v r jthe Warmsprings Project Wilt Make Malheur County Prosper and Will Attract Eomeseekers in
.r.
..':
7 "' ' ' " . 11 'i -" .... . I i " ' .,, , ... , i -i " ' ' ' ' ' ' " I I p , T ..
' VOLUME VII, NUMBER It.
IRRIGATION
DISTRICT
LAW
Some of the Salient Feat
ures Which Should Be
Kept in. Mind.
Tho salient and important features
of the Oregon Irrigation District Law:
Those in which the people of the val--ley
are at present greatly interested in
are as follows:
Section 1 of 1915 laws provides for
' organization and that districts shall
have municipal powers of self gov
ernment. Section 2 provides for circulation of
petition which must be signed by fif-
tjr owners of land, or a majority, re
questing the county court to call an
election for the purpose of dtermin-
- ing whether tho people under the pro
posed system desire to organize.
The court has four weeks in which
to' hear objections or applications for
admission. The court names the district.-
-The court divides the district
into sub-districts as prayed for in pe
tition. Directors will be voted for at
this election to serve one year, or un
til another election of officers. Pro
vides for ballots and form States
who may vote. Bona fide owners of
land, those who have an uncompleted
government claim, and corporations
shall have but one vote regardless of
number of acres.
Section 3 provides for organization
' of board of directors and bond that
shall be given by the officials elected.
' Sectioji4 provides for by-laws and
duties of the board of directors?
' Section 5 provides the procedure of
the board of directors and order of
"business. Records must be open to
.ythe public. By-laws must be distri
buted. Provides how board shall act
-,, in construction and provides for deal
ing with othe United States.
- Section 6 provides for legal course
of tho board in defense of any rights
' of the district
Section 7 provides for procedure to
" - obtain funds for construction. Board
shall obtain plans and estimates.
' These plans and estimates shall be
made public. Board shall call an
.election for the purpose of voting
bonds. If bonds are not voted the
board may make other plans and esti
' mates and call another election.
If bonds are voted the board may
proceed to sell them. The bonds may
not bear interest greater than 6 per
cent. They must be issued in series.
The first retirement will be five per
cent of tho bonds in 21 years, Six per
cent' in 22 years, Seven per cent in
23 years, Eight per cent in 24 years,
Nine per cent in 25 years, Ten per
t cent in 26 years, Eleven per cent in
Wears, Thirteen per cent in 28 years,
Fifteen per cent in 29 years and Six
teen per cent in 30 ears.
. Section 9 provides in part as fol
lows: "That in no case shall any
' land be taxed which from, any natural
causes' cannot be irrigated or which is
incapable of cultivation; provided, fur
' ther, that where ditches, canals, reser
, voirs, or other irrigation works or
pumping plants are actually construct
','ed and in operation at the time of the
. organization of the district, the lands
- actually irrigated therefrom at that
time shall not be liable to be taxed,
under the provisions of this Act."
OLD MAIL LINE.
DISCONTINUED
The people, of Burns have succeed
ed. in securing a daily mail service
from Riverside, the old route frpm
,.- Baker' via Canyon City having been
discontinued.
"-' The old Canyon City mail route had
been in- existence for 31 years, but in
Vir years very little business was
done over that line, and the change to
a daily mail via Riverside will be a
great relief to the Bums -country.
Would Not Tell on Them
A half breed Indian buckaroo got . effort to learn where he got the booze,
drunk and rode his horse on the side- ' but he persistently refused to give
walks the first of the week, and upon W information. Falling to get the
being arrested, gave Sheriff Brown ..tw .
. v . . idesired information, the prisoner was
and Marshal Powell a rough and turn- , , , . , . ,
ble scrap before being Jailed.
The officers put him through a Even thirty days for drunk and dis
sweating process for five days In an 1 orderly conduct.
Burns Engineer Took
Tie Passage on
Flooded Road
Says Dog Mountain Oil Well Has
"Secured New Casing from
Riverside.
