The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-05-19
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS
Concluded from page one.)

other reasons for this spasmOdic de-
velopment at a period when most OF
the country is at standstill and
crepe in memory Of departed
good times. The leaven that has Gre
ated the atmosphere Of high life and
swift life at Wenatchee can be at
tributed to the record breaking apple
crop and exceptionally high prices re-
ceived for the same that uncorked a
flood Of money into the Golfers of the
orchardists of the Wenatchee valley
last fall, happy break in the mo-
notony of hard times enjoyed in all
the apple districts Of the state, but
more especially at Wenatchee. be-
cause Wenatchee had more apples.
The possession of so much cash was
a stimulus for the recipients of the
same to invest in improvements. The
ing is big dollars and lots Of them
attracted the attention Of those at a
distance anxious to get in on the dol
lar making, or get near the intake in
order to pry few of the iron men
out of the pockets Of those who were
recipients of the same. and so there
has been q grand rush Wenatchee-
ward by men wishing to embark in
business. and consequently cOnstruc-
ton of buildings to meet the demand
for quarters.
But all the heaven cannot be charg-
ed up to the apple crop. and there
were contributory influences to aid
in Starting the phenomenal growth of
Wenatchee this spring, for 1t is really
phenomenal as compared with the
more modest growth in the past. and
total lack of growth too evident in
most places in the state. A very i'm
pOrtant influence has been the max
ing Of Wenatchee division point by
the Great Northern railway.
II any one wants to see improve
ments on large scale all that is
necessary is to go to Wenatchee and
motor short distance south of town
where the railroad has an army Of
men leveling off ground, building side
tracks. putting up round houses and
machine shops and doing such con-
structiOn as is necessary for a thor
oughly equipped and conveniently ar.
ranged division point. This means
that an industry, or business activ-
ity, is to be opened up that will give
employment to large force of men.
many Of them with families, which
means the addition to the population
OF Wenatchee of several hundred.
This is not an accretiOn over weeks
and months of time, but as it were
in the twinkling Of an eye, for lis
soon as the divisional arrangements
are completed the employees are i'm
mediately installed. The division
headquarters and the people connect
ed Herewith will be moved en- masse
from Leavenworth to Wenatchee. a
small town thus suffering depletion
to aid in boosting neighbor. Then
again the plans for a new high line
ditch, that is to reclaim many hund-
reds Of acres just as fertile as those
Icres that have made the Wenatches
valley beautiful oasis, have been
about completed and are almost GER
tain to be carried to successful op-
Grafton, means the addition of an
immense area of fertile territory tri
butary to Wenatchee, and the pro-
viding OF homes for hundreds Of or :
chardists, about the most dependable
class as community builders and COM
munity supporters to be found.
Hence and therefore, when all the
influences that make for city building
are taken into consideration, there is
no mystery whatsoever in the sudden
squirt Wenatchee has taken in the
matter Of giving the hammer and the
trowel an inning after the trowel and
hammer have been so long relegated
to the bench
Recently it was our privilege 20
spend a day in Wenatchee and we
were most agreeably surprised to note
the air Of push and pep that appeared
to be in circulation. and witness on
almost every hand the signs of active
building operations. The streets were
crowded with auto vehicles, the side
walks we'll populated with 10. 40
with a spring to their step anu :: :ook
OF contentment on their faces indica-
tive of living in an atmosphere of pro-
gress. where things were being &C.
complished and where each individ-
ual was contributing his share toward
the accomplishment. We had not seen
such spirit manifested since the
good old days when a lot of the best
people that ever hit the west, with
not one tenth part OF the backing
that encourages the Wenatcheeite to
effort, buckled in and made Spokane
Falls one the great cities OF the west.
And then to us the development OF
the Wenatchee valley has always been
a source of great interest as we'll az
satisfaction, for We are among those
OF ancient habitation who have seen a
desert transformed into an Eden and
a flourishing city grow up where
within our recollection existed an ug-
ly expanse OF rock, sand and sage
brush.
Before the coming OF the railroad
there was no Wenatchee. not a build.
ing on the presnt TOWNSHIP, and the
valley itself was repulsive to the eye
except where Philip Miller and one or
two others had diverted water from
one of the western canyons and prov
ed the productivity of the land by
themselves with miniture
Edens.
Stoical. plodding Miller, bent and
ancient demonstrated the fertility Of
the soil. Little did CIV one in those
days dream Of what the future had in
store for the Wenatchee valley, for
had they, some Of the survivors would
not at this late date be wondering
where the next dollar was coming