332 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Comjtoljm. 
TRANSCONTINENTAL LETTERS. 
XXVII. 
MARY WAGER FISHER. 
As I stopped one day to admire a roagnifi- 
ceut pair of elk horns in the vestibule of the 
dwelling of an ex-army officer in Seattle, his 
wife said that one of her sons had shot eight 
elk iu one day, at some distant point, on the 
the Sound near “Spirit Lake,’" a locality held 
in awe by the Indians through some super¬ 
stition—and these horns came from one of the 
heads. She, further, said that her youngest 
son, when returning from school iu the East 
some time ago, remarked at a railroad station, 
whore a fine pair of elk horns was being ex¬ 
hibited, that his brother had killed eight elk 
in one day. The bystanders laughed derisive¬ 
ly, and one of them sang out, * Say, young 
man, where did you grow?” “I grew iu 
Washington Territory, sir!” came the ring¬ 
ing reply, which seemed to convince the deri¬ 
ders of his wonderful report, that, after all, 
it might be true. The horns which I saw 
were fully as fine as a pair I saw in a Colo¬ 
rado “curio” shop, for which 1 was asked $60. 
But in the way of such curios, including skins, 
one must be keenly on the alert here, in order to 
secure specimens, as local buyers pick up 
every thing forforeigD houses, for which they 
act as agents. Anaximander secured a lot 
of curious things made by Alaskan Indians, 
by buying, in connection with a friend, the 
entire collection brought from Sitka by the 
captain of a schooner. It included water- 
fowl and fish carved in wood and painted, 
idols, games, vessels of various sorts, matted 
and inlaid work. The average black bear’s 
skin costs, untanned, SO; that of a cub, $3. 
The other wild animals of the Territory, in 
addition to those named, are deer, mountain 
goat (Aplocerus montanus), cinnamon, 
brown, and Alaskan bears, black, and grizzly 
bears, raccoon, cougar (two varieties), wild 
cat, three of wolf and four of fox; besides 
mink, pine martin, beaver, otter and the sea 
otter (the skin of which sometimes sells for as 
high as $250), squirrel, ermine, muskrat, 
skunk, sea lion, fur seal, hair seal, prairie 
dog, porcupine, marmot, sewellel (Aplodou 
rufa) and swamp hare and Jack rabbit. The 
list of birds is a long one, and some of them 
are of extreme beauty. The University col¬ 
lection includes the eggs of the birds and 
fowls as well, and is of exceeding interest. 
There are the thrush, robin, sago thrasher, 
blue bird, solitaire, kingle, chickadee, tit, DUt- 
hatcb, creeper, wren, warbler, virro, chat, 
shrike, waxwing, swallow, tanager, finch, 
crossbill, Jongspur, bunting, towhee. sparrow, 
blackbird, nutcracker, fly catcher, swift, 
night hawk, woodpecker, flicker, cuckoo, owl, 
osprey, eagle, buzzard, pigeon, grouse, ptar¬ 
migan, quail, pheasant, egret, heron, sand 
piper, tattler, curlew, phalarape, stilt, rail, 
coot, crane, swan, goose, grebe, pelican, cor¬ 
morant, gull, petrel, auk, tern, fulmar, etc,, 
etc., and when you come to ducks, their 
names “are legion,” Fora long time it was a 
mystery where the Puget Sound ducks went 
to breed, and the mystery was solved only a 
short time ago by a gentleman connected with 
the Government Survey Corps, who was 
spending some time in Alaska, where he dis¬ 
covered in a marsh near the Yukon River 
(one of the largest and longest rivers, by-the- 
way, in the United States) their breeding 
place. It was a marvelous sight, for os far as 
he could see stretched a vast bed of eggs, and 
when one has seen the waters iu this Territory 
fairly black with docks, he can readily believe 
that this enormous duck nest contained mil¬ 
lions of eggs. I may as well put this egg 
story in at this point, for if I get to Alaska, 
when the warm weather comes again, as I 
hope, I shall hardly get far enough inland to 
see the great Yukon River and the breeding 
marsh of the Puget Sound duck. 
There are fifteen Indian reservations in this 
Territory, and the names of some of them are 
curiosities. Neah Bay, Chehali’s, Uisqualiy, 
Puyallup, Squakskin, Snohomish, Skiallan, 
Quinault, Muekleshoot, Lumrni, Swiuonisb, 
and Yakima. The Indian population is 10,635. 
