The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-05-05
TIMES STAFF MAN
TELLS OF VALLEY
SDccial Article About OroyilIe and W.
o. ". l. District Given Space In
Seattle sunday Paper.

With lay out of three pictures OF
the Similkameen river the main can
a, OF the West Okanogan Valley-lrri-
CATION district system and of the or
chard lands in the valley, a special
story of the development taking place
here appeared in the Seattle Sunday
Times OF April 80. The story was writ
ten by a staff correspondent, r. L.
Short. state editor of the Times, who
spent several days in and about Orc
vile the previous week. The caption
reads: more Gold in Fertile Acres
than in Hills-West Okanogan Valley
Sees Value of Irrigation.
The story follows:
III you want thing we'll done, do
It yourself. About dozen years ago
hogan valley a fertile strip among the
hills in central Washington, near the
British Columbia line, adopted that
philosophy They had been waiting a
good many years in the hope that Oro-
vile, in the upper end of the valley,
was going to develop in to great
transcontinental railroad and mining
center and that the surrounding dis
trict would share in its prosperity.
"The railroads didn't move very fast
and the mining prospects sort OF peter
ed utThen the settlers took things
into their own hands and began to go
after the developments they had been
waiting for somebody else to send. One
of the first effects of their help your
SELF policy was a demonstration of the
fact that there was more gold in the
fertile ground under their feet than
had been discovered in the hills that
lured so many prospectors thirty
years ago. They also learned that the
way to get railroads is to have the
things that make railroads profitable.
"New Families Moving In.
THE result of this policy is shown
today in well organized and efficient
irrigation project, including 10000
acres of fertile valley lands and an
organization that is reaching out 20
the four corners of the United States
for settlers. Approximately sixty new
families have moved into the valley
this spring and before the end of the
year 1000 acres of new orchards will
have been set out. A grow er's coop
erative selling association has Deen or
ganized and cannery established TO
take care of the products that cannot
De shipped. An expert market manag-
er has been employed A remonstra-
ton farm is to be established this
year and put in charge of an exper-
fenced farmer from the Puyallup val
ley II he can be induced to take the
job.
This all started when the farmers
first got together in 1912 to do some
thing for themselves. The Wenatchee
apple district was just then coming
into its first glory and the Okanogan
farmers thought that their soil and
climate would produce as good results
II they only had the water. Times were
not any too good but they took the
matter up with Fred w. Graham of Sc
attle, western agricultural agent of
the Great Northern Railroad. Graham
adopted the infant and undertook to
back up the effort of the farmers.
"Snryey Of Project Made.
"A survey of the project showed that
the irrigation of 10000 acres from .he
Similkameen River was feasible and
mat the cost would be low. The organ
ization of the district, the first under
the state irrigation law. was effected
In 1914 and $500 900 worth of twenty
year bords issued. Mr.. Graham under
TOOK tofind buyer for the bonds early
IN 1914, but the European war clouds
were beginning to loom and invest
ors were not taking on any new pro-
]ects. In the spring of 1915, however,
with the help of the Great Northern,
the bonds were sold The contract for
the construction OF the project was let
III July OF that year, and in 1916 the
water was turned on the land. Since
then, other bonds have been issued for
permanent construction, bring the
total debt of the district to $643, 900
me cost OF the project this year will
De 1890 an acre. which covers interest,
pond redemption, operation and inn
provements.
The headwarks of the irrigation
system. dam on the Similkameen
river, with an elevation sufficient to
reach all the irrigable land in the val
ley, was of permanent construction,
nut the distributing system consisted
Oh wooden fumes and open bitches in
order to keep down the first cost. Now,
tnat the project is under way, concrete
'ohauits are gradually replacing the
open bitches and galvanized lining is
neing put in the fumes, making all
the construction OF permanent char
acter.
"Orchards Under Irrigation.
since the project was opened six
years ago. approximately 1900 acres
orcnards were put under irrigation AS
'he result of an organized effort on the
part OF the settlers, the orchard acre
age this year will be increased by
apoht 5000. II is estimated that an
o.her TWO years will see the entire
io'oVo acres under intensive cultiva-
tion.
couple of years ago. tomato
stowing was introduced in the district
anu found profitable Business men OF