The west shore., February 01, 1885, Page 43, Image 13

THE WEST SHORE.
43
twenty-five miles long and ton wide, and is occupied ex
clusively by a large stock firm. The same firm dominates
Warm Spring Valley, a tract eight by eighteen mile's,
lying juBt below Silver Valley. '
Going south from Silvor Valley, the road follows up a
grade through timber. At the summit the timber breaks
away, and a vast expanse of levol land stretches out be
fore the vision like an ocean. This is the great Harney
Valley, into which the road passes by a gradual descent
of five miles. The valley has an altitudo of 8,500 foot
Some idea of its size may be obtuiued from the state
ment that it contains Harney Lake, a body of wator forty
miles long and from two to fourteen wido, and that this
lake is not visible when the valley is first entered Har
ney Valley is composed of a succession of largo valleys,
through which the lake runs, and a number of lateral and
tributary valleys, each possessing a distinct appellation.
Lake Harney has no visible outlet, and varies from eight
to fifty foot in depth. The eastern end was formerly
known as " Malhour Lake," being connected with Harney
Lake propor simply by a stretch of marsh, but now the
name "Harney" is used to dosignate the whole body of
water. The main valley is twonty-four by thirty-five
milos in extent Sago Hen Valley, at the point whore
the road first outers it, is eighteen milos long by four
wido. Warm Spring Valley is eonnocted with Harney on
the west On the south is Happy Valley, a lieautiful
tract twolve by throe milos in extent, in which grain
farming has been successfully carried on for yoars, and
in which there is still some vacant Govornmont land.
Also connoctod with Harney on the south aro Diamond
Valley, twenty by five milos, and Dundor and lllitzon
Valloy, forty-five by eight milos, all foncod" in by a large
stock firm, and hold simply by right of occupation. All
the land in the upper portion of Harney Valloy belongs
to the Government, except the school sections and a strip
six milos wide granted to the Cascado Mountains Military
Road. Much land has been taken up under the State
Swamp Laud Act, all land of that character having been
granted to the State by Congress. That this act lias Wo
much abused there is no question, and there are probably
thousands of acres takon xssoHsion of as " swamp and
overflowed land " which can not projmrly 1m classod as
such. This is as true in many other places in Southeast
ern Oregon as in this region. A number of settlors have
recently gone into Harney Valley, disregarding the asser
tion of cattle men that it is unfit for agriculture, and it is
to be hoped that their success will induce homesteaders
to seek locations in all these valleys.
In the region to the south and southwest of Lake
Hurncy there are numerous valleys, some of them of con
siderable size and others smaller and without names.
Apparently these contain good arable soil, and alTord fine
locations for settlor. At present, like thn region just
under consideration, they are utilized solely by stockmen.
Callow Valley is four by twelve miles. Warner Lake
Valley lies in tho extreme southwestern corner of the
county, and is fifty miles long by eight wide. Through
its centre, from uorthto aoutbcxteudii Warner Lake, a
body of water forty milos long, and varying in width
from one-half to four milos.
Along the eastern edgo of tho county aro numorous
tributaries of the Middle. Fork of the Malhour, along
which is much desirable bottom laud, all occupied by
cattlo men. Juniper Valloy is four by six miles in extent
On White Horso Crook is White Horse Ranch, the head
quarters of Todhuutor A Doviuo, tho largest cattlo own
ers in tho county. It is tho home of Mr. Todhuntor, and
shows what this country is capable of agriculturally.
The ranch is a 'model iu every resect, producing grain,
vegetables, fruits and fiowors in abundance. Fowls and
domestic animals of tho best strains may hero bo found
The ranch, which occupies tho whole valley, is eighteen
miles long by six wide. "P" Ranch, headquarters of
French A Glenn, is another illustration of tho productive
ness of this region. Crano Creek Valley, tributary to the
Malheur, is twenty miles long and two wide, and is occu
pied by a stock firm. The samo is truo of Otis Valley, a
tract four by fifteen milos in extent On tho Middle
Fork of the Mainour thero is, within tho limits of Grant
Comity, a tract of valloy land eighteen miles long and six
wido; also several arms stretching out from the main
valley from throo to six miles. Below this tho rivor
passes into linker County, and flows across it to a junc
tion with tho Snako.
Ono cannot peruse tho foregoing review of tho loca
tion, sizo and condition of tho numerous valleys of the
county without being forcibly impressed with tho fact
that tho stockmen have appropriated tho lion's sharo.
This they havo been permitted to do liocauHO tho publio
has been led to bolievo they were fit for nothing olso.
These men havo steadily and oraiHtontly assorted that
tho lands of theso valleys could not bo successfully culti
vated, and this In tho very faco of tho fact that whonevor
they havo found it necussnry to cultivate them for their
own uno as in tho case of the "P" and White Horse
ranches they have met with llio highest success. They
have thus far been successful iu kerping settlors out and
appropriating tho whole country to their own use, even
completely fencing in many of the valleys, and grazing
their vast bands of cattle free of excuse on tho public
domain. Iu this every taxpayer in tho county lias boon
wronged Wero those valleys settled as they should lie,
and as they soou will bo, the assessable valuation of
county property, now t,1,!l00,000, would soon roach five
times that amount Tho cattle men are nearly all non
rosidonta; the cattlo aro sold out of the county and the
money used elsewhere; all tho Isuiefit the county derive
is tho presence of tho few men needed to care for tho
stock and tho taxes upon tho cattlo, greatly undervalued
both in quantity and price. Ttxlhunter &, Devi no havo
40,000 cattle; French A Glenn, HO.OOO; Thomas Overfelt,
:t0,000; Riley & Ifer.lin, 2.",000; C. U. Alexander, 15,000;
Swoetzer Urcm., itf.OOO; Goorgo W. Mapes, 10,000; Win.
Hydcspath, 6,000. Without counting the many smaller
bands, this gives a total of 181,000, and yet thn total
liumlier assessed for the year 1HH.'M was but 74,(111,
valued at 120 oach, at a time when cattle wore selling ou