Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 122, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1909 — Letter From Logan Wood, Written From Spokane, Wash. [ARTICLE]

Letter From Logan Wood, Written From Spokane, Wash.

The following letter is from W. L. Wood, of Parr, and was written from Spokane, Wash. He returned home last Saturday, after a visit of about four weeks in the west. Editor Republican—l promised to write you something about the west. I have been traveling all the time since October 18th, and have seen some good country as well as some that is not so good. At this time I prefer the state of Washington for a man who wants to engage in business. There are some good opportunities for merchants, mechanics, bankers, in fact most any vocation can find employment at good wages. Men who have gone west for the purpose of getting a home have made good in most cases. I find many Hoosiers in this country and they are in most cases at the head of the procession. Jasper county is well represented. Spokane is the most hustling city of the west tuat I have visited. It is a city of 120,000 with plenty of capital and men who are not afraid to invest it. I have always heard that everything is cash in the west, but that is a mistake. Spokane does a large credit business. Money is loaned as low as 8 per cent. The banks and capitalists are making plenty of money. The railroads are coining more money than anybody else. I visited the Chamber of Commerce in Spokane, which displays some of all the products., of the state in mineral, agriculture and grain. I found many names on the register from Indiana. Farming is in its infancy yet in Washington. Yet it is developing mighty fast, and electric railroads are crossing the country in every direction. When I see the tunnels and grades and hills to climb, rocks to remove and see it done in a new country, I feel that we are slow in Jasper county, where improvements can be made for one-half the oost. Pdblic improvements is advancing the price of land in the west. It will do the same in Indiana. The soil is no better than Hoosier soil. They are obliged to irrigate in many places, while we ditch the water away in many cases?. The timber industry is a great factor. Mining is another that stimulates business in Washington. I have visited what I think is the mo6t productive location In Washington. I will give you conditions in farming as I find them. The Big Bend country is considered the wheat belt. It is not as broken as some other parts of the wheat country and if It had the rainfall that we have in Indiana, it would be one of the great garden spots on Uncle Sam'B farm. The country tifkt I next call to mind is the Palouse country. It lies Bouthwest from Spokane. It is in

Whitman and Spokane counties. It is a hilly country, but the soil is very fertile land, selling for S2OO per acre and more in some cases. Cheap land is scarce in the Palouse country. It is fine wheat and fruit land,” also alfalfa and clover can be grown successfully. From the 'best information I can get the average wheat crop is 35 bushels per acre. In Spokane the police have 159 in Jail today. I have attended police court two afternoons. It is very ex-, citing in Spokane, as they break up mobs on the street with the water hose. I saw the last issue of the Rensselaer Republican this morning, I find it has a good circulation in Washington. Yours truly, W. L. WOOD.