The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-05-30
The Yakima Valley.

The Yakima valley extends over
many square miles, and includes
hundreds of acres of rich soil. 1t
is what the easterner seeks in his
search for wealth. Two hundred
families are preparing to leave Iowa
for the Yakima valley. Most of
these are poor people who have
rented farms in Iowa, but the high
rent charged by the land owners has
caused them to seek homes in the
west. A citizen who has recently re-
turned from the east says that in
stead of go west, young man; go
west and grow up with the coun-
try" the watchword is go west and
buy farm in the Yakima valley"
The climate of this section is very
favorable. The winters are mild and
the summers are long. With very
few exceptions there have been no
heavy rain or lightning storms. The
people of the valley never expert
ence cyclones, tornadoes, billiards.
or floods. An interesting incident is
that of an Irishman who had visited
the valley. When he returned east
his friends asked him what the win
tiers were like out there. He replied.
Really, I don't know; I was there
for eleven months only"
The principal products of this dis
trict are fruit, hay, grain, vegetables,
hops and lumber. The chief product
is fruit, and upon it depends the
prosperity of the valley. Yakima ap-
pies are in great demand all over the
east. Hundreds of young trees are
planted annually. Hops are another
great product of the valley. They
furnish employment for hundreds of
people every fall. Excursions are
given by the railroads, for hop pick
ing is great hobby, even with the
Indians.
There are many towns in the val
ley. all centers of great farming dis
tricts. Railroads are being built up
into the country so as to bring the
products to market. The railroads
will tend to cause the founding of
more towns.
North Yakima is the main town in
the valley. It is. the shipping point
of the surrounding country for many
miles, being located in almost the
center of the valley. 1t will be the
terminus of the branch roads.
1t is said that irrigation is king"
in the Yakima valley, and that is
nearly true, for without irrigation
this valley would be barren waste,
roamed over by the coyotes and In
dams. 1t is the secret of the pros
perity of our locality. 1t has turned
hundreds of acres of worthless land
into a beautiful and peaceful valley.
The land is of a peculiar nature.
Take two farms side by side, one may
be very fertile piece of land and
the next one may be nearly all rocks
With the aid of water, what may ap-
pear to be worthless land may be
made very productive. Some or
chards seem to be growing in bed
Of rocks.
The streams are swift-running,
Astounding in fish. They furnish the
water supply of tho valley. Many
large irrigation bitches run through
the valley, and fumes are built
along the hills to water the higher
land.
The Tietan canal will make humid
reds of acres of barren land verv
valuable. The people of the Yakima
valley should celebrate the building
Of this canal. and some of the citi-
zens are trying to arrange for a cele-
bration of this in connection with the
Fourth of July. The people should
respond quickly.
The future prospects of the valley
can hardly be estimated. The
steady stream of settlers from the
east, the Tietan project and the in
creasing value of land will cause a
gradual growth.
There is no doubt that the Yakima
valley will be the leading district
in the state of Washington in few
years.
EDWARD McWAIN.
What I Saw at a Railway Station
! One Evening.