Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-14
WASHINGTON STATE LETTER.
Description of Country and What Grand
Rapids Colonists Are Doing There

POrU LuQlOW. WASH. "A. l..
FONTAINE, EDITOR REPORTER, Dear
Sir Hearing that there are many
people from Grand Rapids who are
thinking Of coming out here | will tell
you a few things about the country.
| am located on Puget Sound about
60 miles from Seattle. Two other
Grand Rapids boys and myself are up
here working for the Puget Lumber
Co. which is one of the largest con-
Germs in the country for the manu-
facture of lumber.
The wages in this country are a
good deal better than back east. Rob
Gray is working as lumber graders
helper at $50 month and board.
Earl Minahan is boiler maker in the
company's machine shops at $50 a
month and board while | am setting
on the carriage in the saw mill at $40
month and board. There are many
people from the Rapids out here Sam
Thompson, Ed Turley, Antoine Emer-
son, Jack Dolan, Bob Turley and Fred
J0rgenSen are at Everett, Fred
Weaver is clerk in the Peoples store
at Tacoma and | think that Dan
McKercher is clerking in some store
in Seattle. John Thomas is a boiler
makers helper in Port Blakely and
Callahan, Mennet and the Smelling
family are in WhatcOm. They all
seem to like the country and they
intend to locate out here permanently.
The weather out here on the Sound
is delightful, the sea breeZes making
the summers cool and pleasant but
the winters are very wet. The rainy
season lasts from October to May.
10 hn ho1
the freezing point and snow is some
thing very rare. The scenery is the
finest | ever saw. Two large ranges,
a fitting background to the beautiful
placid waters of the Sound with their
| thickly wooded sides and their tower
ing snOwcapped peaks. AS for sports,
this is the SpOrtSman'S paradise. The
waters of the Sound are literally
teeming with fish of all descriptions
from the little SmeltS to the gamy
salmon and there are also many large
sharks and devil fish which find their
way in from the ocean. There are
many deer and elk in the thick
woods and the foothills, and grouse
and pheasants are very plentiful. The
waters Of the Sound | believe is the
greatest place for wild ducks in the
whole country. There are many large
and rapid growing cities on the Sound,
chief one being Seattle, the others
being Tacoma, Everett and Whatcom.
Seattle is destined to be the metropolis
of the Pacific Coast before many
years. The shipping from this port is
growing to enormous proportions. the
already large water front being mad
equate for the business. There are
tmany Sawmill towns of which this is
one where ships come in and load
lumber for parts all over the world
The state of Washington holds one
fifth of the standing timber of the
whole United States and is destined
before many years to be the greatest
producer of lumber in the United
States. The mining industry is being
rapidly developed and there are
already some of the best mines on
the coast along the line of the Great
Northern railway and in the Mount
Baker district near the international
boundary line. Fishing is also great
industry here especially salmon
packing. There are many large
canneries here on the Sound where a
man can make good wages and also on
the Columbia River and in British
Columbia.
Farming is also an important in
dustry, that is east of the Cascade
mountains. The Yakima and Wenat-
chez valleys are famed all over the
west for their fine fruit and the
Palouse and Big Bend countries are
noted for their large yields of wheat
and other cereals. The soil is good
for the growing of potatoes and other
vegetables. Shipping is rapidly grow
ing on Puget Sound there being a
regular line of large steamers to San
Francisco and one to Skagaway,
Alaska. Many tramp steamers and
sailing ships come here to load and
depart for all the civilized ports ia the
world. The Sound fleet of small
steamers is an enormous one and
Seattle is rapidly taking the transport
service from San Francisco. The
home fleet this year will number about
so large steamers and sailing vessels
and j. J. Hill of the Great Northern
railway is going to establish a line of
steamers from Seattle to the Orient
so that before many years Seattle will
outdistance San Francisco in shipping.
Hoping that this will be of benefit to
your many readers in the line of in
formation | remain, Yours respect
fully, EDWARD CLosUIT,
Port Ludlow, Wash.