The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-01
Commercial Club With Large
Membership Advocates and
Promotes City's Welfare
WALTER N. GRANGER is
FATHER OF IRRIGATION
Comet Band Under Furman and
Thorndyke Is Pride of Town,
Public Schools Are in Excellent
Shape
tstaff Correspondence)


zILLAH, Wash, Oct SO.--It was in
1910 that this town commenced to
feel the germ of q broader business
life kicking around in its vtals. and
the result was quickly made manifest
by the organization of n commercial
club with membership OF nearly
$50. Since that time the Zillah Conn
msrcial club has been an important
factor in advocating and promoting
those movements that go for the busi-
ness uplift of the town. No moro
public spirited organization exists in
the state. and the membership seem
to work as one man for everything
that will help to bring prosperity ana
notoriety to Zillah and her inhabi-
tants. Among other things which ap-
pear upon the letter heads OF the club
is the statement that "Ziuah grows
the fruit she shows" which is tho
town slogan. The following state
ments are also made: The capital
city of old King Apple. The heart OF
the most famous fruit belt. The dis
trict that gave the Sunnysde canal
Its reputation. On main line of o. w.
n. e. n. railroad. (Harrimans trans
continental system) On North Yaki-
ma e. Valley railroad. (Northern Pa
cihc system) Address all commune
cations to the secretary"
The officers of the Commercial club
are the leading citizens of the town,
from professional, business, financial
and horticultural walks of life. and
are as follows:
c. G.. Ware, president, minister
Presbyterian church; A. A. Hunter
vice president, manager Cascade
Lumber company; A. S, Hillyer. secre-
tary, editor ZilIah Free Press: r.. j.
Jaeger. treasurer, merchant, fruit
grower and vice president of the
First National bank of Toppenish.
The directors are as follows: Fl. Fl.
Green, fruit grower and director
First National bank of Zillah; r. y.
Herod, fruit grower and vice presi-
dent of the First National bank OF
Zillah l.. M. Cox, fruit grower; j. r.
Townsend, vice president Morgan
Lumber company; J. Bourgaize. H. M.
Harlan and A. f. Jaeger, fruit grow
ers
From the foregoing IL will be no.
ticed that 1t almost a cinch that If y
person Is prominent in Zillah he Is \
fruit grower
Result OF Irrigation
Twenty years ago the north and
east bank OF the Yakima river was an
arid waste, remarkable principally for
it's fine stand of sage brush. Tho
necessary air. sunshine and soil wer<
present in large quantities, and so waA
the water, but the latter was flowing
along peacefully in its bed. utterly
useless for irrigation, because 1t was
confined to its channel and conse-
auently not where it would do tho
most good.
Zillah claims as one of its citi-
zens the man who is entitled to be
called the father the grandfather and
the foster father of irrigation in this
yakima country. and his name IL
Walter n. Granger. He 1t was who
frst from the Yakima river took the
ditch called Homework, approx
mately at that point below the Union
gap where the present Sunnyside ca
nal has its intake. This canal later
pa ssed into the hands OF the Washing
ton Irrigation company, from whom
il was purchased by the United States
government. The thousands of acres
of cultivated land along the left bank
that foresight. being the beginning OF
irrigation in this region, transforming
lands of no value into gardens OF
beauty from whose orchards come d
glorious stream of golden wealth. Mr..
Granger is also famed on account OF
having been the owner of the original
towrsites Of Zillah. Sunnyside, Grand
view and Granger, the latter men
toned honoring him by bestowtng up
on the town his name,
Presbyterian brotherhood
Rev G. c. Ware is responsible for
the organization of a brotherhood in
connection with the Presbyterian
church. II is the only brotherhood in
the Yakima valley that rents and
operates it's own club rooms. These
rooms are on the second floor of the
large hail of the Modern Women #
America. They have "A reading room
and another where there is a pool ta-
Bile and other equipment for exercise
are played 1t is quite credit to be
able to make such a showing in Il
place the size of Zillah.
secret Societies
There are two secret societies that
are very strong here. These are the
Modern Woodmen of America and the
Independent Order of odd Fellows.
The former has its own building a
large frame one. in the hall of which
has also taken place many Il social
dance. This organization is an old