The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-04-24
THE LURE OF THE SOIL

Kate L. Brown. "Gracemere' Ranch.
i 1t seems long time ago now, but,
when comparisons are made it really
is only eleven years since my friend
and fellow sufferer, Miss Grace G..
snyder and myself arrived in Toppen-
lsh, Washington, to find a new home
in the west
we little knew the meaning of the
word west in those days
The sight that met our eyes on
alighting from the train did not look
good to u.s.
A row of unkept Indians being lined
up on the platform of a very dingy,
unlnViting depot and having for a
background vast area of sagebrush
on, what feeling passed over us Just
at that time no tongue can describe,
The journey to our ranch, eleven
miles distant. was made in a lumber
wagon and, thanks to the twilight
that fell upon us before we reached
the ranch.
We began life in the Yakima valley
with our purses showing an invoice of
one hundred dollars between them,
and a very large amount of enthusi-
asm. Previous to coming here we had
bought, through an agent, and made
one payment. on twenty-seven-acr
piece of land at forty dollars per
acre, part of the old Bicknel home
stead, near what Is now Granger,
Wash. "Oh! blindness to the future
kindly given.''
Miss Snyder's brother was here to
listen to our woes when we were will
ling to tell That helped some.
We had an irrigated farm, but most
of our irrigating the first season was
with our tears.
However, we determined we would
do the very best we could, and vowed
never to let the loved ones at home
know just how we felt and what We
were enduring.
After while we began looking
around for some tangible means of
support; some bread and butter prop
osition. We found it in Zillah, Wash.
CA SCHOOL,, made application, appear
ed before the board for inspection,
were hired and then felt that we had
something for sure.
We intended using our wages, over
and above living expenses, to improve
our ranch The second year saw nice
green alfalfa growing on the once
bare land. A team of horses, one
good COW and six or eight pigs were
also ornamenting the ranch.
Say! but those first pigs We're a
source of a great deal of delight to
my friend. [ was planning all summer
how to save money enough to
buy a big iron kettle, 80 gallons ca
pacity, like grandfather used to have,
in order to properly render the lard.
I bought the kettle, but when render
ing time came there was nothing to
render; no lard at all. | learned
then and there that Washington hogs
needed corn, CORN, CORN.
Well, 1 must go back. We taught
two years in Zillah, and then went to
Sunnyside. In the meantime L had
been able to build a nice three-room
shack and began to feel that luck was
coming our way. Then, too, when
sold my first car of potatoes for the
Alaska trade at SIS per ton was sure
that luck was lowering near. Many
things, however, during those first two
or three years caused us to draw
quite largely on the aforesaid e1thusi-
assn. Imagine how we Quivered when
some of our friends encouraged us by
saying, well, we are certainly sorry
for you girls" But thanks to the
alfalfa, such pigs, such cream and
butter. There's no such feed for
swine as alfalfa when you are PLAN
ming to top them off with corn.
We always kept in mind that We
were subject to criticism for, being
women, we knew the stronger sex
would stand ready to shout at our
mistakes. 1t took so long to realize
anything worth while from our in
vestments, for we knew that we were
at the mercy of hired help-we were
gone every school day for nine
months
Finally I conceived the idea of buy
ing 40 acres more of land and getting
into debt in earnest. My grandfather
always said "a man or woman with
out debts had nothing for which to
live. Paid SIS per acre for the land,
and with a cash payment of $500 II
signed notes for the balance.
This land had 20 be leveled, f1umed
and seeded. You will never know
what that forty acres cost us. q sold
twenty acres to Miss Snyder), princi-
pie, interest, labor, lumber, seed,
weary moments of anxiety, all went
into the cost.