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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1907)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1907. PHASES OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IN THE STATE OF OREGON 13 PENCE'S DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE Plucky Promoter Is Gradually "Moving Mountains Toward Sea." HAS HAD MANY SETBACKS Opposed ! Courts and by Neighbors He Has Kept on Wearing Away the Hills Behind the City. How He Hoes It. After patiently pushing his plan of leveling; tho hills bark of Willamette Heights and sluicing their tops Into the lowlands along Guild's Lake. Lafe Pence, head of the Pence Company, has the rare satisfaction . of a man who watches his dreams come true.. In the face of all sorts of legal obstacles, the protests of nearby property-owners and the doubts of many people who'did not believe his plans were practical, Mr. Pence is demonstrating that lie knew what lie was talking about. His hydraulic giants are at work wasliing away the top of Scotch Nubbin at the rate of from 1000 to L'000 yards a dav. The dirt is carried in . solution to the Government peninsula, where it is. de posited and is filling up the lake to the desired level. The scenes In the Pence camp resem ble Southern Oregon mining operations and, like placet workings, the men be hind tho scheme are in a fair way to clean up many dollars from the sands they are washing into Guilds Lake. Kor every grain helps to make proper ty that, owing to its location near the railway terminals, where it is valuable for either factories, warehouses or ter minals, will he worth big prices when placed on the market. The flumes and canals of the Pence Company extend 14 miles back into the hills of Washington County. They lead down the water from a thousand springs to feed the hungry giants. From a sawmill up In the hills, lumber for building flumes and other purposes Is floated down this flume to any point where it is needed. After the water Is forced through the giants. It drags the loosened earth down the. flume and pipeline, finally depositing it In the lake and making new land. Making- tlte Mud Fly. "We are running out mud by the thousands of yards to any point. we de sire to piaco it. despite the number of prophecies that have been made to the contrary," said Mr. Pence yester day. "The loyalty and Intelligent sup port of our staff of superintendents, foremen and workmen has meant the difference between success and failure. We are not out of the woods yet. but we are into the thin timber and can ee daylight. "Kriction between citizens and the public oficials seems at an end and we are gratified that this is so. We have had no special arrangements with the Almighty but we had an understanding with the weatherman that we would get rain every Winter; the courts could not stop that. Protests of the city authorities could not keep water ftfom running down hill and the force of Gravity has been fighting for us. "Considerable credit for the success of the undertaking so far Bhould be given to our chief hydraulic engineer, A. V,. Shearer, our head of the survey ing forces, Walter Inch, W. II. Burns, superintendent of the operations, II. E. Heath, electrical engineer, and in fact our whole force, for everyone has been remarkably efficient in the work. 'The Pence Company is now two years old, having been formed on March 14, 3905. . After a long series of preparations, which were often interfered with by-protests and objections, we have run out dur ing the present Winter about 200,000 cubic yards of dirt, which has been deposited in Guild's Lake. While we were allowed to blast on the Scotch Nubbin, so as to loosen up the dirt before hydraulicking. we were getting out about 10,000 yards a day. but with the present limitations we get from 1000 to 2000 yards a day. "As the water supply is becoming scarce, we expect to complete the work of leveling the Scotch Nubbin by dry grading and plan to have it completed by August. We will then shift the giants to the east side of Balch's gulch, and cut out the gravel bank there to a depth of 100 or perhaps 200 feet on the average to fill the Cottel tract of SO acres. This work will require 3,000,000 cubic yards of earth. The gravel will be used in making con crete. At present a tract of 22 acres is being filled and the Government penin sula of 28 acres will be filled later. Con tracts with the Reed estate call for the completion of this work at any time within the next six years.'' PJnns Xew Trolley Line. Estimates are now being prepared by engineers in the employ of the Pence Company for the construction of an elec tric line from a junction with the Port land Railway Company's lines at Twenty fifth and Xorthrup and wtth the L'nited Railways at Twenty-sixth and Pettigrove, down the Linnton road to Claremont, when the line will loop back on the hill side, making the property along the hill available for homes and adding greatly to Its value. The route marked out for the road will cross Balch's gulch above Mr. Jsherwood's house and runs along on the hill above Willamette Heights and above the old dairy place on the Burrell tract. This route is of course conditional upon the granting of franchises now un der consideration. Mr. Pence