The total amount of land in these reserva¬ 
tions amounts to 0,332,886 acres. The total 
number of acres granted in severalty to the 
Indians, amounts to something over 30,000; 
481 Indian children are reported as being in 
school. Some of the Indians are quite toler¬ 
able farmers, and it is thought that granting 
them land in severalty is a good thing, and 
should be encouraged. The Territory has 53 
newspapers, two of which receive Associated 
Press reports, and eight are dailies. One of 
the journals, in Eastern Washington, the Ya¬ 
kima Farmer, has a press that was used iu 
publishing a frontier paper in fifteen towns, 
and two military garrisons—a genuine walk¬ 
ing pioneer, that kept pace with the Star of 
Empire. The suggestion has been made that 
it should go to the New Orleans Exposition. 
The leading newspaper iu Seattle has an old 
press in its office (not now in use) which came 
from Mexico to California forty years ago, 
and was there used in printing the San Fran¬ 
cisco Alta in ’40—the “gold year.” In the fol¬ 
lowing year an Oregon paper was printed on 
it, when it traveled to Puget Sound and print¬ 
ed the first newspaper in Washington, as it 
had in California. This old press is of the 
wooden pattern kuowu as the Ramage, and is 
thought to be about TO years old. Tbe Terri¬ 
tory, however, seems to favor longevity in 
human bemgs as well as in printing presses, 
for I have just been reading of the death of a 
pioneer at the age of 106 years, and I have 
heard of another at 1L5 years who is still liv¬ 
ing. Ab, most fortunate mortal! 
•Could a man be secure that his life would endure. 
As of old, for a thousand long years! 
What arts might he know, what acts could he do, 
And all without worry aud fears!” 
as runs the old English song. But to return 
to statistics. There are in the Territory 26 
Roman Catholic churches, 13 Protestant-Epis¬ 
copal, 29 Presbyterian, 19 Congregational 
(with 40 church organizations), 20 Baptist, (33 
organizations), and 29 Methodist churches 
and 42 organizations. Tbe churches, as a rule, 
are exceedingly ugly, and the mercy only 
knows wherein the “religious idea” lies in 
makiug a church the shape of a dry-goods box 
with a steeple at one end; but 1 have never 
been in any city, large or small, where the 
preachers, as a class, were as fine a body of 
men, mentally, and, I might add, physically, 
as three or four of the preachers in Seattle. 
Just how it happens that so much native 
vigor, scholarly attainments, and original 
force are found centered in these Pacific 
Coast cities may be explained on the ground 
that the men who “strike out” move on with 
the westward tide, and when they reach Puget 
Sound, on the Pacific Oeean, they make a 
halt from force of circumstances. This is not 
a pious shore, by any means, aud a good many 
people are continually fighting the “Sunday 
law” even, which, if executed, obliges them 
to at least abstain openly from using Sunday 
the same as the other six days. But there is, 
withal, a good deal of healthful, earnest, reli¬ 
gious work done. There is a vigor, bravery, 
and healthfulness in the way some of the 
clergymeu handle moral aud religious ques¬ 
tions, that I like. They have the sensible and 
altogether correct notion that when a religious 
idea is so fragile that it will not bear to be 
handled without gloves, it is not good for 
much. That the law of the Territory taxes 
church property just the same as it taxes 
other property, indicates, in a way, tbe tem¬ 
per of the people aud of that part of the 
clergy who also think that church property 
ought to be taxed, aud have the courage to say 
so. Like everything else, it is probably true 
that when people have to pay for their enurch 
privileges roundly, as for other sources of 
entertainment or profit, they will the more 
value them. It ought to result in keeping 
church building simple aud inexpensive, with 
free seats, no debts, with money enough left 
unexpended to secure tbe best men, to equip 
the best Sunday schools, and to prosecute that 
home missionary work which teaches the peo¬ 
ple how to live healthfully and economically,to 
tbe uttermost. I fully believe in that “gospel 
truth" spoken by Emerson:—"Our highest 
duty is that which lies nearest to us”—and 
that the duty which supports an intelligent 
and thorough going “Board of Health” iu a 
city or neighborhood, which obliges people to 
absorb, usually against their will, certain sani¬ 
tary ideas—a higher duty than that which 
sends, instead, missionaries to foreign parts to 
convert “the heathen.” If both can be done, 
well and good, but I think the people between 
the British possessions and the Gulf of Mex¬ 
ico will have their hands full, if they succeed 
in converting the "heathen” that annually 
swarm to their shores. 
The great civilizing, Christianizing and up¬ 
lifting lever, after all, is the common school. 
