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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1905)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, 3IONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1J05. PHASES OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH -IN THE STATE OF OREGON 12 ETS FOB THE CAHLE AND SHEEP Prices for the Former Are Low, but for the Latter Some what Better. PAY OF RANGE NEARS BID Settlers on Onc-Hundred-andSixty-Acre Homesteads in Arid Belt Will -Make Big Handles Things or Past. Thore seems to be much hope but little prospect of better prices for cattle this Fall. The Baker City Democrat says: "Ed Phillips has just shipped from Durkee 12 carloads of fat cattle, bought from I. B. Moore and A. Hlndman. which will be shipped to Seattle. The cattle brought good prices, $30 being paid for the steers and $20 for the cows." From the big Lake County cattle ranches the following notes, printed In the Lake County Examiner, are gath ered: "James Blank started the general beef rodeo In the Dog Lake country Tuesday, He will start a drive of beef of 700 head nboutSeptomber 5, and as soon as they are ail gathered, he will make another drive of 300 head, all to Gazelle. Jim says the beef are fine and fat. He will turn on more XL beef this Fall than was turned off last Fall; some fat cows will be put on the market this year. Begins Gathering Beef. "FoMx Green, foreman for the 70 firm, expects to commence gathering beef In the SIcan eountry-he latter part of this month. Mr. Green will put off between K) and 1000 head of 70 beef this Fall. Two or three different parties have tried to buy the 70 beef, but Felix refused to sell till the cattle were gathered, as he knew they would be good beef. Xo price has been set, and Mr. Green states that the outlook, owing to the dull Eastern mar ket, looks slightly discouraging, no bet ter. In fact, than It was last Fall, wtiile the cattle are much better. However, he thinks indications point to better .prices later, because of the abundance of feed on which stockmen can carry over unless prices are favorable." Not many years will pass before the sun sets for good on the great cattle ranches of Oregon. Little by little the 300-acre homesteaders will push up the streams and water courses, fencing here, building there, clearing and plowing the sagebrush benches and plains. It Is no secret that the profits on some of the great ranches have sunk dangerously near to the zero mark since the market value of the fat steer decreased from near $50 to $30 or even a little less. Settlers have been kept out for these many years by force, fright and fraud. Water courses and springs fenced and held against all corners, and the Incoming homesteader held for a common enemy. This Is the history- But the spread of the irrigation canal and ditch Into these unused lands is the beginning of the end. As potent is the success of wheat and barley-growing on the soml-arid lands of the Inland Em pire; No longer experiment, but a spread ing custom. Suited to New Conditions. With such changes In view It does not follow that the total of Oregon cattle marketed will permanently be diminished. But methods suited to the new condi tions will be introduced. Hay raised on the thousands of Irri gated farms will be fed there, not sold on. And with the hay will bo grown votch and rape, with root crops of all kinds. Cattle so raised and fed will reach the market at 2 years old as heavy, and much fatter than the 3 and 4-year-olds of today. It Is not forgotten that In North Eastern Oregon excellent corn is raised. No wild prophecy Is it that this king of crops will spread his sway over many a. mile of Eastern and South East ern Oregon before many years have passed. Sheep prices seem somewhat better. And owners do not seem very ready to sell, in view of the ample provision of hay with which the coming Winter will be faced. The Baker City Democrat has the fol lowing: "Miles Lee, one of the oldest and most experienced ptock men in this County, stated to a reporter last night that the coming Winter soason promises to be one of the most prosperous for stockmen In the history of Eastern Oregon. "Early in September, I will ship 6.000 head of sheep to the East and others will ship about 20,000 head, which will be used for feeders, while some of them will be forwarded as fat market mutton. There have been immense crops this sea son of hay and all kinds of grain ln Baker County. A few days ago I pur chased several hundred tons of hay and pasturage at $8."i0 to $4.00 per ton. I got the very best sheep hay, and you can put it down as a certainty that there will