The west shore., May 01, 1885, Page 152, Image 22

152
THE WEST SHORE.
PORT TOWNSEND AND JEFFERSON COUNTY,
WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
1)0RT TOWNSEND, the subjoet of some of our prin
rtpnl illustrations this month, is notublo as being tlio
port of entry and locution of the cuHtora house in the
Puget Sound Collection District It is the county seat
of Jefferson County, and is situated along the northern
shore of a beautiful bay of the name name, about three
miles in length, and indenting the eastern side of a
oninHula at the junction of the Straits of Juan de Fuca
and Puget Hound proper. It is about ninety miles east
of Ciie Fluttery, at tlio Pacific Ocean, and some sixty
five miles north of Olympio, the head of navigation on
Puget Sound, though the irregular channel of the Sound
makes the actual distance traveled by water between
Olynipia and Port Towuseud not far from a hundred
miles.
Tort Townsend has a population of about 1.G00, is the
location of a Uuitod Status court, and of a district court
for the oountie of Jefferson, Clallam, Island and Snn
Juan. It is the last American port going north from
Portland, having direct mail and steamboat connection
with Victoria, in British Columbia, and is the first Amer
ican port entered by the Alaskan mail steamor on her
down trijm. It is also a natural centre of travel for a
large scope of country, including several counties, having
steamboat and mail lines rodi-iting to all points of the
oo!Umihs. A semi-weekly mail is carried by steamer on
Mondays and Thursdays to Neah Day and all way ports
in Clallam County to the westward along the Straits of
Fuca, and a semi-weekly mail is also carrioil by steamer
on the same days, returning Wednesdays and Saturdays,
to and from Whatcom and Semiahmoo, and northward in
Whateom County to the Uritish Columbia liue, touching
at many intermediate point in Shu Juau and Skagit
oountie. A daily mail is carried by Btago and ferry
steamer westward across Quimper Peninsula and Port
Discovery liny to tlio saw milling town of Port Disoovory
on the west aide of the bay, which extends inland mmth
ward from the Straits some nine miles-the saw mill
being some twelve miles from Port Townsend. A Bteamer
also makes complete daily trijm around the intervening
IMMiinsula .between the two pointa. A tri-weekly mail is
also carried by steamer and stage across the channol
even miles to Ebey'a Landing, on Whidby I8Unl, and
from thence to Coujwville, on Ponn'a Cove-the steamer
and sUige also connecting both ways every day, Sundays
exoepted. A daily mail is carried by steamer to Irondalo,
Urn mile distent to the aouthweat, at the head of Port
Townsend Hay, where extensive smelting works are lo
cated, to which the steamer makea two triits ,Hily. Daily
mail moe is had by steamers to all promineut towns on
Puget Sound to Uie south and northward to Victoria. A
freight and passenger steamer also runs northward every
Saturday direct to Now Westmiuster, B. C., and an opiio.
sition MUMengtr and freight steamer runs three times a
wk to Victoria, beside numerous amaller craft being
employed in the carrying tradd to local point. The mail
U now oarriad monthly to Alaska, but advioe from the
Post Office Department indicate that the next contract
will be for semi-monthly mail, with Port Townsend as
the southern terminus of the route. Ocean steamers ar
rive direct from San Francisco every eigU days. Alto
gethor, Port Townsend Bay is always lively with ship
ping, from twenty-five to fifty craft of all sizes, both sail
and steam, being frequently in sight at once.
The United States Custom House brings here vessels
of all kinds having business to do with it, particularly in
the foreign trade. The Puget Sound Customs Collection
District, with headquarters here, collects duties for the
Government amounting annually to about $70,000, and
ranks about third on an average among all the collection
districts in the United States. In order to convey an
idea of the amount of business done, we append the fol
lowing summary of exports from Puget Sound District
in American and foreign vessels to foreign countries dur
ing the year 1884:
i..m.. An. Vixflim. FuiTVitmii.ii,
A'o." Value. No. FSfST
Umber, M M..... W.SHS !X)l,22l 17.MI $227,018
Utli nit rncknU, M 2,778 8,617 LIU) 11, IKS
Hliml,M... ,3U l,m '
WhiMit, biuhali. 14,54.1 12,7411
Flour, b rn.li j,B.y i;,;m
OnU, builiel 41,814 17.7M
If""" SIS M.IB8
' W7 u,aa
H'w"M W.HrtK u,m
I iiirn... 1.8MI U,870
OtlmrartiolM. 172,2117 5,410
. TnuL tuiMw Triaaliw
Of the above there were carried in American vessels to
British Columbia exports to the value of 1824,049; Brit,
ish possessions in Australia, $235,285; Hawaiian Islands,
$2114,721); Peru, $o3,684; Chile, $23,234; United States of
Colombia, $30,007; Mexico, $3,344; China, $10,706; and
in foreign vessels to Chile, $75,755; Peru, $16,476; China,
10,706; British possessions in Australia, $129,647; United
States of Colombia, $12,389, and Bolivia, $4,895.
Imfwrta-Yne, $173,283; dutiable, , $36,665. Total,
Registered Tonnage Coastwise Entered, 138 vessels;
tonnage, 133,934. Cleared, 100 vessels; tonnage, 75,359.
Lntramv and Clearances Foreign Ports Amer
ican vessels entered, 867; tons, 350,659; foreign vessels
entirnil IUI- hma 1B7l i : ' i i
"" """- Aiueuuuii vessels ciearea, wi;
tons, .M)2,52.J; foreign vessels cleared, 36; tons, 25,452.
i (woenmrg Entered from Foreign Counns-Janu
ary 482; February, 431; March, 481; April, 682; May,
l,C9l June. 1.287: Ju v. 1.R07- !,,.. i on. aJ.
II at 1 (iOn. Cn.,
hiocU)ber' J81; Novem"er, 727; December, 600;
it A"e8timnto tbe month of December is included in
all of the almve.
Vessels Built on Puget Sound During Fear-Steam-ers
(I)-8opIiul 11 tons; Enterprise, 14; Active, 7;
S Zv 27T: bVUU1; 42; Tyhee- m Rubier, 62
Fdi h $ P WphQ1,,e IPr6"'). Cascade, 69;
With, 52; Pearl 34. Schoonera-Utsalady, 24 tons;
James G. Blame, 480; Albatross, 7; Emily, ft
At the last session of Congress the sum of $70,000
was appropriated out of the National Treasury to erect s
suitable public building at Port Townsend, the proposed
structure being the subject of one of our illustrations.
This building will be used principally for customs and
postal business, and its ultimate cost will probably be
much greater than indicated by the appropriation. The
Government already owns two blocks of land, near the