Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-02-19

ing this great bay was originally all
heavy timber and large portion of it
is covered with timber yet, some of
which is of enormous size. | have
seen standing fir up to II feet and
cedar 10 feet in diameter but it is
being cut down with great rapidity.
There are now in the state about 500
saw mills and about that many Single
| mills in operation. Farming is done
on very small basis on this side,
raising mostly vegetables. fruit and
hops. no cereals TO speak of. Mining
is becoming quite an industry here,
large per cent of gold and silver and
a number of coal mines are in opera
tion now through the Cascades.
The incorporated places on the
sound which but score of years ago
were classed with small towns by
eastern people are becoming great
cities and their Importance is fast
being recognized the world over.
Seattle is now the largest with a
population of 5000. overlooking
Elliott bay on the west This metro
polls is now one of the great seaports
of the world. Tacoma, the next city
in size and Importance. with popu-
lation estimated at 40. 600 is pro-
phesied TO become the largest city on
the Pacific coast if not in the United
States The prophets base their
dream on the wonderful natural
harbor, unusual large area of tide
floats for factory sites, the large tract
of level ground to the south of the
city for resident purposes, and many
other natural resources, including the
beautiful scenery of the mountains,
the greatest of which is Mount Ia
coma. (Ranier) IA, 544 feet high, to
which access is only possible by going
through Tacoma. This eternal snow
capped peak is rare treat for the
sight-seer in the hot days of July and
August.
The next cities on the Sound in|
order of size and Importance are Bell
ingham, Everett and Olympia having
population of 3S,00O 80, 600 and
TO- 600. respectively. The last one
mentioned is the state capitol city.
The climate on the west side differs
somewhat from that on the east. The
winter is very wet but seldom cold
enough to even freeze, yet one cold
wave is expected each winter. The
summers are most beautiful with oc-
casional rain, Just enough to keep all
plant life green all summer.
| presume my honest reader COM
mences to think | too must have
Joined the boosters club. | think |
will now commence and try to prove
otherwise.
First, to the man who tolls if you
have job any place in the east keep
mt as YOU can't get job here now.
| Before this so-called financial furry
there were jobs to be had and wages
were from 81 to 50 for unskilled labor.
That might sound big, but when
you pay 81 per week for board and
room and everything you buy accord
ingly your net stake at the end of the
month is fully as small as in Iowa
when You get only 81 to ST. 30. | say
these wages prevailed before this 1907
panic, but since every workingman,
skilled or unskilled, was cut from 20
TO 30 per cent and that is not all I; in
the cities it is hard to get enough
work TO pay for board which hasn't
dropped cent About three weeks
ago nearly 5000 men marched TO the
city hall of Seattle, asking the mayor
to be given work or something to eat
The officials did the best they could
for them, putting them TO work on
public highways and streets for %
cents day and board
To the Iowa farmer, whom 1 beg to
advise to stay on his farm: True, 10
bushels Of wheat has been raised to an
acre in Washington, but outside of
wheat and barley very little can be
raised and no grass whatever where
wheat is raised, and consequently
every third year the soil is left idle, |
as two years in succession on the same