, 1890-10-02
Portland, Or, and from thoro TO Spokane
cheaper than by the direct route No
IN m petitionu

Portland, Or, and from thore TO Spokane
cheaper than by the direct route. No
competition"
This piece OF information is simply
astonishing. Old residents here had
formed an impression that Lake
"Cordeleanu was an inexhaustible
reservoir, sweeping away into the
mountains for thirty-ive or forty
miles, with an average width of two
miles, and with innumerable arms
and bays piercing the mountains In
every direction. Steamboat men
who have been running ON the lake
for number of years had formed an
impression that nearly every bit Of
the lake IL navigable at all seasons,
that IL is practically bottomless, and
that 1t is fed in midsummer by two
navigable rivers that are deep
enough at all seasons of the year to
float the ships that sail ON Lake
Michigan. But now it appears that
they are all wrong. They have
been sailing around over "a dry.
empty BASIN" and interfering with
the children who amuse themselves
In midsummer by building castles
of sand.
Mr.. Lasher takes issue with water
power experts, who have examined
the minimum flow of water and de-
clared that 1t was the largest and
most available in the United States.
He also seems to have overlooked
the fact that not one-twentieth of
the available power Is used even in
midsummer. He has also neglected
to state that the volume of this
"creek" Is so great during July aud
August that no human being, once
caught in the resistless current, has
ever escaped death.
Regarding agriculture, Mr.. Lash
er's observations are equally sur
prising. He evidently should read
the recent crop reports In the RE-
VIEW. They would surprise him
quite as much as his Information on
the water supply will surprise the
people of Spokane Falls. Here is
what he learned during his flying
six months visit:
Spokane, you understand. is not sur
rounded by an agricultural community
There are few good tracts of fertile land
IN the valleys of the Wal.a Walla.
the Snake river, and Palouse--- Have
no rooms for so cents, gentlemen.
But Walla Walla is itself a town of
considerable pretensions, and will re-
quire the products of the surrounding
valley for nourishment. Spokane must
depend for its future on its mineral and
mi manufacturing interests. Its manufac-
turing interests are small yet They have
few miils-flouring mills-but these
make no pretensons, except to supply
the home demand--No, Major Blow
hard is not at this hotel.
Although Spokane Falls, accord
ing to Mr.. Lashers opinion, has
neither water power nor agricultural
possibilities, he considers II fine
town with a bright future. He can
count brick blocks If he can not see
an inland sea, and vast stretches of
wheat land as big as the average
Eastern state, yielding an actual
average of thirty-hve bushels to the
aoIe. Here Is where he says kind
words for the city:
~ found that Spokane has built 2o6
new brick business houses since the fire
about year ago and shows every eyi-
dence of having recovered from the dis
astrous coniiagration--This parcel to
602."
$50 the future of Spokane is rather
gloomy, you thinkP"
mot at all. Spokane has n bright
future. Good country. Live, progress
i've people. Population rapidly .increas-
ing. Already 10000 population, hotel
that cost Si35, 900, elegantly furnished (;
second to none. Yes, think the future
OF Spokane is bright. Every one says
so in that country"
A great many people will detect a
glazing Inconsistency in Mr.. Lash
er's entertaining talk. They will
wonder how II city without agri-
culture or water power can have 50
bright n prospect, and how it can
build 206 brick blocks within a
year.
Hereafter when Mr.. Lasher goes
travelling around over the world he
should take a kodak, and not trus,
to his eyes and ears. a few mid
summer views of the lake, the falls
or the wheat fields in this country
would tell a very different story
from that given to the Chicago
| Times