The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-27
ROAMING FAR WEST.
The Trip Resum ed-Spokene Falls, Helena,
aud other Points.

and other Points.
DEAR FRIENDs-As you may remember
the conclusion of my last description was
the landing at Tacoma, situated on the
western border of Washington.
On the morning of April %. 1890, 1
leave here for trip across the state, hav-
ing Spokane Falls some four hundred
miles distant, as my destination. This
ride is quite interesting, and gives one
very good idea of the wealth of Washing
ton. Her western border consists of lum-
Der traffic, and her agricultural industry
of hop raising seems to be very profit
able one. Nearly every settler has a
drying kiln for preparing the hops for
market We pass through several good
sized towns, such as Ellensburg, Takima,
Sprague and others We arrive at
Spokane Falls at 80 next morning, aud
about 8 o'clock are out to take in the
town, and find it to be very thrifty place
of about twenty-five thousand inhabitants,
and we think there is much TO build up a
large manufacturing city. Here is the finest
water-power / ever saw. Spokane river,
which divides the city north and south, is
the only outlet to Cour DAlene lake,
thirty miles distant and down grade most
the way. so the entire fall is several hun
bred feet At one place in the city there
is fall of about sixty feet and the water
rushes almost equal TO the rapids below
Niagara Falls. Spokane Falls with her
many railroads promises to become a large
commercial center, being near one of the
finest wheat growing sections of the West,
called the Palouse country and also near
the Coville, Cour DAlene and other
mines rich in gold, silver, lead, iron and
coal. Washington is said TO be the richest
state in the union. Spokane, having had
d fire about ten months before that de-
stroyed nearly all the business portion
and a number OF dwellings, they were
in the midst Of rebuilding; and such fine
buildings as they were erecting. Some
six stories high and of best modern i'm
provements. Here, also. we find the
cable and electric moter street car lines
running in several directions, and the
electric light used throughout the city.
all the power being furnished by the
Spokane river.
From here l make several side trips.
Go up. to Cour D'Alene and Fort Sher-
man, situated on the banks of lake
OOur u AlcQe. 1IlS IL Il beautiful
sheet of water in which there is the finest
fishing imaginable. We take boat and
90 fishing for speckeled trout, and grand
sport we have. One has almost to lie
down in the boat to bait the hook. Game
also abounds in this locality-deer, boar,
kuger, or mountain lion. TT. Sherman Is
a nice, picturesque place where there are
about 500 soldiers. After spending two
days in this vicinity we return TO Spokane
and 90 TO Medical lake, twenty-five miles
distant a great health resort. The water
is very alkali, and in stirring II fathers
equal 10 soap suds. There is no living
thing in this lake and no bush or grass
will grow where even this water touches.
Several places here they boil it down, get
ting kind of gray powder which they
ship throughout the country, claiming it
possesses medical properties. There is in
course of construction a very large insane
asylum, also bath houses. hospitals and
hotels here for the accommodation of in
valids and visitors.
The scenery of Spokane and vicinity is
very picturesque, and after spending two
weeks here, full of enjoyment, we take
the train on the Northern Pacific at 80
a. m. May 8.
Now being on ''the home stretch and
y,
We stay on board the train two days and
nights, passing over range OF the Rocky
mountains the first day, winding around
through ravines, over gulches and through
tunnels. We 90 over many high trestles
one being 266 feet high and nearly the
shape Of a rainbow and makes one almost
hold their breath. it looks SO high and
dangerous.
About sunset we arrive at Helena, 400
miles east of Spokane. This cityis scat
tered around the foothills of the Belt
mountains. From here on the journey is
over rough broken country. with very few
towns of any importance. the principal
ones being Bozeman, Livingston and Miles
City. We had intended stopping off at
Livingston and go down to the Nation al
or Yellowstone park, but there being so
much snow, the park was not open. We
pass over a section of country of many
miles, known as the bad lands Of Western
Dakota, where there is very little vegeta-
ton. A few miles of this there is evil
dence of an ancient forest as there now re-
mains petri6ed stumps and logs at onepoinl
on a high rock stands the 'lone sentinel"