I never visit one but I am impressed anew 
with the enormous possible influence of yie 
public school teacher. 1 remember hearing 
the late Dr. Warder, of Cincinnati, once say 
that he had never known anybody who had 
made his “mark’ in the American world, who 
had not at some time "taught school.” No 
work is more honorable, and it is one of the 
saving graces of this Coast, that the public 
schools are justly regarded as matters of the 
highest importance. In looking over a recent 
report, I find that the wages paid to teachers 
in Washington Territory vary considerably in 
different counties. For instance, the highest 
salary paid in King County is $126 per mouth 
(teachers are hired on this coast by the month 
instead of by the year, and I have been told 
that the highest sularies ure paid iu Cali 
foraia), the lowest $85, the average salary $5U, 
while in the majority of counties, the average 
salary is from $35 to $40, although in Kitsap 
the average is placed at $85. Beattie is in King 
County—the richest and most populous of all 
the counties—and while the population of the 
city is rated at 12,000 or 13,000, the population 
of the county is not over four or live thousand 
more. The county has 38 school-houses, the 
highest cost of any one school-house being 
$42,000, and the lowest $50; number of school 
children, 3,906; uumber of teachers, 04. The 
number of children enrolled iu the public 
schools of the Territory is 22.341, and the num¬ 
ber not attending school 9,258. There are 21 
graded schools, 80 schools furnished with an 
unabridged dictionary, 176 teachers holding 
first grade certificates, and 300 holding certifi¬ 
cates of second grade. In Seattle, the highest 
salary, next to that given to the principal, is 
paid to the teacher of the primary depart 
ment—a trained kindergarten tencher from 
New Jersey, who has 80 youngsters from six to 
seven years of age almost daily under her 
care, and it is a sight to see what one woman 
can do for the manners, morals, physical and 
mental well-being of that number of the 
shifting and changing infantile population. 
Every day they repeat, "Wine is a mocker, 
strong drink is raging; and whosoever is de¬ 
ceived thereby is not wise,” The Catholic 
priest who said, “Give me the child for his 
first seven years, aud 1 care not who has him 
for the rest," bad not been a careless observer 
of the power of early training. It would seem 
that if the law and the gospel of sound moral¬ 
ity were laid down more emphatically in our 
public schools, we would make more headway 
than we do in our everlasting fight against 
the immoral aud vicious forces of society. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Eastwood, Oxford Co., Ont., April 29 — 
Our season in this part of the country is ex¬ 
tremely late. No seeding done yet, and the 
ground is so wet that it will be some days be¬ 
fore anything can be done, except, perhaps, 
plowing sod on high land or light soil. Wheat 
and clover have both wintered well, aud look 
strong and healthy. 1 think about as great 
an area as usual was sown. Although we have 
harl a more thau usually severe Winter, stock 
generally is looking healthy aud strong. Most 
of the farmers are paying more attention to 
their stock than they did a few years ago. We 
are learning that it pays, and we have better 
facilities for doing so. I believe four 
out of five farmers, iu this section at least, 
have good bank barns and stone stables, and 
it is quite an exception to see an animal of 
any kind remaining out side. Of course this 
stabling of stock makes the labor of feeding 
much less, and also much more pleasant, lu 
my boyhood it was no uucommou thing iutbe 
Spring to see cattle on “the lift;” but I trust 
that tbiug is gone for good. Cows are as 
high iu priced think as I ever knew them — 
from $40 to $100—just for milk. It will be all 
right if cheese does as well this year as last; 
if not, a good mauy have made a mistake. 
Beef and young cattle are not as high as they 
were last year. Wheat has improved since 
the disturbance in the Old Country, aud is 
worth 90 cents; oats, 36 cents; peas, 65 cents; 
hay, is $15 and gettiug scarce; potatoes very 
plentiful at 35 cents per bag; butter easy at 
10 cents. R. U 
Kaunas. 
Ivanpa.I 1 , G reenwood Co., April 23.—Spring 
plowing nearly all done. Some corn up on 
this farm. Early planted potatoes, growing 
under the Rural trench system, look well. 
The Rural peas are five inches high. Cab- 
nage seed bought this Spring and sown in 
the open ground will do to plant out in twelve 
days. Howis that for “droughty Kansas." 
e. J. 
Missouri. 
Lindley Spring, Mercer Co., April 29.— 
Over 12 inches of suow thawed off gradually 
during the latter part of February aud tbe 
first week in March. March was exceedingly 
pleasant for out of-door work, there having 
been no storms or extremely cold days, al¬ 
though tbe general temperature of the mouth 
was low. On April 8 there were about two 
inches of snow on the ground. This followed 
by rain from the middle to the last of the 
month, has made the season cold and wet. 
Corn, grass aud oats are our staple crops. This 
is a line grazing coutry. Blue Grass and White 
Clover tukiug as naturally to the soil, as a 
duck to water. ' w. e p. 
Eldon, Miller Co,, May 1.—Considerable 
less acreage thau usual of oats was sown this 
Spring on accouut of the backward seasou. 
