Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1900, PART ONE, Page 6, Image 6

THE MORNING OREGPNIAN, MONDAJ-, JANUARY 1, lROO,
r
cent But crops previously raised bring up
the average. This estimate is based upon
en acreage of 250,000 acres, and an av
erage of 20 bushels to the acre. In addi
tion must be mentioned the quantities or
baney, alone more in bulk than the entire
cereal crop of many of the richest coun
ties in Oregon; the rye cut for threshing
and for hay; the corn now beginning to
be raised for export to the seaboard; oats
increasing each year for feeding to local
livestock: the entire grain and hay prod
uct of the county reaching a total of $2,
250,000. Llvestoclc Interests.
Although -wheat constitutes the chief
product of the county, livestock comes
next in importance. In the county are
owned 200,000 sheep, 75,000 cattle, 5000 hogs,
60O00 horses, and from these were sola,
during 1S99, approximately 100,000 sheep,
a an average price of $2 10 per head,
bringing $210,000; 10,000 horses, bringing
at the very least $150,000; 30,000 cattle,
'bringing $500,000; -with the hogs contribut
ing something like $12,500 to the total.
Some idea of the development of the
hlgh-bued horse Industry may be gained
from the statement that in Pendleton are
10 horses -which in 1899 -went a mile In less
than 2:20. All these horses -were bred in
this county.
"Wool and "Woolen Products.
The clip of wool amounted to 2,000,000
pounds. Ready sale 6enr the entire prod
uct, excepting that which was retained for
consumption in the local mills, to the East
early in the season. Ten cents a pound
for the clip gives $300,000 as the return to
the sheep men from sale of wool. In
addition, they sold the sheep already
mentioned.
Scouring and -woolen mills are operated
In Pendleton. Several commission houses
iandle the wools of this and other coun
ties In Oregon and Washington. The wool
handled In Pendleton, in which centers the
industry, was 7,000.000 pounds. Large quan
tities are constantly being utilized in the
manufacture of fine all-wool blankets, and
the now famous Pendleton Indian robes,
-which have become staple throughout the
East, and are used extensively as steamer
rugs.
Flour and Mlllstnffs.
"While some might question the asser
tion that Pendleton and other Umatilla
county mills lead the Pacific coast In
quality of flour made and shipped to the
ends of the earth, none will say that
flour made in no other place leads Pen
dleton flour. One mill, that of W. S. Pay
ers, has a capacity of 1000 barrels a day,
and exports immense quantities to the
Orient and to South ana Central America.
This foreign trade, built up by Mr. Byers
has demonstrated the possibilities of de
veloping trade in the Oriental countries,
and has been not a small factor in the
cereal Industry of the Inland Empire.
Over 2,000,000 bushels of wheat are ground
In the county annually, and sent out as
flour for sale in other points.
Dairying: Industry.
Dairymen sold during 1899, $50,000 of but
ter to home consumers. It was not enough
to supply the demand, and, consequently,
large quantities were shipped in Irom out
side points.
Herein lie wonderful opportunities for
practical dairymen, wbo, coming here and
establishing upon a system of regular sup
ply of products at all times of year, will
find abundant room for their energies.
Succulent grasses, mild climate, broad
ranges, heavy demand at good prices, are
the inducements to dairymen to come to
Umatilla county.
During the last two months of 1899 (and
this will be done during the first two
months of 1900), $1000 of butter "was shipped
lere from Portland for local consumption.
This butter could better be made in this
county.
Fruit Industry.
"Within Umatilla county lies one half the
ous Walla Walla river valley, known
and wide for Its fruits and vegetables.
This seetion comprises Milton and Freewa-
ter and contiguous territory. There, an
nually, are raised and marketed an aver
age of $100,000 of fruits, of the finest grown
on the Pacific coast. From that region
have come the very best specimens that
have won prizes at Portland and Spokane,
and, so It Is strongly hinted, these Uma-tilla-grown
fruits from the Walla Walla
valley have too often been exhibited as
from Walla Walla. At any rate, Umatil
la county's Walla Walla valley fruits add
largely to the annual productioiTof wealth,
although last year the return was consid
erably below the average, on account of
the unusually severe winter preceding the
growing season,
Lumber Manufactured.
The strength of the lumber industry in
dicates the progress quite as correctly as
does any other industry. The year just
ended witnessed fairly large increase in
the demand for lumber, and Umatilla
county's mills have been unable to sup
ply more than a small percentage of the
quantity used.
In the sections off the railroad, to the
south of the O. R. & N. main line, and
north beyond Weston and Milton, new
mills have been built, and scarcely ap
preciably affect the demand, so great has
It been. These Interior localities have
gone ahead so rapidly that all the lum
ber made there has been consumed at
lomc
Virgin forests standing on an hundred
"bills Invite lumbermen to enter the county
for the conduct of their business.
Public Improvements.
The year has brought Improvement In
Dne particular, that may well engage
the attention of the people of the state.
Prior to 1S99, the county roads were
worked under the old supervisor system,
confessedly crude and expensive, and yet
time-honored and, therefore, tenacious of
life. The county court, early In the year,
abolished It, and substituted a plan under
which J. B. McDIH was appointed county
road superintendent, with charge of all
matters connected with roads and bridges.