plans a scenic park on the hills overlooking the city which will be reached by his electric line.' A series 'of reservoirs to collect spring water, which will be pumped into the park, is also in cluded in the scheme. Mr. Pence has also offered to furnish crushed rock to build a boulevard and scenic driveway along side the electric line if desired. The plan of improvement of the hill sides lying northwest of the city is an attractive one, and promises to add greatly to the beauty of the city. Plans already announced are being supported, and the Scotch Nubbin, when leveled off, will not be cut up into lots, but will re main in a single tract. MILK FACTORIES ARE MERGED Condenser at Hillsboro Bought by Pacific Coast Company. FOR1SST GROVE, Or.. March 10. (Spe cial.) President E. A. Stuart and other officials of the Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Company, with headquarters at Seattle, have been here the past week and Closed the deal for the purchase of the condensed milk factory at Hillsboro. of which Dr. J. P. Tamiesie was president and principal stockholder. The Pacific Coast Company now has five factories located in the order of establishment at Kent, Wash.: Forest Grove, Or.; Mount Vernon and Chehalis, Wash., and Hills boro. Or. 1 All these have been very successful, but still the demand for their product is far ahead of the supply and effort has been directed not so much to establishing new factories as to increasing the amount of milk received at the factories already in operation. In that respect, the manage ment is greatly pleased with the develop ment of the Forest Grove factory. Each year has shown a handsome increase over the previous year but the past year here has given the greatest increase ever made. February, 1!W7, shows an increase of M per cent over the corresponding month of 1906. This is not only the great est increase shown by any of the facto ries, but it puts tile Forest Grove plant at the head of the list in amount of milk received, even surpassing the present fac tory at Kent. Wash. The Hillsboro plant under its previous management was doing a good business and will be continued with increased energy and capital. While the two plants, being located so near together, were in a sense rivals, yet the rivalry did not af fect the price of milk, as that was based at both factories on the price of butter fat in the Portland market. CLEAN UPORCHARDB Linn County Fruit Men Spray and Prune. WAR WAGED ON INSECTS Growers and Inspectors Are in Ear nest and Better Quality of Fruit Will Be the Result. ALBANY, Or., March 10. (Special.) A revolution in fruitgrowing in Linn County has begun. In the past two months 1000 acres of fruit trees have been sprayed, twice as large an acreage has been' pruned, and about 200 acres of old, diseased trees have been cut -down. The spirit of orchard Improvement is rampant and with the new age in fruit growing has come the assurance that Linn County will have two big canneries in operation this Summer one at Albany and the other at Brownsville. The total amount of ground devoted to fruitgrowing in this county is about 8000 acres. For years by far the greater part of these orchards has been neglected and no effort has been made to make farm orchards profit-earning. Only in the few large commercial orchards has any care been taken of trees, and in most of these, last Summer witnessed the first systematic attempts to combat tree dis eases. The change now is very marked. Forced by law to keep their orchards clean or else cut them down, the farmers who have small orchards are beginning to realize in thenia possible profit-yielding branch of cMversified farming. For the first time in th5ir history many small orchards, planted merely as an adjunct of the farm, are receiving attention. The effect on- the commercial orchards is also very apparent. Fruitgrowing in this county has never been a very prof itable enterprise and the cause has been plainly demonstrated in the past few meeting? of the State Horticultural So ciety. Valley orchards have received so little care that the fruit produced has not been able to compete successfully in the market. For this reason several orchards have been practically left to shift for themselves the past few years, but with the present spirit of careful fruitgrowing these orchards are being renovated. County Fruit Inspector E. C. Roberts has inaugurated a thorough campaign to clean all tbe orchards in the county. He has been at work only three months, but the change already made is remark able. And all the orchards in the county will be- cleaned up. he says. Beginning with the good Spring weather, all the orchaniists will take up the work of spraying and also give the trees what attention is peeded in the way of prun ing and cultivation. Mr. Roberts has visited all parts of the county in the past few weeks and notified all fruitgrowers r.f the county what will be expected in the way of clean orchards this year. In the orchards on all sides of this city the old. dead and diseased trees have been cut down and the others pruned up and sprayed. The effect on these orchards, many of which have not felt the pruning hook for 30 years, is so remarkable as to attract the immedi ate attention of all local