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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1881)
September, 1881. THE . WEST SHORE, 995 isted in the president' family, the cheerful relation! between father and children and the deen we1l-nrin of love that bound husband and wife in uch perfect bonds constitutes one of the motit affecting pictures ever trans mitted from the lives of earthly rulers. Forty years ago he was a barefooted boy, born to a life of toil. He had the inestimable advantage to he a citizen of the great republic where all men are free and equal. He had another inestim able advantage a noble mother. Yet again, he possessed the cheerful temper, the indomitable will, the perfect courage and the puVe principle, out of which time and history create greatness. Coupled with this he had commanding genius, with yet the single-hearted modesty that wins for genius and great ness the popular approbation that crowns them with recognition. If the public men of America had more of the spirit of Garfield and less of the spirit of self, if there was less venality and self-seeking, and more love of country, of liber ality and humanity there would be no fear for the future of America. From the barefoot boy the Genius of Liberty created Garfield. The mutations of time wreathed for him chnplcts of fame, and he had richly won them Forty ycurs have wrought such changes that to-day his embalmed Wly lies in state in the Capitol, and the offerings of many lands appear as tributes to his greatness. Queen and King and Km peror vie with the humblest American to do him honor. Scholars and poeti grieve for genius that is no more. The trappings of state surround him, and great men guard hi bier, but through all this pageantry of mourning the people who loved him trace back his history to the time when, poor and un known, he toiled and suffered, and sym pathized with them. The incident of the last few weeks have bound the world in sympathy with our nation, and within our own bounds, for the present at least, faction is still and the voice of the partisan silent. A great affliction has fallen upon us a a nation. In the presence of this death' bed man feels more kindly to his fellow man, and the heart of humanity is humble. Incidents occur in public and in private life, that lead I lie partici pants out of the narrow course of selfish feeling, and broaden ant! enlarge the sympathies by which we rU abvve the brutes that perish. Here is one that in it broad reach still the pulse of America und thrillj thr- heart of the world. Hetiilc the death-bed of this first citizen of the republic and in the presence of this bravely dying man and his brave wife, we realize that: " (iic lixuh of Nature nukrs th M wuiWI kin." SPOKANE FAI.I.S, W. T. The chief town in the Spokane region is named above, and the name is derived from the vicinity of the heauti- ful and romantic fulls, on I lie Siiokanc river, which will one day add to the importance of the town, lccuue such water power must he valuable when the development of the country will set industrial enterprises at work. Spokane Falls is already a good trade center and will improve as a business locality with the progress of the surrounding country, but the people who are Inter ested in the town also own the water- power and their expectation is to see it become a manufacturing renter. The fine engraving in this issue show two things: that the fur ofT interior is certain to build up good towns as fust as the railroad ciin get there to encourage them, and last, but not least, that the Wkst Siiork will certainly keep up with the development of both town ami country. -WW TIIK 1'ITI.K COUNTKV. livery visitor to the uprr country, afllicted with taaxthet loitvitji, at'ouce begins to write it up as soon as he gets five miles out of town. Some see noth ing but the dark idcr others, all sun shine, but we prefer to take hold of the smooth handle and speak of things as we found them. After leaving here by rail, which most assuredly is the best and cheapest way to travel, we came to Wallula Junction; next, to Ainsworth. The country all around those places is only fit for chicken ranches ami men in the poultry business, for it abound In gravel and sand. Above Ainwith, ami a most to the veiy galr of Kitville, the country is ojwn for mote henneries, but nothing more. It is the Sahara of Washington Territory, and few men pas over it without feeling pain in the side ami sand in their eyes. After passing Ritzville, which t I t ween Snake river and Columbia, ij miles by rail from this city, one begins to see brighter scenes. Green grass on every hand, points to the fertility of the soil, hut there bring no wMrrnml not a trc or shrub, the country, after all, is as yet but a desert drear; yet the time will come, when a sudden transmigra tion will lake place and cities will spring ut, where now the hungry cay- ote refuse to roiim. Un Hearing the Hig Lake country, signs of life and civilization begin to hover In sight and weary passenger commence to brace up, rub their eyes ami gaxe silently at the grand panorama sti etched out be fore them. Sprague is next reached. I Icro It look again liko business. 1 wo saloons, a hotel, a blacksmith shop and a big corral, also, a fine dcxit, com prise the town; but there is room for improvements, and ittclng situated at point where the Colvllla road crosses the N. P. II. K., we feel cm-lined t think well of the little hamlet's future. From here on the climate gradually seems to change a we delve into the pine-clad hills of the great SMkaii . . a t I country, Mere we noticed good land and bud land, and in some places no land at all, along the road, but it must lie remembered, th;it the best agricul tural land is not 'nestled along the track, hence can not I seen, far less properly appreciated. Cheney, as we said before, is a thriving little Infant city. It looked to us like a mining town with shallow placer diggings, easily worked all around it, and we sometimes fear that when the railroad is finished, and the digging peter out, rents In Cheney will be low, but we hoe for the lest, even at the risk of lielng called a poor prophet. Between Cheney and Medical Lake, distance of ten miles, the laud again Is varirga ted, some rich, some poor, and all more or less rocky. Wt firmly believe that the whole of SKkan county, with all it gravel led, tula lake and rocky points, will make pleasant homes; ami for successful raising of hot, rye, oats, barley, flax seed for oil, and timothy hay, it has no ejul in Washington Territory, but it I not what we would term a wheat or fruit country, for the summer season Ss too short, and heavy frosts too frequent, both late In the spring ami early in the fail, to warrant success In that direction. ll'isll l'tlt Wahkmait. Rich silver ore saw I to assay liigli a (i ot. per ton ha been discovered in the liciniy of Mount Adams.