, 1885-11-07


d'Alene, which hasan area Of between
l5O and 200 square miles and Of vast
depth. The water Is very clear and
abounds in trout and other fish.
The principal feeders Of the lake are
the COeur d. Alene and St Joseph
rivers, each Of which are navigable
for steamboats, for many miles. The
timber section surrounding this lake
covers an area Of over 200 square
miles, and the timber can be run
down by water to the Spokane falls,
where II can be worked into lumber
by the water power. Nature seems,
In fact, TO have planned to place this
water powerat a point where rail-
roads aud other means Of transpOr-
tatiOn could reach the mills and
manufactures which 1t should oper-
ate. Instead OF being shut in by
impossible barriers, 1t is located 35
miles out on the plains The river
being SO swift at high water, would
sweep away barriers erected for its
control were It not for another noble
work Of nature. Instead Of being
In one volume, the river at the falls
divides into seven different chan
nels, separated by islands OF black
basalt rock, as hard as steel. The
banks and bottom Of the river are Of
the same material, which ages can
not wear away. Another aid TO con-
trolling the water is the fact that
there are a succession of eight falls,
averaging about 20 feet each, and
one great fall, where all the channels
reHnite, Of about 70 feet. The rapids
and falls extend over a linear dis
tance Of nearly a half a mile, and the
fall OF the river In that distance Is
1856 feet. At extremely low water
these falls are estimated by cOmpet-
ent engineers TO furnish the enOr-
nous force Of 144,323 horse power,
and at an average stage 214,954 horse
power. By a system OF fumes and
dams, which could be easily con-
structed, this could be vastly In
creased. A prominent manufact-
urer from Lowell, In your state, who
visited our city a year ago, pro-
nOunced the water power Of the
Spokane river the best In this conti-
nent This whole vast water power,
/ have Just learned, isabout TO pass
Into the possession ofa syndicate Of
eastern capitalists, who are to make
their first payment on account Of the
purchase on or about the LIST Of
November. have spoken Of the
unrivalled agricultural lands Of our
section. Our water power can easily
convert our wheat and other cereals
into -four and meal The timber in
our vast forests can there be made
into lumber, and worked into furni-
ture and all other shapes There,
also, we can obtain the power, II
necessary, to mill our frOe-gold ores
And this reminds me that / have NOT
spoken Of our mining districts, which
are quite extensive. There are sew
'aral mining districts In our section,
those nearest Spokane Falls being
the Occur d'Alene, rich In placer and
quartz gold mines, and the COlville,
which was discovered about a year
ago, and embracing both silver and
gold mines The Occur dAlene
district Is about 90 miles southeast Of
Spokane Falls, and the COlville
about the same distance north, near
the Columbis river. Rich discover
les were made in the latter district
last spring, the Old Dominion silver
lode being among them, on which
there are 13 mines The most recent
discovery in this neighborhoOd is
the Gold Hill mine, which yields q
rich milling ore. A ten-stamp mill
has just been erected at this place.
There Is an abundance Of timber at
these mines, as well as water, and as
the country around is a good agri-
cultural one, mining operations can
be carried on very cheaPly. One
line o. railroad is projected to pene-
trate the mining country from SPO-
kane Falls 10 the Columbia river,
while another railway is strongly
talked OF to penetrate the Latah val
ley to the south, to reach the rich
agricultural districts down to Farm
ingtOn and Moscow, and 1 look to
see both lines built in the near fu-
ture. OF course, l cannot begin to
tell you all that could be said Of the
unrivalled opportunities presented
by our section to settlers, ,lumbermen
and miners What our country now
needs most is cheap money to more
rapidly develop our marvellous
natural wealth. We are satisfied
that eastern capitalist, when they
realize the great future that Is before
our city and section, will be most
willing 10 extend to Us the same
money aid which they have done TO
Chicago. St. Paul Minneapolis and
Kansas City, and are perfectly satis-
fed that their return for such aid
will be as large as 1t will be salts
factory" -
ARoos, rnrtho RnIl..