946
THE WEST SHORE.
October, 1883.
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Garfield county assessment shows a population
of 4,141 and 943 dwellings.
Bradford is the name of a new town to be laid
out on Vashon island at Bradford bay, 01 Trumps
harbor, about midway between Tacoma and Se
attle. The improvements already made nt the new
town on Ijickamas creek, Clarke county, where
the paper mill is to be erected, consist of two
dams completed and a third under way, a saw
mill, town site laid out and a dozen houses
erected.
Centerville is a rapidly growing town on the
Chehalis river in Lewis county. Two saw mills
and a grist mill contribute to its prosperity and
surrounding it is a large expanse of fine agricul
tural land. Much building is being done this
season.
Improvements in New Tacoma are advancing
rapidly. The new hotel, a numlier of large store
buildings, and many residences are making good
progress. The Neto$ has recently taken its place
by the side of the Mgtr in the list of daily pa.
pert, A free library association has been formed,
Efforts are being made to have old and new Ta
coma Incorporated under one charter. New ad
ditions are continually lieing Inid out and the city
is spreading ifi all directions.
A new town is being laid out in the Dig liend
country west of Grand coulee and about fifteen
miles from the Columbia. It will be called
Okanagon in honor of the great river which
empties into the Columbia twenty-four miles to
the north. The names' of the founders of the new
town are John W. Adams, Walter Mann, John
Dickey, E. W. Hadley and Stewart Barnhart,
They have made arrangements for establishing a
store, a good hotel, a blacksmith shop, a land of
fice ami several other business houses there at
once. From the new town of Okanagon settle.
menl may spread out for Iwenty-hve miles in
every direction in almost uninterrupted compact
nets, The town site occupies a slight elevation
from which is afforded a magnificent view of the
surrounding country. One hundred and fifty
miles directly eastward is Spokane Falls. Sweep.
Ing (at around in the north is the Columbia river,
into which empty the Okanagon and the Mathow,
A few miles westward is the beautiful lake Che.
Ian and a little to the southwest is the mouth of
the Wenatchie. Far off In the west may be seen
the great snow-rlail eaks of the Cascade moun
tains and not far In the noilh lies the great miner.
al region recently surrendered by Chief Moses.
All things considered we shall expect to see the
new town and its surrounding country grow with
great rapidity.
The following interesting paragraphs are taken
from the recent report of Gov. William A. New.
ell to the legislature!
Intemperance in the use of intoxicating liquors
is engaging the attention of philanthropists, po
litical economists, deluded votaries, victims and
all taxpaying citizens, as a question of the high
est magnitude and importance. The fearful de
struction of property and happiness which it oc
casions in its march of desolation, disease and
death; its far-reaching, deteriorating congruen
ces upon unborn generations; the withdrawal
from the industries of mankind of the wealth of
labor which it neutralizes and absorbs; the diver
sion into deadly channels, of breadstuffs, and the
reduction of flesh food which it involves; the
vice, degradation and crime which it engenders;
the cost in varied forms incident to the adminis
tration of justice, to be paid from the labor of in
dustrious and prosperous citizens; all these, with
no redeeming or compensating influences for good,
may well cause it to lie a subject of greatest solic
itude to our race. The right of society to pro
tection by suitable legislation from the effects of
evils so manifest will not be denied. Indeed
government is but a mutual compact for the pres
ervation of person, life and property. The citi
zen cedes certain natural rights with the assur
ance and agreement, that by giving of his means
as taxed, for its support, and venturing, if needs
be, his life for its defence, he shall have all pos
sible protection from danger or damage from any
source. The right to abate an evil clearly argues
a right to effect its prohibition. It will be your
province as faithful guardians to protect by
means however stringent, the public purse, to
repress vice, to foster by all possible means the
health, happiness and prosperity of our people.
Intemperance is not excessive in this territory.
Some of our largest counties have few or no facil
ities for free indulgence in intoxicating liquors,
and temperance is urged with quiet zeal and discretion.
