Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, January 01, 1904, Special Annual Edition, PART THREE, Image 42

Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1904, Special Annual Edition, PART THREE, Page 42, Image 42

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Newspaper Page TextTHE MORNING OREGOOTjAN, FRIDAT, JAFUAKY 1, 1904. THE BROAD COUNTIES OF SOUTHEASTERN OREGON LAND WHERE CATTLE AND SHEEP THRIVE ON BUNCHGRASS AND WHERE IRRIGATION PRODUCES RICH MEADOWS OF-HAY - 42 LIVESTOCK Is almost the exclusive in dustry of the tour counties which stretch along- the eastern boundary o Oregon from, the Cascade mountains to the Idaho line. Broad, bunch-grass plains and valleys are shut in by timbered mTTtfntng in the eastern part of this sec tion. The western half is more moun tainous and is dotted with numerous lakes, along whose banks are great tula swamps These have been converted by drainage Into luscious hay meadows. In this section private enterprise has earned out some of its largest irriga tion, -enterprises. The -Government has projected one of Its most extensive schemes of this kind in the Harney Valley. "When this is carried out and railroads have penetrated this now almost inaces Elble country, grain and fruit will be pro duced from much of the land now given over to livestock and thousands of farm era will pour in. There is, a great, future before Southeastern Oregon and it is not remote. p EtfRIOHED BY IRRIGATION. Klamath County's Success With AI t falfa-Dralnlng Great Swamps. WESTWARD the star' of irrigation wends its way. The early pioneer, as in every thing else, profited very little by his work in irrigation. In Klamath the early settler has sold his sagebrush land, only' to. see It re sold in a short time at a price fivefold greater than he received. The first ditch constructed here was by the Llnk ville Water Ditch Company, and was practically given away; some three years . ago this sold at a valuation of $20,000, And is now easily worth 540,000. The development 'of Klamath County has necessarily been very slow, caused "by its remoteness from a railroad. In the Spring of 1903 the Klamath Lake Railroad extended its track some seven miles into Klamath County to Poke gama, distant 34 miles from Klamath Falls, and has been doing a general passenger and freight business with this entire section. The prosjects are good for Its extension to Klamath Falls during the year 1904. Another industry established during 1903 is that of the Klamath Lake Navigation Company. This company has already two gasoline launches on tfle Klamath Lakes, and Intends to con struct one or more good-sized steamers during the coming season. Important work In the Jlne of irriga tion has been under way during the past year, probably the most important being the cutting of a canal from Lower Klamath Lake to "White Lake, increasing the supply of water to the Little Klam ath Ditch, better known as the Adams Ditch, thereby supplying the fertile lands of lower Lost River and Tule Lake with abundant water. In the Bonanza section a complete steam pumping plant has been installed that wlH furnish water for a large num ber ox acres of fine alfalfa land. Nu merous wheels are being constructed along Lost River. In some instances sin gle wheels will raise sufficient water for 150 acres of land and cost nothing to operate after being' Installed. Another matter that Is at present at tracting attention Is the draining of overflowed lands by means of diking with dredgers, the Klamath Lakes being bor dered with thousands of acres of this ass of land, which is very productive when drained. Klamath County has made great strides as a beef-feeding section, all the alfalfa produced In 1903 being purchased by San Francisco. Sacramento and Oakland par ties for the purpose of feeding beef cat tle until they are wanted at those cities. The cold, dry climate and sandy feed ing grounds are Ideal for the welfare of the stock. The several towns of Klamath County show a healthy growth during the year Just past, although Improvements were somewhat curtailed by lack of building material, the mills being unable to sup ply the demand for lumber. The general prosperity of the county is indicated by the better class of build ings constructed and the contented ap pearance of the people. GEORGE F. BALDWIN. Klamath Falls, December 15. GREAT HARNEY VALLEY. Land Which Feeds Vast Herds May Soon Be Irrigate'd. HARNET County has Its distinct in termountaln characteristics; its" phys ical features are strongly marked. Lo cated in the southeastern part of- the state, it is a strip 150 miles In length by an