, 1884-02-23

lies ger in the Idaho valley, near old Fort
CGuf d,Alene. The country about Eagle
city : most rough and ditficult-Tougher
than me general mining country Of Colo
rado'
For geographical elucidation the
above takes the ribbon, and the gov
ernment will be compelled to engage
the writer to rearrange the survey
of the United States. The article is
all eerreet except Eagle City is not
in Montana, it is not an old mining
camp, it Is in the Coeur dAlene
mountains and not south and east of
them, the mountains are not a spur
Of Che Rockies. The explanation
about Post Coeur dAlene is too in
tricately tangled to be unraveled.
n is bursts the bubble ofSpolane Falls,
as Lint from which TO reach the mines.
STaEafit is inv ashingion TerrltU4y ,fully
l3O miles from the point Of Eagle City, and
$50 miles too far west on the Northern Pa
cific. To go by Spokane Falls, you trav-
el S5 miles up trail along stream which
is the outlet Of the large lake on which
Fort CRur d'Alene is located. on the
lake is government steam supply boat,
which will take you TO the Fort, about so
miles, at the head Of the lake. Thence 1t
is fifty miles by trail to Eagle City, with
the Rockies to cross,-the whole making
a difficult and rough route"
What "burSts the bubble?" The
idiOtic cOnglomeration Of nonsense
that proceeds the opening Of the
above paragraph? Is there anyone
imbecile enough to suppose for the
fraction Of a moment that columns
of any such rubbish is to effect Spo-
kane Falls as a shipping point to the
mines, considering its situation and
advantages? About the only correct
statement that will bear inspection
in the whole article stands out in the
above paragraph like an oasis in
desert, and it is that Spokane is in
Washington Territory, although the
figures attached have the effect Of To-
eating it down on Snake river. AS
geographical description Of the
country and route into the mines
from the Falls the effort above quo
ted stamps the author as the most
unmitigated ign0ramus on the con-
tinent, and we re-publish the same
so that the people hereabOuts may
form some idea Of the reliability of
many Of the statements now passing
current for correct reports Of the
mining district in the press Of the
country. Let us flash a ray Of light
on the above statements. Spokane
Falls, as a point Of departure for the
mines was never a bubble. Last
summer, when the first rumors Of
gold discovery were whispered
about the country, in easy reach Of
the present gold center men refused
to believe that gold could exist so
near and yet remain unknown to the
world up to so late date, but the
constant display Of coarse grains of
the yellow dross and the exhibition
Of nuggets that surprised even those
men who had spent years in mining,
proved cOnclusively that there was
something in it," The Rathdrum
Courier took the lead in making pub
lie these finds and as soon as it was
demonstrated by ocular proof the
REVIEW came in a good second and
announced the existence of gold.
From that very date Spokane Falls
has been considered one Of the best
points of departure, as it will ever
continue to be. The travel flowed
from here naturally, and was never
bolstered up by artificial methods
and as bubble it is the most sub
stantial one that was ever inflated.
The very very location Of the city
made it the rendezvous for those
heading toward the mines, and were
ten thousand new starting points to
be laid out, Spokane would always
remain the principal and best. 1t is
not 1870 miles from the mines, unless
one wished to go in by the way of
the Columbia river or other remote
points. The prepOsterousness Of the
statement that "you travel IS miles
up a trail along a stream" would
not be noticed were it not that it
may be swallowed by those for whom
the hook was bated with such trash.
The road from Spokane Falls to Post
Coeur d'Alene is up the wide and
magnificent valley OF the Spokane
river, and at all seasons Of the year
is one of the most delightful drives
in America, not only on account OF
the absence Of all impediments but
also on account Of the variedness of
the scenery that will vie in richness
and diversity with that Of any road
laid out whether II be in the new or
old world. The river is crossed but
once, at that on a substantial free
bridge built at large expense and
kept in good repair by the county Of
Spokane. The distance to travel is
only 2S miles and the drive does not
seem as though 1t was fifteen to those
going over the route. The road
takes you Immediately to Coeur
dAlene City, and there is no steamer
to take you to the Post, as the Fort
is at Coeur d'Alene City. It is not
so miles then to Eagle City with the
Rockies to cross. The facts are that
several steamers have been built at
the Fort by practical and experienced
steamboat men and these steamers
are to run from COeur d'Alene City,
across the lake and up Prichard
creek to within a short distance Of
Eagle City, carrying both passengers
"a nd