The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-08-24
Washington Territory.


summer garden, Alaska, Washington has Ill
ways seemed the farihcst away. and owing
perhaps partially To the distance, IL has been
one of the attractive places of the nation
Many have had longings To see il and Know |
more of its resources, who have been pre- |
vented from doing So by the distance, ex-
peIiSc and difficulties of reaching IL. The |
writer was one Of those afflicted with such
desire and accordingly made something Of
tour of that Territory, in company with II feel
low mortal similarly disposed.
The editor of this paper will bear witness
Ia the fact that il is from no desire To appear
In print or advertise the writer's circun,-
scribcd observations that this article Is writ
ten, but for reasons good AMI valid, AMI in
Response Ia requests not Ia bc ,lisrcpardei.
And il unythiug here written shall tend IT,
anybody's good, he II ever 80 slight, ar add
anything To correct Information, all will he
accomplished that is desired.
Washington Territory is divided into East
eru ami Western Washington 10y the Cascade
Mountains, ana the climate of the two See
tions is very different, us are also the indus
tries.
The best known agricultural region of the
commonly called the Walla Walla countr,
ami further north and above the Snake river,
the Palniisc country. South of that river
and in the region of walla Walla the country
has been settled for many ycars,and has long
been II grain and fruit growing country as well
as doing something in tho way of stock rails
ing. From Walla Walla the blue Mountains
are in sight toward the Southeast, and the
foothills are but II few miles away.
The pilgrim from the States is apt to be dis
appointed in travelling through the country.
lie expects To find large barns AMI nice resi-
dcuces, for hc has been told the land owners
are rich: but he will find that while this last
may he true, that in many, perhaps in most
iastances the wcalthcst bsTv residcI - I'm
the cities or towns. and on the farm Iranchc)
there are only such buildings us are ncces-
sury for the use of the family and help, while
growing and taking care of the crop; and us
barns ana granaries are not essential to care
for the crop, they don't have them.
Grain is al shipped i'm sacks, and il may re-
main corded up i'm sacks awaiting shipment
for many weeks after harvest, without any
danger OF rain.
Northward from walla walla, across the
Snake river, up the Palouse and its tributary
country within II few miles of Cheney on the
n. l.. Il. r.. the country Is II very rolling
prairie. From the top OF the hills the coun-
try presents view much like the great
waves of the ocean. So rolling that in Min
nesota we would not think II worth while to
cultivate II. But the hills produce rs well or
better than the valleys and low lands, and Il
few years will see fields of grain growing
over ail these hills, AS the Pulouse country is
settling up very fast. Railroad lands AMI
decided lands have all been carefully graded.
Government land has been taken up very
rapidly this season. the business ut the land
Office AT ColfaX having more than doubled in
the past year.
Northward from Spokane Falls is a large
stretch of country comparatively new and
undcveioped, known us the Colvillc country.
Westward from Spokane or from the nearer
point, Cheney, lies the big Bend country,
containing many thousands of acres OF good
agricultural land, fast being settled. The
land through this region is not So rolling rs
in the Paiouse country. There is good
deal of scab land in IL but the larger per cent.
il good.
West of the Columbia the Yakima valley,
including the valley of the Yakima river and
its numerous tributaries, embraces the chief
farming region between the Columbia and
the mountains. The land in this region re-
quircs irrigation, and liberal amount may
be- taken under the Irrigation Act.
The Snake river valley mentioned rs lying
bctwee the walla Walla and Palousc conn-
tries, while "A considerable distance north of
| l....,
the matter OF its productions, being very
warm, and capable Of producing very nice
fruits But So far the lack of market facili-
ties has detructed from its value for such
| purposes.
Eastern Washington is not plenteously
! timbcrcd. The Snake and Columbia rivers
| with their great volume Of water sweep
! through this rolling prairie with scarcely n
| tree upon their banks. The hills along the
| river, reaching in places many hundred feet
| in hcip Int aud almost shutting You in as you
glide oIcr the rapid waters, are covered only
with short grass. In some places, however.
and along some rivers as the Spokane river,
there are belts of timber which furnish fuel
and some saw timber. but ali the timber of
Eastern Washington is soft, and of the pine
|
ers OF the Big Bend and Palousc country have
! To- economic as 10 wood as much us on some
of our Minnesota praires. Many supply
themselves by drift coming from the
timber farther up toward the mountain
sources of these great rivers.
And now as IL Eastern Washington: There
is ii good deal of grazing land and there is
much poor country; and in addition to the
large tracts mentioned, there are many nice
prairics of limited acreage that are prod,ic-
tive and very valuable. OF such Is the Peone
Prairic-about eight miles from Spokane
Falls, upon which are splcndidly located our
old friends, the Darts, formerly OF Vernon
Centre, ana the StOncman ana LathrOp boys,
also of this county. Minnesota has furnish
cd many good citizens for Washington Terri
tory. While there are many things about
Eastern Washington that we like, we cannot
rs yet see its advantages as an agricultural
region over our own North Star State. True.
il raises more wheat to the acre, As bushels
being not an unusual yield, and % bushels
being considered low, and true. they need
not hurry about their hurvests as we do here.
| The little club wheat, their principal variety,
has a good spinal colum. and will stand up
straight as an Indian until far in the fall.
| Oats are as prolific as wheat. But corn and
many other things that can DO grown with
success in Minnesota, cannot be raised, on
account of the GOODNESS Of nights. The large
| yields of wheat are often sold at very low
| figures, and they are liable to have too much
dry weather, as is the case this year. Where
| irrigation is carried on successfully of course
the farmers are independent of rain. They
do have winds and they do have cold weather
| i'm winter, but as II whole the climate Is
mildcr one than ours. There are all classes
of people o! course, but the prevailing is an
excellent one.
No town is without its schools, churches
and other institutions, the offspring of civil
ization. Among the thriving towns of East
crn Washington may be named Walla Walla
the second in size i'm the Territory, Sprague,
Cheney, Spokane Falls, Coifax and Dayton.
Formerly by means of the Columbia ard
snort railroads around the Dalles and Cas-
cadcs this country was connected. with the
coast Now the railroad follows along the
south bank of the river diverging from II us
il nears Portland and terminating at East
Portland, some distance from the mouth OF
the willamette. Portland and East Portland
and tho little town Albina make beautiful
city OF about 5000, lying on both sides OF the
Willamette. Ii has assumed the proportions
Of city and in il are many evidences of
wealth and prosperity. Ii is from this point
that we embark for our trip through West
crn Washington.
The trip from Portland to New Tacoma is
accomplished by boat down the Willamette
and Columbia Ia Kalama. Il distance of about
10 miles, and from thence by rail. kalama
is Il little village built upon steep side
hill, II good place for the people on the upper
side of the street to look down their neighbOrs
chimneys and see what they are all about
Al this place we change ana take the train