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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1889)
THE WEST 8H0RE. 173 practically inexhaustible field for the operation of saw mills and various manufactories of wood No better shipping facilities for such products could be asked than exist on the bay. A superior quality of iron ore is found in great abundance about Irondale, and, indeed, entirely across the isthmus from Port Townsend bay to Port Discovery bay. There are also coal formations to be found in several places, which promise rich results in working. A fine quality of sandstone for building purposes is quarried near the city. Marble is found on Orcas island, directly across Admiralty inlet, and in the Olympic mountains are vast quantities of granite, and croppings of gold quartz have been observed. There is a partially de veloped copper mine on Q aim per peninsula; also val uable salt springs. The soil of the peninsula and of the whole county is very fertile, Most of it is natur ally timbeied, and clearing the soil furnishes profita ble employment, because the timber is valuable. It is almost useless to state the yield of products of that locality, for many people will regard it as entirely in credible, Several instances are reported where over one hundred bushels of wheat were harvested from a acre, and one case where seven hundred bush sin els were produced on six acres. No one pretends that this is an average, or even a common yield. It is the result of exceptionally favorable conditions and un usual care in cultivation. These instances only give an idea of the possibilities of that section, and show that it is far from being devoid of agricultural merit For general farming, fruit raising and dairying, there is certainly an attractive field about Port Townsend, both on the main land and on the islands and penin aulas that are numerous in that vicinity. There are choice grazing lands, and raising cattle for market would be a profitable business. Gardening, especial ly now that the market is rapidly growing, holds many inducements. The attention of seedsmen from the east is being attracted to the Puget sound country as the best place in the world for the production of many kinds of choice vegetable seeds. Port Town send has a rapidly expanding local demand, and is becoming a primary shipping point of much conse quence. The port, in the number of marine craft report! and cleared, ranks second only to New York in the United States. Indeed, it is probable that the report for the current fiscal year will place Port Towns at the head of the list The entrants and departures average about nine a day, and twenty men connects with the custom house are kept busy. It should be understood that Port Townsend is the port of entry for the entire Puget sound district, and that lU re ports and clearances include all vessels that do busi ness at any port on the sound. The number of docu- ments issued by the custom house for the first two months of this year, compared with the same period of 1888, were one hundred and four to fifty-three an increase of nearly one hundred per cent An inci dent showing the growth of the customs business at Port Townsend is furnished by the government build ing now in courso of construction. A few yews ago $70,000.00 were sppropriated by congress for that purpose, and a site was secured and the work begun. The foundation was laid last year, but the increase of business became so marked that it was evident the original plans would not answer the purpose at alL The last congress increased the appropriation to $210,000.00, and now plans are now being perfected which will make of the building previously designed a wing to the main structure. The site is just to the west of the business portion of the city, and when completed this building will occupy a prominent po sition and be an ornament to the city. In order that Port Townsend may socuro all the advantages which its position with reference to other cities and the rich country surrounding it would sag. gest, it is essential that it have railway communica tion in addition to its admirable shipping facilities by water. The capitalists of tho city came to a reall MtioD of this fact a short time ago, and organised the Port Townsend Southern JUllway Company, for the purpose of building a road southward around the head of the sound to Portland, or to transcontinental connections. A survey of the proposed route showed that it is entirely feasible, though it bad previously, on a superficial rumination, been declared Imprac ticable, Work has already been begun on the road, and the bids for clearing and gradiog as far as Qilll cone bay are now boing submitted The road will pass southwsrd along the west side of Hood's canal, curving easterly to the town of Union, thenco contin uing to Olympia and to the connections not yet drfi oitely arrange! for. It is dotlgoed first to build tho line from Port Townsend to the head of Q illlcne bay, on Hood's canal, and from Union to the south em terminus, supplying connection between QiilU cene bay and Union by boats. Thus through commu nication will be etUblisbM before it would U pouU ble to build the railway between Union and Qaili cene, that being by far the mt difficult portion of the route to build. This temporary arrangement will U in operation during the construction of the road almg Hood's canal to connect with the two ends, which will be push! a rapidly as paiM. BUara motor licet, to establish convenient communication with the smaller places on both shore of the penin sula, are projteJ from Port TowtseDJ, the prindj! one Uirg seven and one-Uif mile long, designed to traverse the resldetoe portion of the town, with a