The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-03-07
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! WHAT PEOPLE SAY !

GREATEST gas anu oll-pTouuclnS states III
the union. have spent all my life,
with the exception of the last twenty
years, which has been spent here, in the
California oil region as an oil-well driller,
and feel that have had enough ex-
perience to know the prospects for new
fields. When explorations in California
began for oil the vast majority OF the
people hooted at the idea, but men with
keen foresight went ahead with logged
perseverance and tested the field. You
know the result. While there have been
nothing yet produced in this state that
will show it to contain oil or gas beneath
its surface, the indications are such that
the developments now going on in differ
ent sections will bring forth surprising
results in the next few months. Wells
are now being drilled at points in both
ends of the state at such rate that in
the course of the next sixty days some
thing tangible ought to show up. If
there is oil in Eastern Washington there
is oil in Central Washington. Evidence
of oil has been found along the Natchez
river, and to test this field well ahould
be sunk.
j. A. Handley-In the last year North
Yakima has burned 1000 cords OF wood,
besides an enormous quantity of coal.
While the source OF supply is yet handy
to the railroad, the time is not far dis
tant, with the present rate OF consump-
ton, when the price will be much higher
for fuel on account of the long haul
necessary to get the wood to the trans
portation lines.
w. W. Robertson-The county divis-
ion bill will not pass the senate this
session. / was at Olympia last week
and sounded the senators pretty thor
oughly on the question. | found the
majority OF them opposed to the meas
ure. Senator Baker will not permit it
to get out of the committees hands if
he can prevent it, and if it does it will
not pass, because the forces at work in
the senate against the bill are much
stronger than those that opposed it in
the house. Fruther than this | have
nothing to say.
x*x
c. NJ. Hauser-What is most needed
in this city is an adequate fire system.
| While the present system can be put up
with, it is not what city of this size
requires. One should be so arranged
that ample protection from fire could be
given to all parts of the city, and this
can only be done by liberal expendi-
ture of money as first cost. | recog-
nize that system needed here would
create heavy drain on the treasury at
| first, but once it was established the
property owners would be the gamers in
the end. Under the system we have at
present insurance rates are high. By
putting in system, say at cost of
from $1,000 to $1,000, insurance would
be materially reduced so that in five
y
would be returned to the people
Nv
$. Chappell-I have lived in this valley
thirty some years, and in all that stretch
of time | never saw winter hang on as
| long as this one has. believe, actually,
the climate is changing. 1t used to be
we would have nice spring weather in
February, and then sometimes a little
cold snap in March, thus winding up
the winter, but for the last two years
winter has hung on tenaciously until in
March. But, however, this is better for
the fruit crop, providing cold snap does
not come in April. Then, there has
been more rain this winter than usual
1t was in the fore part of the season that
this characteristic presented itself, when
the precipitation was unusual. 1t may
be that the seasons will change sutfi-
GENTLY that irrigation will not be needed
here i'll the summer season. But |
hardly look for such radical change as
all that, for you know should such a
thing come true and the warm tempera-
ture prevail, this would be the garden
spot of the earth. ! have seen winters
when not an inch OF snow fell, and
scarcely any rain to speak of-just sun
shine and frosty nights; but that was
long time ago, before the land was all
taken up and put under cultivation.
Still, these conditions may prevail next
winter, we cannot tell, for weather va