The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-01-12
Following Recent Visit to Yakima He
Pens Graphic and Eloquent
Tribute to This Section.

Recently Mayor David s. Rose of
Milwaukee. visited this city ana fol-
lowing his visit, the appended tribute
to the valleys of the Yakima" was
penned by him and published in the
Milwaukee Sentinel. No man has
ever paid a higher compliment to
this community than Mayor Rose and
here is what he says:
I'm my boyhood days the lads were
accustomed to ''go in swimmin'" in
the murky waters of the Pecatonica
river that did not purl but did creep
through tortuous channels past my
native village. The stream was called
tesy, l guess, for l can conceive of no
other excuse. From the muddy bed
we used to gather clam shells and
open them Just to ascertain their
contents in qualification of curiosity
Many a beautiful slug and many a
beautiful pearl we found, but uncon-
scious of their value we used them
for bullets in our boy built slung
shots. In attire years it was discovered
that there raricolored little globes
were rare gems and many thousands
Of dollars worth have been gathered
and set in rings and brooches and
ear rings and necklaces that COM
mand fabulous prices
Away out in the heart of the COM
paratively new state of Washington
Is a wide spreading valley, more Of
the character of a basin surrounded
on all sides by mountains. In truth
there are five valleys all converging
into one, and all are included within
the christening 1.-THE Valleys of the
Yakima" These were not different
in typographical appearance from
many other valleys similarly situated
in the state and the traveller would
not have been attracted by anything
to be seen outside Of the irrigated
area. But at some time in the not
far remote past somebody came along
ard discovered that the soil possessed
wonderful richness and fertility and
productive qualities and then some-
body made the discovery that irriga-
ton was possible and experiments
gave startling results
Now great sections are under irrj-
cation and cultivation and where all
was desolatate waste overgrown with
rank, wire-stemmed buffalo grass
now is a perfect garden of beauty.
The magic touch of development has
left its finger marks everywhere. Or
ehards and orchards. great sea of
orchard. spread out from mountain
base to mountain base. Orchards of
peach trees and pear trees and apple
trees and between the sentinel-like
rows may be seen parallel rows Of
berry bushes, blackberries, black
raspberries and red raspberries, nnd
then again to fill the interstices. as
1t were are Strawberries
Apples! The old master of brush
and palette would meet his Waterloo
should he attempt to reproduce upon
canvas the colorings and delicate en-
bossed shadings of the Yakima valley
apples. Colors of every hue that may
De polished to eclipse varnish in
brightness, from the darkest mahog-
any to the cardinal and the crimson
And all of the yellows and all of the
green's and all of the browns. And
then the sizes! Apples as large as
cocoanuts; apples that weigh thirty
ounces each, and with flavors thar
make the palate dance from sheer
delight. Apples that retail in the
home market and in market that
never grows sluggish at five shillings
per dozen. And the major portion
OF this great apple crop is sold by
contract to eastern dealers and are
found in tho 1iciv, 90
ular hotels and restaurants of the
large cities.
Nor are apples the only crop.
Fruits and berries Of all kinds and
varieties and Of exceptional quality
are Indigenous to this prolific soil.
Vegetables and cereals, in fact AL
most everything that may be grown
from the earth may be raised and in
generous abundance.
We in Wisconsin boast of the quail
ity of the Shawano county potato, and
indeed the boast is sustained by merit.
but l have seen Irish potatoes grown
in this valley ten inches in length
and three and one-half inches in di-
ameter, sound to the core. "meaIv"
sweet and of exquisite taste; in quail
ity equal in every respect to the hest
white potato I have ever seen grown
IN the middle west.
And surrounded by these great or
chards are the homes of the owners.
homes which in architecture, in taste-
fulness and conveniences would grace
the most fashionable boulevards. And
why not, when we consider that these
irrigated lands are worth from $500
TO S3,o00 per acr. and that their
yearly products will pay most liberal
incomes upon those valuations. Those
Yakima valley farmers are pabobs
for sure.
At the exact confluence of those five
valleys as hub from which they re-.
date, is the natty little city of North
Yakima, now with a population of
about $4,000 inhabitants, but grow
ing rapidly. 1t is the logical heart OF
those valleys, the motive power for
their comm ercial circulation.
The streets are laid out in perfect
parallelograms, are generously wide
and fair proportion are well paved.
She has every modern convenience.
In fact, she is absolutely modern in
all of her appointments There are
the fun quota of schools and churches
banks and mercantile establishments,
hotels Of unexcelled standard,
"estaurants and every attribute of
civic life. Her people are animated
by the western spirit" which com
bines civic pride in intense degree,
superabundant hospitality, push, en-
terprise and intelligent progressive
1css. Most of them west and many
81 Wisconsin's sterling sons and
daughters are numbered in her citi-