Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-04-28
COAST CORRESPONDENCE.
a Letter From Washington OH several
Interesting Topics.

a Letter Fran Washington on several
IMtcrc>tin. Topics.
GUY. Wash, April ~ Editor FREE
Press. When II e Northern Pacific rail-
road was projected many said the promo
tors We're crazy as they could not operate
the road more than six months of the
deep snow upon the route every winter.
That was q mistake. The Northern Pa
citc road has suffered less delay and dam
age from such causes than more southern
roads. The first engineers looking for a
route said there was no important agri-
cultural land in eastern Washington; re-
ported the region, now IL marvel of pro-
Effectiveness, worthless for the pillow and of
small value for grazing; the grass being
very short and thin and the summers rain
less. They had to acknowledge they
were far from understanding the value of
the country. The first families who set
tied in eastern Washington and western
Idaho held the same opinion for years:
cultivatng only small fields in the valleys
and depending on stock grazing for money.
They now confess they We're III error and
hills and Stccpest slopes. For some years
of droulh the farmers in many counties in
South Dakota have doubted the success
of the plow. and are turning their attcn-
ton mostly to stock raising. Some are
even vcnturng the assertion that western
Dakota is fitted by nature only for graz
ing. The lapse of no more years than
Were required TO diSpcl the same deluSon
in regard to this country will open The
eyes OF everyone to the fact tina, the en-
tire extent from Minnesota to the Black
Hills, because OF the great beauty of the
gentle, bil!owy, slopng surface of the
country and the unsurpassed fertility of
the soil, will produce in bread and meat
q surplus to feed the starving of many ma
tions.
Spectators will soon hold mach of that
soil at greatly advanced figures. Irriga-
tion will do much, increased rainfall and
thorough lillagc will do more. Natures
God and man, His intelligent. progressive
co-worker. will soon fulfill this prediction.
This Pacific northwest is making steady
and rapid progress in wealth and popula-
zion. The valuable pillow lands are of very
limited area and were OF little value un-
til the advent of the railways, because of
the impossiblity of transporting by
wagon roads, which are crooked, cxpcn-
sivc and often impossible in the winter.
The Midland Pacific railroad is much
talked OF here, and as soon as il passes the
Rockies it will enter one of the most valu-
able portions of Idaho, known here as the
Salmon river and CamaS prairie country.
which ahounds in natural water power
equal to Spokane Falls, vast forests, rich
aud varied mineral wealth, undevclopcd
and untouched for want of Transportation.
Such is this region which has been occu-
pied by "a few substantial ranchmen for
many years. The Midland Pacific road
will, when finished. be one OF the most
valuable transcon1incntal Tires and do
more TO make Pierre city than any other
single road.
The SILVER question is a live issue here.
TO the writer tbs clear that the apprecia-
ton of gold, because it is the commercial
worlds. the rich mans only standard OF
values, is the cause Of the present decline
IN the value OF the staple pr ducts Of la
Dor. Were silver made standard with
gold It's bn on value won'd Immediately
appreciate. The value of silver nuctuatcs
because il is regarded only as Il product.
like wool, cotton, provisions aud grain.
There is no over production OF tho worlds
supply of bread and meat. bu, they de-
cline in market value while thousands
are starving, because the rich. io,c TAX
Ing. interest collecting population of the
world make the poor man and the debtor
class sign note payable in gold coin"
And silver bullion dcprcciates with other
products OF labor.
Gold cannot much longer occupy the
position it now does, of supreme ruler Of
the commercial universe. 1t is not sufiic-
iently expansive. Money worshlpcrs
must. for the good of the creditor and la
boring classes and the more rapid pro-
gress OF the industrial world, turn from
unitarianism to the worship of the trinity
gold, silver and paper. Yours,
II