Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-04-05
Washington's Natural Outlet to the Great
Highway. 4
FINE FIELD FOR THE OPERATIONS OF ELLIGEM
INDUSTRIOUS SETTLERS AND INVESTORS
Its
Numerous Other
Tributary

Gray's Harbor Is an arm OF the Pacific
ocean, the entrance to which is ninety
miles south OF the Straits of Fuca,
which is the entrance into Puget Sound,
and forty miles north OF the mouth Of
the Columbia river, and seventy miles
west OF the most southern extremity Of
Puget Sound.
1t is cone-shaped with the large end,
fourteen miles wide, toward the ocean
and the apex extending is miles inland
to where two rivers, the Wishkah and
Chehalis, uniting their waters and form
ing river POO feet wide, empty into it.
The entrance to Gray's Harbor is mar
row inlet not more than mile and
half in width and being perfectly straight
is as easy to enter as if it were twenty
miles wide, and on account OF this a
great many vessels sail right in without
aid Of tug or pilot and though it has
been done for several years and hun
dreds of vessels have sailed out and in
not single wreck has resulted from it.
A great many sail clear up to Aberdeen
Ut the head of the harbor and drop
anchor in the mouth of the river. The
two arms Of land inclosing Gray's Har-
Dor from the ocean, except at the en-
trance, are Of sufficient width and height
to make a perfectly land-locked harpor'
where, no matter how fiercely the storms
NAV rage out at sea, ships ride with
perfect safety as soon as they pass
through the entrance. On account OF
this. considerable has been said during
tho past year about the government
making it a harbor of refuge where
storm tossed ships may run for safety
in time Of danger. The character OF
the entrance is such that in good
weather fishermen frequently sail their
open fish boats out or in as they wish.
This il a thing that can be done with
but few harbors in the world. Gray's
Harbor is without doubt not excelled
bv anv on the Pacific coast and its loca-
ton, shelter, ease of entrance, and etc.,
give it many advantages over every
other one:
On the Atlantic coast there are more
than a hundred good harbors but on the
Pacific from Mexico to British Columbia
there are but FIVE, San Deigo, San Fran
cisco, Columbia River, Gray's Harbor
and Puget Sound:
Every one Of the more than a huns
dred harbors on the Atlantic coast il
used and does large amount OF bust
ness and surely the five harbors on the
Pacific coast that must do all OF the loca
business of this coast and that OF tor
eign export and import will do very
large business and become very active
centers Of industry. Through these
five harbors must pass all the commerce
that il to be carried on with the millionl
nj Asia that are now as never before
reaching out for our products.
A few years ago the trade was 90
small az to be almost without profit,
but within the last year 1t has &c
increased that every steamship line
il taxed to its utmost carrying capacity
and is not able to take all the freight
that is offered.
Not only will the steamship lines
that are already established increase
their ships but other lines will
a. the trade increases be established
This trade with Asia is now only com
mencing and the contemplation OF tn
limits to which IL can be developed II
enough to awaken enthusiasm IN TN
breast Of any man who stops to thin'
that only the narrow expanse OF tn
Pacific separates us from countries nav
ing greater population than the who'll
of Europe and these people want to ou'
our products and have the money to pu!
with.
Western Europe has grown rich iron
supplying the United States with he
Goods. but now we have changed an
are producers and occupy such a pos
ton geographically that we have
decided advantage over all competitor
for the trade OF Asia. If trading wit
the seventy-fve million people OF tn
United States made fifty million
Western Europe rich, what degree
prosperity will not the trade OF fiy
hundred or six hundred million OF Asl