Evening star., 1900-10-04
WESTERN PROSPERITY
AT FLOOD TIDE NOW ON THE
PACIFIC COAST.
New Business Brought by Extensi0n
Of Power Of the United States
In the Orient.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

SAN FRANCISCO. Cal. September q, 1900
During the past four years there has come
to the Pacific coast country q marvellous
growth of all its industries and develop
| nlent of many latent resources. In the Pu-
get Sound country this ID partially due to
the gold discoveries in Alaska and the con-
seGuent activity at the base Of supplies, the
terminals Of the most northern OF the trans
continental railroads. Coming and going
the gold seekers have left their money
in the cities along the shore OF Pu-
get Sound. not only the money neces-
sarily expended for personal needs and
for transportation, but large sums invested
In equipment of every conceivable kind.
The days of the great rush are over. but in
their place has come a steady and profitable
stream OF outgoing and incoming business
which can be estimated to nicely from
month to month. In the days of the great
stampede the hotels put their guests to bed
upon the billiard tables and in the bath
tubs, and charged full rates for so doing
Nowadays these same hotels are building
great additions so as to provide each trav-
eier with bed and board, and while this en-
tails more or less investment of capital the
business Is steady and therefore more sure
1y profitable.
The Source of PrOsperity
The merchants of the northwestern coast
are no longer filing orders for supplies by
express but they able to estimate the
demands to be made upon them weeks In
advance and keep their stocks up to the re-
Quired point. The Alaskan gold fields have
yielded enormous profits to few, but their
discovery has been the source of prosperity
to thousands upon thousands Of people only
asking legitimate trade or an honest days
labor for moderate wage. Four wears ago
business was dull in Seattle Tacoma and
other nearby points. and many people who
had invested their all in that section of the
world pondered seriously as to what the
future was to bring forth.
Inc situation Is very different now. No
legitimate business fails to receive its share
OF the impetus which has been given to
all branches of trade and where four years
ago thousand men were seeking daily en-
ployment 1t Is now difficult to retain the
requisite help to conduct even an enter
prise OF moderate proportions. All this
prosperity Is not due entirely to the discov-
cry OF gold in Alaska, for there are other
causes almost equal in their potency. The
agricultural interests of Washington and
Oregon are in fiourshing condition
large wheat crop sold at satisfactory prices
has put heart into the farmers Of the grain
sections and ample supply of fruit at bet
ter prices than have prevailed for several
years has brought prosperity to the hun
dreds of little valleys planted in orchards
The great sheep and cattle industries Of
these two states in the extreme northwest
have grown apace. The price for cattle Is
better than for ten years past, and the
price of wool has doubled since 1895, bring
ing with 1t corresponding increase in the
price Of the sheep.
Oregon and Washington have for many
years been the feeding grounds of great
bands OF horses of moderate size and of
little breeding. The distance to the mar
ketS OF the east and the low prices which
prevailed throughout the country for cheap
er grades of this kind of live stock pre-
vented the horse raiser of the northwest
from realizing upon his increase. These
bands Of horses grew in number to an
alarming degree. They offered for
sale at any price the buyer might see fit
to give, and seven or eight years ago 1T
was not uncommon thing to hear of op-
portunities for securing eight or ten thou
sand head of these horses in one band at
prices ranging from one to five dollars
apiece. In the general upward tendency OF
prices for all products of land and labor
which has been noticeable for the last
four years horses have received their share
of attention, and for the past year or so 1t
has been a common incident of western
travel to meet great train loads of these
Oregon and western horses en- route to mar
kets in the middle states, where they found
ready sale at prices unhoped for by their
owners but short time ago.
ExtensiOn of Power I'm the Orient.
The extension Of the power OF the United
States into the orient has brought with 1t
new business for the Puget sound and
Columbia river harbors. While 1t is true
that al present nearly all Of the govern
ment transports sail from San Francisco
there is still a large eastern commerce
which finds It's point Of embarkation at
Seattle Tacoma and Portland. Some of
this is through freight and passenger traf-
fic which arrives or departs over the trans
continental railroads and passes at once
from or into the steamships of the orr
entail lines. great deal of this COM
merce. however, originates and terminates
on the Pacific coast. Lumber, grain. live
stock and supplies Of every description can
be purchased better there than elsewhere
and ready at hand to be brought along
side the vessels departing for foreign lands
1t is to Seattle and Portland that the orient
looks for a large part Of the breadstuffs
the United States is now shipping toward
the setting sun, and the growth in this line
of trade has been so tremendous as to have
had distinctly beneficial effect upon the
prices of all the products of the farms OF
Washington and Oregon.
Protected by duty or ~ per thousanu
feet against the great forests of British
Columbia and the countries OF the nortn
the numbering industry OF Puget sound mas
developed tremendous activity In view OF
the prosperity prevailing in that section of
the country. which prosperity means an
increased consumption OF building material.
Every saw mill in Washington. Oregon and
California which still has available timber
is working full time to supply the current
demand and in this connection a note of
alarm has Deen SOUNDED as 10 the
of these magnificent forests There are
now 800 saw mills in Washington. 200 in
Oregon and 300 in California at work upon
what has seemed to be in the past an In
exhaustibe supply of native woods. 1t is
found, however. that persistent saving will
wear away the greatest forests and the
headwaters of many of the finest streams
are being depleted of the timber which has
served for centuries storage reservoirs
for the falling SHOWS Even the great Sac
ramento river has decreased in its flow
during the past few years. and those who
have examined into the cause assert that
this is due entirely to robbing the head
waters Of the main stream and its many
tributaries of the forest which once clothed
the hills. Miles upon miles of stumps greet
the eye of the traveller through the timber
regions of the northwest. and to the most
casual observer 1t is apparent that the pres
ent rapid destruction cannot continue much
longer without serious damage to one Of
the greatest sources of wealth in this sec
ton.
The danger is not real or so marked
in the extreme northwest, where the rain
fall is heavy. but toward the south. where
the climate becomes extremely dry and the
conservation of water Is matter OF su-
preme Importance. the cutting Of the tim
har iS' direct menace the thousands OF