Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-12-22
TREND OF PROGRESS.
WESTWARD THE COURSE OF EN-
PIRE TAKES ITS WAY.

WESTWARD THE COURSE OF EN-
PIRE TAKES ITS WAY.
The Railroad is the Primal Cause-Its Lines
Follow the Buffalo Tras-lrrisation will
Now Lead as the DeveIoper-What it Has
Already Done in Idaho and Montana lin.
proved Farming Methods Will Be Developed
California Deficient in Dairy and Poultry
Products. but Long on Petroleum.
From a Special Correspondent.
Busy readers arc you tired OF the
routine of everyday life? If you are,
come with me. The winter is upon
US. There are warmer climes. Our
center circle of society and civilization
can float along into summer seas with
out our help (strange as it may seem).
Let us take trip together.
There was, there is, and there always
will be a deeply rooted interest in the
west. The lure Of gold, the tragedy Of
the life of the man who sought it, the
country which dared him to enter its
wilderness, are the choicest bits OF his
tory we hold as people. In all this
land of the western country, Nevada is
the custodian of countless deserted
camps, the weird ghost of her former
life. Nevada with its decreasing pop.
ulation and uncertain politics and
with only 4 per cent. of its entire area
in private ownership is a painful con-
trast to her sister States.
1t is an interesting fact that all the
great railroads of this western country
follow very closely along the old Indi.
an trails and that the red men in their
turn follow the trail of the buffalo.
Engineers surveyed routes across the
continent laying out lines for the rail-
ways to follow. but after all, it was the
buffalo. guided only by instinct, which
blazed the way. The phenomenal de-
velopment of this western country dur.
ing the past twenty FIVE years has been
largely the result OF the birth and
growth of the railway. The next
twenty-five years development will be
largely the result of irrigation.
From the Mississippi river our far
west was conquered in about forty
years. In all the vast campaign from
east to west here is the most signal
victory, the swiftest. the completest,
the most brilliant achievements, (the
wilderness subdued At . single stroke).
Without the mines aud railroads
which could not exist without each
other, the great American desert would
be no better off than the Sahara.
Many mineral districts Of the desert
still lie undeveloped for want of trans.
portation. This is especially trne of
the great copper, gold and coal fields
of the Pacific States. With the advent
of the railroads the modern conquest
Of the desert began. 1t was first awak-
ened from its centuries Ct lethargy by
the whistle OF the locomotive. In the
great American desert in the United
States and Mexico there are now more
than nine thousand miles OF railroads.
It costs . railroad on the mountain
grades of the far west only about
seven-eighths Of a cent per ton per mile
to haul its freight. In the early days
OF the pack train it was no uncommon
thing to pay one dollar per pound per
hundred miles or twenty dollars per
ton per mile. The fare for passengers
between Atchison and Denver (620
miles) in 1868. was $3.50 or fifty.iour
cents a mile. Messenger Root of the
pony express mentioned one letter that
he handled which had on it twenty.
five pony express stamps Of one dollar
each and twenty-five United States
ten cent stamps.
The west of to-day, especially Cali
fornia, 10 the result OF more complex
mixture Of influence due to race, relig-
ion and climate than can be found
anywhere else in America. The old
Spanish adventurer, the sleepy Mexi'
can, the lazy Indian, the industrious
Cinnamon and the modern American
have all representatives, in her people
Of to-day. Yet the atmosphere, the
tone Of its society, the points Of view
from which everything is regarded is
decidedly American both in its inhab
itants and its language.
Idaho and more especially it's west.
ern portion is little understood outside
the State. Irrigation has been prac
ticed in Idaho for twelve years past
aud this has added thirty-eight pei
cent. to its improved area and twelve
million dollars to its agricultural
wealth. In the Snake River Valley
there are irrigating canals six hundred
and fifty miles in length and supply
ing with water a territory of sever
hundred thousand acres. No less thar
six big irrigating schemes are now be
ing realized in Montana affecting near
~ one. third of this immense State
At present Montana's chief claim Il
fame is still the immense productive
ness of its mines, the one county o
Silver Bow now producing annual!
copper valued at fifty.five million dol
; lars, one.third the product Of the world
The possibilities of industrial devel
opment for both Washington and Ore
! gon are limited OF course to those raw
! stuffs which they produce, which q
present are principally limestone, iron
lumber and wheat, with leather ant