and fifty and three hundred feet high, and six and seven feet in diameter, are not at all uncommon. Masts for ships may readily be obtained, straight, and without knots for more than 100 feet. Some of the mills on Puget sound have capacity to turn out, daily, 100,000 feet of lumber, and the present export of the sound in prepared lumber, masts and spars, amounts in value to over one and a half millions of dollars annually. Exports are made to San Francisco, the Sandwich Islands, China, Japan, the Mexican and South American ports on the Pacific, and even to the South American ports on the Atlantic, and masts and spars are sent to France. Timber, although scarcer on the east side of the mountains than on the west, is nevertheless sufficient for all the purposes of domestic use, and in some portions sufficiently abundant for exportation in large quantities.

Gold has been found on the Columbia river and in the northeastern part of the territory, and mihes have been worked about Port Colville, though not with great profit. The appearance of veins and out-croppings of coal in almost every section of the territory west of the Cascade mountains, indicates its very general distribution and inexhaustive supply. It is found on the Columbia, upon streams flowing directly into the Pacific, and it appears near the straits of Fuca. It is found in exhaustless fields back of Seattle, then upon the Sto-lu-ana-mah, and at Bellingham Bay in the extreme north.

The fishing interest is destined to hold a prominence in the future commerce of the territory. Salmon of the finest kind, cod, halibut, and other fish are taken in its waters, and exist in quantities sufficient to meet the demands of the most extensive trade. The commercial facilities are good. The straits of Juan de Fuca and the gulf of Georgia, lying south and east of Vancouver island, extend into the territory and ramify into numerous straits, bays, inlets, sounds and estuaries, free from rocks and of depth sufficient for the largest vessels; numerous bends are common, where the most perfect protection may be found against winds or waves. Puget sound has an average width of two miles, a depth never less than eight fathoms, and runs inland in a southern direction one hundred miles from the straits of Fuca. Hood's canal, twelve miles farther west, with an average width of one mile, and an equal depth with Puget sound, runs sixty miles in a southwest direction.

The Columbia courses through more than seven hundred miles, for the greater part of which it is navigable. Snake river, during one-half of the year, is navigable to Lewiston, and the waters of the sound furnish navigation of many hundred miles at all seasons. The trade of the country, by way of Columbia river, is carried up by steamers regularly plying to White Bluffs, seventy miles above Wallula, which is situated at the mouth of the Walla Walla river, twelve miles south of the confluence of the Snake river with the Columbia river. The quantity of public lands to be disposed of in this territory is equal to about 41,600,000 acres.

48. WYOMING TERRITORY,

On the organization of Montana Territory, and the limitation of Idaho to the districts west of the Rocky Mountains, a tract remained south of Montana, which, for want of public organization, was annexed to Dakota. This region, with small portions of Idaho and Utah, including in all about 88,000 square miles, was constituted a territory by an act of Congress, approved July 25, 1868. The boundaries established by this act are as follows: commencing at the intersection of 27° longitude west from Washington with 45. north latitude, and running thence west to 34° west longitude, thence south to 41° north latitude, thence east to 27° west longitude, and thence north to the place of beginning. It has, on the north, Montana; on the east, Dakota and Nebraska; on the south, Colorado and a small portion of Utah; and on the west, Idaho and the northern part of Utah, and includes seven degrees of longitude and four degrees of latitude.

GOVERNMENT.

The act organizing the territory, provides that "The executive power and authority shall be vested in a governor, who shall hold his office for four years and until his successor shall be appointed and qualified, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The governor shall reside within said territory, shall be commander-in-chief of the militia thereof, shall perform the duties and receive the emoluments of superintendent of Indian affairs, and shall approve all laws passed by the legislative assembly before they shall take effect, unless the same shall pass by a two-thirds vote, as provided in section six of the act."

There is to be a secretary, who will reside in the territory and hold his office for four years, unless sooner removed by the President of the United States, with the consent of the Senate.