Wheat is badly injured and will not. under 
the best circumstances, yield more than 75 per 
cent, of a crop. Borne plowing for corn has 
been done aud a few fields have been planted; 
but tbe main work for this crop is yet to he 
done. More potatoes than usual will be plant¬ 
ed. Pastures, meadow* and clover are all in 
good condition. Considerable spring sowing 
of both clover and Timothy has been done 
every year; our farmers are all increasing 
their acreage of grass. n. j. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
Ariel, Wayne Co., May 1.—The Spring up 
to this time has been exceedingly variable; 
we have had some very warm growing wea¬ 
ther, and then cold with high winds aud snow, 
We bad a sudden change from warm aud fine 
to hail and snow, accompanied with thunder 
and almost a hurricane, on the night of April 
28. There has been much loss of stock of all 
kinds in the last two months in this entire sec¬ 
tion. Lambs suffered the most; then cattle, 
with some young colts. The scarcity of hay 
has caused pretty close feeding, consequently 
a good share of farm animals are very thin in 
flesh, which will be the cause of much lean 
beef in the early part of the Summer. Grain 
is looking fine, tbe snow lying on it till late 
has kept it in good condition. Grass also is 
making a good show; a few more warm days 
will give us feed. Very little sowing has been 
accomplished yet; whereas, at this time last 
year a large breadth of spring sowing was 
done. Potatoes are selling at 30c. per bushel 
by the car-load here; butter, 18c. per pound. 
Such prices are not very encouraging. 
p. w. c. 
Texas. 
Abilene, Taylor Co., April 29.—We have 
been enjoying excellent weather for five or 
six weeks. Crops of all kiuds are iu good con¬ 
dition. Wheat will be ready for harvesting 
in about 30 days, and will average about 20 
bushels per acre. Oats, millet, sorghum, 
buckwheat, rye and Johnson Grass succeed 
well here. Fruit, mostly peaches, n full crop, 
and from indications this will prove to be an 
excellent year for peaches, plums and grapes. 
Strawberries and raspberries also succeed with 
me. December and January seem to be the 
best time for setting strawberries. This 
Spring I planted eight kiuds of peas. I have 
been using the Rural New-Yorker Pea since 
April 19. It was as early as any dwarf vari¬ 
ety, but for a general crop I prefer the Strat¬ 
agem. The Early Rose Potato is somewhat 
earlier this season than tbe Mayflower; both 
will do for table by the 1st to 10th of May. 
Four years ago thin was a buffalo range and 
it was claimed that nothing would grow ex¬ 
cept grass; but now no one makes any such 
claim except a few interested stockmen. 
The country is settling up rapidly^ with farm¬ 
ers, aud they nre succeeding in raising almost 
all kiuds of crops, and the stockman is moving 
westward. Much interest is manifested in 
fruit and shade trees. A nurseryman told me 
that there were shipped to this place last sea¬ 
son over $30,(1()0 worth of nursery stock. Our 
town is four years old and has 4.000 to 4,500 
population. l. 
Pearsall, Frio Co., April 28.—The Rural 
seeds have made afinestaud, and are growing 
luxuriantly. I had tne finest prospect for a 
garden L ever had, but on the night, of April 
24 we had the most distructive hail storm I 
ever saw. It not only destroyed our garden, 
but actually beat it into the ground, j. r. b , 
Virginia. 
Surry County, April 30th—After a long 
delay, "Winter is over aud gone," aud we are 
now having delightful spring weather, with 
days as warm as June,aud vegetation making 
rapid progress to the full leaf of Summer. 
Corn planting is uot yet over, and farmers 
generally are two or three weeks behind with 
their spring work. After the corn is planted 
comes the preparation for planting the pea¬ 
nut crop, which is the leading staple here, 
and which absorbs the larger part of the en¬ 
ergies and means of the planters. We grow 
no wheat, cotton, or tobacco here for sale. 
Oats are a staple crop. They were put in late 
this year. The prospect is fair for a l ull fruit 
crop. Tbe apple is tbe leudiug fruit here, but 
pears are grown largely near the Jax es River. 
Tbe largest pear orchard iu the State is in 
this county. We grow a diversity of crops 
for home use, and most farmers raise their 
own bacon. Poultry and bees are both im¬ 
portant interests here. We are behind the 
age in milk and butter, aud fiue cattle. The 
Rural is a favorite in my family. B. w. J. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
(Every Query must be accompanied by Ihename 
and address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
tilling n Question, please see If It Is not answered In 
our advertising columns. Ask. ouly a few questions 
ut one lime.] _ 
7’. K H., Doming, lad.—1 have Coucord 
grapes planted 8x8 feet apart on a hdl-side 
with a southern exposure. I have them 
