A Report On Washington Territory - free ebook by William Henry Ruffner

A REPORT ON WASHINGTON TERRITORY

ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILWAY 1889 Copyright, 1889 By Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway PRESS OF FLEMING · BREWSTER &amp; ALLEY · NEW YORK...

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PREFACE.

The matter of this Report on Washington Territory is so arranged that the reader, by referring to the table of contents, can turn at once to any particular topic. The report is divided into six chapters, to wit: First , Itinerary, which mentions briefly the places I visited, and the dates. Second , A General Account of Washington Territory, which includes something of its History, its Location, and its great Pacific Market. Under the last of these heads is given a large body of facts which will

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ITINERARY.

I entered Washington Territory, by way of the Northern Pacific Railroad, on the morning of October 27, 1887, coming first to the valley of the Spokane River, Great Plain. and spending the entire day in traversing the plains of Eastern Washington, reaching Pasco Junction a little after nightfall. I crossed the Cascade Mountains Cascade Mountains. on the Switchback, and arrived at Tacoma about noon of the 28th, at which point I took a Puget Sound steamer, and landed at Seattle about four P.M. the

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HISTORICAL.

Denny, of Denny Mines. The first white man who ever settled near the site of Seattle (Mr. Arthur A. Denny) now lives in that city, and can scarcely be called an old man. The country remained unsettled so long, partly because of its inaccessibility from the East, and partly because it was disputed territory between the United States and Great Britain. It became a separate Territory only in 1853. Causes of delay in settlement. No transcontinental line of railroad touched any part of Washington Ter

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LOCATION AND MARKET.

(This should be read with a map of Asia and Pacific Ocean.) In spite of Oriental exclusiveness, now broken down, the Asiatic trade has always formed a large element in the commerce of the world, and has long been sought by the great maritime powers of Europe, especially by England. For this she conquered India, and seized upon many islands of the ocean. For this she battered in the gates of China, and established herself permanently at Hong Kong, at the entrance to the River of Canton. In these

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ROUGH ESTIMATES OF DISTANCES.

Liverpool and Puget Sound are about equally distant from west coast of the Malay Peninsula. By this it will be seen that New York, by way of Puget Sound, is 1,400 miles nearer to Canton than Liverpool is, and nearly 4,000 miles nearer to Shanghai. Mr. Swan makes the distance from the Pacific coast less than I have given. It should also be noted that Puget Sound has the advantage of distance over San Francisco also. Puget Sound has also the advantage over all competitors Advantage in productions.

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TOPOGRAPHY OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

Washington Territory will make one of the largest States of the Union. It is larger than England and Wales combined, as will be seen by the following table: The shape of the Territory is regular, having the general form of a parallelogram, with its longer axis running east and west. Its relief is simple. Along the Pacific coast runs the Coast Range of mountains from the mouth of the Columbia River to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. In this range there is only one practicable opening from the interi

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CLIMATE.

The Climate of Washington Territory. Climate is a matter of temperature, moisture and atmospheric dynamics. The general law of temperature is that the farther north the colder the weather; and yet currents of water and prevailing winds may give to the country a climate geographically belonging to quite a different latitude. We know how this is with England, which, judged by latitude, ought to be colder than Maine, but which, in fact, has one of the mildest and most equable climates in the world.

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SOILS.

Soils all fertile. The arable soils of Washington Territory, so far as I could see, or otherwise learn, may be classified as follows, to wit: a. Humus; b. Alluvium; c. Drift; d. Loam; e. Basalt. a. Humus. In West Washington the whole country is top-dressed with vegetable mould, derived obviously from the heavy growth which has covered the surface for ages. Of course there are bare spots, and where the growth has been light, the top-dressing is thin; but the mountain sides, the hills, and notably

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TABLE SHOWING THE MEANS OF THE DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES IN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

The Means are obtained by dividing the sum of the daily readings of the Maximum and Minimum Self-registering Thermometers by the number of days in the month....

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TABLE SHOWING THE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION AT STATIONS OF THE SIGNAL SERVICE,

Computed from the Commencement of Observations at each, to and including December, 1883. TAKEN FROM THE REPORT OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT FOR 1884. b. Alluvium. This includes the transported matter of the bottom-lands, the swales, and the tidal flats. Here we have humus, not only as a top-dressing, but also intermixed, and sometimes constituting a large proportion of the soil for a considerable depth. No land could be richer than this, and its relative proportion to the wh

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NATURAL VEGETATION.

Vast vegetation. Here the two sides of the Cascade Mountains must again, as under other heads, be considered separately. The natural vegetation of the west side is vast rather than varied. Wherever the sun touches the ground, one may expect to see grass; chiefly white clover and green sward, which seem to be indigenous to the country. There are, of course, many herbs and shrubs which need not be mentioned in a report like this. The ferns of the Snoqualmie bottoms, for size, remind one of the tre

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LUMBERING.

Lumbering was the first industry of Washington Territory. Even food was imported for a time. Logging began on Puget Sound, and went up such streams as afforded transportation and water-power. Steam-power soon became the chief reliance for sawing, but water-power will be largely used when the railroads penetrate inland. Logging and sawing are separate branches of business, which may or may not be carried on by the same parties. And so with transportation to the mill and to market. Large con cerns

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AGRICULTURE.

