Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-12-26

closely drawn. Leading roles in the
battle were carried by the news
papers of the two towns, and scorch-
ing editorials prevailed. In one is
sue the Cheney Sentinel made the
statement that the citizens of Cheney
would see the time when the eagles
would build their nests in the sub
stantial buildings beng constructed
at Spokane Falls.
The citizens of the latter city were
obdurate and firm in their convic-
ton of ultimate triumph and build
ing continued despite the initial vic
tory registered by Cheney In 1888
the stage route was taken from Spo
kane Falls, while Cheney's boom
continued
In the same year, however, The
Occur d'Alene mining excitement al
most depopulated the Palouse coun-
try, many settlers abandoning their
holdings to grasp the great oppor-
tunityity." Spokane profited greatly
by reason of the mining scurry and
enjoyed steady growth. In 1886 the
Spokane & Palouse railroad was con-
structed, connecting Spokane Falls
with the fast developing country to
the south and west. and the battle
for supremacy was over, with SpU
kane Falls the winner The election
of 1886 returned the county seat &c
Spokane.
Until the building of the Spokane
& Palouse the farmers of the Step
toe butte country hauled their grain
to Sprague and Cheney, using four
horses and hauling $500 pounds
each trip. Only two trips a week
were possible under the most favor
able conditions, and 80 cents to 40
cents per bushel was the prevailing
price for the product.
The old territorial stage road at
Steptoe Station, which traversed the
Davis farm, is now visible only as
an indistinct streak of lighter col
ored soil, in a field of black loan
which has produced many a bumper
crop. The state road runs some 80
feet to the west
Tennessee Flat, the rich farming
section southwest of Steptoe butte,
derived its name from one of its
earliest settlers, Sam Stevens, who
immigrated in 1876 from the noun
famous regious of Tennessee. Stew
ems was an interesting character,
liberal almost to a fault. and was a
natural community leader. A
daughter, Mrs Howard Bramwell.
resides in Colfax.
For tender heartedness among
the early settlers in the Steptoe
butte country the palm must go to
Dolphus Sain, who located near the
foot of the butte in 1876. Mr.. Sain
had raised a good crop one fall and
decided to erect larger barn. The
excavation work for the foundation
was completed and part OF the foun-
dation was in place when Mr.
Sain discovered a birds nest on the
ground. Without a thought for the
financial loss or the Inconvenience
occasioned, he at once ordered his
crew OF men to build the barn on
another site, permitting the mother
bird to rear her young undisturbed
With the flow of immigration to
the new country came the family of
j. p. T. McCroskey. consisting of the
father mother and 10 children. The
family left Tennessee on an i'm
migrant train, riding in a coach
on the rear Of freight train
over the Union Pacific and Cen
tfal Pacific. After II DAYS and
nights OF tedious iolting and bump
ins between Omaha and San Fran
cisco the family took the steamer
state Of Oregon" to Portland.
thence on the wild Vest TO The
DalIes. Proceeding by water the
FAMILY was transferred around the
Cello rapids on a narrow guage
railroad, the water journey termin-
atlng at Almo;a From Almota the
McCroskeys went direct to Tonnes
see Flat by wagon. arriving there