Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-16
Washlnaton Standard
NPIt. WASH.
FRIDAY EVENING. August IL. 1895.
A Possibility of the Future.

tai. ha- revived that quc.ti"n a. well
a that other Proposition considered
when the preliminary >tri.> Tor State
ho"'i were taken. oi a division OF the
state hy that natural boundary line for
political subdivisions, range OF
mountains which separate wide areas
OF different capabilities and adaptation.
Probably the name Of Washington
will never he changed, unless it he by
a consent oi her people as an incident
Of changes OF boundary, and ii it is
then made, it is safe to say that no
radical substitution will be tolerated.
The most acceptable name that has
been suggested, should new State be
formed from the grasshopper region,
Tor the area west OF the Cascade range,
is that OF correspondent of the same
journal, Orrin NJ. Donaldson, OF Aus
tin, H., who proposes to modify the
present name by the addition OF an a,
making it Washingtona. The change
would be SO slight that it would find
favor with those who advocated so
strenuously an adherence to the name
OF the Territory, ont of veneration for
the Father OF his country, while it
would meet the objection so persis-
tently urged at the time of the lorna
ton OF the State Constitution, that it
would lead to confusion.
The name Columbia, suggested dur
ing the controversy by the STANDARD,
Mr.. Donaldson thinks, should be re-
served for British Columbia, or some
part of it, which he assumes will ulti-
mately become part OF our govern
ment, and it would be recognition OF
the proprieties to reserve that name
for the State that would be carved out
OF her present boundaries. While this
may seem like counting unmatched
chickens, the bare suggestion of the
idea appeals to the spirit of patriotism
which is aroused whenever the proba.
bility of extension of our nations do.
main or OF addition TO her grandeur is
considered.
The reasons Mr.. Donaldson advances
for division of the State were all con-
sidered in detail few years ago, ant
were overruled simply from the sparse
ness of population, a condition which
no longer exists, and it may be thai
this change might result in a modifi
cation of the feeling which then pre-
vailed. He says:
The State of Washington will probably
not remain intact for many years. Thu
Cascade mountains form natural lin,
of cleavage and separate the State int
two very unlike parts, each an empire
The western end is excessively humid
while the eastern portion is semi-arit
and requires irrigation to a considerabl,
extent. Their agricultural, industrial
and commercial interests are distinct
There is growing up with marvelou
rapidity new civilization center aroun,
the city of Spokane in the easter
extremity, which will naturally cemen
to itself all the territory east of tn
mountains.
Among the possibilities of the futur
is a new State comprising all of Wash
ington east of the Cascades and north O
fhn SnoGa Tho -
Idaho to as far south as the watershe,
north of the Clearwater river, and all Q
Montana west of the main range of tn
Rocky mountains. Spokane, with it
10000 people, soon to be $4,000, is al
and is connected by rail with nearly ever
portion of it.
Between 100000 and 100000 peopl
within the boundaries here described
one of the richest corners of the Nortl
American continent, and blessed with
climate that is source of perennial Joy
Neither Montana nor Idaho would mis-
its contribution to the new State, which
in lieu of better maize, l would cal
Missoula; and Washington itself, ives
of the Cascades, would have left abou
oOsoOO cHudlO \tilC dtCd VI DOul
Carolina) and a present population Q
5000 or more. The Puget Scum,
country is destined to hold the creates
commercial center on the continent ives
of the Mississippi, and Westinghouse
Washingtona, if you please---will no
need very large area to make it Stat
OF the first magnitude"
All this is quite true, and when W
consider the jealousies constant,
cropping out between the "bunch
grass" or "grasshopper" population
and the clamdiggers," expressions 81
frequently applied by the residents o
one district to the other that the,
lose the characteristic of friendly jest
we must admit there may be greater
evils than a division upon the line
indicated by Nature for the boundarie
OF great and prosperous States.