The Northern Pacific railway through its center, the Portland & Seattle around its southern and eastern border and the North Coast coming into the Yakima valley from the northeast and the southeast, together with the shipping on the Columbia river, give abundant means of marketing its products, while several local electric roads are projected to connect its towns and help to open up the newly developed portions of the county. IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES. General farming on the uplands, truck-gardening and fruit-raising on the irrigated lower lands are the chief occupations. On account of the great fertility of the volcanic soils and the early springs, Benton county is able to supply the large towns with fruits and vegetables some two weeks earlier than most other sections, giving it quite an advantage in prices. The county is rapidly growing in population and prosperity. [Illustration: Plate No. 39.--Stacking Hay in Kittitas County.] [Illustration: Plate No. 40.--New Training School, Ellensburg, Kittitas County.] [Illustration: Plate No. 41.--Sheep-Raising in Klickitat County.] [Illustration: Plate No. 42.--Wheat-Raising in Klickitat County.] [Illustration: Plate No. 43.--Eighty-Acre Orchard in Klickitat County.] [Illustration: Plate No. 44.--Manufacturing Scenes, Chehalis, Lewis County.] [Page 49] PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS. PROSSER, its chief town and county seat, is on the Yakima river and Northern Pacific railway in the western central part of the county, and has about 2,000 population. It is the chief distributing center of the county. It has three weekly newspapers, six churches, good water supply, banks, stores, warehouses, lumber yards, etc. KENNEWICK, at the easterly center of the county, on the Northern Pacific and Portland & Seattle railroads and on the Columbia river, is a town of much importance, having about 1,500 people. It is noted for the remarkable earliness of its fruits and vegetables. It has the usual business, church and school establishments, including an ice and cold storage plant. KIONA, on the Yakima river, midway between Prosser and Kennewick, CARLEY AND PETERSON, in the southern portion of the county, on the Columbia river, are all growing and prospering smaller towns. CHEHALIS COUNTY Chehalis county is central among the counties bordering on the Pacific, the towns about Grays Harbor being its seaports. It has an area of 2,600 square miles and a population of 35,000. RESOURCES.