, 1890-12-11
THE WHEAT PROBLEM
John H. Mitchell, Jr., Talks of
the Great Blockade, and Pro-
poses Remedy.
He Says Spokane Falls Should
Grind at Home--Cyrus w.
Burns Talks Solid Sense.

John II. Mitchell, Jr., the we'll
known attorney for the Northern
Pacific, has been spending u few
days in this vicinity prior 10 his de-
parture for New York to visit his
people, whom he has not seen for
ten years. never having been East
since he came to the Pacific coast.
Hearing Mr.. Mitchell say he had
just returned from a trip through
the Palouse country, n REVIEW
representative asked him If he no.
ticed any wheat over that way.
"Never saw anything like 1t in
my life. 1t is piled everywhere,
thousands upon thousands Of tons.
The railroad companies are not so
much to blame, after all, for this
blockade. The farmers blame
the railroads for things for
which they are not responsible and
do not blame them for things for
which they are, in q measure, to
blame. For instance, the railroads
might be blamed, with some show
of reason, for not knowing more
about the country through which
their roads run. The railroad
companies do not know what
wonderfully productive region the
Pal0use country Is. Besides, more
railroads are needed In that country.
Two more branches could be built
in the Palouse country with profit
to the builders aud the farmers.
"The way to solve the problem of
of the great wheat crop of
the Palouse country is for you to
build immense flouring-mills here
in Spokane Falls and grind the
wheat into flour right here, instead
of waiting for cars to carry it out of
the country" concluded Mr..
Mitchell.
give us n side-track to the G. &
G. mills and we will increase their
capacity thousand barrels a day"
said Cyrus r. Burns, who had been
an attentive listener to Mr.. Mitch
ellis remarks.
"There's just the point" ,"answered
Mr. Mitchell. "Every time we Of
fer to make such improvements
somebody strikes us for about
100000 for right of way.
You will never get side-tracks
80 long as the railroad
are called upon to pay
such outrageous sums for the privI-
lege of assisting your city by max
ing needed improvements
1.-The Washington Water Power
Company own considerable of the
land over which u sidetrack to the
G, Il G. mills would pass, and they
viii donate the right of way said
Mr. Burns.
Yes, but u large amount If the
other property will advance to u
wonderful price the moment right
of way is mentioned" said Mr..
Mitchell, as he walked away.
"We are now having plans drawn
for mill with capacity of 1000
barrels per day." said Mr.. Burns,
addressing the reporter. "The right
of way for side-tracks Is the main
consideration, and unless we can
secure 1t the idea of building
u mill of such magnitude
Is out out of the question. The new
mills, If built, will be on the site of
the old Post mill, just south of the
c. and G. We might tear down the
oiu y. ana y. mill ana cover the
ground with new structure In case
we are able to secure the necessary
sidetracks. We are also negotiating
with parties who will build another
mill with q capacity of 1000 barrels
per day below the {. and G. mill.
This, too, is contingent on our being
able to get the sidetracks.
spokane needs additional flour
ing mills more than anything else.
Wheat Is worth 81 per barrel more
when ground into flour here and
shipped away than when the wheat
itself is shipped. Why can't
we keep that dollar bar
rel at home instead of shipping
the wheat out of the coun try and
allowing mills at distance to grind
IT and make the proiit7 When we
are enabled to increase the capacity
Of our mills 1000 barrels per day we
will bring ST. 900 per day more into
Spokane Falls"
People vino think a good deal OF
themselves never have much trouble