, 1889-10-17
COLVILLE VALLEY.
A Picturesque and Productive
Region of Which Little Is
Known Abroad.
One of the Most Promising Future
Tributaries of Spokane Falls
Described.
TsrEcrAL CORRESPONDENTS TO THE nEv,Ewl

IsPEcIAL coRRKsroNDEscE TO THE REviEwl
SPOKANE FALLS, Oct. IL.
A great deal has been said and very
little written about the Colville valley,
through which the Spokane Falls
Northern railroad is about being COM
pleted, but 1t would be impossible to
give full description of the beautiful
valley, It's resources, and tho grand
mountain scenery with the pen. To pay
tia visit would be the only way to real
txe its richness and beauty. Taking the
train at Spokane Falls over the ,. f. *
N. Ry. most delightful run is made
for miles through heavy timbcred for
est of pine, cedar and tamarack, in
which numerous saw mills are making
havoc, and where busy settlements are
fast springing up in a country where
few years ago the woodman's axe did
not break the stiffness. Following the
numerous windings OF the Little Spo-
kane, Sheep creek, or Colville river,
whirled around sharp curves or crossing
deep ravines or substantial trestles,
again plunging into forests of gigantic
frs or skirting the pebbly shores for five
miles of picturesque Loon lake would be
Q trip long TO be remembered. This lake
is destined to be great pleasure resort
In the near future. The water is as clear
ss crystal and alive with fish, while the
mountain scenery surrounding is per-
fectly grand. Mountain after mountain,
covered with heavy growth of timber,
succeed one another until the peaks are
bathed in the clouds and the irregular
contour of its shores with its numer-
Gus bays and peninsulas gives it
RUGGED AND PICTURESQUE
appearance, the whole reflected in the
clear water of the lake like huge mir
ror, making it picture that one is loth
to leave. A few miles further and we
reach the prosperous town of Spring
dale, sprung into existence since the
railroad has been built and is destined
to be great lime and lumber shipping
point, as q number of lime kilns and saw
mills are located here. On again we go
whirling around curves from the top of
which we look down into moss-covered
rocky ravines with fine mountain
streams of pure clear water coursing
through them until we are sent skim
ming away out into the sunlight on a
broad, handsome prairie, the hay coun-
try of Washington-the Colville valley,
with the town of Chewelah nesting at
the base of the mountains in the dis
tance. What magnificent plain greets
the eye, what a huge meadow dotted
over with numerous farm houses, while
to be shipped are seen Everywhere. This
valley is about sixtyhve miles long by
three miles wide, ali under thorough
state of cultivation and well watered by
many springs and streams flowing down
from the mountains on either side and
emptying into the Colville river which
flows through its entire length on its
way to the Columbia.
cHEwELAH,
the present terminus of the Spokane
Falls e. Northern railway and the oldest
town in the valley, has about 200 inhab-
itants. Four merchandise stores, drug
store, saddlery, shoe store, hotel and
four saloons, they used to be the great
supply depot for this part of the coun-
try, as it Is still bound to be, if little
enterprise could only be enthused into
the few that own the town site. The
mineral claims located within . few
this alone will be the making of Che
welah. The principle mines are the
Eagle, owned by Kaufman and lde of
Spokane Falls, and the Copper King,
owned by Waters, Weston and Travis.
Both of these have over 1000 tons of
ore on the dump, sacked and ready TO
ship. The other good mines in this
neighborhood are the Enterprise, Finly
and Copper Queen.
Chewelah had the same chances as her
neighbor Colville of being an enterpris-
ing and thrifty inland town the location
was excellent situated in a high gap in
the mountains down which rush two
beautiful streams of as pure water as
man ever tasted, and giving the town a
fine supply for years TO come On one
of these streams a saw and grist mill
fullest capacity. With mineral in the
rear and vast hay country in the fore
ground Chewelah is bound to grow, but
not with that same impetuosity, enter.
prise and thrift that IColville has, OF
which will mention later, for the com
parison is like Spokane Falls and her
near neighbors, one fast running away
from the other.
CHEwELAB TO CoLvILLE,
Q delightful trip of twenty-three miles, is
made over hill and dale by stage, pass.
ing through barn yards, skirting along
side the new railroad, where large CON
struction gangs are busy laying the iron
as fast as Improved devices will allow oi
plunging ina dense forest well repaid us
for the few bumps or jerks received in
crossing bridges or bounced over the
corduroy road.
But the days of the stage coach arc
pretty well numbered, for in few days
the screech of the locomotive whistle
Colville, for q number OF miles of road
has been graded beyond this point and
within few miles of the Columbia
river. Colville, the principal city in the
valley OF the same name, is pleasantly
located on sloping tract of land com-
manding beautiful view of the valley
below. In fact q finer site for town
could not be found; clear spring water
gushing forth from the mountain side. be-
sides two streams of pure water flowing
through the town, give 1t an ample
water supply, although a system oi
water works are about to be brought In
that will give them a gravity force OF
over 200 feet and sufficient to throw q
stream over the highest building. Al
one enters the town he is impressed with
the air of prosperity prevailing every
where. Substantial buildings with
u neat and humble appear.
snce greet the eye in all
directions, and the numerous teams
hitched in front of the different stores are
evidence enough that there is some busi
ness done here. Main street, the prln
cipal street in the city, has been graded
It's entire length, distance of about {
mile. New sidewalks are being laid
and when completed it will be very
handsome thoroughfare 100 feet wide
The