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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1906)
j . v HAY ON ' As the coast market on hay it enry and we have a lot hay bought, we TIMOTHY AT 50c MIXED HAY 45c 4 We want to give the home consumer the benefit of the decline in the market For Sale at a Special Bargain Ten lets or any part of them,' between Fir and Greenwood streets, facing Jefferson Ave and adjoining the railroad tracks at a low nee on easy terms. PHONE Oregon Produce . Company 1CITY BREWERY I Y JULIUS ROESCH, Proprietor. Largest Brewing Plant in Eastern Oregon Ask for La Grande Beer and get the Best LA GRANDE BEER IS MADE IN LA GRANDE 5 AND SHOULD HAVE THE PREFERENCE J. BULL & Company Dealers in r ?resh meats, Home Cured Bacon and -Hams, Lard, Sausage, Bologna, Fish and Oysters, Live and dressed Poultry, Etc! Phone Main 48. Prompt Delivery Service. WALLOWA COUNTY We want your collections and cash J items on Wallowa county, and will guarantee prompt and satisfactory service at reasonable rates. J If you have no direct con- neetion for taking care of i,' ija. these items, send them to ts ' ' TDc Stock Growers farmers Bank, and OF WALLOWA, OREGON. We pay five per cent interest on J time deposit. CAPITAL 5,000.00 ; C. T. McDahiel, Cashier. S A. K. Stbunenbeho, Pres. JX .voir WILL U SATISFIEI ir your tlrketa rrsdl and ttfatMiaix Raui . at ultnt world" tue "Hem HEOACbE 'roam an- to man? aecole alt t o niintanr lmrral Mini th t t l .iiiitilfii ami IVn r t tat llu lll m beeooM tlraaom. II ynaara going Mat, write for lint n alliHi and tr a pretty bo. tbal anil HI jim all about ll W C McBRlDE, A?t nt, 124 Third St PortUrd Ore SALE weak, there being no demand, offer to the home consumer PER GWT. baled PER CWT. baled MAIN 2 tteteee There is always a best in; Everything and paint is no exception tQ the rule. Some claim supremacy all we ask is an impartial comparison of our paints, varnishes, t oils putty, white lead, etc. with others offered you, and your orders If what we show stands well with anything else you "may see in our line. . "-' f 5TANIELS & JARMAN, Paper Hangers and Decoratoratars brick brick Brick furnished in anv auant.iv or any style, No contract too small or t o, i large. See samples our pressed brick. GEO. KREIQER. La Uranrle, Oregon BLtt MOUNTAIN HOTEL !! J. W. O'BRYANT, Prop. White help only. . Dining Room Open. Meala 25c. J J ! ', Rooms 25c and EOc. ' ' Special rates by week or month ', ', One block from depot. J ! ! Cor. Jefferson Ave. and Depot St o i mm (lives Review of Great In telle The extent to which irrigation may be carried in the sub-arip regions of the United States is almost beyond the com prehension of the common man. , . The area of land in the arid and sub arid states which is entirely or partly de pendent upon irrigation for successful cultivation is estimated to be 1,000,000 square miles, or 640,000,000 acres, about one third of the entire country ex cluding Alaska. . The total area at ,. pres ent irrigated in the arid or sub-arid states reaches approximately in round numbers the sum of 6.000,000 acres of land, which but for Irrigation would be prac tically valueless for agricultural purposes. Irrigation is as old as the race and it has been both the heritage and legacy of every tribe and nation. The dawn of history dimlv reveals the practice by those ancient people, and his tory, both sacred and profane, has re vealed its onward march, as it has the march of armies. In Palestine, in Egypt. in Assyria and in India it was as it still is, the life of the people. As irrigation developed, empires arose, and with its fall, they fell; and where once millions dwelt "in plenty" if not in peace, there is today desert and desolation. Irrigation was the chief support of the legions of Rome; for the Roman empire was but a union of nations subsisting up on the products of irrigation. Irrigation in that day having sanction, support and fostering care of every monarch and ruler As the world has progressed so has ir rigation, until today a great percentage of the products of the world are grown by irrigation; and at present as in ages past. the tillers of the soil, under a system of irrgation, are the most prosperous of the r class and their land the most valuable of any devoted to the purpose of agriculture. History shows u that irrigation devel oped during the ages as has everything else; moving forward or backward "with systematic regularity, with the progress or decline of