The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-04-21

The rapid development of dairy
- ing in this county, and especial
ly On San Juan island, during the past
three years is source of a great
deal of satisfaction to the ISLANDER,
which had labored long and patiently
to secure the establishment of a
creamery here and to persuade farm
ers to engage in this lucrative branch
OF agricultural industry and build up
their farms by stock raising instead
of exhausting their soil by grain pro-
duction year after year. When the
ISLANDER began preaching the gos-
pei of dairying not can of cream
was being sold in the county or ship
ped from it. Now nearly all of the
fine farms Of San Juan, Orcas and Lo-
PEE islands are largely devoted to
dairying and stock raising and cans
of cream constitute a considerable
part of the freight handled by the
regular steamers at nearly all points
touched. On this island alone there
are 600 or more mich cows and the
number will probably rea. h 1000
within the next two or three years.
On. Lopez island, which is next in i'm
portance in milk production, there
are several hunure cows, furnishing
a large supply of cream to an excel
lent creamery at Lopez, the proprie-
tors of which, Messrs. Bugge & Fred
erickson, have secured an option up
on a site for the establishment of
a creamery here. Large quantities
of cream are shipped from here to
Anacortes and Seattle, and John B.
Agen, ofSeattle, one of the wealthiest
and most extensive creamery opera
tors in the state, has had arepresen-
tative here this week arranging to
test and purchase cream here for
shipment to Seattle until he can build
and operate first-class creamery
here. AS long ago as last September
the editor OF the ISLANDER was in
formed by Mr.. Agen's Bellingham
representative, Mr.. McCadden, that
he would have creamery in opera
ton here within a few weeks. We
are now advised that this was not
done for the reason that a suitable
site could not then be secured, with
necessary wharf facilities, at price
which was considered reasonable. The
ISLANDER is informed that it is still
Mr.. Agen's intention to build here if
this difficulty can be overcome, as he
hopes that it may be in few weeks.
If the county wins its case, now in
the supreme court, involving the
right Of the commissioners to lease
the tide land and abutting upland at
the foot Of Spring street, the lease of
this property granted some months
AGO to p. A. Jensen will be confirmed
and in that case a creamery site will
probably be secured there.
The demand for business locations
along the water front here serves to
emphasize the value Of the county,s s
property. tits listed in the
statement OF assets in the auditors
annual report, recently published, as
The Waterfront addition" and the
value is estimated at only s, 900.
This seems ridicnlously low in view Of
the fact that the property includes
every foot Of shore line and all the
tide land in front Of the original town
plat, except that occupied BY the T.
A. F. cannery. It commands the
business situation here absolutely.
Every pound of merchandise shipped
into town or out Of it, by water, and
All grain, produce and live stock ship
ments must pass over property own
ed by the county and now occupied
~ nrivate individuals under leases for