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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

100 years ago in Spokane: Governor lauds city spirit

 (Spokesman-Review archives)

Gov. Ernest Lister was turning Spokane “into the state capital for several days,” said The Spokesman-Review.

In other words, he was visiting Spokane on official business. One of his stops was at the new Red Cross Shop, where he became the first visitor and purchased the first item there, a silver cheese knife. Proceeds from the shop were destined for the group’s war relief efforts.

Lister told the women working at the shop that “the spirit of Spokane is not to be outdone by any other community, and by that token, I know the shop will be a great success.”

Lister also took time to talk to reporters about the state’s contribution to the war effort. He said that 7,200 Washington men would be called in the next draft quota in February. The state had already “given about 25,000 men to the Army and Navy.”

“From our population of 1,400,000, I consider this a splendid showing,” he said.

He was also proud of Camp Lewis, near Tacoma, which he said was the healthiest of the major Army cantonments. It was a like “a city of 40,000 men,” and had only a few cases of measles and meningitis.

He said about two-thirds of his time is taken up with war activities. He planned to meet later with Washington State College regents in Pullman to discuss increased wartime wheat production.

He defended his decision to forge ahead with his building program at the state Capitol in Olympia. He said it would be a mistake to cut out all activities and industries not directly related to the war. Construction workers still needed employment.