The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-10-05
Opening of Spokane's Second
Annual Fruit Fair.
NEARLY 5000 IN ATTENDANCE
Governor Mcconnell Of Idaho Makes an
Address That pleases the Big
Audience.
Spokane, Wash, oct. 1.

fruit fair yesterday afternoon. He
made a happy speech, which was fire.
quently interrupted with applause.
The governor spoke from the band
stand, and every word could be dis
tinctly heard throughout the immense
building. The band played Hail Col
umbia" as the governor. Mayor Belt
and j. w. Binkley, president of the
Spokane Bureau of immigration, as
cended the steps.
The governor was introduced by Pres
applause from the large audience when
he rose to speak. He said:
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Citizens of
Washington, Idaho and Oregon: We are
here for the purpose of formally opening
this fair for which enterprise you are
under obligations to. the bureau of immi-
grafton of the city of Spokane. For to
this people entirely we owe this exhibit
ton.
AS you have perhaps noticed, this struc-
ture was not Intended for speech making.
Therefore l will not attempt to perpetrate
one upon you. For you must recognize
how difficult it is to address an audience
under these conditions.
In common with other Idahoans, 1 am
that we built it, The brick in your mas
sive structures were, many of them,
brought from Moscow, Idaho, and the
lumber in your beautiful edifces was
nearly all of it stolen from our state.
Naughter)
Every structure must have a good
foundation to have it's permanence as
sured. When your enter Using people
proposed to build the brick blocks which
adorn your city they first dug deep into
the soil and conveyed from the state OF
Idaho massive granite blocks upon which
, the structure was to be erected. SO it is
with the erection of every structure,
whether it be that of our human lives or
that of our commemorative. The fOunda-
ton of our lives is laid in our public
schools, our Sunday schools, our homes
and churches, and if that foundation is
neglected the structure is apt to be d
failure. If we would maintain our integ-
rity as a nation, continue to uphold that
beautiful flag with which this exhibition
is so lavishly decorated, we must lay the
foundation of our citizenship deep and
broad in our public schools. SO II you
make the state of Washington what it
should be, one of the greatest and most
promising of our sisterhood of states, it
must be peopled by a frugal, enterprising
and industrious people, whose industry
is well directed. You must organize as
farmers, as horticulturists, as stock rails
ers, as miners, as lawyers and as news
paper men-nOt for the purpose of in
dulging in politics and making yourselves
policemen or even mayors, but for the
promotion Of the particular industry or
vocation in which you are engaged, and
by the building up of that industry or vo-
cation assist the enterprises of your
state, and by all pulling together you may
create commonwealth of which genera
tions to come will be proud
To you as citizens of Spokane 1 desire
4. rarIt a D fl
enterprise l am astOnished that you have
not before now devised ways and means
to bring water upon the beautiful prairie
between here and Occur d'Alene City and
Post Falls Having been citizen of the
arid districts of the west for many years,
and having constructed the first irrigation
ditch in southern Idaho, L am accustomed
to judge of a country as / pass over it.
And / say to you there is no better dis
trict for horticulture than this extern
sive prairie to which 1 refer. For the
purposes of irrigation it is really better
than if it had a clay soil. Hayden lake
has ample water and Post Falls has am
pie power, while science has demonstrated
the method by which that power may be
conveyed-that of electricity. pumping
station run by wire or wires at some
point on that lake would make this en-
tire district bloom like the rose
owing to the fact that so large por-
ton of our state can not be cultivated
without irrigation, you have received
thousands of immigrants that ought To
have settled with us in Idaho. The great
bulk of the early immigration coming
here, approaching the fertility of the soil
Of north Idaho and it's advantages Of wood
and water, settled in koOtenai, Latah and
Nez Perez counties.
We in the northern part of our state
are looking forward to time Ehen con-
eress will readjust our lines and make
10. Of "a he
entire line, as you should be, a part OF
the state of Idaho. daughter and ap-
plause).
now, ladies' and gentlemen, by request
of the management, declare this fair for
mally opened. Oong appiause).
MIR. BINKLEY'S ADDRESS.
Before the governor was introduced
President Binkley made a short ad
dress. One year ago, he said, the bu
reau of immigration had decided tina
an exhibition Of the fruit and othel
products Of the country would prove o
great benefit. The success of the frs
exhibition, held a year ago, had in
spired the present one. The fair, III
said, was intended to embrace the en-
tire inland empire, and there were nov
to be seen at this exhibition the prod
ucts Of three states. The exhibits CAV
tangible evidence of the great produc
tiveness Of the country. A dozen year
ago the planting of a fruit tree in thi
section was an experiment; it was nov
an investment. The bureau Of immi
grafton, he said, was much flattere'
by the presence of so many exhibits
The invitations to bring exhibits hat
been responded to magnifcently. Spo
kane county, fruitful as it is, could no
have mt I'D such an exhibit unassisted