, 1890-02-06
FROM RocKFoRp.
A Favorable Outlook for the Farmers
the Woather-E.tc.
ROCNFOnD, Mnsh., Jam. q.

ROCISFOnp, WASH, Jan. 81.
The chinook has come at last, and
tho snow il melting away very fast
from the effects Of IT. bulmy breeze.
The ground Is becoming thoroughly
saturated and the gTass IL growing
underneath. The Union Pacific
trains are running regular again
and travel Is increasing.
The prospect of throwing open n
portion of the Cmur d'Alenc rcser-
walton in early spring Is attractlng
considerable attention and bringing
parties this way with view OF Sc
curing II home for themselves and
families. We believe II would be
better for tho Indians lf the govern.
mcnt would give them lands In sew
crafty aud throw open the balance
of the land To the whites for settle
mcnt. 1t would stimulate the am
billion of the Indian and Induce him
To pattern after his white ncighbors
In working and improving his farm,
In educating his children, and would
finally make him solf-supportlng, "a
good nolghbor and u desirable cItl-
zen; but IL congress rntliles tho last
treaty made with them by com
mission recently created for that
purpose, and pays them f5OO,0OO FOR
n strip of this reserve, when once
divided up between this tribe Of
Indians, IL will give them about
fourteen hundred dollars 81 400
each for every man, woman or child
ON the reserve! What will the re-
suit be? They are poor financicrs,
and will soon purchase lots of things
they do not want. some will gan-
ble or larga portion of It, and In
IA few years they will have no money
and not 50 much of q desire to till
the soil. 10, the poor Indians!
The farmers here are beginning To
realize II great change has taken
place Of late. Heretofore they have
been compelled to haul their great
yield of wheat to Spokane Falls ON
wagons In the fall, and ON sleds In
the winter To the Northern Pacific
railroad; and it has generally taken
them all the fall and winter, and a
portion of early summer (aiter they
got their crop I'M, and 1t was very
large undertaking, also expensive;
but now the Union Pacific comes
along and takes their wheat nearly
at their doors, and the result Is the
farmer gets more for his wheat, aid
instead of putting In atl fall and
winter hauling II off, he stays at
home plowlng, building new houses
and barns, fences, etc, and In II fow
years our Washington farmer will
have homes that will compare
fnvorably with our Eastern or New
England ncighbors.
The farmers of Rock Greek valley
should devote more time to gardens,
especially to the hardy vegetables,
because they are located between
two large and growing markets.
namely, Spokane Falls on one side
and the far-famed Cmur dAlenc
mining towns on the other, and thC
farmers surely can not complain nt
the prices. Vegetables that have
been shipped from this point to the
mines Tor the last five years have
brought q good price to the farmers
For, instance, when load OF veg
ctables comes IN town the mrmei
has generally received the following
prices, either in cash or trade: pota
Toes, from to . cents per pound
beets, turnips, carrots, cent pei
pound; onions, cabbage and some o
ihe better class of vegetables, from
to . cents per pound. The writel
does not know of any place In TIA,
United States whore the farmers ar,
better paid for their garden truck
than here.