average of SO in width, with a varying altitude of from 4100 to 5000 feet,' yet capable of producing all kinds of grasses, cereals and hardy fruits and vegetables in every locality, and in fav-' ored sections, coves and sheltered vales, tropical fruits and plants. As In all seml-arld countries, the stock business is the predominant and most profitable industry, and on our 10,000 tsquare miles are ranged during the sum mer not less than 230.000 cattle and 500.000 sheep. Here are found the largest Indi vidual stock ranches In the United States. The products of the range gen erally make their exit to market by way of Ontario and Huntington: Huntington, however, is the main distributing point for merchandise Into the country. Hay, being the prlficipal adjunct, next to range possibilities for successful stock operations, is the mainstay and pride of Harney "Valley and County, the product for recent years of natural meadow hay aggregating 25,000 to 40,000 tons: and to this must be added not less than 10.000 tons of nutritious alfalfa. Until recent years wheat has been deemed an experiment, but It Is fast becoming a staple product and enough now is grown "to nearly sup ply the local market, and is manufactured Into flour at a mill near Burns. Lumber Is also one of the revenue features, four mills supplying the local wants and pro ducing about 1,000,000 feet a year. It is estimated that the product of the range of Harney County for each year is about J1.000.O00. One of the greatest needs at present is greater dairying facilities. Local con sumption Is not supplied In this respect, and Harney County merchants draw their supplies from Idaho and the Willamette Valley. A spur of the Blue Mountains ex tends across the northern portion c the county, heavily setvith a belt of sxcellent timber, yellow pine largely pre lomlnatlng, although fir, tamarack, bull pine, juniper and mountain mahogany are much in evidence, the two latter being principally used as firewood. The average width of this timbered belt la ibout 50 miles. In the southeastern part of the county Is the Stein Mountain range, extending from the Nevada line In a northeasterly course fully 63 miles, studded with pine parks and Juniper groves. From these mountain , fastnesses flow Silvies and Blitzen Elvers, Crane, Poison. Prather. Silver and Sage hen Creeks, which all trend in flow toward the great Harney Valley. No other valley In the state contains so many unbroken leagues of land a close estimate shows that there are 300,- 000 acres of tillable land susceptible of J irrigation. JJnder the recent Irrigation act Govern ment engineers have been collecting data during the past year with a view to a suitable water storage in Silvies River at the lower end of Silvies Valley, about 25 miles north of Burns, which will afford sufficient water to reclaim 250,000 acres of now arid lands. The plan' proposed contemplates a breast of solid masonry -60 feet high across a narrow gorge, which will have a capacity of holding 180,000 acre-feet of water, covering a territory Ll5 miles long and an. average of six miles Stone of an excellent quality is found in the Immediate vicinity. It is believed that not more than two years will witness the completion of this beneficial project; and with this -vast reservoir an assured fact, instead of 5000 people for Harney County, we may confidently expect 50,000 people by the next census year, occupy ing prosperous and happy homes, with all fof the attendant endowments of .-educa tional, religious and civic advancement. A. W. GOWAN. Burns, December 12. OPENED. Railroads and Irrigation Needed to Develop Lake' County. LAKE County is large enough to con stitute an empire within itself. It borders on the north boundary line of the States of California and Nevada, extends IN SUNNY SOUTHERN OREGON SOUTHERN OREGON, which the Cal apoola Mountains cut off from the Willamette Valley, Is a region where the mountains yield gold ore and the valleys golden fruit and grain. It has been pourinc forth the precious metals eVer since its wealth was discovered by the Forty-niners cn their way to and from California, and the supply is by no means exhausted. PROGRESS OP DOUGLAS. .Inrush of Immigrants Causes a Great Leap Foward. WHILE there has been a very marked progress along all lines in Douglas County during the year 1903, there has been nothing of the boom nature. Times, as a rule,- have been very good indeed. Notwithstanding the shortage of labor of all kinds, everv class of Industry has made material advancement. There Is a decided Increase In the value of Improved real estate; while many settlers have gone