Replacing the assessment of day labor
from the taxpayers, a cash tax was Im
posed, as allowed by law, and cash paid to
all laborers. The results speak for them
selves: Road and bridge expenses for
1S9S, old system. 524,247 55; for 1699. new
system, $15,987 SI; difference in expense,
5825S 64. This lessened expense Is shown
-with three times as much work done the
last year as was done in 189S. The work
was much more permanent in character,
and objections to the new system, at first
loud and vehement, have been succeeded
by enthusiastic indorsement from all
parts of the county.
During the year Pendleton has expended
$25,000 in improving the city water-works,
system.
General Observations.
Intelligent understanding of the figures
foregoing cannot be obtained without giv
ing a basis for computation. Umatilla
county has a population of 13,000. The
area of the county is 3500 square miles.
The taxable property is approximately
$8,009,000.
Apportioning the quantity of products
and their market value to the popula
tion, gives a result that is somewhat as
tonishing. With $8,250,000 in gold brought
into the county from the sale of the
products, the per capita production is
shown to be $250 and three-eighths of the
entire taxable property.
Umatilla county has no mines of conse
quence, only a small extent of territory
in the southern end being mineral land.
Yet, the amount actually produced and
sold would be enough to make a re
markable showing for a large county in
which mining Is the main Industry.
These broad acres, rich In nutriment for
grains and grasses and fruits, constitute
a better El Dorado than that to which
the excited Klondlkers rushed during the
summer of 1S97. For, there are no. placer
doposlts to be exhausted, no ledges to
"pinch out," no prosperity based upon
booms and worked-up excitements! This
rate of production here shown by reli
able figures Is but the suggestion of what
Umatilla county will give to the , world
in future years, in foods, clothing and
other necessities, when all the lands 'shall
be brought under cultivation. To the
srest and north of Pendleton are vast
areas of arid lands awaiting only the
coming of the lrrigatlonist to make them
marvelously productive, for, with water,
they will yield anything grown in the
temperate zone. Years and years must
elapse before the possibilities in this JIne
are exhausted, for so long as water flows
down the Umatilla river to the sea will
potential fertility and possible productive
ness be unused.
JOHN B. LATHROP.
Pendleton, Or.
e
POLK COUNTY.
Substantial Gains Last Tear in Many
Important Lines.
Tou ask me to write of the progress of
Polk county for the past year. The unfa
vorable, harvest left very little first-class
wheat for market. The grain crop, which
otherwise promised well, became a poor
one in the farmer's hands. Dow prices,
made lower still by the damaged condition
of the crop, helped to make 1899 a hard
year for wheatgrowers. The wheat crop
in Polk county under normal conditions
is approximately 1,250,000 bushels. The
amount of wheat saved this year Is less
than 1,000,000 bushels. As compared with
1894 and 1895, when wheat sold for from
29 cents to 34 cents per bushel, there has
been a positive gain to wheatproducers,
but as compared with 1897 and 1S9S this
great Industry is now in a backward state.
Polk county was worsted this year by its
contact with the hop industry. Last year
we produced 2,800,000 pounds of hops, for
which we received an average of 134 cents
per pound. The present crop was raised
and garnered at a large cost, owing to ad
vance in wages and materials employed,
and a desperate struggle is in progress to
bring the farmer the cost of producing the
hops. The outcome is to be determined
by events of the new year.
In very Important lines there have been
substantial gains In Polk county during
the past year. While our lands are chiefly
agricultural, it has become recognized that
our greatest sources of wealth He outside
the production of grain. The vast timber
lands lying along the western border of
the county, from the foothills to the moun
tain tops, are attracting attention from
all parts of the country. The timber Is
chiefly fir, but forests also abound in p'ine,
spruce, hemlock, larch, yew, ash, oak,
maple and alder all suitable for lumber.
The fir trees are majestic, many of them
being four to eight feet in diameter, the
first limbs being more than 100 feet above
ground. The most of this timber Is easily
accessible through nature's great high
waysstreams that take their rise In the
Coast mountains and flow Inland or toward
the sea. Since the 1st day of January,
1899, 3656 acres of land in Polk county have
been filed upon under the homestead laws
(nearly all timber land) and, 4488 acres un
der the timber-land laws, a total of 8144
acres. There are vast quantities of this
land still open to entry, and timber cruis
ers are almost daily scaling the timber
sections looking up lands for entry. The
Rock creek country. In southwestern Polk,
Is rich In timber lands, and a large and"
thriving community has been built up there
in the past few years. Many good home
steads and timber claims In that Imme
diate vicinity are open to settlement. The
lumber Industry has Increased greatly in
the past year.
Lumber Manufacture.
There are 14 saw mills in the county,
employing 300 men. About 12,000.000 feet
of lumber have been cut this year, 5,000,
OOO feet of which found market in other
states of the Union. If cars for shipping
could have been secured at all times when
needed the shipment of lumber abroad
would have been double. Since our en
terprising lumbermen have established a
market for their product throughout the
country, there will in future be no limit
to the lumber output save that which is
set by transportation facilities.
