Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-06-29
A Kansan PrevaricatOr.

"A NduSdH
A letter has been received from H.
w. Fowler, of Oberlin, Kansas, ac-
campaigning a copy of the Eye, a
newspaper published in that city, in
which appears communication writ
ten from Montesano, in this Territory,
by C. A. Royalty, Kansas man who,
the letter says, is travelling in this
country for the purpose of gathering
information. This may be ostensibly
his object. but the tissue of misrepre-
sentation that pervades his letter
shows that he either sees with the
eyes of the blind or hears with the ears
OF an emissary intent upon doing all
the damage to this country that DELHI
crate falsehood may accomplish. He
writes: 1t is II very heavy timbered
country and so thick with under brush
that person cannot get through with
out an ak to chop the vines and brush
away. The people that live out from
the road (and there is but one road
and that runs from Olympia to this
place) have to carry all their provis-
ions out on their backs. Farming is
one thing that does not bother people
here for it cannot be done. The prair-
les are very small and SO gravelly that
the ground is no account for anything
but pasture. Wheat and corn will not
mature here"
1t is safe to assert that all the under
brush Mr.. Royalty has had to choy
away, has been done by the wagging
of his jaw, and the best retaliation of
the charge that crops will not mature
here is the simple statement of the
fact that the wheat which took the
premium at the Philadelphia Centen-
NAL Exhibition in 1876, against the
,corld, was grown on Bush prairie, in
this county, on ground that Mr.. r.
says is "of no account for anything
but pasture"
In abiding to Eastern Washington
he writes: "What I have seen of
that portion of the Territory I do not
like, as it is very.mountainous, dry
country. The land has to be irrigated
to produce crop. 1t is very cold in
winter and very hot and dry in sum-
mer."
There is just about as much truth
in this statement. 1t would be in
deed surprising II over such q wide
area as that embraced within orr
Territorial bounds there chould not be
some hills or some lands that require
irrigation. It is nevertheless true that
the larger portion of Eastern Washing
ton is exceedingly fertile and that the
wheat yield Of the great Walla Walla
valley is phenomenally large. From
30 to GO bushels per acre are obtained
from many Of the large farms, and
the ground does not seem to be ex.
hausted by repeated crops of the same
kind. Neither is the climate as hot in
summer or as cold in winter as in Kan.
sas. The thermometer seldom goes
above 80 in summer or much below
the freezing-point in winter, and the
heavy dews precipitated at night sup
ply ample moisture to the soil during
the "dry" season of about five months
in summer.
Space will not admit of o reference
to many other gross misstatements in
the letter of the man from Kansas, who
while protesting to be engaged in nm
honest endeavOr to obtain reliable in.
formation for those who intend settle.
ment in the far West, is undoubtedly
an agent of some Kansas scheme fol
booming real estate, or for keeping up
the price of depreciating property un-
til its owners unload upon some unsus.
pecting victim who has never heard of
the plaques Of locust and cyclone which
render life anything but season of
tranquility or repose in that delectable
country.
Mr.. Fowler's letter states that "there
are many people here who are dissatis-
fed with the country, but are dissuaded
from going TO Oregon or Washington
by just such letters as the one pub
lished in the Eye. What We want is
the truth plainly stated. but We do not
think We always get it from such
sources."
A SEATTLE dispatch says that the
trial of Ira Hummel, who "decoyed his
roommate into the woods and shot him
twice, but fortunately without fatal
effect, has developed the fact that Hum
mel was insane from excessive cigar
smoking" That development" GER
tainly takes the rag off the bush. In
the progress Of evolution, let us hope
that excessive cigarette smoking may
ultimately develop craze that will inn
pei courts to convict and executioners
to hang those whose murderous inn
pulses are aroused by the combined in
fluence of opium and nicotine while the
reason is befogged by smoke.
In speaking Of the second choice"
it is quite evident that the term has a
double-meaning when applied to the
Chicago Convention. While Morton
Is the second choice on the ticket, it is
quite evident that Harrison was by no
means the first choice of the Conven-
lion, if the unfortunate train of cir
cumstances which led to the slaughter
Of Blaine could have been averted.
If this country wants the war tariff
perpetuated it should and will restore
power to the party that enacted and
hat now defends it. The Democrats
IAN never retain power by pretending