The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1903-01-09
PROSPEROUS PALOUSB
over Three Million Dollars on
Deposit in Whitman Banks.
Almost Five Million Dollars Worth
Of Grain, Hogs, Cattle, Etc,
Sold the Past Year,

The New Years number OF the Spo-
kane Spokesman Review contained
much valuable information regarding
conditions in the Inland Empire. Among
a number OF articles was found a CORES.
pondence covering Whitman County.
entitled 'In the Prosperous Palouse
Country This article is republished
| lot the benefit OF Gazette readers. The
following is the Spokesman Review
| article:
The year just closed has been the most
| prosperous in the history OF Whitman
county, and the opening of the
new year finds it's citizens in better
financial condition than ever before
Never before, since the county was or.
ganlzed, has there been less indebtedness
| or so much money in the banks. There
| are Ia banks in Whitman county, and
| their aggregate deposits are about So
OU0,OtO, or 500 for every man, woman
and child IN the county, which has a
| population OF 10000. 1t is bslieved
here that no other strictly agricultural
| county in the United States with the
same population can show 80 much
money on deposit.
with an average crop OF wheat, oats
and barley, all of which sold for prices
that left the producer a fair profit; with
| more cattle, sheep and hogs than ever
| before, even after more of these have
been shipped than in any previous sea
son; with more new houses, barns and
9ranaries, fewer mortgages and more
money in the banks, The citizens of Whit
man county feel that the year 1902 has
| been one of the brightest in its history.
| The estimate OF the amount of money
IN the banks may seem too large for q
county with no more population than
has whitman, but it is likely that the
exact figures will show several hundred
thousands of dollars more than $1,000.
600. reports have been received from
seven OF the IA banks, and these show
total deposits of - ,629,262 The
seven banks not reporting undoubtedly
have more than $370,000in their vaults.
The banks that have reported are the
largest and most important, but the
others do a good business, and prob
ably have at least $500,O0O on deposit.
There are three national banks in
whitman county, and each Of these
made sworn statement to the comp
trOIier OF the currency showing it's con
ditlOn at the close OF business, November
20. The deposits shown by these banks
are a startling revelation to many, even
in Whitman county. The First Nation
al bank of COlfax leads. with SS33.-
902 30, ga against 1921 ,62257 one
year ago, an increase of more than
$50O,000. The Second National bank
OF COlfaX is q close second, with SS1S.-
796 80, as compared with $3.50, ,5S9 So
year ago. This gives Colfax the grand
total OF 81, 1,652, ,749 "a, a showing that
probably can not be equaled by any
other town of 5000 inhabitants in anv
agricultural district in the United States.
The First National bank OF Pullman
shows deposits of 1926, ,512 80 as
against S162, ,40127 in December, 1901
The Pullman State banks deposits have
increased from S130,000 one year ago
to $21O, 900 Oakesdale's bank, the
Commercial State, shows deposits OF
$40, 600, as compared with $156,OO
last year. The Security State bank OF
Palouse shows an increase from $S3,-
700 to $165, 300, and the Bank OF RO-
salia from $50, 900 to 135, 1000.
The wheat crop, the principal product
OF Whitman county, was about 2,OOO.-
600 bushels less than last year. the
total number Of bushels marketed being.
in round numbers, 100000. 1t is esli.
mated that 100000 bushels are re-
quired annually for feed, bread and seed,
making the total crop for the county
this year $780, 900 bushels. The aver
age price paid to the farmer is so cents
per bushel, or $3,750,000 for the por-
tiOn OF the crop that was sold. This is
almost equal to that received for the
crop OF 1901, which sold for about 40
cents per busheI.
ROsalia leads in wheat shipments, ,hav-
ing received for shipment 757 900 bush
els of this years crop. For many years
Rosalia has been the leading wheat ship
ping point of the entire state, This wear
RltzYllle, in Adams county, is said to
have received more wheat than ROsalia
which is the second station in the state.
St John is second in Whitman county.
with $4,000 bushels.
Live stock is second in the list of
Whitman county products for 1902. the
shipments being about $750,000. No
record OF the number and value of horses
sold could be obtained. for most OF the
horses were driven from the county, but
there were many heavy shipments by
rail, and the total value of horses sold
probably was about $150,000 This is
the estimate OF men in close touch with
conditions. Hogs rank first in the value
OF live stock shipped, the shipments for
the year reaching value OF $491, $50.
Railroad records show 4S2 carloads Of
hogs shipped during the year from vari-
GUS points in Whitman county. The
average number in each car is So. The
average weight is cOnservatively placed
| at 200 pounds, and the average price
| for the year at cents per pound. The
| price has ranged from Sc 85 to So rs
per 100 pounds, the latter price now
prevailing.
| Cattle come next to horses in value OF
exports, the total for the year being
! S12S,12S. There were 112 carloads OF
beef cattle shipped during the year Each
car contained 26 head, the average
weight being 100 pounds, and the
average price being 4 cents per pound,
or $44 per head.
There we're 26 carloads of sheep, each
containing 220 head, valued at 50 %
per head, shipped from the county dur
ing the year. This gives the total value
of sheep shipped as SIS, $50. No record
OF wool shipments can be obtained. Add
ing the total value of hogs, sheep and
cattle, of which exact figures have been
obtained, we have the grand total of
$638 598 for these three items. The
horses will bring the amount to more
than $750,000.