Image provided by: Crook County Historical Society/Bowman Museum; Prineville, OR
About Crook County journal. (Prineville, Or.) 189?-1921 | View Entire Issue (May 26, 1921)
CROOK COCNTT JOURNAL Tlll'lUtDAT, MT . in I !n L ol 1 .1, i i 11 ! U i Jl ti I a 1 . F! it 111 b j I t tf f ti ti if ti 1; i ; M ii I; 1 I M l -: " I I ' By Wade Huxton From the material available tor constructing a geological history of lb region of Crook County is only possible to sumtuarlie what appear to be the moat Important geological events. The evidence indicates that the area it more or leas magratory thou sand! of feet thick, overlying tnai ea of rocks that form an intrusive foundation. The foundation be comes more calcareous towards the top. The lower cretacious is present In the Suplee country a large am ount of limestone. Deep sea condi tions prevailed during depoaltion of of the upper carboniferous and tot alis are abundant in its limestone. The lower cretaceous was an ep och of shale and sandstone, which TU close by extensive mountain and abundant Insruslon of volcanic rocka that continued till the end of the Mesoaoio. The Vpper Cretacious. therefore. Is in part at least unconformable to the underlying rocks, and forms the main portion of the Ochoco moun - tains, numbering several thousand feet. consisting of thick beds of drabshale. These are mostly mar ine, as shown by the sea shell in them, with fossil impressions of leavtxs very like, but not Identical wltH thi-tsn git trttk nmattnt ri'uv ahnvrft ' that land and fresh water existed at the time. The Laramie jolnes the upper group of the Cretacious, and con"t tains our principal western coal fields, and abounds in fossil re mains of tropical foliage, and makes an Important era in our Blue Moun tain regions, which the Ochoco mta., are the western spur, where an is land, against which all the preyioua sediments had been forming, main ly beneath the sea. were elevated Into mountain musses, dragging up with them portions of the aea bot tom and exposing it as land surface which was completed in the follow-J Ing age and has1 continued to the present. Shore conditions are indicated in the Crooked river and Ochoco river regions by the coarse conglomerate rocks. The Tertiary rocka include clay, sand and lignite with abun dant plant forming beda and indi cate that Tertiary depoaltion demo litions began in an area of low re lief where sluggish streams, lakes and swamps prevailed. The main event ot the cloee of the Tertiary may be summarised as follows: con solidation, elevation, folding, intru sion ot volcanic rocka. metamorph ism, erosion.. Much deposition ma terial became interbedded with the sediments. Volcanic rocka, rhvol- Itlc basalt, phonoliilc and porphy - -v. i - many parva. ine larger irregular-, . . . Hies of the surfsces abov. 4.000 ft-.'"'1 !, 5.. . are due to the presence of the more """I"7 to - resistant Igneous rocks that have 1 T ,.v T" 1 ?! withstood erosion ot time. i"0" f ' T WOr,hy f the The hills above the rivers andj creeks exhibit preserved rock cut benches to their summits which are ' flat topped and often correspond ln.le , tropl, clim8te ,nd , level to the top of neiahhorinr' . hills. The present v.llle. of '1 "'.f the earth was of sufficient depth ed river and Ochoco river have bee. j .fcTange of climate. ZAl""? -T't " Inter benched in an older valley !,, ,thnn, , Vnnwn AM(1 I -' - floor, so the present canyon. 'Z oZ cZ.rl By U ' fUlm?1 tht th these stream, have been cut in ol- , ' 'l i " Vilrtel mOTemeDt tte 0n' der llev fioors wkose remnant. ' L 7 f k , f 2 glaciers '"'eountry loc and th.t U fol- .ppe.?., well developed bencb' 22 -Z lr a'ndind ' W along their aides; on th. lower ben- CjT Tj Ll titni U" ThU ,be0ry' ,ik' Che. gravel is still present It ' V, " r J . a ,h othe mtn,lo"', lndlctw iM ' " itheir coarse. Grest Moraines and . ... .v. seems most reasonab e to regard the still higher level, ot the plat - ' eau as having been developed un-' der former drainage conditions and having later been elevated and sub jected to gteat direction, just aa the benches ot the present streams are cut by minor tributaries into many fragments. The Ochoco Mountains which extend east and southeast from Grixxly mountains to the south fork ot the John Day river. Is the most promising field tor mineral wealth. The upper cretaceous tor matton predominates which has been given above. Great coal beds nnderly the Ochoco mountains that;8W is that Ala,kan cljmate, M weI1 BT ien prospected to some extent L, ,he ciimate ot the Oregon country eighteen miles north of Prtnevllle. I was different then from what it Is Oregon. The strike ot the beds are B0W . paralled with the shore line of the old land mass, and their dip con forms with the gently warped ur tace of the mountains. There are known to be five dis- tlnce beds of coal. In a space or . warm that according to the late ur. three hundred feet, which range In j Thomas Condon, at one time Cre thkkness from one foot to five feet. ton State geologist, "the banks of and have been pronounced as high the Columbia river were frequented trade ot bituminous coal. The ex tent ot these beds are no doubt the same aa outcrop tn Wheeler