Engineer C. B. McConnel, .who is
interested in tho Silvies river irriga
tion enterprise, arrived from Bums
TuesJaj night and reports about the
same amount of snow in Harney val
ley as at Vale, with sloppy weather.
Mr. McConnel walked 11 miles on
the Oregon Eastern track in to Riv
erside, as the water was too high in
the South Fork to ford. Mr. McCon
nel reports that Superintendent Turn-
ey, of the Dog Mountain oil well, has
secured his casing which will be haul
ed in from Riverside as soon as the
roads will permit and the water will
immediately bo cased off. The well
has been put down 1800 feet below
the first lot of casing and they claim
to have oil which will bo developed
when water is cased off.
WM. HAN LEY SELLS
-BIG HARNEY-INTEREST
The Swift people, of Chicago, have
closed a deal for the Wm. D. Hanley
interests in Harney county, including
some 140,000 acres of 'land, the value
of which is placed at $3,000,000.
The new company will be known as
the Eastern Oregon Cattle company.
BANKER MILLS
FAVORS STATE
AID IRRIGATION
Mr. A. L. Mills, President of the
First National Bank of Portland,
sounded, the feolings-of the business
men of that city towards irrigation
and rural credits in a speech before
tho Irrigation CnnPTP.SK last Decem
ber. Mr. Mills said in part:
Now how can we make our land
values such that an industrious set
tler can be reasonably sure of a bet
ter return on his investment than he
received from his old farm in the
East? Certainly we cannot regulate'
the price of privately-owned land, by
law. How then can we increase the'
productivity of our great domain and ;
render the results of man's labor of
greater value?
First. By encouraging by every
means within our power the great ir
rigation projects that are absolutely
necessary if we are to make two
blades of grass grow where none grew
before.
To do this we must not only help
ourselves, "fly with our own wings,"
but we must leave no stone unturned
to get proper assistance from the
State and national governments.
Irrigation bonds have a bad name
in financial circles hardly any form
of investment a worse one but such
bonds ate not inherently wrong; they
have gone bad because the interest
charges and maturities have come be
fore the project has had lime to be
come an established earning power.
If some such law is enacted as is pro
posed by the Jones Bill, it will do
much to rehabilitate Irrigation bonds
in the eyes of the investing public.
Although the Jones Bill is a step
in the right direction, I do not be
lieve it will be enacted at this session
of Congress, as it is not an admin
istration measure, and all the strength
of the Democratic party will be ex
erted first to carry through legisla
tion looking toward preparedness, rev
enue bills, and a merchant marine. If
these measures should become laws,
then it is possible the Jones Bill will
have consideration.
In the meantime we must ever keep
before us the territorial motto and
depend upon Oregon flying with its
own wings.
In other words, I mean by this that
we must put in motion the necessary
machinery to have our State support
our irrigation projects.
An initiative measure should be pre
sented permitting Oregon to bond it
self up to say 2 per cent of'its as
sessed valuation, or, in other words,
to about $18,000,000.
(Continued on page 8.)
uaieu ueiore me couri, wnere ne was
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ELECTS A
NEW SET OF OFFICERS.
Enthusiastic Meeting Held, and Everyone Anxious to Take Part in Forwarding the
Movement Looking to the Formation of An Irrigation District to Put
Through the Great Warm Spring Project Committee Selected
At a meeting of the Vale Chamber
of Commerce Monday evening officers
wore elected for the ensuing year as
follows: Leo Schmidt, President;
Saxon Humphrey, Vice-president; L.
L. Hopo, Secretary; C. C. Mueller,
Treasurer; Ws M. Rose, T. T. Nelsen,
I. W. Hope, directors.
A special committee was appointed
to confer with the citizens of the val
ley in regard to the construction of the
Warmsprings reservoir project. As
the subject was one in which the far
mers of the valley were mainly in
terested it was deemed proper to go
out side of the Chamber of Commerce
or city of Vale for representation on
that committee.
The situation was explained by John
Rigby as follows: "The construction
of the Malheur project has been de
layed for many years from many
causes unnecessary for us to discuss.
