The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-21
THE INLAND EMPIRE

lie lNl-AC
ny FREDERIC j. HAsK1N.
! III Spokane.
II the plans which are being de-
|veloped In the country around Spokane
do not miscarry Miss Columbia Will
add a new star to her crown and an
other state to the Union. Between the
| Bitter Root Mountains on the east. the
Salmon River Mountains on the south,
1.-The Cascade Mountains on the west and
the Canadian boundary line on the
north, there are about 4oOo0,o oo acres
the country beyond it as the Caucasus
cut Off Southeastern Europe from
Asiatic Turkey and Persia. or as the
Alps divide switzerland and Italy;
states--1daho. Washington and Oregon.
The people OF Northern Idaho cannot
get to their State capital without trav-
cling west through Eastern Washing
gon, and thence east to Boise. The peo-
pie east OF the Cascade Mountains In
4 Washington are said to be as much out
of sympathy with the other portion OF
Lying west OF tho Alieghanies was with
the rest OF the Old Dominion at the
outbreak OF the Civil War. And the
|I nt9ple, in q common With their own peo-
| Pile west OF the mountains. But these
Isolated portions Of the three States
have everything in common. Their In
get together e and i form state out Of
their, Wonderful inland empire.
There are nearly l5.oo0,0oo acres Of
Idaho territory in the boundaries OF
ents want the forty-fifth degree OF
latitude, which now constitutes the
northern boundary Of Wyoming. adopt
ed as the northern boundary OF Idaho
4 posed new State. This line will be es-
tended to the 10th degree OF longitude,
which, in turn carried through to the
British Columbia boundary. Will form
the boundary line between the States
Iof Washington and Oregon. and the
! proposed new State. It Is planned, too.
that the State OF Oregon shall give that
part OF its territory lying east OF the
.ll2oth degree OF longitude and south
Iof the forty-fifth degree OF latitude
to the State OF Idaho. This territory
amounts to approximately 100000
lacres.
!. Under the proposed boundaries OF
1.-THE several States they would have
the following acreage: Washington.
I2sooo.ooo acres; OREGON. 100000
acres Idaho 81 100000 co. acres and the
present status Washington has 10000
1000 acres: Oregon. sl.00ooo0. and Ida
Tho, 100000. Washington would have
to contribute 1sooo.ooo acres to the
new state. Oregon s.ooo,0o0 to It and
|l7.ooo.ooo to Idaho. and Idaho 10000
900 to the new State
i With 37,o00.0oo acres, the new State
would be larger than New York. Con-
Inecticut and Rhode Island put togeth-
Ter. Oregon woulds be called upon to
give UP about as much territory as
4 there is IN the whole e., OF the New Eng;
States asa mako Mould
lState larger than the combined terri
d tory OF Maryland. Massachusetts and
1 Connecticut.
have to give up some s7o.ooo,ooo. and
Il washington about a like amount. Idaho
{ would get back more than she would
Il give away. In population each one OF
contribute approximately one-fourth,
Though Idaho would get back more
than she contributed.
A 1t is proposed to call the new State,
/ Lincoln. Other names have been sug-
gested. but this one seems to meet
with the most general approval. Spo-
lkane would probably be made the cap
ital. although the people here say that
must not be considered now; that this
must be a question left entirely to the
. future. Getting the new State es-
!. tablished is the only matter for con-
, right in the heart of the territory
mapped out. as Boise will be IN the
heart OF the reformed State of Idaho.
There Will be hard time ahead for
hf p ne@ state TRfee
must agree to the proposition, be-
cause the Constitution of the United
States expressly sets forth that no
, a State for the setting up of a new
State without the consent OF its Leg
/. islature. And after three Legislatures
have assented to the. proposition It
Il CT n %0 =
whether. the territory thus coded by
the Legislatures shall be erected into
!, a State or not. 1t will thus be seen
!, that herculean legislative labors are
hand.
There have been numerous changes
of boundaries in the Far West In the
past. fifty years, but all of these al
ent States were Territories At the
!. time oregon was made a Territory
+. there We're only two Territories In the
namely. Oregon and Nebraska. Oregon
! then. extended from the present Cali
fornia boundary line to the Canadian
part of the Territory found Salem. their
! State capital, cut off from them by
treason Of the great distance. An agi-
! taton was started which resulted In
Ellington. This new Territory extended
3 east to the Rocky Mountains, and en-
braced portions OF the present States
s of Idaho and Montana. AS there were
but few inhabitants east Of the Cas-
cade Mountains. Olympia. then the CEN
ire Of population. was chosen for the
capital.
The discovery OF gold In the Terri
: tory now constituting the State of Ida
= no brought some $1,000 miners there
' The Territory OF Idaho was then erect.
i ed. 1t embraced all of the present
II State OF Idaho all OF Montana, an6
a the northern part Of the present State
a lof Wyoming. Lewiston was then the
: capital, but gold discoveries in South
S ern Idaho threw the balance of popu.
+ Ilation into that section, and Boise sue.
+ ceeded as the Territorial capital. Thus
/ the conflict Of Interests began early