At Spokane Falls considerable terminal facilities for the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway have been added, a system of warehouse and mill tracks has been agreed upon between the Northern Pacific Railroad Co. and the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway Co. to be built and operated jointly by the two companies, a new cable street railroad has been projected and partly built, and about five miles of street railway has been placed in operation. Extensive improvements in the development of the water power are in progress, several new bridges have been built, and a general air of prosperity pervades the place. To indicate the importance of the business of Spokane Falls it is only necessary to state the fact that this city has paid nearly $1,750,000 to the Northern Pacific Railroad during the year 1888 for freights and passages. The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway Co. has decided to build a branch line from some point near the crossing of the Grand Coulee to the Okanogan mines (Conconnully district), about seventy miles, work to be commenced as soon as the main line shall be completed. This feeder will command a very extensive business, perhaps equal to the enormous business of the Coeur d'Alene mines which is now enjoyed by the Northern Pacific Railroad. Since Mr. Whitworth's last report to you, considerable development work has been done upon the Grand Ridge mines 2-1/2 miles east of Gilman and adjacent to our railroad; the vein developed is four feet thick and furnishes a hard, compact coal, superior for domestic purposes to any coal yet found in that section. Shipments commenced last month, and the prospects for a heavy output are very flattering. The Spokane Division of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway, extending from Spokane westwardly, a distance of forty-five miles, is practically finished; trains are running regularly, and as soon as our motive-power and cars can be disengaged from the work of "ballasting" we will be able to do considerable business. Very respectfully yours, PAUL F. MOHR, CHIEF ENGINEER. * * * * * TRANSCRIBER NOTES: Missing punctuation has been added and obvious punctuation errors have been corrected without note. Archaic, obsolete and misspelled words have not been changed. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Report on Washington Territory, by William Henry Ruffner