, 1889-05-02
A New Workers. Impression of
Spokane Falls.
Story of Its Origin and Mar
velOus Growth.
A Center OF Great Activity ana Prosper.
ity Reminding One OF Coiorsdo's
Capital.

We print this morning, on another
page, very interesting letter from Spo-
kane Falls, written for the Post-lntelu,
Qencer by Mr.. John X. Reavis OF I
New York World Mr.. Reavis, lookiia
with the eye Of an Eastern man and
stranger, sees d city already we'll esta
lished and enterprisin9 and developir
into greatness. The recent developme
of this young giant IS one OF the marvt
of the decade. The writer remembe
Spokane Falls ten years ago. when 1t wi
a mere Indian trading station in the vii
derness; again eight years ag
lage with the best corner lots goin,
when it was "a question whether it woule
live or die; again two years ago, whei
with between six and sever thousand popu
lation its "boom" seemed at q dizzy an,
dangerous heivht-and now it has between
eighteen and twenty thousand people
with more coming every day, and all pros.
porous. For a city thus developing and
In the midst of rich environment, it
would almost be impossible to predict too
great future. 1t IS destined to be TO
the Northwest what Denver is TO the
Southwest, and more, for besides tribu.
tary country rich in minerals. 1t has what
Denver has not-a magnificent surround
ing Of agricultural country and wonder.
fui water power. The man is now living
Who will see at Spokane Falls city of
$50, 900 souls.
The growth of Spokane Falls illustrate ;
the growth of the territory. Ten years
ago the visitor to the region north of
Snake river and east of the Columbia was
an explorer. He had to provide himself
with guide, take his own conveyance
and provisions and camp out in the will
derness wherever night overlook HIM.
This wilderness, then literally "howl-
ing" one. is now AMI enterprise-and yet
we think we do not live Ia the age Of
miracles.
A CITY OF PROMISE.
SPOKANE FALLS. April 23-Here in
this metropolis OF Eastern Washington ia
the promise of large and beautiful city.
They claiuI population OF $4,000 now,
and in year they expect rs 900. IL
looks ~ though they might have it. Peo.
pie are coming in here very rapidly. The
streets are thronRed and the hotels are all
crowded. Yet there are no idlers in town;
working men of all classes are in demand.
A railroad contractor was compelled to
week for $50 more men than he could find
only Ia the city proper but in all the coun-
try surrounding. Contracts have been let
for the entire line of the Spokane 4 North
ern railroad between here and Colville, a
distauce OF eighty miles, and 1000 men are
engaged iu the work at this end. Mr.. D,
G. Corbin says the road will be completed
before September There is q good deal
of mining in the Colville country. and the
building OF the Spokane x Northern has
given great impetus to 1t and sent thith-
er many hundreds of miners who are earn
ing from 83 to IS day, Spokane is par.
ticularly fortunate in being the central
roads radiate into mining and agricul-
tural regions. She has a line running in.
to the Ceur d'Aene mining district. an
other running through the rich Palouse
agricultural country. another in the Sc.
attic, Lake Shore Il Eastern running into
the Big Bend agricultural country. and
will soon have the Spokane & Northern
into the Colville country. Que other road,
the Post Falls. is under survey, and 1t is
pretty we'll settled that the Oregon Rail-
way h Navigation will come in here this
sun mer. All this outside the Northern
Pacific. see no reason why Spokane
should not become quite as great a rail-
road center az Denver, quite ss great q
all respects.
SUBURBAN RIDE.
took run yesterday out to the ter.
minus OF the Seattle, Lake Shore Il East
ern. II runs forty miles to the west, but
1t takes nearly ten miles OF the forty to get
away from Spokane. on account of en-.
gineerine difficulties in crossing the spo.
kane river aud getting to the level of the
hill on the other side. The bunch. grass
country is entered twelve or fifteen miles
from the city, and the remainder of the
line OF the terminus, except mile or two
at Medical Lake, runs through rapidly
filling wheat region. This Medical Lake
Is remarkable body of water. A town ia
sprlnging up their and u great many peO
pie are going to bathe In the waters.
There is NO question but that the water
has very powerful medical properties. |
haven't tine analysis at hand, but one
of the properties is it forms ino a
lather. when violently agitated or
rubbed on the person by hand. No
isn, frog ur living thug is found in the
water, and 1t mas IL muddy, repulsive ap-
pearance. 1t cures people OF rheumatism
and plays havoc with any sort OF skin dis
ease. There is not tree from Medical
!ake TO the end of the Lake Shore Il East
ern, and 1t does not look as though there
would be any found all the way to the Co.
lunbia river, but there are millions OF
acres OF besutitully-rolling bunch grass
land thst will produce from twenty. 1--WE to
fifty bushels or wheat to the acre. The
ranchers are just making start. Some
Of them grew small patches of wheat last
year, but the yield this year will be very
large. saw a number of fields of Fifty to
100 acres und hundreds of from twenty.
five to fifty acres. The Big Bend coun-
try, through which the Lake Shore 4
Eastern runs, will soon have large and
prosperous population.
THE PALOUsE VALLEY.