, 1890-06-12
1t Will Produce 100000
Bushels This Year.
SPOKANE AS A MILLING CENTER
Flour Can BE Manufactured Moro
Cheaply Here Than at Any
Other Point.


Tomorrow large number Of our busi-
ness men go down to Moscow, In Idaho.
over the Union Pacific for similar pur-
pose. This II an excursion under .he
auspices Of the board OF trade, and has
been organized with view Of not only
giving our business men an opportunity
OF seoiag what tho Paiouso country real
ly Is, but OF cultivating ms we'll more
cordial relations with tho thrifty towns
OF that region. ] have no doubt every
man who goes on this excursion will
be much Impressed ms ! was.
This promises TO be tho first great
wheat year OF the Paiouss country. We
shall this year be able to form an intelli-
gent estimate OF its real possibilities as
wheat producing district We must
remember that IL IL very new country,
that tho first settlers there were poor
and had but imperfect methods Of seed.
ing and harvesting. and that up to two
years ago there was no rail transporta-
tion for their product insido Of two
years tina greater portion of tho district
has been covered by railroads. and pros
periiy has encouraged tho farmers 10
larger and better considered efforts.
The development has been quick and Of
great magnitude. What was vast roll
ing prairie live years ago. about b.
by i5O milos In extent, with hsrv
and there ranch with moro patch Of
ground IN cultivation. is to-day laid out
and fenced OF into farms Of from 10 "a
loo acres In extent, and nearly half Of
It green with waving wheat There has
never been. I dare say, In any OF the
agricultural areas OF America a quicker
or more striking transformation.
The Palouss country Is only one Of the
wheat producing districts belonging to
Northern Idaho and Eastern Washing
ton. and adjacent to spokane Falls.
But to this alone | shall coniinc myself
IN the present article. As already stated
this distric Is about 50 10 $50 miles, OF
1900 square miles, in extent. IL is
equivalent To 4, 800, 900 acres. Certainly
two o-thirds OF this is avail
able wheat land. This would be
equal 70 10000 acres. IL Is
conservative estimate TO say that one
third OF this 3, 10000 acres, or ,o60. 600
ncres, Is In cultivation, and that at least
10000 acres is In wheat, which will
average twenty bushels per acre. yield
ing a total OF 100000 bushels.
think the average will be far beyond
but little doubt OF being wttniu tho
bounds OF very reasonable probability.
or this 10 OOO, O0O bushels OF wheat tho
farmers will probably market 1000. 600
bushels, for which they will receive
from 20 70 20 cents per bushel, so that
from 81, 500 900 10 81, ,0cO, 900 will come 10
show for thu seasons crop. This will
be much the largest sum that has ever
gone into the hands OF the PaIOuso
farmers, and its effects are certain Ia be
seen in an increased acreage for the next
year, and a general and marked im.
proyement Of the financial condition OF
The entire district.
In three years more would not be sur
priscd TO sec the PalOuse country produce
50 coo. 600 bushels Of wheat. It's value.
therefore, to Spokane Falls is apparent.
The question Is, How can this value be
made most apparent and be most thor
oughiy realized9 OF course, the general
prosperity and enrichment OF territory
so near to us and so closely bound 20 us
by lines of transportation and social
conditions would have q generally fnvor-
able effect upon this city. but we ought
20 get a more direct benefit; we ought
10 control IN some way the great wheat
product and makes its marketing =
source Of large business and profit to
our own people. II is hardly
probable that We shall ever SEQ estab-
iished here an exchange for the sale OF
wheat that shall be ro-shipped rs SUCH
M
terror market, and not near enough for
an export market. The railroads prefer
10 take wheat out in unhroken bulk and
ship direct to Portland or the Sound.
What we can DO, however. and what
both nature and the lines Of Transports y
tion have wanted us TO do, Is TO make
spokane Falls a great fouf manufacture
ing center. II Is in this way that We are
eventually 70 get tho most out OF vast
and productive wheat area.
Two great laws have come to govern
all manufacturing nearness to the source
of supf,ly and low cost Of production.
We are favored by both these laws. The
first is self-apparent 1t will not be
long till at least 100000 bushels
Of wheat per annum will be grown with
In a radius OF 100 miles OF this city. and
40, coo, coo bushels per annum within
radius Of $50 miies. Our water power
reduces the cost Of manufacturc to the
minimum. Neither Portland, Tacoma,
Seattle nor any other city ON the Pacific
coast or on the Sound can make flour at
A less cost than from to 10 cents bar-
rel for fuel alone. The largest and most
improved steam millsin the East have
never been able to get the cost for fasi
alone below cents per barrel. We can
make barrel of tiour in Spokane Falls
for cent. our wster power Is sold af
$40 per annum. A horse power mill pro-
duees in year 800 barrels OF flour. In
other words 1t costs $40 Per year OF
cent barrel TO make 30 baTrcis-
Again, the plant Of mill Tor the max
| ing OF flour by water power Is trihinx
compared tc that Of mill for the rnak-
| ing oil hour by steam power. a water
| wheel that costs $500 will do the work 81
an engine that costs 5000.
! We have much to accomplish In the
way OF lowering OF freight charges hefcrp
We can ship TO the seahoaEd for export
nj a satisfactory profit. But time,
growth of business and a multiplication
Of competing lines OF raiirond will bring (
This change. If We furnish the product =
| the railroads will be glad enough 10 meet
us half way. IL now costs about ~
cents per hundrcd to ship hour from
mere to either Portland or tho sound 4
| The distance 70 about 800 miics- Iho
( railroads often carry :lour from Mn
neapolis to Chicago, distance q 4
about to0 miles for cent. Il
ever. over 10 cents. But II must 10 NJ
men,bered that Minneapolis produce4 A
96. 600 barrels OF flour day, and grin0t
up 10. 600, 900 bushels ofuheat rernnnnnA Z
IL Is gratifvipg to know thst tne rHiir
roads are showing disposition 10 en-
courage the tour Manufacturing. M i
dustry here. The rate on wheat fro4
points In the Palousc country II not -
Unreasonable Que. Der mills an ve>y
fairly treated In that rcspcct Whet ~ 4
want, aud what We shatl bave, u t@4H
rate on Hour to the Sourd anu f@c<1 IS
coast points. This will eone ~ @et =
time. asd VIZ shall sce ncu - rf1<ent
Falls the most c>tensivo unls VI ~
north Pacific ecnst, and de'oHA o"F -
those Of A'nnsApo,nSu nux \ ara wa. .i|