April, 1883.
THE WEST SHORE.
73
plenty of rain, and Southern Oregon promises a
good crop.
' Jacksonville merchants are now rw iving goods
by the Crescent City route, four days from San
Francisco.
Times are lively in Coos county this spring in
both coal and lumber industries. Three logging
roads with steel rails will be constructed this sea
son. The woolen mills at Ashland are running dny
and night with thirty hands, and ship large quan
tities of goods to Portland and San Francisco.
The prosperity of Ashland is remarkable for a
town shut off from railroad communication, and
vith the completion of the road now being ex
tended to it a large increase in business and pop
ulation ought to follow.
WASHINGTON.
EASTERN WASHINGTON.
Ponieroy is growing rapidly.
Prescott was laid out on the Touchet but
year ago, and is now building a school house to
cost $3,500.
me crops 01 eastern Washington present a
magnificent appearance, and nothing but an un
foreseen calamity can prevent a splendid harvest
and the blessings that follow in its train.
During the month of March 144 pre-emption
tilings were made at the Colfax land office, cover
ing 23,040 acres; homestead entries, 87 ; acres,
13,9201 timber culture entries, 73 ; acres, 1 1,680;
cash entries, 3,353 acres; final homestead proof,
3,632 acres; total acres, 54,625.
Hon. Philip Ritz has set out 20,000 maple,
walnut, ash, box elder and poplar trees on his
place near Rittville this spring. Trees planted by
him last season are in good condition. The land
in that vicinity it being rapidly settled upon now,
though the general opinion until last fall was that
it was of little value for agriculture. Mr. Ritt
and a few others have practically demonstrated
that the idea was erroneous.
The rush to the. Big Bend country continues
unabated. The advance agents of a colony of
alxnit a hundred Welsh families have recently
made selections of land. They are called the
Pacific Coast Cambrian Colonisation Co., and
will lay out a town this summer in township 26,
range 31, east of Willamette meridian. The
roads leading into the Big Bend region are dotted
with emigrant wagons.
The new town in the Colville country has ex
changed its name of Belmont for Colville, to make
the removal of the county seat easier of accom
plishment. Several new buildings have len
erected and a number of old ones have been
moved over from Fort Colville. The war de
partment will rebuild and garrison the old fort
this summer, as it it becoming a point of military
importance.
WESTERN WASHINGTON.
At Port Townsend a fine saw mill is doing a
large business. An addition 160x170 feet is be
ing made to the Union wharf, which will make it
a large a any on the Sound.
There are about I $0 people on Wbollochctt, or
Cutthroat bay, ten miles west of New Tacoma.
They are engaged in logging and general farming,
and aic iuUuducuig hop culture.
Orcas island is the largest In Puget sound, and
contains about sixty settlements. About twenty
good claims are yet unoccupied, and offer superior
inducements to families desiring to make a home.
The rush to Whatcom county still continues.
There are now four town sites on Bellini-ham
bay, where Is excted at some future time to be
located the terminus of a branch line from the
Canadian Pacific. The town of Whatcom has
now a paper called the Wrr.
The citizens of Vancouver have undertaken to
fit up the old school building as a temporary
shelter for immigrant families while thry are
selecting suitable locations upon whl(h to settle.
Such action as this will be of great assistance in
drawing people to the fertile acres of Clarke
county.
Snohomith county it receiving many settlers
this spring. A farming colony of 250 Germans
from Colorado has just settled on a selected loca
tion near the Snohomith river, and will form the
nucleus of a populous community. Snohomith
City is a thriving town. A two-story hotel, aware
house and two residences have just been com
pleted, and a livery stable, several business blocks
and a dor.cn dwelling houses will be erected this
season.
Many people are Milling along the Chehalis
and its tributaries in Chehalis and Mason counties,
The soil is on an average five feet deep and Is
well adapted to the growth of oats, potatoes, hops
and fruit. Cattle and sheep thrive on the abund
ant wild grass. Surveyors are at work north of
Hoquiam, and several excellent townships will
soon be thrown open. A wharf will soon be
built at Montesano, and then the Gtnttat blilti
will run to lh.it town. At present it goes no
further up the river than Cosmofiolis. The liny
ber of that region is unexcelled, and when it hoi
been cleared from the land the settler has left 1
soil of great richness.