The opening of a granite quarry within
two miles of the county seat is an im
portant step in the development of our re
sources. This stone has been tested and
employed In building and Is second to no
building stone yet found in the state.
The quality of this stone and its accessi
bility will commend it to architects and
builders.
An important industry just passing its
Infant stage is goat culture. By the ad
vent of this Industry the clearing of the
oak grub lands Is in itself profitable. In
deed, lands long thought to possess but lit
tle value because of the heavy growth
of young oak are now sought after by
purchasers. The flocks of goats on our
hills and ridges are bringing In fine re
turns for their owners. While money
well invested brings 8 per cent, every dol
lar invested in goat culture brings 26 per
cent to the investor. The increase In the
number of goats In Polk county during
the past year has been 4974, there being
now a total of 14,921. The value of the
goats in the county January 1, 1899. was
$24,867, and January 1st, 1S00, $52,223, an
Increase -of more than 100 per cent. The
mohair clip of 1899, at 334 cents, brought
$9996 and the 1900 clip will approximately
be 45,000 pounds. This can be safely
counted on to bring goat farmers $15,000.
This region is stated by experts to yield
the finest quality of mohair produced in
the United States, and there is no limit
to the growth of this Industry among us.
The years to come will And this depart
ment of agriculture standing near the
forefront.
Farmers Increasing: Their Herds.
It has been but a few years since cat
tle, shep and horses were comparatively
worthless, and soon flocks and herds had
disappeared from the county. Since 1895.
when cows sold at $S to $12 per head and
calves at $2 50 to $3 at weaning-tlme,
there has been a great change. Then the
tendency was to disperse flocks and herds;
now when sheep, cattle and horses are
bringing good prices, the tendency Is to
gather together this class of property, and
almost every farmer has sheep or cattle
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PRODUCTS OF UMATILLA COUNTY IN 1S99
TVTieat 4,000.000 bushels t Fruit $75,000
Barley 250,000 bushels j Wool 2,000,000 pounds
Oats 40,000 bushels Sheep (sold) 100,000 head
Corn 20,000 bushels Cattle (sold) 30,000 head
Rye (hay) 3,000 tons Horses (sold) 10,000 head
Besides large quantities of lumber, dairy products, woolen goods,
machinery, flour and millstuffs.
000 0 0 00 000 0 00 00 008 0 00000 09
to supplement his efforts to wrest a llv- I
ing from the soil. The number of sheep
and cattle in the county has increased 25
large
sales.
Farmers have taken great advantage of
the high price of butter, eggs and poul
try, and this line of industry never be
fore yielded such, large returns. I have In
mina just now one larmer who has a
.. . .. .
smau aairy in connection wun nis farm.
who has made in the past year 2700 pounds
of butter, that he sold at 25 cents perv
pound. This gentleman handled from 10
to 12 cows during the past year. It would
seem that there Is a valuable suggestion
in the experience of this farmer which
will be acted upon in time by numbers of
our enterprising farmers. There are in
the county some 750 acres of young or-
chard, now coming into full bearing, and
in this is laid the foundation of further
diversity In agriculture that will serve to
make more certain the returns of farmers
from year to year. The fruit grown in
eur orchards Is now commanding a large
price and those who have harvested their
crops and reserved them to the present
are reaping large returns. '
Manufactnrinir Interests.
M , , , t ,
Our manufacturing interests are sub-
stantial and ;nermanent and have in-
creased during the year. We have four
creameries, 14 saw mills, 32 fruit evapo-
rators, three tile factories, one tannery,
two planing mills with sash and door fac
tory, five flouring mills and a first-class
woolen mill which runs night and day,
has a well-established market for Its out
put, employs SO hands in its operation.
All of the above industries are now active.
Our educational facilities are such as
to attract homeseekers. Public schools
are well officered and enterprising teach
ers are at the helm. At the recent annual
Institute the teachers enrolled included
every teacher in the county but one a safe
criterion of educational conditions. Polk
county has located within her borders the
Oregon state normal school at Monmouth,
which has added this year to Its building
valuable Improvements.
There has been much Immigration to the
county during the past year. A good class
of citizens has been added -to. our popula
tion and many of them possess means and
have bought lands among us.
Transportation facilities of the county,
by river and by rail, are of the best.
There Is in process of construction a rail-
way from Falls City to Dallas which we
are assured will be completed ere long.
This will open up direct communication to
the great timber area that lies towards
the head waters of the Lucklamute river.
There has been an Increase of more than
$100,000 In assessed values in the county,
me gross valuation Demg $,s.iz,bou. .foiK
county has not yet learned to take advan- put In years of hard work trying to de
tage of the various devices that are some- velop It Perhaps future scientific dia
tlmes successfully employed to escape mond-drilllng may reveal its presence
state taxes. The financial condition of the there in paying quantities. Only the crud-
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county was never better. A new court
house, costing $45,000, built entirely of
stone, Is nearlng completion. Warrants
are selling at a premium. Indeed, save a
few months following August, 1893, county
warrants have never sold below par.
Roads are bccom'ng better, and many of
the leading highways are In good con
dition all the year around. No section of l
Oregon offers greater Inducements to
homeseekers. The soil Is a deep, rich al
luvial deposit, and produces unusually
large crops of farm products of all kinds.