people who have recently been driving In the country. But, while there has been a great deal cf chopping and pruning, the principal work has been spraying. Small spray ing outfits have been sold by the dozens by local dealers in the past three months. All the commercial orchards have se cured outfits and farmers have formed clubs among themselves of from three to five members each to secure the sprayers. In addition to those owned privately, eight big gas sprayers are now operating in different parts of the county. In addition to the legal obligations and the general awakening to the pos sibilities of Valley fruitgrowing, one in centive , for this revolution in orchard care is the fact that two big canneries will be established in this county ready for operation the coming Summer. The Linn County Horticultural Society - re cently begun agitation for a cannery and Albany citizens raised a bonus of $1500 for the project. This bonus has been awarded to Lasselle Brothers, of this city, who will erect a plant capable of putting out 6000 cans a day. Ed Holloway, of Brownsville. an nounced the paet week that he will con struct a cannery in that city this Sum mer. The plant there will have a ca pacity of 5000 cans a day. and Mr. Hollo way promises an increased capacity If conditions justify it. Mohair Growers Elect Officers. ALBA-NTT, Or., March 10. (Special.) The Sodaville Mohair Association, a union of mohair growers of the eastern part of Linn County, has chosen the following officers for the ensuing year: President. W, H: Ingram; secretary, L. A. Simons; managing committee, the president and secretary -and J. W. Pierpont and F. J. Henson; financial agent. J. W. Wilson; membership committee R. Carlton, of Lebanon; Roy Lindley and Marion Down ing, of Lacomb; El L. and J. L. Gilbert, of Berlin: J. Strickler and Howard Lee, of Santiam: S. V. Barr and O. H. Russell, of Sweet Home, and Jack Matlock, of Holley. This association forms a pool of Linn County's mohair output and its members contribute one-half of one per cent of the amount for which their mo hair sells toward running expenses. The mohair' industry -has become an impor tant one In this county in the last few years and is now a noticeable wealth producer for many foothill farmers. Pendleton Will Clean Up. . PENDLETON. Or.,' March 10. (Special.) 'All together for clvtc improvement" is the motto which has been adopted by the City Council, the women's clubs, ' the public schools, the lodges, and nearly every organization in the city of Pendle ton. Two days are to be designated as "cleaning up days," and on those days, every man, woman and child is supposed to turn out and make war-on all kinds of debris and garbage. Teams and gar bage wagons are to be furnished by the city and it is proposed to tackle not only the streets and . yards, but backyards; vacant lots, and alleys. The movement was started by the wom en of the city, but it has met the hearty endorsement of all classes. The Council purposes to take personal supervision of the matter and will see that the work is done thoroughly. Crop Outlook In Harney. BURNS. Or., March 10. (Special.) The Winter in Harney County Is over and the snow in the valley has gone off with a warm rain. There is plenty of snow in the mountains to keep the high water over the swamp land and make good crops of hay. Stockmen have turned their herds out on the range, which is better than has ever been known for this time In the year. Farmers are pre paring their ground for Spring crops and everything points to a successful year to the farmers of Harney County. New settlers are surprised to see such a mild Winter and are delighted that they have taken up land in Harney Valley. Fruit trees have come through the Winter in fine condition and with good care will produce good crops. There will be sev eral acres of new orchards set out this Spring. Home Company Asks Franchise. CHEHALIS. Wash., March 10. (Spe cial.) At the meeting of the Lewis Coun ty Commissioners this week, the Home Telephone Company, which is connected with the Northwestern Long Distance Telephone Company, made application for a 25-year franchise to operate through this county At the Chehalis City Coun cil meeting, the same company made an application for a franchise for 25 years. Agents of the company who have been here this week have declared the inten tion to be to Install an upto-date auto matic system in Chehalis. .As the City Council here has been inclined to grant telephone franchises to the Sunset people for short terms' only, it is not likely that the new company will be given any better terms, though the Council has not indi cated what it will do in the matter. cial.) Chandler Bros., the Lebam sawmill men, have given an option on their plant and timber to Creech Bros., of Raymond. It is stated that the price is $100,000. but it is thought that the deal will not be closed. STCFFED ANIMALS ' AT FAIR Elma Taxidermist Will Show Collec . tlon at Jamestown. ELMA, Wash.. March 10. (Special.) Chehalis County will be represented at the Jamestown Exposition by Jacob Koontz, who will have on- exhibition some of the finest specimens of the taxider mist's art to be found in the country'. Among the animals that Mr. Koontz will take with him will be two