The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-06-20
EASTERN WARRINGTON.

the issue Of the 9th We clip tle follow
ing:
Eastern Washington shares the pro-
gEess Of Oregon, ard in consequence Of
the proposed construction Of 200 miles
Of the Northern Pacific Railroad, ex-
tending eastward frem the Columbia,
will probably advance still mo.e rapidly
in the future. A Santa Rosa journa =
the Democrat, we believe. bu. neglected
TO note the name when We cut out the
slIp-published recently letter written
by DR.. G. II. Alien. formerly of that
place, about southeastern Washington:
II have been here two weeks-been
out some - or Is miles north of this
place. near Snake river, beyond my
boys claims. It is 80 miles south to
Walla Walla. making my observations
near so miles. aud | can truly say l
never saw as much good soil in any
country.as l found from Wa!ia Walia to
Sn,ke river The country is very bro
ken, much more 80 than ! expected to
see. yet there is little. very little waste
land. Where you find it too steep for
cultivation. it is covered with bunch
grass. MT like the bunch grass of Cali
forpia aud Nevada, but regular con-
tinuous ma. or turf Ought not to be
called bunch grass it looks like a
wheat field aud two tons of this grass
is often Cut 10 the acre. have not
seen any alfalfa growing. but am told
il grows weli-been tIiei III small
way. This is unlike any country ever
saw the higher the hill, and nearer
the summit, the richer the land. On
the top of these hills. | call them noun
tain., you often find hundreds OF acres
comparatively level. enough so TO run
a header for mics without any inter
ruptior. Here are the bes. lands for
gardens-potatoes and all kinds Of
vegetables grow very fine, the potatoes
are of = superior quality This is q
grass country. Timothy, blue grass
aud alfalfa, all grow here finely. This
makes 1t a better country than CasiFor-
MIA. or any other country on this 'sst.
1t is not corn country, yet they RAISE
scme-2D nrd so hushei. l. the acre,
The builiing aud ftncins tlnbrr ali
comes from Blue MJuntiins. tell miles
from this place fire wood is worth Si
per cord This country is well watered
springs about as numerous ~ IN
Western Missouri Well water is good
found in the Valley at FROM 10 to 30
feet on the upland. much deeper,
Sometimes 40 and so feet. The streams
of this country do not dry up as IN
California. during summer; they are
fed BY springs, and run the entire year "
The country is undoubtedly rich in
natural resources, but it is far from any
market, so that exports are low and
imports high in price. The construc-
tion Of two hundred miles Of railroad
will be of great service directly. by Civ
ing an assurance that connection across
thu continent is to be completed.
j. j. Brown writes thus from Spokane
Falls. l50 miles northwsrd from Walla
Walla. to the San Francisco Etamiasr:
From the source Of the Cpur d Alene
and St Joseph to the mouth OF the
Spokane is about 600 miles. and the
average width of the country drained
by thess rivers ard their tributaries is
not less than IS miles es-containing an
area Of about $4,000 square miles. or
nearly twice rs large as the State OF
Massachusetts,. The western portion
Of this large tract is mountainous, COW
cred with timber. and supposed t" he
rich in minerals, though the mines. as
yet. have been worked but little. The
west end is more level, mostly undulat-
ing, and chiefly prairie, particularly on
the south. These prairies are we'll
adapted to raising grain. vegetables
and fruit The climate i mild. as
compared with the. same latitude east,
and the soil very rich, 1t is not AN
uncommon thing to raise fifty. aud even
sixty bushels Of wheat to the acre; but
the average yield is from thirty to forty
bushels. The country is well watered
Springs Of fresh water are found on
nearly every hillside and valley, >
West and southwest from here the
country. as above indicated. is rich with
rolling prairies capable Of producing
annually several million bushels Of
wheat. although at present almost
wholly undeveloped. the quantity raised
in 1878 did not exceed fifty thousand
bushels. The population Of the whole
Spokane Was less then twenty-five
hundred souls. These fertile. undulst-
ing prsiries are open to settlement
uuder the Preemption and Homestead
laws. making this region one Of the
best for the poor man of moderate
means now to be found in the United
States"
These two letters. from different
places, describe IN area Of about 10000
square miles, we'll sdspted to maintain
. large aud prosperous population,
which will derive many Of their sup
plies from California, look TO San Fran
cisco as their metropolis, and come
hither to enjoy their savings. The
Northern. Pacific has our best wishes for
the success Of its enterprise.
Western Washington is nearly sta
t;onary. The decliue in San Franciscos
demand for fir lumber has seriously in.
iured the leading industry of Puget
Sound; and everything else suffers in
sympathy with it. The logging busi
ness has b~en so much overdone that
logs have been sold for s. IS per 1000
feet. There are considerable areas Of
uncccup;ed, fertile lands, bu, they re-
auire much labor for clearing. ard the
settlers generally prefer an easier mode
Of life or quicker returns, The jam or
raft in the ..Skagit river having been
destroyed, that stream Is navisseie for
seventy miles from its mouth, and It's
fertile valley is attracting settlers.