dainsiest OF foods The
rivers aud the sea contribute generously.
and for long time the forests will afford
wha, are considered the caolcer kinds OF
flesh aud fowl.
William Patterson. with all his long
vision. probably did not Imagine a people
OF seventy millions leading the world In
inaenui,y and enterprise: he probably pic
from the newly found land TO the mouth
OF the Columbia. then the only known out
let on ts,e west coast. He probably had in
mind too. the possibility of a canal across
what even then Was known 10 be an isst-
mus nsswean the North and South Amert-
cas-. even " there was not waterway d.
viding them. In his day canals were the
great channels Of commerce, and 10 build
a canal seemed very feasible unasrEk-
ing,-swhile the suggestion OF running cars
By steam on two narrow strips of iron a;
the rate OF thirty or forty miles an hosa
would have seemsd Wild
The prediction of tie old banker Is
Tearing fulfiimant, end the trade on tie
Pacific viii before many years become as
important To this country as the trade
which News In and cut the ports on The
Atlantic.