The facts' are that the district law
has been so modified and powers
granted which they did not hereto
fore enjoy that it seems a proper time
to bring tho matter before the people
of the valley.
"The citizens of Vale and of Onta
rio are greatly interested in this mat
ter, because of the 25,000 additional j
Superintendent at U.
Voices His Opinion
Enterprise Receives Word From State
University Secretary on Irriga
tion District.
University of Oregon, Eugene, Jan.
31, 1916. Editor Enterprise, Vale,
Oregon. Dear Sir: I am very glad to
bo able to acknowledge the receipt of
your latest circular and of the first
copy of the Malheur Enterprise. I
wish to speak personally and add that
I am very glad to learn of the en
deavor to organize an irrigation dis
trict in your vicinity. May I receive
information from time to time as to
the progress in this matter?
Very truly yours,
N. C. GRIMES,
Secretary.
NYSSA WINS DEBATE
FROM ONTARIO BOYS
Nyssa won the elimination contest
over the Ontario team which defeat
ed Vale's team in the debating league.
Nyssa now becomes champion of the
district composing Malheur, Harney
and Baker counties, and will be pitted
against other district champions for
further elimination contests.
Blaine Gibson and Donald Davis re
presented Nyssa, and Ontario was re
presented by Ephraim Herriott and
Robert Bender, who defeated the Vale
team.
"WHY TAKE A
CHANCET-S. P.
The Southern Pacific company
through their publicity agent has fur
nished an article by T. W. Rickard,
Safety First Commissioner, on "Why
Take A Chance," which deals with
the carelessness of touring autoists
as well as local motor fiends in cross
ing railroad tracks. The article is
timely and the. cause just. Both the
railroad and the drivers are vitally
interested. Not only is the property
of the railroad company at stake but
hundreds of lives are in danger from
a collision. STOP1 LOOK! LISTEN!
is a good signal and if obeyed lives
will be saved, property conserved and
cripples less frequently furnished.
Following is a portion of the article:
"The engineer pulling the train is
the direct representative of the rail
road in approaching highway cross
ings, and the chauffeur driving the
automobllo approaching the railroad
crossing on highways is the direct re
presentative of the public. Now will
these two important gentlemen hold
ing such responsible positions join
hands for Safety First and promote
it all they can? The railroad officials
can plan and map out all tho safety
ideas in the world, but the issue is
really up to the engineer and the driv
er of the automobile to eliminate ac
cidents on highway crossings. About
all an engineer can do approaching u
(Continued on page 8.)
VALE, OREGON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1916.
acres which will bo put under culti
vation. It means prosperous times
for the two towns if the project is
put in and dull .times if it fails. While
this is true it still remains that the
project is under the complete control
of the farming community.
"I do not think tho provisions of
the present law and the advantages
of an organization as well as the
present condition of the money mar
ket is 'thqroughly understood by the
people of our section and it is my
opinion that we should have a com
mittee appointed to confer with the
people of the district and see that
all of the facts aro placed before
those most interested and that on this
committee should be as strong rep;
resentative of the farmers as this
body can select.
"We are all bound together and the
prosperity and good times cannot
come to one without the other partic
ipating. "The new law is in such form that
the burden of construction will 'fall
where it should, upon the shoulders of
those who have attempted to profit
from the labor of the pioneer farmer.
The checkerboard appearance of the
valley will be changed and those who
SPORTSMEN
SAVE THE
George Carter, one of Vale's prom
inent sportsmen, took up a collection
in Vale last week to buy grain to feed.i
the game birds in the valley, which
might be distressed for food during
the heavy snow. i
Some $20 was raised and Mr. Car- i
ter bought grain and sent it out to
the various neighborhoods where the
birds were known to range.
Anyone knowing where these birds
may be fed, will be furnished with the
necessary grain by telephoning the
Interior Warehouse and Grain com
pany at Vale.
VALE MEAT CO.
MAKES CHANGE
Tho Vale Meat company succeeds
Chester's Cash Market in the butcher
business, ice and cold storage in this
city, the new company taking charge
the first of tho month.
