, 1883-07-07
SPOKANE FALLS.
A Strangers View of the Future
Great City.
A Lengthy Tribute TO the Most Prom.
IsIng Young City under the sun.
[From The Daily Northpcst Ne,cs, June
-, lss3.l

SPOKANE FALLS, June 1s.-Before
visiting the Northwest the writer
had formed but a slight idea Of this
Territory that is now attracting 50
much attention throughout the Thl-
ted States, and, it might BE- truly
said, the entire world. DeIalse Olly
meagre descripfiJns Of IFS vastness,
resources. geography and possibili-
ties h.ve been generally published,
md especially may this be said Of
the growing and promising villages,
towns and cities therein contained.
The line OF tfut gfgUuric truns-ooutI-
mental highway of traffic and trans
portation, the Northern Pacific Rail-
road, has, it is true, received cOnsid-
cradle attention through the hands
Of travelling and stationary scribes,
and various places on the route have
received more or less initiation
through the medium Of the pen and
press, yet in the distribution Of chiro-
graphic favOrs there isOne point that
has been carelessly and methodically
neglected, and which has never been
awarded the publicity that its geo.
graphical position and commercial
importance deserves. Reference is
made to that beautiful, flOurishing
and rapidly-growing
CITY OF SPOKANE FALLS.
It is true that an exhaustive, fin
ished and elaborate pamphlet on
Spokane City and County was at one
time compiled by a gifted and cru
dite writer, yet the work was
confined to a much more limited
circulation than its importance was
deserving Of. By reference to a map
Of Washington Territory it will be
observed that Spokane Falls is lOca-
ted about the centre Of the forty
seventh and fOrty-eight parallels Of
latitude, and the fOrtieth and forty
first degrees Of longitude, west from
Washington City. 1t lays 37I miles
northeasterly from Portland, on the
Northern Pacific Railroad, about
midway Of the Territory between
Oregon and the British Columbia
line, and some eighteen or twenty
miles from Idaho Territory. The
main city is at present on the south
side Of the Spokane river, a swift,
deep and beautiful body of water,
just where the stream breaks into
the famous falls from which the city
takes its name, but before many
years the growing town will have
stretched over and beyond the north
ern banks, and up and down the
shores Of that river. Spokane Falls
derives its importance and standing
TO the fact that is situated in the
very center Of, and has tributary to
it, every industry that busy men
turn their attention to-, and upon
which the wealth and greatness Of a
NOuhtAy dIC AOuHNltus w llllln GiSY
reach are broad, fertile and wonder
fully productive plains and valleys
that are to make the agricultural
standing of the Territory second to
no other State in the Union, and
which have been proven by actual
experiments to be capable Of produc-
ing fabulous crops Of cereals. But a
short distance away, in the surround
ing mountains, are being discovered
and developed veins Of precious me-
tails that promise to rival the famous
mine Of California, Nevada and Ari-
zona. The mineral resources of this
section are yet comparatively un-
known, but from the authentic re-
ports Of researches made by reliable
and experienced mineralogists, this
part Of the Northwest is yet to con-
tribute to the worlds vast stores Of
gold, silver, copper, lead, and other
metals digged out of the bowels Of
the earth, and the time is not far
distant when the mountain recesscs