The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-01-03

Land Commissioner to the Northern Pa
cific Railway company for lands aggrega-
ting 74,l5S acres in Whitman, Walla
Walla, Garfield and Columbia counties.
These lands are in the lieu land district
OF the N. p. grant, and have mainly been
under cultivation for the past ten or
twenty years. The decision of the land
office effects between two and three hum
dred filings. The land in question was
set aside as part Of the Northern Pacific
land grant in 1872 and part in 1880; and
in 1887 was restored as part OF the public
domain. All persons who were bona
fide settlers prior to the filing OF the list
OF selection by the railroad company have
been awarded prior rights, as in the case
Of Guilford Miller, in all cases that have
been contested before the interior depart
ment.
Patrick Henry Winston, OF Spokane,
again announces q change of heart and is
back in the republican party. When he
went over to the populists last fall the re-
publican papers gave him great scald-
ing and plainly stated that it was good
riddance to bad rubbish but nevertheless
they welcome his return to the fold. TIE
populist papers are now doing the scor-
ing.
The Post-Intelhgencer exploring party
has confirmed the report that Mount Ia
coma is in an active state OF eruption and
that.smoke and steam are issuing from the
crater. Avalanches have greatly changed !.
the face OF the mountain and deep crew
aces prevented the party from getting
nearer than mile to the top, when they
were forced to turn back.
Superintendent Byrnes, OF the New
York police, notified the Lexow commit
tee before its adjournment that he had
handed his resignation to the mayor, as
he had found it impossible to correct the
abuses which had grown up through the
curse Of local politics.
James e. Fair, the Bonanza" million
aire and ex-United States senator, died
suddenly at San Francisco on Friday
last. His wealth, estimated at 0,000,-
900, is mainly bequeathed to his two
daughtero.
The celebrated Cliff House, located
near San Francisco, was destroyed by
fire on Christmas night. 1t was built
about thirty years ago and was one of
the sights OF California.
A blizzard has prevailed in the east
during the past week and even Florida,
in the vicinity of Jacksonville, got a
sharp touch of ito the destruction Of
the orange crop.
1t is claimed that John b. Allen has
made some arrangement with the uopu.
lists by which he has been promised the
legislative support OF that party for sem
ator.
Ex-secretary of State John w. Foster
has been appointed by China to repre-
sent her interests at peace conference
with the plenipotentiaries of Japan.
Yakima Soil.
The Pullman agricultural college has
been experimenting with Washington
soils, and had sample from Yakima. 1t
was taken from the Miller ranch, on the
Wenas. The bulletin issued says of this
sample:
at is locally termed bench or sage
brush soil Being in the area of limited
rain fall, irrigation is necessary to pro-
duce successfully anything but grease
wood and sage brush. Sample was taken
from surface to depth Of Is inches from
uncultivsted land. 1t is light sandy
loan. In this irrigated district no diff
Guilty is experienced in raising excellent
crops OF cereals, fruit, alfalfa, hops, ETC.,
wherever water is available. This ia ct
having been determined by practical ex-
perience, it is no surprise to learn from
chemical analysis that the soil, so un-
promising in appearance, contains such
abundant stores of the elements Of plant
nutrition. 1t is probable that when par
tial exhaustion occurs potash and nj
trogen fertilizer will be first required for
it's restoration to fertility"
The analysis OF the Yakima soil shows:
Per cent.
Insoluble residue. ....... rs 1910