Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-08-04
PLEASED w1rm wAsu1ScroN.

Rev. Chaplin Writes his Impressions of the
"New Northwest"
The STAR editor is in receipt of the
following interesting letter from Rev.
y. 3. Chaplin, formerly Of this city,
now OF Nit. Vernon, Washington, dated
July 6:
IL have RETAINED from writing you
and others, that L might the moro in
diligently write of this New North
west" as it is called. Yet it is not al
together new. 1 met a lady last Sun
gay VINO Was at least fifty years of age,
who way born on the sound north of
Tacoma. Some parts of the state look
very much like the eastern states, SO
we'll improved L they. Other parts
are wholly raw and u%nimproved. AS to
the soil, L suppose no state has Il great
er variety; from that valued at one
hundred and fifty dollars per acre to
one dollar and a quarter per acre. The
farming land is the most fertile of any
L have ever seen, producing as high as
one hundred and forty bushels of oats
to the acre. This land is called "marsh
land," and is not heavily timbered as
is the other. or table land. Not one
hundred miles from Seattle are some
very rich gold mines. Coal is found in
abundance in the Cascade mountains,
is of a good quality and cheap. Tim
Der is no object here; millions of feet
of cedar, fir. spruce, ETC., are burned to
get rid of them. Saw mills are doing
a land Office business, and this is the
home of the single mills. Millions of
shingles are sent to the Dakotas, Ne
braska and Kansas to cover homes for
the prairie farmers. Fruit growing is
rapidly coming to the front and will
doubtless in the near future be one of
the chief products of the state. Dairy
ing is u of the most profitable phases
OF farm life for of small means, as
there is a ready market for butter,
cheese and milk at price. The fish
cries of this coast employ hundreds of
men. The salmon here. canned, find
market in all parts of the country,
and are said to be the finest in the
world. While you can buy the canned
salmon in Hot Springs as cheap as we
can from the cannery, we can get the
fresh salmon and all other kinds of
fish at four and five cents per pound
or better still. catch them ourselves.
This is certainly the anglers paradise
rs we'll as the sportsman wLo prefers
the gun to the fishing rod, as bear,
deer. elk. and many other large game
are found IL Abundance i'll the noun
tains.
THE schools and churches of this
state are equal to those of other states.
aud all privileges of higher education
are here offered. Then this is a coun-
try OF homes, and home people. The
residents are here to stay; they are
happy and contented.
"The climate is all that is claimed for
it. In the five weeks 1 have been here.
we have not had q hot day. Last Sun
day, July ., was the warmest and it
was not uncomfortable. The nights
are always cool, requiring a blanket on
the bed for comfort. You no doubt
have heard it said that it rains thirteen
months out Of the year in Washington.
During the month of June it rained
about one good shower per week and
on the third and fourth of July it
rained. But the rains here are very
different from South Dakota or Ne
braska. No driving wind, no hail, no
thunder, no flashes of lightning.
Much of the SO called rainy weather is
simply a mist.
81 have never seen SO many strong,
healthy people in a country, and so
few sick one as I do here. I have not
met a person with weak lungs. Neither
do l find catarrh here like in Dakota.
The salt breeze is healthful in place of
hurtful. 1 will be glad to answer any
questions in relation to the country
which I may be able to. MY family are
we'll and enjoying life. My throat is
not improving as I would like to have.
May have to lay off a year and rest.
A. B. CHAPLIN.