New Tacoma is as energetic as ever. A three
story wooden hotel and a four-story brick one are
going up, as well as many business structures and
residences. Main street is being thoroughly
graveled. The stlgtr has begun issuing a daily
that is full of news, and reflects the prosperity of
the city. The risejn real estate values has been
wonderful both in city lots and suburban property.
Many additions lo the town site have been maile
and much property contiguous lo the cily has
been purchased at high prices with a view of
making further additions to accommodate the
giowth of the city. A school house lo coat about
$25,000 will soon I erected, also a sulnlintial
Catholic church. The great coal bunkers upon
which so much work has been plsced, are com
pleted, and the business of shipping coal has be
come a very extensive one.
Seattle is a buiy city. The hotels are unable
to accommodate the crowds that land from every
steamer. Marked improvement it shown in the
number and character of the residences and
business buildings in procesa of erection. Four
large saw mills in the city and its suburbs and an
extensive wagon and agricultural machine factory
are now under way. The real estate market it
till active, the sab in March acgregallnf $474,
748. Many additions lo I be town sits have been
made, and all suburban profwrty Is considered
valuable. The elty has a fine ichool luWmg,
but will erect another this season at an expense of
$30,000, and still another In 1884, when il will
have school facilities unexcelled by any city of its
site on the coast. Work has begun upon a new
system of water works thai will supply 500,000
gallons per hour. An Immigration and Informa
tion bureau haa been incorporated and Is doing
good work. The coal shipments in March reach
ed a total of 15,305 toes.
A correspondent of the Port Townsend Aryn
thus seaks of the Qullleute country, on the ex
treme northwest ocean coast 1
"It is estimated thai there are 1. 000 claims
vacant In the Oulllcute vi'.ley thai are good farm,
ing lands, betides thousands of acres of the best
limlier land in Western Washington. The west
end of Clallam county Is the best part of the
country. It has the best sgtlcultuial land, and the
most of It. (Julllcute Is bound lo be the most
populous and wealthy part of the county. The
claims that have been taken are most all prairie,
mack vegelalile mold from two to lour feel deep,
with a yellow clay subsoil. Most al Ihe farming
lands hat been taken up, but there are four streams
which form the Quillcute liver, all of which have
rich bottom lands, dial are as good as any rivet
bottom land In Western Washington. One of the
newcomers has a river claim, and wilt put In ten
acres of hops in the spring. Home other part lee
will engage in ihe same business. The lumtierlnt;
interests here will be Immense, and Ihe company
that grtt ihe first foot hold will get a fortune. The
coal fields when on will add wealth lo Ihe
country already rich in agricultural resources. Our
cattle are running in the timber and are doing
wen."
IDAHO.
On the plain between Boise and Snake river la
a vast area of splendid agricultural land which Ii
favorably situated for irrigation. The Upper
Boise Klver Canal and I.and Improvement Co.
has commenced Ihe construction of a main canal
which, with lateral branches necessary lo develop
this region, will cost $750,000. The revolution
thai a completion of this enterprise will effect
III lie wonderful.
In Jsnusry ihe (own of Shoshone, which
had existed a number of years under Ihe name of
Naples, contained a population of alxnit 200,
About the first of March the (. S, L. was com
pleted lo that place, it was made temporary
terminus, and I In permanent Junction of Ihe
Wood river branch, ami It now a thriving town
of tome 2,000 people. Il it but another essmple
of ihe rapid rise of railroad towns. A weekly
paper, the A'mlltr, bos already been established.
The llailry land district wot established by ex
ecutive order dated January 24. iMj, with the
land office al 1 alley. The Iwindaries are at fol
lows 1 Commencing at a point on ihe right bank
of Ihe Snake river at ihe Intersection of ihe
range line between ranges 9 and 10 east of Ihe
Boise meridian thence north along said range
line lo the left bank of Salmon river thence
easterly up the left bank of Salmon liver lo the
western boundary of Lemhi county thence north
along Ihe said western boundary of said county lo
the boundary tine between IiUho and Montana ;
thence southeasterly along said boundary line lo
the intersection with Ihe range line between
range 29 and jo east from Boise meridian thence
south along said range line lo Ihe right bank of
Snake river thence we.Uiljr,dow the right bank