The lands are rolling, well drained and
healthful. Land Is selling at reasonable
prices, when offered for sale, there being
large quantities of land suitable for stock
range to be had at a nominal price: The
condition of the people Is manifested in
the well-kept homes, good fences, barns
and buildings, and in the Increased fiocks
and herds and bank deposits of her citi
zens, amounting to more than $500,000. The
condition of the people In this section,
taken as a whole, Is In advance of what
It was 12 months ago. The prospects for
the new year are bright, indeed, and an
air of confidence pervades all, of whatever
occupation or pursuit they may be.
B. F. MULKET.
Monmouth, Or., December 27, 1899.
3 0 i
MORROW COUNTY.
A Diversified Region That Has Room ,
for More People.
The county that makes 16 mutton chops
grow where only one grew before, and re
peats the performance with roast beef
and loaves of bread, is doing its work for
Via TtrrtT OT nrt nna nan ef 14- 1ttt
mc .., ....v. .w ,. i.u asi. i. uunu
as a arone in tne numan nive.
Such a county is Morrow, which has
earned for Itself a place on every map.
Its feet are cooled by the ever-restless
waters of the mighty Columbia, and It
holds Its head proudly aloft along the
western spur of the beautiful Blue moun
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tains, where the tall tamaracks bend In
the breezes and in the frosty fall make a
wonderf ul transformation from bright
fuel for the family fireplace.
Timber and Mineral.
There Is a general diversity about Mor
row county. At its south end it eontalns
a dozen townships of well-timbered moun-
tnln .nnlnn ntlT. .. . .3 . , ..
""" .". "" - 'j- s""" auyviy oi
red and white flr and their kindred type
of trees. Able-bodied trees they are, fit
for fuel or lumber, and among them are
patches of pretty pralriei In summer time
" " n 7ol, .f, " ' summer ume
knee-deep in tall timothy and redtop, mln- j
Sled with wonderful wild flowers a car-
Pet nt made by hands, showing the strlk- ,
Ing contrast between the Indian pink and
the modest, most beautiful blue of the
caas blossom.
The northern slope of this western
6Pur inclines toward Willow creek and
the Columbia, and the southern slope
trends toward the watershed of the north
fork of the John Day. The timber is
open and parklike, and there are bold !
ureutts ana 'ocKy reacnes ana castellated
table fockTs frowning at their mates
across the John Day basin. It is a region
of summer pasture, wild and romantic,
and the elk and deer still roam there,
' the grouse are plentiful and the cry of
the cougar is heard round the campflre by
night.
The timber of this region will last for
ages, and there is a new growth coming
on. There are symptoms here snowing
that the American sheep Is slandered when
charged with eating up the forests. At
D. A. Herren's camp, on Ditch creek,
where sheep have been corraled for years,
a fine giowth of young pine is rapidly
coming on, and will soon be fit for fish
poles and then for masts. Sheepmen use
turpentine mixed with lampblack for
branding sheep, but they never pour it
on the little baby trees to keep the sheep
from eating them up. The tree furnishes
Its own turpentine, and always will, and
it is thus that nature tells the sheep not
to eat the tree. And he does not He
eats the grass that would otherwise dry
up and burn up and set Are to the forest.
No systematic search for, mineral has
ever been made in this mountain part
of Morrow county. Some prospecting has
been done on a mineral ledge at the head
of Willow creek basin, and D. B. Stalter
has just started winter's work on a gold
and silver ledge at the head of Copple
' creek. Many people begin to believe that
the mineral wave that formed the rich
Sumpter district washed wavelets soas to
lap over into the southern end of Mor
row county.
Coal has been found well up on Matte-
son mountain, "and the Matteson brothers
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Comparative Diagram Illustrating the Growth of Oregon's Population.
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est and most laborious methods have as
yet been tried there.
There is a saw mill on Dutch Blllle
creek, and room for several more along
the mountains.
Iiife in the Heppner Mills.
Midway between the timber line and the
Columbia roll the foothills and the plateau
country, the most populous part of Mor
row county. -Here are many streams of
water coming down, and here Is much fer
tility. The Indian name for the Heppner
hills region was some jaw-aching word,
meaning land of good grass. It was well
bestowed.
If the fat cattle and sheep that have
been raised in these hills were strung out
In procession, they would reach to the
Transvaal, round the world and back
again. It has proven itself to be one of
the best stockralsing regions on earth. Its
wool will warm the world, and Its beef
has been ever famous since Tom Quaid
and Price Florence began raising it in
pioneer days.
There are more than 150,000 sheep In
Morrow county, and not one of them
kicks over the traces and refuses to yield
up a crop. The many million pounds
they turn off Is of excellent quality. That
raised around Heppner goes 9 to 11
pounds to the fleece. That raised In the
sandy district, near the Columbia, goes
12 to 14 pounds to the fleece, but brings
a lower price per pound, as sand is not
! Vnllinhlft fry OrttVttmr rA m.nl V. TTtnn'nAJ
" ' 6, "" ""' "o f"11"
Water Wanted.
