The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1910-08-15
AMERICAS SUMMER
PLAYGROUND.
(By Frank Carleton Teck. J

great, CnOrOugly oSCaOllSDoO WluUel
resorts of America, and their winter
guests representing the annual harv-
est CT gold reaped by the producers
and the hosts Of these favored winter
climes, flock to these resorts in hordes
aggregating hundreds OF thousands OF
health and pleasure seekers, practical
ly all of them personifying to great
er or lesser extent the wealth and
recherche society of the great repub-
lie and Of Canada.
1t is estimated that during the win
ter months the city of Los Angeles
alone pockets more than $500, 600 a
day from the stranger within her
gates, who letters there merely as a
guest, basking in the salubrious sun
shine and the smiles of the attaches
in his $15-per-day hotel.
This and more is to be the destiny
of Puget Sound, which has not only
the coolest and most delightful OF
summer chimes known to the Ameri-
can continents, but has wealth OF
majestic scenery, enchanting islands
and dreamy inland sea unequaled on
the globe.
Not only is Puget Sound to become
the most favored of all summer re-
sorts in Uncle Sans domain, with
caravansaries on Ear with the pala-
tial piles of the luxurious retreats OF
winter, but her countless emerald
islands, rock walled and romantic as
any that ever kissed the tides, affords
such ideal situations and surround
ings for summer homes for the famil-
les, that all will be appropriated
largely for idling purposes.
At the same time, it is a fOregone
conclusion that the more fertile OF
these beautiful isles, such as WILDLY,
the largest of them all, and Orcas,
San Juan and Lopez, will be largely
devoted to intensive farming, fruit
growing, poultrying and dairying, as
they are now, and the appropriation
of the smaller islands and the more
beautiful coves and scenic hooks of
the larger island by the summer HON
ers will turn out tC be subject for
mutual congratulations, because the
latter will be glad to be able to buy
so near their bungalows such rural
delicacies as vegetables, fruits, eggs,
butter, etc., fresh from the farm, and
the intensive farmers and fruit grow
ers will be grateful for the Increase of
land values caused by home market
at%heir kitchen door.
LII is five years now since, Ia maya
zine article, I dubbed Northwest
Washington "The Summer Play
ground of America" and the appela
ton has stuck, because it is essential
ly true. OF course, it is not now the
recognized summer playground OF
the country, but it is the only region
having all the qualiticatio and the
realization is now ripening with de-
cided rush. Already there are hum
dreds of summer homes on the charm
ing islands of the San Juan aIchipela-
go, of "The Cyclades of the West, -
and a famous shipbuilder, Robert
Moran, has built a veritable castle,
backed by a "preserve' of several
hundred acres, at cost of very close
to half million dollars.
Within the last three years, so
many well-tO-dO Seattle men have Sc
cured by purchase entire islands in
the San Juan archipelago that a Iegu-
lar fad in that direction has assum-
ed form and practically all the little
islands in that famous and pictures
que group are at the present time
'undeI the guns" of would be pur-
chasers. This has tended to make the
more fertile and larger islands all
the more attractive, because people
make values in land as in .everyl hing
else terrestrial. and all the arabic soil
of the large islands is sure to COM
mand fancy prices in the very near
future.
WILDLY island, for instance, little
more than thirty miles north from
Seattle, speaking of its southern at
fractions particularly, with its dreamy
quiet, sheltered salt water, its wond-