884
WEST SHORE.
Washington &, Idaho railroad obtained their right to cross the
reservation. Couple the above with the wealth of beautiful
farms surrounding Farmington and stretching out through the
Silver creek and Peep creek valleys, and one has an answer to
the query that suggests itself in examining the trade interests
of the city and their certain support.
Farmington, in common with many of the older towns of
Washington, resting upon a certainty, and with none of the
spurt of speculation incident to new localities, has not as yet
touched the booming period. That her beautiful location, im
mense agricultural resources, timber and excellent sandstone
and granite in her hills will soon change the past is inevitable.
For years it has been known that the Occur d'Alene mineral
belt not only embraced the Indian reservation but extended to
the foothills surrounding Farmington. Numerous prospect
holes are in full view of the town. Recently rich deposits of
ore have been found and at the time of our visit the usual ex
citement attending such discoveries was seen, though effort was
made to keep the matter quiet. Experienced miners have been
called in, farms dotted with stakes and in one case at least pur
chase immediately followed the discovery of the lode. The
farmers and merchants are making a strong and determined ef
fort to obtain additional railroad connections, basing their ap
peal upon their large grain shipments and general freight traf
fic. This obtained, Farmington must of necessity spring into
the arena and obtain a growth measured only by her resources
which certainly are great.
The Washington State Fair has filed articles of incorpora
tion, with a capital stock of $20,000. A magnificent site has
been seemed near Chehalis, the county seat of Lewis county.
This locates the fair in the heart of the best agricultural section
in Western Washington. The railroads constructed and under
construction through Chehalis make it an easily accessible
point. It is the intention of the association to have the best
mile track in the state. The incorporators are : John Blurock,
Vancouver; D. M. Ross, Puyallup; Rufus Siler, Vance; Geo.
Sears, Centralia; Jotham Goodell, Willapa City; Hon. W. B.
Goenell, Winlock; Cyrus White, BoiBfort, and T. L. Dever
eese, John DobBon, N. B. Ward, C. Bishop, S. A. Phillips, Geo.
L. Young, L. K. Cogswell, L. Lawrence, of Chehalis.
Work has commenced in earnest on the railroad between
Chehalis and Willapa harbor, a large grading force being now
at work on the west end. Ground will be broken at Chehalis
early in July.
Spokane Falls has completely reorganized its board of trade
and on a new basis. The new chamber of commerce has a
capitalization of $25,000 divided into 250 shares and will pur
chase a site and coustruct a building that will make its stock
a remunerative investment The organization will be in a con
dition to make investments and hold property and in many
ways to become an important factor in promoting the prosper
ity of the city.
The Washington Industrial Fair Association has been incor
porated with $50,000 capital at Seattle, and proposes to hold
fairs, etc. The first meeting of the association is bein held
July 11th, 12th and 13th. The officers are: President, B. F.
Shaubut; vice-president, J. W. McLeod; second vice-president,
J. F. McNaught; third vice-president, 8. Baxter; treas
urer, J. II. McCraw ; secretary, F. B. Bowman.
The town of Weiscr, Idaho, has been extremoly unfortunate
in the matter of costly fires. The last fire has induced its citi
zens to abandon the old site, and to locate the new town in a
most eligible location near the Oregon Short Line depot, a
short distance from Snake river. This will doubtless add new
vitality to that plucky and enterprising town.
Aumsville is located fourteen miles southeast of Salem, Ore
gon, and is in the midst of a rich fruit and gram growing coun
try. It also has fine stock lands, and valuable water power
and still is clamoring for a newspaper and the establishment of
other local enterprises.
The Woman's Home, of Seattle, for the home of laboring
women and girls, has been incorporated. The officers are:
President, Mrs. G. Kellogg; vice president, Mrs. Rees P.
Daniels; secretary, Mrs. Fred H. Peterson; treasurer, Mrs. W.
N. Reeves.
The petroleum production of Southern California last year
reached 18,C00,000 gallons, valued at $1,200,000. The article is
of special value to that region. Its utilization as fuel for man
ufacturing purposes has had much to do with solving a vexed
question.
Over $4,000,000 worth of the Oregon Short Line and Utah
Northern Collateral trust bonds have been sold in Europe, pay
able direct in the United States. The Union Pacific pays for
Oregon Railway & Navigation stock with this money.
Another paint mine has been discovered in Oregon, this
time near Monroe, Benton county. The ochre is of dark red
color, clear of grit, and mixes readily with oil. Underneath
the red ochre is a vein of yellow.
A big tree in the Mammoth foreBt, ninety-two miles east of
Tulare, California, is being taken out for exhibition. The tree
is ninety-nine feet in circumference. It is intended also for the
Chicago World's Fair.
The United States steamer Monterey, which is being con
structed for harbor defense at San Francisco, and an engraving
of which recently appeared in West Shork, will soon be ready
for launching.
Valuable gold bricks are reported from the Boise City,
Idaho, assay office last week. Rye valley turned out one valued
at $1,500 ; K. P. Plowman one for $2,515 and the Bording mines
one for $2,625.
The work of erecting the big Bmelter at Spokane Falls has
been begun and the railroad to the site is under construction.
It is expected that the plant will be ready to smelt ores within
ninety days.
The machinery has been purchased for a paper mill at Leb
anon, Oregon. The building will be 120 x 90 feet, and it is Baid
the mill will be one of the largest straw mills in the United
States.
The total wool shipments from California for the past five
months were 10,250,130 pounds; showing an increase of 5,108,
480 pounds over the corresponding time last year.
- The Butte A Bozeman Short Line railroad has been turned
over to the operating department of the Northern Pacific, and
regular trains are being runon that line.