The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-10-11
Big Transfer of Acreage on
Columbia River Near White
Bluffs Is Announced
IMMEDIATE DEVELOPMENT
OF TERRITORY EXPECTED
Much Talked of Hanford High
Line Canal Will Add Hundred
Thousand Acres to Irrigable
Area

Yakima readers of the Herald will
be greatly interested in news which
has come to light within the past
day or two regarding the Columbia
river country in the Hanford AMI
White Bluffs sections. According to
the White Bluffs Spokesman l.. c.
Pierce has taken all the Hanford and
Wahluke lands of the Hanford COM
pany. Mr.. Pierce is a close friend OF
Robert e. Strahorn and is connected
with the land department of the Mil
waukee railroad and 1t Is understood
that the transaction means immedi-
ate development work. OF the same
transaction the Spokesman Review OF
Spokane says:
''In the Columbia river valley from
Priest Rapids to Kennewick there Is
rejoicing over the report, considered
authentic, which reached that section
yesterday to the eeffct that the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and Puget Sound
railroad had taken over the holdings
of the Hanford Irrigation and Power
company, a subsidiary corporation OF
INC dtlllt IoWtl anu i<lS III YUM pabS
BY the deal reported as closed this
week in Seattle the railroad company
takes over about 100000 acres of ir-
rigable land in the upper Columbia
valley, which land will be irrigated
and promoted by the Milwaukee
to Hanford and is pushing on to Ken
newick.
AT present there are 5000 acres
of land under irrigation and in cultl-
walton in the vicinity of White Bluffs
and Hanford which is watered by the
original Hanford canal The much
talked of High Line canal is to be con-
structed by the Milwaukee. which viii
add at least 100000 to the land now
irrigated.
Gets Holdings at Wahlults
"According to the understanding OF
the deal just closed the milwaukee,
takes over not only the holdings OF
the Hartford company. but also the
holdings Of the Columbia River Or
chards company at Wahluke, where
development work has been In prog
ress for about two years. the original
company having been organized by
Spokane men. This gives the Milwau-
kee practical control of the irrigable
land around Wahluke, White Bluffs
and Hanford.
Forty thousand horsepower Is now
being developed at Priest Rapids by
the Pacific Power and Light company
and with the closing of the present
deal the power company Will devote
its energy to the development OF
power alone and thus rid itself of the
land holdings which are to be sup
piled with water by the aid of the
power developed.
Recently the Milwaukee condemn
ed its right of way to Hanford ano
completed it's survey to Kennewick
Work then ceased and the consum
nation of the big land deal means the
immediate construction of the roat
down the Columbia
Goes Into kcnncwick
"From Kenncwick to Richland.
distance of ten miles. the O.-W. r. 4
n. has condemned its right of way
and the Milwaukee has its right o
way secured from Beverly to Han
ford The distance between Richlan'
and Hanford is about 90 miles, ant
it is believed that traffic arrangement
have been entered into whereby thu
Milwaukee will go into Kennewicl
over the O.-W. r. & n
Recent traffic agreements be
tween these two roads indicate tina
by the arrangement above referred
to the Milwaukee has secured linz
into Portland and also into Wall;
WalIa over the Hartman lines. Thu
would also make possible a traffic
agreement whereby the Milwaukee
could go directly into San Francisco
over the Southern Pacific.
Reports i'm railroad circles are in
slstent that joint traffic agreements
have been made by the Milwaukee
and Hartman lines and the posi-
biIities Of the advantages to be gained
are apparent by the above reports"