The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-13
TIE PASSING 1HROIe.

Two men have sseer Ia Seattle within the
past two days each one 81 them hafslrg
from different section az the state. but
bots agreeing that Zines are better today
n Wsshiagtcn than for years past. and
that every etzpse industry Of the state -
recelrtng q meakure 81 pruf< from iss
products. Ono a. shese men - Oliver
HAN state senator from Whitman county.
residing at Colfax. The other ID ]. E.
Calder. an cd resident az Chehaiis county.
Senator Hail Is In the city from Cai-
fax to attend the annual session Of the
Grand lodge. A. O. u. W. 4 guess you
have heard enough about the big wheat
crop OF the Paiouee." he said yesterday
at the Butter THE subject has insef-
ested the people OF Whitman county. a.
yoc may imagine TIE harvest was Q
wonderful one but its effects are stiIl more
marvellous. The most noticeable Of these
To the change In the drift Of political sensi-
ment. 1t IL fact that In Whitman county
you hear little of the silver question and
less Of the initiative and referendum l
do not mean TO convey by this that Fopi-
lism Ii dead. But the time was when the
Peoples party men regarded themselves
as heayen-sent reformers. whose task u
was to immediately correct all the evils
they found existing among men The
radical measures oe the PopuiiSts. border
ing closely on the realm OF socialism. are
not advanced with the multiplicity cf
words and the pienitude OF oratcrical ef-
fort that formerly characterized Popu-
lie. campaign. The Peoples party has
settled down 10 become ore of the ordi-
nary political factors OF our section OF the
state. SEINE OF its leaders are IN II for
the sake OF office merely: others are there
for reasons OF party pride, but you hear
none Of the talk OF radical Popuit1n Snat
characterized the early days Of the party's
history in the state.
..Repubsicanism Is steadily regafning lost
ground in Eastern Warrington We will
elect part OF the legislative ticket from
Whitman county this year. There - hope
that We may nlcceeed In districts that
went against IN In 1855 There viii be
no fsssion--you may be sure OF that. me
Democratic and Silver Republican strength
in Whitman county Is inconsaderabie AZ
compared With the Popaiists The .at-
ter will constitute the opposition TO the
Republicans.
wheat land In Whitman county Is sell
ing for almost 50 per cent. more than II
did a year ago Farms were mortglged
on a basis Of from $l5Stap to SIS and 80 per
acre. A year ago this was all they would
bring. Sales have been made OF late at
from 40 So 70 SIS rer acre. This Is one
effect OF the great yield Of wheat and OF
the high prices. Another Is found IN re-
hahsIitafed farms and farmers scattered
throughout the country. A year ago
there were plenty OF good men who had
no chance In the world of paying out
Today With their grain marketed. 'nels
mortgages are Cancelled. their debts are
paid on and they have money u the
bank"
The Impressions made on the minds OF
Fasteners bound for the Klondike by
things they see and hear in Seattle ere
decidedly peculiar and funny as told IN
their letters 10 fond relatives at home
These letters Immediately find their way
into home newspapers, and the exagsef-
ated tales Of DEATH hardship and suffer-
ing which they portray would undoupt-
ediy have caused many to give up pro-
posed northern trips had II not been for
the equally exaggerated tales of god
and fortune also sent back to relatives.
Where they can possibly get SUCH infor-
nation as they write, and what causes
them TO seemingly forget common sense
while writing, Is riddle. Nevertheless,
the letters are written. as is testified to
BY their appearance in Eastern papers.
A young man from Troy, ". Y, was In
the city few weeks ago on his way
north. and wrote back letter which
appeared In the Troy Press. He starts
in by saying. May be l can give you
some information. at least. facts" He Is
evidently close student of Alaskan
geography as the next paragraph shows.
II reads:
'"Thie morning the Australia, of the
Pacific Coast Steamship Company. arrived
from Juneau. Juneau is overcrowded be-
yond description. Many came back whose
outfits had not moved from that city. 1t
lie nearly impossible TO get over the Chill
koot pass. The weather has BEEN so warm
up there that the steps. which are cut In
the snow, have melted away. and all
along the trail piles OF provisions are
abandoned The Dyea trail is most used