The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-10-04
WHAT STATE EED|.
TORS SAY


special arrangements for entertain
ing the members OF the State Press
Association, the first evening given
over to vaudeville entertainment at
the local theatre, the second evening
to a grand ball at the Wenatchee
Commercial Club, and Saturday
morning to an automobile tour
through the famous Wenatchee ap-
pie orchards.
A three days stay in Wenatchee
and a trip through the orchards, will
readily demonstrate to the most cas-
ual observer why the people OF that
thriving little city are to very en-
thusiastic over the Wenatchee val
lev. While a few orchards have been
started previously, the present town
of Wenatchee is only seven years
old. The Commercial Club has
hanging on it's walls a picture OF a
cook wagon for a sheep camp, taken
in the midst of sagebrush in 1901,
at a spot where the $4,000 club
house of the Commercial Club now
stands.
Stories of enormous profits from
orchards become common place, and
trip through the orchards will
prove that the product of one acre
of land will bring in from $1,000 to
$500. 1t is not necessary to re-
late any of the many incidents OF
successful orcharding that the peO-
pie of Wenatchee will relate to Wis
itOrs.
One of the many incidents of the
value of the apple crop may be
; shown by the experience OF one or
the members of the Association on
the evening of September %. This
gentleman went into a barber shop
and while waiting for his turn, a
man entered bearing the appearance
of the average farm laborer. Some
one asked MIN how his apples was
coming on.
"Oh, fine" he replied, Il brought
in 1900 boxes today.
About what will your crop be
this year" was the next question.
We'll, | will have not less than
10. 900 boxes of fancy and extra
fancy" replied the farmer.
Get a pretty good price, he was
asked.
We'll, $3.50 is the least for any
of them, and some of the choicest
boxes will bring as high as $3.50
and SO per box"
Later inquiry by member of the
Press Association who had listened
to this conversation with great In
terest, developed the fact that this
grower had a 20 acre orchard now
eight years old, and that the value
of his crop would be somewhere
from s25, 900 to $27, 900, and the
further fact that this was no I'M
usual crop for orchards OF that age.
The apple crop of that portion of
the valley Immediately surrounding
the town of Wenatchee, will this
wear bring in 100000, and this.
when the great bulk Of the trees are
not over six years of age. In 1917
| with the increased age of the trees,
| it is predicted by growers that the
apple crop of Wenatchee will bring
in to the little city, 100000 or
upwards.
The total population of the city
and valley is something less than
10000 at the present time, which
means even for this year an income
of $500 per capita for every man,
woman and child in the valley, from
the apple crop alone. In the next
two wears, this income will approx
mate $500 per capita. When 1t Is
remembered that in the most thrlv-
ing, manufacturing town, the income
per head of family is about $7l6
per annum, the wealth of the people
of Wenatchee can readily be under
stood.
And best of all about the wealth
of Wenatchee, is that 1t is we'll dis
tributed. There are not more than
two or three orchards in the valley
of more than 90 acres, while the
great bulk of them are held in D ana
10 acre tracts. This means that the
small home owner with five or ten
acre tract IS in receipt of an income
of from $4,000 to 200 per year
from his orchard product. The
money does not return to the hands
of a few large holders, but is dit
fused among all the people. Sucn a
thing as poverty, or what, is aDso-
lutely unknown in Wenatchee at TINS
time. and it is the determination or
the residents there to continue this
state of affairs.
There are probably more automo-
biles owned and used by the resi-
dents of Wenatchee valley than IN
anv other country district of the
same population in the world.
If city residents who are contem-
plating, going back to the farm,
will but investigate the thriving con-
ditions in the Wenatchee valley, or
in any other portion OF Eastern
Washington for that matter. they
will not hesitate about making a
move.
Back to the farm" in the We
natchee valley means all the conven-
| Oh