136
THE WEST SHORE.
The soil of the entire region is rich in all the elements
of vegetation. The soil of the hills and plains is oom
puws! of bssnlt and volcanic ashes. The valley lands are
.if ' Bm niwtliiniftiHe elements, more or less tinctured
with alkali. Field of hiicl) soil have HnreesHfully grown
wheat for year without fertilizers, th crop often yield
ing fifty bushels to the acre. Fruits and vegotableB
attain the highest excellence in jxriut of size and flavor.
Grapes grow to fine siae, and in some localities are per
fect in flavor. Peaches have done well in many places,
but are not considered a safe crop. With this exception
thure in everything to encourage the fruit grower. Vege
table are of the finest quality. Small fruits attain aston
iMhing size and perfection in flavor. The climate is such
that fruits, like flowers, receive the most delicate color
ing, and no insect has yet appeared to injure them.
The climate of Central Washington is highly eulo
gized by the people. It is their opinion that nowhere
else are experienced so many bright, sunny days. An
overcast sky is seen but few days in the year. The fogs
of the coast seldom find their way into the interior. Two
or throe months in the summer the mercury runs high in
the middle of the day, but the heat is modified by moun
tain breezes, and the evenings and nights are comfortable.
In a well-coustructod luKine it is never so warm as to
prevent aleep, The warmth of summer lingers far into
autumn and that of autumn into winter. The snow creeps
down the sides of the mountains by December, usually
covering the valleys alxmt the holiday, but by the mid
dle of February it is generally gone. The winter days
are bright and the atmosphere dry. The night are
freezing cold, the middle of tho day warm, and no wind
is felt in winter save the warm Chinook, which fre
quently bikes the snow off in a single night The spring
is early and iU showers are frequent. It rains but little
from the first of June until the first of September.
Irrigation is necessary to insure a erop, one year with
anotlier, on the bench lands. The numerous mountain
streams make it practicable to irrigate with ease a greater
portion of this class of land Forty acres properly tilled
and watered will give a greater return for the lalor of
cultivation, harvesting, eta., than one hundred east of the
Ilorky Mountains. To those accustomed to this mode of
laruung there is a satisfaction which oomoe only with an
absolute cerUinty of a good crop. In no country can
more grain or vegetables be raised per acre. The vallnv
bottoms, which receive moisture from the rivers and adja
cent kills, require no irrigation, and are extremely rich.
The portions known as Kittitas, Wens, Moxee, Ahtanum,
Selah and Natche valleys, and the Indian Reservation
are the lxt lands in that region. In the centre of tl.i.
grand system of valleys, at a point where all their waters
north of Union (lap converge, surrounded by this vast
region of agricultural and mineral wealth, and in a vll
of great natural attractiveness, is situntod the citv of
ionu i aaima. i lie valley is the natural centre of com
merce, trade and population for all Central Washing
There, doubtless, will be the future city for all those hill.
Tallojra and monntains. Natnro bus opened the monn-
tains that the waters of the whole country may unite
their volumes there, and in opening these waterways she
has provided passes through the mountains for the com
merce of the country, by eny grades, to thnt point.
When the Northern Pacific decided to begin actual
construction upon the Cascades Division, the officials of
the Land Department made a careful examination of the
Yakima country.; It was plainly evident that in that
region would spring up a large inland city, the centre of
trade for the great agricultural, mineral and timber dis
trict through which the road would run. Being also the
geographical centre of the Territory, and, when the road
is completed, the point most accessible from all portions
of it, there seemed little doubt that a city suitably located
and properly laid out would receive the general prefer
ence for the State capital, when, in the wisdom of Con
gress, the time should arrive for the admission of Wash-
ington into the sisterhood of States. These considera
tions, combined with the faot that some central point on
the line must be solected for the location of repair shops
and division headquarters, placed considerable responsi
bility on the shoulders of those charged with this duty.
Their examination resulted in tlie deoision that the site
described above was the natural commercial centre of the
Yakima country. In that valley they found the town of
Yakima City, containing about 500 people, and transact
ing the bumnoBB for a large portion of this new and
sparsely settled region. In several respects the town did
not meet the requirements for a great inland metropolis,
and the officials were compelled to decide between adopt-
ing it with its imperfections or founding a new one. The
latter course was decided upon as beinif the wisest one to
'pursue, and a site in every way eligible was selected
three and one-half miles north of the old town. This
was surveyed and laid out in blocks, lots, streets and
alleys, with plats reserved for publio uses, State capitol
ana other builuings of a publio and educational charac
ter. To compensate the citizens of the old town as much
as possible, the company offered to donate to suoh of
them as would remove their buildings to North Yakima,
tne name chosen for the new town, or would erect new
ones there, business and residence property equivalent in
twuo nwi locauon 10 mat occupied by them in the old
town.
As soon as this decision was announced, there was a
great nuih of enterprising business men to the new town
site. The company immediately began the construction
of depot, side tracks, etc., and work was commenced on
two score buildings almost in a day. Several business
men of the old town, clearly appreciating the situation,
immediately began the removal of their buildings or the
construction of new ones upon lota accepted on the com
pany s proposition. Othera held back and sought to
maintain the prestige of tha old town; but one by one
they recognized the handwriting on the wall, and were
wise enough to see a permanent advantage in what ap
Pwed U be a temporary calamity. More contracts were
oaiiy let to the house-movers, until now the movement
northward M oontinnona procession. Large buildings