Roseburg news-review., January 01, 1923, Page 9, Image 9

IEW YEAR'S
idustrial Edition
rtWWY SECTION
I V' i'ia VV- Pages 9 to
2
16
Consolidation of Tht Evening Newt and Ths Roteburg Review.
DOUGLAS COUNTY
An Independent newspaper published for the best Interests or the people.
VOL. XXV, NO. 158, OF ROSEBURG REVIEW.
ROSEBURG, OREGON, MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1923.
VOL. XI, NO. 153, OF THE EVENING NEWS.
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I HE OLD YEAR is valuable for the experience we have gained; the New Year
for the opportunities it has in store. To all of our friends we extend the season's
greeting. It is our nope that they will prosper in a material way and gain greater wealth
and contentment than they have known before. Poised on the threshold of normalcy,
we are about to enteral period of better regulated living, more industrious productioi
and sounder merchandise values than any of us have seen since the World War..
With the NW YEAR our greatest hope is about to dawn.
i
ejj-rjjxr'
County, the great stretch of val-
S one ordinarily thinks of Douglas
ry, hills and mouatalnB, with their al
tost innumerable streams, do not en
r into the vision, but rather we are
icllned to consider only a few of the
aany factors that go to make up the
sources of what is really an empire
I itself. Having it eastern boundary
t the summit of the Cascade Moun
ins on the east, Douglas County
treads out like a great fan to the
outh, north and west, and again nar
awing down as the coast line Is ap
iroached, comprising within its Con
ines a greater area than that of Del
ware and Rhode Island combined
nd more territory than is boasted by
he Stato of Connecticutt, or 4922
luare miles of the grandest country
be found on the Pacifjc Coast. The
istance from Mount Theilsen, which
Dwers far above all other nearby
eaks of the Cascade range, on the ex
reme eastern border of the county,
raveling as the airplane would fly In
i northeasterly direction to where
lie waters of the Pacific Ocean lave
lie western line. Is more than ISO
llles. According to government sur
er, Douglas County is . 84 miles
cross, north and south, at its widest
oint. These figures will give the
sader some conception of the mugni
Icent country that we shall attempt
describe in this word picture of a
ast Bection of Oregon that is too Hi
lt known to the world, and also by
be residents of our own state. It Is
create an interest in this practirul
r undeveloped section of Oregon that
ita story is written, because the ft
SouBand people who live here are en
Irely insufficient 1n numbers to prop
rly develop the latent resources that
wait labor and capital. Rich beyond
rlldest immaginatlon In timber, min
rals, orchard and farming land,
rhich await industrial activities, this
rt of Oregon Is capable of main
lining a population of a million
rfeere now are untilled acres and
rimttive forests, some of the timber
inds still remaining unsurveyed.
Douglas County boasts the distlnc
lon of having within Its borders a
lagnifirent river, more than 200
llles in lenglh. whose source 1s In the
now capped Cascades, it flows In I
orthwesterly course, never leaving
he boundary of the county, and fln
Uy emptying Into the Pacific. This
Iver is navigable for many miles, and
I fact at one time when the stream
ras only four feet above low water
rvel, a stem wheeler steamboat sue
essfully made the trip from Gardiner,
t the mouth of the river, to Roseburg
fed return, a distance of nearly 100
llles. The swift current of the river
fed the many rapids, over which the
raters plunge and swirl in endltss
rrents both winter and summer,
lakes navigation above Seottsburg
Impracticable matter. V treat vol
ar, e of water flows In the rbannel of
le Umpaua. and government engi
en have made surreys looking to
provement of the river. remoTal of
extractions and the building of locks,
fecning It to navigation at all times.
n
QLIflPSE Or DOUQLA5 COUNTY
This project was finally abandoned as
unwise, not from lack of water, but
owing to the wild nature of the river
it was deemed unwise to undertake
such a stupenduous task.
The North Umpqua rises in Diam
ond Lake. 5182 feet above sea level.
This beautiful lake, several miles in
length and of immense depth, is cre
ated by the eternal snows on Mt.
Thellscn, a little to the east, more
than 9000 feet high, whence have
their source a number of mountain
streams which feed the lake with an
Inexhaustible supply of pure, crystal
clear water, and thence through the
channel of the Umpqua flows toward
the sea.