Thirteen thousand Indians occupy fifteen reser
vations, which contain seven millions of acres of
the best agricultural, grazing, timber and mineral
lands of the territory, using them variously for
hunting, fishing, farming and strolling; besides
the use of which they receive liberal assistance
from the government in the guardianship of
agents, the benefit of physicians, mediiines, hos
pitals, schools and teachers, while donations for
food, clothing and implements for forest and
land. They cannot make proper use of these
vast domains, and dn'not appreciate their advnn
(ages, whilst its possession and occupation are
lost to a large body of Americans, who, by culti
vation,' would make it highly productive. It
would conduce greatly to the good of the people
if the government would negotiate for the return
of these valuable lands; abolish tribal relations;
place Indians on the same tooting with other
people in securing a share of the public lands,
making their landed possions inalienable for a
proper period; abolish the present Indian system
with all Its complications and cost; remanding
all Indians to tbe operation ol the laws by which
other people are governed. The process will crt
ate no shock of properly administered, but will on
the contrary be easy of operation, and ultimately
inure to the good of the Indians by compelling
them to labor for a living. Their wants are few
and simple, they are astute and crafty in affairs
and can fully take care of themselves, and
demonstrated in numerous instances will glide
readily from their present semi-barbarous state
into a condition ol civilization and useful
ness. immigration is pouring in upon us and
these lands are needed now for intelligent hus
bandry. The present plan requires the expendi
ture of much money, cultivates a lazy, vagabond
life incomprehensible to people who do not wit
ness their manner of living, which is utterly in
consistant with American habits, and delays the
rescue of the Indians from the abominations of
his savage state. The public sentiment of the
people of this territory is unanimously in favor of
a change as proposed.
A territorial bureau of immigration is a chief
necessity to increase our population, and to pro
vide those persons who seek a residence here with
information directing them to what part of our
vast domains they shall go to obtain suitable
homes adapted to their inclinations and require
ments. Many people come.wilh but little means
for continued travel. It is not right to invite
them hither and allow them to spend their small
possessions in searching for final settlement. In
many new countries it is of but little, consequence
where the pioneer may land for a great similarity
pervades the whole, here the reverse is quite true,
and no man who comes uninlormed can without
much delay of time, and expenditure of money,
reach a proper conclusion on the important sub
ject of selecting his future place of residence. A
bureau should be organized upon an economical
basis, extending its operations east and west of
the mountains alike with sufficient means to pro
vide for the distribution of papers; a burden which
falls heavily upon a few persons who should not
be expected to contribute extensively in such a
direction.
The application of Washington territory for
admission into the Federal Union as a state, is
attracting the attcntton of the country. . Our
ability to sustain a state government and our
claim to admission based upon resources and
population which are the only reasonable re
quirementsare conceded. Our people are quite
unanimously in favor of the measure, desiring to
be possessed of rights and privileges exercised by
other American citizens, in the election of presi
dent, vice president, as well as represntalives in
both branches of congress, so that our welfare
may be maintained not only in debate, but in
votes, and also to choose our own officers of
state. We are now discounted of proper import
ance by being made tributary to adjoining states,
and dependent upon them for executive and leg
islative obligations, If there be any doubt as to
the population required to entitled us to a mem
ber of congress, a new census would solve the
question. The people of the territory have al
ready adopted a state constitution preparatory to
admission, which instrument is generally regarded
as being too voluminous and cumbersome, con
taining many provisions which might properly I
embodied in statutory enactments, and others m
adapted to our presrnt and advanced require
ments. The propriety of providing for a new and
unobjectionable organic instrument is submitted to
your consideration without recommendation, in
deference to your full information as to the wish
of the people upon that subject. A conventiou
would involve great expense, which might be
avoided at thia time by securing admission as a
state contingent upon the adoption of a constil"4
(ion satisfactory to our people and the president
f the United States, or of congress, if in session-