History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 62

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1134

USA > Washington > Benton County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 62
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 62
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 62

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"Now, as to what it will do in other lines of agriculture can not be better illustrated anywhere than by a visit to the farm of Mr. L. Jacquot, in section 20, township 8 north, range 26 east, in whom the 'Bulletin' reporter found a former Washington County, Oregon, market gardener. Mr. Jacquot formerly raised garden stuff for the Portland market, and thoroughly understands the art. He has about an acre enclosed by a picket fence, making it rabbit proof. Of this tract every available foot of ground not occupied by his house was planted to some sort of vegetable. There were peas, corn, cabbage, turnips, radishes, kale, carrots, beets, lettuce, parsnips, onions, tomatoes, beans, rutabagas and squashes ; also strawberries, all growing finely-as well as, if not better than such growths on irrigated lands. Mr. Jacquot was enthusiastic about his vegetables. 'I never saw beets to equal these,' he said, pointing to a bed of that species. 'I think it is the best bed of beets in the state.' When asked how he prepared the soil to raise so fine a garden, Mr. Jacquot said 'I plowed it from 10 to 11 inches deep. This done, the soil will do the rest. I cultivate potatoes just as soon as they appear above the ground, then let them alone. The soil is loose and nature matures them. I have been using new potatoes since the 9th of June.' Mr. Jacquot will have been on his ranch two years next October. He set out strawberries last spring and he showed the reporter a number of ripe berries on the vines. Raspberries and blackberries do well there. Mr. Jacquot has over 300 young chickens. This seems to be a good country for poultry. Incubators are used by several Horse Heaven house- wives with great success in hatching chicks. A large percentage of those hatched reach maturity. About the garden proposition, Mr. Jacquot was par- ticular to impress the reporter with the fact that not one drop of water, other than that which fell from the sky, had ever been put upon his garden. If any one doubts that the finest vegetables can be raised in Horse Heaven without irrigation, let him go up to Mr. Jacquot's ranch, section, town and range afore- said, and see for himself. As to fruit trees, old settlers have demonstrated that apricots and prunes will do well in Horse Heaven. Small fruits also do well when kept from the rabbits, which can easily be done by proper and inexpensive fencing.

"As to the faith that non-residents have in the Horse Heaven country we desire to instance the case of Mr. Martin Weller, of Waitsburg, this state:

"Mr. Weller owns 7,680 acres in Horse Heaven, and 1,920 in Rattlesnake. He has 6,000 acres under the plow, most of which has been reclaimed this season. Altogether he has 9,760 acres of as good grain land as any one could wish, and he has thus far this year spent over $3,000 for plowing alone. Next season he will have an immense acreage in wheat, and with ordinary good luck

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will make a cleanup of $20 pieces that will be worth talking about. Mr. Weller has for years been a successful farmer in the Walla Walla country. The fact that Mr. Weller, a non-resident, has invested so heavily in Horse Heaven and Rattlesnake lands, and that he proposes to farm it for the money there is in wheat raising, and taking into consideration the further fact that Mr. Weller is regarded as a shrewd business man, is itself significant of his faith in Horse Heaven soil. There are many homesteads left in the above country, and the young man or young woman who fails to get one of these wheat tracts from Uncle Sam will regret it."

We find the issue of the "Bulletin" of August 6, 1903, to carry the heading of H. G. Guild and Son. The son was H. H. Guild. On November 19, 1903, the name of A. C. Verity appears as manager. We incorporate here the farewell and the greeting at time of the transfer. E. L. Boardman acquired the paper with the issue of September 1, 1904. The name then became "Prosser Bulletin."

"From the 'Prosser Falls Bulletin,' November 19, 1903.

VALE

"We have sold the 'Prosser Falls Bulletin' to Mr. Arton E. Verity, late of St. Paul, Minnesota. All subscriptions are due and payable to him. Our reason for selling is that we wish to engage in other business. We wish to thank the good people of Prosser who have assisted us to establish the 'Bulletin' on so firm a foundation, and we bespeak a liberal patronage for our successor, who is a good newspaper man and comes well recommended. For the informa- tion of our friends we wish to state that we expect to remain in Prosser.

