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.