be no shortage of feed this coming Winter, and prices will be cheap as compared with most Winters. On the other hand, we secured" excellent prices for sheep and lambs." Fight Against Scabs. The Baker Cits' Herald hag this to say on the warfare, against scab in Eastern Oregon: "That this will be the last year of scab in Oregon or Idaho, Is the prediction of prominent sheepmen of these two states. Mont B. Gwinn says that the new dipping regulations have cost Idaho a half a million dollars this year alone and Oregon nearly as much. But while the sheepmen suf fer Just at present they-wlll probably gain In the long run. for the country will .be free from scab and the grade and price of wool and mutton will advance. Wyoming got rid of the scab through dipping , several years ago and the sheep from that State now pass Inspection. Orogon and Idaho will be rid of It next year. This year practically three dippings are necossary- The United States decrees that the shoop shall be dipped twice be fore shipping, and the State of Idaho has regulations compelling the shippers to dip sheep once after they arc un loadod in that State. Thoro are not many sheep on the mar-, ket in this section of Oregon this year, and what few there are the owners want suoh a high price for thorn as to make purchases almost prohibitive." Timber and Coal. As if the accumulation and concentra tion of Oregon timber In two- or three ownerships had not been carried far enough, one more "big dear'ls reported in that Klamath .country, now In all men's minds. White and sugar pine are the most valuable trees in our forests. 1 Their area Is comparatively limited, the quantity outstanding in either public or in small individual ownerships bears now a low proportion to what has been swal lowed up, yet the process moves on. The Weyerheauser syndicate, of Minneapolis, has been treating, and is now reported to have closed its bargain for from 45,000 to 60.000 acres, part In Klamath County and part over the California border line. With the timber tract is included the Klamath Lake railroad, extending- from Pokegama. Or., to Laird, on the South ern Pacific railroad. Another tie between Southern Oregon and California com pleted. It Is not generally known that there are extensive and valuable coal prospects along the line of the Corvallls & Eastern railroad, in the Santlam country. Devel opment work has, it Is understood, been begun on the farm of C. E. Soule. ALFALFA AND RED CLOVER Forage Plants Which Do Well In the State of Oregon. The Bend Bulletin has the following: "How Is this for alfalfa? Joe WImer has a bunch of alfalfa which he has care fully kept measurement of during the Summer. On June 12 it was cut. being 24 inches high; July 12 it was cut again, being 38 inches, and August 12 again cut being 3C inches tall, a growth equal to 38 Inches up to August 12, or an average of 1 9-61 inches a day. Can some one beat it?" This, of course, is on Irrigated land. Good, certainly, for Oregon, where there are Wintors. But It hardly compares 'with the experiences of th,e California speaker at the Irrigation Congross, who testified to nine crops a year, with an average of one and one-half tons an acre to each crop. N , But from the Willamette Valley un irri gated land the following 'experience is satisfactory: "We noted a bunch of alfalfa last Sat urday that was raised on upland and al though It was the second cutting the stalks were 2S inchos Ions and well cov ered with foliage. We believe this could be a great dairy country If the people would plant alfalfa. It may be hard to get it started, but once growing there is jio doubt that it would continue to furnish an abundance of food." Sheridan Sun. But there is a suggestion of a question In the lust two sentences which has no right in any Western Oregon paper. It is now past doubt that where soil, drainage, natural or artificial. Is provided wltHtn in inches or two feet of the surface, and where a proper seed bed Is made, there dry land alfalfa, sown in proper season, will not only grow, but will prosper for untold years. Red clover Is rather having its nose put out of Joint by the coming of the new alfalfa baby. Still it holds its place. Southwest of Grant's Pass is a, wide ana bare looking stretch of many acres of land covered deep in white decomposed granite sand. About as hopeless a prop osition as can well be imagined would "be to utilize such solL But It is being ac complished. This item, from the Grant's Pass Courier. Is suggestive of a groat truth about Oreson lands, and that is that some way can be found of putting all Oregon to account. It takes thought and courage, it may