The Vale Meat company will add
a stock of groceries and tho business ,
will be conducted on the co-operative
I'la.u, each customer sharing in the
profits of tho business. A. II. Chester
remains as manager of the new cor-,
poration, and the people of Valo and
vicinity aro Invited to investigate tho
new system under which the business
will be conducted in the future,
through which every patron becomes
a partner in the business.
GOVT. SEEDS ARE
GOING FAST
Judging from the number of re
quests received by the Enterprise the
past week, Malheur county farmers
are more than willing to give the 'gov
ernment free seeds sent by Congress
man N. J. Sinnott a fair trial. The
flower seeds were exhausted early in
the week, but a request has been sent
the Congressman, and in all proba
bility a now supply of flower seeds
will be sent soon.
The garden seeds are gong fast, but
enough are left to fill a number of
orders. So to be sure, send your re
quest now.
This is the season of the year when
you see incubators in the store win
dows, and some fairly well developed
chickens coming from tne matinees.
A boy who cleans his shoes in a
manner satisfactory to his mother, Is
so aDt to be a mollycoddle in other
reipecU. J
BIRDS
have dug no ditches and planted no
crops will bo compelled to do their
share of dovelopcmnt or let some ono
elso have their land who is willing
to do it.
"The condition of tho affair is about
as follows; There must first be an or
ganization which is to be secured
through tho .medium of a petition to
the county court for an election. This
election votes no bonds and adopts no
plan, it simply arranges for both n
plan and financial question to be form
ulated by five directors to be elected
at this election and then submitted
at a special election for that purpose.
This petition has been drawn and
boundaries defined which boundaries
do not contemplate any high line or
expensive construction, taking in on
ly such land as may be watered by an
enlargement and extension of present
ditches. The question now is this do
the people desire a district and do they
desire the Warmsprings reservoir to
be built?"
Upon tho conclusion of the remarks
of Mr. Rigby the following committee
was appointed with general and spec
ial powers, G. H. Rickcr, I. W. Hope,
John Rigby.
Fifty Million Dollars
Lost By the Farmer
i
Millions of Dollars Arc Lost Through '
Ravages of the Rodent
Pest.
It is estimated that 50 to 500 mil- '
Hon dollars aro lost by farmers of this
country every year through ravages
of rodent pests, squirrels", gophers,
prairie dogs, sage rats and the like.
Years of effort have clearly proven
tho uselcssness of guns, traps or se
rums. The only safe and certain
wholesale method rests in the effective
use of properly prepared poison at
the right moment.
Experience has proven that farmers
can seldom ' prepare these poisons in
an economical or efficient manner.
Tho columns of this paper carry the
ads of reliablo preparations of this
nature. Strychnine-coated grain, pro
perly treated nnd marketed by relia
ble firms, constitutes a much more
safo and certain method of ridding
the farm of these pests than any ex
perimental treatment through print
ed formula.
Grain and alfalfa growers, orchnrd
ists, should bear in mind that the psy
chological moment to exterminate the
pests is when they first awaken from
their winter's sleep, ravenous for food.
At this time they will eat dry grain
without hesitation, and ' if properly
placed, every ono can be oxtermjnated,
including the female with unborn gen
erations of grain caters. As noon as
the grass begins to throw out its
roots and tendrills, the rodents turn
directly to them from tho tlry grain.
Delay at this timo means failure, no
matter how efficient tho Poison may
bo.
No fanner can afford all the ex
penso of plowing, seeding, paying tax
es on tho land and then harvest half
or a fraction of a crop because of
neglect to kill these pests at the right
moment. ' Ono pound of a standard
squirrel and gopher poison has 'been
known to kill hundreds of squirrels.
Could there be any better investment
than this for tho farmer?
MADE REGULAR POINTS
Malheur County Depots Will be Op
erated as Regular Reporting
Stations.
Pocatello, Feb, 4. Agents, River
side, Juntura, Vale, Ontario, Effec
tive February 15, Harper, Oregon, on
Oregon Eastern Branch, will be open
ed as a regular freight, passenger,
express, telegraph and reporting sta
tion, A. B. Stevenson.
