The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-05-03
IMPROVING
NORTH YAKIMA
Increase in Population Making
Necessary Expenditure Large
Amount Of Money
ENGINEERING FORCE
EQUAL TO THE WORK
Record of City Engineer and Men
on His Staff Who Have Task
of Preparing Plans and Carry
ing Out Work in Growing City

North Yakima is fast advancing
from the stage of a country town
and as its population increases new
municipal needs are developed until
before very long the city that three
years ago had no paved streets will
have miles and miles of up-to-d date
thoroughfares, with every facility for
giving the city water, light and
power and to take care of its refuse
in d thoroughly hyeenic manner.
Now many of North Yakimas prin-
cipal streets are paved, and plans
are under way for paving and other
wise improving many more miles of
thoroughfares, the total cost of which
will amount during the next 20
months to something more than a
half million dollars. Among the
most important, some of which are
under way. is the paving of Pleasant
avenue and West Yakima avenue dis
tricts with bitulithic material at a
cost of about 100000. The con-
tracts have been let for grading and
building sidewalks in the Modern Adj
dtion and the cost of this job when
finished will be something less than
100000. The Eleventh Avenue
paving, ordered some time ago, will
cost in the neighborhood of $4,000
and the Boulevard Addition residents
now ask for sidewalks, curbs and
other improvements that will cost
$4,000 at least, with other sections
of the city coming in from time to
time for sidewalks, sewers, curbs and
other work that will bring up the ag-
gregate.
Storm Sewer Plans Underway
The storm sewer that will drain
the city of seepage water and over
flow and make it more sanitary, that
for some time has been figured on
by the city engineer, will cost more
than 100000. In addition to this is
the proposed light and power plant
that the city council has ordered a
preliminary survey for and for which
estimates are being made. If this
becomes reality it will cost an adj
clitional 100000, but it will be CT
incalcuable benefit and of great
profit. say its promoters.
70 realize the ecds of city To-
catat as is North Yakima and then
To- be able to plan the necessary i'm
provements and to carry them out to
the hest advantage is the work of a
man OF experience as well as of abil-
ity Fortunately North Yakima has
just such a man at its command,
though possibly majority of the resi-
dents do not realize this. Harold
James Doolittlc, the city engineer,
who now has charge of the city's de-
velopment work, is product of
Washingtons schools, having gradu-
ated from the ColfaX High in 1884,
and later from the Washington State
college, class of 1898. with the de-
gree of B. :. in civil engineering.
City Engineers Record
During the summer vacation Of
1924, DooNttle worked as rod
man on the construction of a water
and sewerage system for ColfaX,
Washington, and for the city engin-
Ger of that city. In the summer va
cation of 1896 and 1897, he was a
chairman on the Colville Indian
reservation boundary survey and for
the United States Geological survey.
After graduating he began engineer
ing work with the Northern Pacific
railway as levelman, topographer and
draughtsman on location work until
April, 1900; then resident engineer IN
charge of two miles of heavy railroad
construction at Wallace, Idaho. In
November that year he resumed work
as draughtsman and transit man,
which positions he held until Janu-
airy, 1908. In May, 1908, Mr.. Doc
little became assistant engineer in
charge Of three location parties, and
in June of that year he was put in
charge Of the construction of % miles
of the main line cutoff to Edgeley.
North Dakota.
During a part Of 1904. Doolittle
made preliminary surveys for nearly
a hundred miles of railroad. and in
June of that year he became a field
assistant of the United States recla-
nation service, on canal surveys on
the Palousc project; in 1904 and
1905 he was in charge of cana! sur
Veys Of the lewiston Charleston COM
panY; in March and April 1905, To-
cation engineer on railroad work in
eastern Washington. In April Of that
year he became assistant engineer
probation appointment, Of the United
states reclamation service, and in
November that appointment was
made absolute. That year Doolittle
was appointed engineer in charge OF
preliminary field surveys on the Tie
ton Project. costing 100000; later
in charge of location party on same
work and finally as resident engineer
on the construction of six miles o.
the main canal, the average cost Of
which was 100000 per mile.
After some irrigation work in Orc
gon, Doolittlc was appointed, in Janu-
airy. 1909, city engineer of North
Yakima while on furlough. In 1916
he resigned from government work
aud Vas reappointed city engineer
Part of the work done in North Yak
INA under his supervision was tbs
construction of $170,D00 worth Of
BRICK and asphalt paving, $27 0Ot
worth of cement walks; prepared
plans. which have been approved and
accepted by the city council, fol