The legislative power and authority of said territory is to be vested in the governor and legislative assembly. The legislative assembly will consist of a council and house of representatives. The council will consist of nine members, which may be increased to thirteen, whose term of service shall continue two years. The house of representatives will consist of thirteen members, which may be increased to twenty-seven, and whose term of service shall continue one year. The governor is to receive an annual salary of $2,000 as governor, and $1,000 as superintendent of Indian affairs, and the secretary an annual salary of $1,800. The members of the legislative assembly will be entitled to receive $4 each, per day, during their attendance at the session thereof, and $3 for every 20 miles travel in going to and returning from the said sessions, estimating the distance by the nearest traveled route. Every male citizen of the United States above the age of 21 years, and (including persons who shall have declared their intention to become citizens of the United States), who was a resident of the territory at the time of the passage of the act, is entitled to vote at all subsequent elections,

and is eligible to hold any office in the territory. The legislative assembly can not at any time abridge the right of suffrage, or to hold office, on account of the race, color, or previous condition of servitude, of any resident of the territory: Provided, That the right of suffrage and of holding office shall be exercised only by citizens of the United States, and those who shall have declared on oath before a competent court of record their intention to become such, and shall have taken an oath to support the Constitution and Government of the United States.

JUDICIARY.

The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, Probate Courts, and Justices of the Peace. The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and two Associate Justices, any two of whom constitute a quorum, and who hold a term at the seat of government of the territory annually. They hold their offices for four years, unless sooner removed by the President, with the consent of the Senate of the United States. The territory is divided into three judicial districts, and a district court is held in each of said districts by one of the justices of the Supreme Court, at such time and place as may be prescribed by law; and said judges, after their appointment, respectively, reside in the districts assigned them. The jurisdiction of the several courts herein provided for, both appellate and original, and that of the probate courts, and of the justices of the peace, is limited by law; the said Supreme and District Courts, respectively, possess chancery as well as common law jurisdiction, and authority for redress of all wrongs committed against the Constitution or laws of the United States or of the territory affecting persons or property. Each district court, or the judge thereof, appoints its clerk, who is also the register in chancery, and keeps his office where the court is held. Writs of error, bills of exception, and appeals are allowed in all cases from the final decisions of said district courts to the Supreme Court, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, but in no case removed to the Supreme Court is trial by jury allowed in said court. The Supreme Court, or the justices thereof, appoints its own clerks, and every clerk holds his office at the pleasure of the court for which he has been appointed.

The Supreme and District Courts, and the respective judges thereof, may grant writs of habeas corpus in all cases in which the same are grantable by the judges of the United States in the District of Columbia; and the first six days of every term of said courts, or so much thereof as is necessary, are appropriated to the trial of causes arising under the constitution and laws of the United States; and writs of error and appeals in all such cases are made to the Supreme Court of said territory, the same as in other cases.

There is to be an attorney, who continues in office for four years, unless sooner removed by the President, with the consent of the Senate. There is also a marshal appointed for the territory, who holds his office for four years, unless sooner removed by the President, with the consent of the Senate, and who executes all processes issuing from the courts when exercising their

jurisdiction as circuit and district courts of the United States. Salaries of Supreme judges, $2,500 each. The sum of one thousand dollars annually is appropriated for the incidental expenses of the territory.

CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY.

The Rocky Mountains pass through the western part of this territory in a diagonal direction from north-west to south-east. The Rattle Snake and Big Horn Mountains, also in the northern and western part, and the Black Hills in the eastern part, render much of the surface broken, but there are fertile valleys adapted to grain and grass which may be made quite productive when well cultivated. Important gold mines have been discovered in the valley of the Sweetwater, near the Wind river, and in some other localities. More than a hundred lodes have been located. The great mineral belt in which the mines are found, extends from Fremont's Peak south to the junction of Grand and Green rivers. There seems to be little doubt that the foot-hills of the Wind River Mountains are equally auriferous.

