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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1885)
THE WEST SHORE. 37 BAKER COUNTY. THE County of Baker occupies the extreme southeast ern corner of Oregon, and is the Becond largest in the State. Powder Rivor separates it from Union County on the north, while on the east the great Snake River in early years known as the Lewis or Sahaptin flows between it and the adjoining Territory of Idaho for nearly half its length, the fortieth Washington Moridian forming the boundary line for the southern half. On the south lies the State of Nevada. It is separated from Grant County on the west by the line betweon Townships 80 and 37, west of the Willamette Meridian, for threo fourths of its entire length, tho line on the northorn quarter following the summit ridge of the Blue Moun tains. In shape it is nearly a rectangle, its length from north to south being 200 miles, and its width sixty. High, timber-clad mountains in the north, breaking, as progress is made southward, into lower and more barron mountains, elevated plateaus, sago-oovored or barron plains, characteristic of the great Nevada Basin on whose edge it lies, and many streams, both large and small, along whose courses are numerous fertile valleys and natural meadows, are the loading topographical features. Of the estimated area of 11,000,000 aoreB, only one-third has been surveyed. There are vast tracts of good arable land, now covered with sage brush, which require only irrigation to render the soil extremoly productive. The watercourses are numerous and never failing, and from these much of this dry land may be easily irrigated, while other tracts are not so conveniently situated. Here, as elsewhere, it has been observed that the bringing of large tracts under cultivation has a tendency to increase the rainfall, and the result is that already land that was formerly considered too dry for cultivation now receive enough natural moisture to rendor it productive. It is evident that gradually lands now irrigated will require such artificial Vatering less and less evory year. For that matter, however, irrigated land, wlrore the moans for rendering it such are not too exponsive, is preferable to any which depends upon the clouds to "rain fatness" npnn them, since they may be depended upon to produce good crops even in the driest of seasons, and need nover fear the excessive moisture often showered upon the farms otherwise situated. A farmer in a dry country, with good soil and an unfailing supply of water at his command, which he can, at will, turn upon any jwrtion of his land which may require moistare, and shut it off from other portions which may already have sufficient, is independent of the caprices of Nature, and as near being his own master as the agriculturist ever comes. A com parison of what has been accomplished in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and other points upon irrigated lands, with the rosulU of operations on lands in the same regions dependent upon natural rain fall, is most flatteringly favorable to tho forinor. , There is a prejudice, springing solely from ignorance, against irrigated lands, which time will remove so completely that people will wonder that it ever existed. The greatest agricultural achievement of ancient civilizations were accomplished by this moans; and in the "scientific farm ing" of the future there is no dovibt that the proper manipulation of the irrigation ditch will be counted as one of the most essential features. The watorooursos of tho county are numerous and convey continuously a great volumo of water. Flowing northward along the upper half of its eastern boundary is the great Snake River, tho final repository of all tho running water in tho oouuty, save that of a few small streams in the extremo southern end of tho county which flow into the Humboldt The leading tributaries of Snake River, beginuing at tho north, aro Powder, Burnt, Malheur and Owyhee, each of which has numerous largo and small tributaries. .The bottom lands along these stroams are very fertilo, and frequently spread out into grassy valleys of considerable width. Some of this land, lying back from tho stroams and slightly olovatud abovo them, roquiroo irrigating to render it productive, much of it being favorably located for that purpose. Home of it, howovor, requires but slight irrigation, and still other portions nono whatever. Whoa all tho laud in Baker County which can bo irrigated cheaply and handily shall bo placed under cultivation tho productive area will bo increased tenfold There are in this region no land grant complications, with tho oxooption of tho military roods, two narrow strips, crossing between tho Malheur and Owyhoe rivers. The land all belongs to tho Government, save the two sections of each township granted to tho State for school purposes, and now that tho Desert Land Act will probably be repealed by the presont Congress, bona Jlde settlers will find no obstacles in tho way of settling upon desirable Government land and soouring title as soon as the land laws aro complied with. Tho most desirablo portions have been surveyed, so that set tlors need havo none of tho difficulties encountered by those who locate uon unsurvuyed lands. Tho most thickly settled portion is the northern, in tho region of Powder and Burnt rivers. Powder River flows down from tho Bluo Mountains, just alwve tho Sec ond Standard Purallel, till it reaches tho Grande Rondo Moridian, when it turns sharply to tho north, flowing through Baker City and tho Powdor Rivor Valley till it roaches the First Standard. Thero it receives the waters of tho North Powder, a smaller stream which forms tho northorn boundary line of tho county west of that point It then turns southeasterly and forms tho line of separa tion between Baker and Union counties till it discharges into Snake River. Powder Rivor Valley is twenty miles long and alxmt sixteen wide. This is the largo valley shown in tho accompanying illustration of Baker City. Along its whole course, however, the Powder has fertilo bottom lunds, spreading out at times into quite consider able valleys, in many of which there may 1m found excel lent vacant locations for settlement Tho largo valley is well settled, and is tho centro of tho greatest population of tho oouuty. Through it runs tho line of tho Oregon Railway k Navigation Company, a portion of tho now overland routo via the Oregon Hliort Line. Tho soil in fertile and susceptible of the highest state of cultivation.
