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COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER FOR CROOK COUNTY
VOL. XVIH-$1.50 YEAR
PRINEVILLE, CROOK COUNTY, OREGON, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1914.
EnUreii t th pnatnfflmt t PrtnevllI
Ortxon, aa MwoDd-olM matter
NO. 19
e
Coimrify
Central Oregon a Land
of Wonderful Resources
"Oregon" la the title of an ex
cellent booklet gotten out by tho
Great Northern Railway which is
designed to furnish, accurate in
formation for tho land hungry. Its
pages are devoted chiefly to the re
sources and opportunities of Central
Oregon. The Illustrations, and
there are many of them, are photo
graphic scenes taken principally In
Crook county. In shaking of this
country generally, the booklet In
part says:
Tho construction of tho Oregon
Trunk Railway, from the Columbia
river 150 mile Boulhward along the
Deschutes river, has oKned an Im
mense territory for development In
Wasco, Sherman, Crook, Lake,
Harney, Malheur and Klamath
counting, that Immense country that
la popularly known an Central Ore
gon. The word Immenao is assured
ly the right word for Central Ore
gon. 51,000 square miles aro con
tained in It, 36,000,000 acres. Crook
county is larger than Connecticut,
Delaware and Rhode Island; Harney
county is larger than New Jersey.
A great deal of this territory aver
ages less than one person to the
square mile, while in Iowa for In
stance, there are 40 , persons per
square mile. In all, Central Ore
Ron is larger than the state of Ohio
with only one eighty-fifth the popu
lation of that state; because prior
to 1911 no railway had overcome
the barrier of the Cascades and en
tered into it. Owing to lack of
transportation, product of this
region have been confined to stock
and wool and a limited amount of
grain that could be fed on the
ranch. But enough grain and vege
tables have been grown on these
interior ranches to Indicate the pos
sibilities for farming even in the
most remote regions and valleys.
Since the opening of the Oregon
Trunk Railway to Bend in 1911
hundreds of new settlers have es
tablished new homes in Central Ore
gon; many on the free government
lands of 320 acres, others on the
low priced deeded lands and the ir
rigablo lands of the Crooked Hiver
and Deschutes Valley, Harney Val
Icy, and like sections. Others have
located on the Improved farms of
Wasco and Crook counties where
deeded lands are low priced.
Owing to the nearness of the rail
way and good markets, settlers
along the Deschutes river generally
have made good headway, being
able during the first season to clear
their land and prepare it for crops,
at tho same time Belling enough
cordwood to meet running expenses.
Those on homesteads who have gone
out one hundred miles from the
railway in the Hampton Butte and
Bear Creek valleys, and Christmas
Lake V lley, usually have occupied
the first season hauling supplies,
putting up buildings, fences, etc.,
but with less clearing these also
prepared ground for crop, using
their available cash for running ex-IK-nses.
The first to come have
rained from one to two crops, have
plenty of feed for stock and now
see clearing going on an established
farm. However, owing to distance
from railway these are turning
their available resources to horses
and other stock.
The country is so immense and
IU resources so plain to the eye
that thousands of new settlers are
expected to come during the next
few years. When it is remembered
that less than one person per square
mile now lives In Crook, Harney
and Lake counties, with a combined
area exceeding 25,000 square miles,
the opportunity for home-making
can readily be seen.
FrM Cnmmri Lu4 ia Cntrtl Ortaaa
There are more than 10,000,000
acres of public land in Central Ore
gon. Of this amount about 3,500,-
000 acres classed as tillable lie in
Crook, Lake and Harney counties
This will make over 10.000 320 acre
homesteads. These lands will raise
profitable crops of wheat, oats, rye,
barley, potatoes, alfalfa and many
of the hardy vegetables. The ma
jority of this land may be filed un
der the 320 acre homestead act.
It will be but a year or two until it
will be occupied and converted into
farms. This is one of the very few
portions of the United States where
good land for farming can be had
under the homestead laws. But
such places are gradually diminish
ing and the opportunity passing.
Your opportunity for a farm home
in Central Oregon is now.
All that a man or a woman
has to do in order to secure one of
these free farm homes, is, briefly,
to erect habitable buildings on the
land, and then to reside on the land
and cultivate it for full three years,
cultivating at least one-sixteenth by
the end of the second year and one
eighth by the end of the third year.
After that the title to the land
passes to the homesteader.
Any man or single woman or
widow whose husband did not use
his right, not the owner of more
than lflO acres in the United States,
who is a citizen of the United
States or has first papers, any per
son who commuted final proof prior
to June 5, 1900; or former entry
man who lost, abandoned or re
linquished his entry without consid-
ation in excess of the filing fee and
actual improvements, has the right
by law to go to Central Oregon,
and file on 1G0 or 320 acres of
government land.
