River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-01-07
FROM "OUT WEST. =
Washington The Big Bend Coun-
try.

A person in crossing the Rocky
mountains and coming to Washing
ton, finds himself in a new world
as compared with the country east
of the mountains. The general as
pect of the landscape here has no
counterpart in the east and the
climate here is very different. Be-
yond the mountains are the inter
minable plains. Here are the end
less forests, forests of coniferous
trees, to the entire absence of de-
ciduous tree vegetation. Every
where, except in parts of the Big
Bend country, forests of towering
evergreens dominate the landscape.
The people delight in calling Wash
ington the Evergreen State" Be-
fore seeing the country one might
surmise from this designation that
the country was perennially green
with growing grass, but he will not
long persist in such greenness him
self after arriving here for he will
perceive that the green is all up
tree. Not that the country will not
grow grass, for it will, when the
grasses are guilty ated, but there is
no grass in those forests of fir.
The Big Bend country, interven-
ing between the Rocky mountains
and the Cascades, and included be-
tween the Columbia river and the
Clear water, is Observation-Disclosures
from the coast country on the west
and the foothill country of the east
side of the Cascades and the west
side of the Rockies. It's difficult
country to describe with accuracy,
for it comprises vast area of wide
ly diversified features-patches of
forest valley lands and high pla-
teaus. 1t comprises the counties
of Spokane, Lincoln, Douglas,
Adams, Franklin and Whitman.
Approximately the Bend is 200
miles long by $50 wide. It is most
ly treeless, but it is not prairie
country with the same acceptation
of the term as are the plains of Illi-
nois, Iowa and southern Wisconsin.
Strictly speaking there are no ex-
tensive plains. The surface of the
country is severely broken. High
hills with deep, intervening valleys,
rocky ridges and cou1ees abound,
separating the tillable areas into
isolated sections. The tillable land
is also generally very rolling, max
ing cultivation difficult, especially
when it comes to harvesting grain.
There are some large tracts of good
land with soil very fertile and of
great depth. The hills are detri-
ment, not only to cultivation, but to
the possibility of getting crops TO
the markets or the railway. The
farther one gets from the railway
or market the more hills he has to
climb to get there. Consequently,
in determining upon a location, one
must make the facility with which
he can get to market prime con-
sideration. In the greater part of
the Bend crops are raised without
irrigation. Wheat, oats, barley,
potatoes and fruit are raised. APP
pies, pears, plums and small fruits
do we'll and peaches can be raised
in the river valleys where irrigation
is resorted to. Most of the land is
elevated 800 feet above the sea
and here in most years the rainfall
is ample for the maturing of crops.
The valley of the Columbia is 1000
feet lower and here there is little
rain. Residents who raise fruit at
distance from rail transportation
say there is little profit in the indus
try, the damage to the fruit in TAX
ing it across country and the freight
charges consume about all the price
obtained in the market above the
cost of raising.
There is considerable government
land in Douglas county in the Bend
devoid of timber-and in
Okanogan, Ferry and Stevens coun-
ties in the north part of central
Washington. The lands toward
the boundary are 1000 feet above
the sea and here the winters are
quite severe with often killing
frosts in summer Here is abund-
ant rainfall and wild grasses grow
1uxuriantly. In the Bend country
there is considerable sage brush
but it is scattered and small. Here
bunch grass grows, but not so
abundaLtly as on the Montana
plains.
The Big Bend country is wholly
volcanic. An eruption in central
Oregon resulted in a sea of lava
that filed all the valleys of central