upon the public domain and taken up homesteads; these have erected perma nent improvements and established bona fide homes. A number of these settlers made entry of their claims as late as June of the year 19C5, and since that time have erected comfortable cabins, grown crops of vegetables and hay, which are har vested and garnered for the Winter. These people are extravagant in their praises of Douglas County. The population has been increased on the whole, in a very marked degree. The new population on the whole, Is of a sub stantial class, generally from the Middle West. They have caused a pronounced activity in real estate, both improved and otherwise. Hundreds of buildings have been constructed and permanent homes established. Mines Increase Output. The mines are turning out more metal than during the days of the early settle ment of the country. This Is due to sever al causes, chief among which is' the im proved methods of working both placer and quartz. Ground which was considered almost worthless 25 years ago is now good paying property; while new discoveries are belntr constantly made. The large bodies of low-grade ore, so abundant in Douglas County, are sought after. The lumber business has received a strong Impetus. Large tracts of as fine timbei as can be found on the Coast are within Douglas County and have been practically all located within the last two years. One company has in progress the opening of the North Umpqua River for floating logs for a distance of more than 40 miles. Similar developments are being undertaken along- the South Umpqua and its chief tributaries. When these rivers are once placed In condition to float -logs the lumber industry of Douglas County will assume enormous proportions. Fruit Brings High Prices. The fruit industry has grown in impor tance until the- year 1903 witnessed the highest prices as well as the best quality of fruit ever had in the county. Horti culture has enjoyed a steady, healthy growth, both as regards increased acreage and the perfection of fruit. The sales ag gregate many thousands of dollars a year. Two prunepacklng houses, of sufficient capacity to handle the entire prune crop of the county, have been erected in Rose burg and insure a market at the best price right at home. The present dispo sition of tne grower is toward a better class ot fruit. Spraying, cultivation, ferti lization and selection of the best varie ties are now employed, and the result is ft) per cent more merchantable fruft than was received two years ago. The climatic conditions, natural food elem'entsv together with a happy market north about 12) miles with an average J wiau oi is mues, &na is aocaiea near we central part. of the state from east to west. The altitude of Its valleys ranges from 2500 to 5000 feet, and these .valleys are sur rounded, by bills and mountains, rising usually quite precipitously to heights varying from a few hundred to 2000 feet above the level of, the adjacent valleys. The western -portion of the county is quite mountainous, while the eastern and northern portions are less so, and form part of the Oregon 'desert. The mountainous portions are covered, to a sreat extent, ' with heavy forests, principally 'of yeliow pine, and the val leys and desert region are covered with sagebrush and kindred growths, except those parts adjacent to its numerous lakes, and hordering its streams, where flourishes an abundant and luxuriant growth of i stive .meadow grasses pf ex ceeding richness. Throughout the sagebrush region Is found" the native "bunch trass" the most nutritious of all grasses, and In the moun tainous portions the stockmen find a va riety of rich grasses and browse for their herds in Summer. This has been appropriately named "Lake" County, for within Its borders are to be found five of, the largest lakes within the state, besides numerous smaller- ones. The largest is Goose Lake, which Is about 40 miles long and from six to 13 miles wide. Would Boom With Irrigation. Lake County's soli, with irrigation, is unsurpassed In, fertility, -and seems never to abate In Its productiveness from repeti location, make this the poultryman's paradise. The sales of turkeys alone for Thanksgivirg 1903, netted the growers about $40,000. This was not to exceed one third of the turkey crop, in weight, the balance being reserved for the holidays. This makes the sales for the year approx imately $120,000. There are also anually raised and sold from this county thou sands of chickens, ducks and geese, to gether with carloads of eggs, of which no record Is . made increase of Livestock. The raising of stock Is very generally