The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-03-10
Random Observations.
Bright LightS-(ilam0ur Attracts
Human MOths-The Spokane Of
Yesterday--Lost Opportunities
That Did Not Return.
(By Frank NJ. Dallam. Sr.)
Spokane. Washington.

L
! TO the man from the alfalfa jungles
there is something attractive, someth
ing fascinating, about the brigh
lights of large city. This lure is no
confined to the back country hick
either, for there is a large element o.
the urban population to which the it,
Illuminated streets have strong ap-
peal judging from the flocks made III
| largely of the younger generation tha
mill along the more brilliantly fight.
| ed boulevards after the shades OF
night call for the turning on of the
| Juice. II is rather tax upon the
imagination to designate the bright
lights of city the size of Spokane
as the great white way" but rela.
lively speaking Spokane's streets in
the business district give the man
from the country very fair impress
sion of that hackneyed phrase as ap-
piled to the brilliancy of the down
town streets OF great metropolis
And as compared to the lighting of a
rural village Spokane's display is as
brilliant an exhibition of the aurora
borealis to a tallow dip.
II is not so much the municipal
lighting as the advertising designs
that supply the bright lights in the
business districts, for it may be said
that on many of the residential streets
the lighting here is hardly superior
m effectiveness to that of Central
avenue, at home. 1t is the modern
spirit OF publicity growing out OF
competitive advertising that is re-
sponsible for the blazing Main streets
of the larger cities, and the inge-
nuity Of the man who complies the in
tricate combinations of electric bulbs
is taxed to produce something differ
ent to meet the exaeting demands of
those who are anxious to attract at
tention through this modern medium
Of publicity. The rainbow has nothing
on the combination of colored lights
that flash. and twinkle. and flicker
from every angle and from every
height, through the medium of me-
chanical devices, changing form and
color like the crazy fui,t combina- :
tions of a kaleidoscope. 1t is these
lights, in combination with the street
lighting regulated by the city author
tiles, that provides the glamOr that
attracts the human moths that flutter
along the highways during the earlier
hours Of the evening, and is probably
one of the great attractions for rest
less humanity that draws so many
evn, khn 60 \ kt,.,
cityward.
But aside from the concentrated
section of the bright lights Spokane
presents picture pretty to look up
on after night fall from any point of
vantage from which the full sweep
Of the city can be observed. Viewed
from the high bluffs which the resi-
Dental quarter sweeps over to the
south the panorama presents its most
charming aspect. On clear night a
radiant halo marks the down town
business thorOughfares while over
the valley to the far northern boun-
dary of the city streets are marked
off with long professions of lights
like a checker board. On the velvety
background Of night the innumerable
sparks twinkle like unto the stars OF
heaven and one never tires of gazing
| on the scene.
To US, looking over the star spang-
led valley north Of the river, the
sight is one that awakens memories
of the past, and naturally draws com
parsons between the present and the
heretofore. When we first saw SpO-
kane Falls the river was the northern
boundary of what was the nucleus
of the present city. Only flimsy
wooden bridge Joined the two sides OF
the river, and it had bat recently SUI
| perceded a crude ferry operated for
the accommodation of the few people
finding it necessary to cross the
stream. The only house on the north
side. and that very small and mod.
est habitation was occupied by the
late Col. jenkins, which was con
| structed when he took up his home
stead. The valley land, gravelly and in
its virgin state hardly fit for cultiva
ton. had been filed upon as home
steads, pre-emptions and under the
timber culture law. except the ode
| sections held under gift from the gov.
| ernment to the Northern Pacific
Those who were there early enough
and sufficiently provident to enter {
filing before the United States lane
office, then located at Colfax, little
dreamed that within less than score
Of years Spokane would become {
city of considerable magnitude ant
one day cover the land so easily pro
cured from generous government
Those who held the land so for
tunately obtained realized hand
somely, although in some instance:
the original entryman did not hold ou
long enough to reap the harvest WI
filed homestead on the very las
vacant 80 acres in close touch will
Spokane Falls, but owing to khe in
exorable demands upon our time al
presence by daily paper were un
able to locate on the land and perfeo
entry. Short-sighted improvidenc'
probably knocked us out of prett,
good stake. But we were younger il
those days, looked upon the world al
our oyster, and while in the chase o
the bivalve we have only succeeded i,
accumulating the shell. We are no
wasting the little time still at our dis