At the northern end of Morrow county
are several townships of seeming sand and
sagebrush, which are uninviting to the
eye. But when this soil Is irrigated. It
Is surprising what wonderful crops It will
Produce. The Collimhin rlvpr wrrlpo rasf
1. i j . .
it an aounaance or welcome water, and If
us nie-giving qualities could be trans
ferred to the land, great results would
follow. It is an enterprise for capitalists
to consider. With transcontinental daily
trains running past, It Is a region de
serving development Even in Its present
dry condition it supports large herds .of
stock, and Its fruitralsine nossibiUflpq nr
immense. At Willard H. Herren's home
ranch, the old Sinnott place, on Eight
Mile, the choicest of grapes, berries and
all their cousin fruits are produced in
profusion. The climate and soil are
there, and Irrigation does the rest
Field for Farmers.
In the broad expanse of Morrow county,
embracing a diversified terrltnrtj- of va
by 70 miles, there are many openings for 1
farmers, nr mukh , vi n (
. .v..og mo uui ui me gov
ernment land has been taken up, but
many desirable tracts may yet be found
In scattered spots. The county is as yet
practically undiscovered, and tha new-
comers who want to find farms will find
them here at surprisingly low figures.
la Indians are leasing their lands at from
$2 50 to $10 per acre for the raising of one
cr0D of eratn. Land in the Heppner coun-
, grain may now be bought at $5 an acre.
wnn perrect title. Much of it would pay
for Itself with one crop.
The man who doubts the fertility of the
Heppner hills need only look at the har
vested product of the Robert Dexter
ranch on the ridge, six miles south of
'".. uu wC ii
HeDnner. ThP.ro nil rinnhto nr ror-,
You can look at the grain fields on the
mountain sides between Weston and Wal-
la Walla, and then come and see the
same Identical slopes among the Heppner
hills waiting for some one to come and
cultivate them.
Prices of livestock have gone away up,
and wool is going up, but the price of
land in Morrow county does not seem to
be affected by the general appreciation,
This condition cannot last long, and land
values are sure to Increase. J. M. Hager,
of Heppner, who has watched the devel-
opment of Eastern Oregon from its be-
ginning, confidently predicts that the
poorest grazing land In Morrow county
will some day be brlncine $10 an apra sn
making money for its owners at that
price.
The large number of new people coming
Into the Northwest have been falling I
short of and passing by borrow county j
and her Heppner hills, but such condi
tions cannot last Those who come here
will And that the country's natural re
sources will stand investigation. Her
finances ditto. She is almost out of, debt,
and her local rate of taxation is low in
proportion to her sisters'.
Health and "Wealth.
The people of the Heppner country must
be prosperous, for the bank here has de
posits today of more than $430,000. The
population of the town Is not over 1200,
and many people made a start here with
a cosh capital of six bits. Most of them
are now glad they came.
Here Is a grand climate, and on every
side you see specimens of vigor. It is
Christmas day, but there is the milkman
from the Transvaal rushing around in
his shirtsleeves, bringing joy to house
holds, and if there isn't Ellis Minor com
ing from up the creek with a string of
fish. He looks exactly as he did 21 years
ago, and wears the same coat with the
piece of sleeve shot "away during the In
dian war of '78.
People never seem to grow old In this
climate, and here you see ten to one more
healthy men to the acre than elsewhere.
See them come up Main street, perfect
pictures of health. Ex-Mayor Morgan
the same Tom Morgan who defied hostile
Indians on the overland stage road 40
years ago. With his hearty laugh you
would guess his age at 30 today. Here
Is Felix Johnson, who was through the
Mexican war; Martin Anderson, who
mined In '49 and whose spirit of adven
ture took him to India to fight through
the Sepoy rebellion; Peter Borg, who
swapped for the first mules raised In Mis
souri, and has had the responsibility of
handling most of the precious stones ever
brought to Heppner; Henry Heppner, the
tvhn line vionn ninnni tv. Toifl ",o
from its earliest Infancy; Judge Dutton, J?A f " S!,aSe fTm. Hepp"
who has never tired himself or others ?verJ CanyonnCItyi10 m"es' A tri-weeK-with
long decisions; Jim Jones, Lum Jftage to t Rock- 40 m"es; also to
KnP.ll. Arthur llnlv Tnm Avars TVim
Quaid and Bill Hughes, who were the
very first forerunners of the great stock
industry in this region; Tom Matlock,
George Noble, Ed Bishop, Pap Simons,
A. M. Gunn, Governor Rea, Park Garrl
gues, Frank Gilliam, Arthur Smith, Mat
LIchtenthal, J. W. Morrow and other pio
neer business men they look not a week
older than they did 20 years ago. They
are walking advertisements for this good
P.llmatA. RnTrm ffTw mnv hnva n nrM
gray hair, but that color does iust as irood I
work in the capacity of fly fender. And
the only noticeable difference In Phil Co-
hen and Mayor Conser is that a 32-inch
poXrml111 But wflfbX
and Joe Rector and George Gray and Or-
rin Farnsworth and Dave Herren the bay
window has refused to arrive, and Dick
Neville, the campaign poet, still stands
charged with being the author of "Beau-
tiful Snow."