the jirts and the people of each age and nation. ' The system of Spain differed from that of Italy, as differs the system of today from that of one hundred years past. Irrigation history is most interesting and the people, especially the farmer of the arid and sub-humid regions, would learn much by a thorough study of the same. ... Irrigation in the United States was first practiced in Utah and southern and lower California, although perfect eyste ms of irrigation works built by the aboriginers of America were in ruins centuries before people came to this country. The ancient inhabitants of Mexico and Peru had vast and perfect systems of canals, aqueducts, tunnels, etc., for the purpose of water supply and Irrigation, so that the white man's development of the irrigation industry of the present day is but a revival on this western continent of the older irrigation systems of the an cients. ' From the feeble beginnings of the pioneers who were handicapped from want of both capital and labor, and were com pelled to begin anew, without previous knowledge of the subject, and under new and trying conditions, there has been de veloped in our own western states a sys tern of irrigation so vast in its extent, so colossal in magnitude, that its worth is measured by the hundred of millions of dollars, and so perfect in detail as to challenge most favorable comparison with the older and highly developed systems of Spain, Italy or India. The bitter experience of the years like the last one, when we receive no natural moisture, when the hot winds scorch the wheat, shrivel the fruit crop and wither tie vege a on, has taught the lesson, that to live in prosperity and get the full and most bountiful yields of our matchless soils, we must practice irrigation. The most fruitful, productive and valuable farm lands on earth are the irrigated lands, and but for irrigation would be desert wastes. - No better soil or climate exists on this continent than that of Eastern Oregon and Grande Ronde valley in particular and with a system for' general irrigation? none more fruitful. . No country on earth possesses greater advantages than Grande Ronde valley, a soil of unmatched fertility, a climate suit ed alike to plant and animal life, a topog raphy of surface best suited to a general system of irrigation. As to iU value as an investment there can be no question, not only on a direct money return, but on the broad principals of general government and policy of the 6 nstruction of frrigation works is of bene fit to the whole country. They furnish homes and agricultural pursuits for many who would be wholly without employment or find less remunerative support in other callings. Benefits to tor Realized Ronde Valley. Irrigation vastly increases the wealth of the country by doubling many times the agricultural products, and ire-easing n the same ratio the values of the land. The great advantage of irrigation is that it is practically an insurance on the production of crops; where irrigation is practiced intelligently, the raising of crops every season is nearly certain as anything human can be. The disasterous results of prolonged drouth are overcome by the intelligence and ingenuity of man, - With irrigation the dread of drouth and scorched fields will not weigh upon the mind of the farmer for'he knows that by the mere opening of a sluica gats he can supply the exact amount of water at pre cisely the proper time to insure the most vigorous growth and obtain the best re sults. In short he is free from all the worries of the farmer in the humid and sub-humid regions who depend wholly on the natural moisture. - Again Quoting from R. J. Hinton in his report to the government in the year 1 89 1 on irrigation as a fertilizer: "The value of irrigation as a fertilizer of the soil may be seen in the fact that the Pima Indians of Arizona have cultivated the same lands for the last five-hundred years; their cultivation, though rude, has been extensive and well conducted, noth ing has ever been applied to the la nd but water which quickens and fructifies it" I' As large crops are now raised as any of which traditions of those Indians have ahy record; The average first cost of water by this we mean the cast of constructing canals to bring water to their land, is shown by the census report of 1890 to be $8. 