The Colfax chronicle., 1903-05-02
WONDERS OF THE NORTHWEST
Rapid Growth Of Trade ana Ind~e
tries In the Cities Of the
PasiAc Coast.

In the northwest everything seems
TO have happened within the last ten
years: events which would be of epoch
making Importance in any country at
any time have here crowded one upon
another with wanton prodigality, so
tnat the northwesterner, pumped
down in the whirl of great things, can
himself hardly grasp their full signi-
hcance, contenting himself with con-
FUSED superlatives, says Ray Stannard
Baker, in March Century.
Think of this march of events! It
was barely eight years ago that the
gold fields of the Klondike were
brought to the knowledge of the world,
causing rush of Americans to the
northwest, and building up suddenly
q new and important business for the
Puget sound ports, where the miners
outhtted and took ship. Following the
hlondike excitement, came the various
Alaska discoveries, and Seattle and Ia
coma were and are the natural head
quarters for most of the supplies
shipped northward as well as the en-
try point for thereturning miners with
tnelr treasure, not little of which is
let to enrich the people of the ports.
Hardly had the gold excitement
Gained to the PAGES of steady busi-
ness enterprise when the Spanish war
broke out, and these Pacific cities were
thrown into the turmoil of visiting bat
tleships and of provisioning and trans
porting the army of the Philippines.
Then came the opening trade with our
new 1nsular possessions in the Pacific,
the Chinese war and its call for equip
ment and its stir of soldiery and trans
ports, followed by the recent CONNER
cial expansion of Japan, with its trade.
demands. And now an element has
just entered into the calculations of
the coast--the construction of the
Panama canai-which will revolution
lze whole departments of the worlds
trade and exercise profound influence
Tor good or evil on the cities of the
northwestern coast.
Many of the events, it is true. notably
the opening of the door to the far east.
are mostly promissory assets; and vet
tneir prophecy of a golden future has
not been without its profound effect
on the growth of the Pacific cities and
the attraction of energetic men with
money. To the Pacific ports will ult;-
mateiy come most of the trade of the
philippines, worth $50 o.o0o, 900 annual
~ and q growing share of the billion
dollars or more of the annual business
OF China. Japan, Siberia and the Dutch
East Indies, to say nothing of the large
foreign trade of Australia and New
Zealand. Alaska, once regarded as . |
hopelessly distant and irreclaimable
waste OF mountains and snow, is also
progressing with wonderful rapidity.
not only in its mines, but in the devel.
oPment of its fisheries and in the nth.
lzatlon of its forests and its a0r;cul-
.urai resources, SO that to-day the
ALASKAN trade is of much Importance.
while these world events were
srowding upon one another, the devel-
oPment OF the country tributary to the
coast, upon which the solid progress
Of the cities must ultimately rest. was
going forward with Unprecedented
'apidity. Western Canada was >open-
ng TO settlement, is opening now. in
marvellous manner; railroads were
'uiiding; schemes for irrigating the
lrld lands were in course of develor.
nent; cropproduction was increasing:
Imoer was being cut from an almost
nexnaustible supply, to supplement
ne waning forests of Maine nd Mich
gan coal mines were being opened.
mo salmon caught--all the forces Of
noustry working together with a
ap,uity which must always remain :
worlds wonder.