Dock Shobe, whose natural tendency to
apoplexy brought on several strokes of
paralysis, is still able to get around and
enjoy the climate which has braced him
up for more than 20 years. He was also
a pioneer of Pioche, a forty-niner at Sac- .
ssssf- ssssssst sx
jovial doctor and the romping, rosy- '
cheeked babies show what the amber air
of this Western interior will do for hu-
man health. Es-Senator Henry Black-
0000000099999999900000999000900000000000000000000000 0
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF PORTLAND AND THEIR COST
In 18S0, the largest number of pupils enrolled In the public schools of
Portland was 2513. The enrollment had risen, in 1891, to 5215; In the fol
lowing year, through the consolidation of East Portland and Alblna with
Portland, to 9641; and in 1S99, to 11,899, the highest in the history of the
city. The total expenditures for school purposes Increased from J6S.5S9 07
, in 18S0, to $301,828 28 in 1892, and $420,000 (estimated) in 1S99. The average
annual cost per pupil, of maintaining the public school system, on the
basis of the highest number enrolled, was $27 29 in 1SS0. In 1SS6 It was
$25 25; in 1892 it was 531 30; In 1898 It was $2S 54, and in 1S99 it was $35 29.
Statistics of enrollment and total cost since 1880 are:
Highest No. Total school
Tear. enrolled, expenditures.
18S0 2,513 $ 6S.5S9 07
1S81 2 894 118.105 56
1882 3.130 1G0.097 92
1883 3,483 150.150 42
1884 3.816 129,277 16
18S5 3,978 130,391 90
1SS6 4.066 102.694 17
1887 4,132 133,059 43
1888 4.2S9 135.347 51
1889 4,562 149.4G5 35
At the beginning of 1899, the school
expenditures for the year would be
applied to the payment of outstanding
9 9999999999999999909999099900000000000000000000000000
man, made ill by the wild excitement of vegetables do equally well In the higher
the Spokane stock exchange, Is here to I regions of Wallowa valley proper; also
recover his health. Two days In bed and In the localities known as Flora ' Lost
he Is out and up town again. J. L. Mor- Prairlo and Paradise. The facts ' above
row, the father of the county, would stated were verified at the late dlstr'ct
probably be here today were It not for fair, held In La Grande, as more Drem
the hard experiences he endured during iums were awarded to the products of this
the Indian wars of 40 years ago. J county than those of any other county
In Heppner To-ivn. ln l 4,strlct- Medals and diplomas were
. , . awarded to the Wallowa county growers
Toung men stay young In Heppner, and at the Industrial Exposition held in Port
old ones refuse to get older. It Is a cos- land ln 1898. In fact, everything that
mopolitan place, and vanity, thy name is -an be grown In this latitude can beralsed
scarcity. There Is no ordinance against n Wallowa county, and a good market
wearing your trousers-legs inside your ound .for 1L The farmer who' does not
.ooUe If you fee. so dispo, and no f T? S? JS&Sr&fS
one finds fault because Roard Supervisor raise enough for their own use. It has
Pat Quaid will not follow fashion and been said, and truly, that there Is no more
quit wearing the only high-heeled boots in fortunate and naturally wealthy district in
whales his dogs for sucking eggs without I
me country. ixo one cares n jim xseviue .
a license, and not a young man in Hepp
ner wears his cuff for a collar.
The saddle-horse here is still in use, and
neither the scorcher nor the bare-headea
football enthusiast encrusted in mud ana
life-preservers trots along the sidewalks.
On somo of them they would fall through,
where wagons have evidently been before.
Whole-souled people are these residents
of Heppner, and plainly American, plain
ly Western. No one's head Is swelled, ana
hearty holiday greetings are exchanged
today. Prosperity and liberty make broth
ers of them all, and there is a fraternal
freemasonry between the man with a
bir bank account and the man who is
just making a start For, here, as In
pioneer mining camps, men who have be
come fathers and grandfathers are still
called by the old, familiar, home-like Jim,
Jack or Tommy. This is the custom here
in town, just the same as In the sheep or
cow camps over on Rutabaga or Rawdog
ridge.
Briclc Buildings Nott.
Heppner has a main street to bo proud
of. It is 100 feet wide, Is slightly sloping,
and extends the full length of the town.
When Henry Heppner and J. L. Morrow
put up the first store building here, the
present street was a ryegrass flat, where
cattle could hide. That was nearly 30
years ago, and the ryegrass Is now well
tramped out. The wooden business build
ings are beinggraaually replaced by bricks,
eight of which now loom up. The mos:
loom-up of all Is the three-story brick
Palace hotel, on the Morrow corner. It is
owned by Sta"te Senator J. W. Morrow,
who Js now giving It his personal atten
tion. The man who did not realize before
that this is a land of plenty is free to ac
knowledge It when he sees the spread on
this hotel table. Such Jersey cream Is a
rarity outside of. the home circle. To eat
pineapples In perfection, you have to go
to the spot where they are ripened on
their own stalks, not picked green and
sour and ripened later on a long journey.
On the same principle, meats right off the
rich bunchgrass are served up at Heppner,
and people revel In good things to eat.
'Start of a City.