The South Umpqua River, almost as
lame as the North Umpqua, has its
source In the southeast part of the
county, near the sumit of the Cas
cades, flows In a northerly course
until It Joins the North Umpqua at
a point about seven miles northwest
of Roseburg, this city being situated
between the two streams and on the
bank of the former.
General Topography
Douglas County Is made up of tow
ering mountains, rolling hills, and val
leys innumerable. The greater area
is covered with fire, pine, cedar and
spruce timber, with a great deal of
oak on the lower foothills. All of the
valleys are narrow, lying along the
water ways, and are generally open
country. A great deal of the acroage
of the valleys la under cultivation, or
In many lntances devoted to grazing.
Springs and small creeks abound thru
out the county, and practically all of
the county Is drained by the Ump
qua River. When the first of the
early pioneers explored this section of
the great Northwest they found this
valley occupied by the Umpqua In
dians, and thus the county was nam
In honor of tho aborfEinles. The
great area drained by the Umpqua
River Is an attractive section of coun
try, Its varied natural resources ap
pealing to everyono who sees this
part of tho State, and visitors are
charmed with trfti . wild mountain
scenery, the verdant forests, the rich
valley and hill lands, and even clima
tic conditions.
A Few Statistics
While the area of Dourlas County
exceeds that of the Ptate of Connecti
cutt. only about 2S.000 people were
found in this vast country when Uncle
Ram took the last census. It will be
seen by this fact that there Is at this
time no appreciable crowding but, on
the contrary, there is Iota of room for
other people to make homes and enjoy
with those already in the county the
blessings and privileges that all here
revel In. More than one-fifth of the
population lives at the county seat,
Roseburg, which Is a beautiful little
Western city with lots of life and
push, charmingly situated at the con
fluence of IVer Creek with the South
Umpqua River, and nestling at the
foot of wooded hills. The town, in
corporated In 1972, has a population
of approximately 6000, is only 487 feet
above sea level and has a tax valua
tion of J3.298.880. The distance from
this city to Portland 1s 200 miles by
rail, while San Francisco lies 572
miles to the south. As the airplane
flies it 1s 61 miles 'to the Pacific
ocean. The city has four banks and
three fine, modern brick school build
ings, the High School being the pride
of Southern Oregon. The total bank
deposits are about t2.500.000. All of
thi leading secret organizations have
lodges here, and the Masonic frater
nity and I. O. O. F. own spacious
buildings of their own which are a
credit to the city and the lodges they
represents. There are seven churches
In a dozen years the city has' sprung
from a frontier town to a modern city
with manv miles of paved streets.
electric Hunts and an excellent water
system, and boasts of many advant-i
ages not enjoved by other localities.
There are ten banks in the county
outside of Roseburg, and resources of
these Institutions total $2,105,000 j
There are 139 school districts In the'
county, with eleht union high schools, I
while the people annually raise for
school purposes more than 1215.000.
The population of Douglas County is
92 per cent American born, and this :
fact alone makes It a most desirable
lornllty for people seeking an Ideal ,
place for making homes and educating
their children.
There are ten newspapers publish
ed In the county, one of which, ,the
News-Review, is s dally. Drain. '
Oakland. Stitherlln, Myrtle Creek, Rid
dle and Glerdnle. all of which are in
what Is called the uorlver country,
each have a creditable newspaper. At
Gardiner and Reedaport, at the mouth
of the Umpqua River, excellent publi
cations are lulled which adequately
represents those prosperous and ran
Mlv crowing sections of Oregon and
Douglas Cmintv.
Public Buildings I
Roseburg Is a progressive plsce,
and this fact Is best shown In stat
ing that th cltv has a maralflcent
federal building that would do credit
to a much larger place. This stru
tnre r-.f nf brick snd stone. It hMises
the Roseburg nostofflce. the United
States Ind Office, the Forestry offi
cials for this nart of the national do
main, and the county agricultural
agents offices. The latter office is
also considered a federal department
since tho. government pays a part of
the expense of maintaining the serv
ice. Another public building that Is a
credit to the town is the Armory,
built some years before the war as a
home for the Fourth Company of the
National Gunrd. It is a spacious
structure, especially designed for the
purpose, and has an immense floor
space for drill or team work, besides
offices and rest rooms. Above the
main floor is a balcony capable of
seating several hundred spectators.
