, 1883-08-25
LOCAL.
ECHO MILLS.
ONE OF THE LARGEST FLOUR
~ ING MILLS IN THE
NORTHWEST.
A CrsditRbIe Addition TO the Indus.
tries of spokane Fails.

One Of the great drawbacks to
farming in this county in past years
has been the lack Of a market for
grain. A certain quantity was al
ways saleable to meet the local con-
sumption and when that was sup
piled, which required only a
few hundred bushels, the producer
was stranded with the balance Of his
crop on his hands. The advent Of
the railroad to a considerable extent
remedied this existing difficulty, but
even then freights were so high tina,
little profit was left to the farmer
after shipping to a ready market.
Now all this has changed, and for
years to come the grangers Of SpO-
kane county, and those Of neighbor-
ing counties, will find market for
their cereals in this city. This great
and advantageous change is to be ac-
counted for i'm two ways: First, we
now have two fine mills to handle
the wheat, and secondly, a house has
been established here to buy grain
for the purpose of shipment But at
present we have to deal with the
most important factor in the matter
OF grain consumption, and that is
THE ECHO MILL.
Over a year ago S. G. Havermale
and B. F. Davis formed copartner-
ship for the purpose of constructing
Touring mill on a scale to surpass
any institution of the kind in the
territory, and with that praiseworthy
object in view broke ground, or
rather rock, for the present gigantic
establishment on the 10th day of
May, 1882. The site chosen was the
center Of what is known as the Little
Island, just in front Of the city to the
north, an irregular shaped solid piece
Of rock.Of about an acre in extent,
connected with the city by the How
ard street bridge, and is washed on
all sides by the rushing Spokane, the
western peak of which projects out
over one Of the most attractive of
the series Of falls and cataracts that
the place is noted for. The island is
some feet above the river, and never
OverflOws. From the mill pond,
made by the dam at the east end and
the south side Of the island, a fume
was cut through the rock diagonally
across the island, running the water
beneath the mill. Work progressed
on the double structure-the mill
and elevator-slowly, little being
done during the winter. Great care
was taken in the selection of the
tmbers and the most competent
workmen only were employed.
While the work was under the direc-
tiOn Of ], L. Bailey, a careful and
experienced builder, the firm always
took personal interest in the con-
structiOn and superintended it.
Work progressed steadily up to pres
ent writing, and while the man.
moth skeleton is at last covered and
boarded up, there is sufficient work
yet to do to keep a force of builders
busy until late in the fall. 1t is safe
to say that a more substantial frame
building is not standing in the terri
tory to-day. Founded upon the
natural and everlasting rocks 1t has
been put together from the very
ground timbers to the rafters with
assiduous care. The beams, and sup
ports, and braces, and joists, and
timbers are massive, singly and col
lectively, and have been Joined to-
gether with the one purpose in view
of strength and durability. No ex-
pense has been spared, and the pro-
prietors are very well repaid for
tlle time spent on the work with
building that cannot be excelled.
The mill proper is 50xlOO feet with
six floors. 1t is the only house of
the two to be seen from the south,
and it towers high up above the
roofs Of the surrounding city. 1t is
strikingly conspicuous on account of
its gigantic size, but one can hardly
estimate its dimensions until he
stands beside it and looks upward,
or makes a trip to the top story and
gazes about him. Adjoining the
mill to the north is the elevator, a
building 3OxIO feet, three stories
high. This of itself would be con-
sidered quite respectable building
set off by itself, but alongside of the
mill it dwarfs down to insignificance,
and in comparative size looks like
dry goods box beside a four-story
brick block. The elevator has a
storage capacity Of 10000 bushels,
and it has been a question in the
minds Of the owners If they would
not have to import grain in order to
supply the demand when running
full handed. The mill, when it re-
ceives the full amount Of machinery,
will have a capacity Of turning out
600 barrels Of -four a day. Flour is
to be manufactured by the new pro-
cess now entirely in vogue among
the mills of Minneapolis and all
cities producing a first-class grade
of -four, known as the gradual reduc-
tiOn system, i'm which the old fash
Toned burrs are discarded and heavy
steel rollers are used instead. The
power is to come from the inexhaust-
ible water supply, and with it the
mill, and ten thousand more Just
like it, can be kept in constent oper-
alton every day in the year and
every hour in the day. The patent
and powerful turbine water wheels
1