The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-01-23
NORTH YAKIMA LETTER.
Sun, Jan. u, 1913

appreciate the new years presence
with the fact that you no doubt have
zero weather, snow and the jingle of
sleigh bells, yet to me here cannot
realize that new year has already
begun, for ours is not winter weather
in any sense of the word, the coolest
we've had this winter being 20 above
zero
But in the Cascades they are certain
| y in the grasp of winter. Thursday
night, Jan. 2, seven feet of snow fell
in seven hours-an average of a foot
an hour. The storm was so binding
that train men could not distinguish g
single signal light.
We see Mt. Clemens now entirely
covered with snow but the near by
"Hils" are yet bare; yet the shepherds
and COW boys are bringing. down droves
daily. Thursday drove of about 5000
sheep were driven past here.
The day before Christmas was rath-
err pleasant but about l:30 p. M. large
! feathery flakes tloated down for about
| fifteen minutes and thus made a wintry
appearance for us; but next day a
| "chinook" came up and in less time
than it takes to tell, the snow had en-
tirely disappeared, and one can mag
inc how mild the winter is here when
whole families live in tents all winter,
and but few houses in the city have
| foundations other than those of boards,
while easements are a luxury here.
Forces are at work constructing side
walks and rebuilding division intakes,
and the work on the new hospital goes
on daily, all of which go to show how
little frost is here in this part of the
valley.
New Years Day was especially quiet
the old year died peacefully and no
celebration ushered in the dawn of the
New. | was invited to reception at
the v NJ. G. A. SO attended from ; p.
M. to e..
We closed Tuesday noon, Dec. "A,
for our holiday vacation and opened
Monday, Jan. &. We are paid for our
holiday vacation so that serves to short
en- our term also.
Thursday night we had very Sc
we're rain, in fact the only heavy rain
since I've been here. No thunder nor
lightning accompanies rain here, so
one sleeps peacefully on during the
down pour.
The cold wave that passed over those
three coast states January 5 did very
serious damage in California. The
temperature was from 4 to s degrees
below zero thus blasting the hopes of
the orange and lemon growers.
1t is estimated that 800 of the citrus
fruit is destroyed. At Itedlands the
drop was 10 degrees. Nearly 100 car
loads of oil and other fuels were used
in smudging operations This is the
citrus harvest time in Cal. and the
amount of loss depends on whether the
government permits damaged oranges
to be sweated and sold. In Bakersfield,
Cal, the thermometer registered l6
at sunrise January &, and due to the
cold, orange picking began at sunrise
and sped as never before, while thou
sands of smudge pots sent up a smoky
pail.
Hope arises in the minds of the
! ranchers that as result of the loss
through the citrus belt of California
there will be stronger demand for
winter apples from this district now in
storage, and probability of fair pric-
es. They figure that due to the frost,
the price of oranges will soar, and be
out of reach of the average consumer,
and that in consequence apples from
this valley vii, be in demand to fiji the
void, Should SUCH matters come to
pass it certainly would be san i'll wind
that blows somebody good" for it would
help to thus repay the hard working
ranehers should the price of apples
raise,
1t is about 2:30 y. NJ. now and "chin-
ook weather" still prevails here, and
my friend Mrs. Thompson who enter
tains twelve at six o'clock dinner this
evening, among them being four form
err Dubuque, Iowa. friends coming from
Seattle this afternoon, is some what
worried as to their getting over the
Cascades. After dinner we are going
to the theater to see Nine. Valeska
Suratt, the noted opera beauty in her
celebrated play "The Kiss Waltz"
which plays here three nights, begin
ming this evening. Mrs. Thompson is
| planning to return with her friends to
Dubuqee in about month or six weeks
for an extended visit, and I'm sure
shall miss her greatly, for she is one of
the first people | met after coming
here, and has certainly made life very
pleasant for me while I've been in the
west.
Coming from church this morning
we drove down Spokane Ave. so as to
see the progress on the new Catholic
hospital that is being erected on Capt.
tol Hill. Rising to a height of llS feet
above the level of the ground is a pile
of timber scaifolding from the top of
which the spectator with the temerity
to climb the structure has a birds eye
view of Yakima Valley as far as at
| mnsnhnric conditions nermit him To