county Bear Mitchell. Oregon, near Suplee Oook County. Oregon. The great tault which Crook'Co- unty is traversed with la from Bear ; Creek Buttcs to Round Mountain in the Ochoco range which extends from southwest to northeast; a dis tance of about thirty mile. The line of the fault la shown, ou Crook ed river at the Maytteld ranch, and en Eagle Creek and la eaaily traced by similar arhet and aaga, Ptiot Hutte Just east of Couibs Flat I a volcanic cone, and it liea lu the great fault Hue. The Ochoco mines are in or near thia fault, which are twenty-five miles east of Frltleville and have been mined. Both placer gold and a body of base and tree orea, have been mined and worked for over thirty years or more, which has nev er proved to be an eldorado, but has payed well, considering the primit ive proceasea of mining that have been in vogue. There ia no doubt it these mines were equipped with modern equipment, and competent milling men in charge, they would prove to be a great asaet, not only to. Crook County, but to the State. j We have quicksilver mine on Lookout Mt., a tew miles- couth east of the Ochoco mines. Clnabar was discovered a tew year ago, and wsj worked to a certain extent by installing, a furnace and mined and made several runs. big) as the instal- lutinn nf tha nlnnt wna rt rt npnnnp 1 , portlon of the run8 were logt. ,Uo j for the lai.k pf capital and compe. tent management in many ways, there has not been developed a quicksilver mine in Crook County. There is an opportunity tor some- one to take this over and make good tor as to the quantity and quality of the cinnabar ore, on Lookout mountain, there Is no doubt. In many places along the Great Fault, samples have been taken and assays show that it carries gold from a few cents to three or tour dollars per ton. There are two distinct deposits of Gypsum, one is located on Bear creek, thirty miles- south of Prine ville. and has been mined and used to some extent as land plaster. The other one Is on the Ochoco creek on the George Russell place which i has never been worked but is acces sible. There are other source of I mineral wealth In Crook County al so; we have feldspar, and are most sure to have petroleum. al- The Oregon country has under gone various changes as to its cli mate. Marked difference in a cli mate mav be observed within a sin- , sit- mriituB. cm tn me lung penuu required for the complete transfus ion of the Oregon climate, a life time is of less consequence than the tick or a watch compared to the full , ! " ' pose that the atmosphere became 1 ttit . 1 f T,,?' thinn(,r and cooler, and as a result I that vegetable and animal life j. v. , ., ,,,.,, . K 1. V Jt t I . -i. finally appeared on a barren wastej. .... . . Utusi .miTJlUi ajlUUJ. Ther, h,T bMD ,t ,eMt tBrw w,deI, dlTerse cilmat ln tha 0re- gon country. There were an an tare-, . a . .v , 1 7,1 ,T, TJ ".M . .nee nf t n . rl a Hi I norlrwl atw f S t. ence of the glacial period over this region when the ice had s majestic current over this country. During the glacial period "growth of vegetation was prevented by pre vailing conditions. Animal life, if such existed, continued only under the most adverse circumstances, we are told that mastadon and other huge animals protected withes, heavy soat ot hair existed in that Icy per iod. But how about the jungly for ests that were converted Into great coal fields extending from the nor thernmost limits of Alaska The an- After a long period of extreme cold the snow and ice slowly dtssappear- ed and grass gradually carpeted the arth Tines and flowers nourished. Tree grew. The climate became so bv the rhlnocerous. the wild horse dwarf ted and giant the tapir, the camel and many stranger forms that have passed away." Among these stranger forms were dinoeauria, im perial elephant, mastadons. hlppo- REMEMBER THE DATE, MAY 27, AT 8:30 P. M. OF THE CLOCK Coronation Ball of the Crook County Irrigators At this time a Queen and two Maida of Honor will be selected and crowned with proper ceremony. Ladies are expected to wear thier house dresses Irrigators under penalty of banishment, their uniforms. The lady attending from the greatest distance in Crook County especially for the dance will be awarded a 5 pound box of candy. To the man attending-from the greatest 'distance in Crook County especially for the dance, a box of cigars. REMEMBER THE DATE potamt and other masalve , tropical animala that roved about like slow moving hills ot flesh In the valleys ot ! the Oregon country, where their re mains are found imbedded In the j earth as unmistakable evidence of, their presence since the Columbia! river sawed its channel through the! Cascade range 'of mountains. The fauna and flora ot the Ore-. gon country at that time could not now thrive north ot Central America 1 or countries farther south. AlsO the presence of coal deposits and evidence ot oil fields Indicate the , iuxurloua vegetation that at one , region. It Is' t!me xst.d In thia now a physical Impossibility for that ! kind ot animal and vegetable lite to . flourish in Oregon. Hence this con-, ditton has called forth various ex-j planations for the climatic changes : in the Oregon country. There is a theory that the alrj once contained much more carbonic' acid gas and moisture than It does ( now. The presence of carbonic acid i gas and moisture In air perhaps made it retain a much larger per-, centage ot heat received from the , sun. The carbonic acid gas and ' moisture hi the atmosphere cauaed the atmosphere to act as a sort of a ; cloak to prevent the escape of heat from 'the earth. According to this ( ttiiMrT thA dlmatA nf thm Orernn . . ... 