The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-26
SEATTLE IN THE oKANoGAy.


Review A letter which should be read BY
Seattle merchants. After many years & IS
beginning 20 be realized thai there are
good mines in Ozanogan county. which
means quick development and good bust
ness. The county Is, and can be made more
so. tributary TO this city. and Seattle mer-
chants are fast building up a trade that
promises rich returns DIR. Watson's let
ter follows;
There IS a breath OF prosperity futter-
ing over the mineral resources OF Okano-
gan county. Where there was stagna-
ton like the sleep OF death two years ago
there Is moderate activity today: where
mining properties were being condemned
then, they are being opened or worked
now. While. also, there is considerable
bullion coming out. and some concentrates
are being shipped 10 smeiters each week,
considerable mining machinery Is going
in The prospector and miner are again
becoming familiar objects and the mer-
chaat Is having hope revived
With the revival OF effort in the mining
camps comes the contest for supremacy
for the trade OF okanogan. and we find
Seattle and Spokane in the field. Il is on
this point that I Wish TO call attention TO
some OF the errors into which Spokane is
falling.
THE main source OF supplies for this
section must come, for the present. at
least. via the Columbia river. 1t has been
the river traffic was insufficient, uncertain
and unreliable. and that wagon service
over the Big Bend was the most satisfac-
tory. A virulent pen never made friends
in an honest contest. and misrepreseata-
ton never commands respect. Trade is not
won il that way. The fact is that for two
seasons the river steamer. the Ellensburg,
has been making time schedule trips on
the river. IL has been regularly waiting for
and connecting with Great Northern trains
At Wenatchee. and has had no delays, hard
as the river is to navigate. To Okaaogan
people the river route is their present ally
and friend; IL is theirs to boast of and pro-
tect, just as much as il 1t was their rail-
road, for on its success theirs, in large
measure. must depend. The people here
recognize that the Ellensburg mana cement
has said many kind things of Seattle. but
they also recognize its right in doing so.
on the principle OF licking the hand that
feeds It, Seattle uses okanogan's river
transportation line; Spokane has attempt
ed TO ignore it and use the old method OF
freighting across the Big Bend. Il Is mere
~ an illustration OF the law OF cause and
effect
But that IS not the only reason why
Seattle is invading this natural Spokane
territory. Seattle is using business en-
ergy. AT present her merchants are con-
tr.buting the supplies used by the set
tiers In building A wagon road down the
Methow river from the fertile upper
Methow country TO the Columbia river. a
distance of about thirty miles. Do you not
believe the Seattle merchants VII reap
the reward? Seattle's drummers traverse
this country; Spokane's deserted the field
long ago Seattle capitalists have bonded
the biggest gold properties in Squaw
creek and are going ahead TO develop
them. and dozen prospects are being
looked into by Seattle business men to-
nf
fact is. they recognize that this is
wealthy mineral country and they propose
TO get 1t for themselves. just as Spokane
has the Occur d'Alenes and the Trail
creek districts. They have been asleep on
mineral advantages for years. bur have
been awakened by Spokane's present sue
cess. And unless Spokane does something
more than laugh or growl Seattle VII
control the Okanogan trade as certain
the sun follows the night.
THE keystone 10 the situation Is the
river transportation. The Ellensburg man
egement offered Spokane merchants over
two years ago to haul their goods into
Okanogan county points % 10 40 per cent.
cheaper than Il was beng done by wagon
over the Big BEND. They Ignored the
request and continued shipping via the
Big Bend. Seattle took advantage OF Il.
and Spokane's drummers had TO drop out
OF the trade. The Central Washington
cut the wheat rate last year. and the river
steamer made bigger cut than the rail-
road could stand and took an increasing
haul OF wheat. Likewise the steamer
route captured the Waterville trade: that
Seattle sold the goods was merely a cir
cumstance. for Spokane was not dong
business with the river line. Thus the
river line Is today the keystone to the
okanogan trade. for there Is not a COM
pet!ng rate that II cannot overcome. II
owns two steamers and can treble its
present capacity at a weeks notice. IL
is as much a friend TO Spokane as II is
TO Seattle. for IL IS simply a feeder for
the Great Northern and must be Upheld
in emergency by the Great Northern.
Facts may be unpleasant things. but
they are necessary sometimes. and II
Spokane is displeaseG over the apparent
loss of the Okanogan trade IL IS not
against Okanogan county that she should
hold A grudge; her anger should be turned
sgasnst herself"