Newspaper Page Text
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Vol. XX--10. *
ARTHUR GUNN.
There is no section in the North
west that can show a more rapid or
substantial progress during the last
five years than the Wenatchee valley.
The farming land there today brings
the highest price of any in the North
west. The town of Wenatchee itself
has grown from a handful of people to
quite a thriving city of two thousand
and will reach within the near
future, a population of five thousand,
or more. A good deal of the credit for
this development The Ranch gives to
Arthur Gunn. It was he who built
the first irrigating canal of importance
in the valley, and thereby put into cul
tivation a large body of land that be
fore had been but a stretch of desert.
He came of old Kentucky stock. Grad
uated in 1888 at Park College, near
Kansas City. He was married to Miss
Elizabeth Brown in 1890, and has six
little Gunns. He had considerable
newspaper experience, including im
portant positions on newspapers at
Joliet, 111.; Kansas City, Mo., and later
at Kelso. Wash., but as he tells us
confidentially, quit all that foolishness
before he got married. Has lived dur
ing the last ten years at Wenatchee,
first as cashier and part owner of the
Columbia Valley Bank; and later en
gaged in farming and real estate, in
which latter business has been remark
ably successful. At present he is
principally engaged in the good work
of bringing in farmers from eastern
states to Washington, particularly to
Wenatchee Valley, "where dollars
grow on trees," and to the wheat
raising sections of Dcuglas county.
He has just located a large colony of
"Dunkers" (German Baptist Brethren)
in the Wenatchee valley and more
coming.
He believes firmly that farming now
adays to be profitable, should consist
of one-third elbow grease and two
thirds brains, and cordially appre
ciates our high class agricultural press
in developing the latter.
Milk Prices Again.
Editor The Ranch:
In a recent issue of your valuable
paper a communication appeared
from J. M. Corp, in which he went on
to show that the Pacific Coast Con
densed Milk Company was respon
sible for a material increase in the
prices of milk in the White River
valley. I am willing to give credit to
the condensery where it is due, but
are not some of the statements by
Mr. Corp rather misleading? For in
stance, he says that the condensory
A JOURNAL OF THE LAND AND THE HOME IN THE NEW WEST.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, -#**" 15, 1903.
is now paying $1.45 per 100 pounds for
milk, whereas before the condensory
started in 1898 and 1099 the price
paid was $1.05.
I hold that the condensory had
very little to do with this increase, if
any. At that time shorts and bran
were $8 and $9 per ton; they are now
$19 and $20. Then we could hire men
for $20 and $25, and now we pay $30
and $35. Then rent for land was $4
and $5 per acre; now it is *>8 to $12
per acre. Since 1898 the population
of the cities of Puget Sound has
greatly increased. Seattle has almost
doubled in size. Alaska in the mean
time has become a great consumer of
our dairy products. The present good
times justify a proportionate increase
in price. The condensory claims it
pays 10 cents per hundred pounds
more than the creameries. The con
densory keeps the skim milk. The
creamery returns it to be used as
ARTHUR GUN
feed for hogs and calves.
I agree with Mr. Corp thai the con
densory is a good institution, but
many things are not all they seem to
be on the surface. The proprietor of
the condensory is not in the business
for the benefit of anyone but himself.
He is a shrewd, wide-awake individ
ual, who looks out for No. 1, and pays
the farmers no more for their milk
than he has to. He makes some of
the dairymen of this section believe
that he does better by them than any
one else. There are some of us how
ever, who differ from this view.
JOHN M'GOWAN.
Christopher, Wash.
"Pat has got an awful gash in his
face."
"Does it seem to hurt him much?"
"No. He uses it to cat with."
There are no rounds of drinks in
the ladder of success.
Subscription $1 Par Year
Worth Two Gold Dollars
Lute Wilcox Says:
The people are divided into two
classes —those who have nowhere to
stay and those who have nowhere to
go.
If the United States is short of coal
at this early period of its history, what
will occur fifty years hence, when the
frigid vibrations become a national
calamity?
If we are to have the leasing of the
public domain tne irrigation move
ment will have to go back and camp
on the swail of despond. We can
not pack both in the same box.
We are now upon the season of the
year when the individual who is half
frozen and half starved is greatly re
freshed and comforted to read the ora
tions of prominent citizens at high
priced banquets upon the many advan
tages of organized charity.
While some people are finding fault
with the education of pupils in the
rural schools and making tne state
ment that the instructors are incom
petent the fact remains that the teach
ers are themselves taught by profes
sors who do not know and they in turn
seek to impart a series of surmises to
the children. Give us something prac
ticable. Cut out the frip frap and give
us careful training in the regular
branches and in the things that will
mean something to the children. What
does the average boy care for Latin?
How many think they need to spend
time on German? How many could
live without French? How many know
how to spell English or to write an in
telligent letter?
People who are contemplating the
acquirement of public land will have
to hurry if they expect to acquire a
location in an easy or quick way. Bills
have already been introduced and are
likely to be shortly passed by congress
to repeal the desert land law, the tim
ber and stone law and the commuta
tion homestead law, which practically
leaves but the straight homestead act
under which to acquire title to gov
ernment lands should these proposed
bills pass. The corporations are work
ing with hammer and tongs at Wash
ington to oust the settler and get con
trol of the pubiic domain.
Note that complete list of books for
farmers on page 2. The Ranch has com
piled this list carefully, and for those in
terested it is worthy of preservation.