After hearing of the forests in West Washington, one cannot be surprised to learn that the agricultural interest develops slowly in this part of the Territory. Even after the logger has taken what he wants, there remains a heavy mass of vegetation which is expensive to clear away. Clearing the land. A thorough clearing, including the removal of stumps, costs $75 to $100 per acre; and yet this is sometimes done for hops, hay and vegetables. But the common way is to "slash and burn," at an expense

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WHEAT GROWING AND DELIVERING.

This product could not be expected on inferior lands, but with the working farmer the cost of production is less. The yield of wheat on the best lands of East Washington is large—almost beyond belief. Mr. Houghton, attorney for the Spokane Falls and Palouse Railroad, told me that he had known of 800 bushels of wheat being raised on ten acres; that it was measured by a committee. Mr. Miles C. Moore has known 1,000 acres to average fifty bushels. A farmer (apparently honest) told me that he had ra

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LABOR.

Good supply of labor, but more wanted. Under this head I will merely say that, though the laboring population of Washington Territory is very mixed and has not the settled character of labor in the old States, and though many more laborers could find employment, there does not seem to be any special deficiency of this class, and the high wages that are paid will, no doubt, bring in more workmen as they are wanted. Wages. Governor Squire, in his report for 1885, page 41, gives quite a detailed li

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HISTORICAL AND STRUCTURAL.

I shall not say much about the historical geology of Washington Territory, because it contains some problems which have never been adequately studied, and which I had no opportunity to investigate. It is to be hoped that the regular work of the Government Survey may soon be extended to this important region. Hitherto it has been neglected. A few able geologists such as Joseph Le Conte, Pumpelly, Newberry, Bailey Willis, and some others, have made visits to the country on special errands; but exc

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ECONOMIC GEOLOGY.

Note. —The location of the coal-fields and collieries mentioned in the following pages may be seen on an accompanying map. Under the head of Economic Geology, I shall describe with more detail the mineral beds which have a commercial value, and in the following order:—I. Coal; II. Iron Ore; III. Granite, Limestone, and Marble; IV. Precious and Base Metals. Thickness of the Coal Measures. I. Coal. —The thickness of the Coal Measures of the Puget Sound basin is estimated by Bailey Willis at someth

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THE COLLIERIES.

I will now give some account of the principal coal seams which have been worked in Washington Territory, namely, those in the field lying east and southeast of Puget Sound; and in so doing I shall add to my own knowledge all information from any reliable sources. Unfortunately, the sources of information are few. In the Report of Bailey Willis to Professor Pumpelly for the Census Bureau, we have the best account extant of the Carbon River and Green River basins. Authorities. Mr. Willis spent thr

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ANALYSES OF REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLES OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY COALS AND LIGNITES.

Key for Sites Key to abbreviations for final row "Coke" [B] Produced fragile coke in field test. [C] Produced fragile coke in field test. [D] Produced first-class coke in field test. [E] Produced first-class coke in field test. Note. —G. R. C.—Green River column. W. C.—Wilkeson column. B. B. C.—Busy Brook column. The different mines. In my brief sketches, I shall group the coal-beds as follows: a , Carbon River Group; b , the Green River Group; c , Cedar River Group; d , the Squak, Raging River,

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ANALYSES OF SNOQUALMIE IRON ORES.

{ Dewey (chemist). } Reported by Kirke. } { Reported by Kirke. } { { Reported by Kirke. } By way of comparison, I next introduce a table of analyses, which begins with what Mr. Phineas Barnes, in his report on the steel industry of the United States (1885), gives as a typical steel ore from the best American mines. Proved by analysis to be unsurpassed, if equaled. The second analysis gives the average of fourteen analyses of the best Lake Superior steel ores. The third is a typical steel ore fro

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COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF STEEL ORES.

This showing places the Snoqualmie ores in the front rank of American steel ores; indeed, it shows a little higher in metallic iron, and a little lower in phosphorus, than any of the others. These analyses are, of course, made from the ore proper; i.e. , without any addition of the matrix, or gangue-rock, in which the ores are imbedded. With all magnetites of this type it is only in exceptional spots that much of the ore can be gotten, free from the enclosing rock. Under ordinary circumstances s

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SEATTLE.

Commercial and manufacturing advantages. Concerning this city of 15,000 to 16,000 inhabitants, I need not repeat what has been so well said in the reports of Governor Squire, and of United States officers who have examined and reported to the Government with regard to this location—notably, Gen. Isaac I. Stephens, Gen. George B. McClellan, Gen. Nelson A. Miles, and others; also by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Its location, its harbor, its people, its commerce and manufactures, its solid and

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THE TERMINAL PROPERTY OF THE SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILROAD.

Unrivalled terminal property. The city and suburban property which the railroad has secured is singularly valuable, and will afford every facility for city and foreign business. It is correctly described in the documents of the company. No future road can acquire such facilities. They approach a monopoly of great value....

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SUBURBAN INTERESTS.

