The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-05-30
PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
Condensed Telegraphic Re.
ports of Late Events.
BRIEF SPARKS FROM THE WIRES

appenings of Interest in the Towns and
Cities of Oregon, Washinton
and Idaho.
The last Spokane grand jury severely
condemned the present fee svystem.
The Sunday cases. cost Walla
Wallacounty, Wash, $1,O59, and the
expenses of the Hoyt trial were $780,
The South Palouse is dwindling, and
the pioneers say such an action of the
stream is proof positive that the Palouse
country needs rain.
The taxpayers of the La Grande, Or i,
school district are talking over the pro-
position of buying the Blue Mountain
university property for 81, 500.
The Fort klamath Indians have is
sued general invitation to the Pitt
river Indians to celebrate July Fourth
on the Klamath, Or. reservation.
1t appears that the building of the
Blaine. Lynden & Nooksack railroad
can be secured if the localities inter-
ested put up subsidy of $4,000.
Twenty thousand fruit trees have
been planted in the vicinity of Lake
Chelan this spring and a great deal
of ground is being prepared for next
seasons planting.
William Fetros, the Yakima, Wash.
sheepman, has driven 200 sheep to
the Columbia opposite Umatilla, and is
now shearing. The wool will be sold
in Pendleton, Or.
The Satsop, Wash, skimming sta
ton in operation only since the LIST of
the month, is receiving upwards of
1000 pounds of milk, and the quaint
ity is increasing daily.
John Stewart has men engaged in
Lane county buying up 500 COWS which
he is to deliver at Squaw creek, in
Crook county, Or, He will start the
drive across the mountains about June
LIST.
Sheep shearing is now in full blast
about Wallula, Wash. Shearers COM
plain of the low price paid or shearing,
6 cents and board themselves, when
7 cents with board was the former
price.
The city council of Spokane has
passed an ordinance to bond the city for
$278, ZOO, to complete the new water
works. The vote was 10 to 2. 1t is
not known whether Mayor Belt will
approve or veto the ordinance.
An order was made by Judge Buck
at Spokane Wednesday, for Receiver
Drumheller, of the Falls City Manu-
featuring Company, to pay the general
creditors of the corporation % per cent
of all claims approved and allowed.
Upon the petition of SGT citizens of
Benton county, Or, the county court,
in session there last week, ordered that
the sheriff be allowed only one deputy
at $50 per month, and the recorder a
deputy at $40 per month-just one-half
the former allowance.
Benton county, Or, had to pay the
state $119.24 interest on the state taxes
due from this years roll. After Treas
urer Clark thought he had the taxes all
paid, he received note from the state
treasurer demanding an additional
$119.24. He RENTED the amount Sat
urday morning, and now for the first
time in three years Benton county owes
the state nothing.
The extensive operations that have
been carried on at the Black Jack mine,
near Hornbrook, Or, on the klamath
river, have been closed down for the
present, at least, and all but four OF the
thirty to thirty five men who had been
employed were discharged. This mine,
which is a gravel deposit similar to the
Jillson mine adjoining, was originally
owned by Messrs. Cooley Ryan and
Burckhalter.
The Fletcher mill, near Weston,
Umatilla county, Or, is now being run
at full capacity, and later one depart
ment, the manufacture Of fruit boxes,
will be running day and night The
mill will run all summer. At present
fourteen men are employed, but the
force soon will comprise forty good
lively hustlers, who will turn out 20,
900 feet per day. Now $1,000 feet are
being sawed. The seasons output is
expected to aggregate between 1000,
600 and 5000, 900 feet Mr.. Fletcher
requires about twenty yoke Of cattle
when everything is going full blast.
It is estimated that the acreage OF
potatoes planted in Whitman county,
Wash, this year, says the Harrington
Leader, will reach 5000 acres. Count
ing on 200 bushels per care, which IN
most sections is considered a small
crop, there will be raised this year no
less than 1900, 900 bushels, or $4,000
tons of potatoes. Of these not more
than 5000 tons will be required for
home consumption, and perhaps less
than 1900 tons more for the markets
in the immediate vicinity.
No season ever opened more ausplc-
iously in the Palouse country, Wash,
saws the North Idaho Star, than this
To begin with, the little snow that
fell in the winter disappeared early
Farmers got early at work IN their
fields. The soil was in suberb condl-
ton. Flowing was early completed
and the ground which had been summer
fallowed worked up as mellow as gar
den. The weather remained dry until
the sowing was done, and then came
the welcome rains, and the great for
ward leap of grass, and grain and fruit:
The prospect is for forward year, and
| g. a4lool 10 for an abundant crop of