The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-12-20
Dayton. Wash. DEC i. 'oe.
FRIEND Bliss,

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i your readers would be interested ID
reading about what is going on in
north west corner Of the q. s. par
Eticnlarly in the state OF Washington.
I will therefore write things as /
see them and ysu can print same il
yon like. The material growth Of
Washington has been rapid enough
lto double the population of her
cities in the last few years. No
great section Of tho U. s. has grown
faster. From present indications,
however the furious pace, etin the
last six months will throw all pre-
vious records to the shade. Down
the north bank Of the Columbia riv-
or are rushing construction crews
for $50 miles Of track that will open
fully one-half of the southern bord.
or counties of the state, hitherto
reached only by water or by rough
wagon roads. From Portland to-
Puget sound presses the new line
Of the N. Pacific, 200 miles putting
enthusiasm throughout the south
west part Of the state, q region COM
parative]y backward in recent de-
yelopment, but responsive now to
great possibilities.
Along the Snake river is squirm-
ing q railroad that will opena post
al to the great fruit wealth OF the
south east, while extensions into
the mountains, both by steam and
electric lines will develop a second
inland empire. From Spokane
northward to the British border is
projected another line through yir-
gin forests and hitherto almost in
accessible lakes OF beauty and mines
iof wealth.
Througl, the north counties of
Stevens. Okanogan and Shelan,
counties famous for grazing, min
ing. timber and fruit is being built
railroad that it is said will cross
the entire state, leap the Cascades
and drop dawn upon the Sound at
Billingham. Up the rich Yakima
valley, paralleling the Northern Pa
cific, r. r. grades are being thrown
up for two more trans continental
systems.
Electric ]ines skirting $50 miles
Of Puget Sound and gridironing
suburbs Of cities like Billingham,
Everett, Seattle Tacoma, Spokane
and Walla Walla are securing fran
chises aud surveying right of way,
and others are connecting by direct
route large centers of population
that have hitherto had connection
through devious and expensive
ways.
Numerous irrigation projects O.
pening up the arid tracts Of the
great Columbia basin from the Cas-
cades to the Idaho mountains, and
placing on the lands that were con-
sidered worthless of $500 to $1,000
per acre; are Transforming sand
and sage brush into one of the most
beautiful and productive spots to
be found.
II would be no astonishing thing
if within three years the steam and
electric trackage of the state would
be doubled, and this may easily
mean half again the present popu-
lation. That this is not an isolat-
ed or mushroom development can
be seen by what is going on around
US.
The R. R. building boom has
struck the entire west, east and
south; large railroad and mining
ventures in British Columbia and
Alaska are stimulating the rapid de-
velopment of a huge empire to the
north with climate and condition
not unlike the north of Europe,
capable of sustaining millions of
the human race. A new line of
the largest freight steamers in the
world with most perfect passen-
ger accommodation is in successful
operation with the Orient. This
position of Washington with her
unrivaled natural resources, the
| North Middle states behind her,