192 THE WEST SHORE. I iri'pmiT a a nrtTTWTV XX7 T N 1R3 the Territorial Legislature divided tlie large uniiifvfif Yiiltima. nnd of the northern nortion formed the county of Kittitim. The new county lies very near 1110 goograpliiciu center oi me lemiiory, iineo-iuuiwio m it being nortli of tlie forty-sixth parallel. On the north the Wenatchee River forms its boundary line; on the w vnt the great Columbia Hows between it and the great bunch grass plateau known as the "Big Bend Country ;' Yakima County lies to the south; and on the west it meets the counties of King mid Pierce on the summit ridge of tlie Cascade Mountains. Its area of 3.G00 square mileH presents a surface generally mountainous and rug god, interspersed with well-watered and fertile valleyB in the nortli and west, sinking toward the southeast into beautiful rolling hills and broad stretches of grassy plain. The nutritious bunch grass, tlie "stockman's friend," covers the plains and hills and throws its picket line far up the sloping sides of the mountains. Naturally the loading industry was stock raising for many years after the first Battlement of the country. The mnjority of those who engaged in this business now con stitute tho wealthiest citizens of the county. Twenty yoara ago this groat industry began, and it is only ten years since the great fertility of the soil induced many settlors to engage in farming. The soil is peculiarly adapted to the growth of cereals. Wheat avorages from thirty to thirty-five bushels to the acre in the Kittitas Valley, barley forty, and oats from forty-five to fifty. This yield is maintained year after year. Drought is unknown, tho irrigating ditches that rim the valley in all directions supplying a ceaseless How of pure water from tho immorons mountain streams. Vegetables grow abun dantly and of large size, while all kinds of borries thrive. The principal valley is that of Kittitas, about thirty five miles long and ton wide. Through it runs the Yakima River in a southeasterly direction. On the east side of tho stream, and near the center of the valley, lies Ellousburg.the county seat, a thriving town of 500 inhab itants. It was founded many years ago by Hon John Shandy, now representing Kittitas and Yakima counties m tho Territorial Legislature. With his family he settled there and built a trading post, about which the town has gradually gathered. It contains quite a num or of largo building., nearly every kind of business Wing reprnkHl There are four large general store of merchandise, three hotels, a bank, three blacksmith shop, three drug stores, two saddlery shops, one ..ry store, d several feed stables, restaurants, bakery oUv Two week y papers aro published, and tho poo, e enjoy ho advances of a daily mail d conned X stage lino with Yak ma and point, beyond to the JubT ...i and the ra.lroml A school house w,ich cost S" i ono of the institutions of the town Pro nZ ' Wing made to found an academy tV 1 1 7 W the auspices of the Si , JS? Two church organisations exist, and for one u Z?8 m conm of construction, Five rist e " f lho6 " number of sawmill, are locntcd valley, which supply flour and lumber to Yakima and Kittitas counties, and even across the Columbia to tlio Big Bend. The altitude of Ellensburg is 1,500 feet above the sea level. The winter weather is clear and cold, the ther mometer in extreme seasons reaching 30 degrees below zero. This is seldom, however, and the usual winter weather is sunny and bracing. Snow occasionally falls to the depth of two feet, but soon succumbs to the melt ing breath of the Chinook wind, which does not neglect Kittitas in its travels inland. The most disagreeable feature of the climate are the strong winds of spring and summer, but to these one quickly becomes accustomed. Taken as a whole, tho climate is an' agreeable one, the summers being pleasant and not too warm, and the winter clear and invigorating, without extended periods of cold weather. Wenatchee Valley, lying along the northern boundary of the county, has a much lower altitude than Kittitas, and is better adapted to fruit culture. Miller & Freer, the pioneers of Wenatchee, have long kept a trading post at the mouth of that stream, and possess an orchard that yields fruit in abundance. This finds a ready market at good prices across the mountains in Ellensburg, and in the Wenatchee Valley itself. The valley is as yet thinly settled, and good homes may be found here by industri ous men upon Government land. Many of the settlers are setting out small orchards and vineyards, and the luscious peaches, grapes and apples of the Wenatchee will find a more extended market throughout that portion of.the Territory. About twenty miles from Ellensburg is Swauk Creek, a considerable mountain stream discharging into the Yakima. Here are a number of settlements nestling m the little valleys along its course, and some five miles up the stream from where it is first approached by the road from Ellensburg are the Swauk placer mines. The coarse gold of these mines is their'distinguishing feature. Lumps and nuggets are found ranging from one dollar to seven hundred. Considerable gold has been taken out, but the diggings are deep and the. gold irregularly dis tributed, rendering it difficult to follow the lead. The mines are worked by a few white men and a number of Chinamen. Several quartz ledges of much promise have been discovered and are being prospected. A mill has been erected. Fifteen miles further into the mountains are the well-known quartz mines of Peshastin and Nig ger creeks, which were first worked in 1861 and aban doned in the stampede for the mines, of Idaho. Of late years several rich veins of ore have been worked by arastras, and the Schaffer mine has a six-stamp mill running on good rock. This mine has been developed without the aid of outside capital, and has been to unusual expense in making roads and bringing in machinery. Directly westward from the Swauk settlements are to be found many homes on the plateaus and slopes border jng the Teanaway, and still further west in the valley of the upper Yakima. Here is a large area of cultivable