be, but It comes out right in the end. And here, also, is an other Irrigation point: "H. S. Wynant, who has a farm near the Applegate River in the New Hope district, left at the Courier office Tuesday a bunch of red clover that is over three feet high and of as vigorous growth as was e"er harvested In the best clover districts of the East. This sample was the average growth of a field that he sowed last April on granite land, which before he put it under Irrigation was totally unproductive, other than to scant growth of brush that was upon it. Mr. Wynant's land Is a -part of the 12,000 aores of granite land that extends from Rogue River, south of Grant's Pass, to Applegate River, and which is held by many of to be worthless for agricul tural purposes. As In Mr. Wynant's case this land whenever water Is put upon it. produces grass, grain and fruit in great abundance." E HOW THE INDUSTRY MAY BE MADE TO PAY IX OREGON. Product of the Wlllnmctlc Valley Excels In Flavor the Best California Produces. How often Is the Oregon pessimist disproved and discredited. This year Is a great example. We hoard about the failure of the hop crop till we almost believed IL But with picking close at hand the cry has died out. So "about prunes, only worse. First It was that nil the fruit was dropping off then that the only crop was on the uplands, the trees In the valley being bare. The truth is that to arrive at a fair conclusion it is nec essary to study reports from all points of the compass. And than also to note what the market has to tell. A para graph went the rounds a. day or two ago that the prune crop was a failure in. Servla and Roumanla and Hun gary. Quoted as If that fact, if fact it be, had a bearing on whether an Ore gon grower should sell at 3 or 3 cents a pound. A very shrewd and suc cessful Jobber on the London Stock Ex change was askod how it was that his firm made monej whether the market went up or down. "Because," said he, I never look outside tho mnrket I am In. My friends study world poli tics, have views and hold or sell ac cordingly. I shut my eyes to nil that and buy or sell as my market guides me from day to day." The same princi ple is a fairly good guide wnether it be on prunes, hops, wool or stocks. But the following item from the Newborg district Is typical of the gen eral run of the reports: "Notwithstanding tho frequent state ments by people who are not posted, and by others who are none too care ful in their statements, to the effect that the Oregon prune crop Is a failure this year, suph Is not the case. Ther are. no doubt, localities, as there are every year, where the crop Is light, but in the bost prune districts the crop is amply large to satisfy the growers. Throughout the LIberty-Rosedale sec tion statements from nearly every grower show that tho crop is ample. In many orchards thore Is but little over half or two-thirds that might be termed a "bumpor" crop, and the growers are satisfied with this state of affairs. It makes fine, large fruit, costs less to harvest and cure, and leaves the orchard in much better con dition. On tne whole, the growers will make as much net profit from a crop of this size and character as they would from the heaviest possible crop." The Salem Journal does good service in drawing attention to the possibility of wide extension of the peach Industry in the Willamette Valley. As to grow ing peaches from the pits there is wide difference of opinion. It will also be noticed that the writer says that ''the life of a peach orchard on a favorable location Is 15 to 20 years. In an unfav orable location tho trees will not last fl'e years." It is. true enough that peach trees in Oregon are short-lived. It is also true that the stock on which the peach is budded has probably as much to do with the life of the tree as the soli and conditions of its orchard growth. Exper iments have frequently Justified this statement. Apart from the commercial orchard question it may he noted that a peach tree, planted close to. and trained against, a outh wall of a house will live longer, yield larger and higher flavored fruit, and escape frost better than any orchard tree. The 'best peaches tasted by the writer in 245 years' experience In Oregon arc grown In this fashion on the wall of a farmhouse in Benton County. Here follows what the Salem Journal has to say: "The Journal has repeatedly called at tention to the possibilities of making money out of raising peaches along the Willamette River. There Is a great deal of peach land on the Islands and along both shores and on the benches, or wher ever there is a chanoe for favorable air currents. After the peach