But two entrances by land. There can be practically but two railroad entrances to Seattle, one from the south, and the other from the north, owing to the bluff ground on which the city is built, with Puget Sound in front and Lake Washington in the rear. The roads from the existing coal mines and from the Northern Pacific enter from the south; the Lake Shore road enters from the north. Suburban improvements will no doubt be extended both north and south. But it seemed to me that for residences an

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TIMBER.

The great lumber interest will have a larger and richer field on the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad than on any other through line in Washington Territory. Superiority of the timber on the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. On the line of the Northern Pacific Railroad the timber is abundant, but too small for the mill, except in a very few spots. The other roads show but little left close by, and the trees never had the size of those of Snoqualmie Valley. The West Coast road, whi

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AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.

Agricultural freights. The agricultural interest is not so large at present on the west side of the Cascade Range, as the timber, coal and iron interests, but it is growing, and will become exceedingly important. East of the Cascade Mountains this will be the chief railroad interest in the beginning, though ultimately it will be surpassed by the tonnage of the mines. I have heretofore described the soils and vegetable products of West Washington, but would say specially with regard to the belt w

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MR. WILSON'S LETTER.

Snoqualmie, W. T. , Nov. 3, 1887. Dr. Ruffner. Dear Sir : In response to your request, I make the following memoranda. Our Hop Farm consists of 1,500 acres of rich alluvial soil; 300 acres in hops, which produce from 1,800 to 2,000 pounds per acre. We also raise 150 acres of oats, producing sixty to seventy-five bushels per acre. From 100 to 150 acres in hay, producing about three tons to the acre. Also large quantities of vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, turnips and onions. All kinds of r

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COAL.

I have, under the head of Economic Geology, described so fully the coal deposits of Washington Territory, especially the beds along the line of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, that it remains only to show the application of these facts to the interests of this railway. The Seattle railway passes five coal fields. The road passes five, if not six, separate coal fields between Seattle and the Columbia River, namely, the Squak or Gilman mines, 40 miles from Seattle; the Washington mine

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IRON ORE.

Handling the iron ores. The question here respecting iron ores along this road is not as to their quantity, or quality, or as to their utilization, but only as to what road or roads will handle the business that will arise from this source. Naturally the bulk of it belongs to the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, and at one time there seemed to be no doubt that large iron-works would at once be established at Salal Prairie by the Moss Bay Company, of England; but the east shore of Lake Wa

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THE OTHER MINERALS.

Limestone. I have already said so much as to the convenience and excellence of the limestone beds associated with the magnetic ores, Marble, granite, sandstones, slates. that I will only allude to them here as constituting the great resource for furnace-flux, for building-stone, for lime, and for monumental and ornamental marble. This will be an important item for transportation. The granite, also, will be wanted for building, and for paving blocks. There are, no doubt, quartzites, sandstones an

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BRANCHES AND ROUTES FOR THE SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE AND EASTERN RAILWAY.

Railroad branches. The building of the West Coast Railroad will be a happy circumstance for the Lake Shore road. Skagit County, and especially Whatcom County, have large resources, and the preoccupation of this ground may discourage other parties from any attempt to build up a commercial city on Bellingham Bay. A branch from the Northern Pacific at the Common Point to Salal Prairie would not hurt, and might help the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern road. Besides the short spurs to the mines on th

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REPORT FROM F. H. WHITWORTH, ESQ., CIVIL AND MINING ENGINEER ON SEATTLE, ETC.

Seattle , W. T., Oct. 2, 1888. I now proceed to answer your questions. 1. Present population of Seattle, and commercial growth? Population of Seattle. A census was taken in June of this year, and the total enrolled was 19,700. I presume it was safe to say that the population then was 20,000, and that now it is from 22,000 to 25,000, for although houses have been built very rapidly, there is not a house, or a room hardly, that is not occupied. New manufacturing establishments. There are now seven

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REPORT FROM E. A. ROUTHE, ESQ., CONCERNING SPOKANE FALLS, ETC.

Spokane Falls , Oct. 17, 1888. Growth of Spokane Falls. Our city has progressed in growth splendidly since you were here. There are now fully 13,000 inhabitants. The census of July 1st showed 12,000. About $1,500,000 have been expended in buildings this year. Eight business blocks of brick and granite have been built this season. One of these cost $150,000. Four of these blocks are three stories, three are four stories, and one five stories. Forty miles of the Seattle, Lake Shore &amp; Easte

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REPORT FROM PAUL F. MOHR, ESQ., CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE SEATTLE, LAKE SHORE & EASTERN RAILWAY, CONCERNING THE CADY'S PASS AND WENATCHIE ROUTE.

Spokane Falls , W. T., Dec. 3, 1888. The following is a report of the proposed line from West Coast Branch to mouth of Wenatchie River: Engineering details of the new route. The proposed line will leave the West Coast Branch at a point six miles south of Snohomish City, running east, crossing the Snohomish River on drawbridge at the junction of the Snoqualmie and Skykomish rivers: thence up the right bank of Skykomish on a 1 per cent. (52.8 feet per mile) grade, a distance of forty miles from po

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