At the beginning of the world war,
or at the time America took up anus,
the personnel of the rourth Company
to almost a man volunteered their
services to tho government in defense
of the flag, and many of the men
were among the first to be sent over
seas. The Oregon Soldiers Home Is locat
ed In this city, and hero veterans of
the civil and Spanish-American wars
may find a home. This institution is
situated on a beautiful plat of ground
bordering on the river, and there the
aged veterans finding shelter arc giv
en the best of care. A commodious
brick hospital building has been erect
ed of late years so that the men may
be given scientific care when III.
Trained nurses are 1n constant attend
ance, and the entire Institution Is
maintained with the precision of mil
itary descipllne. To be eligible to en
try to the institution veterans must
have been a resident of the state for
one year preceeding request for ad
mission. The Southern Pacific Railway Com
pany line crosses the county north and
south, and since the rail connections
were madn with Ran Francisco and
Portland In the early eighties the old
time stage coach has disappeared snd
the huge freight teams have long
since been forgotten save by a few of
the pioneers who helped to open this
veritable paradise to a younger gener
ation. Not only has tho creaking
freighter been relegated to the misty
past, but the -pack train that at one
time In the early history of Douglas
County served as the means of trans
portation in carrying food and sup
plies to the sparsely settled region of
the great Umpqua Rasln, is remem
bered by a still smaller number than
those w ho recall the ox or mule teams
and heavily loaded wagons.
These pack trains, consisting of fif
ty to a hundred mules, loaded at
Scottshurg away back In the forties
snd fifties, and then with the old bell
mare leading the van wended Its way
In single file over the uncertain trails
along the Umpqua River to the Inter
ior mining camps located on the
streams of the valleys, among the foot
hills, and in some instances far back
on the western slope of the Cascade
range.
The March of Prooress
Following the completion of the
railroad between Portland and San
Francisco the natural resources of the
county began to develop, although the
process was slow, agriculturists and
stockmen not coming in fast enonrh
to make and appreciable showing.
These people who were hero engaged
In stock raising to a great extent, the
mild climate and open winters being
conducive to cattle and sheep, grazing
on the ranges '."it winter. For many
years a great tcal of won was ship
ped from this section, but as grain
acreage increased the flocks diminish
ed to a considerable extent. Freight
rates were high and often cattle and
sheep were driven out to markets; In
this way the growers saving consid
erable. Exports of farm and range
products were excellent during the
earlier period of settlement, but for
some reason grain growing fell off
materially fifteen to twenty years
auo. Old timers allece that 1n the
eichties and nineties crops of oats and
wheat wero raised to great advant
age on farms that afterward were de
voted to stock. The vleld Is alleged
bv theso early farmers to have been
good. 40 bushels of wheat being a
common thing. Although the aoreago
In grain appears to bo comparative
small at this time, it is quite probable
that fully as much Is grown now as In
former years, but. Increasing demand
of the home market takes care of nil
that Is produced, and a Ereat denl
more, this fact apparently being tak
en to Indicate that If bs is grown now
than formerly. Changing conditions
of lato years have turned thim,n
around considerably, so that with the
subdivision of msnv large ranches a
few vears ago and the planting of tho
tracks to fruit, other factors In the de
velopment of the county commanded
attention, snd In this way several
thousand acres of choicest lands were
diverted from grain growing and
given over to various sorts of fruit.
Tho fruit Industry brought a new
era to lniiclaa County, and as consid
erable effort was made a few years
airo to herald the possibilities for the
orchardlst In this countv. homeseek
ers were attracted this wav and prnc
tlratlv all of the small tracts quickly
settled upMi by a thrifty class of peo
ple from the east and south. This
Increased population stimulated busl
ness to a marked degree, some new
towns springing up as a direct result
of so many settlers coming In, most
of whom had enough money to get
started In their undertakings. Not
only were new communities built up,
but population, in the pioneer towns
and cities of Douglas County Increas
ed materially, Roseburg itself grow
ing from a village of a cnnnln of thous
and to Ha present proportions. Rock
ed streets and Impossible mud in win
ter gradually disappeared in the
towns, bitullthlc and concret paving
replacing the primitive) thoroughfa i
of the towns, until at the present time
there Is perhaps no town in the coun
ty but that has kept abreast of ihe
progressive era In theso. matters.
