The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-29
GRANGER WILL
Be BIG TOWN
Officials Are Preparing for Future
by Making Permanent I'm
provements
WILL ERECT $4,000
HIGH SCHOOL HOME.
D. M. Donnelly Takes 1000 Tons
of Alfalfa From Land That Was
Covered With Sage Brush On
ly Two Short Years Ago
(Staff Correspondence

| ~ WO 0HOEI i cars fAKO
(Staff Correspondence
GRANGER, Nov. 25.-The town Of
ficials, convinced that Granger is go
ing to grow rapidly into a big city,
several thousand at least by the time
of the taking of the next government
census, are proceeding along progress
i've lines for the improvement and the
making beautiful of the village.
Streets have been graded and gravel
| ed, sidewalks of cement, some eight,
some IL feet wide. have been laid,
and a park of 100 acres has been Sc
cured. This park is in the southern
suburbs of the town. bord ering on the
Yakima river, and has many natural
advantages, including a large num-
Der of shade trees. 1t has been fenced
and within a baseball ground has
been laid out. 1t is a popular resort
for the holding of picnics, churches
and secret societies finding it conven-
lent, and it is thus utilized by differ
ent social bodies for miles around 1t
it believed that this is the largest pub
ed town or city in the Yakima valley
Thus Granger has the start in that
regard.
Churches and Secret Societies
There are two churches here, the
Episcopal and the United Presbyter-
ian. The former has no resident rec
tor. Rev. w. F. Cochran is pastor of
the latter, and he also has charge of
the church at Outlook. The United
Presbyterians have recently completed
the construction of church edifice OF
brick at the corner of West A and
South First streets at cost of $4,000.
1t has not yet been dedicated. that
solemn event being announced to take
place next spring, after the closing of
the public schools.
The secret societies of the town are
four in number, all flourishing. They
are as follows: Masons, Odd Fellows,
Rebekahs and Modern Woodmen.
Public Schools
School officials throughout Yakima
county pride themselves on what they
claim is a fact, that the schools, the
teachers and the school buildings of
tbs county are the equal in the most
important and conspicuous points of
excellence to those of any county In
the United States. Did you catch the
full import Of that statement? That
claim is rather sweeping in it's char
tcter, but 1t will be allowed to stand
until It has been successfully refuted
Granger is right in line to assist the
other districts of the county to MAIN
tain its place at the head. At the
present time it has a two-sory brick
school house for the grades, erected
at an expense Of $500, on land worth
$4,000. In 1t are four class rooms.
The high school is being held in the
Presbyterian church, Which had to be
rented for that purpose on account of
failure OF plans to erect a suitable high
school building during the past sum-
mer. The districts of Granger and
Alfalfa had been consolidated and
bonds to the amount of $4,000 voted,
when the matter was taken into the
state courts. The legality of the con-
solidation was affirmed by the super
ior court of Yakima county after
which 1t was appealed to the supreme
court Of the state, where it now rests.
the decision from that tribunal being
anxiously awaited. If the judgment
of the supreme court should be ia
vorable to the consolidation. a high
school building to cost $4,000 will be
put up as soon as possible. The dis
trict owns a tract of five acres of rich
irrigated land under the Sunnysde
canal, ard it is the intention of those
at the head of school matters to add
strong agricultural course. This
course will certainly include a thor
ough study of horticulture, one of the
most important for the Yakima val
ley. and right in line with the idea as
promulgated by H. b. Dewey, state
superintendent of public instruction
The consolidation of school districts is
carrying out the system advocated by
S. S. Bush, county superintendent of
schools.
The high school at present has
lat oratory costing $3.50, which will be
increased as rapidly as deemed expe-
dent The school district has an as
sessed valuation of s5S7,0 since it's
consolidation with the Alfalfa district
in 1910.
The directors of the district are as
| follows: A. c. Snowden, president; B.
e. Fenner. clerk; Mrs. l.. D. Aud
G. w. Murphy has been the efficient
superintendent of the local schools for
the past two years Miss Winifred
Percival and Miss Myrtle Whitney are
teachers in the high school. Miss
Record is principal of the grade
| schools Miss Duckworth teaches
grades four and five. Miss Snyder
grades two and three, while Miss Nc
Farland has charge of the primary
department.
Building i'm 1911
| The year of 1911 has been a busy
one in the building line. There are
eleven brick or concrete block build
| ings in town, FIVE of which were put