Heppner has three things it may well be
proud of: A good hotel, where the stran
ger's first impressions are good ones. A
magnificent schoolhouse on the hill, where
the children can catch, the rising rays
and setting slants of the sun, and could
see New York were it not for intervening
hills. A good grist mill is here, with mod
ern water-power, and its flour is mostly
made Into bread, a substance used for food,
but some of It strays off into angel cake
and flapjacks. The Heppner mill has al
ways been of local fame only, but some
day It will branch out Into an exnort mill
and do its share toward feeding foreign
nations, whose people now live on air, rice
and scrub bananas.
The increase In the production of wheat
here will surely continue, as has the sale
of agriculture" Implements. On John Cur
ran's lots here during the Indian raids of
1878 a fort was built and the spot bris
tled with weapons of war. During the
past few years plows, harrows and such
weapons of peace have been taken from
the same spot In large quantities and put
to work In the surrounding country. The
results of this work will Increase.
The first farmers who farmed along the
creek bottoms farmed on shares. Two
thirds of the grain went to the grower and
one-third to the prairie-chickens. Now
these birds have been abolished.
Promising- Prospects.
The future of the Heppner country never
looked brighter. Grass Is green and lux
uriant everywhere, hay is plentiful and
coming grain crops never looked better.
Sheep, cattle and collie dogs have been
bred up to a pitch of .perfection never be
fore attained, and the cleanest crop of
wool ever harvested Is coming on, with
good chances of commanding 20 cents a
pound. Dozens of new houses show up In
the south end of town, and the immense
tributary territory Is highly prosperous.
Heppner town Is sure to push ahead, and
new people and new enterprises will come
in-
From Here to There.
Heppner Is a railroad terminus, and one
train a day each way takes you to Hepp
ner Junction, 45 miles, where . the mam
O. R. & N. trains take you east or west.
To The Dalles It is 109 miles, to Portland
193. Leaving Heppner at 10 A. M. you
reach Portland at 6:45 P. M.
I " "" .-Mi.v.,
J. W. REDINGTON.
Heppner, December 25, 1S99.
181 .
WALLOWA COUNTY.
Stock the Principal Interest Valu
able, Copper Claims Staked.
Stockralsing is probably the most im-
Portant Interest of Wallowa county. It
constitutes the greatest source of wealth,
as will be seen from the fact that there are
GTa Xotlona?' headf T
Gund a Propionate number of hogs In
tne cu"ty. The annual revenue from the
sae of the Increases In this industry
would alone make a good-sized per capita
wealth for the county's 6000 population,
Aalde from the tock lnterestH the j t
nf ,itQ iij,. . ,!r V
f cllnte lncident varying altitudes
rrom a few nundred feet above sea level
to perpetual snow, favors the production
of all kinds of grain, vegetables and fruits,
which grow to the highest perfection'
r rche? ap,rlr- ne,:tarie3-
nuts and sweet Potatoes grow In profu-
sl01 on the lower altitudes of Imnaha.
Grand Ronde river and Snake river, while
grains, grasses and hardier fruits and
. o
Highest No. Total school
enrolled, expenditures.
Tear.
1S90 4.S92
1891 5.215
1892 9.641
1893 9.810
$167,948 87
164.752 30
301.S23 2S
255.830 43
1894 10.273 287.180 70
1895 10,554 303,484 41
1896 10.890 334.810 40
1897 10.S82 362,870 66
1S9S 11,343 323.SG3 1S
1899 11.899 420.000 00
directors estimated that the total
$420,000, of which $115,000 was to
notes.
xne west man Wallowa- county.
Tho laboring man will seldom, find: a
more favorable locality than Wallowa
county. Among the many opportunities
for the worklngman without capital la
employment in the sawmills, and flouring
mills, on the farm, on the ranges, as a
cowboy, or a sheephorder. The pay m
these occupations Is better than can be
had In older communities. Farmhands
usually get from $25 to $30 per month tho
year round, when they enter into yearly
contracts. Sheepherders receive from $35
to $45 per month, while riders after cattle
and horses usually receive wages Interme
diate between that of the farmhand and
that of the sheepherder.
Since the passing of the hard times, the
day laborer in the harvest field has been
fortunate. Formerly the scale of wages
averaged about $1 per day, but now, whan
harvest times comes, men are scarce at
$1 SO per day. Sheepherding, while prob
ably the most distasteful occupation to
the average young or old man, is probably
the most remunerative, for the reason
that for months at a time the herder Is
away from civilization, and is unable to
saend his wages.
For the young man of push, energy and
ambition, Wallowa county Is the place to
begin. Competition is not great; con
sequently his efforts In -ny nne win re
ceive attention, and the reward due them.
For the man of small capital and much
energy, no better place on the continent
can be found to make a good beginning
and a substantial ending.
Discovery of Copper Mines.
Wallowa county has been the cynosure
of all eyes In the copper-mining world
the past year. In fact, not until a. few
months ago was It known that copper ore
existed In the county in Davlnsr nunntma.
It was known, however, that near the
mouth of the Imnaha there was mineral
of some kind. The Indians thought it was
gold that glistened In the rocks along tho
trail, while the old prospectors thought
there was some gold and copper but not
in paying quantities. In the spring of
1S90, Michael Toomey, while herding sheep
near tho mouth of the Imnaha, found
some well-defined ledges of mlneraj-bear-Ing
rock. He carefully Investigated the
discovery, and made it known, after he
had satisfied himself and located what ha
considered to he the best prospects. In
the meantime, some cattlemen In camp
one night on a round-up, turned their con
versation toward mining. One told of an
old prospector's story of the Indians
knowledge of the minerals In the Imnaha.