H. G. GUILD."

GREETINGS

"The undersigned, Arton E. Verity, formerly of the 'St. Paul (Minn.) Daily Globe,' has purchased the 'Prosser Falls Bulletin' from its former owner, H. G. Guild.

"He feels that the policy of the new management may be completely stated in the broad announcement that the 'Bulletin' will continue to aid the upbuilding of the city, county and state and to resist the efforts of those who would tear down existing forms of government.

"Such a policy naturally means that the paper will be liberal and pro- gressive in its treatment of local topics, working for harmony in all things; and in its state and national policy, soundly republican, not hide-bound, but with the party in all the great principles which have, under republican management, built up the nation, reserving the right to criticise some of the questionable ideas which creep into party planks and which are hardly on the plane of the general broad and liberal policy of the party.

"But politics will be of secondary importance in the 'Bulletin.' The paper's mission is not to 'save the nation,' but to do its little mite toward shaping and chronicling events of the city and county. The old saw, 'take care of the dimes and the dollars will take care of themselves,' may be paraphrased into 'take care of the city and the nation will take care of itself,' and express the 'Bulletin's' belief to a nicety.

"So the 'Bulletin' proposes to go humbly on its career as a country news-

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

paper, in patient and confident belief that Prosser is destined for greater things and that the next few years will see remarkable growth in population in Prosser and vicinity.

"In the meantime the paper will try to keep pace with the improvement. Mechanically and editorially it hopes to grow too. It hopes to see its field and influence broaden and already notes the beginning of that growth in a generous increase in the subscription list during this, the first week under the new management.

"In its commercial printing the office will especially try to keep up with the times, guaranteeing high grade work to all customers and believing that the best is none too good for Prosser business men.

"As editor, the undersigned hopes to enjoy pleasant relations with the people of Prosser and of Yakima County for many years to come.

"ARTON E. VERITY."

The other parent of this journalistic family, the "Republican," appears first in history as the "Benton County Republican." The date of its birth was October 19, 1906. There have been rapid changes in its management. P. A. Durant was the father of the paper, and the Prosser Publishing Company car- ried on the publication. Of that company, Thomas Cavanaugh was president, Guy H. Pearl was treasurer, and A. F. Hills was secretary.

On November 6, 1907, the combination of the "Republican-Bulletin" was effected under the management of Mr. Boardman. In the issue of June 24, 1908, we find the name of Halsey R. Watson at the masthead as editor and manager. On July 10, 1910, R. J. Dawson became editor. He was followed by W. R. Sproull, who had been for a year or more one of the staff. Mr. Sproull continued in charge four years, then effected a partnership with Mr. Allison. As already noted Mr. Sproull closed his connection with the paper and became proprietor and manager of the "Independent-Record," in April, 1915. At present date the editor and publisher of the "Republican-Bulletin" is Walter E. Tyler, assisted by Mrs. M. Mahoney.

KIONA AND BENTON CITY PAPERS

"In 1907 a paper was launched at Kiona, the 'Enterprise,' published and edited by French and French. In 1911 Mr. Dudley undertook the establish- ment of the 'Benton City News.' This was succeeded by the 'Benton City Herald,' Mr. Hawn, editor and proprietor. These journalistic efforts were short-lived, but did much while existing to promote local interest.

KENNEWICK PAPERS

From the county seat we turn to the town on the Columbia River, Kenne- wick. The first paper in Kennewick was the "Columbian," established in 1893 by Winfield Harper. Here we now find the "Courier-Reporter" in possession of the field. This paper is also a combination of two predecessors, the "Courier," founded in 1902 and the "Reporter" founded in 1908. The union of the two was effected in 1913 and at present date the paper is published by the Kenne- wick Printing Company, and A. R. Gardner is editor and manager.

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

The ancestor of the "Courier" line was the "Columbia Courier," trans- ferred from Milton, Oregon, to Kennewick in 1902, by E. P. Greene, one of the unique characters of early journalism. Mr. Greene was a man of great natural force and brain power and established that paper at Kennewick at a time of business revival and generally auspicious conditions in the town. As casting light upon the journalistic enterprise as well as on the conditions in Kennewick at that date we are reproducing here the "Courier's Announcement" and a description of Kennewick in the first number, March 27, 1902:

"With this number the old 'Columbia Courier' becomes a local newspaper, published at the town of Kennewick on the Columbia, Yakima County, Wash- ington.

