, 1889-08-15
STAR OF THE WEST.
Washington as Seen Through the
Speotacles of q Wis
consin Man.
Poiitios- Resources OF the Cas-
oade Country--Flora of a
Favored Region.

tp6 Union 10 uraW On, dtlu WHO an Ill
telliBont body In the convention at
Olympic, tho capital, IL may be pre-
sumed that the laws constructed for'the
government of tho new state Of Wash
fngton Vail rate high in excellence.
Washington is divided geographically
and politically by the Cascade range Of
tfending noreh and south
through her territory, and with she
mass OF the population located on the
western slope 1t Is but natural to sur
mise that the first governor to be elect
ed will he resident of Western Wash
ington; but, with several popular and
able aspirants In the field, from both
sides of the Cascades, 1t is now rather
TOO PREMATURE
to name the coming occupant of
the gubernatorial chair. Should the
governor be citizen of the west
ern, slope, Eastern Washington
will in all probability have
the lieutenant -governership conferred
upon one of her citizens
Colonel Patrick II. Winston, brawny
man, u staunch republican. an eloquent
speaker and citizen of Spokane Falls,
named for the office, and should the
nomination be conceded him, and he
accept it, he may add great strength TO
the ticket by canvassing the territory.
Anthony NJ. Cannon, one of Spokane's
millionaire citizens and a most enter
prising and pubhC-spirited gentleman, is
popular'y spoken OF for senator, and
perhaps there Is not a citizen of Wash
ington to-day who would more honora-
bly, and zealously guard her interests at
the seat of our national government.
ADVENT or ADMISSION.
The average intelligent citizen of
IA To- Ia hn
admission to statehood with much COM
mendable national pride, while he has
abiding faith in the very prominent po-
sition the state of his adoption will occu-
py in the great constellation of stars
constituting and representing our Union.
And well he may for as far as nay
own observation extends, with a rather
hurried tour through Eastern and
Western Washington, personally, 1
am satisfied that the territory, as a
whole, has not been ovcTated, and that
US u state she will be better appreciated.
Her wealth OF timber, coal, IRON salt,
and the more valuable and precious
minerals her grassy hills and fertile
valleys, productive of almost unequaled
results to the acre under propitious cli-
matte conditions, and her vast area of
mesa country susceptible TO cultivation
and aotrdipg DounGloss field for graz
ing, with climate well adapted TO the
raising of horses, sheep, cattle; her
wealth of valuable building material in
wood and stone, and sand and clay, and
all of her other resources, too numerous
to mention, rich and diversified, amply
testify to her future possibilities,
THE FARMEE,
as vet, has not resorted to irrigation, as
the other Western states and territories
have, that Is, hardly at all, although
Washington is included in the vast aid
tract describsd by the Powell meridior,al
line, where the water possible for ire.
satiug purposes, Mr., Powell asserts,
may be utilized by ''damming the SUR,
plus. Here in Washington and
Northern Idaho il is already damned,
In ruore ways shan one, but mainly
in elevated regions where are innuiner-
able lakes, lea by springs and
winters SHOWS from tho mountains,
forming perennial supply To the many
streams and riyers, from all of which
should necessity seem 10 require it, lat
eTal bitches and fumes could be ex-
tended 20 place all this section under az
grand system OF Irrigation as the
world ever Jaw not even excepting the
famous Ntte valley and other extensive
tracts rendered fertile by like means.
But wherefore irrigate to any great ex-
tent, when as yet 10 has not been salts
iactorily demonstrated that the country
demands 1t. Although 1t may seem pre-
posterous to the average Wisconsin
farmer, 1t is well authenticated fact
that
THE PALoUsE VALLEY,
100 miles in length and 80 TO rs miles i'm
width, with its series Of hills and dnles
and tortuous little rivers, produces from
40 to 40 bushels OF wheat 10 the acre. and
this without irrigation. while the wheat
weighs from O. to ~ pounds to the
bush ei Now, placing the average yield
throughout the entire valley at 50 10 40
bushels, which is a very conservative
estimate, and then cut the ggures down
20 per cent, and where is tac country
chat equals Ii. And this extensive yield
may be applied proportionately to
barley, oats and other cereals, except
ing corn, which does not develop well
owing 10 ooolpess OF nights. BY refer
ring to we'll draughted and detailed
map Of this country under considera-
tion, 1t may be readily seen how well
watered and timbered 1t la, not alone on
its coast lines but throughout It's general
area, hence, the rainfall should be and
fs quiee extensive though uneyealy dis
tributed through the season. Old resi-
dents claim that crops rarely fail of a
prolific yield, while there is 10 place
TO any great extent where irrigation has
beon employed 10 ASSURE them, but this,
however, ~ most decidedly an of year,
as the product Will not exceed so to 60
per oetit, and may therefore be- rated as
one Of the rare exceptions, us exception
~ years are experienced in every state.
However
THE HoRTIouLTuRAL YIELD
mot fixture and notwithstanding the
drought, while every town in the terrific
~ to-day is apundantly stocked-irom
I he Walla Waila, Yalotise and other val
leys and seetione---~ith fruit such as
any country might be proud OF. Peaches,
apricots, apples, pears, plums, cherries,
grapes and melons, all of native pro-
duetion,, large, bountiiul, deliciou and
within the roach of everybody's purse,
are now in the market. During the
season now past strawberries were par
ticularly luscious, while they attained
magnitude simply astonishing. meas
ured one myself just 10 inches in cir
cWnfereaee-and this Is no fish story
either. II was u delicious, Juicy straw
berry you could eat ike peach.
Noon the whole, although the
admiralty facilitate irrigation, Wash
ington can do quite we'll without an
elaborate or expensive system.
would undoubtedly accrue from few
local bitches and fumes and aqueducts,
here and there to be employed duying
the dry season, and would cause she high
mesa lands, such AS constitute part Of
the gronnd covered by Spokane Falls,
to glow with verdsncy in beautiful
shade trees adorninf. skirting and form.
ing arches over the streets, as they do
In Denver, COL, as the result of culture
and irrigation, where but few short
years ago ao vegetation existad, save