The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1897-07-29
An IMPORTANT POINT
North Yakima and Surrounding Country
Captures a Magazine Writer.
RICH IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Victor Smaiiey says He Has Never
Seen a More Attractive Town. Il
has all the Modern improvements
and Attractive Environments.

| victor II. Smalley IN the Northwest
Magazine: Situated at the junction OF
the Yakima and Nstcheez rivers, in the
Yakima valley, surrounded by circle Of
mountains which form a huge natural
basin, is the town OF North Yakima.
The town is the center of large irriga.
ton interests and is, therefore. the ship
ping point of great quantities of fruit,
vegetables, grains, alfalfa and hops. max
ing it one of the most important points
in Washington on the Northern Pacific
railway. The county of Yakima 10 q
little larger than Connecticut, and reaches
from the Columbia river on the east to
the Cascade range on the west. 1t con.
sists OF valleys. undulating hills and
broad table lands. The soil lie exception
ally rich, and a great variety Of product
is raised protitably. In the midst OF this
fertile country, surrounded by all the ad-
vantages that are derived from such an
advantageous position, lies North Yakima
with it's $500 people.
|
town than this one. With it's broad
streets, fringed on both sides with locust,
tall Lombardy poplars and other trees,
it reminded us fercibly of a Louisiana
town in which we once spent a winter.
On each side of the North Yakima streets
runs a stream Of clear, sparkling water
which feeds the rows of trees and adds
to the attractiveness of the place. We
found it hard to realize, as we strolled
through the town enjoying the cool shade
of the tree foliage and admiring the
beautiful yards and promising gardens,
that twelve years ago all this was bar.
rem waste, with only here and there a
bunch OF sage brush dotting the sands
However, il North Yakima Is young in
years it is old in appearance. 1t has q
substantial business street and an aston.
ishingly large number of handsome resi-
dences, which would do credit to place
twice it's size. Everything in the line Of
modern improvements is found here.
There are mains of pure drinking water
sewerage, electric lights, fine tele-
phone system, two hotels. numerous
erous churches, a large Catholic hos.
pital, three weekly newspapers and q
farming journal; a theatre, public drink
ing fountains, splendid drives, and last
but by no means least, a thoroughly or
ganized Commercial club. This club 10
composed OF prominent business and
professional men OF the city and sub.
stantial farmers living in the vicinity.
Their enterprise in forwarding the inter.
ests of the town has gained for them an
enviable name and they are always
ready and willing to correspond with peo-
pie in the east who desire to obtain def.
mite information regarding the Yakima
country. In 1895 the Commercial club
issued handsome pamphlet, profusely
illustrated with the finest half-tone en-.
cravings, giving facts about the valley
and its products and also containing
short write-up of the city. 1t is due to
this work that We are able to lay before
the readers Of this magazine 80 much
interesting information. North Yakima
has an abundance OF retail stores, and
her citizens do not have to 90 outside the
town to purchase furnishings for their
homes. Although there are number OF
substantial brick and stone buildings on
the business street, there 10 room for q
goodly number OF structures OF like char.
scter. Being the county seat, it is the
home of many county officials and fol-
lowers of the legal profession. whose
presence tends to lend dignity to the
local atmosphere.
Not lar from the city 10 All Indian res
ervstion, and on the streets OF the town
are usually seen a number OF redskins
attired in gaudy blankets lounging about
the stores, swapping skins and lies, the
latter almost always being in the MAORI
ty. Their presence adds romantic fes-
ture to the little city, and a number OF
groups which | saw would have furnished
excellent material for the pen OF Freder-
lex Remington. These Indians are not
bad neighbors, and during the hop pick.
ing time they come to the city by hun
dreds to aid the farmers in harvesting
their crop.
Now that we have given an idea OF this
irrigated town, we will say something
about the county of which North Yakima
10 the judicial seat and chief center.
Maj. ]. w. Powell, director Of the United
States Geological Survey, said in an adj
dress delivered TO the members OF the
North Yakima Commercial club in 1893 4:
There is more than water enough
flowing through Yakima county to i,ri.
gate every acre OF arabic land; and in
this respect the Yakima valley is especi.
ally and exceptionally favored. as its
water supply is superior TO that OF any
other region In the west with but one ex-
ception, that OF Boise, Idaho. People
can appreciate what this great blessing
means when they realize the fact that, in
states like Arizona and Nevada. II every
drop OF running surface water were utiliz-
ed during the irrigation season, there