Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1878-09-27
THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
What Col. Roberts Says of 1t.

give you some memoranda ofmy present
trip through this portion Of Washington
Territory, / now do so with pleasure.
left Colfax under the guidance of
your excellent townsman, Capt. James
Ewart, early on Monday morning, Sept.
9th, for the purpose of seeing as much
az possible north of Colfax in four days,
and returned on Thursday evening,
after one of the most interesting jour
neys | have ever taken. You are aware
that l made an examination Of this
country in 1869, at which time there
was no Whitman county, no Colfax, and
no white settlement excepting the "Ca-
ifornia Ranch" over large area where
I now find country thickly dotted with
excellent wheat farms, and numerous
houses and barns, saw and grist mills,
ETC., with nearly all the comforts usual
to early civilization in territory recently
the home of nomadic Indian tribes. 1t
is doubly interesting to me, not only on
account of the extensive white settle.
ments which have been made since my
former pack train trip through this
country, but on account of the revolu-
ton which practical tests and ample ex-
perience have brought about respecting
the agricultural capabilities of the lands.
Nine years ago, the impression so far as
I then learned, in the neighborhood of
Walla Walla, (where the principal set
Elements of the southeastern part of the
Territory had then been made), was al
most universal that this country was too
dry for general agriculture without the
aid Of irrigation; and that accordingly,
the hills, which constitute large por-
ton of this part Of the Territory, were
only adapted to grazing. My report of
this region at that time was that "this
was a magnificent grazing region, we'll
adapted to agriculture where there was
water sufficient for irrigation, but not
elsewhere" II is unnecessary for me
tosay to you aud other residents of Wash
ington Territory that my statement was
entirely erroneous. 1t was, if possible,
more than erroneous, for experience has
proven not only that the hills are capa-
BILE of cultivation witout irrigation. but
that they produce the very best aud
most abundant crops of wheat, oats,
barley and vegetables of all kinds.
In my present journey, from Walla
Walla to Colfax, eighty five miles, and
from Colfax to Spokane Falls. sixty five
miles. going by a route extending east,
ward to tho Idaho line, and returning
by route varying nearly twenty miles
west Of that line, nearly the whole dis
lance of one hundred and fifty miles, il
through a grand wheat growing region
without any irrigation whatever.
have never seen finer wheat, barley ant
oats in any country or any place wher,
the average yield per acre is greater
The Red River Valley on the line 0
the Northern Pacific Railroad, in west
ern Minnesota and eastern Dakota, i
the only region known to me where thu
yield is as large. The grain, in both 0
these great producing regions is perfect
and unsurpassed in quality by any rails
ed elsewhere on this continent.
/ am told that many Of the settler
came in soon after the location Of tn
Northern Pacific Railroad, between tn
mouth Of Snake River and Lake Pen
d'Oreille--the expected early compile
ton ofthe railroad being strong induce
ment. At that time nothing was know
Of the remarkable adaptability of larg
scope of country, including much {
Walla Walla, Whitman, and consider
able portion of Stevens counties i
Washington, and Nez Perez county i
Idaho, to the raising of cereals. Gil
cumstances beyond the control of til
company have hitherto prevented tn
construction of that portion Of the
railroad; but the general business of tn
country is now revivins, and meauwhi
the county Of Whitman, which did n,
exist in 1869, --not till January 1872
only six and half years ago, alread
contains over thirty.seven hundre
souls, Of whom eleven hundred Al
voters, and / understand that lar,
proportion have come in during the la
two years. The Indian scaresseems
have temporarily checked the immigr
ton, but it is only temporary, and it
very obvious that such country as tn
must be very rapidly settled, so that
fore the Northern Pacific Railroad Q,
be constructed across the Column
Plains the population will probably
more than doubled.
The Railroad Company, instead of b
ing the pioneers through this regio
saying to the settler, ''Come, and Occur
this great pasturat country" now he
the voice many settlers--ofthousaae
saying, ''Bring on your railroad, al
carry out our millions of bushels of era
to the seaports Of the Pacific" A
though it is still splendid grazing
gion, it is yet more important as grs
producing region. Such country ca
not remain long without railroads.
is proper tor me to say that the compa
have for sometime been aware of /