blooms, and the fruit gets as big as a pea frost will not harm them. It can be broadly stated that any location that has a body of water near by. or running or standing alongside; or where the land drops off into a slough or swale will grow peaches. Peaches require cultivation. They will stand any amount. The trees are not affected by tillage like cherries and some other fruit, but bear heaviest when best cultivated. The making of a fine crop of peaches requires pretty thorough spraying for the curled leaf with a mix ture of lime, sulphur and vitrol. The same spray answers for the scale. To raise the finest crops there may be some thinning on the branches. But extra good cultivation and a good system of propping will make Wg crops without thinning. "There should lx a good lot of Cox's cling peach planted each yoar from the pits. That is the finest peach and one of the most productive, growing crops In a. few years from the seed. There is a great deal to be learned about peach growing ihat cannot be told In a newspa per article, but It Is proven beyond a doubt that there is a great mine of wealth In growing poaches right here in the Willamette Valley. In place of thou sands of crates grown on a few patches there could be carloads- and carloads shipped from here. The Willamette Val ley peach is larger and finer in flavor and acid quality than the best California poaches." ANOTHER BEEF TRUST SOON Its Competition May Raise Prices for the Growers. Whother or not it is true, as reported from Chicago, three or four days ago. that butchers, hotelmon and rostaurant-keep-ors In 20 cities had organized a no the - beef trust, and had erected, or were erecting, packing plants In opposition to the exist ing beef trasl in various centers, does not seem to be definitely known. If It be so it Is a clear testimony that tlje micro scopic profits reported by Commissioner Garfield do not deter those qualified to Judge from embarking in this Industry. The sooner the wide field existing In Port land Is divided up by some competitor with the Union Meat Company tho belter for stockmen of all grades and for the public at large. The conditions in West ern Oregon (where, from many small holdings trifling numbers of fat cattle and sheep are for sale at Intervals the whole voar round), hold the raisers at the mercy of the local monopoly referred to. The result is that prices here arc at Just about the level of those bid for the bunches of large size from the Eastern Oregon ranges, which prices are set, by the big Meat Trust of Chicago. Every housekeeper In the city is complaining loudly of the exorbitant charges of the butcher. But It will probably appea. If II. J. CEER'S GAJUJEX, COVE, OREGON. the whole truth were obtainable, that the butchers are at the mercy of the Union Meat Company, and making very little money. The stockraisers are getting not much over two-thirds of what they received for fat stock three years ago. So some remedy should be found, and that soon. There are too many of the small stockralsors, they are too widely scattered, and know too little, of market conditions for it to be possible to combine them so as to secure united effort at prices bearing reasonable rotation to re tall prices In the butchers' shops. The only remedy. It seems. Is to encourage competition by several wholesale dealers and packing-houses. A crying evil Is felt a 3peedy remedy should be found. WHEAT IN WEST HID EAST REPORTS OF HARVESTS, BOTH WINTER AND SPRING-SOWN. What Rotation or Crops Can Accom plish In the Willamette Valley Is Emphatically Shown. On the wide fields of Eastern Oregon the wheat harvest is nearly over. The yield of Winter-sown wheat has not been doubted, but It Is satisfactory to read of yields of 2S and 30. or 32 bushels to the acre of Spring-sown wheat, previously reported as seriously damaged by want of rain and hot sun. Harvesting there is done on a large scale, by large forces of men and machinery. The following item Is from Umatilla County: "The precipitation of yesterday caused a delay in the harvesting operations of many of the machines In the county The crew employed by Shutrum Bros, was In the city during the day. The big 1K horsepower combine owned and operated by them has been giving excellent serv ice, and recently cut. threshed and sacked 90 acres of standing grain. So far this season the machine has cut 11(0 acres and It will be about eight days before the Shutrums have entirely finished their work for the year." The wheat crop In the Willamette Val ley has. on thev other hand, fallen short of the predicted yield, but not universally by any means. It will bo noticed that 4 bushels an