Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-02-21

Il
country are Sprague, Davenport, Har-
rington, Ritzville, Reardan, Mondovi,
Creston. Almira. Coulee City and Wa
terville. Bridgeport and Wenatchee are
on the Columbia and are good points
1 for business. The total area of the
Big Bend region comprises 100000
acres, of which 1,050,000 are under culti-
! walton.
BIG BEND BY COUNTIES.
! Lincoln county is so miles square and
contains 1,450.OO0 acres. 1t is conceded
to be one of the very best agricultural
counties in the state of Washington.
The lands are mostly high rolling prai-
| RE, very fertile and splendid for grain
| of all kinds. This county boasts a
| great many farms in the highest state
| of cultivation. Fruit growing has been
| a great success for nearly ten years.
| This includes in the list of northern
| grown fruits peaches and grapes, early
| cherries and June apples. Sheep, hogs
| and cattle all do we'll and are extern
| sively raised here from the fact that
water is abundant and easily obtained
| from numerous streams, springs and
| driven wells. The lay of the country
car be easily understood from the fact
that most of the roads strictly follow
section lines and are fairly well i'm
proved. This county could easily sup
port hundred thousand people. Thou
sands of acres covered with rich grass
and flowers await the settlers coming.
These broad acres are easily obtained,
and those already there will gladly well
come new neighbors.
Adams county lies south of Lincoln
and is about the same size. 1t is more
especially adapted to stock raising 1t
contains in the southern portion
large area of irrigable lands. which at
present affords one of the most extern
sive cattle and sheep ranges there is
In eastern Washington. In the north
ern and eastern portions of The county
grain and fruit are grown with the
most gratifying results. Sheep and cat
tie raising are the chief industries pur-
sued Every one here owns his farm,
and is in Independent, easy circum-
stances. Renters are unknown, taxes
are low, health prevails as the rule
and the people are hopeful and thrifty.
Franklin county constitutes the
southern portion of the Big Bend coun-
try. It is f1anked on the east by the
Palouse river, on the south by Snake
river and on the west by the Columbia.
This county is almost entirely composed
of irrigable lands, the northern portion
being especially fine for grazing, while
the southern part is covered with a
dense growth of sagebrush but the
soil is very fertile and produces large
crops of wheat. Such root crops as long
beets, parsnips, carrots and sweet po-
tatoes do well. A greater portion of
this county can be irrigated from the
Columbia and Palouse rivers. Artesian
wells have been driven with success,
and a fine flow of water obtained for
irrigating purposes.
Douglas county contains 100000
acres of land, and is bounded on the
north and west by the Columbia river.
1t is mostly fertile rolling prairie, and
as yet is sparsely settled. The Great
Northern railway passes through the
county in a southwesterly direction.
The Washington Central touches Doug
las county at Coulee City, and will prob
ably be extended to Waterville on the
Columbia during the next summer sea-
son. This is a fine agricultural and
fruit growing region. All kinds of grain,
including corn, which is grown ex-
tensively, do well. AS yet there has
never been failure of crops. The rails
ing of garden seeds and grain seed has
: DecOI1le specially with the ltEneTS III
that county. Large quantities of peas
and beans of various kinds are shipped
I east to great seed houses. Most of the
, wheat, barley, oats and rye are SO ex-
cellent in all respects that they are
, sold on the markets for seeding pur-
poses. Waterville and the foot of Ban
gor mountain are very prosperous, as
their products for seed bring a prem
, ium over the ordinary market prices.
Taking it all in all, the Big Bend re
| gion is one of the most desirable region:
: for agricultural purposes in the north
e west. The climatic conditions are ex
: ceptionally fine. The temperature i!
2 remarkably even. There are no sud
: den changes, no billiards., no cyclones
I Spring, summer and autumn are fine
: Winter always affords good sleighing
The melting SHOWS added to the sprin.
rains give plenty of moisture for tn
crops. There Is no place in the worl,
: where the seasons are more marked o
! | distinctive. The summers are usual,
: dry and even in temperature. TIL
nights are invariably cool and refresh
! ing to all forms of life. Although Their
a are but few streams. water is easil,
obtained by digging. The wells vary il
. depth from five to so feet. The char
acter of the soil is the same as that il
. the Palouse region, while in other char
acteristics the country is similar to tn
prairies of Illinois and Iowa. There ar
more than one and half millions of acre
, now open to entry. Douglas county OF
l. fers to the settler as good opportunitie
:, as can be found in the northwest.
Il The Palouse country proper, whic
9 takes its name from the Palouse rivel
# begins with the north line of Whitma
10 county and extends southwark to tn
:. Oregon line. The Northern Pacific raj
4 road and the eastern boundary c
al Adams and Franklin counties form tn
western boundary, while upon the cas-
it laps over, so to speak, on to Idaht
n The Palouse region has become justl
a. famous on merits peculiarly it's owl
~ So attractive was this region of vas
q ao!!ing prairies dotted with groves an
i watered with streams flowing from tn
as mountain ranges of Idaho on the cas-
q that the earliest settlers in easter
4 Washington on arriving concluded to 6
m no farther. 1t was good enough the
o. said. In time wheat became the leadin
"a staple product and some of the large!
II, wheat farms north of California wei