White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-08-12
MELONS FROM HERE
FOR congressman


! FOR CONGRESSMEk
P. C.. O'Larey and Postmaster Joe
! McManamon of Othello were in white
Bluffs Tuesday arranging for a load
of watermelons, cantaloupes and peach
es to be delivered atthe saddle, on Sad
die Mountain Wednesday, August H.
for the crowd of boosters for the Col
umbia Basin project who will hold a
big meeting there at that time.
Roy r. Gill of Spokane, chairman OF
the executive committee of the basin
league, says of the,s meeting:
1T is our belief that this event will
be one of the most important factors
of the trip in convincing the, members
Of the committee that the Columbia
basin project should be extended the
necessary credit BY the federal gov
ernmerft to assure its construction,
said Mr.. Gill. 'It certainly had that
effect on Speaker Longworth of the
house, who looked over the project
from the top of the mountain when
he was here week or SO ago, and who,
afterward, expressed his belief that
congress can well afford to provide
the credit necessarylto flood that land
with water. af
From Saddle mountain, which is
almost directly in the center of the
project, approximately 100000 acres
of the 1883 900 acres which comprise
this great reclamation, can be viewed.
Dctting this vast area are deserted
farms, and also schoolhouses in per-
feet condition, with furniture and
equipment intact, which have not been
used in many years because the FAM
lilies were driven out by the lack OF
consistently sufficient moisture to
raise crops. In the years when the
rainfall was plentiful, these farms pro-
duced 'magnificently, but the dry
seasons were too much for them.
This slglf. teaches wonderful
lesson. It is practically impossible for
any open minded man or woman,
given the true information about this
great reclamation, to look over this
expanse of arid, bit demonstratedly
fertile land, and not realize the import
apce of it's development.
"On Wednesday, 4 August 18th, we
are going to erect a,big tent upon the
summit of Saddle Mountain. serve "a
nice lunch, and hold a short program,
and all this time, Of course, this re
markable object lesson will be spread
out before the eyes Of the people there.
"It is hoped that the barbecue lunch
con will attract hundreds of people
from Spokane, Walla Walla, Pasco,
Wenatchee, Ephrata, Wilson Creek,
Soap Lake, Quincy, Lind, Ritzville,
and the towns on the project. A spe-
cial train will be run from Spokane
over the Chicago Milwaukee & St.
Paul railroad to Othello and it is be-
lieved that at least $50 Spokane people
will join the party for the purpose Ct
informing themselves on the Columbia
basin irrigation project-learning
where the lands are and what tre-
merdous area of wealth producing soil
is still in the grip of sagebrush in south
central Washington.
The special train over the Milwaukee
carrying the party from Spokane will
arrive in Othello about II o'clock in
the forenoon, and the party will drive
from there in autos to the top of the
mountain.
Included in the crowd will be twenty
congressman, among whom will be
both Senators Jones and Dill and Con-
gressmen Hill, Summers and Johnson
of the State of Washington.
Music for the day will be furnished
by7a band made up of Pasco and White
Bluffs players.
While the scope of the Columbia
Basin project does not include Priest
Rapids valley, splendid view of this
district can be had from the top of the
mountain and many residents here are
planning to at end the meeting. The
Othello people are going to be hard
pressed to furnish sufficient number
of cars to help carry the crowd from
that town to the place of the meeting
and would like to have as many cars as
can 60 over from here to help out
After leaving the crowd at Ohello, the
special train will proceed to Corfu and
the crowd will be taken down the north
side of the mountain to entrain for the
return trip. The extra autos will thete.
fore only be needed to carry the crowd
from lOthe,lo to the place of the meet
;pn