acre Is reported from Linn County In the next Item. This Is printed In the Albany paper as an exceptionally favorable result. No doubt It Is so. The land there Is excellent, and probably would have been sold 15 years ago for half as much again as the college farm of the Agricultural College at Corvallls. where the results were gained that are shown In the summary below. The point which It Is sought to make Is that In their condition, before rotation of crops was undertaken on the college farm, the Linn County farm had very much In Its favor. Let us see what rotation, not will accomplish but actually has done: "One of the best fields of wheat In Linn County this yoar. the yield of which is a surprise when the meager return from most other fields Is taken into considera tion. Is that on the Zuhlsdorf farm, near this city, recently purchased by M. Bus sard and threshed during the past week. The wheat was of the Golden Fife variety.- contained 17 acres and yielded 8SS bushels, a trifle over 41 bushels to the acre; The wheat is of excellent quality, and the crop is one that will attract some attention this yoar of poor yields. "Crops this season are generally under the average In yield, though the quality Is pot so bad. The first wheat marketed SILEEP PERM ED OVER TITE COLUMBIA. was of rather poor duality, but the grain coming in hater Is much better." Look then on this picture: "A wheat yield of 46 bushels and 40 pounds per acre was produced on the col lege farm this season. It was a tiekl of 20 acres, on which there were three varie ties. The Oregon White Winter made a yield of 4 bushels and 40 pounds, the Aeton Winter wheat went 42 bushels and S3 pounds, and the Challenge White Win ter 37 bushels and 7 pounds. Oats on the same farm went 40 bushels, and bar ley 40 bushels per acre. No artificial fer tilizers were ued, except that land plas ter wag applied to clover during the prog ress of crop rotation on the fields in ques tion." "Crop rotation Is described as re sponsible for the yield, which is more than twice as large as the average crop throughout the valley. The rota- ! tion on the wheat land In question J comprised two yoars of clover, r crop or corn, ami" a crop of wheat. In 1S99 the flelJ, which had produced grain almost continuously for nearly 40 years was given 12 loads of burnyard manure per acre. This was plowed under eight inches. The next Spring the land was thoroughly disced and planted to com. which yielded a good crop for the silo. As soon as the crop wa harvested, the land was disced and Winter wheat was drilled in. The following March six pounds of red clever and two pounds of Alsike seed wa? sown . over tho wheat and about April 1st 75 pounds of land plaster per acre was applied. The wheat that year yielded 41 bushels per acre. Be fore that time the average yield had been about IS bushels. The next year the crop of clover was cut for silage, and yiwIUed 12 tens of green forage per ST6, The second crop was cut j for hay. yielding one one-half tons per acre. The next year the field was sown with peas and oats and produced six tons of green forage per acre. In the Sprlngof 1904. IS tons of barnyard manure per acre was applied and the Held, planted to corn which yielded a good crop for silo. Last Fall, the field was disced and sown to wheat, and last March six pounds of red clover and two pounds of Alsike seed was sown per acre with the re sult t!jat there Is a good stand of clov er now. and an average yield of 40 odd huehels of wheat per acre. "Dr. Wlthyeombe maintains that the same conditions may be attained on large as well as on small farms. If barnyard manure is not available the growing of the legumes as rotation crops will steadily Improve the fertil ity of the soil. The farms of the Willamette Valley are by no means exhausted. If leguminous crops were more generally grown so as to 'main tain a good percentage of organic sub stance in the soil, the crops of this valley could be easily doubled within four years." Now. If such results can follow on a proper system of crop rotation, what excuse is there for not putting it into practice? Reiuamber that the Inter mediate years between wheat crops on the special field in question were not only barren in result but provided for an extra quantity and value of stocks. The farmer who runs his farm in ,i business like wny. anil keeps ac counts of results of his farm, would find that the Hold, when in forage and feed crops, brought Into his pocket larger money returns than when In wheat or oats. If only the Willamette Valley farmers as a class would take up this plan. True, they would need more help on the farm, more