The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-05-18

Just as they were becoming leg weary
the headlight of train appeared in
sight. The wayfarers stood in the
middle of the track making all kinds
of distress signals. The train pulled
up and although the interferers with
the running schedule were subjected to
a few remarks on the part of the train
crew that did not sound like blessings
they were permitted to crawl aboard
and taken to Sprague.
The next day Mr.. Thompson hired
sleigh and with guide drove back
and secured his team. while the other
traveller remained in bed sick. A day
or two later the travellers were on
their way again, using runners. The
snow was deep and badly drifted and
the days experience was one never to
| be forgotten, as the cold was intense
and the travelling rough. Cheney was
at last reached and even in the midst
OF winter building was going on crude
buildings, hardly more than temper
airy coverings, and everybody seemed
to be in a feverish haste. Mr. Thomas
had his business interests to look
after and the printer slipped up to
Spokane Falls. spending the week or
two he remained in the country at tae
Sprague house In the embryonic city.
At this time Spokane Falls was feel
ing its first growing pains. There was
| not so much hustle and hip hurrah
, as at Cheney but the evidence of
growth was apparent on every hand.
But 1t was the town site that fascinated
ne newly arrived Stranger. He felt that
a prettier spot could not be found up
on the map of the northwest and even
at that time was convinced that Spo-
kane Falls was destined to become a
city Of magnitude. Then the pine for
est swept down to the railroad track
| from the south, and trees were even
standing far down in the business &C.
ton. The town proper covered the
space north from Sprague street and
spread out block east and west of
Howard, with few small scattered
buildings on the fringe of that limited
territory. One small log house owned
seen on the north side of the river.
But somehow the stranger felt that
around this NUCLEUS was to be built a
city. He had travelled over a large UNI
developed country getting there and
he realized that the time was coming
when that country would be settled up
and that Spokane Falls would become
hn ,,.l-
products Of that virgin land would
flow, and from that common center
would go out to be distributed in this
broad land all the necessities and lux
uries that contribute to the support
and pleasure of man. Before the utili-
tartan hand of man had robbed the
falls of their pristine beauty that wild
tumult of water was an invaluable as
set as an attraction to tourists. but the
stranger realized that besides their
beauty the potentialites of the falls
was going to be leading factor in the
upDuilding of city. for here was
much power that could be easily util-
zed. us very location in the center of
vast undeveloped territory. with no
possibility of competing points north
or south, or for many miles east or
west, with a transcontinental railroad
just about completed left no doubt in
the mind of the visitor that Spokane
Falls had future.
There was a paper at that time in
Spokane Falls, the Chronicle, and the
visitor approached the owner in an eff
fort to purchase the plant, but the
owner would not fix price. Then he
interviewed several citizens who had
the reputation of being leaders in The
small population and explained the
purpose of his visit He was lucky in
interviewing republicans and they all
wanted republican paper. No sub
stantial encouragement in the way of
direct support was held out, but he
was urged to establish a paper and
take the chance of support following
effort. Later he learned that others
had been subsidized to start papers
and had failed to carry out their con-
tracts and rowing printer-publisher
was looked upon with suspicion by the
rank and file OF the population
The stranger believed that he had
found the right place to locate but
still hesitated as he had learned of
prospects in Los Angeles. Returning
to California he made another trip to
the southern part of the state, bat
conditions had not improved He tele-
graphed to the late A. NJ. Cannon ask
ing II the opening for a paper still |
existed at Spokane Falls, and receiv-
ing an affirmative reply. within three /
or four days he was on his way north |
with newspaper plant and on the |
18TH day of May, 1883, of Saturday.
as tomorrow is the 18th of May, and |
a Saturday, the first issue of tle Re-
view was presented to the people of |
Spokane Falls. When the plant was
being set up, one of the leading citi- |
zens OF the town-and all of them |
seemed to hang back and look upon |
The venture with doubt-rema rked |
that the success OF the paper depended |
upon The looks of the first issue. If II |
struck the public favorably the enter
prise would prove a success II on the
other hand there was adverse criti-
,ism the publisher might as well pull