, 1883-10-13
TERMS OF SUBSTITUTION.
SATURDAY, OCT. 10, 1888.

FRANK GRAY, an old typo acquain-
tance, and writer Of merit and
ability, has taken charge Of the Walla
Walla EDigram, q weekly society
paper, and in the VI Try first Issue under
his administrative he allows some
ignoramus to hoodwink him to the
following extent:
"a well informed travelling man
thinks that Spokane Falls limit of
population is inside Of 500; that there
Is really no good country within Il
radius of fifteen miles; that there are
other points near by just rs capable
of commanding the trade Of that
region, and having water power just
as serviceable, If not rs powerful.
The fact of the inhabitants permitting
their only daily paper to die from
lack Of patronage, does not speak well
for their boasted enterprise. lie says
there is quite n let-up in the boom of
the place, and not near the people
stopping there that there used to be,
people having discovered that the
town was "wOrked," and kept up by
real estate men and spectators. He
predicted that it was at It's zenith
now, Mt least for some time to come"
Now, of all the many falsehoods
written against this city, of all the
envious, derogatory SANDERS that
have gone forth, there are none that
can surpass the above in bold, un-
warranted, exaggerated miSstate-
ments. The editors creduity has
been most woefullyPl played upon, and
we regret that he has permitted him
self to be so imposed upon, when
there are men in Walla Walla who
could have told him different. As to
the "well informed travelling man."
we are Of the. opinion that he was
playing" the EpigraH,, or for some
reason best known to himself, is en-
dcavoring to injure the Falls by cir
Culating that which he knows to be
false, if he ever set his foot in this
city. To those who are at all ac-
quainted with Spokane Falls the
statement as quoted above will be
looked upon Us stupendOus joke,
hut there are those who will swallow
them whole as gospel, and be sur
prised that after 50 much has been
said about Spokane it was no more of
place than now claimed. Itis hardly
necessary for us to refutc the mllici-
Gus assertions, but we can not let it
pIsS unnOticed, especially as the item
is being copied by those who wish it
might be so, and thus havean excuse
for spreading the idea abroad with
out compromising themselves. In
stead of five hundred population,
there are certainly five hundred
houses in Spokane Falls, and the de-
mand for buildings, no matter how
poor, is far greater tEan the supply.
Early in the spring there was a pop
ulatiOn, by census, of 1890, and up
ward of 500 people have since been
numbered to that total. Instead Of
losing ground there is not a train
coming into the city from the east or
west but that it adds to the quota Of
the city's population. As proof of
this it is only necessary to see the
immense stack Of trunks and bag
gage that is piled up on the depot
platform every morning. The one
absorbing question now is, what are
the new arrivals to do for quarters?
The second charge is as absurd as the
first. If the "traveling man" had
but have stuck his critical nose out
side of the beautiful and valuable
belt Of timber that cnvirOns the city,
he would have seen just as good land
us can be found in the Territory. On
every hand, but few miles away,
are fertile prairies that are mirlcul-
Ously productive and large in extent.
Besides it has been demonstrated
that the great gravclly Spokane plat
eau is capable of producing good
crops of cereals. Thirdly, that there
are other points near having just as
serviceable water power, we most
cmphatically deny. We do not claim
the entire and exclusive wdtcrpOwcr
Of the northwest, but we do claim,
and without fear of successful con-
tradiction, that the water power Of
Spokane eminently surpasses any
thing in the northern country, not
excepting even Minneapolis, and we
are strengthened in this assertion by
such men as Senator Pillsbury, f. V.
Smallcy, William NJ. Evarts and
score Of gentlemen who have Travelled
and made disintercsted observations
The claim Of a "let-up in the boom"
Is mOOnshine. There never was what
can be termed "bOOm." No arti-
fetal means were ever resOrted to
in order to shove the place ahead.
1t relied upon its merits for growth,
and that growth has been steady,
healthy, and shows every sign Of
continuing. No real estate spccull-
tors have ever made money on prop
erty here as intimatcd in the article.
II is true outsiders have invested in
Land, but the majority have improved
it, and the fact that the values have
more than doubled this season show
that they made wise use Of their
money. The town was never "kcpt
up" by real estate men, unless such
old residents as Cannon, Glover,
Brown, Havermale and other early
settlers can be classed under such a
head.
Those who imagine that the city
is now at its zenith" will be most
conspicuously fooled year hence.
The entire article is mere bOsh, With
out the semblance Of truth for fOun-
dltiOn.