The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-09-14
TELLS Of THE WORK AND
NEEDS Of OPEN RIVER
Committee Submitted Report of Work Done Colum-
bia River to Commercial Club-Great Need for Fur
Their Appropriations by State and Nation = Wenat-
chez Has Great Opportunity Result of Open River

ABOUT b,UO0 to S,0OO acres or frult
land now under water or that can
and soon will be under water. Not
half of this Is as yet in bearing or
chards, and much of it not even set
out to trees, or is in very young
trees. AS a whole all that land is
not producing more than 10 or IL
per cent. of what it will be in five
to seven years from now. When
fully developed and in full bearing
1t will produce nearly a car of fruit
to the acre.
Then there is the Methow valley
with its $4,000 acres, Brewster flat
with its 10000 acres, Okanogan val
ley from Brewster to Okanogan with
its 10000 to 10000 acres, including
both sides of the river; Pogue flat
with its $1,000 acres, the Columbia
from Brewster to Kettle Falls OF
about $4,000 acres, making an ag-
gregate of nearly 100000 acres. To
be conservative and safe, suppose
that thre are only 100000 acres that
will be in fruit, and suppose that
fruit produces on an average of a
hundred thousands cars of fruit per
year that must be gotten to market
f, M N W N
this country and who has been in
those valleys that will not say this
is a conservative and safe estimate
In proof of the fact that these
estimates are not exaggerated, We
cite you to the statement of the Ket-
tie Falls chamber of commerce. In
substance it is to the effect that
from Kettle Falls to the mouth of
the Spokane river there is at least
100000 acres of bottom and bench
land on both sides of the Columbia
river, which is tillable ana capable
of being placed in a high state of
cultivation, and will be as soon as
transportation is assured. The
benches are tillable clear TO the limit
of the mountains They are rich in
farm lands and in a large measure
are covered with a heavy growth of
excellent yellow pine. The entire
region on the east side of the CO.
lumbia is taken up by prosperous
farmers and being rapidly converted
into valuable farms, while on the
west side of the river is the Colville
reservation. which will be opened up
for settlement during next year.
This is one of the richest heritages
of this country. Extending west
ward from the mouth of the Spokane
river for a distance of so miles is
one of the richest farming countries
in the west. The freight producing
power of this region can scarcely be
calculated in figures. The tonnage
may be Appropriated, but the actual
calculation is beyond conception or
belief at the present time. COmpar-
atively speaking, however, it can be
safely said that this section alone in
ten years will furnish 10000 car
loads year of exports, to say moth
ing of the imports. 1t will open up
district larger than the state of
Connecticut, with greater cultiva-
BILE area. Aside from the farming
industry, the vast mountain ranges
are rich in mineral deposits which
now lie dormant for the want or
means of transportation. Strung
along the banks of the Columbia
river are nearly 100 ranches. several
stores, schoolhouses, sawmills, or
chards, vineyards Zone 4O-acre
grape vineyard). 1t is estimated
that in that portion of Douglas
county tributary to the river is land
capable of producing 100000
bushels of wheat, where none is
raised now. There are such towns
as Peach 5000, which shipped $50
carloads of fruit and % cars of ber-
ries in the season of 1908; Gerome,
Clifford, Daisy and Harvey, besides
Kettle Falls and others. Much OF
the products that now go to the
railroad in Douglas and Lincoln
counties would go to the river, for
the farmers would prefer to haul
nine miles down hill than three
miles up hill.
AS an instance, a resident of &C.
rome has 200 acres of fruit, the pro-
duct of which he hauls Is miles up
hill to the railroad. J. C. Clinton
near Harvey, stated that he shipped
Is to 20 carloads of fruit from his
orchard in 1908, and hauled it IS
miles up hill to the railroad. The
Fruitland Irrigation company has
10000 acres about under ditch on
the Daisy flats. 1t is claimed that
Kettle Falls alone has an annual
tonnage of 100000, and that will be
easily multiplied as the country de-
velops.
Between Bossburg and Northport
on the Columbia above Kettle Falls
company of capitalists is now de-
veloping 30.000-acre tract. which
will be put to fruit. They have spent
$1,300,000 for land and water rights
and now have q large force at work