, 1889-05-23
in THE BIG BEND.
N> EDITOR's PILGRlMaGE THROUGH
rHAr FAMOUS REGION
tts Impressions Of Yakima. Pssco, suo-
kane Falls. Medical Lake Che.
ney and Davenport.

son and w. A. Berry. the editor of the
Journal made abont n weeks pilgrimage
10 ihe famous Big Bend couutry. Reach
nR Yakima we tarried for day, ard
through the courtesy of MaCLean, Reed x
Co.. we were driven through the town and
about the country atjdcebt, including the
famous Moxie locality, and shown the
Hrrat improvements that had been made
IN he town and country the past year Ii
was very marked TO those familiar with
the region and preseoted new charms.
upfoided new views In the general
appearance. Several new fine brick bus-
ness houses have been built within the
past year. among which Ia the First Ma.
tional and the Yakima National banks, the
iormer q model of architectural beauty and
finish which cost S24 600. and the other
also handsome and substantial brick
structure. Another brick block il being
constructed for Colonel Howlitt and Cap.
tam Thomas, besides several other similar
ones in prospect. The country abou, the
town Is undergoing a rapid process of de-
veIopnent. Yakima is q fine growing
town--a town Of the future; the inetropo.
lis OF Central Washington. and
of more than even chances to bc
state. R@al estate is active 1s and stsad,y eo%ins
increasing in valu. with the growth of
the town ard the DEVELOPMENT of the coun-
try aoOut. The new brick hotel built by
David Wilson, a rustler of several towns,
is about completed, ana Is AN ornament
and credit TO the place.
stop at Pasco, the metropolis of the
upper Columbia and ot the Snake, the
youngest candidate for the capital, and the
land of huge watermeons was made.
During the transfer and makeup of trains
tue depot presents u lively appearance.
Pasco Is real the city OF destiny OF East
ern Washington. and IT Captain Gray and
Colonel MuDcy get in their work as they
expect, 1T VIII be the leading railroad cen.
ter; the capital OF the coming state; the
leading metropolis anu the great water
melon region OF Eastern Washing gtou. 1t
has great country back which only re.
quires human genius sud effort to utilize it.
We next found ourselves at the live, en-
ergetic and Ro-ahead CITY OF Spokane
Falls, which is destined to become the
great manufacturing city of inland Wash
inRton. It's a beautiful town locaCed in
uraud scenic locality with 6ne surround
ings. Its business buildings are ine and
increasing in number. The decoration of
the city In honor of the presence of the
annual encampment of the Grand Army of
the Republic for the department of Wash.
inRton and Alaska wss elaborate and
grand and indicated that the people of
Spokane Falls never do things
by halves. A night here
and we proceeded to Davenport. the
metropolis and interior supply town Of the
famed Big bend region, by the way OF
Northern Pacific branch. Cheney is
rising, pbenix like, from the ashes of
desoation to which the recent FIRE reduced
1t. From thence to Medical Lake is nine
miles, near the line of demarkation, be
tween coniferous timber auo the rolling
bunch grass prairie which extends to the
Columbia river west and north for more
than l60 miles.
Medical Lake is rapidly becoming noted
for the healing qualities of its waters. 1t
Ia three-fourths of u mile long and a quar-.
ter Of a mie wide. Near this is also Sill
yer lake, fresh body of water filled with
fish. Here, on tie west shore of Medical
Lake, is being built wing OF the Eastern
Washington insane asylum, upon which
lO0 men are now at work 1t has legis-
lative appropriation of 100000 for the
commencement of the structure. The
country about Medical Lake il attractive
and gives interest to the locality. The town
has 500 or 600 popul ,tion and is rapidly
growing, and has newspaper, the Med
ical Lake Ledger, by George Herb. Tne
Seattle, Lake Shore X Eastern railroad
from Spokane Falls. CROSSES the Northern
Pacific at this point, bearing to the left,
and the latter swinging around to the
right through vast wheat region, and
both coming together ut Davenport--the
Northern Pacific quite Is the town with u
fine depot building, and the Seattle roat.
within some three miles thereof as yet
which is reached by hacks. Both these
roads run through II magnificent country
the latter from Spokane Fall, distant about
fifty miles and the former, by way OF Che
ney, some thirty five miles.
The genera surface of the land of this
region Is somewhat similar to the wheat
regions OF Dakota and prairies of Iowa
Ihers are not extensive stretches of fla,
surface, but 1t liz undulating, with valleys
| or depressions couispg in various direc
| tions. with now aod then elevated ridges
The elevations and depressions are gentle
and are all susceptible of cultivation wher.
tue former are not rocky, as they arr
the low lands for pastures ant
meadows and the uplsnds for grain, wher,
the surface is thus broken. There are Oc
casional patches of stony land covered
with broken basaitic rock and thin
growth OF grass and these Latches ar,
called "scab land" Sometimes they con
tain springs. and not unfrequently the,
are covered with small groves OF PM
trees. Some townships are wholly tire,
from "scab." in others there are patches
OF few acres on nearly every section
With broad belts of arabic land iuteryen
ing. A few acres Of 'scab" with timbe
on them add to the value of section
or quarter section, Along the Spokan
ana Columbia rivers there Ia heav,
growth of pine reaching up the steep bluff
and out upon the plateau for q mile O
more. Many farmers who have home
steaded government land on the prairi
buy froM The railroad grant forty acres @
more Of timber land. often at at a cousid