Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-10-18
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
On BOARD STEAMER GATES.
October 10, 1883.

ONtoVCi ~, 1000.
DEAR TELLER:-We left at ). A. NJ.
and ran down to Truax' landing. Here
We took on board 80 tons of wheat. Mr..
Crocker came on board and came on
down with us as far as Walla Walla. At
Granite Point We took on board several
granite blocks, quarricd for the purpose
Of constructing monument over the
grave Of Vic. Triyett, on Memalusc
Island, who was buried there at his own
request before his death. These blocks
NJ 70 be taken to Ainsworth and there
dressed by the stone cutters. 1t was a
singular request for Trivett to ask his
friends to bury him in this lonely spot;
where only Indians were buried, but his
long experience among the Indians in an
early day no doubt begot in him this sin.
gular request. He was marked charac-
ter in the early history of Oregon, Wash
ington and Idaho. He was one of the
first who settled Lewiston, and if we mis-
take not, was the man who decided the
question Of starting the town at Lewiston
instead of Statewide or the forks of
Clearwater. 1t was most advantageous
selection, and although it has not grown
with that rapidity which its natural stu
alton would warrant, especially since the
growth Of the agricultural settlements
around, but that is more to be attributed
to the fact that most of the business men
there depended upon the mines alone to
build their fortunes in short time and
thea pull up stakes and leave and hence
this spirit Of content in remaining in their
old inferior dwellings till the time of
their departure came. But things are
now changing as the more sagacious fully
foreses that agriculture is to be the chief
occupation of the people and that the
country is so well adapted to wheat and
ether grain growing; they are now begin
ming to build up the town upon that ba-
sis and now the prospect is great, provid.
Cd transportation to a market can be
made easy and cheap. Mr.. Croker ex-
hibited to us sample of the wheat that
had gone through the shute and been
cleaned by the transit. 1t was more
thoroughly cleaned than any we have
seen before it had gone through a clean
ing process at the mill. He tells us that
the average yield for the entire Dcadman
country is over 20 bushels per acre, while
he had about 900 acres the year before
which only yielded s bushels per acre.
Just arrived at Almota; we find here one
Of tho upper wharves broken down with
the weight Of the wheat, submerging a
large quantity of general merchandise
which was stored upon the wharf below,
and breaking much of it. Every place
for storage is full and large area of
ground outside is also covered, and about
Is or 80 four and six horse wagons in
town, al laden with the grain. There is
Ct present from 1900 to 1900 tons of
grain here and about go tons arriving
daily, while the boats only take away
about 80 tons three times per week.
Many are now stopped hauling because
they have not shelter for it and cannot
have it shipped early. An estimate was
made few days ago BY Mr. Croker and
Church, Of Sibson l. Church, of the grain
that would be for shipment between
Mparia and the Assotin, which was
%. 900 tons, and Mr.. Croker tells me
that no is now convinced that it will
reach nearly $4,000 tons. Now admit
ing that the water was at a proper stage.
and that each Of the present boats could
take 100 tons each, and each make three
trips week, it would require s3s weeks
to carry it away, or one year and 33s
weeks. If they double the carrying ca.
pacity it will require Al and fve-sixth
weeks to remove the present crop, and
yet We are told that there is no use of a
railroad down Snake river. Facts and
figures don't speak falsely and at SO per
lon freight, the ruling price, there would
be 100000 on freight alone, to 90 to
he carries, and if the farmer can obtain
o0 cents per bushsl delivered along the
liver, he would get $3.50 to enrich |
he country producing the wheat. This
or the next year, with the same average
r'eld, and with certainty, now, of ample
transportation facilities, next year would
y increased to Sl,5OO,OOO, and this
would go forward, increasing in the same
atio up to the time that each farmer had
cultivated all the land he could spare
rom other crops had been cultivated in
Theat. Mr. Elliott, who has been taking
q North Idaho with the view to writing
- its history and general features "a .,