engaged In and has much increased and thousands of cattle, hogs and sheep aro annually shipped to the markets . both North and South. The oak-covered foot hills a'flord a most desirable Summer and Winter range for hogs. Taken from this range of heavy mast, they require very little grain to finish them for market. The hog sales for 1903 run well Into the thous ands of do'lars. The herds of Angora goats have Increased very rapidly, both in size and number and the sales of mo hair have demonstrated that the quality is the most excellent grown In the United' States. The raising of Angora goats Is be coming a very popular industry In the foot-hills. The value of the goat Is. as great in clearing the land as for the mo hair produced. The resources of Douglas are beginning to be recognized and a true estimate given to their value. It is a safe prediction that during the next ten years the popu lation of the county will have doubled, while in commercial importance- she will stand well toward the head of the list of Oregon counties. W. W. CARD WELL. Roseburg. December IS. HOST SOUTHERN COUNTY. Lumber arid Mining Make Great Ad vances in Josephine. IN REVIEWING the industrial prog ress made by our county during the past year. Grant's Pass, the county seat, is naturally the pivotal point to which all Interest centers. Since the first of January last many sub stantial Improvements have been made lh this Jhriving town and county, but for the present let us confine ourselves to the material growth of Grant's Pass. Notably first comes the growth of our population. As no census has been taken since 1900, there are no positive data to reckon from except the school census, which, when, taken last Spring, showed that there were over 1000 children of school age in the city limits', thus giving a population of S500 to 4000, a growth since last census of over GO per cent. The county has also made material growth. Since last January there have been erected in the city 13 brick buildings, in cluding a substantial six-room school house of two floors and basement, a three-story Masonic block of 75-foot front age and a three-story addition to the Hotel Josephine. No less than 70 dwellings have been erected, varying In cost from $400 to. '$3000. and still the town has not enough buildings to meet the demand. There have - - - - ' . - r vs. V ( vv ) ) I WWf 1 S0 Bums a W . 4jt A W I . - : -v 4-. " wVf fill VV 'HINM m1 v h a r n " tion of crops. It yields bountifully in wheat, oats, barley, rye and meadow and hay grasses, while all the fruits and ber ries grown in the other portions of the' state thrive here. Its apples are superior to those .grown in any other portion of Ozcgon. The chief industry is stocktaking, there being-In the .county about 250.000. head of sheep, ''E.OG' head, of cattle aid 20.000 -head of horses and mules, from which lsdo rived an annual Income of about 5730,000. This sum is distributed among a popula tion of less than 4000 people. The United States Land Ofilce for the Lakeview district Is located at Lakevlew, the county seat, which has a population of about 1200. The resources of this county are com paratively undeveloped. There are vast areas of the most fertile lands yet un occupied, which need only to be irrigat ed to become 'valuable and productive for agricultural purposes, while there are yet untaken numerous valuable locations' for reservoir sites for storing and waste waters, whereby much of these now bar ren lands may be reclaimed. In the ad joining County of Modoc. California, large tracts are now successfully and profitably SOUTHEASTERN OREGON'. been started this December excavations for two more two-story bricks. Some ex tensions have been made to the sewers and the city has just voted to bond the city for an additional main sewer. Some new business houses have started and those already in business have great ly Increased their stock. Output of Sawmills. Tne Wlllams Bros.' Sash & Door Com pany started Its new plant last Spring, as well as the Sugar Pine Door & Lumber Company, each having extensive plants and doing a large business. The latter re ceived from tho sawmills of this and 1 irrigated by means of water secured fom numerous artesian wells. . The proposed extension of the Columbia Southern Railroad will greatly enhance the value of the lands and timber, hasten settlement and aid in general development Freight and passenger transportation is all carried on by team. Termo, CaL, and Fokegama, Or., are the nearest railroad points on the south, the, former being S5 miles, and the. latter; 135. miles distant from Lakeviepv Shaniko, Or., 13 the nearest