SPOKANE AND THE INLAND EMPIRE by N.W. Durham C.H. Holmes, one of the prominent citizens of Wilbur who is successfully engaged in the real-estate and loan business, has been a resident of Lincoln county for twenty-two years, and during that time has been identified with various activities. He was born in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, on June 17, 1865 and is son of C.C. and Mary Holmes. The parents were both natives of the state of New York but they removed to Minnesota in 1837 and there the father engaged in the general mercantile and milling business for many years. C.H. Holmes was reared at home and given the advantages of a common-school education. He early layed aside his text books and began his business career, and being a thrifty and entergetic youth of much dermination of spirit he met with sucess. At the age of about 20 years he engaged in lumber and wood business in Sauk Rapids, but believeing that the northwest afforded better opportunities and greater advantages, he disposed of his enterprise in 1889 and together with his young wife, came to Washington. Lincoln county was his destination and upon his arrival here he filed on a homestead three miles from Wilber. He was not familiar with agricultural pursuits, but he is a man of practical ideas and clear judgement and by the intelligent direction of his energies met with a goodley measure of sucess. It was his ambition to again in business, however, and with this thought in mind he applied himself tirelessly to the operation of his ranch. His efforts were rewarded with constantly increasing returns during the succeeding seven years, which, together with the price of his ranch, which he sold in 1896, enabled him to engage in the general mercantile business in Wilber. He carried a well assorted stock of merchandise that he offered at reasonably prices and met with little difficulty in building up a profitable trade. He continued to conduct this store for nine years and at the end of that time sold it to Mr. Parks and in 1906 he opened a real-estate and loan office. This has proven to be a lucrative undertaking and he has negotiated some large transactions. Since engaging in this business Mr. Holmes has been instrumental in the upbuilding and developement of this section of the county, as to through his efforts many settlers have been induced to locate in and adjacent to Wilber. He has aquired some valuable holdings in the Little kettle mining country, that are being developed, and he also owns four hundred and eighty acres of fine wheat land, which rents to good advantage. On the 4th of March 1888, Mr. Holmes was united in marriage to Miss Emma C.G. Waltman, a daughter of J. S. Waltman, a well known veterinary surgeon of Minnesota and they have become parents of: Harry, Roy, Byron, Cecil, Ida, Earl, Sylvia, Ernest, Lea, and Rolland, all of whom are attending school. The family attended the Methodist Episcopalo church and in polotocs Mr. Holmes is a republican. He is a public-spirited man and takes an active interest in all movements that effect the welfare of the community.