Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-01-29
I'm AN EARLY DAY.
Edwin White, of Spokane, Writes
Of the Great West.
HE WAS BAREFOOT IN CHICAGO
Was in ottumwa Before Iowa Was
Made State, and When Des Mones
Was Known as Raccoon Forks
Washngton's Features.


Washington's Features.
Edwin White who was in Ottumwa
in an early day enroute to the west,
and who now lives in Spokane, Wash.
has written the Courier a letter des-
criptive of the state in which he lives.
| 1t is as follows.
Ottumwa CONCENTRATING once
been resident of your city and a pat
ron of your paper from 1866 to 1872,
| it may be that few personal recoliec.
| lions of the writer as to the early his
tory OF your state and the northwest
will interest your readers.
! / first resided in Lee County, Terri
tory of Iowa in the spring of 1916.
when Ottumwa was in the New Pur-
chase, and where your beautiful capt.
| tai city is now located, was then Rae
coon Forks.
| On our way to Iowa we stopped a
day or two in Chicago. At this date
most if not all of the STREETS and side
walks were unimproved. The mud was
so deep it was almost impossible to
drive or walk. l started out to see
the city On foot with pair of low
cut shoes on. l lost the shoes so Of
ten in the mud that it was necessity
with me to take them off, and boy like
see Chicago with my naked feet. The
then City of Chicago comprised pop
Eulation of 10000 to $4,000. All the
buildings We're frame set on blocks,
or perhaps piles driven in the deep
nude holes.
An UnexpIored Region.
/ The state of Illinois between Chi
lcago and the Mississippi river was
very sparcely settled, the few settle
ments found being at the groves or
small belts of timber. On the roads
were trails thru the prairie grass. All
the country from a point so miles
west of the Mississippi river to the
Pacific ocean was ansunsettled and
almost UNEMPLOYED region, AS | now
J Hook back to that date Q846) and con-
slider the great changes in improve
Iments and population it is almsot like
, a fanciful dream.
Spokane, Washington, where | now
: reside is 1,500 miles west of the Miss
I issippi river with distance of 400
J miles more to Puget Sound, and we
t can continue west or southwest 5000
} miles more or less to reach our west
ern New Possessions"
; State of Washington.
: During the 54 years residence in the
we have fully demonstrated
: that an expansion has taken place
t The state of Washington is different
from Iowa in many ways, being stat,
; of large and productive prairies ant
:, valleys with hills covered with ever
: green timber, and mountains of rock!
withsome timber on them near tn,
base and in the gulches, and of course
there is great variety of climate
Some valleys need irrigation but thu
r largest portion of the state does no
require it.
The city of Spokane is in the vale.
: of the Spokane river. Sometimes il
l June it will be so to 80 degrees in .tht
!. shade here while one can look north
= west and see snow on spur of thu
!, Rocky mountains 40 miles distant.
! The soil of these valleys is wonder
q fully productive. The Palouse vale
: is the most celebrated for it's wonder
? full yields of wheat, oats, barley, ry
. and all rott crops including the su
!. gar beet, The yield of wheat is oftel
= so bushels per acre, while the aver
age is 80 to 35 bushels and other graf
lin the same ratio. Corn Is not sur
crop as the nights are too cool at tn
time it is maturing, altho we have n
e killing frcsts until as late as you hav
in Wapello county. All fruits such a
:, Eapples, pears, pluns, prunes, apricot
Il cherries, and all small fruits yiel
. very largely and much sooner afte
y planting than with You. The war;
y valleys southwest Of here produc
y peaches grapes, sweet potatoes, fig
~ etc.
!. The greatest source of wealth is
/ The minerals. contained in the moul
tain districts, in gold, silver, cope
lead, coal, iron, marble and grant
and lately near Spokane natural Ga
h. and oil have been discovered, whio
"A lis now being developed. The create
- visible source of wealth is in our pin
i fir and cedar forests which are til
,r most valuable body of timber now 7
70 naming in the United States.
f. The city of Spokane is the center
ve the great agricultural and miner
b. portion OF the state with one of I'll
50 best water powers On earth. SIEVE
81 railroads center here. The city co
+ tains the most large wellbuilt bus
~ mess blocks of any city of its age al
o. size and has well improved street
o. a fine system of electric street cal
Ia Ia $4,000 court house, with many OF
er, public buildings, school houses al
churches. The city is less than
a. years old and has population
ISL Iabout 10000. The greatest percenta
Of increase. in population Of cities d,
ing the past ten years was Seatt
an Spokane and Tacoma in the state
Sc Washington in the order named, TT
es, shows that We have been practical {
\ J. pansionists out here.
Edwin White
Room A. Exchange Bank Buildil
mo Spokane, Washington.
ich -----