point accessible on the north, being 153 miles from Silver Lake. . " , There has been little progress within Jackson Counties 150.000 to 200,000 feet of lumber per day. Curtlss Bros. & Co., of Clinton, la., also cut and ship from this city a carload or two of finished lumber a day. The Applegate Boom & Lumber Company, which started last year the building of a flume on Applegate River, has erected and put In operation a large sawmill and klm. Property In 1902 was assessed at $1.3S4.000 and In 1903 at $1,800,000, an Increase of about 33 per cent. The largest gain comes from timber lands taken up. This has been an unprecedented .year in the taking up of timber-lands and homesteads. The SOUTHERN OHEGOU". the last year, partially owing to the slump in the stock market, and partially on account of the withdrawal by the Interior j Department of a. large portion of its lands I from disposal. This withdrawal came just at .the time when its lands had begun to j be sought ' by foreign capital, but ulti ; mately these lands, in a large measure, : will, no doubt, be subject to disposal again. With our undeveloped resources, the pro posed extension of the Columbia Southern and the influx of immigration we confl i dently -expect from the Lewis and Clark LAND OF PIONEER MINES STILL ADDED FRUIT AND CATTLE acreage of tillable land has been Increased considerably by Irrigation and more ground has been planted with fruits, hops, grain and alfalfa. Muc.i Mining Development. Mining and lumbering, however, are two of the chief Industries of Josephine Coun ty. Much new capital has come In for the development of the mines, notably the Amerlcanj Gold Fields Company, which bought the Granite Hill quartz and placer mines on Louse Creek. This company em ploys about 60 men, and Is developing a fine mine. It has equipped It with -valuable machinery and before Spring will Increase the mill by ten stamps. The Alameda Copper Company on Galtoe CreeTc Is afeain at work. The Gallce Consolidated is spend ing much money In ditches, flumes and pipe In equipping Its property. The Con solidated Milling and Smelting Company, five miles from Grant's Pass, recently "bought a prospecjt. and has a full crew at work. On the Illinois several large com panies have bought In this Spring- and Summer and are developing some good properties. Josephine County, without question, is one of the richest mineral sec tions on the Pacific Coast; I There Is -great wealth in the mountains of copper in the south end of the county. The Waldo Mining & Smelting Company, which has already spent several hundred thousands in development, says a road will be built over to the Coast next year -ion Centennial, Exposition, Lake County's future is surely bright. L. F. CONN, Lakeview, Dec. a. IN MALHEUR COUNTY. Livestock and Irrigation Divider At tention of People. MALHEUR County, which is a long, narrow strip of territory divided on the east from Idaho by the Snake River, has .made great progress along all lines during 1903, as Is easily, observed by ona who has been away from ner boundary for several months. An area of 876 acres has been reclaimed under the Owyhee ditch alone and 170 under the Nevada ditch. Practically all of this new land Is in alfalfa, providing feed for many thousand more sheep and cattle. Two million pounds of wool have been sold at Ontario, an increase of 500,005 pounds. One hundred thousand head of sheep were sold in California markets, and the shipment of horses and cattle has been immense. . Formerly a great deal of the supplies for the interior country to a distance of 200 miles has been unloaded at points out side of Malheur, but this year conditions have changed greatly, so that business houses in Ontario are practically whole sale houses as well as retail. Lawsuits are often omens of evil, but Malheur County has had one case which affects all Irrigated sections in the state, the suit between Dr. G. A. Pogue and the Ontario Townsite & Irrigation company, in which W. R. King, of Ontario, secured for his client J1S0O damages for failure to furnish water for irrigating. The Owyhee Ditch Company has been making great Improvements on its. ditch. Weirs or ' lock boxes have been put in at all laterals and each man gets the water he pays for and no more. A loan of $70,000 has been secured, $30,000 to pay off bonds and the remainder to pay for Improvements put In last Fall, which are to prevent breaks early In the Spring. The bank is being strengthened near the mouth and flumes are to be built where gulches Intersect the ditch, so .that the water and rubbish may pass over without causing damage. The Government