The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-03-15
Sunday Trip Over North Coast to
Benton City Il q Revelation
to M,ny Yakima Folk
SPLENDID NEW TOWN
PLEASES ITS GUESTS
Division Point for the Hartman
Line and Has a Large Tributary
Country Which Has Not Other
Adequate Shipping Point


railway carried half a hundred peo-
They travelled in gasoline car and
had delightful trip. Benton City
IL 81 miles from North Yakima and
almost midway between Prosser and
Kennewick. 1t is opposite Kiona but
Is much more nicely situated than
is the Northern Pacific town and Is
destined to overshadow it, If it does
not already do so. The gasoline car.
under the guidance of William Stand
ard, made the distance in two hours
from station to station, but the ac-
tual running time was many minutes
less, probably an hour and forty min
utes Returning the first As miles
from Benton City, west, up grade at
that, were made in an hour. This OF
itself should be sufficient indication
that the North Coast has a splendid
roadbed.
Splendid View of valley
There are scores of reasons Whv
every business man Of North Yakima
should make the run from North
Yakima to Kennewick over the North
Coast railway and take his wife with
him. The best reason is that no man,
no matter how often he has been
through the lower valley by automo-
bile, can have an adequate idea of
the merits of this valley without see-
ing from the new railway line. He
must see what the Hartman people
are doing to get proper estimate Of
the valley placed on this country by
eastern capital. The new station
building at Benton City is ono hum
dred per cent better than that this
town had UP to a year ago, and when
the Northern Pacific built here the old
wooden station they thought it ade-
4uate for score of years to come.
Orchard Is King
Parker. Zillah, Granger and Grand
view, North Prosser and Benton City
all testify to the wealth of the Yak
ina country and there is no settler
anywhere todav who is away from
neighbors. Settlement Is continuous
and the orchard is king. Bands OF
sheep and herds of cattle are to be
seen by the one who looks intelli-
gently and also immense fields where
hay is raised. The old hop houses
standing amid fruit trees, testify to the
failure of one business and the devel-
opment of another. Beautiful country
home indicate that the Yakima val
ley rancher insists on city comforts
and is able to afford them. The big
brick hotel at Granger is az good as
Is to be found in this city. with all
Its pretensions, and sixty-room hotel
under construction at Benton City
does not seem out of place there
though the town is just beginning.
1t already has half dozen stores and
a bank is under construction. Streets
are graded, and have cement side
walks. There is city water system
with MIGRANTS at the various street
corners and many other comforts. The
North Coast has made it the division
point of the Walla Walla, Spokane
and Wenatchee divisions and has OBJ
tanned 80 acres which are to become
q supply depot and furnish room for
various equipment to be constructed
anderected.
Big Tributary Area
Tributary to Benton City are Is, 900
acres of land coming and to come
under cultivation. The sage Erubber,
the ditcher, the carpenter and others
were at work Sunday for time il
money when place is growing. There
is gravity water there and a pumping
system and there are hopes that the
Sunnyside will be extended in a year
or two. The town, also, proposes to
become the county seat of Benton
county and has already dedicated i,
park which will face the court house
to be constructed. They are plan
ming wisely and well.
Apples on Sage Brush
On either side of the entrance to
the office of the Benton Townsit COM
pany's office are two immense sage
brush bushes perhaps II or Is feet
high. They were planted there on
Friday last. On one was a splendid
assortment of Yellow Newtown apples
and on the other beautiful display
of Spitzenbergs. Beneath was motto
which read cts the SOIL" This IS
probably true. for soil experts among
the Yakima excursion party who trav-
eled over many miles of country Sum-
day saw nothing that was not ex-
cellent Such men at Pat Mullins. c.
M. Hauser and w. B. Newcomb were
equally impressed with the drainage
possibilities of the town and the man.
ner in which development has been
taken up. The Townsite people and
Calhoun. Denny & Ewing provided
conveyances by which every guest was
able to see town and country.
Residents Of Benton City turned out
in force to greet the visitors of the
day, accompanied them to the train
where all were photographed togeth-
er and sang farewell song as the
Yakima party started homeward. As
stated. those who made the trip are
but a fraction of those who should
make it at once.