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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 12, 1890)
WEST SHORE. 879 THE GROWTH OF BLAINE. One of the surprises of the census will be the position taken by the city of Blaine among the towns of consequence in Wash ington. It is but a few months since Blaine began to attract attention, bnt during that time she has put her best foot for ward in such a way as to gain a position among the acknowl edged coming cities of Puget sound. To be sure, by the time the census figures are published Blaine will have grown entirely beyond them ; but this is something that can not be helped. It is impossible for the census to keep up with the growth of such a place unless a new enumeration is made every month. Blaine, named in honor of the " Plumed Knight," as might be supposed, occupies a unique position, and one that gives it peculiar elements of prosperity. The town is the farthest north of any on the Pacific coat of the United States, exclusive of Alaska, the international boundary line between Washington and British Columbia forming the northern boundary of the corporation. In front of the city lies Drayton harbor, a portion of Semiahmoo bay, a large, deep and practically land-locked harbor, one of the best of the numerous fine harbors on Puget sound. Not only has Blaine a fine harbor, but the fact that at this point the boundary line touches the waters of Puget sound adds strength to her position. In a few days the Fairhaven & South ern and the New Westminster & Southern railroads will meet at Blaine and Interchange traffic, the former being a branch of the Great Northern and being connected with all the other rail road systems of Puget sound, and the latter being connected directly with the great Canadian Pacific. Blaine will be the first sea port on American territory reached by the Canadian Pacific, and muBt naturally play an important part in the inter national traffic of that road. The same is true of the freight handled by other lines going to, or coming from, the Canadian provinces. Bound houses and shops for both road?, custom houses for both nations and other necessary adjuncts of a city so situated will be located there. Ship building will become an important industry, and the Canadian Pacific has already secured a large tract on the shore of the bay for that purpose. There are other railroad prospects possessed by Blaine that give promise of adding to her advantages. The Spokane Falls & Northern has projected a line to the coast through the Oka nogan mining district, following very closely the international boundary, and it will undoubtedly find its terminal harbor at Blaine, giving a competing line to the interior and the eaft. The Drayton, Lynden & Spokane Falls Railroad Company, pro jected to cross the mountains by the way of the Nooksack, has secured right of way as far as Lynden. Railroads alone are not what Blaine relies upon for her pros perity and growth. To the north, east and south etretches a large area of agricultural land, much of it densely covered with the famous fir and cedar that have given Puget sound timber such an excellent reputation. There is also an abundance of coal and iron near the city, as well as fine building stone, brick clay and other valuable natural resources. These varied causes have already begun the work of building up a city on Drayton harbor, and will continue their work nntil Blaine shall be as familiar a word everywhere as the names of other cities that began their growth years ago. PULLMAN, WA8HINOTON. One of the live, progressive towns of Washington to Pull man, situated in Whitman county, eighty miles in a southerly direction from Spokane Falls. Nature has been so bountiful in her gifts to this favored rection that it has justly been called the garden spot of the Pulouse country, and no greater praise could be given. The town lies nestled along the side and at the base of hills which form the South Palouse valley, through which flows the stream of the same name, forming natural drainage and giving new beauty to the location. Ten years ago the town was in its infancy, but with the advent of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company railroad in 1885, and the Spo kane & Palouse branch of the Northern Pacific two years later, the town was launched on the high road to prosperity, which was slightly checked for a time by the fire of June, 1887. The natural advantages possessed by the town, however, aided by the indomitable pluck and enterprise of its citizens, soon over came the loss thus sustained, and the town went on to greater success than ever, until recently it again suffered from a con flagration. The fire, starting at the livery ptable of Lyle Broth ers, on Grand street, could not be checked until ttie entire bus iness portion of the town was burned, and a loss of over $200, 000 sustained by its people. This would have crushed the nerves of the average town, but not so with Pullmun. On the morning after the fire its business men were found clearing away the remains of their former fortunes and preparing to continue their bucineBs without interruption. Tents were se cured and temporary quarters prepared, and business went on regardless of a fire which would have bi en serious to a much larger place. Pullman has a population of about 1,000, and is the proud poBBessor of some half dqzen fine arteBian wells, which make the water supply unlimited for public and private purposes, and which it proposes to utilize at once in connection with a fire company to prevent another possible disaster simi lar to the ones which have befallen it. Its location has made it quite important as a grain market, and it ia said that more grain is marketed at Pullman than at any point north of Snake river, the average annual shipments for several years being 750,000 bushels. The present Indications are favorable for an exceptionally large crop, which, together with the increased acreage, will probably swell the shipments of 1800 to oyer I, 000,000 bushels. It has several now enterprises as well as many unfinished buildings which it is pushing forward to completion with re newed activity. Aid has been offered it by the neighboring towns and railroads, all of which it has declined, with thanks, with the exception of the assistance of the railroads which will bring in new materials to be used in rebuilding at very low cost. With such pluck and energy, and amid surroundings so conducive to prosperity, Pullman hopes soon to ariHe again, literally from its ashes. The Portland & Puget Sound Railway Company, the name under which the Union Paciflo will build ita extension north ward frcm Portland, has elected the following officers: Presi dent, Charles Francis Adams, Boston ; first vice president, W. II. Ilolcomb, Omaha; second vice president, D. P. Thompson, Portland ; third vice president, G. M. Lane, Boston ; secretary, W. W. Cotton, Portland ; assistant secretary, Alexander Miller, Boston ; treasurer, James G. Harris, Boston ; local treasurer, C. F. Ilolcomb, Portland; comptroller, O. W. Mink, Boston; auditor, Erostus Young, Boston. Alexander Badlam'i work on Alaska is the most complete and entertaining volume yet Issued that troata of the wonders, beauties and resources of that little known portion of Uncle Sam'a domain. It is entitled " The Wonders of Alaska," and ia published by The Bancroft Company, San Francisco. The city of GoMendale, Washington, recently held an elec tion to bond the city for wator works, etc., which resulted In a vote of 125 to 7, in its favor.