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first one is at a loss to determine the meaning of the above.
Indeed, it ts only by an aiduous process of reasoning that
light at last dawns on the reader. Is one to learn from the
above that the "chark" (with a "young man" making a
square meal off him) is what is on cxhibitinn in the Ex
cesior office? No, for a 14x24 shark cannot be placed on
exhibition in .14x10 editorial sanctum. Again, it is an un
necessary insult to the intelligence o! 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 is "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 one's imagination. It had been better to keep
he announcement "uli iosa."
MJSCELLANY.
A LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
CiiKHAi.is, Wash., Nov. 22, 1S90,
To My University Friends:
In every part of the country we find people who hae
never traveled. It is the same heic as in other places.
Since coming to Chehalis I have met many obi Omeis who,
like their prototypes in other parts of the conntty ate .so com
pletely wedded to one place that they never experience a de
sire to see more of the wot Id. Several times in my life I have
read of per -lc far advanced in years who had never lurcu out
side of tic; county in which they were born. I recall the story
ofa Washington woman fifty six yeais of age who tievcrsaw 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 sec moic of the voild; and if he
cannot sec he at lean enjoys reading something almut a place,
especially when the mutter if hand comes from the pen of a
friend.
IioublleiiS you have sdl heard of the great state of Washing
ton. l'crlia iimjij ofjou liac fi lends who have conir out
'here to make ihoir fortune. Others may remember the
prairie schooner, westwaid bound, her cover emblazoned
with Shakcspcaic's immortal words, "In God Wc Trusted, in
Iowa We Itiislcd, Washington or liutt!" I have seen sev
eral wagons tlccoialutl in that or a similar wny. So great and
varied are the opportunities to win wealth and renown in this
busy Nuithwcot that it is not at all improbable that many of
those same emigrants now have bank accounts, while others
dispense law as justices of the peace (one dollar and costs for
first offense, the usual rate,) in I'hillrhuch, Stillaguainish,
Shookinchuck, or soin. other backwoods precinct. Many ol
them may own prospective townsitcs and sit and muse in
swct contentment, and listen to the carol of the birds as they
sing their evening vospeis, while they wonder if the next new
railroad wont strike near them.
c eare(ql reader can form but hule conception of a country
by reading a description of it, be it ever so carefully written.
One year in the U. of N. I icmembcrthc professor of rhetoric
assigned for one ol the essay subjects the apparently easy one
of writing a description of a house. Those who suflcrcd with
me then know of the wailing and gnashing of teeth; yea,
worse than Napoleon with all his armies ever caused. If
then, it is no easy task to describe a house, how much more
difficult it is to describe a country, especially one with such
diversified resources as this one has. Do not think, then,
that I intend to gvc 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 ncres of grain producing
land, 5,000,000 acres of river bottom lands capable of producing
hops, hay, and all kinds of fruit and vegetables; 10,000,000
acres of mineral beating and mountainous land, generally tim
bered. Such is a summary of her physical condition.
Chehalfcis the leading inland city ol Western Washington.
It is the county seat of Lewis county and is situated just mid
way between Portland and Seattle, being ninety miles from
cadi. 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, Chehalis
1,700. There is one saw mill here and two shingle mills,
while within a Miort distance of the town ate at least six
other tributary mills. Other manufactories are a pump fac
tory, foundiy and iron wotks, a too barrel flour mill,
sash and door factory, furniture factory, tile factory and mar
ble woiks. There aie a dozen general merchandise storrs,
one national bank and another one opening, drug stores, jew
clery stores, and a new $30,000 hotel. A $20,000 brick block
is being built. Chehalis has five churches and a fine $10,000
sellout imiloiiig. l nc state rcloim school is located here and
alout 515,000 is now being expended in building;. There
are a number of beautiful icsidenccs. Scvcnl citizens of the
town arc quite wealthy.
The enormous timber supply of Washington U 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 n with the
eastern states. I ocns ,' ocean vessels arc loading all the
while on Pugct Sound, and cany our lumber to all parts ol
the civihztd world. The forest timber is principally fir, cedar
and hemlock. A Jew tcdwood ttees 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 Mt
have never been survejed and great regions have never been
exploied. Off in the depths of these mighty forests are trees
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 mi here. The Washington
farmer knows but few of the ills his Nebraska brother is hcif
to failure 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 mat;
kct for all his pioduce, and the growth of the towns and agri
cultural industry seems so uniform that the time -of
o
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