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THE HESPERIAN.
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first one is at a loss to determine the meaning of the above.
Indeed, it is only by an aiduous process of reasoning that
light at last dawns on the reader. Is one to learn from the
above that the "shark" (with a "young man" making a
square meat off him) is what is on exhibitinn in the x
cesior office? No, for a 14x24 shark cannot be placed on
exhibition in a 4x10 editorial sanctum. Again, it is an un
necessary insult to the intelligence ol the editor of the
Excelsior to suppose that it is the "young man eating shark"
that is on cxhibstion. For why should he state that it Is
the "jawbone of the young man" that ts "eating shark?'
The "jawbone" usually docs the "eating." The conclusion
is irresistible that it is neither the "shark" nor the "young
man" that is exhibited, but merely the "jawbone"
eating a piece of shark." No wonder this exhibition
"has attracted a constant crowd." A solitary "jawbone
with all its eight rows of teeth eating shark"
may well cause the passers-by to halt. It is no ordinary
spectacle. But at last, after having spent his valuable time
in solving the above problem, the writer has begun to fear
that this is only another advertising scheme on the part of
Omaha or the Excelsior. It requires altogether too great
a strain on cne's imagination. It had been better to keep
he announcement "sub rosa."
MJ.SCELLANY.
A LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Ciikhai.is, Wash., Nov. 22, 1S90.
To My University Frionde:
In every part of the country we find people who have
never traveled. It is the same here a., in other places.
Since coming U. Chchalis I have met many old limcts who,
like their prototypes in other pans of the country are so com
pletely wedded to one place that they never experience a de
sire to see more of the world. Several times in my life 1 have
read of people far advanced in years who had never been out
side of the county in which they were born. I recall the story
of a Washington woman fifty six years of age who never saw a
railroad or train of cars until last spring, and that woman is im
mensely rich, too. An intelligent person is never content to
spend a lifetime in such a way. The live, wide awake Ameri
can is generally restless to see more of the world, and if he
cannot sec he at least enjoys reading something about a place,
especially when the matter in hand comes from the pen of a
friend.
Doubtless you have all heard of the gi cat state of Washing
ton. Peihaps many of you have fuciids who have coinr out
"here to nuke their fortunes. Others may remember the
prairie schoonei, westwaid bound, her cover cmbla.oncd
with Shakespeare's immortal words, "In God We Trusted, in
Iowa We 1'ustcd, Washington or llust!" I have sewn sev
eral wagons decorated in that or a similar way. So great and
varied are the opportunities to win wealth and renown in this
busy Northwest that it is not at all improbable that many of
those same emigrants now hvc bank accounts, while others
dispense law as justices of the peace (one dollar and costs for
first offense, the usual rate,) in I'liilKliucli, Stillaguamish,
Shookiuchuck, or sonic other backwoods precinct. Many ol
them may own prospective townsitcs and sit and muse in
sweet contentment, and listen to the caiol of the birds as they
sing their evening vespers, while they wonder if the nu.t new
railroad wont strike near them.
A careful rcacjer can form but little conception of a country
by reading a description of it, be it ever so carefully written.
One year in the U. of N. I remember the professor of rhetoric
assigned for one ol the essay subjects the apparently easy one
of writing a description ol a house. Those who suffered with
me then know of the wailing and gnashing of teeth; yea,
worse than Napoleon with" all his armies ever caused. If
then, il is no easy task to describe a house, how much more
difficult it is to describe a country, especially one with such
diversified resource: as this one has. Do not think, then,
that I intend to give you a splendid description, however
much I should like to do so. I will, however, tell you a few
things about Washington which may be of interest to you.
The state of Washington has an area of about 70,000
square miles, or in round numbers, 45,000,000 acres; 20,000
000 acres of this, lying almost entirely west of the Cascade
range, is covered with the finest forests in the United
States. The Cascades divide Eastern from Western Wash
ington. The state has 10,000,000 acres of grain producing
land, 5,000,000 acres ol river bottom lands capable of producing
hops, hay, and all kinds of fruit and vegetables; 10,000,000
acres of mineral bennng and mountainous land, generally tim
bered. Such is a summary of her physical condition.
Chchalis is the leading inland city ol Western Washington.
It is the county scat of Lewis county and is situated just mid
way between Portland and Seattle, being ninety miles from
each. Lewis county is one of the largest in the state and was
the first organized. Today more of the soil of Lewis county is
subject to the plow than any other county in Western Wash
ington. The county has almost 12,000 people, Chchalis
IJOO. There i? one saw mil! here and two shingle mills,
while within a shorts distance of the town arc at least six
other tributary mills. Other manufactories are a pump fac
tory, foundry and iron works, a loobarrcl flour mill,
sash and door lactory, furniture factory, tile lactory and mar
ble works. There are a dozen general merchandise stores,
one national bank and another one opening, drug stores, jew
clcry stores, and a new $30,000 hotel. A $20,000 brick block
is being built. Chchalis has five churches and a fine $10,000
school building. The state refoun school is located here anil
about $15,000 is now being expended in buildings. There
arc a number of beautiful residences. Several citizens of the
town are quite wealthy.
The enormous timber supply of Washington i one of her
greatest sources of natural wealth. The supply for the east
must eventually be' drawn from here. Even now an immense
shingle and heavy lumber business is carried on with the
eastern states. Dozens of ocean vessels are loading all the
while on Pugct Sound, and carry our lumber to all parts ol
the civilized world. The forest timber is principally fii , cedar
and hemlock. A lew redwood trees have been found.
Along the streams the maple and the alders grow, with here
and there the ash. Millions of acres of this vast timber belt
have never been sirvcyed and great regions have never been
explored. Off in the depths of these mighty forests arc frees
of enormous size, the growth of centuries. They arc often
found from twelve to fifteen feet in diameter at the base and
towering forth hundreds of feet into the heavens.
While in Nebraska the poor farmer seems to be at the
mercy of everybody else, (recent election returns to the con',
trary notwithstanding,) it is not so here. The Washington
fanner knows but few of the ills his Nebraska brother is-heir
to-failurc of crops or political discontent. -The farmers here
arc the people, and the man who has a few acres cleared
soon becomes nominally independent. He finds a ready mar
kct for all his produce, and the growth of the tqwns and agri
cultural industry seems so uniform that (he time of