Spokane Falls Fights to Stay the Gateway to the Coeur d'Alene Mines

There is an obscure publication at Missoula that we believe is very anxious to get its name before the public by a few notices from the press of the surrounding country, the name of which escapes us at the present time. It sees fit to stamp as falsehoods the statements recently made in the Review regarding the Trout Creek trail. If the bilious writer, who imagines he knows it all, will refer to a correspondence in another column of this issue from a party on the ground, whose interests are at Trout Creek, he will find a few unadulterated truths that prove the correctness of the statements we have heretofore made. The fact that the same paper is attempting to 'boom' the new Belknap route is convincing evidence that its faith is sadly shaken in the Trout Creek trail, and is willing to desert it under the first pretext. Parties going into the mines will readily learn the most practicable routes to travel, and in that choice we have no fears whatever that the road from Spokane Falls will be neglected.

It seems to be a practiced system with some of the papers of the coast to ignore Spokane Falls entirely as a fitting out point for the Coeur d'Alene mines, and yet the very circumstances in connection with the inevitable notices of other points along the Northern Pacific road in juxtaposition to the mineral fields tend to prove that shipping points outside of Spokane Falls and Rathdrum are mere experiments, and all transitory, with no prospect of cutting a figure in the mine excitement beyond the momentary importance lent them by the new sensation.

This is clearly demonstrated in the manner in which the 'booms' jump first from one point and then to another. First it was Heron, then Trout Creek, then Hope, then Gold Run, then Belknap, and heaven only knows what particular spot the would-be town makers will light upon next. To a great extent all these routes have proven impracticable, or why should they be abandoned? The truth is that the natural location of the mines, hedged in with rough and rugged mountains, cut up with streams that swell to mighty torrents in the springtime, make egress and ingress to the mines an undertaking accompanied with more or less inconvenience. Especially is this the case at this season of the year, when snow lays to the depth of several feet, ice crowds in for supremacy, and the biting air of winter searches through and through the traveler. Of all the trails into Eagle City the one by the way of the Mission and Evolution has been the only one over which pack trains have been able to reach the camp during the winter, and is the oldest route in use. There are two other roads that can and will be opened as soon as the weather permits. The best one of the two is by the way of the Big Meadows. It is almost on a line from Spokane Falls and the Transportation Company of this city is now making the preliminary arrangements for opening it up as rapidly as the work can be done. This trail crosses Eagle Creek but once, and that near Eagle City. When open, stages will run direct from the Falls into Eagle City, and prospectors can buy coupon tickets on the railroad to the mines via Spokane Falls. All efforts that may be made to divert travel in another direction will fail signally, and judging from the present drift of the stream of gold hunters the largest number will select this route. Besides the advantages of transportation our city holds out the great attraction of being the best point from which to draw supplies within reach of the mines. Here exist immense wholesale houses able to compete in prices with San Francisco and Portland, and handling every line of goods that the camp makes a demand for. Without the aid of outside support Spokane Falls has won the position as the key to the Coeur d'Alene mines and as such will remain were a thousand new towns along the road to spring into existence as the 'only direct route to the mines.' The merchants propose to do their part in holding the trade by treating the people of the mines with liberality and fairness, and by providing means whereby the camp claims can afford to continue trading at this place. The Transportation Company will also do much toward holding this supremacy by providing quick and comfortable transportation at prices that will satisfy the traveling public.