Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-07-06

Chehalis county is one of the large coun-
ties of Western Washington, having an area
OF $500 square miles, and population of
about $4,000. The county fronts on the
Pacific ocean for sixty miles, and extends
inlend, along its southern border for forty.
hve miles, and on it's northern line for thirty.
five miles. The eastern border is in the
form Of a step. Jefferson county is on the
north, Thurston and Mason counties on the
east, and Pacific and Lewis on the south.
Nearly all the people live in the southern
half of the county. around the shores of
Grays Harbor and along the rivers. The
northern half is mountainous and rugged.
The Quinault Indian reservation occupies q
large area in the northern half, with a 'front.'
age of twenty miles along the coast. Be-
cause of the high Olympic mountains in
Jefferson, Mason and Clallam counties,
broad belt of coast territory for hundred
miles northward is made tributary to Grays
Harbor cities. Into this region the Northern
Pacific is building. Track is completed to
Moclips, on North Beach, and it is the evil
dent intention of the company to build north
ward to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
The county is reached by branch line
of the Northern Pacific, which crosses the
county from east to west, from Oakville to
Ocosta. Two passengers trains each way
daily from Portland, Seattle and Tacoma
render all parts of the county easily ac-
cessible, while steam vessels sail three
times week to San Francisco and Southern
California points from Grays Harbor ports.
The industries of Chehalis county are
fcI,i
portance being in the order named. The
principal industry numbering, affords employ.
ment to several thousand men in the mills
and logging camps the year around at good
wages CLANS and shell fish are plentiful
in the waters, and ten miles out from Grays
Harbor are some Of the best fishing banks
on the Pacific coast. The fishing and pack.
ing of salmon is also an important industry
in the western part of the county
The natural wealth of Chehalis county is
little more than touched. Along the streams
flowing into Grays Harbor little Of the
timber is cut. There remains almost an
unbroken forest throughout the remainder
OF the county. Government reports show
more timber standing in Chehals county
than any other county in Washington.
Although the county has been settled for
tifty years. comparatively little has been
done in agriculture. The Chehalis valley,
which extends through the county from west
to east, is about $50 miles in length, and
from FIVE to ten miles wide, yet it is safe
to say that not more than one acre in ten
OF it's rich arabic land is in cultivation. A
still smaller percentage Of the bottom lands
along the Humptulips. Hoquiam, Wishkah,
Wynooche, Satsop and Black rivers has as
yet had an opportunity to respond to the
plow of the farmer.
Most Of the farms are located in the Che.
halls valley, from a short distance below
Montesano to the line of Thurston county.
On tide water. within radius of q few miles
Of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, there are 10000
acres OF tide flats, very valuable as agri-
cultural land Half this area might be made
ready for cultivation by means Of dikes at
q comparatively low cost, in reality cheaper
than timber lands could be cleared. Along