Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-07-18

Puget Sound is the commercial cen.
ter of the State of Washington. 1,
has but one rival on the Pacific coas,
San Francisco. But the latter place
has been the center for many years
and Puget Sound has just risen to her
place ana is still growing so that it is
easy to believe that she will soon be.
come the leading center of trade on
the Pacific coast.
The advantages Puget Sound offers
for shipping and the reasons for the
wonderful growth Of commerce are Q)
the inviting, unequalled harbor; (2)
the local resources and trade which
require for their purposes thousand
ships OF a thousand tons each; (3) the
vast quantity Of merchandise carried
both ways by the transcontinenta rail-
ways and (4) the cheaper and shorter
route by Puget Sound between the
great body OF people OF the United
| States and the hundreds Of millions of
people OF Asia and elsewhere.
The principal industries are lumber.
ing, farming and fisheries. These pro-
duce the principal articles for export.
The entire export Of lumber from
the State for 1900 was 79S 900 900 feet,
Of which 155, 100000 was sent abroad.
There is growing demand for this
lumber in Asiatic countries.
There is great trade in flour and
wheat-especially the former-between
Washington and foreign countries.
There is growing market for her
breadstuffs in China, Japan and the
islands of the Pacific. Passing along
the streets in Japan one of,en sees in
the stores flour bags carrying the
brand of some mill in Washington OF
Oregon.
In 1900, twenty-one mills reported
an output of more than million bar.
iels Of flour. At the usual wholesale
price OF 1926 per barrel and $l6.50 per
ton for bran the value Of the output of
these mills amounts to the magnificent
sum Of more than five millions of dol
lars and this is only a part of the out
put OF the mills of the State.
One OF the States richest resources
is to be found in her practically limit.
less coal fields. The coal is mostly
bituminous mixed with brown Ignite
This Ignite is of the best and can
raise steam nearly as we'll as bitumi.
nous coal. This is a great iron region
and there are two belts, one in Wash
ington and one in Oregon. The for
mer contains immense deposits in the
Cascade mountains. east of the Sound
and continuous down to tide water.
Aluminium is found in our clays.
Granite, red and gray, is found in the
Cascade and Blue mountains and in
the hills on the northern border of
Washington.
Gold was discovered in 1860 by an
old pioneer. This precious metal is
limited to the older rocks of the State.
1t is very scarce and though gold dust
is found in nearly all the streams
there is not enough to make placer
mining profitable. However, there are
some very good, productive mines.
Besides the redwoods OF California, the
forests OF Washington are the heav.
lest, densest and most conspicuous in
the United States. Except for a few
prairie openings and except where re.
moved by fire or the Ak, the forest COW
ers the country thickly from the peaks
Of the Cascade to the ocean. The
trees are chiefly red or yellow fir,
mingled with spruce, hemlock or ce-
dar. They grow from two hundred to
three hundred feet high and from
eight to fifteen feet in diameter. The
United States Geographical survey es-
Inmates the number of feet OF standing
timber to be ll4.778, ,OOO, 900 feet.
The educational system OF Washing
ton is very far advanced and is second
to very few OF the older States OF the
East. It has a very good common
school system, there not being a settle
ment of any importance that is not
we'll provided with a we'll equipped
school. In addition to this course,
there are several State or private col.
leges and universities. There is also a
School for Defective Youth. A Reform
School is located at Chehalis, and the
State Penitentiary is located OF Walla
Walla. There is a Soldiers Home
which is situated at Orting.