Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-08-01
HENDERSON REFERS
TO CH|LSONS OWN
RANCH As EXAMPLE
Replies by Quoting Critics Ex-
perience in Developing
Farm.
ANSWERS TAX ASSERTIONS
Discusses Market Question-Says
Conditions Here Are Best
in State.

Very frequently the best way to re
ply to critic is to dangle his own
experiences in front of him as means
of convincing him he has been mis-
taken in some of the things he has
said, and that is just what Edwin A.
Henderson has done in answering the
;.rticle by Ross Chilson which appear.
ed in THE WASHINGTON STANDARD last
week, as part Of the discussion insti
tuted by the STANDARD on the question
Are We Farmers or Ranchers Here
on Puget Sound?"
But this question is too big one
fer mere personalities and with the
publication of Mr.. Henderson's article
this week the STANDARD will be COM
PEELED to bar further letters of the
kind and to confine the discussion to
the points. at issue. A question such
as this, involving the solution of the
agricultural development of this Pu.
get Sound country, demands intelli-
gent consideration and discussion such,
for instance, as that given by H. p.
Briggs, master of the Thurston County
Pomona Grange, in another column.
There are some good points, how
ever, in the following article by Mr.
Henderson, points that may interest
you and suggest to you other phases
Of this question that otherwise might
not occur to you, so here it is:
There are several ways to define the
word success. Few make real sue.
cess, perfect success, but all can sue.
coed up to q certain point.
One man makes a specially of dairy.
ing, another of berries, and both In
their endeavors succeed. My fact story
was not one for every man to try. In
this Mr.. Chilson is absolutely right
For in no time the market would be
Plutted, but other lines are open and
undeveloped. We can't get too many
eggs, chickens, too much butter, and
live stock. Every year green stuff Is
shipped here from California, earlier
than we raise 1t.
My fact story is true story.
might not stick 1t out till l was inde
pendent but he did. He worked hard
does yet, but he says it was worth the
endeavor. / make the statement that
that there is just such a man on al
most every section of our thickly set
tied lands in this county, some one
who started with absolutely nothing
a, hoc in
l wish at this time to take up that
high tax statement Of Mr.. Chilson's in
last weeks STANDARD. The best way
to do this is to take his own property
as basis for my argument on this
question. He owns lot 3, block 2
Wards Homestead, an addition one
mile east of the Log Cabin, on the
Olympia a-Tumwater car line, upor
which are his improvements, and lot
in all 1850 acres. The assessed value
Of the land is 5000, improvements $400
and the total tax is $29.15. OF this
amount 14.35 mills is actually assessed
by your commissioners for county pur
poses, or $14.35.
Are your roads and county govern
ment worth that much. you who own
$4,000 or more in farm real estate? Is
is worth that much to Mr.. Chilson?
l use the term ranch as a tract OF
land being improved by clearing and
developing into farm. Nor is 1t a
farm until it is improved. You can
ranch a farm tut you cannot farm a
ranch.
Mr.. Chilson, are you on the road to
the poor house or likely to be? You
own one of the most beautiful ranches
in the vicinity of Olympia, place
you would not give me an option on
at $3.50 per acre. You have substan-
tial two-story residence thereon, as
good as any in that vicinity, seven or
eight acres cleared free of stumps. a
fine orchard, neat outhOuses-a place
of which any one should feel proud.
The county commissioners, who you
say have weakness for ice cream
sodas. have built boulevard clear
around it in the last two years. The
soil is fertile shot clay and your place
is well fenced You raise everything
you want to eat and live like a prince.
Butter. eggs, cream. milk, vegetables,
fruits, berries, in fact on your land
anything will grow well that can be
raised in temperate climate. Your
home life is equal TO any millionaire's
IN a large city. Your children can at
tend good schools You are near
enough to Olymlia's high school so
Continued on page fiye.J