The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-06-01

TRANSPORTING INFLUENCES OF WATER.
An Eastern Gentieman vino Recent.
" visited Yakima Tells OF the
Changes Taking Place.

business men OF Washington have been
quietly securing large tracts Of Yakima
desert land. Engineers have examined
it and found an abundant supply OF water
near at hand. Eastern capital has been
interested until at the present time,
through the workings Of dozen different
irrigation companies, thousands of acres
In the Yakima country are being re-
claimed, and what was formerly q vast
plain of sagebrush is being transformed
into a garden. spot. An eastern gentle
man who has recently been examining
the big bitches now under construction in
the Yakima country was in the city yes
terday and expressed himself as very
much surprised and pleased with what he
had seen. Irrigation and its results are
not entirely new to me-" he said, "for |
have seen it's practical workings, and
am bound to confess that the transforma-
ton it brings about is almost miraculous.
l passed through Fresno, CAL, in the fall
of 1877. 1t was then a most inviting
looking village of about COO inhabitants,
400 OF whom were Chinese. At that time
land two miles from the center of the VIII
lage could be bought for & per acre. To
day Fresno is a beautiful city of 10000
inhabitants. The same lands cannot be
purchased for less than 5000 per acre,
and the city is one of the most prosper
GUS in the state. All this change is the
direct result of irrigation. The same
change is apparent IN the central portion
of the state, where lands have been re-
claimed.
1.-THE Yakima country is making rapid
strides in development, and it is an ac-
tual fact that within the past two years
land has quadruried in value, all directly
attributable to irrigation. As it appeared
to me. North Yakima is to-day the most
prosperous town in the state In proper
ton to its inhabitants. Of course this is
partly due to the fact that number of
big irrigation companies are giving plenty
OF employment to the people Of that coun-
try, but aside from that fact, the assur-
ance Of good crops inspires the people
with that confidence in each other which
is essential to prosperity. Roughly esti-
mated, there is now in tire Yakima coun-
try some 800 miles of main canal, either
completed or under construction, and
hundreds of miles OF laterals and branches
These canals will irrigate about 2S3.0o0
acres OF fine land, and are controlled by
companies capitalized for more than 49,
100000. The amount OF capital already
expended exceeds 81, $50, 900. The water
supply is obtained from the Yakima,
Natcheez and Palouse rivers, and, accord
ing to the best authorities, will never fail.
The largest company now successfully
operating is the Northern Pacific, Yakima
& Kittitas Irrigation company. 1t was
formed four years ago with a capital Of
10000 and Paul Schulze is its presi-
dent. The first thirty miles of the main
canal have been completed, and supplied
the adjoining country with water during
the last season. Ten miles more are now
under construction, and the remaining
twenty miles will be completed during
the present year. The total cost of the
main canal, laterals, storage dams, ETC.,
is estimated at $4,000. The total land
to be irrigated is about &c., 900 acres. l
heard of new canal to be built shortly
by an English syndicate. 1t will head
on the Yakima river, have a length of
forty miles, with fifteen miles Of branches
and eighty-fve miles OF laterals, and irri-
gate some 81, 600 acres OF land. The bond
Issue will be 100000.
"Some idea of the rapid increase in the
value of land can BE- obtained from the
fact that the average price per acre on
fifteen sales was $50. This, of course, in
cludes the water right, and the maintain.
ance fee pei. acre is 81 per year. A very
profitable crop on irrigated land, am
told. is hops. But much of it is also
adaptable to fruit raising and almost all
kinds of agricultural pursuits. under
stand that in the eastern part OF this state
there is large area OF arid lands, and
intend to look over that land on
my way home"