The state of Oregon has 541,000
acres of state school land scattered
throughout the counties of the
state. The large undeveloped
counties of. Central Oregon contain
the largest amounts of state lands,
however; Crook county has 40,000
acres. Harney 145,000 and Lake
94,000, a total in these three coun
ties of 279,000 acres. These lands
can be purchased by any citizen of
the United States over 18 years of
age at not less than $7.50 per acre.
Not more than 320 acres are sold
to one person.
lrrikU Ludi n Ccitrtl Oregoa
In Crook, Lake and Harney coun
ties there are more than 1 ,500,000
acres of irrigable land, to say noth
ing of the great areas of fine bench
land to be farmed without irriga
tion. If this area is settled in aver
age farms of 40 acres 200,000 peo
ple may occupy prosperous homes
on this irrigated land. No farming
communities in America are more
prosperous than those in the Irri
gated lands of the Northwest,
whether engaged in dairying or
mixed farming. These Oregon
lands are adapted for all these pur
suits and will produce average
crops of greater value than
present price.
A careful estimate has been made
that the average forty acre irri
gated i farm in Central Oregon will
support twenty cows and twenty
hogs for an annual income above
2,000, and profitably employ and
support the family, which, after al
lowing for running expenses, family
expenses, etc, ; will leave 11,000 for
net profits. Any man with in
dustry and an average amount of
ability can be the owner of such an
establishment within a few years
with but a modest amount for a
start. No wage earner can expect
to produce this net income and be
the owner of.such an establishment
during his lifetime from savings.
nor can he look on the uncertainty
of employment with the feeling of
comfort that will be his on one of
these small farms.
Active irrigation projects of the
Deschutes Valley take water by
gravity from the Deschutes river
or tributaries from the east slope
of the Cascades. The flow of the
Deschutes is good. .
A number of private and small
projects for irrigation have their
source in the Crooked river. The
flow of this stream is irregular and
comparatively light during the late
summer, though up to the present
time only the minimum flow is re
quired for irrigation. Extensive
development of irrigation on the
Crooked river will involve storage
of flood waters and will undoubted
ly be accomplished as the entire
country is developed. .
At the present time a number of
ambitious irrigation projects are in
various stages of completion and
operation through Central Oregon.
There are numerous chances too for
the establishment of small private
projects. Still other lands may be
! claimed and irrigated by the claim-
their a"t-m accordance with the Desert
Land Laws. '
Ccstral Ortoa'i Tapofraplij
Central Oregon is a high-land j
country adjacent to mountains; the
soil is generally volcanic ash, than j
which it is becoming more and more
realized there Is no more productive
soil.
The entire country lies in rolling
table lands and broad valleys sep
aiated by mountainous sections;,
the native growth is bunch grass,
sage-brush and juniper trees.
In sunny Central Oregon the rain
fall varies from 10 to 17 inches per
annum; the sun shines 300 days a
year. The summer days are warm
and the nights cool, and the winter
is "open." In the winter the tem
perature may reach zero or slightly
lower, but for a short time only.
after which it rises with the coming
of a chinook wind. The bracing
mountain-flavored air is pure and
healthful and the landscapes are
pleasing pictures of plain, valley,
forest and mountain grandeur.
Indeed Central Oregon has the
most healthful climate in America.
Many persons who have come to
Central Oregon chiefly for the bene
fit to their health from the dry
even climate, have found it so bene
ficial, especially for throat and
pulmonary troubles, that they have
become permanent residents. No
portion of the. western country ap
pears to offer the relief from these
troubles ..that is found in the Des
chutes valley. Here are combined
a comparatively' low altitude, dry.
bracing climate, protection from
winds, and the rare atmosphere
from much higher altitudes that is
due to the proximity of the snow
capped summits of the Cascades.
Crop .
This country call $4T the prac
tice of careful farming for the best
results and wherever careful
methods have been followed they
haveproduced good" yields of grain
and vegetables. The average rain
fall in Central Oregon
at 23 federal weather
as recorded
bureau sta-
Continued on page 8.
Our Shoe Store is
Complete
. ; f ' U - i
'I h KV:,,v O
-rtJ '
L : -tj
B. & If. Boots are tho kind you will got satittfao
tion in. All stylos. $0.60 to $8.00
ecia.
ices aii Farm Machinery
This
M
on
th!
B. A II. Heavy soft lenther shoe for
men's heavy wear. Special at $1.00
Mens Hi' Cut Farm Shoe
with dust proof gussett, now
on sale at
$3.00
Our Special Shoe for Old
Ladies
made of soft kid, low beel, pliable
sole, extra good all through
aud only
$3.00
It Will Pay You to See Us Before Buying
1 i Ai!.l.lVBR ?
I
v-1 KtyjLj
Garden Tools
Good Garden Seeds
Guaranteed Poison
Water Hose Lawn Mowers
mi
12-Blade Disc Harrow com
plete at special price of $32.
Regular $38.50 value.