The west shore., July 19, 1890, Page 912, Image 15

912
WEST SHORE. ,
the town of latah, bottom lands, are cultivated and with as gratifying results. It
The people of that famous agricultural region in Eastern if estimated that 750,000 bushels of grain will be marketed in
Washington and Northern Idaho known as the Palouse country Latah tbl9 year the croP being even more tban orally promis-
never weary of sounding the praises of that favored section. It ing at thlB time of the year- The avera89 elevation of about
is a country, too, that will bear all the praise lavished upon it. 2'000 feet above the sea gives the Palou8e comy a climate
It is an elevated, rolling plain, bearing no timber to speak of, that does not ha8ten the riPening ot the ordinary cereals, so
but possessing one of the richest soils found anywhere. Stories the harvest does not come nntil wel1 into AugU8t. The range
of the productiveness of the Palouse, of undoubted truthfulness, of croP8 the luxuriance with which they grow and the strength
tax the credulity of the farmer from the most prosperous parts of the Boil are nothin& short of remarkable. A crop failure
of the east. To tell an eastern farmer of a forty-acre field aver- waB never known tnere' Tne farmers never think of applying
aging more than sixty bushels of wheat to the acre is to invite fertilizers to the soil, and after a score of years of continuous
disbelief. There are well authenticated instances of such yields, cropping its fertility seems not at all impaired. A thorough
however, though, of course, no one claim? that they are gen- Personal investigation will show the truthfulness of these state-
eral. The usual yield varies from twenty to forty bushels to men8-
the acre. Though it is pre-eminently a grain-growing section slnce the advent of the railway, bringing markets within
it is well suited to the production of all the usual farm crops in easy reacn considerable attention is being given to the raising
this latitude. of vegetables and fruits. Peaches can not be raised success-
In the midst of this rich farming region is situated the f"lly except ta the most Bheltered Pces; but apples, pears,
young town of Latah. It is located on Latah, or Hangman, plum8' cheme8 PB berrie8 etc., are safe crops and of the
creek, on a slight elevation sloping to the south and west. That beBt quality ConBiderable tracts of land yet bear the indige-
stream and the Palouse river form the main drainage channels noU8 bunch gr88S on which Btock live near1 or uite the whoIe
for the whole Palouse country, the former flowing to the Spo- year" ,About the more rugged hil19 tbe land is UP to 8
kane river which it joins at Spokane Falls, and the latter south- ingl Some attentioa i being given to grading up cattle, and
westward to the Snake. Latah creek is a stream of considera- moBt of the ani.mal8 ftre of imProvel strains of blood,
ble size during the dryest period of the year, and it performs Latab was incorporated last year, but, with many other
an important office in supplying an abundance of water for towns m the ta,e 11 fel1 under a void Btatute 80 work
stock and the general purposes that make a reliable stream m.U8t 1)6 done, again Meanwhile the citizens are going ahead
always valuable. The town of Latah was platted by B. F. Cop- with 8undry imProvements, such as the grading of sheets and
len in 1884, but there were only a general ttore, a flour miil and the con8truction sidewalks that materially better the appear-
two other buildings there until last year when the town sprang ance of the Latab ba8ine88 men have public spirit, and
op in a few months. Late in the full of 1888 the Union Pacific th? re8ultB may 1)6 8een on ever band Tne7 bave borne the
railway was built there on itJ way to Spokane Falls, and the cllie partl . tbe exPenBe of constructing a number of bridges
following spring the construction of business housesj schools, that we.re. JQBt charges against the county. They have always
churches and residences was begun and carried on with vigor! been willing aid any worthy enterprise that came among
The railway company built a fine depot, the Pacific Elevator t.hem' A militai7 school was established there last year by the
Company put up a grain elevator of 75,000 bushels capacity, Iiberality the business men, and it is doing good academic
and two other large warehouses were erected. The railroad wo.rk in addition to giving rudimentary military instruction. It
was the one element previously lacking to build a town at that en!oys ve.ry encouraging patronage, and the enlargement of the
point, and, that secured, the growth of the place was a matter building is contemplated in order that the institution may keep
of course. . pace with the demand made upon it. Latah academy is the
Merely the construction of a line of railroad touching a cer- fly BCb,o1 f the kind in the Btftte' 11 ls conducted ? a novel
tain point will not make a city at that point. There are other plan. btainB admirable results. The town also has a good
elements to be taken into consideration. The physical features J . 8 There are three churche8 and no saloons. A
of the country and It products are important factors The 1Dg mill a britk Uln and Pottery works constitute the chief
country about Latah is of such a nature that the town' is the "hctinring ?lantf i Tbe .Latah Tims is a livff local newB"
most accessible trading cantor n,l mo,w ,! m u J? P aper 4 .number of fine buildings are being erected this year,
V T0f Va- '-,? f r b reftch- The among ,hlch 18 a three-story hotel for A. II. Wheeler, who will
roads radiate In all directions from Latah, and almost without a 80 build a residence to cost $8,000. E. Ham has just corn
exception theountry thoroughfares are kept in excellent con- p at a. cost of $5000 the residence shown on the page
ditionr ' M may draw their products to market with- Stdk Plhl S!diDg' to -0Et (5,l00si8 !eing
out extra - nni, i ., 1 j lL V arranged for. Many other buildings are going up, and the town
ouiexira. untiin spur that extends in a southerly presents a busy and enterprising a ppearancef
direction east oi i,uu has a break just opposite the town, and . . Tbe town occupies a very pleasant site. The residence por-
through that puss is a good wagon road over into the Rock . on Z611 np on the gentl7 8lo?ing hiu and m a Bignt,v loca
creek valley, a section that is well tilled and produces mmt !HL Pe Btreets are wide and neatly kept. As a residence
gratifying results The tn.l J h. JT , I -6 therV8 a charm about t would attract even if its
Euh PnnEi Li I . , e g0e8 10 . U81De.l8 PhaBe"e not bo promising. Its prosperity resU
Jauti. toplen butte is the most prominent land mark in the uP.n. sure basis of rich agricultural resources. Timber is
east, and between the butte and the town are wide grain fields i ea8y TfKh' and thoBe manufacturing establishments
and orchards maturing a bountiful harvest Strawta tri,.h Wrlng wood ,or l,he products of farm and ranire would find a
runs to the northeast and it i flllJ Zth Ll , t? I i 8 0pening in thi" new and theX U "ceive the
r l 8.an,d"i;81filledwlthfarms. The broader generous support of the people. Water is obtained for domes-
vailey of Latah creek holds its irregular course from the south- Uc.U8e froai wells or from spring! that are numerous, some of
ward, and its whole area is the choicest of alluvial land To are tinctured with mineral. Fossil remains found a few
the westward are the Pine creek valley and the Cabbace flit UTthll ? thevicinity of Latah aroused considerable interest,
count th ora hnntifi . "uu V , g nat Rnd there is doubt that numerous other specimens e w thin
Zl ll m Z i P f ,FUr th6ir Vlume 0f rea?h f the 8cientiflc investigator. A people of Latah
gram into Latah, where the farmers do all their trading. All ui PndJ fa promoting the best interests of their town. It i
these variously designated Sections are, from the nature of the t p , 8ant Place r a home and a place where many kinds of
country, tributary to Latah. The rolling hills, as well as the thTsXunaingcoun PUr8Ued Fftmer8