, 1888-01-26

facilities to the Northern Pacific and
Spokane. In the Panhandle" o
Idaho and in northern Washington
these silver and iron mines are now
being extensively worked. They are,
however, but yet In their infancy.
But u word as TO the timber wealth
OF this country. Vast forests OF cedar
are easily accessible by water stretches
and the demand upon Oregon and
Washington has but just begun.
Shipments Of vast quantities have
been made in 1887 to southern Cali
fornia and Thomas j. Potter has given
these western men q chance to send
lumber into Colorado, and even fur
ther east, on almost equal terms with
Chicago traders.
Spokane people do not talk OF the
lumber interest Of this country with
the same enthusiasm which they dis
play when enlarging upon the agri-
cultural and mineral wealth OF the
neighborhoOd. The difference is that
the profit in furnishing supplies to
lumbermen is insignificant in compar.
ison with the permanent trade with
farmers and miners. And then the
two latter classes furnish products
which can be manufactured here ut a
big profit and so tend 70 increase the
importance OF Spokane as u trade CEN
ire.
Alreadya large manufacturing in
terest has centered here. Smelling
works are under way in which Tom
Oakes, vice president of the Northern
Pacific, is interested. Spokane de.
sires to become tho Denver Of eastern
Washington, and moves. And the
building OF works here and there
in this mineral belt will all accrue to
the advantage of Spokane Such, for
instance, rs the construction Of an
iron manufacturing plant at Cleelum.
where British concern is preparing to
manufacture steel rails.
And here at Spokane IA good deal
Of flour is made, the average out put
being now about 600 barrels IL day.
Part of this -four goes to China and
Japan and part is consumed in max.
ing crackers, large quantities of which
are sent east to Helena and Butte,
Montana. The water power here is
simply enormous, estimated at l24 600
horse power. 1t is far beyond that ut
Minneal oils, and hasa great advant-
age over the latter in that the river
bed is not shifting, being composed
of the hard, basaltic rock. When IL
is recalled that Spokane is but u growth
of four years, the Northern Pacific
having been in here but that time,
and the population has jumped in that
short time from 600 to over 5000, the
possibilities Of the place can be seen.
And there are other manufactures
here, including saw mills, sash, dooi
aud planning mills, pottery works, etc,
etc. The city is equipi ed with cleo
trio lights and many other modern
improvements which observe are be-
ing adopted all through the west with
u foresight that our eastern towns
would do we'll to emulate. Among
other institutions here, and one which
suggests the Yankee origin Of many
OF the people. is u racecourse. The
Yankee shows not 80 much in the
character of the thing as in the mo-
tive which led to its adoption. Miners
are fond OF horse-racing and all of
them will lose time and travel long
distances to see good race. When
they get here they spend money as
though they simply dug il out OF the
hills already coined. And another
suggestion Of the Yankee is the Har-
ward club. In fact the society of the
place. made up as il is OF eastern peo.
pie, is distinguished point in its ia
vor.
Advertiser readers will be interested
more in the railroad development of
Washington than in any other of the
features which have SO far touched
upon, although it has been my aim to
touch upon climate, resources, indust-
ries and other topics, with special ref
erence to the possibilities OF profitable
railroad development up here. The
Northern Pacific was the first road to
enter Spokane, and is practically the
only road now here. 1t is the only
through road, and controls in one
way and another the smaller tributa-
ry lines extending over the agricultural
country to the south. 1t is firmly be-
lieved up here that Jim Hill will be in
here within year or two, and there is
an interesting scheme now under way
in which Boston people are interested
to build northward 70 a point on the
Columbia river known as Little Dalles,
where u navigable water route is open
to a connection with the Canadian
Pacific. This road is called the Spo-
kane Falls & Columbia. But Jim
Hills Manitoba road is looked forward
TO with greatest expectations,f for there
is need Of relief in the matter OF freight
rates. The Seattle, Lake Shore 4
East ,rn, now being built west of the