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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1886)
THE WEST SHORE. 259 SPOKANE FALLS AND SURROUNDINGS. OF ALL the names which diversify our roup nono catches the eye more quickly than Spokano Falls, and of none we may say that examination more completely fills in the pleasant outlines sketched by the free hand of fancy. It is a strategic point in tho great Columbia Liutiu. We approach it, therefore, to study not only its future, but also that of the vast region of which it is the natural contor. To strangers to the curious and interesting region commonly spoken of bore as " East of the mountains," it may be woll to give a briot outline description of its physical features. The drainage area of the Columbia contains two hundred and forty-four thousand nine hun dred and fifty-nine square miles. The most of this is in the irregular square bounded on its entire western bordor by tho Cascade mountains, on the east by tho multiplied and broken spurs of the Hookies, on tho south by the barren Bteppesof Nevada, and on the north by corresponding plateaus, with some high mountains, separating the Columbia from the Fraser. This vast basin includes all of Idaho, two-thirds of Oregon and Washington, and considerable slices of Montana and British Columbia. By far the greater part of it is elo vated ovor fifteen hundred feet alwve sea level, much of it above that Geologically it is ono of the most inter esting regions of the glolio. It was once an immenso lake, drained by the lapse of years by a chasm, cleft by volcanic aud aqueous violence through the very heart of the Cascade mountains. The great elevation of most of it caused the rivers to full with exceeding swiftness, so that deep canyons have been formod by the principal streams, while the plains between have been jiorfoctly uridironod bv the smaller tributaries. This is the rea son that most of the Columbia basin is hilly. The entire region has leon burned, seared, molted, bubbling over with volcanio action. Everywhere wost of the spurs of the Rocky mountains tho common rock is trap aud basalt. Granite is common east of Bxkane FhIIs. and marblo is found in places wsst of it There, as is centrally known, are sedomentary rocks mctamor uhosed by volcanio heat The outflows of lava which thus originally covered tho whole Columbia basin, have slowly disintegrated into soil. The work has gone on faster nearer the mountain, for there frost aud rain have beou more constant agencies. This dccomssod basalt is the richest soil known. Coutury by century the ever thickening grass has formed a turf whioli has finally become an inexhaustible reservoir of nourishing material. Thus was the soil or the great basin formed. In its ueneral external apiiearance the plain of the Col umbia is rolling and destitute of UmW. Now in the verv center of one of the most considerable expansions of this great plain is Hjxikane Falls. The region to which it belongs is known as tho Palouse or Hpokane aiuntrv. or both, whichit properly is, inasmuch as both rivers drain it. The Spokane river is the outlet of Comr d'Alnne lake, and receive also several tributaries from tho prairio country west of that lake. It flows tortuous ly aud with foaming haato to the Columbia. Tho Pa- louse rises in tho mountains south of tour d Alone lake and flows into tho Snake. Here is a region of country just aliout enclosed by the line of the Northern Tncillo railroad on tho north and the Falottso river on the south, which la destined to be one of the finest agricultural sections of Washington Territory, and which is naturally tributary to Spokane Falls. It is, perhaps, seventy miles squaro. There is hardly any waste in it, except that unspeakably dismal strip of rtrcks and swamps bordering tho railroad l- twoon Spokane Falls and Cheney, ami giving to travel ers an unfavorable impression of tho country. A few . miles south of the railroad the fringe of pine Imrrons gives way to beautiful undulating plains of surpassing fertility, unbroken thenceforward to tho Snake river, and, in fact, beyond to the crests of tho Bluo mountains. Besides this great body of agricultural land south of Spokane Falls and directly tributary to it, thero is north west of it the vast Big Bend region, much of which will naturally lo a part of the domain of tho future Spokane Falls. Northward is the great Colvillo valley, aud east ward are many smaller valleys of fine agricultural re sources and still greater capacity for stock. Such are the agricultural environs of Spokano rails. Nor are the interests which center there confined at all to the tillago of the soil and the rearing of stock. The gold and silver of the Our d Alone and Colvillo moun tains find here tho most available point for exchange for the necessities of life. Anil besides theso vast prtsqiec. tive mining interests re milling interests, both luiuW and flouring, which are already unequnled by any in tho entire upor country, lho mountains bordering tho lieautiful blue Ciur d'Alonn and its inlet, the St Jo seph river, alsmnd in the finest timW. It is floated down the Spokano river, ami when it readies tne ire- mendous water owor of tho falls it meets tho golden tide of grain from the prairies to tho south, and thero they are both worked up. Thus it spiear that Hsikane Falls is tho natural focus ol tour grcal lines 01 perma nent activity: agricultural, granting, mining and milling. To these the near future will uo doubt soon add a fifth, quite likely to overmatch any of them in importance. This is manufacturing, livery natural facility can bo found hero for a mauiifiu-turiug point But we have been considering this " MinneaHlis of tho West" (mm a distance, and as to its sisaibilitlea rather than its real i tiis; wa must therefore enter it and see what it Is. As before indicated, tho route of tho Northern FiutlUc is au unfortunate one in reeet to exhibiting the country. The physical necessities of the case take it from the Columbia river to tho uws-oM river lieds-snd when it has mounted out of them it soon runs Into tho swamp bolt extending most of tho way from Sprsguo to Spokano Falls. Aside from a small belt of gissl ooun try and the lieautiful lake uear the town, one sees but little of iuterest from the railroad. Strangera need to m told of this fact, tat they get an erroneous impression.