If you slap back because there is a
slap coming to' you your sjapper will
get the habit, and try to ride with
out a pass.
About the time a man decides he
has become conservative, he gets in
dignant at something or other and
says more fool things than ever before.
Forest Rangers Feed
Gama.Birds in
The Hills
Urges Forestry Office To Give Food
to Feathered Flocks in the
Mountains.
Tho District Forestor at, Portland,
Oregon, has issued a circular letter
to all Forest" officers, urging them to
feed game and birds in their respec
tive localities duiing storm periods.
. Tho National Forest appropriation
is limited to the enro of fish and game
supplied to stock tho Forests or the
waters therein, and cannot bo used
for tho purchase of food for gamq
and birds. However, the matter is a
most worthy one, especially during
this year of exceptional storms, and
each forest officer is urged not only
to use his best efforts to furnish gamo
inimals and gamo and song birds with
something in the way of food, bufis
asked, to appeal to ranchers und stock
men generally in his vicinity to d6
their part in aiding the work.
AMPUTATION OF FOOT
IS AGAIN PERFORMED
A Complication of blood noiKnnlnr
Necessitated tho amputation of N, C.
uongs foot above tho ankle Monday,
Dr. Bartlctt performing tho operation.
The last report is that Mr. Long is
Joing splendidly.
MALHEUR CO. .
REGISTERS ITS
HORSEPOWER
According to claims filed with State
Engineer. Lewis for tho year 1910
rights havo been Initiated for tho do-
yolopment of 450,410 horsepower. In'
many 'instances these claims represent
rights to develop power but which,
havo not, as yet, been nctually devel
oped. 219 claims have been Died cov
ering development or proposed devel
opment ranging in size from 1 horse--power
to 130,303 horsepower, itho lat
ter being tho claim of tho Portland
Railway, Light and Power Company,
covering its rights on tho Willamette
Uiver at Oregon City,
Clacknmns county loads in tho "num
ber of horsepower for which claims
are filed, having 349,71G horsepower.
Malheur county is registered fpr 491
horsepower. The only counties fn the
state in which no claims for power
have been filed, are Clatsop, Gilliam
and Wheeler. Tho number of horse
power claimed in each county is as
follows:
Washington 513, Benton 180, Uma
tilla 8,802, Yamhill 503, Klamath
3.8G9, Grant 4,081, Marion 8,237, Lario
992, Wallowa 1,887, Sherman 25, Linn
3,127, Lincoln 20, Douglass 7,927,
Crook 11,719; Hnrncy 219, Curry 29,
Baker 6,085, Multnomah 818, Clack
amas 349,710, Lake 230, Hood River
25,737, Josephine 020, Wnsco 4,413,
Jefferson 5,000, Morrow 123, Tilla
mook .133, Union 1,629, Coos 10, Polk
170, Columbia 11, Jackson 14,498, Mal
heur 454, Total 402,540 horsepower.
GRAND OFFICERS VISIT
Tho grand officers of tho K. P. lodge
visited Qnt'irlri ,,nl Valo lodges this
week, and ipnrpprlato- ceremonias
were proviif' . v. their honor.
No .report having., been given tHo
Enterprise a moro'cxlcnded mention
could iiotje given.
NEW IJAIJY BOY AT
THE JESSUP HOME
The birth of a ten pound baby boy
at tho homo of Mr nnd Mrs. Harry
Jcssup, of this city, last Saturday, is
reported by Dr. .Bartlott. Both moth
er and son are doing nicely.
FALLS FROM TRICYCLE
AND GASHES FACE
Milton Cope, tho son of Mr. and
Mrs. Ghas. Copel of this city, accident
ally, fell from' his tricycle Friday
morning, severely gashing his chin.
Tho young child was taken to Dr.
Bartlett, placed under influence of
chloroform and several stitches were
takon in tho wound.
