[Page 76] There are four daily newspapers, 8 banks, 1,120 acres in parks, and many beautiful and expensive public buildings.  The city hall cost $200,000; the court house, $500,000; her high school building, the most beautiful on the coast, cost a half million dollars, and the United States government is completing a $500,000 federal building.

Puyallup is one of Pierce county’s prosperous towns, having about 7,000 population, in the wealthy Puyallup valley.  This is the center or a great fruit-growing district, in which the farmers have combined and market their crops through an association, sending their berries in patent refrigerator cars into far-away markets.  It is also quite a large manufacturing center, with a payroll of $45,000 per month.

Buckley, with a population of 1,500, is the center of large sawmilling, farming and mining industries.

Orting is a town with 800 people, chiefly engaged in gardening and farming.  The State Soldiers’ Home is located near, and adds considerable trade to the town.

Sumner has a population of 1,000, is located in the Puyallup valley, and its people form a part of the farmers’ association, engaged in fruit-growing, dairying and gardening.

Steilacoom is one of the most beautiful little summer resort towns on Puget sound and is connected with Tacoma by two electric lines.

Sylvan, gig harbor, Rosedale, Elgin, long branch, Blanchard, and bee are very prosperous villages of Pierce county, and are located on the shores of Puget sound.

Spanaway, Eatonville, Alderton, Elbe, Meridian, Kapowsin, and MCMILLAN are villages in the interior, on the railroads.

Wilkeson, south PRARIE, Carbonado, Fairfax, Pittsburg, and Melmont are coal-mining towns of importance.

SAN JUAN COUNTY.

San Juan county is a group of islands lying between the waters of the Straits of Fuca and the Gulf of Georgia, off the southeast shore of Vancouver island.  It has about 200 square miles of territory and about 4,500 people.

There are three large islands and several smaller ones.  The islands are covered with soil and timber not different from the main land adjoining.  Heavy timber in the forests, fine clay loams in the bottom lands, shot clay on the hillsides, big ledges of lime rock and other minerals and great shoals of fish in the waters are the foundations for prosperity for the citizens of the county.

Resources.

The soils of the islands yield generously to good tillage, and wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and hay yield large crops.  Dairying is profitable.  Poultry-raising and fruit-growing, are especially attractive.  Sheep and [Page 77] cattle find splendid pasture.  Great quantities of salmon and other fish are taken in the waters, and game-deer and wild fowl—­are abundant.