The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-23
Written for The Tribune.

Soh SoitdiH HioTe SuTpTlStS tudl tuSsS
United States, and the farther west
ward he goes the greater do they APP
pear to him. One of the greatest sur
prises on the line of the Northern Paci-
hc railroad is the miraculous Spokane"
which Is also called I great gateway
to a northwestern empire of endless re-
sources and the %grandest possibilities
h about Spokane? Where this
city now stands was q wilderness in
1S7S-not a civilized human being lived
within a hundred miles. Now. through
the enterprise and agency of this great
road. stands the metropolis of eastern
Washington, a city of no mean impor-
lance; q city that this new state. yes.
the whole country may well feel proud
of. 1t Is virtually a New England city.
with the push and enterprise of the
Great West. Spokane is apt to belle the
average fasteners ideas of what con-
stitutes q western city. New Eng
landers can hardly imagine that 5000
miles westward. inland. is a city made
up from her choicest sons and daugh-
ters, with an impulsiveness SO charac-
t~eristic of the Wild West. In h east
we temper our enthusiasm with discrc-
tion. but westward enthusiasm and en-
terprise know no bounds.
Lin nv Immense Grnsshoprcr.
Spokane has been likened by that in
genious writer, O.. d. Wheeler. Ito the
body of an immense grasshopper, the
iron bands of it's many railroads being
it's long, fa~r-reaching legs" Spokane
Is a city of wonderful vitality. one of
those miraculous cities" found only in
the alert and aggressive west. One
says: ut Is another ~fire-devasted city
thai did not seem to know 1t was hurt
The great fire that occurred Aug. 4. 1888,
burned most of its business portion;
$50 houses of brick, stone and wood
were destroyed. entailing a loss OF
$1,000, 900 to $4,000. 900, with an insur-
ance of only 81, 500. Goa, and 1t was moi
only able to stand the loss. but actuaiiy
thrives under 1t. The city was in the
midst of a period of marvellous pros
perity. Its population was increasing
rapidly. it's trade was extending over
n vast region of country, which was De-
ing penetrated by now railroads center
ing within its limits, and these We're
bringing to 1t the rich fruits OF hair a
dozen prosperous mining districts. NC
people were ever in better condition &c
meet disaster and none-not ever
Seattle-ever met it with Drawer hearts
or with quicker or more resolute oe'er'
invitation to survive the blow.
Hardly had the sun gone down on the
dav following the fire. when prepara-
t;ons began for rebuilding. These en-
terprising citizens felt that the CIT!
should not only be rebuilt at once. put
more handsomely than before; aho
within a year it was entirely RESTORED
on a far more extensive scale tnah ot,
fore, the newly erected buildings peint
decidedly superior in character eoeii
was the enterprise or SPOKANE.
Room CITY with Solid Backing.
This was the strongest evidence tna,
it's recuperativc powers nave soi
backing ard though depressed ny .ne
g]nancis, crash, which has Jared the
u,hoIe and and whose rumblings have
rof altogether ceased, the citizens Oh
Spokane retain their courage n tnelf
con fdence In her future greatness, De-
lieving the day is near ut hand When
she will become Il second Minneapois
fo, the city possesses the water power
and the crons which have made the
latter city great: or n second Helena ioi
within "A hundred miles square she mas
untold wealth in gold n SILVER OF
the eve of development.
The noted falls of st. Anthony at
Minneapolis. dwindle into insignific-
ance. when compared with the wild
RAPIDS and the mighty roaring cat
aracts of the Spokane river. rms
water fall with its immense power
would alone make a city. Engineers
yariously estimate its force from ninety
to two hundred thousand horsepower
It's volume continues about the same
the year around, and 1t Is so distribute
ed that 1t can be easily utilized.
The city itself is located on both
sides of the Spokane river at the point
where that stream, separated by Rocky
Islands into five separate channels.
rushes onward and onward, at first
being merely q series of rapids, and
then tumbling over the rocks In a num-
Der of beautiful and useful water falls.
until the streams unite once again for
a ina plunge of sixty feet. making a
fall Of one hundred and ffty-seven
feet, in the distance of half a mile. This
water power Is second to none in Amer
lea, save Niagara, and Is capable of
supplying construction room and power
for three hundred different mills and
manufactures.
An Interesting River.
The Spokane river on which these
falls are found. Is the only outlet of
Lake Occur d'Alene. a sheet of water
thirty miles distant. thirty miles long.
and fed by the St. Joseph, st. Mary and
Occur d'Alene rivers. which flow
through a vast plain until its waters
empty into the Columbia river and
Pacific Ocean. The falls are of UNI
common value as a water power. mas
much as the river freezes. The
entire electric lighting plant of the
city. the cable railway system, the
electric railway system. the machinery
for the city water works, and the dozen
mills and factories are now operated by
the power from the falls. and no i'm
preston seems to be made upon its
vast resources. The city has a water
works system far greater than its pres
ent needs. being, in fact, as large as
the present supply of Denver. with its
$4,000 population and more than the
supply of the city of Portland, Oregon.
with it's $1,000 population. The Holly
System" Is used, costing nearly a half
million of dollars and capable of sup
plying over twelve million gallons daily.
The Washington Waterpower CON-
pany, with a capital of one million dol
lars, Is now constructing fumes and
other improvements to accommodate
new mills and factories. This swiftly
moving river is a half-mile wide and is
crossed by two very imposing bridges
one hundred feet above the water.
Eternal mist rises from the boiling
abyss. and sunshine reveals a bow of
promise spanning the chasm."
Spokanc's Fine Residences.
The residence portion of Spokane is
unusually beautiful. Standing on a
lofty eminence, 1t furnishes charming
views of the business section and sur
rounding scenery. Long lines of mag
nificent blocks line the principal streets
and there are on every hand multiply
ing evidences of thrift and prosperity.
The public buildings are solid and beau
tiful in architecture. varying from five
to seven stories in height and costing
all the way from $50. 900 to 5000. 900 each.
Five Of the eight National Bank build
ings cost 800, 900 each and the various
churches are all fine structures. There
are several fine hotels-Hotel Spokane,
the largest, is a structure creditable to
any large eastern city. and its appoint
ments and cuisine are first-class in
oyorv raspact We made thiu O,ir hood-