THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF SPRAOUE. f
vantages of the shortest route and tho mon river, iui they aro now doing ihme
least streams to cross. It is this fact of tho Our d'Alcne,
which renders Bprsgue such a good loca- There in, also, a good propect of an
tion for a foundry and machine shop, other transcontinental route passing
It is unnecessary to dwell upon tho rich- through, or near, Bpraguo within two
ness of tho mines. It is conceded by years. Tho Seattle, I.ake Shore A East
all practical miners that on Salmon ern is building acmx tho mountains
river have been discovered mineral lodes from Seattle, and has expressed an in.
of extent and richness superior to any tcution of going through tho Rig IW!
others in tho entiro Northwest, and such country, which they will undoubtedly
being tho case, it is evident that tho do, as it is on a direct caateru route, and
railroad town which becomes tho bnao is tho finest body of agricultural land
of supplies for tho mines taunt dcrivo a within r ach of that road, and is within
great benefit from that fact, grow raj, cany reach of tho new mine. Tho to
idly and prosper amazingly. "grftphy of tho country is sueh that a
Tho railroad outlook is a cheerful one. lino of this kind, fstwially if it is to
This is tho most advantageous initial form part of a through lino crossing tho
point for a branch lino of tho Northern Ritter Root mountains, would cross tho
Pacific into tho Rig Rend country, Last Northern Pacific in tho vicinity of
fall the citizens of Bprsgue organized Bpraguo, and it is a fair presumption
tho Bpraguo A Rig Rend Railro.dCo., that tho company would prefer to pans
and mado a preliminary survey of a through tho city to crowing at aotuo
route to Condon's near tho Columbia, oint whero to business could be had.
with a branch to l)aventrt They It is supred by many that this road is
found a practical route, with easy grades, to form a rtion of tho Manitoba sya
tbrough a fino agricultural country tern, which will lo completM from Bt
which would supply a paying local Paul to Rutto this fall. Major Rogers,
traffic Ry building this lino tho North- engineer of tho Manitolm, has ijx-ut tho
ern Pacific would placo iUolf sixty miles spring and summer in a recufinoissanro
nearer tho mines and tap ouo of tho of tho region lying Ixtween tho Rocky
most extensive and productive agricul- mountains and Pug t iMiund, looking up
tural regions iu tho Columbia basin, tho most practicable routo for a railroad,
Whether tho Northern Pacific builds crossing tho Hitter Root mountains, tho
such a route or cot, thero seems to 1 Palouso and Rig Rnd countries and
no doubt that tho 0. II A N. Co., when tho IWad.-s to Paget sound. This line,
it decides to extend a lino to tho new when definitely locnt-d, mut a
mines, will do so by the Bpraguo route, through, or near, Bprsgue, for tho rea
Endicott, twenty miles to tho south of sons given aUve. It wuuM S'em,
Bpraguo, is the nearest town on tho lino from tho consideration! mentioned, that
of tho Palouso branch of that road, and Bpraguo has excellent pnicU of soon
the betd situated as a starting joint for laming a railroad center of cwslder.
tho mines. The inot natural and avail- able iajMrtar.cn.
able route from that tint is by tho way Thero are somal other towns in tho
of Bpraguo and tho lino surveyed by tho county, sueh as Davenport, Harrington,
citizens to the northwest Pressure in Monjivi and Sh-rmft. Tho farmer
Portland, and a duo regard for its own lies north of Bpraguo and has a pulv
welfare, will no doubt compel tho 0. It tion of a!mt 'm It is tho trrmlnus
A N. Co. to thuj tap tho mines of Sal- of a branch lino surveyed by tho