large elk. of exceptional size, well mounted and very weil preserved. A large elk's head will be included In the collection, as well as many other animals, natives of the state of Washington. In all. a carload will be sent to the big exposition to be held at historic Jamestown this Summer. Accompanying Mr. Koontz will be Rob ert Koontz and C. E. Peterson. To add interest to the exhibit, Mr. Koontz has made arrangements with two full-blooded Siwash Indians to go with him. any they will stay all through the exposition. A large tent has been secured in which the little party from Chehalis County will camp. TOWNS FOLLOW NEW ROAD CITIES STARTED OX HUNTIXG- TOX-LEAVISTON XiIXE. Option Gl.ven on Sawmill. CHKHATylS, Wash., March 10. fSpe- Copperficld and Ballard's Landing Are Laid Out and Settlers "Are Flocking In. BAKER CITY, Or., March 10. (Special.) During- the past week two new towns have sprung' up on Snake River in the Seven Devils District, northeast of Baker City. Both of these embryo cities are on the line of the Snake RH-er road now building from Huntington to Lewiston. The first town to take definite form was Copperfield. at the mouth of Pine Creek. Baker City capitalists are backing the en terprise and have paid $10,000 for a ranch which has been platted, and lots are now selling for from $50 to $100 each. The de mand for lots is brisk and more than 150 have been sold at the above price. Big business looms up before the new city of Copperfield, it being located in the very heart of the richest country on the Snake. The payroll of the big railroad tunnel will come to the new town and the workmen will make their headquarters there, the Townsite Company having al ready leased an acre of land to the con struction company, where men, tools and supplies will be housed. There will be an electric light plant in Copperfield. too, within a very short time, as the Ox Bow people are planning to in stall one to light their own works and have agreed to transmit power to the new towns. The other townsite which promises to be the metropolis of the great Eastern Oregon copper belt is at Ballard's Land ing. Baker City capitalists have secured possession of a large ranch at this place and will have it platted immediately and placed upon the market. The location of this new town is such as to warrant it becoming a large and flourishing city. It is situated at the foot of the great Kleinschmidt grade which taps all of the Seven Devils country in Idaho, and is In the very heart of the Or egon copper belt. When railroad connec tions are had. all the ores from the many rich mines will be taken to Ballard's Landing for shipment to the smelters. The future of these two embyro cities is very bright and the local capitalists tii ink that they have secured a good thing. Spring in Chehalis County. ELMA. Wash.. March 10. (Special.) The past few days have been very mild and warm: a touch of Spring has struck the Chehalis Valley, starting the grass to growing. Farmers . are beginning their Spring work. While the Winter hag been more severe in some respects than usual, yet the stock has wintered well through- out the Grays Harbor country. No deep snow fell to do harm to stock and the cold weather did not last very long. BAKER CITY HAS BUILDING BOOM Many Fine Business Struc tures Completed or Under Way in Prosperous Town. FINE STONE CONVENIENT Best of Material Available for Im provements Made Necessary by the Remarkably Industrial Growth of the District. BAKER CITY, Or., March 10. (Spe cial.) This year promises to be the great est Industrial year in the history of Baker City, and its growth in population and business enterprises will probably sur prise the record of any previous year. The completion of the Smith-Mariner ir rigation project, which will open 10.000 acres of land for cultivation; the building nf the Eagle Valley railroad, which will bring an immense amount of business to Baker City; the extension of the Sumpter Valley Railway, to draw the trade of the interior to this city: the paving of the streets; the improvroent and enlargement of the local business and manufacturing establishments, all these portend one of the most prosperous seasons that ever came- to Baker City. In 1906 more than- $100,000 was spent by local men for new business blocks, and It is probable that more than that amotfnt will be expended during the present sea son to accommodate the ever -increasing trade that is being built up by the enter prising merchants. The Rand building was erected last year at a cost of not less than $25,000. This building is two stories high with a base ment. The Shoemaker building is another fine business block that was put up the past year at a cost of about $25,000. This is of the same height as the Rand build ing, and both are fully occupied. A two story stone building was erected by Palmer Brothers, on Main street, at a cost of about $30,000. The Increasing population of the city and the crowded condition of the public schools made necessary a new school house in the north part of the city, and it is estimated that $20,000 will not cover the cost of the new structure. New Cathedral Going l"p. The Catholics last year commenced the erection of a large cathedral, which, wlTen finished, will be one of the most