The Great Reflux: How Seattle’s ‘Back Door’ Boom Is Reshaping the Territory

FILLING UP.

As Fisher says, our Territory is filling up about as rapidly by way of the 'back entrance' as the front. Immigrants leave the N.P. road at Seattle and then ride up their own 'prairie schooners,' and thence away over the plains to Walla Walla, Palouse, and Colfax.

The school census of Umatilla County, Oregon, according to the *Oregonian*, shows an increase during the past year of 1,234 children between the ages of 4 and 20. The *Oregonian* states that during the last five years at least 2,200 immigrants have been landed in the Willamette metropolis by the ocean steamers from San Francisco. A large portion of these find their way up the Columbia to the valleys of eastern Territory.

Between two advancing fires of civilization, one on all sides, it is likely that now our remaining wildernesses will rapidly succumb. In this, there is augmented prosperity and business activity for the future as regards existing interests. For the time being, the wild country may have the effect of depleting the towns to some extent, but it is a healthy sign. The reflux current, when it comes, will flush the channels commercial and industrial with new life and wealth. The trade that develops from permanent settlements is an unfailing spring; that which depends on vagrancy is but an intermittent and fitful fountain at the best.

CHALKER BROTHERS PROCESS: We received a call last evening from Mr. J.M. Flowers, an enterprising farmer, who, with his brother, lately settled on a farm up Cedar River, and is awaiting the arrival of his family on the steamer *City of Panama* (from Austin, Minnesota). They have during the past winter, with their own labor, cleared up 50 acres, which they purpose this year to increase the area to 100 acres. They have leased the McCullister farm adjoining their own, and are now running a dairy of 40 cows, and will make 300 pounds of butter per week during the summer. As soon as practicable they intend to plant out 100 acres in hops, in addition to their vegetable business, which will give them a very handsome income and make a creditable showing indeed for the industry and business energy of these gentlemen. They find ready sale for all their produce at Newcastle, over the lake, and realize good prices. Radish lettuce, net onions, cabbage, potatoes, vegetables of all sorts, as well as fruit, butter, and eggs are in good demand. Mr. F. was formerly in the grain business in Iowa and Minnesota, and from his experience in that line in those States, is confident that Seattle, from its geographical position with reference to the basin of the Columbia, and the Straits of Fuca, is certain to become one of the leading shipping points for grain in the world. He thinks that if the growers in the Walla Walla country were really wide awake to their own pecuniary interest they would not rest until they had the railroad put through the Pass in time to secure to themselves some of the profit of the great crop of 1877, instead of allowing it to be chiefly pocketed by that monopoly of the river, the O.S.N. Co.