nas made extensive surveys about 45 miles above Ontario, which may bring abundance of water for the future. From June. 1902, to June, 1903, there was an Increase of population In Ontario of 300, but since June there has been rapid but steady growth, so that she can now claim, between HOO and 1200 easily, and possibly more. During the year the following busi ness houses have been completed: Two one-story bricks, two two-story, bricks, two livery barns, one three-story brick hotel, one large lumberyard oflice and warehouse and one blacksmith shop. One Baptist Church, is being erected. Dozens of pretty cottages and stately residences have been built, while the general ap- pearance of the town has been Improved Dy graveling tne streets. Malheur can boast of the largest salmon hatchery in the world. Thl3 -Winter 20, 500,000 eggs are being cared for In the large hatchhouse, built last Summer, on the left bank of Snake River, two miles above On tario. Over the entire county the progress has been marked and a happy, contented feel ing prevails. THOMAS SPIGHT, JR. Ontario, Dec 15. YIELDS GOLD BUT HAS TO ITS PRODUCTS and a smelter put in. Th Golden Drift Mining Company, which Is putting a large dam across Rogue River, three miles above town and will cut three ditches which will mean great things for the land adjacent to Grant's Pass. ARTHUR CONKLIN. Dec 16, 1903. LAND OP VARIED "WEALTH. Jackson County Produces Fruit, Grain and Gold in Plenty. PERHAPS the most marked step of the year 1903" in Jackson County looking to development and increased prosperity is to be noted in the impetus received by the apple growing industry through the planting of probably 1000 acres in. the Rogue River Valley. This is a conservative esti mate of the new apple acreage. The past few years have not only demon strated that the climate and soli of tho Rogue River 'Valley is particularly adapted to the production of the best apples In the world, but that the pro duction is exceedingly profitable. It does not require a roseate imagination to pic ture this entire valley a few years henco as one biff orchard and garden yieldlng wealth to a population fivefold as great as at present, and supplying fruits and berries by the trainload for export. The export of apples for the present year will amount to approximately 160 carloads or 100,000 boxes. The prices re ceived will average $1.25 per box, so it la easy to figure a return of $123,000 for the export crop of 1903, besides that portion of the crop used for the manufacture of ci der, etc, and for home consumption. Seventy-five carloads of pears which have been exported from the valley this year have brought In a return of $1.19 per box on an average, or nearly $40,000. These have been largely of the BartJett variety, and most of them were marketed in the East. The Ashland district is famous for Its production of peaches and better and finer ones are not grown any where. There are occasional off years In this fruit and 1903 was one of them. The cereal crop of Jackson County, while It has never known a failure, was shorter thi3 year than In the memory of the oldest Inhabitant, due to the unusually dry season and decreased acreage. How ever the fruit Industry is coming to overshadow cereal-growing in the valley in a marked degree and hundreds of acres formerly devoted to grain grow ing are also being turned into the more profitable channel of alfalfa growing, yielding three and four crops a year at a handsome profit. Probably no county In Oregon has such varied resources as Jackson. With in her 60 square miles of territory are to be found not only the best soils for ap ples, pears,' peaches, berries and small fruits, as well as grain and hay produc tion, but her gold mines and mineral wealth, which are referred to in a sep arate article, have been evidenced by handsome yearly yields or half a cen tury, and are one of her permanent and richest resources With an all-the-year round climate, acknowledged to be un surpassed on the coast, and attractions of natural scenery that command the highest admiration, there is found here a combination of wealth, health and pleas ure that makes the Rogue River Valley Ite well satisfied with his lot and is bringing In a. substantial class of new citizens who ore joining In the develop ment of the rich resources awaiting them. Jackson County's progress the past year in every way has been the mo3t .marked in her history. The prospects are still brighter. There is no question of its steady development as one of the most prosperous and inviting sections ot tne prosperous Paciflc Coast. F. D. WAGNER. Ashland, December 17.