"It is not without some feelings of sadness that I change locations and associations after three years' fellowship with a noble and loving company. But I have chosen this course, and from a material point of view, I doubt not, have chosen wisely.

"To my new constituency I make the most graceful bow I am capable of. I came here to give you the best local newspaper in my power. No, not to give it to you, but to sell it. Not many of us are here simply for our health.

"I shall not attempt the impossible task of trying to please all of you, but shall do the best I can, as I see it, to give you a representative paper, and shall guard against all forms of favoritism. It will be my aim to do more than merely chronicle the various local news. I am so constituted that I must be more than a news-gathering machine, or an automaton, and I am glad I am.

"There is a kind of circumlocution common to newspaper speech that I can not conveniently adopt. When I have anything to say, I say it in the first person and singular number. The abomination euphoniously styled 'the edi- torial We,' is all right for a paper with a chip on its shoulder and a gun in its pocket ; but if I have lost any fights I am not hunting them up.

"I have a large faith in the future of this town and the country around it. Whatever I can do to assist you in bringing possibilities to pass will be cheer- fully done.

"If you have given such matters any attention you must acknowledge that faithful, energetic newspaper service is the best possible agency to promote the growth and development of a new town, or an old one. It does a large amount of free advertising for every enterprise of the town, but it can not do it all free. A poor paper is little better than no paper, and a paper without support is bound to be a poor one.

"I don't want the earth, but I do want a little piece of it, and I want it right here at Kennewick. We can help each other. I'll try to do my part.

"As to politics, I have an idea that one party is about as bad as another, if not worse. But more than that, I am not here for politics, but for Kennewick and Pea Greene. I have had about all the amusement with politics that I can afford.

"With these few remarks, we'll proceed to saw wood.

"Yours for Kennewick, "E. P. GREENE." From 'The Courier.'

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KENNEWICK ON THE COLUMBIA

"Kennewick, the future metropolis of central Washington, is situated in the southeastern part of the famous Yakima County. It has a beautiful loca- tion on the Columbia River, and is on the main line of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

"Some years ago a number of supposed capitalists organized an irrigation company and proceeded to develop the desert. A canal was dug, townsite platted, a $15,000 hotel built, and for a time Kennewick cut quite a swath. There were several stores, a newspaper ('The Kennewick Columbian') and the boom held up long enough to prove what irrigation and good management can do for this entire section.

"And then came the days of panic. The company's business went into the hands of a receiver, and was found to be in such shape that it was not advisable to continue. The town became nearly depopulated, and remained in that con- dition till quite recently.

"Some time ago the Northern Pacific Railroad Company got control of the old company's holdings, and in February work was commenced on the canal. People who have faith in the proposition under the new management soon rented or bought every available building and Kennewick is again on the up grade.

"The company's methods have nothing of the nature of 'the boom.' In fact they are making no effort at all to get people here until the lands are platted and ready for improvement, which may take 30 or 60 days.

"I believe it is now virtually settled that the old townsite, between the rail- road and the river, will be vacated, and a new one be platted just south of the track. This will be a decided improvement over the old location.

"The splendid triumphs of irrigation in other sections of Yakima County give ample assurance of the success that is now in store for this part of it.

"And the future has something more in store than irrigation. As the state develops to the north, east and west of this place, many of its products will inevitably pass through this immediate vicinity. It is not a very heavy strain on the imagination, to expect Columbia River navigation, and that the business of the Northern Pacific will increase very rapidly in the next few years.

"No one but railroad companies can, of course, know very much about their plans, and yet it does not look unreasonable that before all of us die, the N. P. will have a line down the Columbia on the north side. When this comes to pass, it is also not unreasonable to imagine Kennewick to be very "close in" at this end of the line.

"This much is certain: Kennewick will within the next sixty days be a thriving competitor for some of the prosperity that is so abundant throughout the entire state.

"I am under the impression that there is no other place in the northwest where irrigation promises greater successes than it does here.

"After putting the above article in type Mr. W. C. Sampson, who will have the local oversight of the company's lands, informed me that work on the townsite plat would begin this week. This means that Kennewick is already put- ting on airs."

