, 1890-05-01
THE C0LYILLE VALLEY
Wonderful Changes Wrought
in q Few Years.
THE STAGE AND The PALACE CAR


CoLvILIE, April 25.--Just one
year ago this sclf-samc month the
REVIEW correspondent first set foot
ON the rich black soil OF the Colville
valley. Climbing up the rugged
slope OF majestic mountain, ne
turned, and an! what picture Of
meadow land In Its rich dress oi
spring time stretched away as fur zap
and down the .aIr valley as tho oys
could reach. The ColvlIle river, M.
llecting tho last rays Of the even.
lng's ruddy sun, seemed like
thread of shinmerlng gold stretch
Ing away on a carpet Of green.
The cattle, gr,zing on the rich
herbhgc or chewing tho cud oil
sweet content under tho shelter.
ing branches Of n clump
toward the % compIsiion oi
the pleasing picture. Ks tho mI,er
delights In hfs gold, as tho epicurs
enjoys his daintiest viands, so did
the eyes of the city lad feast on the
glorious picture as IL was first pre-
sented To HIS enraptured view, and
his heart swclled within him ~ he
thought OF the great goodness of the
Almighty power that had created
such pleasant places for the soiiD
and daughters of men; that here
through the bountiful provisions Of
Uncle Sam the willing hearted
might build q beautiful and happy
home; that wealth and prosperity
wero sure to come 10 this SPOT 40
highly favored of nature that in the
track Of this, by the eternal fitness
Of things, should follow peace, COM
fort and content.
But there was one great barrier
in the way of the fniliillment oi
these bright promises---the lack OF
quick aud cheap transportation
iacilities. What matter II the farm-
or did have rick after rick OF tho
best uf timothy and red top II ID
stood there TO rot In the stack. Hm
rich black acres had rs well been AZ
barren as the desert sands Of Sahara
for all the profit they returned him
In those days Of STAGING It," And
his neighbor the miner and pros
pector on the adjacent mountain
sides, although he might have been
able to take from the bowels of
mother earth tons and tons OF
rock carrying n heavy percentages
of the all precious, could III afford to
do 50 because of non-transporting
facilities. This one great lack was
N monster weight resting on ths
business interests Of this rich sec.
tion, suppressing all production,
both mineral and agricultural. But
the changes of year have brought
the chances of lifetime. The clear,
eehoing whistle Of the all-poweriui
steam Locomotive had not died
away 'mOngst the hills and vnlcs
until Il could be seen that that great
throbbing servant of commerce VIVA
acting AS a mighty heart, sonaing
the life blood quivering and ting
ling through the arteries of trade,
and the pulsation has hcen full and
strong ever since we have had con-
nection with that great comnerciaI
center OF Eastern Washington--
Spokane.
The old days and disagreeable
memories of rough rides ON "a dead
y stage are II thing of "A mast. The
rails of iron have brought DAYS OF
prosperity and impaired to prod,Ic-
tlon life and vigor. New towns
have been laid out, pOstofiices estab-
lished, county roads viewed, sur
vcyed and opened, government
lands have been and are being set
tied upon and brought into a state
of productiYqncss that they may
add their acreage To the gen
er,d prosperity. Tho old relia-
bile and valuable mines will soon
be worked for all that is In them:
prospects are being developed, and
many claims that were but prospects
in the spring are now classed as
valuable properties. There will be
more prospcctors and miners at
work IL the Colville and Chewelah
districts this season than ever be-
fore.
Capital IL not lacking for the
furtherance of all branches of trade,
Manufactures, especially saw
mills, are being established In many
parts of the county, for with splen-
did water powers and vast virgin
forests, lumber may be produced US
4, IA an t,tv n ~ tho chaap past l. ~