Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1888-08-16
NUMBER 49,
A PROSPEROUS GERMAN Set
TLCMENT.

AooA&A0 0N
Uuiontown, in Whitman county,
Washington Territory, close to the
Idaho boundary, is fourishing German
settlement, surrounded by the same rich
farming country which supports tho
towns further north on the Spokane and
Palouse railroad. Unlike many of those
towns, however, it was not creation of
the railroad. The town WIS established
five or six years before the building of
the road, and was in prosperous con-
'dition, although the aevelopement of
farming was checked by the necessity Of
hauling graiu to Snake river and the
heavy freight rates charged for transport.
ing it to the seaboard. In fact the land
is so productive that the farmers were
unable to get ahead under the serious
disadvantage of the complete isolation
from rail transportation. Now that the
new line Of railroad has reached them,
land has raised in value, wheat is worth
ten cents more a bushel, cattle aud l1orSey
bring much better prices an the people
arc very cheerful. The town has about
800 inhabitants and lies in a green
valley, with tho tall, white building Of
the Catholic school for girls as its GEN.
trail and most conspicuous object. 1t
has two hotels, brewery, distillery
making 100 barrels of whiskey per day,
dozen stores and shops and weekly
newspaper called the Washington
Journal. The wheat fields come to the
back yards of the dwellings,. This entire
belt of country is peculiarly adapted for
wheat growing. There are abundant
rains in May aud June to start the plants
the cool lights of june favor the growth
OF the stalks and the filing out Of the
heads, and there are no hot July winds
10 shrivel ihe berries. The experiences
Of farmer who has lived 10 the country
uear Uuioptown since its first settlement.
shows that it is nowhere excelled as a
wheat producing region. Joseph Greif
has farmed here for twelve years and
says that the lightcst crop he ever rniscd
was thirty three bushel to the acre. He
has frequently raised as high as City
bushels to the acre. Last year he
threshed $500 bushels of barley from
forty acre field, making the average acre
yield ninety bushels. Mr.. Grcif says
that oats yield from sixty to ninety
bushels and that potatoes, turnips,
rutabagas and beets yield enormously
Clover does we'll and timothy Aosrishes
on the low lands. For raising fee stock
the country can hardly be excelled any.
where. There is good grass until almost
Christmas and by tie first of march the
cattle are out again on the new pasturaee.
Land has been steadily raising in value.
Wild lands is now worth from $8 to el0
per acre, Improved farms command
from $l5 to $50 an acre. The best
farms in the immediate vicinity Of the
town could not be bought for less than
$50 per acre. Here, as elsewhere in tho
Palouse country, the opportunities for
new settlers who want tc secure homes
on this remarkable productive land are
to buy part Of the holdings Of men who
are carrying larger places than they can
proftably manage and who want to get
clear Of debt.
I notice as one Of the peculiaaities Of
this region that although the soil 10 =
dark loan, aod gets sticky after rain /,
[tho roads dry up very rapidly and are
perfectly good when twenty-fouf houts
Of sun and wind have followed day or
two Of heavy showers. Cyclones n
other destructive storms never occur.
The health Of the town is 90 good tha6
the only doctor is going 10 move away
for want Of practice. With it, good
health, it's pleasant location and ito sx-
cellent facilities for education, Union
town is sure to make substantial progress,
now that it is connected with tho railway
system Of the Pacific Northwest.-
Northwest Magazine.
| ST.. PAUL, Aug. 8.-The Pioneer