The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-01-20

At the second station west of the tun-
mel the party in the smoking ear was
augmented by fat man. who lighted II
cigar, bowed politely to the original oc
cupants and settled back into Il corner.
As he did SO he stirred up quite little
cloud of the dust that had accumulated
in the cushions.
Pretty dusty coming through the
desert, eh?" he said, ADDRESSING his re-
marks to no one in particular.
At the word desert" the Yakiman's
hair began to bristle.
That's frightful country now, isn't
it ?" continued the fat man, in the same
general way. by George, ! don't see
how those people over there exist"
"Pv heard it's fine agricultural
country, though" said the Iowa doctor,
seeming fun.
"A good agricultural country! A
good agricultural country" snorted the
fat man. "IIow the devil can they raise
anything? Why, do YOU know that
from one years end to another it doesn't
rain over there
Yes. know that" replied the doctor:
but it is said they get remarkable re-
suits from irrigation
The fat man gared around speechless
for Il moment Then he said slowly and
deliberately; Gentlemen. | am from
the Puyallup country. As | am an hon
est man. if | couldn't raise more on one
square foot of my land than the Yakima
people can on an acre. | would give il
away to the first siwash that came
along
Evidences of growing unea sincss and
belligerency in the Yakima mans cor
ner.
Il imagine. then" said the doctor,
blandly. that the Puyallup country is
quite fertile
1t is the garden spot of the earth.
sir!" asseverated the fat man, solemn
ly. We raise more hops to the acre in
the Puyallup valley than any place in
the world
Then the North Yakima man could
stand it no longer. i am told. SIR" he
said with cutting sarcasm, that you
raise more hop lice to the acre than can
be produced anywhere else"
''I'll bet you are one of that Yakima
irrigation ditch crowd" shouted the fat
man, turning and facing his interlocu-
tor. Yes. by George ! know you now.
You're Blank manning HIM and you've
been slandering Western Washington
to these people from the east. Gentle
men, it's an internal shame the way
those people backcap their own state.
As for hop lice, I'll give him 81 piece
for all he can find in the Puyallup val
ley"
Il call YOU to witness that PROPOSE
ton. gentlemen" criei the Yakima
man. IF he sticks to it I'll buy out
the Rothschild family next week. There
isn't a hop plant in the Puyaliup val
ley but what's alive with lice. They
haven't picked 10 pounds of merchant
able hops this year, and"
We thought they would come to
blows. but it was only the custom of
the country, this interchange of comph
ments between the men of eastern and
western Washington. as we soon found
out. 50 that no blood was spilled.
It's the garden spot of the earth,
sir!'
We knew it was coming. They had
all used it since we had met our Yak
ina friend two weeks before. We had
some to anticipate that sentence in re-
ply to every inquiry about the country.
No matter if our route lay through heap
ed up piles of granite or barren wastes
of sands; though the ground gitterei,
as if from light fall of snow, with al
kali; though we rode through a canyon
with frowning walls towering up humid