1 6 per acre, the average , value of water per acre is estimated by owners ' after they have obtained it is $23.00 per j acre. This shows clearly the inherent value to which the mere fact of possess- , ing ths water gives it. In other wards, I the water is so scarce and valuable of itself as to increase by over three-fold the cost of making it available. Again j from United States statistics we find I that the average value of land in the arid , region is from $2.60 to $5.00 per acre, while the same land after a water supply J has been provided is valued at $13.28, One in considering the relative values of irrigated and unirrigated lands, may bor der closely on the marvslous while not transgressing the boundaries of cold facts for it is truly marvelous that the worth less deserts of arid west lands, within a few years, have been clothed in a semi tropic luxurance through the agency of irrigation, and have been raised in value from actual zero to as much as $2000 per acre. . . . It is but a few years since California and Colorado were known as thv great mining states. Today through the agency of reservoiring the waters of the moun tain streams they have been transformed into great agricultural states; the agri cultural products having long since super seded the values from the mines. Millions of acres of barren sage brush and sandy desert lands have been reclaim ed and are today the most valuable and productive lands on the continent. It is true that $1000 to $2000 per acre are fancy pricss, but thoumii of acres find ready sale at from $100 to $500 per aero. Any piece of property is truly worth such an amount as will represent the principle upon which a fair rate of inter est may be permanently earned. If land will produce each year a crop that will give a net Income of $10.00 per acre, that land is worth $100 per acre to the man who demands a ten per cent Investment, such values and only such are legitimate. The remarkable develop ment of Sojthern California his been al most solely due to irrigation. As an illus tration as the increase of property values may be cited the statistics in relation to San Diego, Cal. which may be taken to represent that seotion of the state. Real Estate in 1880 is $1,307,302; in 1890, $20,000,000. Improvements in 1880, $341,948; in 1890, $4,450,286 While no corresponding increase can be expected in Union county there is still I room for increase in value far beyond our present values. Irrigated lands sell more readily for. from $80 to $100 per acre than unirri- satad lands S40 to $60 oar acre. . What is this that can perform this at- most seeming miracle? Create millions of dollars where no corresponding values appear, what is it that will do for East- ern Oregon what it has done for other states? What is it that will enrich, fruc- tify and double the values of the lands in our own beautiful valley? It is the stor- ing of the waters of our mountain streams and a practical system of irrigation. . With a system of general irrigation in operation, what a combination would here be obtained i.i Grind a Rmle valley; soil, climate, topography, water and power, each perfect within its self, each in accord with the other; and all to be controlled "by him who wills it. , In writing the above 1 do not lay claim ti any great atmu.it of originality. miKh is compiled from United Sottas statistics and such authors as T. E Wilson, of Cal ifornia, H. T. Grierson of New York, and W. P. Butter of SjuCh Dakota, Eich an irrigation specialist and each peer to the best irrigation experts of the world. LA. PlCKLER ' m- w t:. : i Q)nfectionery and (jgars VanBuren .................................................. RAH! -RAH! RAHIJ UNIVERSITY of OREGON GLEE and A AN L 01 IN CI UBS 30 ROBERT v R0UNTREE, COMEDIAN, PROP. IRVING ML CLEN. SOLOIST : Opera House, Prices www Aurelia Stock J Reports ' from the mines during 'January has warranted a raise, consequently stock has gone up to 71 cents, and this is not- all, it will keep going up as long as the property gets better, as it is you should buy before another raise in price, or you will miss a good investment You should consider this as being a home enterprise and help the matter along, thereby helping yourself. ' . , AURELIA MINING CO. J. A. THR0NS0N. ' j i I . j . Read the Observer Delivered by carrier One month for 65 cents LYMAN & SON, FUCK AND TRANSFER Best equipment for careful and and prompt transfer. Piano moving a specialty. Trial order solicited. Prompt and careful service guaranteed. Day phone Main 64 Night phone Red SOI. e AT ; ; ' V . fe 4 A v si MUSICIAS 30 ; Wed. Feb. 14 ; m .11.. . niiii , wwvwwwww