A population of several hundred passed the winter in the vicinity of the mines; a newspaper has been started, and the evidences of civilization begin to be seen. The line of the Pacific Railroad crosses this territory; when completed, or within a few months, this road will afford excellent facilities for the transportation of produce and minerals, and enable immigrants to reach the territory more easily. It was estimated that there were at least 5,000 inhabitants around Fort Laramie and in the vicinity of the Pacific Railroad in 1868.

49. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Area, 55 square miles. Population, (1867), 126,990.

The District of Columbia originally embraced an area ten miles square, situated on both sides of the Potomac, about 160 miles from its mouth, and at the head of tide-water. It was ceded to the General Government by the States of Maryland and Virginia in 1788-9; was accepted in 1790, and has been used since 1800 as a seat of government for the United States. That portion of the district lying west of the Potomac was retroceded to Virginia by an act of Congress, approved July 9, 1846. Since then, the district is limited to the county of Washington, east of the Potomac, within which are the cities of Washington and Georgetown. Each of these cities has a municipal government of its own, with power to lay and collect taxes for municipal purposes; but the district, as a whole, is subject to the exclusive legislation of Congress.

JUDICIARY.

The Supreme Court of the District of Columbia was established by act of Congress, approved March 3, 1863, when the former Circuit Court, District Court, and Criminal Court of the District were abolished. The Supreme Court consists of four Justices, (one of whom is designated the Chief Justice), appointed by the President of the United States, and who hold their

offices during good behavior. It has general jurisdiction in law and equity, and the Judges possess and exercise the powers and jurisdiction formerly possessed and exercised by the Judges of the Circuit Court of the district. Any one of the Judges may hold a District Court, with the same powers, etc., as other District Courts of the United States; and any one of the Judges may hold a Criminal Court for the trial of crimes and offenses committed within the district, with the same powers, etc., as the old Criminal Court. Any final judgment, order, or decree of the court may be reëxamined, and reversed or affirmed in the Supreme Court of the United States, on writ of error or appeal. The Supreme Court of the district has appellate jurisdiction of all judgments of Justices of the Peace, and has power to remove said Justices of the Peace for cause. Three general terms of the court are held annually at Washington.

SUPREME COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Chief Justice, David K. Cartter. Associate Justices, Abram B. Olin, George P. Fisher, Andrew Wylie. Clerk, Return J. Meigs. Marshal, D. S. Gooding. District Attorney, Edward C. Carrington. Salaries of Judges, $3,000 each.

WASHINGTON.*

The city of Washington (at first known for a short period as Federal City) extends from north-west to south-east, about four and a half miles, with a breadth of about two and a half miles, and a circumference of fourteen miles. The streets running north and south are designated by numbers, commencing at North Capitol street and South Capitol street (which run north and south from the Capitol), and extending east and west to the boundary line. The streets running east and west are designated by letters, beginning at East Capitol street, and a line running west to the Potomac, opposite the centre of the Capitol. These lettered streets read north and south to V. and W. The avenues are named from the older states. The streets vary in width from 70 to 100 feet, with one exception (K. street north), and the avenues from 120 to 160 feet. The total area of avenues and open spaces is 3,604 acres, and of public reservations, exclusive of 10, 11, and 12, (since used for other purposes), 513 acres. The whole area of squares is 131,684,176 feet, or about 3,016 acres.

The city was incorporated by an act of Congress, May 3, 1802, and is at present divided into seven wards. The squares are numbered from north to south, commencing on the west and progressively extending towards the east, the highest numbers in the original survey being 1,146. When selected as the site for a city, the grounds now included within the corporation were occupied as improved farms, and devoted to the culture of corn, tobacco and wheat. The city of Georgetown, separated from Washington by Rock Creek, was originally laid out under an act of the Colonial Assembly of Maryland, dated May 15, 1771. It was incorporated as a town in 1789, and forms but one ward.

* We are indebted to Hon. Henry Barnard, Commissioner of Education, Waterson's Guide to Washington, and the Congressional Directory, for a part of the facts relating to Washington.