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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1890)
WEST SHORE. 935 the town was to build an important manufacturing city there, and manufacturers everywhere are invited to consider the ad vantages offered at thin matchless waterfall. Tost Falls is twenty-five miles east of the city of Spokane Falls, and is located on the north side of the Spokane river. It is reached by the Spokane & Idaho railway, leaving the main line of the Northern Pacific at Hauser junction, only four miles distant from Pott Falls. The cut-off, in process of construction to Missoula, Montana, will make the line via Post Falls the main line. A company called the Spokane, Tost Falls & East ern has been organized, with a $5,000,000 capital, to build a railway east from Spokane Falls to Poat Falls and across the Idaho Panhandle to Western Montana. There is a likelihood that the Great Northern will touch Post Falls on its way to the seaboard. At any rate there are no doubti that the town will have good .railway service, and there will be roads enough to make competition briek. There is free water navigation from Post Falls to all points on Lake Cueur d'Alene and for many miles up the courses of the Cceur d'Alene, St. Joseph's and St. Mary's rivers. The more than 500 people now resident at Post Falls are sober, industrious citizens. Care has been taken to avoid attracting gamblers and sporting characters that are the rule in nearly all rapidly growing towns. The people have built their homes and own them. They take an Intelligent interest in the progress of the community. It is among such people that investments are safest and where substantial improvement is most certain. WASHINGTON'S IRON INDUSTRY. To the Editor of the West Shore Though yet a resident of the east, I feel great interest in the future of Washington. She is & model state in politics and in commerce an empire within itself; and this great interest is what leads me to write these few, lines. There is one thing the people of Washington have thus far lost sight of; at least I have never been able to find any mention of it in any of the papers or magazines of the northwest. It is the great possi bility of Oriental trade in a certain class of manufacture. I am aware that the people of Washington are alive to the great oriental trade possibilities in wheat and American farm pro ducts, as well as the American fabrics, but greater than a'l these are iron manufactures. As has been Btated by men who know, " the developmei.t of Oriental commerce has just begun." We know the magnitude of the eastern empire and her neigh bors is so vast that to web it with railroad ai closely as the state of Indiana would require years and millions. The num ber of miles of railroad built would be enormous. Tills is all very plain. Who in this day of the world can say that another decade will see China as completely bare of railroads as she is to-day T Only a few months ago the contract for the first impor tant road la that empire was let by the government. When the advantage and great benefit of this road are seen there will be a very " rage " for railroad building In China. There Is not a railroad iron manufactory in the whole realm. Where is she to get her iron? Where her engines and cars? England and Western European countries are ready to supply her, but why can not Washington do all this herself ? She has the iron, she has the coal, she has the limestone, she has the wood she has everything necessary in the manufacture of railroads and rail road supplied. Seattle, the queen of the northwest, has a har bor large enough to hold all the ships on the waters. She has wharfage sufllclflnt to accommodate all the traffic of two conti nents. Why can not she make steel rails sufficient to belt all China and Japan, Manchoorla, Mongolia aud East Russia in Asia? And why can Bhe not make the great engines to haul all the freight that these lands could command? Why can she not make all the rolling stock necessary to supply these vatt international railroads? Washington can ship at Seattle, and in the time it would tike a vessel to lun from London to Cal cutta could cast anchor at Shanghai or Pektn, or could have unloaded at Yokohama and been a thousand miles on her way back to Seattle, loaded with the products of Japan. There is no question about Seattle's having the advantage' in distance, and why can she not equal the other Iron makers In other things? Professor Ruffner, in his report, in speaking of the advan tage Paciflo America has over other countries In Oriental trade, . says: " She has the advantage In distance, which would of itself decide the question." The question Is one of vital impor tance to Washington. The United States will undoubtedly secure a liberal amount of this work, but here arises a question of rates. The new south is a long distance from Seattle by rail or from China and East Ruisla by water, making It neces sary to either ship by ril to Seattle or to ship from Mobile, Charleston and Norfolk by water. The great iron makers of Pennsylvania and the north are no closer to Seattle than Bir mingham and the great south Then why can not Washington successfully cope with them in the manufacture of steel rails and engines? These questions appear clear to toe that she can cope with the whole world in this matter, and It Is as certain to come before her as that time and progress shall continue. It is not a matter of wild speculation. The development of China's commerce and the building of vast railroads In the east is a certainty and requires only time to 0' mplfti it. This Is an opportunity which Washington can not afford to lose. She has the capital and the pluck to carry it through. Hoping soon to become a citizen of Washington, I am, Respectfully, C. B. Roqkiin. The steamer Eatlem Ortgon was built In Chester, Pennsyl vania, in 1883, and was there chiNtened City of I'aktka, In honor of the route on which she was to run-between Talatka, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina-In which she was to take an lniortant part in the trannportatlon of the orange crop of that section. The freeze in 1880 so damaged the orange troes, however, and the yellow fever scare so thoroiigly fright ened ople that the toothnorae freight of tlrt City of Vahtka so decreased that her owners broke, ami Mie was purchased by the Oregon Development Company, of Sin Francisco, for tie sum of $80,000, and re-christen-d Katlern Ortgon, and placed on the line between San Francisco and Yaqulna bay, Oregon. Recently she was purchased by the Oregon Improvement Com pany and repaired and reflltwd at a wt of $25,000, and has been taken to Seattle, from which print she will make daily trips to Port Townsend and IMIinghara bay points. A novel and striking enterprise Is on foot at Vancouver, B. C. It is to construct a 150-foot avenue along the line of electric railway which connect that city with New Westminster, and to UBe battery cars Instead of spoiling the lieauty of the avenuo by poles and wire. Inducements will he offered people who will erect nice residences along the lln, and thus help to unlto the two cities by a beautiful avenue of residences, which will doubtless soon be done. A rich vein of coal has been discovered near the mouth of Bumping river, In the Natchees district, Washington.