machin ery, larger investment In stock. But once tried they surely would never go back to Summer fallowing alterna tions of wheat and poor pasture. TWO PROJECTS AT ESTACADA WHICH PROVE SUCCESSFUL. Flax Industry at Salem Victim of Three Mysterious Fires, Which Demand Investigation. Estacnda. on the Oregon Water Power electric line. 33 miles from Portland, has two enterprises of considerable Im portance. The first is the brick and tile works. The clay beds, of various colors, are Immense both In area and thickness. The second Industry Is In wood working. The factory Is now In working order. Quite a. specialty Is in cross-arms for telegraph, telephone and electric-wire poles. Superintendent Kuhn has the ma chinery all placed and In fine running shape. On Monday the company had eleven carloads of cross-arms to fill, and under favorable conditions a carload of eight-foot arms can be made in a day. The establishment of the flax Industry in Oregon has been an ambition widely felt for some years. The conditions are ideal. Soli and climate Insure for the plant not only rapid and vigorous growth, but beauty, length and quality of fiber. Salem was the home selected by Mrs. W. P. Lord, and the many women of Oregon who backed her In the enterprise. A factory was built, machinery installed, and arrangements made with surrounding farmers for them to provide the flax. The subscribed capital was. however. In sufficient to establish the Industry on a firm basis. Eventually the enterprise fell into the hands of Eugene Bosse, the Belgian expert, who had come over to take charze of It. The disaster of two successive fires naturally stopped pro gress. On each occasion beliefs of In cendiarism were expressed. But Mr. Bosse perservered. and a fresh start was made last year with good prospect of success. Of course, under such conditions, small beginnings were of necessity. The following account, from the Salem States man. Is very suggestive, regarding a third catastrophe which occurred during the past week: "Mr. Bosse's property was on the Ellen Savage farm, which he has leased. The buildings are only about a quarter of a mile southeast of the asylum. The barn was a spacious structure which had recently been remodeled so that It could be used as a floxmlll. Heavy floors and sills had been laid so that heavy machinery could be Installed. Sev eral mnchlnes were already in place and others were to be put In later. "The barn, or mill, as It had come to be, was filled with flax fiber brought here from SIco last Winter. The straw had been retted and the fiber obtained and stored away until such time as Mr. Bosse should have the appliances for making It Into twine, crash and other course linen products. The quantity of flax fiber In the barn Is estimated at 100 tons, valued at not less than ?e000. About 10 feet east of the barn were three large stacks of flax straw of the crop of 1905. These stacks contained 2C0 tons, valued at.JICOO. The fire was set late enough to give the incendiary the protection of darkness and yet early enough so that his passing along the road would not attract particular atten tion. So far as can be learned, no strange person was seen In that vicinity yesterday or within the last few days, and the fiend left nothing to Indicate his Identity. "That the fire was the work of an In cendiary there can -be no doubt, for the Are started In two places at almost the same instant and at a time when there was little danger of detection. "Tho Incendiary set fire to the north west side of the stacks and at the next Instant touched a match to Inflammable material In the northeast corner of the barn. So the mill, with 100 tons of flax fiber and 200 tons of flax straw were entirely destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of not. less than $11,000. and probably much mare. ' Mr. Bosse Is away from home so the exact amount of the loss and the In surance. If any. could not be learned." So far as known. Mr. Bosse was not In danger from any private enmity. It Is known that the Flax Trust looks askance nt every effort to establish an independent enterprise and open out new fields of production and manufacture. Whether there Is any Indirect connection between this feeling and the three conflagrations which have on each occasion put a stop to the flax Industry In Oregon It would take Sherlock Holmes to determine. That every essential condition exists for the establishment of this Important Industry In Oregon la past dispute. A further ef fort, on a wider basis, might be suggested to the Co-operative Christian Federation whenever their time comes to begin work In the Willlamette Valley. SOP s