164 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 
layer by layer, as one peels an onion, but were cut through in many 
places, leaving rugged remnants here and there that minke a distinct 
type of badland topography. 
The railway descends into a pronounced valley and reaches the 
town of Sprague, named for Gen. J. W. Sprague, 
a former manager of the Pacific coast division. Rail- 
way shops formerly here have been removed and the 
town is now dependent on the dry farming of the 
adjacent uplands. 
The train runs down the valley and at a distance of 3 miles from 
Sprague comes to the upper end of Colville Lake. This strip of 
water adds a pleasing variety to an otherwise rather monotonous 
landscape, but it lacks the picturesque setting of trees and mountains 
that give to the lakes farther east their charm and beauty. The 
railway curves in and out around the projecting spurs of basalt on 
the west shore to a point near the outlet of the lake and there turns 
more to the west and crosses the basaltic plateau. 
Many bowlders of foreign material such as granite and quartzite 
may be observed near the south end of the lake and along the line 
westward at least as far as milepost 138, but it is doubtful if any can 
be found beyond that point. 
Ritzville, the largest town between Spokane and Pasco, is the center 
of a rich agricultural district. This is a part of the great wheat belt 
of eastern Washington that has been so wonderfully 
Sprague. 
Elevation 1,906 feet. 
Population 1,110. 
St. Paul 1,546 miles. 
Ritzville. developed by dry-farming methods. About a mile 
Benen teat beyond Ritzville a branch line turning to the right 
Population 1,859. 
(west) and known as the Ellensburg cut-off has been 
graded and is said to be ready for the rails. When 
this line is completed it will not only open up a large area of farming 
land but also give a line to — west of Columbia River, 100 
miles shorter than the present route. 
St. Paul 1,570 miles. 
‘The traveler may wonder why the 
Northern Pacific, havi 
Walla Walla River. In order to hasten 
construction of the main line of the 
as its objective point, should bend so far 
ompany was to build a line 
to Portland down Columbia River, as 
well asa line to Puget Sound across the 
‘ascade Mountains, and a coast line con- 
necting Portland and Puget Sound. At 
the time it was decided to recommence 
from Portland up the south bank of Co. 
lumbia River to Wallula, at the mouth of 
Northern Pacific it was decided to utilize 
this line for the transportation of material 
for that part of the through line which 
lies east of Pasco and to postpone for a 
time the construction of the line along 
the north bank of Columbia River and 
that across the Cascade Mountains. Im- 
mediately after the main line was com- 
pleted, in 1883, the construction of the 
line across the Cascade Mountains by way 
of ae Yakima Valley was begun. The 
trolling reason for swinging the line 
oo to the south was to make the connec- 
tion with the Oregon Railway & Naviga- 
