Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-08-01
Things we Saw.
Brief Notes Of . Trip from Sea to Sea-.

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After leaving The Dalles the
shades of night began to creep on
and shut out from view the magnifi-
cent panorama, but not until we had
reached Alkali, 142 miles from Port
land had Night fully
Drawn her sable curtains ronnd,
4 And pinned them with star"
and We were compelled reluctantly
to seek the " drowsy couches" OF the
palace car. 1t is probably we'll that
the strained optic nerves are af-
forded . rest after the exertion re-
quired to properly focus the many
grand objects fitting by.
At Wallula, our car is attached to
the Northern Pacific train, and at
1915, midnight, pulls Ola. on the
long stretch of track, 100 miles in
length, ending at ST. Paul owned
by this great company. The sleep
ing passenger is thus transferred
without change of cars, safe as let
ter in the mailbag, with careful
guardians to watch over and protect
his life and property every mile Of
the way. A score or more of small
station towns are passed before we
again open cur eyes and behold the
neat village of Sprague, which is en-
tered at 6:35 A. NJ, the distance trav-
eled during the oblivion Of sleep be-
ing 200 miles. This station is q
place of considerable importance,
being the headquarters of the Pend
dOreille Division of the railroad.
The company has large building
for its Offices, workshops and a round.
house, and employs several hun
dred workmen in car-building, re-
pairing, etc. 1t was laid out in
1881 and now has a population of
about 1900.
Cheney, "a miles fAltber on, has
about the same population. 1t is
built upon site which was marked
by solitary Lighthouse four years
ago. The railroad has likewise good
buildings here, and the Cheney
Academy, a $4,000 structure looms
up on the height facing the town, a
monument to the bene6cence of
Benjamin Cheney, Esq, of Boston,
after whom the town is named. The
site OF the town is in o scattered pine
forest on a spur of the Ceur d'Alene
mountains, 1890 feet above the sea
level.
About eight miles from Cheney,
on the north side of the road, distant
q few miles, are the celebrated Med
ical Lakes, five in number, from one
| to three miles long. Three are of
grsat depth, and al are impregnated
with alkaline salts which possess re-
msrkabls curative properties. espe'
cially for rheumatism, skin diseases
and nervous complaints.
Spokane Falls, 375 miles from
Portland. wac reached by our train
at 8:35 this pleasant Sunday morn.
ing. 1t possesses . beautiful loca-
ton. upon the gravelly plains, sur
rounded by hills, with a splendid
waterfall in the center of the town.
Its population is about 1900, and
many elegant and costly buildings
indicate the confidence its citizens
possess in its future prospects.
These will largely depend on manu-
featuring enterprises. Extensive
-four mills and saw mills already ex.
list. Wheat is hauled here from
many remote points. and logs are
aoated by the rivers Of the Cnur
d'Alene mountains, the lake and
Spokane river, a distance of 100
miles. The river at its highest stage
is nearly half a mile, and is spanned
by bridges. Spokane Falls is by far
the handsomest and most thriving
little city on this division of the road.
Nineteen miles further on we cross
the line into Idaho.
A dozen or moie stations were
passed after leaving the falls before
we reached Heron, the last in the
Idaho Division, which begins with
Wallula. Heron is 4S4 miles from
Portland, has q population of about
800. and is built upon plateau
amidst q dense forest. Here the
time changes, and we all set our
watches one hour ahead.
There is but little of interest to at
tract the attention after leaving
Heron, until We arrive at Belknap,
525 miles from Portland, and this
only absorbs the attention just now
from the fact that only few days
ago q FIRE had destroyed upwards
! Of forty buildings leaving but the
hotel and a saloon, with two or
three shanties standing. Tue disas-
ter occurred on the afternoon of Fri
day, the 18th Of July, and was said
to have been the work Of an incen-
diary, as quite . rivalry has existed
between the place and Thompson