GOVERNMENT AND PRFTATE IR RIGATION CONTRASTED. Fnctors Which Make the Former Method of Greater Value to the Settlers. There must be many districts In the semi-arid regions of , Eastern Orogon where conditions are found which are similar to those shown In an appended description. Here Government construct tion of the system, and ail that it entails. Is really unmixed benefit. The land owner secures first, efficient and skilled engineering; second, honest and unbiased oversight and control while construction progresses; third. long time for repay ment of the cost; fourth, free advertising when the time comes for sale of surplus land; fifth, continuation of conditions for bidding the acquisition of lands by any one Interest to a degree dominating and thereby Injuring any one settler's hold ing of 160 acres. Contrast this with the enterprise as It would have to be carried out If no Irrigation Act were In force. These settlers, having made their selec tions of Government land where, without Irrigation prosperity Is, if not Impossible then. Improbable, agree on common ac tion for the general benefit. The land In question lies about 100 feet above the Columbia River. Is Intrinsically fertile, and. with irrigation, will raise fruit, al falfa, wheat and other crops In abund ance. These, men, from their own re sources, must provide funds to dig 30 miles of ditches, pipe the water across the Umatilla river In a pipe line one mile long, then cross a wide and deep ravine by a pipe line one mile long to reach the main body of the selected land. To the success of the enterprise skilled and costly engineering is essen tial, and the actual construction Is a heavy and expensive task. While the work is in progress It will absorb tho settlers energy, time and money, and Improvement of their farms must stand over till the irrigation work Is done. After the water is on the land the settlers must provide for care and maintenance of the ditches, and must so manage dis tribution of water that quarrels and liti gation do not arise. When the Govern ment assumes charge the settlers' risk, labor and responsibility are done with. No wonder that these settlers are ready and anxious to stand by and see tne Government engineers take hold of their project. "If the Government locates the Cold Springs reservoir site and decides to be gin work on a small Irrigation scheme In the northern portion of Unatil'x County, we will abandon our project an.l take out water under the Government scheme," said A. C. Crawford, of th Cold Springs Irrigation Ditch Company. "The Cold 'Springs Irrigation Dit;h Company is a co-operative compare cf land owners who have located land In the vicinity of Cold Springs, and t!.o have made arrangements to secure water from the Hinkle Ditch Company cf Echo. "They expected to build 20 miles of main ditch, to carry water from the vicinity of Echo, across the Umatilla, river and northward on the summit of the range of hills east or Hermlston to the tract of land located by the com pany. In the north part of the county "The company does not Intend to sell water, but only desires enough to re claim homes for the members of the company, and if the Government decides to construct the Cokl Springs reser voir which has recently been located by John T. Whistler and his party of Government engineers, the Cold Springs Ditch Company will surrender Its lard and take water from the Government. Homes are what his associates are In search of ami if they cannot get Govern ment water they will complete a small project within their means." The writer of the following note from the Klamath country seems to have struck the heart of the matter about the sale of surplus lands over the 160 acres maximum. "Some people who happen to own mora than 160 acres, of land are raising an objection to giving trust deeds to the Government of their surplus. What's the sense of that? This trust deed busi ness is simply a method by which the law can be enforced. To turn back now is the worst sort of foolishness. If I had 1.000 acres I'd rather give S40 of It away If I could get water on the balance. But this plan enables me to get full value for every acre in excess-of the 160 I decide to retain, and the doubters may be glad that they have an organization to help them sell their surplus land." Many a suit will be brought in tho near future similar to that described be low. It will be noticed that the Court Is asked to restrain the defendants from taking all the water from the river, and obstructing the natural flow. Present tendencies are running to the notion that the rights of the community override those of the Individual. The line