, 1890-03-20
THE DOOR IS OPEN
Leading to a Magnificent and
Productive Country.
SPOKANE 4 NORTHERN FACTS.
A Handsome Illustrated Volume
Descriptive Of Scenery
Along the Line.

Through the courtesy of Mr., ID. G.
Corbin, the president of the Spo-
kancfalls d Northern Railroad Com
pany, the REVIEW Is in receipt Of n
handsome Illustrated book entitled
"An Open Door to u Magnificent
Country" This valuable little vol
ume has been published by the en-
terprislng railway company referred
to, who intend issuing 10000 copies
for free circulation. The book con-
tains thirty pages, besides the taste
fully ornnmented covers. There are
ten pencil illustrations of scenery
along the line of the road and an ac-
curatc map of the main line and
Its connections, extending In all di-
rcctlons from this city and into
British Columbia. The author says /;
1t would bc difficult to find u bot
ter illustration Of the courageous
determination, business foresight
and rapldity of execution So char.
acteristic of the life and progress Of
the great Pacific Northwest than
the building OF the first 100 milcs of
the Spokane Falls x Northern rail
way from the city of Spokane ialls,
Wash, To the Columbia river The
entire work was doro between the
lst Of April and the lst Of Deccm-
ber, 1859, period of eight months.
In those brief months new terri
tory Of vnst extent and remarkable
natural resources, that had, since its
settlement, been dependent solely
upon primitive and tedious methods
Of transportation, was penetrated 10y
a fully equipped railroad, and
brought into immediate and intimate
relations with the great world Of
travel and traffic. II IL only In
the days Of modern railroad build
ing, when great sums Of money can
be rapidly concentrated Ia "a single
cifort-when men can be found who
are prompt in the execution of large
undortalSings-when mind takes the
shortest cut 10 triumph over matter
and when the organization of labor
reaches Its highest pcrfection-that
such q conversion Of n wilderness
into n prospcrousnnd civilized coun-
try, with the apparent ease Of tho
waving of n hand, u possible.
Previous to the building of the
Spokane Falls & Northern, the
Northern Pacific marked, at the city
Of Spokane Falls, the northern limit
Of American railroad building In u
territory described, on the west by
the Cascade mountains, on the east
by the Rocky mountains, and eN-
tending up as far ~ the line of the
Canadian Pacific This IL II territory
embracing at least
SIXTY THOUSAND SQUARE MILES,
and possessing thc finest lakes aud
rivers, including the Columbia, west
Of the Mississippi, It Is region
mainly noun tanous, but the
mountains are clad with bunch
grass and the finest Of timber, aud
here and there along the rivers and
smaller streams are extensive val
lcys Of the richest agricultural lands,
while springs Of tho coolest water
flow from every hillside. Here are
to be found the heaviest timber belts
between Michigan and the Puget
sound country. This timber con-
sis,s of yellow pine, white pine,
tamaruck and cedar. In the same
limits are included the celebrated
Oknnngan mining country, the
Colvillc mining country, the
Meialine mining country and the
Eootcnni mining country. Some of
the richest gold and silver mines re-
Gently discovered are found in these
districts. Their wealth IL Just be-
ginning to he realized. Millions of
dollars are now going into them for
Development, and an extensive trade
between them and the city of SpO-
kane Falls has already sprung up
and Is rapidly Increasing. with so
many elements Of natural wealth,
with scenery hardly SURPASSED In
the world, with u wonderfully mild
and even climate, this new and here
tofore but little known land offers,
through the agency Of the Spokane
Falls * Northern railway, good
homes and profitable occupations for
hundTedsof thousands of hardy set
tiers.
Lt MbIsN NI.iDtNtfH.
The line follows In general the
route of the old trail aud wagon
road from Spokane Falls to Colvillc,
Marcus, and the Little Dalics of the
Columbia. II Ia elghty-eight miles
20 Colvllle, which IL In the midst OF
the beautiful valley of that. name,
l02 miles to Marcus, the point where
the line arrives at the Columbia
river, and l2G miles to the Little
Dalles, from which point there is
uninterrupted navigation To- Revol-
stoke OH the Canadian Pacific rail
road. For forty miles after leaving
Spokane Falls the road passes
through timber country. The
prevalent growth is yellow pine.
The soil in many places is suitable
for agricultural purposes. Clearlngs
are easily made, us the timber gem
orally grows In open parks with
but little underhrush. But the
principal source Of business here IL
lumber. Since the road was COM
pleted through this section last sum
mer n dozen saw mills have been
set up and are now doing II large
and profitable trade. Spokane
Falls has rapidly grown In import
ance as n lumber market, and IL now
tho distributing center for Eastern
Washington. These timber lands
along the Spokane Il Northern
can be bought Mt very reasonable
prices; thousands Of acres can yet be
had from tho government, and an
immense and profitable industry
VIII grow up here very shortly.
Heavy deposits OF limo stone exist