The Indians said: "Heap big gold. little
way up Imnaha." Another told of the
old prospector who had gone In search
of the Indians' gold, and on his return
to Spokane found the ore to be copper
pyrites, Instead of gold. The prospector
gave a sample of the rock to a lawyer,
who took It to Lewlston and showed It
to an assayer. Tha assayer, upon analy
sis, found tho ore to be rich in copper,
and after obtaining a meager description
of where It came from, quietly fitted out
and started In search of It. But Toomey
was ahead of him, and had the best claims
located. This story sharpened the wits
of some of the cowboys, who also had
seen mineral prospects on Snake river
during their rides for cattle. Four of
them made up their minds to go a3 soon
as possible and locate the Iedge3. Two
of them. W. R. Hlbbs and C. R. Barton,
started that night; and two starting the
following morning, found upon reaching
the prospects that Hibbs and Barton were
already there, and had the ground staked
ofl. They did their assessment work,
took in a few partners to hold the ground,
and before six months had passed they
bonded their claims for $100,000 with a
liberal cash payment. A force of 15 or
20 men is now doing further development
work. Toomey and Hamilton lately
bonded three of their claims for $10,000 per
claim, with a small cash payment.
As soon as word spread that copper
had been discovered on the Imnaha. pros
pectors from Lewlston coming up Snako
river soon discovered many more promis
ing ledges along Snake river, until now,
as has been said, "the whole country be
tween Imnaha and Lewlston has -boen,
staked." The copper mines are not the
first mineral discoveries in Wallowa coun
ty. For many years placer-mining ha3
been carried on successfuly on the bars
of Snake rivler. and many old miners who
want a genial climate for the winter, h:o
themselves to that river and make good
wages during the cold months. Several
years ago good gold and silver prospects
were found in the mountains above the
town of Joseph, but they have of lte
years been lost In the shuffle. They may
some time be developed into good paying
mtoes. CARL ROB.
Enterprise, Or.
o
WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Doable the Present Population Could
Easily Find Homes.
For its area, Washington county Is one
of the richest agricultural . counties in
the state. It Is In the northwestern part
of the Willamette valley' proper, and lt3
chief watershed Is the Tualatin river
and tributaries. On its east are Clacka
mas, Multnomah and Columbia counties,
on the north Columbia county, tho west
Tillamook and Tamhlll, and on the south
Tamhlll and Clackamas. It3 total area
Is 463.660 acres, which go to make up one
of the finest agricultural and dairy sec
tions of the Pacific Northwest
Of farming pursuits, grainraising leads.
About 81,000 acres are under the, plow,
but at least 75,000 acres more can be tilled
with success. The remaining acreage Is
finely adapted to pasturage for dairy pur
poses. heat is the great staple pro
duction, so far as values are concerned,
with oats a close second. A careful es
timate of the 1899 crop places wheat at
650,000 bushels, and oats at 600,000. The
average yield for wheat this year has
been about 22 bushels per acre. Gats
average from 35 to 40. Very little barley
and rye is produced, 20,000 bushels cover
ing this harvest
Dairying has made wonderful strides
within tho past few yeaJ3. Good cream
eries are located In all sections, and the
manufactured product has doubled since
1893. The public creameries alone mar
keted 320,000 pounds of butter In tho year
just ended, while the private dairies have
turned out 30,000 pounds for the markats.
Thi3 is an Industry the limits of which
are almost unbounded, owing to the great
acreage which can be converted into
pasture land. There has been a marked
Improvement In dairy stock, farmers gen
erally breeding to Jerseys. The total but
ter and cheese marketable product for
the year, Inclusive of ranch-made, will
closely touch the 600,000-pound mark.
Sixty thousand tons of hay. timothy and
clover and timothy, make ample provis
ion for fodder and give a surplus of 25,
000 tons for export to Portland and San
Francisco. Last year several thousand
tons of hay were shipped to tha Philip
pines for army use.
As a hop producer, the county 13 rap
idly forging to the front The crop oC
1S99 amounted to about 1.000.000 pounds,
and the greater per cent of this was
equal to the state's best production.
The uplands seem specially adapted TO
hop culture, and the soil Insures a fine,
quality. Indications are that this braach
of agriculture will bo greatly Increased
In 1900.
The vegetable production Is unrrstaled.
The rich bottom lands, known as "bea
ver dam." produce beyond all expecta
tions of those who are not acquainted
with the wonderful fertility of this allu
vial deposit All vegetables except those
Indigenous to the tropics are success
fully raised, and Portland's proximity af
fords a ready market for the surplus.
Frultralsing Is rapidly coming to the
front, and the production of prunes is
an Important industry. Prunes, pears,
apples and grapes and the lesser fruits
are produced In abundance.
aianufactnres.
This being a purely agricultural and
dairying county, it naturally follows that
there is a dearth of manufacturing. Tho
flour - milling business is weU lepreaenS