Wenatchee Growers Told a Railroad: Give Us Water and We'll Fill Your Freight Cars

At Seattle on April 27, a delegation of fruit growers from the Wenatchee Valley met at the Hotel Butler to confer with representatives of the Great Northern freight and express companies. Those present were Messrs. D. Reed, S. W. Phillips, Al Thomas, H. S. Simmons, Z. A. Sanborn, Wm. Tinker, Conrad Rote, E. Messerly, E. Marble, Jacob H. Miller, D. MacManut, Dennis Strong, K. A. Koehler, D. Leonard, C. B. Livermore, C. T. Balch, editor of the Wenatchee Advance, and Miller Freeman, editor of Ranche and Range.

The representatives of the Great Northern in attendance were W. J. Footner, vice president and manager of the Great Northern Express Company; I. E. Atherton, superintendent of the same company; I. Waring, agent at Seattle; W. S. Benham, general western freight manager; G. F. Whitley, agent at Tacoma; B. L. Thompson, agent at Wenatchee; and Judge Thomas Burke, general counsel for the road.

Z. A. Lanham was made temporary chairman and C. T. Balch secretary. A permanent organization was then effected, with Mr. Reed in the chair, while Mr. Balch retained his position as secretary.

Chairman Reed in an interesting address showed how but 2 per cent of the land in the Wenatchee Valley was at present under cultivation. The great need was the development of an irrigation system to get water upon the land. He thought that it was good evidence of the fertility of the soil to cite the fact that Mr. Messerly came into the valley in 1892, and in 1896, four years later, shipped two cars of fruit. With water, immigration would come in, and the man of muscle and perseverance would shortly have founded a comfortable home. Increased population would mean better educational facilities and opportunities for enlightenment. Somebody had written a book on 'Ten Acres Enough,' and it certainly applied to the Wenatchee Valley. In Seattle some months ago there had been organized a state immigration society which seemed to have for its object the settlement of the country, but he thought that it would be better to prepare the way for the newcomers first. The mines of the state were all right, the timber resources were all right, but after all the bulk of the population would be sustained in the agricultural districts. He briefly told of the immense area of arid lands in Eastern Washington, comprising 3,000,000 acres, which only needed water to make comfortable, happy homes for hundreds of thousands of people.

Judge Burke spoke of his great interest in the Wenatchee Valley and his desire to see it develop. It was significant, he said, that one of the chief characteristics of the American people was the desire to excel in the line in which they are engaged, and it was this fact that made the United States so progressive. The great struggle of men in all departments of commerce and lines of industry was to find a market. Whether the manufacturer, the merchant or the farmer, the one who succeeded was the one who produced the article excelling that of his competitors. But it is not enough to produce a good article; he must put it up in more attractive shape than his competitor. Go down the streets of Seattle, and the immense windows will be found gorgeous with their array of beautiful wares, and if an inquiry is made inside of one of them it will be found that probably the highest paid employee in the store is the one who dresses the windows. He makes the display so attractive that the passerby is induced to stop and make a purchase. Perhaps the merchant who does not make a display in his window has just as choice goods back on his shelves, but the public never knows of it, and consequently are not induced to invest. This rule applies to the fruit grower as to the merchant, and while one may raise beautiful, finely colored and flavored fruit, if the details of proper picking and packing are not well looked after, the product of the more careful Oregon and California grower will take the lead in the market. Study the conditions of climate and soil and plant only the best varieties of fruit. It costs no more to cultivate a good tree than it does a poor one. The speaker stated that it was due to J. J. Hill, who was taking great interest in that section, that a start had been made in irrigating canal construction there, and undoubtedly larger and more important waterways would follow.