The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-09-16
STRAW DAY OBSERVED IN
the WALLA WAlLA COUNTRY
Putting Straw on the Ro is, Holds
Moisture and LAYS the DuSt--
Sagebrush will do the Same./

Walla Walla country. The people over
there made the occasion a holiday and
after the work was done held barbe-
cue and other festivities, and had gen.
eral celebration:
"Straw Day" in eastern Washington
is creature of onditions over which
it seemed for many years there was no
way of exerting an influence. The soil
in the wheat belt is very light in most
places, and the autumn rains usually do
not occur until October or late in Sep
TENDER. Before the rains set in all of
the grain is supposed to be warehoused,
and the result of the harvest is known.
During the long hot months of summer
the roads are travelled with light loads
usually, and there is but slight cause for
disagreeable dust and deep ruts. With
the harvest comes the hauling of i'm
mense loads of grain with four and six
horse teams, and in very short time
country roads become cut with deep ruts
and the dust accumulates to the depth
of several inches. For many years this
condition has been met with Indifference
| by most ia mers, and instead of trying
to overcome the difficulty, the DISPOSE
ton was to add few more horses to the
already large number to be fed, and
nothing further was said about the
matter.
In more recent years careful farmers
have cast about for a remedy for the
dusty condition, and at last it was found
that by Scattering straw from threshing
machines over the road the dust was ov-
ercome and the bad places made quite
passable. When straw to the depth of
several inches was scattered the roads
became hard and loads far in excess Of
those hauled before the treatment could
be hauled with apparent ease. The
straw held the moisture and prevented
the cutting of ruts, and soon after it had
been scattered the road bed became hard
and firm to the hoofs OF stock travelling
over it. After this was demonstrated,
time was required to convince farmers
of the ACCESSIBILITY of treating the public
roads in this way, and it took time to in
terest people in making practical test.
But at last it was made, and the results
were astonishing.
Charles L. Whitney, a farmer residing
near Walla Walla, is the original exper-
menter and father of the movement to
straw the roads. Last year he took it
upon himself to interest his neighbors,
and in one day secured 100 loads of
straw for the purpose and $40 in cash to
be expended in the work OF scattering
along the roads the worthless chaff.
Then the county commissioners were
interested and they instructed the road
supervisors to do all they could to Sc
cure united movement in the matter.
One hundred captains were appointed in
different parts of the county, and a
| friendly contest entered to see which
district could show the most good roads
when the day of final reckoning came.
August 20, last year, was set as "Straw
day." with some misgivings as to the
result of the venture. But when the
work was well under way farmers and
business men saw the advantage and
helped manfully. When the day was
over it was found that 800 loads OF straw
had been scattered, that scores OF miles
of roads had been improved and there
was still 81 in the treasury. The result
Of the days work has brought untold
good to the people of Walla Walla
county.
| This year the matter was taken up
early, and several weeks ago the county
commissioners appointed captains and
instructed the road supervisors to do all
they could TO encourage the work this
fall, at the same time setting September
as the day upon which work would be
reviewed. Elaborate arrangements were
at once made. and since that time the
plan has been to give the people the
most unique celebration possible.
The merchants of Walla Walla, realiz-
ing what was being done in the improve
ment of highways, were not slow to offer
encouragement, and early offered to as
sist as far as they could in the work.
Money and prizes were contributed free
ly, and in this way hundreds of dollars
were secured as Inducements TO the men
and women who would do the most
strawing."