The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-09-15

living about Wallula Junction, in Walla
Malla county. 1t is something like
putting the cart before the horse to
start off an irrigation story with the
foregoing statement, but while soil
and climatic conditions place the
primary value upon farm lands, yet
the ultimate value and the earning
caDacity per acre of arabic and Guilt
waited lands must inevitably be regu-
lated by the traffic conditions hrst
mentioned. Of course, this implies
that the traffic conditions bear upon
the one great question of markets. The
farmer living near Wallula has the
hest of the argument as against his
fellow in any other part of the Pa
cifc northwest. If he lives near wal
lula and can raise good crops, he is in
dependent for life. He has at MS
doors the finest markets in the world
not one. but half a dozen or more.
These are reached quickly and easily.
He has one community bidding against
another for his products. He is abso-
lutely independent of the railroad rate
question. His earnings depend entire
w on his own industry and knowledge
of farming.
Nanv people saw the relation OF
these facts to the country surround
ing Wallula Junction years ago. Hen
nv Willard, whose genius had It's full
fruition in the building OF the North
ern Pacific, saw it two decades ago
And he saw what others since his
time have seen and known, that the
only question was to bring the water
on the land. Of water there is great
plenty in Eastern washington, where
irrigation in all it's perfection can De
studied by any man who is interested.
Of land that may cheaply be subdued
and reclaimed by irrigation there is
not great plenty left in the young
state of Washington. The choice areas
that can be watered cheaply are rap
id1y being reclaimed bv private ana
government capital. Private enter
prise has about exhausted the most
attractive enterprises. That OF the Co
lumbia Canal Company, which has
lust completed it's main canal tapping
the Walla Walla river nine miles east
of Wallula, is one OF the very re"
most attractive irrigation schemes
that were left a year ago. They are
practically all gone now-that is, Keen
and bright irrigation men have so oc-
cupied the field that there is little re-
manning in washington save what may
he undertaken by the United States
government. And as the government
is proverbially slow and as 1t has
about quit in Washington. it can be
nlainlv seen that the present high
values Of IRRIGATION lands in every
section of the state will not only con-
tinue for an indefinite period, but that
the tendency will be yearly to increase
in value.
Something over 10000 acres of land
ore involved in the enterprise OF the
Columbia Canal Company. which has
gone about it's work without the noise
of brass bands. and also without the
dolefnl ending at the finish of litiga-
ton and broken fortunes which is not
uncommon in some sections of the
west. for the company has finished
IFS main works and is now about to
deliver the water to it's patrons. The
system has been planned with the very
hest of economic and engineering
skill The soil is the best in all East
ern Washington The district to be
watered. as stated in the first para
graph of this article. has superlative
advantages in traffic way. There is
absolutely nothing to prevent its rapid
development
The water is taken from the Walla
Walla river about nine miles east OF
Wallula. The headworks and dam are
shown in the accompanying illustra-
tons. The dam is of solid concrete.
100 feet long, 10 feet wide at its base
on bed rock and feet wide at the
Top. It's average height is fifteen feet.
II raises the water of the river eight
feet The elevation above sea level at
the base of the dam is 1894 feet and at
Wallula it is 1922 feet. Thus there is