THE WEST SHORE.
9
UMATILLA COUNTY.
THE County of Umatilla is one of the lending agricul
tural and pastoral counties of Oregon, and is both
populous and prosperous. It is bounded on the north
by the Columbia River and "Walla Walla County, in
Washington Territory. The summit ridge of the Blue
Mountains separates it from Union County on the east,
and Grant and Wasco counties border it on the south
and west The main wutor-coursos flow from the springs
of the Blue Mountains in a general northwesterly direc
tion to the Columbia, and with their tributaries give an
inexhaustible supply of pure water, with powor almost
unlimited. Walla Walla Eiver and the Tumalum, with
Pine Creek, their principal tributary, run through tho
northern end and pnss into Walla Walla County. Uma
tilla River flows northwesterly from the mountains to
the Columbia, recoiving on its way the wators of Wild
Horse, Cottonwood, McKay, Butter and Birch creeks.
Willow Creek, which has several forks and tributaries,
runs through tho southwestern portion of tho county, and
several tributaries of John Day River flow near the
border of Wasco County, into which they cross. Wells
of pure, living water can bo found almost anywhere at a
depth of from fifteen to sixty foot Many drive wells
have been successfully put down on numerous farms,
water being found easily, even in the driest portions of
the county.
The county's greatest length is 110 miles from north
east to southwest transversely it is eighty miles; and it
includes within its limits 5,010 square miles, or 3,2'.W,000
acres. Much of this is grain land of the finest quality,
while the remainder is divided between timbered moun
tains, in which aro many fortilo, grassy valleys, large
tracts valuablo for grazing for horses, cattle and sheep,
and considerable bordering the Columbia which is prac
tically valuoless without irrigation, owing to the lightness
of the rainfall. Lying along the base of the Bluo Moun
tains are thousands of acres of wheat lauds which have
no superior in the world They possess to a high degree
all tho requisites nocessary to grain producing. Tho soil
contains the highly desirable alkaline properties, is rich
and deep; the rainfall is always sufficient and never ex
cessive; frosts do not come early enough to injure the
crop; and it is seldom that harvost is interfered with by
the elements. Takon on the average, by the summer
fallow sysUtm, winter wliont will yield thirty bushejs to
the acre. A yield in certain fields of fifty bushels is not
uncommon not small patches, but fields of from 100 to
G00 acres and the average land, under careful cultiva
tion, will produce at least thirty bushels. It is being
done year after year, with no apparent deterioration of
the soiL It is of this class of lands that the Umatilla
Indian Reservation is largely composed. Tho line of
the reserve is as clear cut and discernible as the track of
a cyclone in a forest On one sido of the narrow stream
which forms its boundary are to be seen farms stretched
out in endless succession, their tilled acres, long lines of
fouces, neat residences and substantial improvements
contrasting strongly with the receding vista of wild, bar
ren bunch grass hills lying on the othor side, upon which
a few cattlo and oayuso ponies may be seen grazing. Ere
long, no doubt, this reservation will be declared open to
settlement Whou this is done thousands of acres will
be added to the productive aroa of Umatilla, and hun
dreds of happy homes will le founded where now the
intractable cayuse crops the nutritious bunch grass in
untrammelod froodom.
A detailed description of tho county, beginning at tho
point whore it is first entered from tho wont, will, per
Imps, be taking it in tho order in which it is eneounterod
by the majority of strangers; though, of course, now that
the Oregon Short Lino is oompleted, many moro than
formorly are onteri .g tho county from the oppnsito direc
tion. In passing up tho Columbia above The Dalles one
is struck witli the utter barrenuoss of the country. Long
ridges of sand aro about all that is observablo from tho
car window, while the grating and grinding of tho sand
by the revolving wheels of the oar is far from agreeable
to ono of too sensitive a nervous composition. Tho im
pression produced is far from favorable, and tho natural
impulse of tho stranger is to class the whole region as a
desert Yet, back from the river, and only a few miles
inland, are to be found mile upon mile of rolling bunch
grass hills, verdant meadows and bottom lands, and thou
sands of thoso fertile acres which have placed Umatilla
at the head of tho wheat producing oouuties of Oregon.
Umatilla is like tho rough diamond, tho gem is on the
inside; sho presents her poorest and most uninviting
aspect to him who only judges from outside appearances.
Arriving at Umatilla Junction, a relic of the effer
vescent prosMtrity of early mining times, still reaming
on the wind-swept sands of the Columbia, the train heads
southeastward and parallel with, and a short distauco
north of, tho Umatilla River, through tho very heart of
the county. It is now that tho agricultural resources of
Umatilla liegiu to unfold Several tributaries enter tho
Umatilla from tho south, each flowing through a long,
wide valley, or bottom; but leaving these for subsequent
description, we will oonflno our attention to tho region
lying northoast of tho river. Beginning a few miles
from tho Columbia, there lies for miles up and down the
stream a strip of country where tho soil is of undoubted
fertility, and, except on the ridges, of sufllcient depth to
ronder cultivation easy. Bunch grass, sago brush and
flowers grow, upon it in profusion, and for years sUx'k
have roamed over tho hills and fattened on the little
green tuft of grass. Tho rainfall Is very slight, and
until very recently was considered entirely inadequate to
tho demands of wheat culture. In 1880 a company was
organized and a tract of 6,000 acres of this land seourod
Amid all tho prophecies of utter failure the proprietors
of 1'roejMtct Farm wont to work systematically, and aston
ished evcrylxxly by raising a crop of wheat averaging
twenty-fivo bushels to the aero. This success was re
pented the following year, and people began to change
their opinion of this dry land Hince then many claims
have been taken up by settlers, and in few yoars there
will no doubt be a continuous liue of farms in region