The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17
THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Four Counties of Vast Grain Fields
Grid-irOned With Railroads.


Grid-ironed With Railroads.
A. l.. Rogers, of Waterville, read paper
on the resources and possibilities of the
Big Bend country that was something of a
revelation to the convention. Mr.. Rogers
was SO much in earnest that he occasion
ally acclaimed the rolling periods which
here and there dotted his manuscript, and
the facts he gave in relation to this not
very Well-known portion of this great
state were enthusiastically received by the
delegates who were strangers to the vast
resources of the Big Bend on the Column
bia. His paper read:
Skirting the foothills of the Cascade
range of mountains on its way to the sea,
the Columbia river describes a grand
semi-circular sweep. over 400 miles in
length, beginning at the mouth of the
Spokane river and ending at the mouth of
the Snake. This peculiar configuration of
the rivers course is known as the Big
Bend OF the Columbia, and gives name to
that vast region embraced within it, called
the Big Bend country, and which has been
so aptly termed the Inland Empire.
With an area greater than that of either
of the states of New Hampshire, Vermont
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecti-
cut, New Jersey, Delaware or Maryland
with soil Of ineXhaustible fertility; with
q climate invigorating and healthful; and
with proximity to that greatest of all the
oceans which is destined to become the
merce, 1t would be strange indeed if the
jewellers within this imperial domain were
not filled with enthusiasm over its vast
resources, and confidence in it's great des-
tiny, unruffled by the rise and fall of polit-
ical parties; undismayed by the clash Of
monetary standards, and undaunted by
financial crises and the arrangements and
the depressions of values that go there
with.
In the popular acceptation of the term
the Big Bend country comprises the coun-
ties OF Douglas, Lincoln, Franklin and
Adams. Correctly stated, however, the
Big Bend country consists of that portion
OF the Columbia plateau lying west of a
line drawn from the mouth of the Spo-
kane river to the vicinity of White Bluffs
on the Columbia. This is the line adopted
by Lieut.. (now Capt.) Symons in his re-
port on the upper Columbia, and thus de-
fined the counties of Franklin Adams and
the major portion Of Lincoln would be ex-
cluded, while Douglas, with an area al
most as great as all three of the other
counties, would be included in what is
properly the Big Bend country With this
narrowing of the subject of my paper it
will be understood that what follows re-
lates to the Big Bend country as above de-
fined. 1t may not be amiss, however, to
remind you that after all that is said that
can be said about this great region, every
statement and every figure must at least
be doubled in order that YOU NAV get a
correct conception Of the magnitude and
the possibilities of that portion of interior
Washington lying between the Spokane,
Palouse and Walla Walla countries on the
east and the Columbia river on the west.
Douglas is one of the newer counties of
the state. 1t has within it's boundaries
almost 100000 acres Of land. It is nearly
as large as the state of Connecticut, more
than three times as large as Rhode Island,
and covers a stretch of country greater
49, 49,
York and Philadelphia. In Topography
Soil, climate and production, it possesses
the characteristics of both the counties of
Whitman and Walla Walla. The fame of
both those localities for the production of
fruit and the cereals is worldwide; and
the average of productiveness is greater
than any like area in the United States.
Grtd-ironed as they are with railroads.
each recurring harvest, nevertheless.
taxes beyond their capacity the various
lines of transportation doing business in
those counties.
With similar soil and conditions IN
Douglas county, and with an area great
enough to equal two counties like Whit
man and one-f1fth of Walla Walla. or
three counties like Walla Walla and one
quarter Of Whitman, it is easy to see the
immense possibilities of the Big BEND
country, sparcely settled though it is. and
until recently attracting but little atten-
ion from the outside world. Topographic
cally and geologically considered the Big
Band country is a region of much inter
est. The northern part is high, rolling
plateau OF fertile prairie land, broken
here and there by canyons of greater or
less size, the approaches to which are
often covered with scattering timber, con-
venient to the settlers on the adjoining
prairie. Many springs OF the purest water
abound in these localities, and the rough
land in tho immediate vicinities affords ex-
celent pasturage for numerous bands of
cattle and horses. If the walls of these
canyons are perpendicular, as sometimes
happen, they are then called coulees The
greatest OF these is Grand Coulee. This
great cleft In the face of the earth extends