, 1888-01-26
SPOKANE FALLS.l
Activity and Enterprise In the Ex-
trome Northwest.

treme Northwest.
SPOKANE FALLS, Wash, Jan, ,6--Mid
winter is not the best time TO look
about up here in Washington Territo-
ry, unless we are 10 judge OF n chain
by its weakest link or desire TO see the
new country at its worst. There is,
plenty Of snow all through this coun-
try at present. and one might think
from appearances that spring could
never re-appear from under these
"vasty deeps" OF snow. But . good
fall OF snow is what the farmers like
at least, for grain crops in the succeed
ing summer are almost always very
rich and heavy after winter of long
and deep snow. Your Boston owners
of Oregon Railway & Navigation stock
may remember an experience of n
few years ago which well illustrates
this point. Heavy falls Of snow in
Eastern Oregon for weeks reduced the
receipts of the railroad to almost no
thing and it is to be feared that many
people who can't see beyond their
noses sold out. But when the next
fall arrived what bonanza the ccm-
pany had in carrying the grain to
Portland.
In spite of the Artic appearance Of
this region, the inhabitants are happy
and confidently tell you that in two
n onths the prairies will be clear Of
snow. flowers will be peeping above
ground and revival of spring, such
us we get in New England in the
month of May, will be we'll under
way. The snow season out here is Sc
we're while it lasts, but it does not last
long. New England people ut home
are forever signing that the snow
comes and goes over such q long pc.
riod, from Thanksgiving to Fast day.
Rarely along the coast do we have
more than three or four days OF good
uninterrupted sleighing. Out here
those complaining Bostonians ought
to be satisfied. About the first of
January good heavy snow is looked
for. and it stays for six weeks, more or
less. And what sleighing in that
time!
But this shortness OF the snow sea-
son has an important economic bear
ing, and when l began l intended to
confine myself to u brief description
of what is doing up here in Washing
ton in an industrial way. The stock
raising, so successfully carried on here
abouts, owes a good part OF its pros
perity to the short season for which
farmers have to prepare and lay i'll
stocks of feed. In truth, If MIR. II.
Bolster, n New England man who is
out here looking after some large in
vestments of eastern capital, and wi
does large real estate business, be-
sides looking after the interests of the
locality generallv--if Mr.. Bolster is to
be believed-the climate Of this sec
ton of the country is about perfect.
The short winter il due to the "Chi-
nooks," the warm winds from the Pa
cific, which blow eastward, and have
the effect of which in Montana We
have heard so much. But in the great
grain belt, Of which Spokane is the
mart, these "Chinooks" are worth a
great deal more than they are in Mon
tana. Before reaching us at this point
they have passed over the Cascades,
and are somewhat cooled thereby.
But before they reach Montana they
must have passed over the Rockies,
and they must be cooled great deal
in those high attitudes.
The fertility OF this great grain belt
is in large measure due to the never
wanting supply Of water in springs,
L.,nl,o ,I ~, ;rh rsvora Tho m,
Chinook carries heavy load of mois-
trre across the prairies. As 1t. strikes
the Rockies this moisture is precipitat-
ed, and flows across the wheat and cat.
tie countries in numberless streams.
Irrigation is meaningless word in the
Palouse country. Natural forces give
an endless supply of water for all pur-
poses.
The agricultural country is south
and west of Spokane, and is magni-
ficent belt of about $50 miles square.
1t is bounded by the Snake river on
the south, Idaho on the east, the Can
adam boundary and the mountains on
the north, and the Columbia river on
the west. The "Big Bend" Of the Col
umbia forms good share OF the en-
closing line of this fertile "Palouse
country" Wheat, barley, oats and
fax are raised in the greatest abund-
ance. Sixty bushels Of wheat TO the
acre is occasionally met with, and for
ty bushels is frequent. Imagine what
the possible wealth of such country
is. A plain $50 miles square would
be three times as large as the whole OF
Massac husetts, and would contain A.
800 900 acres. Ii an average OF only
20 bushels to the acre could be pro-