The west shore., March 01, 1887, Page 201, Image 3

WALLA WALLA AND VICINITY. 'JOl
routes for the transportation of passon- Aftermuch agitation of the question of
gen and merchandise to the mines of transportation. a narrow gauge railroad
Montana and Idaho were opened, and was finally complete,! from the city to
Walla Walla lost its onmmTv1irS ri Wa!!s!a. iz 1973, chifSj thresh the
tion as the great distributing point persevering energy of Dr. D. R. Baker.
Meanwhile it had been discovered that Translation rat. continual to U al
the vast expanse of bunch grass hills, most prohibitive, yet the shipment of
rolling between the Blue mountains on grain and flour increased at such a rate
the one hand, and the Snake and Col- that in 1S77 twenty-scven thousand tons
umbia rivers on the other, were fit for Cro sent out by'the liftl railroad, at
something else besides Wing merely a nn avr rare rate of $1.50 for the thirty
range for cattle, sheep and horses. Ex- miles Mwcen the two places, ami a
periments proved that they would yield much more down the river to Portland,
an equal, if not a greater, harvest of In 12 the line of the Oregon Railway
wheat than did the alluvial bottoms. As A- Navigation Co. was complete! from
soon as this became an admitted fact- Portland to Walla Walk alorbing the
and it took several years to settle the narrow gauge line, and branch built
matter beyond dispute hundreds began in various directions, offering, for the
taking up claims on the hills, and it was first time, transportation facilities nearly
not long before Walla Walla was encir- adequate to handle the rapidly inena
cled by wheat fields miles in extent, and ing crojm of that region. I'nder this
yearly widening their limits. Other influence, production ha lcn wonder
towns sprang up as the area of cultivat- fully stimulated. The hanch grajw hill
ed land increased, all of them adding to of the Inland Empire, which, twenty
the general business of the pioneer city, years ago, knew not the plow nor sickle,
nnd helping to give it a metropolitan now produce for shipment, a surplus of
character. wheat aggregating five hundred thou-
The agricultural resources of the re- sand tons, or raoro than sixteen million
gion tributary to the city haul been so bushels. A score of modern roller mills,
far developed by 1ST.", that more flour located in various thriving towns, are
and wheat were produced than could find manufacturing frora thre to four thou-
a market at home or in the mines. The sand UrreJa of flour ier day, anl I.
exportation of the surplus to Portland sides supplying a vast region, are ship
was then begun, ani that year four thou- ping thousands of Urrel yearly to port
Band seven hundred and thirty-five bar- land, and them to many rt of Eu
relanf flnnr and fifteen thousand buh- roiw, Asia and South America. To I
els of wheat were sent down the Cluw- sure, these mills are not all locate! in
bia, at a freight tariff of tf.OO ir ton Walla Walla, nor is all the enormous
from Wallula, to which must 1 added grain crop shipped from that city; but.
the expense of hauling by team from more than any other, it receive, benefit
Walla Walla to that point, a distance of from this stuj-ndous traffic, and in a
thirty miles. Even under such advert large degree, receive, tribute from the
conditions, the settlement of the conn- surrounding fsnns and towns, coienng
try advanced rapidly, the growth of the a wide area. Th tr.ns,tat,on .jo,
city steadily keeping puce with the gen- tion ha. aNays been, and still remains,
era! development. Year by year the a vital one. Tl.e onifonn rate on wheal
volume of general Irnain ! tl J' that regv to IortUnd.
quantity and value of exerts ir.cnaol .. Inn. .Now thai t! ( .sr..