Statistics of the last year Indicate
that tho wheat sown in Douglas Coun
ty for that season was practically
15,000 acres, two thirds of which was
fall sown. In the same year more than
14.000 acres of oats cre grown ami
the report shows that 1700 acres of
barley was sown, ltye is grown In a
few localities, tho acreage being 396.
Corn Is a good crop In this county,
nearly 5000 acres being grown in 1921.
Alfalfa Is grown to a limited extent,
nlthough It does splendidly on river
and creek bottom lands, tho report
showing only a trifle more than 1000
acres being cut in 1921.
Nearly 18.000 acres of hay were cut
in 1921, and the acreage for this crop
is generally greater In the county than
for any ono other crop. In addition
to the grain and grass hay cut, may
bo added the 1000 acres of alfalfa,
which gives a total of about 28,000
acres. Tho demand for this crop us
ually exceeds tho local supply.
There are over 10,000 acres of or
chards In Douclas County, tho most
of which Is in bearing, but It is con
ceded that young orchards not enum
erated will bring the total area plant
ed to trees to a murh larger figure.
Prunes are the principal fruit grown
In tho county, Ihe soil and climate
here being peculiarly adapted to this
fruit, and practically 6,000 acres are
devoted to that staple crop. Apples
come next with about 3,000 acres In
trees, largely In full bearing, while
the remaining area devoted to fruit
Is divided nmong pears, cherries,
peaches and walnuts. All of the small
fruits are grown here and yield im
mense crops, everbearing varieties of
raspberries and strawberries continu
ing to produce until latter part of
November or first of IWember. This
season raspberries were on sale In lo
cal stores the first of December.
Seme Postibllitlee
There nre In Imnglas County more
than 3,000.000 acres of land. Includ
ing the timber lands, much of which
lies on the mountain slopes. The
assessment rolls show that only a
trifle over 400,000 acres are comprised
in the farms, and it also shows that
the number of farms total only 1713.
In other words, there are about two
and three quarter millions acres In the
county undeveloped. A great deal of
this land lies on the foot hills
and in the Valleys, but perhaps the
major portion la covered with a dense
growth of merchantable timber that
awaits the sawmill and transportation
to market. There aro thousands of
acres of land here that will make
homes for Industrious families and
provldo a good living for them. A
great many of the big .cattle ranches
and sheep ranges are susceptible of
subdivision, which would also give
room for a lot more neonle to build
up attractive and paying properties.
This thing has been dono with marked
success in the Stitherlln and Garden
Valley sections, where ten. fifteen and
twenty acre farms occupv the country
that was, only a dozen or fifteen years
ago, roamed by sheep and cattle, af
fording n limited incomo to one or two
men. Theso same localities are to
day among the most enterprising and
prosperous communities of the en
tire county. Luxuriant orchards, in
the midst of which nestle attractive
and comfortable homes, are paying
these people a splendid living, and
there are hundreds of them. The pro
gressive and modern little town of
Sulherlin with a population of seven
or eicht hundred. Is the center of one
of those communities built up on a
former sheep pasture. Untold acres
of unexcelled land also lies idle along
tho creeks and rivers, and by a sys
tem of Irrigation that will one day in
the near future tako definite form,
ran be made to "blossom as the rose."
In fart, irrigation, whllo not essentlul
to profitable crops here, will add un
told wealth to the assets of this
county. There are a few farmers and
fruit growers already utilizing the wa
ter nature so lavishly provides, Bnd to
n great advantage, and they do not
hesitate to say that two or three ap
plications during the heat of the sum
mer will more than pay for .the In
sinuation of the water systems they
have Installed. In most Instances
theso tracts under Irrigation are sup
plied with water pumped from creek
or river by a gasoline motor.
Opportunities also await the stock
man, as thousands of acres of open
hill land are available for grazing
sheep and cattle, and since the win
ters are so mild, with little or no
snow, stock requires scarcely any
feeding. In fact, there Is hardly one
winter In ten that la severe enouuh
to make feeding Imperative, Thex
pcrlence of stockmen is that it Is
well to provide f.-ed for a couple or
three wee!is. so that In event tho
weather becomes cold ennaifh to re
lard grass, or snow lies on for a few
dms, that they ran pull their sheep
snd cattle through without losses.
Wool Is generally a good price, and
lambs hrlni; top quotations In the
(Continued on page 10.)