A Dry-Hills Gamble: Sixty Settlers and a Well

The Yakima Republic, in its issue of two weeks ago, contained a good article showing that the apparently sterile hills of the Yakima valley are really capable of being made quite productive, and cites a number of instances where farming is being successfully carried on at tributary highland points. We extract the following from the article:

“There has been a practical demonstration this week of the soundness of our argument. On Saturday a contract was entered into by eleven Hollanders and two Frenchmen, whereby government land there will be immediately settled upon and improved.

“The thirteen heads of families agreed to put into a pool $25 each, which money is to be used in boring an artesian well just this side of the Tucker Leach ranch, near the Columbia river. The Spratt Haines well-boring apparatus has been leased for the work, and the drilling will be kept up night and day until water is struck.

“The colonists left on Monday for their new home, which is about 25 miles from this city. They number fully 60 people. There are forty-four younger and older children in the party, all being married but two. This little nucleus of a colony will no doubt soon be heard from as growing and thriving second to no other community in the county.”

The Republic, however, has overlooked bringing out the fact that the brown hills of Central Washington have, for a third of a century, furnished pasturage for hundreds of thousands of livestock. The immense range area within and tributary to Yakima county gives an income in surplus cattle, horses, sheep and wool that makes up a very large part of the circulating medium of its people. Were it not for those “precipitous hills” stockraising would by no means have the importance it does, and it is doubtful if the immense and constantly increasing quantity of hay would find such a ready winter consumption right on the farms. We note that alfalfa in Yakima valley is now selling for $5@$6 in the stack for sheep and cattle feeding. In such a district, where there are raised three to four crops of alfalfa and six, seven and even ten tons per acre secured (this latter amount having been harvested on the Roselawn farm, at Parker, this year, according to the letter of R. D. Read, published in our columns two weeks ago) it will be seen that such a brisk demand means much to the producers. Those hills are not waste land, and the respect of all citizens of this state for them will increase when their full value becomes known.