Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-04-09
The POtlaGh Country.
A PRODUCTIVE SECTION OF
NEE PIERCE COUNTY.
Rich and Cheap Lands
Yielding Abundant Crops and Promis.
ing Large Returns in Various
Fields Of Industry.

During the past few years the Pot
latch country has obtained name and
q fame equaling that attained by the
Palouse region, and much inquiry is
at present being made concerning its
location and resources. 1t is a region
destined for great development and its
advantages will attract the attention
! Of many homeseelsers and investors.
There having been much inquiry
about the far-famcd Potlatch region, OF
more commonly known as the ''Pot-
latch County, have taken the lib
erty Of informing the public of some of
the leading features of the country, as
seen and understood by one who has
travelled through, not only the major
portion of Idaho, Oregon and Wash
ington, but Tennessee on the south
and Massachusetts on the east; being
also able to give 81 "Yankee's" idea of
some of the resources of this grand belt
Of Idaho.
The question as to the exact bounda-
ries of the region has been somewhat
a disputed point. Suffice it to say,
that as near Us the writer can ascertain,
the lines passing through Lewiston
and about five miles east of Moscow to
the eighth standard parallel, thence to
the Boise meridian to the Clearwater
river, and down this river to Lewiston,
will embrace the entire district. The
typographical appearance Of the coun-
try is that of vast rolling prairie,
deeply cut by the numerous canyons
of the various watercourses, tributaries
to the Potlatch and Clearwater rivers.
The words trolling plateau" have, we
know, been applied to the Palouse
country, and has been the cause of
many an eastern farmer, accustomed
to the level lands of Illinois, to at once
become discouraged with the hope of
ever making the apparent hills of the
country ever furnish the wonderful
yields he has heard so much about
The country is by no means a level
strip of land, but affords ample hills
and dales to be favorable to the varied
class of farming, so well carried on
throughout its limits. To the home
seeker of the east, we would say, be not
discouraged. From the highest points
of these miniture mountains, you will
harvest your largest and best crops,
and you need not fear your beautiful
fields being washed with the deep gull
lies of your eastern home, as the soil
holds it surface as well as the rock of
your native state.
Again, within the above boundaries,
one finds even more productive soil
than the noted "Palouse Country"
Being lower in altitude, the winters are
less severe, and much more available
time is offered the farmer for outdoor
work. The Ruby Creek mines, also
within this boundary, have for some
time been attracting the attention of
the prospector, and soon capital will
turn its attention to the developing of
some of the rich veins found in these
mountains. The White Pine regions,
within this district, contain vast for
ests of this valuable timber, near the
head of the Potlatch river, and will af-
ford profitable industry for Lewiston,
to which point these valuable logs can
easily be driven. Today this lumber,
delivered at the markets of the world,
would command al lost fabulous
prices. Owing to the fact that the
larger portion of this branch of Idaho's
wealth lies in the unsurveyed portion
of the state, lumbermen are not prone
to make any Investments of import
ance. Thus the lumber interest of this
section has been greatly neglected, but
the advent of statehood has made the
demand for public surveys imperative
and soon this valuable field of in
vestment VIII open to freest, fullest
development, and many of those now
interested in this branch of industry
will be attracted to this superior lcca-
ton. The timber of this section alone
would afford more wealth to the state
than dozen Agricultural Colleges or
many other of the numerous appro-
priations to further the states progress
and wealth.
Although the lumberman has failed
to develop the wonderful resources at
hand, the farmer has not failed to re-
cognize in the soil of the Potlatch the
"Garden of Eden" of the west. With
in the space of few years, we predict
that this country will not only find in
the markets of the world its just fame
for its cereals, but will be the Delaware
I e IL