Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-08

expirAfion OF present contrac's'
me posT.IMTEllIcEMcER PUB. CO.
sesstle. June 10. 1883.
rRuP TO T. n. ALvORD'A Farm On
WHITE KlvER.
II vas announced in the depot that q
trmin would leave for Renton and way
s4afions at one o'clock, and We were on
hand at the appointed time, but were
toId that the program had been changed
and that a train would not leave until
f.nr. So we boarded the train about to
s1art for the race track and were soor
landed in front Of the place where Se-
attle celebrated the Fourth. We eu-
tered and after seeing the various sights
We witnessed the exciting races 80 cas-
ily won by Dexter and 20 nicely won BY
Forest King. At tho shrek of tho iron
horse We left the scenes Of excitemen nj
and soaght q comfortable position In
one of the passenger ears. We were
soon speeding through country re.
markable for nothing save the fields OF
eumps and the dense underground oil
ihs woods. In a short time the CON
duotor announced "Blsck River" and
= ve aliphted We noticed that the sta
tion consisted Of small station house,
q dwelling, a bridge across the river
and 4 camp occupied by the surveyors
Of the Puget Sound Short Line Rail.
road. As the haying season Is one OF
the busiest times on farm 20 now It
was impossible to get horse or convey
anos Of any sort. 30 a. q far,ne! says
We had TO s'hoof Il" for ton miles in the
hot sun and over a dusty road. Al We
proceeded along the road We began g
zee farms with large barns, and with
oxtsusiye meadows whore waves the lux
uriant timothy from two to three feet
high.
a new building, which we are told IL
dry house, and there oil around are the
tall poles supporting the hop vines.
This hop culture IL fast becoming one
Of the chief industries of White River
valley. We at last reach MaddoCksville,
which has 90 far taken upon itself the
appearance Of town that IL has q four
foot sidewalk about one block long, =
general merchandise establishment, be-
ionQiuR 10 q. M. Van Doren, q church
and q schoolhouse. Here also 10 what 10
called the lower ferry. We passed ON
through hay farms and hop farms until
ws arrived at the cheese factory, where
many farmers were hauling the milk,
for which they receive such price that
Il does mot pay them to make butter.
At this place was the upper ferry.
Tho ferry is run by the force OF tho our
rent. A wire cable being stretched
across the river q sufficient hight to per-
mit steamer to pass, either end of the
barge Ia fastened 10 pa Icy, which runs
on the cable; by turning q wheel the
end Of the barge Ia turned out and In car
Yied out by the current, bat being held
by the Gable IL goes straight across and
you are landed ON the other side with
out the exsrtion Of any ono. A mile
further on and We arrived at the end Of
our journey, namely, the farm Of Mr..
T. III, Alyord. We found Mr.. A. and
his two Sous, Elisha and Irving. busily
engaged In preparing the machines to
b used in the morrow's haying.
There was another group consisting
Of some young folks Just returned from
. Fourth Of July In Slaughter whore the
Rev. Mr.. Ellis delivered the Grafton.
We spent the evening In pleasant c0n-
vefsation, In which we learned that Mr.,
and Mrs. Alvord have lived on their
plaos for tventy-three years, and that
3hsy arrived there In a canoe, no otheI
means Of travel being then afforded
Nov there 10 = regular steamer landing
q thsir door, and . railroad BEING bull
which will afford them easy. communi,
cation with the outside world. The maxi
morning We started TOR the haynsid
whore We found four moving machines
doing excellent work. and several rAkss
beaidss two funny looking machines
called 'stedders," ," which they uae whsr
the dew disappeArs. These things am
uesd 20 scatter the hay and allow thl
sun 20 cure Il more quickly than would
Otherwise b. done. Thee put one ir
mind OF the political kicker who scatter
everything 70 the four winds and accom-
plishee nothing save ventilation. VI
6nd that Mr.. Alvord's farm 10 thl
larrest ono In the county and that b
also has the. largest barn. which VII
cable l6s bead Of cattle at one time
He has barn and stable accommodation
TSs vhoie farm contains about ll0'
aore2. and With some light I'd
1itioral clearing there will b about 30
asres under cultivation. The meadow
NM been producing heavy crops q
tlnaAhy hav for nine yeats without be
ine cultivated. Last year the crol
amounted 20 75O tons. 6dO tons YER
stoved In the barns and the reet In th'
staek. On account Of this dry sprinl
II, Alvord thinks th,s years crop vii
ne1 b g large BY one hundred tons q
h vse lass yeaY; bat Mr.. b. Brown, fur
thur down. claims that the crop on hi
plaoe l. 20 psr cent. greater this year.
NJ. Alvord has many extensive i'm
provsnents ON his farm. For insf.nce
Sssidee - iaueo hans b has . a col
abouf two miles long and i've fsst vid
= the bottom, which drains sevsra
sn.ll erenbsrry raIahs: and sns uPps