between them will have to be drawn In such cases as we have in mind, and It will be a task of no small difficulty. Rights to use water for Irrigation pur poses from a river running through a man's land are not the only ones attach ing to ' riparian ownership. How much water can be withdrawn and permanently appropriated without trenching on the riparian rights of the lower owner will have to be determined with regard to facts in each case. Here Is the chief field for the service of the State En gineer, as an unbiased agent In ascertain ing and recording the conditions of oath water system In turn. No money was better appropriated by the last Legisla ture than In creating and maintaining this office. The suit in question arises In Baker County. "The cause of the complaint is over the usurpation of water rights by the de fendants so that the plaintiffs are un able to obtain their allotted amount of wateiv for their lands. Over S.0C0 acres of land situated along the Powder rler northeast of Baker City, owned by the defendants are Involved. Four ir rigation ditches belonging to the defend ants run from the Powdjer river onto their lands. These ditches were con structed at a total cost of $62,000. carry 2200 Inchos of water, and aggregate 47 miles In length. "It Is aleged that the defendants, whose land Is located about six miles above that of the plaintiffs, have taken all the water from the river by means of what Is known as the Mitchell dltrh and used It for their lands, contrary to their right. Therefore the plaintiffs ask the Court that their ditches be declared prior in time and superior In right to that of the defendants, and that the Court Issue an order restraining the de fendants from obstructing the natural flow of the water." Recurring for a moment to the Klamath project. The latest resolution of Mr. Newell, and his assistant engineers, to so regulate the rate at which reclaim?! lands shall be thrown on the mnrket as not to overrun the demand, should remove many objections on the part of the land owners who are holding back. Possibly Mr. Newell's Idea that economy will be promoted by this plan of successive par tial completions will not be verified, It Is generally esteemed the better plan, when funds are obtainable for a complete enterprise, to undertake all. or as much as possible, at once. Expenses of man agement and oversight are kept down to a lower ratio. Materials and equipment are obtained on better terms, and the results of the entire undertaking are sooner gained. Exceptions there are, and this Is probably one of them. At tho recent Irrigation Congress n-t much was said about the Umatilla pro ject. But it seems to have entered tho region of possible accomplishment, judg ing from the subjoined item. Washington, Aug. IS. The Secretary of the Interior has ordered the withdrawal from entry of 160.000 acres of land In tho La Grande. Or.. land district on account of the Umatilla Irrigation project." Bad Luck in Cross-Eycd Wax Figure. Kansas City Times. There Is a storekeeper in Kansas City who, although he doesn't know it. is losing trade through the presence of a wax figure of a woman In his show window. The "woman" Is comely and she dis plays dresses very well, but she Is cross-eyed. "I'll bet I've heard 20 women talking about that cross-eyed "figure," said a policeman, who walks a beat near the store.. yesterday. "Some of them are superstitious and actually refuse to buy at the store. They think the cross-eyed woman will give them had luck." DIFFERENT NOW Since the Slugger Coffee Was Abandoned. Coffee probably causes more biliousness and so-called malaria than any one other thing even bad climate. A Ft. Worth man says: "I have always been of a bilious tem perament, subject to malaria and up to one year ago a perfect slave to coffee and at times I -would be covered with bolls and full of -malarial poison, was very nervous and had swimming in the head. "I don't know how It happened but I finally became convinced that my sick ness was due to the use of coffee and a. little less than a year ago I stopped cof fee and began drinking Postum. From that time I have not had a boil, not had malaria at all, have gained 15 pounds good solid weight and know beyond all doubt this is due to the use of Postum In place of coffee as I have taken no medicine at all. "Postum has certainly made healthy red blood for me In place of the blood that coffee drinking Impoverished and made unhealthy." Name given by Pos tum Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Postum makes red blood. There's & reason. Look In each package for a copy of the famous little book, 'The Road to Wellvin "