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Following "Pea Greene," who went to Pasco, C. O. Anderson became editor and manager of the "Courier" during 1903 and in 1904 till August 5th. With that issue Will J. Shaughnessey succeeded to the control of the paper.

The "Kennewick Reporter" was founded by Scott Z. Henderson, formerly of Walla Walla and for some time a lawyer at Kennewick, and later known throughout the state as assistant attorney-general. Associated with Mr. Hen- derson were Messrs. Reed and Tripp, the latter of whom is still connected with the publication department. In 1909 the editorial chair was acquired by A. R. Gardner, then quite a young man, having gone in for a journalistic career, fol- lowing his college days at Whitman College, at Walla Walla.

Mr. Gardner has become more intimately identified with the affairs of Kennewick and the entire region than any other newspaper man of the entire region. His activity in all matters of public interest, his literary ability, and his capacity to conduct a first-class local paper, have been so pronounced as to constitute one of the working influences of the lower Yakima Valley.

The "Courier-Reporter" is staunchly republican, though independently so. Turning from the two larger towns of Benton County, we find in the three pleasant and prosperous little places on the Columbia River, above the mouth of the Yakima, some newspaper history.

The oldest newspaper of this section is the "Richland Advocate." This dates its origin to the year 1906, at the hands of T. E. McCrosky. It also is of republican politics. It has passed through sundry hands, but at present date is edited and managed by Perry Willoughby. This experienced "knight of the quill" may well be considered a pioneer of journalism. In 1908 he founded the "Hanford Columbian," no longer in existence. He also launched the "Hover Sunshine" in the ambitious little place on the river below Kennewick. It, too, proved to be premature and no longer is in operation.

Among other newspaper people in the Columbia River section, we must record the names of E. L. McLoughlin and Mrs. Bryce of Hanford, connected with the "Columbian."

At present date the only paper at the upper end of the river section is the "White Bluffs Spokesman." This dates to 1908, and is edited and managed by E. J. O'Larey.

In concluding this necessarily rapid review of the newspapers of the valley it is of interest to note that there are now in existence in the three counties, three dailies and nineteen weeklies. All the existing issues are either inde- pendent or republican in politics.

It is not inappropriate to note that by the latest Newspaper Directory the state of Washington had in 1914, four hundred publications of all sorts, and that in the entire United States there were 24,527 dailies, weeklies, semi- monthlies and monthlies, quarterlies and annuals.

CHAPTER VIII

THE YAKIMA INDIAN RESERVATION

OUTLINE OF HISTORY OF THE RESERVATION-ALLOTMENT OF LAND IN SEVERALTY -IRRIGATION ON THE RESERVATION-FACTS FROM GOVERNMENT REPORTS- . STORAGE WATER-PRINCIPAL CROPS-CENSUS OF CROPS. 1916-17-18-WHAT CHIEF WATERS SAYS-INDIANS ARE WELL PLEASED EQUAL RIGHTS WITH WHITES-EXTRACTS FROM ARTICLE BY SUPERINTENDENT S. A. M. YOUNG

The Reservation holds a unique and important place in the history and in the present development of the Yakima Valley. As a feature of historic inter- est it is the especial connecting link between the native race and the present age. As we have seen in the chapter on Indian Wars, the Yakima Reservation, with the Nez Perce and Umatilla reservations, was set aside for the Indians at the end of the wars of the decade of the fifties. We have given in that chap- ter the treaty by which the Reservation was laid out. This great body of land, with its Indian population, has had the ordinary history of such a reser- vation, but it has had a number of other features which have made it much more than simply an Indian reservation. In the first place the tract of land assigned to the Indians is the largest and in many respects, by reason of soil, climate, and location, the best of the several divisions of the valley. Second, by reason of the development of the Government irrigation enterprises, it has a possible future industrially second to no other region in the valley, or in the entire Northwest. Third, by reason of the development side by side of red race and white, and the peculiar interlockings of business and social connec- tions, such as probably no other reservation in the whole United States offers, this Reservation seems to have the potency within itself to work out some solu- tions of the "Indian problems" and become an object lesson in policy. Yet an- other reason is found in the fact that the agricultural and horticultural possi- bilities of the reservation produced by the coexistence of available soil and a vast irrigation system have led to the starting of several promising towns, one of which, Toppenish, ranks next to Yakima and Ellensburg of all the towns of the valley, while two others, Mabton and Wapato, are on the high road to commercial development.