All Teachers
County Superintendent Miss Clurk
is In receipt of a communication from
the .:tato educational department, In
which it is announced that teacher
who are not graduates of standard
normals, or who do not possess state
grades sufficient to secure Oregon pa
pers, will not be encouraged to coma
SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 PER YEAR'
ANOTHER IS
IN FAVOR
OF IT
Prominent Ontario Attorney
Advises the District ?
Organization,
Tho Enterprise, in previous issuc.i,
has presented tho views; of sdvcrhl
prominent citizens, who are largoly
interested in tho prosperity of the
'county and large owners ofiproperty.
Today wo present expressions' for oth
er citizens who havo knowl.edgo and
experience in business'- affairs andof
tho subject of irrigation, ns well ns
owning property under the - proposed
plan of organization: , . "
Mr. J. W. McCulloch, formerly pros
ecuting attorney fqr; tie county, now
candidate for Commissioner of Public
'Utilities. Eastern Oreiron District, nnd
porhaps ono-of tho best knownjattor
noys of the Eastern portion' of '"the
state, expressed himself ns follow?:
"For many years I havo .bjeen more
ox less identifie'd ' with endeavors to
get t;ho Malheur project going. Wo
have failed from one- cause or anoth
er, but never were times'-arid' condi
tions -so fnvohiblo as now., 'Tho new
district law has been evolved, through
manv amendments nut nf "Hin nlri ono.
.and while perhaps' not-absolutely per-
fect.'iit has" stood "some, heavy tests
and 'is' far in advance o'any thing
yot created in the way of an irrigation
law.
' "Wliilothey say money" Isnow eas
ily Obtained, it means that it can hn
easily obtained upon satisfactory se
curity, , Investors Jopk upon the irri
gation district whore thd land is "o-ood"
and. tha Water cheap as 'first class se
curity, ,Tho law now gives irrigation
umtricts municipal powers niid they
can therefore manage their Own af
fairs. Tho petition which I am "leas
ed to sign means tho organization of
a district .after an election. . Tho di
rectors may then proceed to. arrange
n plan to be submitted for financing
tno construction and this plan has to
bo voted on at anothor election.
"I hnvo 320 acres of land under llio
district and expect it to doublo in
vumo as soon as work is .started." .
Continued Mr. McCulloch. "I know
from observation and oxnerlnnrn thnfc
tho farmers of tho proposed district
have, in tho last ten years, lost
through' shortage, of Water more than
enough to pay tho expenso of build
ing tho dam at the.Warmsnrincs."
Tom Logon, pioneer rancher from
Brognn, was in town Thursday, and
upon boing interviewed by an Enter
prise representative as to his opinion
on the organization of ari jrj-lgatlwi
district expressed himself'as follows
"The district law has been sp' mod
ified that It is now the only way. to
build a project If wo had organized
a district pn Willow river .bofoio
getting into tho complications wo now
hnve,- everyone would havo been bet
ter off. Tho law seems to prpvide for
tho pcoplo to transact their own bus
iness, nnd when organized they are at
nil times ready to accept tho best pf-fer-there
is for money or .tho bnjt
plans offered for construction. Pro
moter's, graft Is cut. put and tho furm
ers can build or not build as .'they
ploase. If the government -gets ready
to help, an organized district will ,be
ready to receive that help."
MUCH BOOZE
IS DESTROYED
Sheriff Brown destroyed -n lot t
contraband liquors Tuesday, faking it
to thb-riyer and breaking the bottles
oh thi rocks. ,
Tho confiscated liquors consisted, of
whiskey, wine, beer, etc., secured dur
ing tho raid on bootleggers nt River
side some time ago. Those arrested
having been convicted a,nd,tl)y,atuflf
huving been proven contraband, tho
sheriff destroyed, it In accordance with
the law.
Must Comply
I to this stafo to teach. '
, Much trouMo has been occasioned
: throughout tho state by reason 'Of
I teachers securing schools on certitl
' cutea from other states, and who Wfra
not nblo to pass tha Oregon exf.mii u
. tion when the time came for securing
a certificate her.