The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-06-16
DAILY INTELLIGENCER.
Thursday, June 16. 1881.
FROM AINSwORTH TO sPOkAN
BY RAIL.
SPoKAS FALLS, June 9. 1881.
ron IyrrLLIGFyCER.


Would you or some OF your patrons
like TO take ride with me over the y
p Railroad, and see what We can as We
go,
Well take Is hasty breakfast at the
Railroad House, and at $40 pull out
of town. Our train consists of six cars
Of iron. two of trestle timbers, one of
machinery for some sawmill, one box
car with freight for points along the
road and outlying settlements, and an
old coach, borrowed from the D r /
N Co.
For the first twenty miles our road
lays through q sage brush desert. and
is hot and aninteresting enough: :then
We commence to see bunch grass, SCAT
tering at first. but becoming more plen-
tiful as we advance.
We pass the first well on the line Of
the road. eight miles out. and at
twenty-one miles we find another, With
section house. etc. After leaving this
last well we enter the "Schwatka Cou-
lee, " commonly supposed to be the bed
of some water course. Up this Coulee
We run leisurely 1--WE are running on
twelve mile time) following all its sin.
uosities. and passing wells at 80 and As
miles, until about go miles from Aims.
worth, we come to the summit or
crossing from Schwatka to Providence
Coulee. Let us Chamber on top of the
box car. as that will enable us to see
the road distinctly with its many
curves and trestles. As We go spinning
down the grade. seven miles long. we
reach the level Of the Coulee again. At
the foot of this grade we find another
well. with section house, where we stop
for dinner.
OFF again. and back to our old perch.
We notice the abundance of grass cloth
ing the hillsides, and sigh for the
money We are losing by not having
some stock TO eat it up. The road run.
ming in there. Coulees prevents our see
ing anything of the adjacent country
and we can only notice the basaltic
character of the soil. and the frequent
places where the rocks break out from
the sides of the hills, with their water
marks as perfectly defined as if only
left by the last tide.
Occasionally We see green patches
where water has stood late, aud which
are now covered with rank vegeta-
ton.
1t is not until reaching RitzvilIe, so
miles from Ainsworth, that we are able
to sec any extent of country, but from
our post of observation on top of the
car. we notice that the hills are ffatten
ing out, and q short distance beyond we
are able to look in any direction, and
as far as the eye can reach is seen a
stretch of country nearly level. Here,
too, the soil appears stronger. and a
small piece recently broken shows rich
and warm'enough.
In the vicinity of this station several
places have been recently settled and
have fair promise. Lying by the side
Of the track is quite respectable pile
of wool waiting shipment below. show
ing that there are some sheep still left
after the hard winter.
Here we find the first hoof since leay-
ingAinsworth. in the presence of band
Of horses grazing off to our right.
Ninetyssix miles out we pass Harris
ton, another townsite, at present un-
marked by any improvements. Twelve
miles further on we reach Sprague,
with quite an imposing array of stores,
hotels, saloons, etc. At this point the
familiar face Of Ed Dane is seen, and
who is doing quite o good business.
But the chief feature of Spragus is the
dozen of stunted pine trees that stand
in its vicinity, and are the first ones
on the line of the road. Although they
ere Of an unfamiliar appearance, still
they have pleasing effect on the eye,
and are majestic and grand after our
sojourn among ssgebrush.
Leaving Sprague the land becomes
poor again, being light and thin, and
not sufficient to cover the rocks, The
term ''scab lands" which is used in
reference to such places. is very de-
scriptive. yet every few miles we see
large tiocks of sheep. seemingly in good
order.
AS We roll easily along We notice
patches OF timber In all directions, and,
although of small extent the absence OF
tall underbrush and the green sward
Uttered with pine cones, bring back
a memory of boy hood days with start
ling reality. The rocks, too, become
more frequent. and keep crawling DIP
out of the ground until the engine
seems tired of lodging around among
them. and sometimes makes @ dash
through the heart of some Of them.
Sometimes We see patches of meadow
fenced in with light poles, where
the wild grasses grow rank, and
are cut for hay. Soon We come
to that pretty sheet of water known as
Big Lake; 10 being long narrow body
of water along the bank of which the
rosd runs for about six miles. On its
surface are seen countless numbers OF
ducks. and along the borders, in the
rrshes. fish hawks are seeking their
prey. This lake lends pleasant charm
to the otherwise tame scenery, and
breaks the monotony of our ride.
just before 6 o'clock we arrived al
the young and aspiring town of Che
ney-l33 miles from Ainsworth, and
2340 feet above sea level. 1t is very
p'easantly located. on gentle slope
on the north side of the track, and
right in the midst Of the timber. The
other side of the track has . suspicious
look, a. If water lay pretty close TO the
surface. and mosquitoes might be easily
caught. The number OF buildings pu,
mp this spring and the number now in
course Of erection. seem unwarrantabIe
but Cheney folks are very sanguine
talk Of the great extent of agricultural