The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1894-12-01
BuILDIua Ar CASTLES.


0VkAVk40 49, OAD4A8os
TAs Spokane Pspsrs Talk Of . Big Military
Pest.
The Spokane papers sre telling the
people that the only thing they need
now to complete their happiness and
make that town q second London IL .
military post of 1000 soldiers. Indeed,
the papers Of that town are adept air
castle builders and II the people believe
one-tenth Of what they say we have no
doubt the broken down, bankrupt real
estate sharks and thieving bankes who
are backing the scheme will be able to
Glch . little more money from their
victims-the people. The Spokesman
Review tells the public that big mill
tary post Is worth more to the town
than twenty factories, and that 1000
soldiers would increase the population
5000 TO 5000, and points to the big pay
roll and tells how much money the SOL
diers would invest In real estate. In
glowing terms they are told that 1t
would be better than . mine and that 1t
would create pay roll Of from $4,000
to $4,000 month. That the sale of
vegetables and garden truck would be
enormous. There Is, no doubt, some
advantage In q military post being 10.
Gated near town; but should Spokane
succeed in her efforts to have one es.
tablished there her people will be sadly
disappointed In the harvest they expect
to reap from the soldiers. Their street
railroad company might derive some
benefit from car fares and it would
practically end there.
The advantages would not justify thu
expenditure of large sums Of money Il
obtain post. In the FIRST place Their
is canteen connected with every arm,
post-in other words a store-wher'
the soldier can purchase almost any
thing he wants on credit, between pa!
days, from a glass Of beer to suit o.
clothing, including furnishing goods
tobaccos and cigars, and when pay da!
comes most Of his months wages i
due the canteen. These goods are sole
to the soldiers for less money than tn
Spokane merchant can lay them dowl
at his store. Aside from this the sol
dien can draw supplies Of clothing
gloves fur caps and provisions from tn
government stores aud sell them Il
com petition with the merchants and a
about half price. Military posts ais
have their gardens where the soldier
raise most Of their vegetables 80 tina
the gardeners around Spokane woult
hardly grow rich in one season. Til
Spokesman Review makes the assertio
that their population would b
increasd 5000 10 $500 by the location Q
the post there, yet it fails to te
that a married man Is not allowed {
enlist as soldier, or how the great in
crease Is to 30 brought about. w
would like TO know, also, how month
ly expenditure of $4,000 can tax
place at a post of 1000 soldiers. A
Fort Sherman, with its 400 men th
monthly disbursement Of money is les
than $4,000, a large portion Of whic
goes into the canteen. These are som
of the advantages the people will actu
ly gain, but they are nothing like VIII:
the Spokane papers are attempting
make them believe they will be. III
expenditure of $4,000 to 5000 mont
in town the size of Ceur d'Alene is {
benefit, but it would hardly be notice
in town like Spokane. We doubt
the amount Spokane gained by securiu
the abandonment of Fort Sherma
7 would equal the loss she must sustai
in q business way from our people.