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.