River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-01-22
Washington Letter.
Lakeside, Wash, Jan. IS, '03.

w GlOA1'1 49," -O5 49,
EDITOR JoURNAL:-Several years
have passed by since my last letter
to the JOURNAL. l offer no excuse
for my seeming neglect. Since my
last letter this country has made
wonderful progress in the way of
development. During the Cleve-
land regime anxiety, uncertainty
and fear or dread of some unknown
or impending c1amity hung upon
every one like a burden. That is all
past, and we hope, forever.
The country is being settled up
rapidly. There is not much govern
ment land now available outside of
the forest reserve. This county,
Che1an pronounced She.1an), re-
Gently organized, was formerly a
part of Okanogan and Kittitas. 1t
contains within it's borders many
valuable mines in process of devel-
opment, and millions of feet of fine
fir and pine timber. Shelters,
stamp mills and sawmills are now
realities where once they appeared
as idle dreams. Material is now
being secured for the great smelter
to be built near the Columbia river,
about five miles distant from this
village, by the Chelan Transports
ton and Smelling Co. to smelt the
| ore from their own and neighboring
mines.
! The great Holden mine on Rail
road Greek, Lake Che1an, is a reve-
lation to many. 1t lies back from
the side of the lake thirteen miles
and is an immense copper PROPOSE
ton with high values in gold, silver
and lead. The ore body is hundreds
! of feet in extent. A narrow guage
railroad is nearly graded from the
lake to the mine. The famous Mol
ibdynite mine is adjacent.
| uC lake > d1I1LuQC ID A1O|O ACCL
above sea level. The outlet, Chelan
river, has a fall of $40 feet in three
miles. There is but one flour mill
(50-barrel) using it's waters. At
one time it was announced to have
10000 horse power. Later measure
ments make it a little less, but the
fact remains that it is sufficient to
drive the largest mill the mind of
man could conceive. It is also near
the Big Bend wheat fields, where
| grain can be obtained.
The lake is 40 miles long and av
erages mile in width, and extreme
ly deep. 1t is famous for it's big
| trout.
Another fine showing of, mineral
is being made on the Entiat river.
This is largely a gold proposition.
A small stamp mill is in operation
there. The Entiat empties into the
Columbia eight miles above Wenat-
chez, the county seat But it is not
the mines, valuable. though they be,
in which our people take pride; it is
in the country of the big, red apple.
The best fruit lands are those Dor
dering on lake and river. In this
there is limited area, and in con-
sequence land is very valuable,
some uncultivated tracts bringing
| $50 per acre. Up in the mountains
fruit raising will not be a success to
any great extent. That region is
more valuable for it's minerals and
timber.
The township system of govern
ment does not obtain with US as in
Wisconsin. The county affairs are
managed by three commissioners.
Five large and one small steamer
ply on the Columbia from Wenat-
chez northward, and four on the
| lake. Wenatchee is a station on
the Great Northern, and is popular
ly supposed to be equidistant from
| Spokane and Seattle.
If should say to you that have
seen apples grown here which
measured nine inches in circumfer-
ence and potatoes weighing five
| pounds you would probably say
did not go west any too soon. But
it is fact just the same and not
over hard to verify.
Yours very truly,
A. ]. BARRETT.