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.