Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1889-08-02
Letter from Spokane Falls.

Letter from Spokane Falls.
spoKANE Falls, W. r, July q, 1889.
Ep1roR TRANseRIrr- i will endeayor to
give you a description Of Spokane Falls,
which you have heard SO much about.
It requires no very profound knowl-
edge Of western geography TO enable
any one to understand some of the mi.
nor reasons why Spokane Falls should
become great and important city, the
metropolis Of a vast surrounding coun-
try. The city itselflies on both sides
of the Spokane RIVER at the point
where that stream, separated by rocky
islands into five channels, rushes on
ward and downwards, at first being
merely series OF rapids, and then
tumbling over the rocks in a number of
beautiful waterfalls, until the several
streams unite once again for final
plunge of sixty feet, making fall Of
one hundred and fifty seven feet in the
distance of half a mile. Ten years ago
Spokane Falls was frontier settlement
isolated far from any railroad connec-
ton, without prospects,, except those
that existed in the imagination Of her
pioneer settlers. Spokane Falls is rap
idly becoming the centre of an exten-
sive railroad system, which is every
day being developed in new directions,
The Northern Pacific was the pioneer
railroad in this section and the compile
ton Of its main line in 1884, gave Spo-
kane Falls direct communication by
rail both east and west. Last year an
other new line was completed from
Spokane Falls through the Palouse Val
ley, opening up that region to the en-
terprise of Spokane's merchants. An
other railroad enterprise is the Seattle
Lake Shore & Eastern raiload, which
will connect Spokane with Seattle and
Puget Sound. Another important rail-
road that will connect Spokane Falls
with Colville and kootenai mining dis
districts and navigable water on the up
per Columbia, and not improbably with
the Canadian Pacific railway, is the
Spokane Falls & Northern railway in
corporated by Spokane capitalists.
Though SO young city, its street rail-
way facilities are first-clas The horse
car company has over five miles OF
track in operation; the managers will
introduce electricity as motive power
instead of horses, and are giving the
subject thorough investigation. Dur
ing 1883 the Edison Electric Illuminat-
ing company has branched out in all d.
rectlons, and today Spokane Falls has
the largest incandescent plant west Of
the Rockies. The capacity of the works
is one thousand two hundred incandes-
cent and ejghty-ive arcs. The whole
sale business Of the city is of recent de-
velopment, and several exclusively
wholesale houses have been established
during the year. There are Eve banks
now in business in this city, and four
others already incorporated and only
awaiting some final arrangements to
launch themselves upon the sea Of H.
; nance. These nine institutions COM
mand capital of Sl,O00,O0) Five of
these banks are National and two ale
Savings banks. Socially Spokane leaves
nothing to be desired. The reigning
element in society is American, and the
number of Southerners is particularly
noticeable. There is large English
colony, and many scotchnen, Irish
men, Canadians and Germans are mum
bered among the leading business men
of the city. The Masoris, knights OF
Pythias. Odd Fellows, Grand Army,
Sons Of Veterans, Knights OF Labor,
| Young Mems Institute, Young Mems
Christian Association and other benev-
client, charitable, and frate:nal organi-
cations are represented here. In
schools Spokane Falls is well provided
The public schools are numerous and
located conveniently all over the city
The Methodists have two colleges unle,
one management. one for boys and tn,
other for girls. The Catholics lave :
fine boys school and the Episcopali:tns
have church school and will this yea
erect an academy. ;
Looking at the map and seeing thai
Spokane Falls is only d hundred mile:
from the British American frontier: the
average man who knows nothing Of the
Pacific coast, will fancy that this sec
ton is land Of long winters, much ice
snow. If he pursue his investigations
further he will be surprised TO find tina
the climate is abe ut that Of the Atlanti,
coast, only little yer, and that very
cold weather never lasts more than
day or two. The reason for this mil,
climate is due principally to the Chi
nook wind. In the summer it is Il COO
wind and tcmpers the heat of summer
SO that nowhere in Washington do PEG
pie fall down with sunstroke. In The
winter it is a warm moist wind and i
something slightly cold. 1t is so gentle
upon ordinary occasions that its pres
ence could not be noticed by its motion
The population Of Spokane is 10000
and it las two daily papers AMI one
weekly.
| Well, guess have given YOU pref
ty fair description Of Spokane. SO viii
close as do not want to take up TO,
much space in your paper, and an
somewhat tired after our journey us i
took us three nights and two days and
half to reach here. Yours truly,
L