Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1905-09-20
Writes About Ritzvillc.

Euphrates Boucher, the veteran editor
of the Fountain and Journal, published
at Aurora, Mo-, who visited Ritzvllle
recent while on his way to the Portland
worlds fair and exposition, has written
his paper an account of his visit here,
, as follows -
On arriving at Ritzville we were
welcomed to the home Of Mr.. and Mrs.
John F. Irby for three days. They
are from Aurora and came out here
seven years ago. Mr.. Irby is a son OF
Isham Irby, So we'll known by all the
older in Inhabitants Of Lawrence county
When he came to Adams county he
took up land from the govern ment and
bought and sold, and now he has so
much land that he does not know
what to do with it. He knows one
thing he won't do, and that is he will
not take $50, 900 for what he has He
is the postmaster ut Ritzville and
thereby takes in Il monthly dividend,
AS one calls il out there on the side.
There are many who would enjoy
the emoluments of the side at Ritz
vile, back in Missouri. Ritzville is
inhabited by 1000 souls in round
numbers. 1t is the county seat Of
Adams county. 1t has water works,
electric lights, seven churches. Baptist,
Methodist Episcopal. Christian, Evan
gelical Congregationalist, Evangelist
German Congregationalist, German
Lutheran, Episcopalian; the Catholics
have congregation but no building.
There are nine saloons, two lumber
yards, two brick public school build,
ings, two good newspapers, The Times
by Pettijohn and Swenson; The News
by ]. Ray Thompson. The court house
is being added to, and when finished
will be credit to Adams county and
the county seat. The business houses
and dwellings are the finest that we
have seen in any town Of its size to
have so inferior few ones. The county
is largely settled by Americans with a
large number OF Germans and Rus
slams.
While in Ritzville, besides Mr.. John
F. Irby and family from Lawrence
county, we met Horace G. Stevens
and all his family who live in Ritzville,
Oscar Irby and sisters, Joseph York,
Spencer lrby, William Stoops, Tom
Moore and heard OF several others who
live around in the country, as we un.
derstand, all are having plenty to eat
and drink three times day. Mr.. and
Mrs. Stevens particularly send their
kindest regards to all their relatives
and friends. While in Ritzville we
met many friends Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Irby, both politically and religiously
On Sunday we attended church at the
Baptist and heard a good sermon by
the pastor.
The country around Ritzvlle is not
so billy as over in the Palouse coun-
try proper, yet it is not SO very level
by any means. 1t is great wheat
country and produces from 20 to 80
bushels per acre. Mr.. Irby took us,
Mrs. Irby and the little daughters, out
for fifteen mile drive. In the circuit
we saw thousands Of acres OF wheat
and while out turned in and saw D. A.
Scott cutting wheat with a combine
machine. He had sixteen foot cut.
ter which he headed the wheat and
then thre-hed it. sacked il, and then
when he got several sacks tum bled
them of into heap. He had twenty
six horses and mules to the machine
and was doing Furnishing business.
Mr. Scott had just started on his 1000
acres. He told US he would make rs
bushels to the acre. While this coun-
try is great for wheat, it takes money
to run these farms and don't any
reader forget that. We never have
seen as many fine country dwellings rs
we saw in this section OF the country.
In fact there were no poor ones
There were many dwellings shown us
that cost from two to six thousand
dollars. There are good bargains to
be had in this country now for men
and women who have the money,
say five or ten thousand dollars
While we do not have the money to
invest in this country, we are glad
that we spent three days at Ritzville