If
788 WEST
The business streets are lined with such buildings as appear
illustrated in the supplement. Whatcom creek runs from the
charming lake of the same name about three miles back through
the center of the town, and just before joining the salt water it
forms the picturesque cascade shown in the illustration. This
stream furnishes abundant power for running a large saw mill
that is located but a few feet distant from the bottom of the
water fall.
New Whatcom and Whatcom have five lumber and shingle
mill i and two sash and door factories. Thus building materials,
of wood, are plentiful and cheaper than at any other point on
the sound. For this reason most of the buildings are of wood.
However, since the opening of a quarry of superior sandstone
and the establishment of two brick yards, brick and stone are
entering largely into the new structures and a noticeable im
provement in the architecture of business blocks is the result.
A sense of the liability to heavy loBses from fires which wooden
buildings present is causing a change to more substantial ma
terials. New Whatcom has an excellent water service. The supply
is obtained from Lake Whatcom, a natural reservoir of pure
water at an altitude of more than 300 feet above the harbor.
It is a somewhat remarkable body of water. It has been
sounded 000 feet and in many places no bottom found at that
depth. It 1b fed by springs. Large numbers of fish thrive in
it. The altitude of the reservoir insures as great pressure as
can be handled without the necessity for expensive pumping
plants. The water is conducted to the city in steel mains.
Electric illumination is furnished for public and private use in
the city. Last year in Whatcom $110,000 were expended on
street improvements, and a large amount of work was done in
Sehome. These figures will be duplicated this year. The
streets are graded and planked and are kept in good condition.
A sewerage system Is now being constructed. A street railway
to connect all the towns on Belllngham bay is contemplated
and will probably be built before the end of the present year.
Two other companies want franchises for street railways, so
there will soon be no lack of cheap transportation in and be
tween the towns.
New Whatcom and Whatcom have two daily newspapers,
one tri-weekly and two weeklies. Three banking houses are
doing business there. The school facilities hitherto have not
been adequate to the demands upon them, but at the beginning
of the present school year their capacity will be more than
doubled, and they will be thoroughly equipped for work.
Thore are nine churches of different denominations. It is
more nearly a city of homes than most seaport towns. The
pleasant and healthful climate and natural beauty of the loca
tion attract many people whose prime object is not business
but to obtain a congenial residence place. New Whatcom of
fers unusual attractions in this line. Lovers of rod and gun
find rare sport at no great distance from the city. The scenery
la picturesque and there are countless rustic amusements to
beguile the time of the tourist.
New Whatcom is now most conveniently reached by water.
Connection with outside railroads will be made within four
months, io that travelers may reach the city by rail from Seat
tle on the south and from the Canadian Pacific lines on the
north. Thia must bring closer relations with the outside world
and produce marked change in the local growth. There are no
aafor places for investment in the west. New Whatcom enjoys
the unique distinction of having never levied a property tax,
the receipts from liquor licenses having been sufficient for all
local needs. The Interests centering about Belllngham bay
nuke New Whatcom a point of peculiar interest, and its prog-
SHORE.
ress is being watched by live men. This year will determine
more important features for that locality than have ever before
been focused there.
MONTANA AS A FARMING COUNTRY.
There are some good reasons for believing that Montana will
always be a good country for the farmer. Up to this date it
has been one of the best America has yet developed, and we
believe it will continue as such time out of mind. There is
nowhere to be found an agricultural community in such a flour
ishing condition as the farmers of this state at this writing, and
there is a bright hope for an improvement in the business in
the near future. There was a time when we entertained serious
fears le&t with the increase of population and the bringing
under cultivation of a large area of land produce would decline
to a level of the older states. But our fears in that direction
are now entirely dispelled. We find that until there is a great
revolution in our water system the acreage can scarcely be
increased above what is at present under cultivation, and as
the mining industry is multiplying very rapidly there 'is no
possibility of our own Btate being able to furnish a home supply
of grain, fruits, vegetables, etc., for our own people, which is a
safe guarantee that Montana farmers can always obtain sea
board prices, with freight added, for their produce. A period
will arrive in time when the farm area will be over three
times what it is to-day. But this will have to be brought about
by a system of reservoirs and long canals, and will be accom
plished so gradually that the increase of consumption will be
greater than the increase of production possibly can be. This
being the case, there is no reason why farming may not con
tinue to be as it is now one of the safest and best industries of
the state. There is no question in the minds of the editors of
this paper about the practicability of the reservoir system.
But on valleys like the Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson,' Bitter
Boot, Yellowstone, Missouri and Sun Eiver, where the rivers
carry a great abundance of water the dryeBt season, the same
system that is now in vogue, of long canals, is infinitely to be
preferred. The canals, such as would be necess&ry to water the
valleys, would necessarily be long and large, but they are within
the reach of the farmers of these sections if ocly they will
combine together. And by cutting water ways with a capacity
to flood all the valley lands nearly every foot of areable lands
on these valleys may be watered ; as with a river canal for all
the low lands, the water from the side streams may be turned
aside upon the foothill ranches, and thus water enough will be
had to cover most of the country susceptible of agriculture. In
early days it was idle to talk of taking ditches from many of
our rivers, as it was too great an undertaking for the farmer
with limited means. In some instances a number of men went
in together and took out water, and to-day are happy, for they
plenty of water and the fickleness of the seasons does not effect
them. And now that our farming people are all pretty comfort
ably fixed, and many of them have money to their credit in
our banks, and there is no reason why there should be a scar
city of water for farming on any of our valleys through which
course our principal rivers. Let stock companies be formed
without further delay and the work commenced. Farmers can
pay for their stock by contracting to build a certain amount of
ditch. The value of their work can be easily estimated by the
number of cubic yards of dirt to be moved. By commencing
now and prosecuting, the work vigorously the majority of our
valleys may be supplied with water by next season. There are
no chances to take in investments of this kind. Montana agri
culture Is a permanent and prosperous industry, and he that
secures land and water lays broad and deep the foundation of a