Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1906-01-11
BUSINESS ON THE SOUND
Boosted BY Recent Railway Terminal
Purchases lots and Property ad
vanCing In Spokane.
Need of New legislation for Lumber
Labor SCarCe-living nlgh.-
Chinese BoyCotte.

Chinese BoyCotts.
Ormsby McHarg, who has been in
Seattle for the last six months, is
spending few days in the city visit
ing his mother and sister and looking
after local business matters. He has
organized large corporation for the
purpose Of manufacturing lumber at
or near Van Couver, the company to
build and equip large saw mill and
utilize the timber on about $4,000
acres Of timber land north of Van
couver on deep water. The capital
which goes into the concern is largely
from Minnesota and the propositio is
said to be a fine one in every way, the
timber first class hr and cedar, con-
veniently located to water transporta-
tion. Speaking Of the recent boom in
Tacoma and Seattle, due to the recent
purchase by the Milwaukee road of
water frontage in those cities, Mr..
McHarg says: "Both Tacoma and
Seattle are feeling the good effects of
this big enterprise in the railway ad-
vantages which the new through line
will give. 1t is no prospective affair,
as the prices of tide water frontage
have scared way up and fortunate
holders have made big money in the
sale of the frontage in both cities.
The Milwaukee company has grading
outfits within 20 miles OF Seattle.
These outfits Iwere shipped over the
Northern Pacific about two months
ago and work is now being done at
that end Of the line. The understand
ing is that the road will be hauling
through business in 1908. The same
line has bought property, I am inform
ed, in Butte and Spokane, and proper
ty in the latter city, especially, is
booming again on the strength of the
new road. 1t looks probable that the
old reported agreement with the
North Dakota roads in regard to keep
ing out Of each others territory, has
ended or soon will be, and that the
Milwaukee will devote some of its i'm
mense capital to the extension of side
branches, and you people in North d.
kota and Jamestown should get a ben
eft. The Milwaukee road is only about
forty miles distant at Edgeley and it
would seem to be a natural move that |
such a short line could be built to
Jamestown and run with profit to any
road that would construct the line. I |
look for something doing in that con.
nection in the near future, which will
be Of great profit to this city, which is
the natural wholesale point when once
you get direct Chicago connection, as
a forty-mile extension to Edgely would
bring.
'"The great drawback at present to
the development of the resources on
Puget Sound and western Washington
and Oregon is the scarcity OF labor.
Living Of all kinds is high there; but
ter is 35c pound, eggs 6Oc a Dozen
Vegetables and meats are also high,
being shipped from east Of the noun
tains. The expense of living is large
and wages are naturally high. 1t costs
from 500 to 1925 to clear an acre of
timber land fit for farming. Little
garden produce is now raised there,
not enough to supply the. demand, and
most Of it has to be shipped in from
east Of the mountains. North Dakota
has great field there and a natural
market tforyour surplus poultry eggsand
butter, as well as feed, grain and flour.
Oats especially are high and buyers are
shipping them from Minnesota. I
hear the Jamestown flour is the best
-four in our market, according to a
wholesale dealers statement to me.
"The Chinese exclusion act operates
decidedly to our disadvantage there, as
the need Of cheaper common labor is
so great in building the towns and
clearing the timber lands for small
farming. In the neighborhood of the
Puget Sound are some $4,000 people
who are to be fed, to say nothing of
the population Of Alaska, which is in
creasing and where all food supplies
have to be shipped in, as nothing is
raised, while the timber and mining
industries there are fast increasing
in importance.
"The Roosevelt and Taft policy, as
expressed by them, or so reported, of
modifying the exclusion act is popular
there with the men who are investing
their money in the enterprises that
build the cities and develope the coun-
try. The Chinese merchant student,
banker and business man are shrewd