The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-11-10
Our interests in Asia.


stage OF its commercial history, says the
New York Journal of Commerce. The
first ended when the Medite: ranean
ceased to be tile great highway of in-
ternational trade; the second has seen
the seat Of empire transferred to the
shores OF the Atlantic, and the third
begins to show itself with the growing
greatness of the Pacific. When Will
liam H. Seward said, As years ago,
that the Pacific ocean, its shores, it's
islands and the vast region beyond,
would become the chief theater OF
events in the worlds great hereafter,
nobody imagined that the fulfllment
OF the prophecy was SO near. In 1850,
OF the 5000 miles of railroad track in
the United States, only 80 miles in
Louisiana lay west of the Mississippi.
In 1852, the only states west of the
Mississippi were Louisiana, Arkansas,
Texas, Missouri, Iowa and California.
the latter having just entered the
Union with population of over 9O,-
QUO. The vast territory between the
Mississippi and the Pacific was almost
an unknown land. California was a
mere string of mining camps; San
Francisco rude frontier town; Ore
gon, Washington and British Colum-
bia contained only few scattering
settlements and trading stations, from
which furs were ABOUT the only ex-
ports. In 1850, and for years there
after, California was an importer of
flour, potatoes and almost all the nec-
essaries of life. Today the Pacific
coast is one of the great granaries Of
the world, it is one of the worlds
chief sources of lumber supply, it sends
its fruit to the four quarters of the
globe, competes with France, Spain and
Italy in the production of wine, and
has population greater than that OF
the 13 original states when the Declar.
alton of independence was signed.
The Pacific states are alive to their
own greatness, but hardly to the posi-
bilities of their own future. Their
eyes are turned eastward, whence the
impulse of their growth has come, not
wessward-to the further east-where
the fiuition of their destiny is to. be
sought. The merchants aud producers
OF the Atlantic states are becoming
keenly alive to the undeveloped poten-
tialities of the trade of eastern Asia ;
their brethren of the Pacific take but
a languid interest in the subject. But
1T is subject concerning which no
foreigner writes without being pro-
foundly impressed with the opportun-
ity which the new birth of the far east
presents to California, Oregon ard
Washington. Already there are indi-
cations of what the opening of the
Chinese market may mean for them.
The exports of lumber to China and
Hong Kong, though still small, have
doubled in two years; and the exports
OF flour, which in 1897 we're not found
worthy of separate tabulation, were
valued in the last fiscal year at$4, 1885,
$40. Nearly all of this is the contribu-
tion of the Pacific states and it is but
a faint indication of tie volume of
trade to come. But it is large enough
regarding Hong Kong as a mere dis
tribution point for the great Chinese
market, to make China already the
second largest consumer in the world
of American four-the United King
dom excelling, OF course, all other con-
sumers combined. The carrying trade
of the Pacific should contribute to the
greatness of our Pacific states, for Che
ships that it will call for ought to be
built there, and all the activities
which it will stimulate be felt from
Tacoma to San Diego. A recent Eng
lish writer on the commercial soyer-
eighty of the seas shrewdly remarks
that the extent of the commercial m
terest of America in the Pacific is not
to be measured by the shipments from
and import into the ports of the Paci-
fc coast At present, the greater Of
part of the trade between the United
States and China is conducted by way
OF New York and Suez Canal. But,
as he points out, we shall find ready
market for out surplus of iron and
steel manufactures in the Development
Of railways and general industry in
China, and it will be found not way of
Suez, but by our own vessels sailing ont !
Of our own ports on the Pacific. w.
G. Trade.
WAsHNGros total rail shipments in |
1899, were l ,51S cars, or
a, ,288, 900 #. lumbor, and 1888 carr,
+. 4