beautiful edifices of its kind in the Northwest. It will cost between $40,000 and $50,000. These buildings are constructed of gray stone, the finest product for the purpose that can be secured anywhere. It is quar ried at Pleasant Valley, only a few miles from Baker City, and shipped down by rail. If this stone had to be imported the price would be so. high as to make it use prohibitive. Contractors and builders of Baker City have all the work that theycan attend to. and are employing all the men that they can secure. The planing mills are work ing full forces, and are turning out build ing material as fast as possible. Every man who can use a saw and hammer is employed at good wages and more men could be used if they were available.. Pythian Temple Planned. Probably the finest buildins to be erect ed this year is the new temple of the Knights of Pythias, which will contain t,wo stories and a basement. The founda tion has already been laid, and work on the upper part will begin in a few days. The lower floor will be used for business purposes while the Knights will have their lodge and clubrooms on the second floor. The cost of the new temple will be in the neighborhood of $25,000. - The Fraternal Order of Eagles has per fected plans and Is advertising for bids for a new three-story Rookery to he erected on Valley avenue. The ground floor will be fitted up for business pur poses, the second floor with offices, and the third floor will be exclusively for the Eagles. About $25,000 is the estimated cost of the aerie's home. As soon as C. 1 Palmer tlnds out who has built a house on nine inches of ground that belongs to Palmer, he will erect a modern two-story business block on First street. With the construction of this building there will be three new buildings in a row. Next to It is a new telephone exchange, which is well under way and will be ready for occupancy within a short time. This building is of two stories, and will house what is said to be the finest telephone exchange Hi the Inland Empire. The company ts In stalling a system that will accommodate subscribers for a city of 50.000. Another line two-story building is under construction In the same block by J. B. Rogers. The structure formerly on this site was burned and Mr. Rogers decided to improve his property by a two-story stone business block. D. M. Kelly is erecting one of the larg est showrooms and storage houses in Or egon. The building covers a ground space 88x100 feet, and will ' probably be two stories and a basement. It will cost be tween $15,000 and $20,000. All the new buildings, with the excep tion of the telephone exchange, are belny constructed of the fine gray building stone, and Baker City will have one of the finest and prettiest business -districts seen in any city In the Northwest, LOGGING RAILROAD TO START Shingle Company Will Haul Logs for Gray's Harbor Mills. ELMA. Wash.. March 10. (Special.) W ithin a week the Green Cedar Shingle Company will be hauling logs from the hills and canyons south of Blma, which will be dumped into the Chehalis River and floated down to the mills on Grays Harbor. A large crew of men are now at work building the track for the railroad and the locomotive and logging trucks are already on tho track ready for active operation. Starting a few years ago as a shingle company, the Green Cedar Shingle Com pany has branched out until it is estab lishing big logging camps with a logging railroad, and in the near future a saw mill may' be built. For the present, the logs of the company will be sold to the mills at Aberdeen and Hoquiam. S. J. Wray, the president of the company, is in active charge of the work, and everything is being rushed forward. The new logging railroad will tap a. very large belt of virgin forest which will take years to cut. and means th employ ment of a large number of men for a long time to come. It is a noticeable fact that as the timber is cut, the land is being oc cupied for farming purposes. STAGEHAND SHOT BY ACTOR W illiam Harris Accidentally Wounds Man in Hand. During the. performance of "A Black Sheep" at the Baker yesterday afternoon farce came near turning into tragedy. In the first act William Harris, who plays Gunning, the Tombstone editor, shoots a delinquent subscriber in -the arm. Even blank charges are more or leas dangerous when fired in close prox imity on the stage an Harris, intent on firing so that the cartridge wad would miss his man. forgot that Gus Steffins. one ofthe stage force, was standing In the wings toward which he shot. Steffins was struck on the left hand with the wad and the bones of his fore finger were broken. A physician was called to attend him and while the injury is not serious, Steffins will lose the use of his hand for some time. Amateurs Play Ball. Holmes Business College defeated the Gold Seal team in an interesting game of baseball yesterday by the score of 19 to 15. The game was played at the old Pacific National League grounds, East Ninth and Hawthorne avenue. A crowd of partisans of the two teams cheered their respective champions. There is great comfort in tea and cof fee, good tea and coffee. Schilling's Best. V -"I" I -3 " - A SYSTEM OF m.t'MKS WITH WHICH LAFE FENCE IS SLUICING DOW GREAT IULLS AD IHXING GUILD'S IAKJS.