, 1889-02-21

stretched its head high up into the sky.
All along Rlimpses we're had OF II from the
train, but ut Oakesdale an especially good
view of IL was had Apparently there is
it seems as regular and smooth In form
as il it had been shaped by human hands.
1t is the most conspicuous land. mark in
the Palouse country and Is known as
sTEPToE BUTTE.
The reader will have no trouble recog-
nizing from this description of it, whether
he sees it one or ten years hence, for 1t 10
not increasing in size as is Pull man and
the other towns Of this region The next
place we came to was
RosALIA,
eleven miles north of Uskesda e. 1t not
Us large q place as Oakesdae, out promises
well. The country maintains its general
features along here, but it is more thickly
settled, the roads bear signs OF peing
travelled more. there are better fences and
better farming and more Of it. Evidently
We are coming into an older section OF
country which 10 very rich In agricultural
resources and quite thickly settled. Fiji
teen miles north of Rosalia Is
sPANGLE.
A town OF the same character as the
others, but one that exhibits more enter
prise and progress than some Of them.
The country around 1t was teeminR with
harvests of wheat and oats. and reapers
and headers could be seen in different di-
rections engaged at cutting. The. pros
pect along here was especially pleasing to
any one who had ever engaged in farm
ing. North OF Spangle the country grad
ually grows woody and stony, farm scenery
fades FROM the view, and by the time
MARSHALL JUNCTION
is reached it is entirely gone except lit
tie hay.making in some Indifferent mead
ows. Marshall junction is the place
where the Palouse railroad runs into the
Northern Pacific, Or rather where ss it
and runs south to Genessee, a distance Of
ninety.four miles. A word about
THE PALoUsE COUNTRY.
before leaving 1t. II is belt of country
Of about 100 miles long and probably 40
between Idaho and Washington territory,
reaching from the Northern Pacific rail.
road on the north to the Clearwater river
ON the south. There are leveier and
more beautiful agricultural sections be-
tween the two oceans, but don't believe
that there are many that, all things con-
sidered, will exceli this in fertility. Forty
an ordinary yield and Yields OF fifty and
sixty bushels are . common occurrence,
while there have been instances OF - high
a. sixty.two bushels being raised. In oats
seyenty-6ve bushels to the acre is con-
sidered q fair yield. while as high a.
ninety bushels have been raised without
occasioning surprise with people who
section was told by we'll informed per-
son that reliable estimates fixed the wheat
yield Of the Palouse country for 1888 at
forty.eight bushels 10 the acre. My OBJ
servation and Judgment would discount
that estimate by ten or twelve bushels.
but a. railroads in the Northwest rarely
| pass through the most productive sections,
and a. viewed this section principally
from the train. my judgment is not based
| upon the greatest amount and most relia-
! Bile data obtainabla.
THE WHEAT
10 all sown in the spring; the weather be-
| ing 90 favorable that sowing can begin as
early as the first OF March. The aspect OF
OF the country to my eye was extremely
dry and dusty, but the crops were not suf-
fering while the total absence of rain
throughout the harvest seaton Is ansadvan-
tage that farmers in the Eastern states can
hardly appreciate. The section is one of
the greatest agricultural merit and des-
tined at an early day to be thickly popu-
lated as settlers are steadily coming in
from all directions and planting themselves
here. incidentally learned on my trip that
Alexander Brandt and family formerly of
Cumberland county, Pa, have settled at
| Rockford, new place, eighteen miles
from SpanHle. There may be others that
l didn't hear of, but IL there are not vet it
Is not improbable that there will be before
long. for
| IMMIGRATION
y now tending more strongly towards the
Pacific northwest than towards any other
From Marshall Junction to Spokane
Falls the distance 10 nine miles and the
direction is almost due east. The coun-
try bordering the railroad 10 broken and
woody, with considerable fine pine and fir
timber yet uncut. The surface il stony
and in places even rocky, the rock being
OF Rrayelly or brittle character, giving
the railroad, and also the wagon roads,
hard, solid beds. There are NO mountains
near, but the gulcbes and hills and big
timber, give the scenery = picturesque
tone that contrasts quite strongly with
the agricultural character Of the Palouse
conntry.D rt
At Q little before noon the train arrived
ct the depot in the city of Spokane Falls.
10 was Monday, August 20. and just TWEEN
ty.six days since ! had passed through
here on my way 10 Tacoma. 1t was 2
O'Clock in the morning OF July 25 when l
passed through before, and much too dark
to see anything OF the place, consequently
everything was now new to me. stepped
into an omnibus and was driven 10 the.
Grand hotel through wide level streets
with piles Of brick and lumber and NOR.
nj vSsaA avnA