The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-12-15
The Official Paper Of San Juan County
THURSDAY. DEC. Is. 1898.
SOME FACTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

A Whatcom dispatch to the Post
Intelligencer says that about 10000
boxes of apples have been shipped from
the Nooksack valley this fall in addi-
ton to large quantities from other parts
of the county, and that 1000 boxes
have just been purchased for shipment
to the Hawaiian islands. And it is
further noted that buyers from British
COLUMBIA have recently been in the
county buying all the apples they could
find. In the eastern part Of the state
the demand is reported equally as good,
many car loads having been shipped to
the eastern states, where the crop this
year was very nearly failure. Small
shipments to China and J apan are oc-
casionally noted and are encourag ing
evidence that efforts are being made to
work up an "organized appetite" for
the king of fruits in the Orient. With
rapid and reasonably cheap means of
transportation to the interior of Alaska,
which will soon be afforded, there Is
sure to be large demand among the
miners, tradesmen and adventures
along the mighty Yukon for the fruits
which can be supplied in abundance
from the orchards Of Puget Sound.
Because Of the adverse climatic condi-
tons it will hardly be possible to work
up much of a market in the far north
for fresh fruits, but for the evaported
products it seems practically certain
that there will be very large market
i'm Alaska within very few years.
Few, if any, of us realize what tre-
mendous impetus recent events have
given to the development of commerce
between the United States and the
Orient, or the rapidity with which
Puget Sound is becoming the gateway
of new and mighty trade which is
destined to build up great cities Oh its
shores, affording valuable home ma
ket for the varied products Of our
farms. At best the total arabic area Of
Western Washington is small as COM
pared with the large population which
favorable commercial and climatic con-
ditions are almost certain to attract to
the chief cities within the next quarter
of century, and even the next decade
is likely to witness such dlspropor-
ton in the increase of city and country
population in the Sound counties as to
have a very appreciate effect upon
farm values. And there will, of course,
be largely increased demand for un-
improved lands that will admit Of
profitable cultivation when cleared,
grubbed and drained. The cost of such
preparation must of necessity be an
important factor :in determining the
value of the "wild'' land for agricul-
tural purposes.
San Juan county offers many induce
Iments to homeseekers Of moderate
means, and if these inducements were
made known to the thousands of in.
dustrious and progressive people who
are coming to this state in search OF
rural homes there can be no doubt that
it would result in a very material in
crease in our population. THE ISL
AMBER has SO frequently urged the inn
portance Of concerted, systematic and
persistent efforts to advertise the
county abroad, that some of its reader.
may possibly regard every repetition o
the suggestion as something Of a chest
nut, but even if it is it can do no harm
to offer it occasionally SO long as it il
sound. The conditions which we hav,
mentioned make it seem particularly
timely now, and the beginning of the
new ye ar. now so near at hand, would
be . most excellent time to begin /.
little intelligent missionary work OF
our own behalf. We cannot afford t,
let Whatcom county, which seems t.
have found special favor lately in tn
eyes of some Of the professors of tn
state agricultural college, step in an,
carry of our laurels as the leading frui
growing county in Western Washing
ton, as well as the leader in sheep rails
ing, as It seems likely to do II we dom
s'get . move on us'' soon. Orcas isl
and fruit took twentv-three premium
at the Whatcom fair, but it coul,
hardly be expected that the Whatcon
people would direct particular atten
tion to this fact when they sent thei
fruit to the Omaha exposition WHARF
was awarded number of premiums
1t il pretty good idea to bare In min
that ''the Lord helps those who bel
themselves"
IT Is computed that the total annua
Commerce of the world has now reache