The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-12-10

Fred B. Reed Writes On His FaVOrite Topic
Yakima..+and Thinks Prosperity" Is
Stamped On Our Mountains and
Valleys in Big Letters.
NORTH YAKIMA, Dec. 7, 1891.

When you invite your friends to q
feast, you usually prepare and get ready
by the time they arrive. so that what you
have to offer is ct hand. This applies
directly to the Yakima country. Until
you have water on your land, and are in
shape to invite people here, what would
you do with them? hear men growl
every day because immigration does not
Dour in here. would ask those men
where in the past would they have put
these peopleP They cannot answer that
question, nor can anyone. There has
been. compared to the area Of country
tributary to North Yakima, but very
small percentage Of 1t under cultivation,
or that could be successfully cultivated,
because it was not irrigated, and, without
irrigation, barren. And now what has
happened? Right here in our midst a
great transformation has taken place-a
general revolution of things. The great
est compliment tie Yakima country ever
received has been paid within the past
twelve months, and that Is that great cor
porations have expended vast sums Of
money in building canals to carry water
to reclaim hundreds Of thousands Of acres
Of otherwise worthless land in order to
give it q cash value and make every
twenty acres home, that a living can
be made from and family supported and
money laid by for rainy day. Our local
people could not build these canals, be-
cause they had no money; but outsiders
-strangers-have realized the future for
Yakima, and Of the many alIuring in
ducements offered all over the northwest,
have selected this country as the best
place in which to invest their money.
Point out any county in the state that has
made any greater progress in year. And
now what Is to be done? The table Is
set, the feast is ready, and the guests are
coming; and who has sent and Is sending
the invitations? Why these companies
who have made our country and done for
Us what we, with our local pride and un-
swerving faith, were unableto do. They
will continue to send invitations to this
feast to the people Of every section Of
every state in the union, and to help mat
tiers along they will send their brightest
representatives to show the invited peo-
pie the way to Yakima county, and we
who are here, with all the opportunity to
get to the table first, il we don't do our
selves justice, whose fault is It? l see
for Yakima county bright and glowing
future. I see for every man in his par
ticular walk of life success il he works
and saves and attends to business. l do
not believe all our people realize what q
favored section they live in. Isometimes
get weary Of hustling; but when l travel
over the country and compare it with
Yakima, always feel glad that selected
this place for my home. l believe in
this section, and promise every reader
Of this article that every statement have
made will pan out as stated; and when I
hear people say hard things Of Yakima,
l think that they are like the Judge who
asked Pat, "ATe you guilty or not guilty ?"
II can't tell, your honor" replied Pat,
until l hear the evidence" And it's
the duty Of every citizen to give enquir-
ing people the evidence, that Yakima is
the best agricultural aounty in Washing
ton, which Is an easy task. I see no
reason for US to feel blue over the present
situation. With these irrigation com.
panies' work come people, money and
prosperity. Yakima's progress from now
on will be as rapid as money, muscle and
brains can push it. Prosperity in big
letters Is stamped on our mountains and
in our valleys; and 1t now remains for
rs to take advantage Of Yakima's de-
velopment. FRED r. REED.