The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01

the neighboring mountains. 1t is reason
able to estimate that within i've years
1000 900 acres of this land will be given up
TO wheat growing. This, with an average
yield of twenty bushels per
acre. would produce 100000 BUSH
els of wheat per annum. As
a matter of fact, the yield per acre is very
much larger. the government reports upon
which the twenty-three bushels per acre
average were based being made up from al
over the state, some districts being in
cluded that are not heavy producers. The
average for this year in the Palouse coun-
try is certainly as much as stated, twenty
eight bushels per acre, and there are many
Observation-Disclosures instances where the
yield ran up to fifty. sixty and eighty
bushels per acre. The produce of single
acre of wheat from near Pullman, in the
Palouse country, was found by actual
measurement TO be l0i sacks, containing a
bushel each, and exhibited at the North
western Industrial Exposition held here.
Another extensive wheat growing dis
trict lies west of Spokane Falls and is
known as the Big Bend country. 1t be-
gins within about twelve miles of Spokane
and extends to the Columbia river. A
kidtAIt tic 1lit Vi w t0Af w AZ oAOW
you that the Columbia river vows south
from British Columbia almost directly to-
ward Spokane Falls, but that at point
about eighty miles from the city it makes
a wide detour toward the west, then again
takes sontherly course, then turns east
again and finally flows off in southwest
erly direction TO the Paciic ocean. The
name Big Bend comes from the detour
made by the Columbia west of Spokane
Falls.
At least 1, 500. 900 acres of the Big Bend
country is adapted to wheat growing.
Very little of it was under cultivation up
TO two years ago, but settlement is now GO
ing on at rapid rate. About 100000
bushels of wheat was grown this year. The
yield per acre is lower than in the Palouse
country, but it is large compared with that
of the Eastern and Middle States.
Two lines of railroad extend from Spo-
kane Falls throughout the Palouse coun-
try, the Union PaciDc and the Spokane &
Palouse. Two railroads also extend from
Spokane Falls into the Big Bend country,
the Washington Central and the Seattle,
Lake Shore IL Eastern. Spokane Falls is
therefore a center into which the wheat
from these districts can be quickly and in
extensively transported.
Thus have gone over the salient points
in our development for the year just closed.
We look forward with confidence to the
still greater achievements of another year.
We look for the coming of another great
transcontinental line--the Great North
ern. We expect to build a steel cantilever
bridge across the Spokane river that shall
be over 100 feet high and over $500 feet
long; We expe ct to put in sewerage 'sys-
tenn that will cost $4,000; we expect to
see the Catholics erect new building for
Gonzaga college that shall be of imposing
architecture and that shall cost $500, 900; ;
we expect to erect grain elevator that
shall have capacity of 100000 bushels
we expect to erect additional touring mills
until we have capacity of 2 500 barrels a
day; we expect TO treat at least 10000 tons
of lead and silver ores. and finally, we ex-
pect to build several additional Office build
ings and any number of residences. This
is part of what we shall do. We shall
do much more than this, but what | have
said will indicate that we shall have an
other busy year. JOHN &. REAvIs.