Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-30

The tide of migra tion across the
continent in recent years has been di
vidcd into two waves. one moves
from Europe, New England, and older
Middle states into the so-called grain
belt illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mime
sofa, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Da-
kOtas. The other wave, strange as 1t
may seem, has set westward from
these commemorative. 1t is the one
which has done SO much to create the
second or last West-tn obliterate the
frontier. In the settlements in east
ern Washington, the man With whom
YOU talk tells you how the land ana
crops compare with those BACK In
Iowa Or Minnesota" He knows all
about the first West-the West as the
Eastern man still terms it. though it
is now the heart of the States. some
OF the eray-hnItis can recollcCt Old
York state and away down East. but
the multitude Who have gone beyond
the Rockies We're born on the prairie.
As children. they die their part in re-
claiming the wilderness. Men and
women. they have been trained in the
easiest ana most practical methods Of
agriculture in il new land. They know
AN 'Nt'N
homes, and the dwellings, which ar
most economical. vet comfortable.
They are quick To note which crop viii
make the most money. whether the
cImata and soil favor fruit or vege-
table, if the land need irrigation. Ii
is MOI strange that they should be
changing the face Of the land 50 rap
idly. since they know We'll how to do it,
tl,t
bignrSs of this Inland Empire. let us
follow tho Columbia, which forms a
part Of its western boundary. Those
of thu Northwest still call this the
"Drcgon," Il namc which is far mora
appropriate since the mighty river
travcrses fully u thousand miles Of The
oregon country in its course from the
SnnW-cuv"r"d SUBMITS Of the Cana
dian Rockies To the sea. The Oren
GnniHn remembers that it defines the
northern limit Of his state. but on it's
way southwark it forms Il bend truly
ma icStic in its proportions even as
seen on the map Tho territory which
it partly cncirclpS Il the Big Bend"
country tn" western section of the
INLAND EmDilN. which has for its
eastern rcighhnr the Palouse country,
reaching far south even to the valley
Of tho John Day River in oregon.
Nearly hcmmed in bv the Rockies on
tho cast and the Cascades on the west,
here nature has created a great basin
which is Il little world in itself In it
are platrauS extending a hundred
miles and more. valleys now known 10
be of the greatest fertility. Much Of
the surface Of this great basin is as
level a. a table: consequently the
traveller may be startled to come upon
crack in the surface thousand, some
times two thousand, feet deep. for
here ana there are coulees where the
Columbia and other Water-courscS in
past ages literally ate their way into
the bowels Of the earth and have left
tines" gaping assures as a sign Of their
power. There are a hundred thousand
square miles Of this Inland Empire
II eHCircleS five of the largest coun-
ties in the state Of Washington not
to soy the region which it embraces in
Oregon. It contains mines, forests,
ana from them those who have en-
tered it are extracting riches as well
as from the tree and shoot. Well can
it be called the Inland Empire for
into it have come three hundred thous-
ard men and women within quarter of
q century. and thirty thousand more
are yearly swelling its army of toiers