OUTLINE OF HISTORY OF THE RESERVATION

Special interest also gathers around two of the agents who had not only such long terms, but such marked characters as to almost justify us in the statement that their history was that of the Reservation. These were Father Wilbur and Jay Lynch. The former was superintendent of the Reservation schools four years and agent sixteen years. The latter was agent under three

539

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

separate appointments a total of eighteen years. The two administrations to- gether compose a total of thirty-four years out of a total period, from the estab- lishment of Fort Simcoe in 1856 to the present date, of sixty-two years. Hence it could not well be otherwise than that these two men should have stamped their personalities upon the Reservation beyond any others. Major Lynch is living at this date in Yakima in a beautiful suburban home, where he is de- servedly enjoying well-earned repose after his busy life. From him the author obtained much valuable matter.

We have referred to the establishment of Fort Simcoe as though that were the date of founding of the Reservation.

That is not strictly the case. The fort was constructed in the Fall of 1856, but it was not till 1858 that there was a resident agent at that point. The site of the fort is a superb one. It was selected by reason of a region of springs known among the Indians as "Mool Mool." At that point, too, there is a beau- tiful grove of oaks, the finest of that long belt which rather curiously runs at just about a certain distance from the mountains north and south across the upper stretches of all the tributaries of the Yakima. The site of the fort is about seven hundred feet higher than the plain on which Wapato and Toppenish are located, and from the fort the vast expanse of level land eastward melts away in the shimmering distances into the desert ridges, all their arid desola - tion clothed in azure beauty.

The buildings at the fort were very expensive, having been constructed from timbers brought around Cape Horn, transported from Portland to The Dalles and thence hauled to the fort. It is said that the agent's residence cost $60,000 and that the total cost of the buildings at Fort Simcoe was $300,000. The author recalls with great interest a visit by himself to the fort in 1880 when Father Wilbur was still there, and the bounteous hospitality that was dispensed in the great roomy home of that free handed and large hearted agent. So sound and well constructed were those first buildings that they are practically as good as new now, sixty years old.

Andrew J. Bolen, whose murder in 1855 precipitated the Indian War, was the first Indian agent in the valley, but his location was at The Dalles and there was no definite establishment of any kind in the Yakima. Simcoe was chosen as the location of a fort and then as an agency upon the advice of Col- onel Wright who urged the warm climate and favorable conditions of all sorts as making it suitable beyond any other. At the time of establishing Fort Sim- coe, R. H. Lounsdale was general superintendent, located at The Dalles. A. A. Bancroft became the first resident agent, and that was in 1861. In 1861 James H. Wilbur became superintendent of schools. It is generally said that there was much graft and dishonesty in those first short administrations. To a man like Father Wilbur anything short of complete rectitude was so obnoxious that he had no hesitation in making his sentiments known. The result was that he was "fired" as superintendent of schools.

But he was no sort of man to be shoved aside in such manner. He promptly went to Washington, laid the whole case before President Lincoln, and did it with such effect that he returned with a commission as agent in his pocket. That was in 1864. He speedily dispossessed the former agent, and for

GOVERNMENT STATION, YAKIMA RESERVATION, FOREST RESERVE

1918, Courtesy L. V. M.Whorter

THE POM-POM ON LONG HOUSE OF HO-LITE: "DRINKING FROM A SPRING," OR "STREAM"; KNOWN AS BILLIE CAPTAIN

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sixteen years ruled the Reservation with a strong hand and yet with a heart overflowing with sympathy and good will. So many stories are told of Father Wilbur as to make a volume in themselves.

Beyond any of the frontier preachers he seems to have stamped himself upon the minds and hearts of people. As Indian agent he occupied quite a different role, but one for which he was equally fitted.

The author saw him only when he had become somewhat advanced in years, but even then he was a man of superb physique, about six feet two in height and weighing nearly 300 pounds. He was of dark complexion, with a clear, keen black eye, and with a face which was a curious mingling of humor, kindness and firmness.

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 62

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1134

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1134