Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-12-16

four years later, ia. and juicy ami
ready to eat"
at is not alone man, however"
continued Mr.. McMillin, that is the
enemy OF the salmon. One of its
greatest pests is the ordinary brook
trout.
"This fish follows the female sal
mon, swimming under it, so that it
may eat the eggs ss they drop. In.
deed, it is almost impossible to get
trout to bite while the salmon are
running, they are 80 overfed with sal.
mon eggs. The salmon knows this
and tries to dig out hole in the sand,
in which it drops its eggs, hoping the
sand will cover them. l have often
seen this in the shallow streams ol
Alaska"
"Is there much money invested in
the fisheries in Washington"
"The amount is something like
sc, ,OOO, ,0OO," replied Mr.. McMillin. "At
least that is what it WAS last season.
1t then gave employment to about TO-
600 persons, whose earnings amounted
to moro than $3,OOO,OOO."
"Is Washington the chief salmon
supply point3"
"Yes; it surpasses Oregon or any
other"
WASHINGTON STATE BOOMING.
"How are times in your State,
Mr.. McMillin?" l asked.
Washington is growing rapidly,
both east and west," was the reply.
"Seattle and the Puget Sound region
have been greatly benefited by Alaska
and the trsns-Pacific trade. Seattle
has now 10000, and it is about the
most businesslike town Of tho West.
Everyone is making money there"
"How about Eastern Washington"
"That part of the State is rapidly
improving. We are redeeming much
of it by irrigation. Land that we used
to consider nothing but barren sand
has been watered and it is now the
most fertile part of the country. Ten
years ago it was not considered worth
taking up on account Of the taxes.
"Now it is valued at from 5000 to
$4OO per acre, and several hundred
thousand acres have been redeemed.
We have some excellent wheat lands
in the eastern part OF the State. The
soil is deep and rich. and it often
brings from twenty-five to fifty bushels
per acre as a first crop. We are doing
q good deal of dairying, and are now
making millions OF pounds of butter
and cheese.
GAS to irrigation, when the bitches,
which are now in course OF construc.
tion and proposed are completed, we
will have more than o million acres OF
that kind Of land"
care your timber lands not pretty
we'll cut Off"
"No." replied the Washingtonian.
"They have been only nibbled around
the edges. We have about the great.
est lumber yard that Uncle Sam owns,
and we have enough to last for hun.
dred years, with An annual cut OF two
billion feet.
"The geological survey estimates
that We have now standing moro than
1876, 900, 900. 900 feet Of timber. You
people have no idea OF the extent OF
our foresta, nor the size Of the trees.
A single Washington tree has yielded
80 600 feet OF lumber.
"That would be enough to build
shingle and all, seven fve-room cot.
tages, and to leave sufficient wood
from the slabs and limbs to heat the
families living in those cottages for
one year."
What kind OF woods have you?"
"a great many" was the reply"
The Washington fir is stronger than
oak. 1t grows as straight as an arrow
and has no limbs for the first hundred
feet. It is used as spars and masts by
the shipping of the world and is valu.
able for railroad work and bridge build.
ing. Then we have the cedar, which
makes the shingles which are shipped
all over the East. Millions of you peo'
pie sleep every night under Washing
ton shingles.
1.-THE spruce is white wood, some.
what like pine, which IL used for all
kinds Of boxes, wooden ware and fur.
niture; and we have also pine and
hemlock for the same purpose. We
are doing great deal Of woodworking
now, and are shipping sash, doors. fur
niture. pals and boxes all over the
West.
1--WE are annually paying out in
wages $25, 900. 900 through our mill.
and logging camps, and we have about
$37 ,OOO, 900 now invested in the lum-
ber industry. We are shipping lum.
Der by rail all over the United States,
and by steamboat to nearly every
country on the Pacific and also to Eu-
rope"
Able to Go Alone.
The angular, hard.feathered, self
possessed mstrOn, was picking hel
way across the crowded street when