'country may have been tropical tor a long period. In support ot this theory it is cla i imed that as limestone and other : rocks were formed so much oxygen i was taken from the air for this pur - cuhb-ovi iu i icuipciaie uuo. the ttrlbll, 019 P" ot glaciers in the Oregon country to nift of tne ,n which they believe the air once much I u ri0.otl, m.. theory how'ver, does not satisfac torily explain how the climate came . " - probable that the general depression 1 ,on llmB w" neceesary lor inr fbn took HeM U . . ... serves the purpose of this article I in proving the great age of the re 1 glon,.aad that the Oregon country is s part or tne oiq woria noi me new. Another theory is based upon the hypothesis that when much ot the Oregon country was yet covered with water the gulf stream found Its way far Into the Interior, thus raising the temperature; but as the sea and greater lakes disappeared the tem perature gradually lowered. Unttad StatM Beat, The seal of the tailed State was tedded opoo June 30, 17&2. The ob verse is . tbe familiar side bearing eagle, arrows, olive branch, etc Th reverse, which haa never been cut aa nert of the seaL show aa unfinished inmnUl ahnve which la an eve la a Ihhw triangle. Tbe lowest course of n,,,:,. bean the Roman number MtMXl-XXVt. Beoeath so a golden OHMto: "Novls Ordo scroll Is tb Saedorum" (A new era is the ae3 and above the pyramid is the motto. -Annuit Coeptic" (He prospers our seginnlog). Suggestions in Order. Jad TanklBS says s bird that cea sing and wont sing must be oiade to sing bat bow are you going te saake KT "OLD FASHIONED DANCES" Tire Bargains'. We have made our revised Tire Prices as low as those of other makes, but the Su perior quality of our Good year Tires and Tubes remain the same. INLAND AUTO COMPANY PRINEVILLE, OREGON Rimarfcable Apparition. Edward Fitzgerald, the translator ef "Omar" and on of the least super stitlous ot men, told of sn apparltloa he was quite unable to explain en nab oral lines. He saw clearly bis sister 1 and ber children having tea in bla din- lug room, through (he window from I"dn. although they were Dot I visiting him at the time. Ht also aaw 'his sister quietly withdraw from the room, as though th children. At died la Norfolk. feariug t disturb that moment she Picnic Under Bsech Tree, When In full foliage the beech tree !s remarkable for Its close shade and Coolness. The branches and sack parts of the tree aa cannot be more usefully employed make capital fire wood. Msblta ef th Bird. Most birds' famine do not keep lev getber, but scatter upon leaving the nest Bat the klnejay, bluebird, the kingbird snd s few ethers less gen erally known live together th greater pert of the year. Kays John Burroogha. 40 and '80 Acre Tracts On the Ochoco Project OCHOCO Novel Pistol. A Frenchruao has perfected th la vent loo of a "poison pistol." U on Is not permitted to carry firearms. poison pistol will do tbe work ss ef ficiently. It Is like sn ordinary gun In appearance but without bullets or cart ridges. Th haodl of the run con tain poison gna fluid, tf the trig ger la pressed a thin stream of th pVllson fluid sfaeots out and sets ls stantly. Mtdals Leng in Us. Medala ar of ancient origin. Th word medal, or medallion, was first iF!.,ed 10 productions of th mint of uoent Home, or (truck la province under the empire. Uedala wer mad by belligerent nations during th war and awarded to soldier la recvgnltloa ef distinguished service. Hint fer Inventors, If I were an Inventor. I should try to Invent Something th public wants, but is nusbl t get, rather than some thing that th public might like after getting used to It, but would have te be educated "up to." The Natlua'a Business. At prices that are fair, terms that you can meet. If you want an irrigated ranch, we have it for you. Orifice with Crook County Journal. LAND CO., Prineville, Oregon Th Villain. A rural exchange tells of in old worn in being" "knocked unconscientious by i chauffeur, who then speeded away." We bave our own opinion as to which was the unconscientious party, Boa. loa Transcript. Should Nivr Hav Lift Sarah. "My dear,' said an old lady, "I felt I ought never to bav taken tbe hol iday Scarcely had I set foot la my spartments when I was handed a tele gram from Sarah. 'Parrot laid an egg. Wlr Instructions." Liadlng Industrie. According to the latest available sta tistic tb leading Industrie of the Cnlted State are aa follow : t, food ; 2. textile; 8, Iron and steel; 4. lum ber; ft, leather ; 4. paper and printing. A Big Nw Lmn. A new lemon called tb Ponderosa, Is now bln cultivated. It grows te the size of grapefruit and, although t flavor I rather mild, may b uxed in every way In which ordinary teta nus are used. 9