The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-16
TxccxA BrxxAr OF TIE Posr-lsrxLEs-
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THOMAS saxxoss. MAEAsRA
FARMERS BIG LOSS.
An Eastern Washington Wheat
Grower on the Outlook.
THE WHOLE YEAR DISASTROUS.


TacouA. Jan. f5-fspeci.i. Lake d.
woifard sums Up the damage done crops
In Eastern Washington during the past
season by saying IL would have
been better for the farmers If
they had not planted anything last
spring. In hts opinion the damage done
has been undercssimated. Mr.. woifard 10
large owner Of wheat lands in the Pa
Iouse district. and has been ovsr much OF
the country visited By foods, bat notwith-
standing their great loss he reports the
farmers hopeful. Continuing. he says:
Extra precautions might have saved q
large portion or the grain now considered
rs Loaf, but such opinions come from 6 want
OF knowledge of the facts. No farming
country on the globe 10 able to stand
the heavy and continuous rain storms
which flooded the Eastern Washington
grain districts from September until JAM
uary without suffering almost total de-
siruction OF crops. II not an acre had
been planted 10 wheat In 1888
Judgment would be better of today.
Many thousands of acres have not been
cut a. all. Many thousands of bushels of
threshed wheat and barley have rotted in
the sack and in the granary, and as
fitting climax to all the distresses OF that
county. the roads and field. became so soft
from the iueessznt rains that hauling TO
market for the past four weeks has been
practically impossible. Mortgage interest
and the tax question are very serious
problems which confront the people, vet
II seems astonishing how the farmers hold
up under these trying conditions and look
forward TO the future with hope,
notwithstanding No. wheat brings
but q cents per bushel in bulk, and all
AT 1AP IF h. k~fx 49,
similar comparative prices. The farmer
argues with much reason that these ruin
Gus prices cannot long be MAIN
tanned. for the reason that
threc-fourths OF the wheat area Of the
world can not produce q bushel of wheat
at u cents without loss, and must of neces.
siiy 60 out Of business or turn their atten-
ton to more diversified farming.
IL think most accounts of the terrible
deiuge which visited that county In har-
vest time have fallen far short Of the facts.
/ can speak more positively Of what is
known as the Paiouse country, having
been on the ground during the shower
period
''of the Kaslo-slocan mining district
OF British Columbia Mr.. Wolfard says: :
In my opinion no district has ever been
discovered which showed brighter promise
with ike amount Of develop
menf than Is now shown by the
SLOGAN country. Quite ~ great q proportion
OF prospects have developed into mines as
you will find in other districts, bat the
great factor which places SLOGAN at the
very head OF the list in the matter OF enor-
nous probabilities Is the high grade of the
ores. In all my range OF reading or expe-
prience i have never heard of q min
ing camp whose silver ores would
average above 100 ounces per ton as q
smelling proposition. SLOGAN ores rarely
run less than 100 ounces, and We have
record OF hundreds Of tons which have
snelted over 800 ounces per ton. Surely
such high grade ores If continued both in
quantity and quality. with great depth,
will make q record for that district which
will astonish the world"