THE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY,. STARCH 12, 1906.
PHASES OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IN THE STATE OF OREGON
12
MATH COUNT!
RRIGHTION WORK
Portland Firm to Begin Con
struction Under First
Contract at Once.
INAUGURATES GREAT TASK
Covers Only a Small Unit in Com
plete System, but Is or Vast In
terest to tbc Southern
Oregon People.
KLAMATH FALLS. Or.. March 11.-(Speoian-WhHe
only a small unit of tho
groat irrigation tystem to be built In tbc
KlHiniah Basin, the portion upon which
wrk l to begin immediately by the
Portland contracting tlrm of Mason, Da
vis & Co.. whose- bond ha." been approved
and contract signed by the Secretary of
ike Interior. is of great importance to
teotli Oregon and California. It is the
bii-hnlng of bringing under an adequate
jvk-m of irrigation nearly 2oO.OW acres
of fertile land In Southern Oregon and
Northern California, the greater portion
in Oregon, and will be the. first project
In either of Uie.se roast states actually
wader construction In accordance with
prortetoH of the- irrigation act of June li,
IMS.
Oregon and California have both been
larg contributors to the fund created
for the purpose of a loan to the citizens
wtoo shall become residents and actual
uterr of the land benefited and consum
ers f the water juipplied in making thirs
iv ofl productive. Being among the
states Iwivinc the largest areas of public
lands remaining desirable for settlement,
the terse contributions have come from
"wst states, particularly Oregon, of the
irmuel cost of $4,500,000. or therc
absut.: the portion srt aside is S2.O0O.
vX awl is charged to Oregon's propor
tion. Most If not all of this sum will be
cponde in reclaiming Oregon hinds. as
the present contract embraces only land
within nine miles of the diverting point
at tin lower or southern end of Upper
Klamath Lake and on Link River, all in
the valley of Klamath. River.
Complete Contract In a Year.
Tin- Portland contractors are obliged
tn cHilcMe their work on this unit of
ibe project within one year from ap
proval and signing of the contract. It
Include.- the driving of a tunnel 3100 feet
long through solid formation, some of
tn distance through soft lava ash and a
Portion through compact lava ash and
r-. about 720.000 cubic yards or earth
excavation, more than MOO cubic yards of
concrete work, nenrly S00O square yards
"Frubble -mving. spanning of the canal
wttii nnmomiis bridces. no less than six
jf which will be of dimensions ranging
n sa tn sfi feet in length. The Gov
ernment furnishes the cement and rods
lor awe where It is necessary to re-enforce
mnefeii.'. There will be consumed in this
Jportion of the work something like 3.000.
.ii .rimmtls of cement, as advertisements
Jltewbten published in Los Angeles for
bids on 10.000 barrels or tins material.
Exactness, strict adherence to defined
regulations and scientific principles aro
.4anMnristicj of contracts entered Into
y the United States Government. The
contract awarded to me raruuiiu
vntion to the rule. and. taken to-
pothor with the maps and specifications
upon which it is based. Is a comprehen
sive document setting forth In detail of
the most minute character every feature
at the undertaking.
The tunnol is a most interesting feature
..r tie work. At each portal the canal
level will be at a point about 40 feet
below the surface of the respective slopes
of the hill to be callpered. while at the
ki.hnd noint of the hill the elevation
of th crest is about 130 feet above the
miunl floor. The tunnel will be concrete
Mned. with six Inches on the floor and a
thickness of eight Inches on me siues
and forming the arch of the root.
Tunnel of Fourteen Feet.
rfemwlPted. the bore will be IS feet
laches in the clear in width and 14 feet
-it- tnefens neroendicular at the center.
The figures given tor the concrete di
mensions are normal, although variations
mav be necessary depending upon re-
nuironioms of the formation encountered
The canal will generally have a width
of about 40 feet at the bottom. CO feet at
the ton and a depth of 11 feet: this will
ui ltnhits wry to a width of 44 feet at
no wtniM and other points not -exceed
inir 18.fi feet. This narrower width, how
ever, is at the approach to the portal of
the tunnel, where a deep cut is necessary.
Throughout the main part of the canal
thore is no deep cut and but Tew points
where stone of any character occurs.
Genorallv the earth to be removed is not j
N(i muoh as ten feet In depth, at a few
points the spurs of hills intersected pre
renting cuts of from ten to IS feet- Where
culverts are required to carry away the
waters' accumulating above the canal, or
for the passage of the flow of rills or
small streams, they must be built In
place, and .must be continuous -without
joints, and the specifications require that
they shall be of such dimensions as to
prevent any possibility of Interference
with the canal by breaks in such cul
verts. Piers for bridges over the main canal
will extend not less than IS Inches below
natural surface ground and the bridges of
size are to be built upon the Howe truss
t4n and all structures to be of most
KUbMtantlal sort and good finish.
No Compensation for Delays.
That the work will be completed within
the specified time of one year from date
or signing the contract is guaranteed by
a good and sufficient bond and further by
the fact that the contractor is not en
titled to any compensation for delays or
hindrances to the work from any cause.
Extensions will be allowed for delays
which In the opinion of the engineer, ap
proved by the Secretary of the Interior,
are beyond the control of the contractor,
such as acts of Providence or fortuitous
events. Failure of the contractor to com
plete the work within the specified time,
with due allowance for unavoidable de
lays, would be penalized to the extent
of the direct damage sustained, on ac
count of employment of engineers, ap
praisers, inspectors and other employes
nd disbursements on the engineering ac
count properly chargeable to the work
and the decision of the chief engineer
.shall be binding and final on both
parties.'
The use and sale of .intoxicating liquors
on the work Is absolutely prohibited, ex
cept for medicinal purposes, and then
only under direction of the engineer or
his agents. Sanitary and police regula
tions may be established by the chief
engineer lor all forces employed under
the contract. All lumber used In the
permanent work must be of the best
quality. All steel used In structures,
chiefly In this case in the heasgatcs, will
be at the opea-hcarth variety. Wrought
iron used principally for nuts and bolts j
must be of best quality of refined iron.
The Government furnishes the cement i
dellx'ered at the nearest railroad station, ;
which In this case. Is Pokegania. the
terminus of the Klamath Lake Railroad.
The contractors must transport It from
the railroad to the works, and that alone
represents no small Item In th expense
of building the unit of the works. In It
is a suggestion of tbc tremendous tonnage
to be hauled by the railroads now building-
towards this basin, guaranteed from
the day their track is completed. A large
trarnc will be created by the reclamation
project directly and a much greater ton
nage thereby created in the region.
Many Horses to Be Used.
A large number of horses will be re
quired, as above mentioned, and it Is
probable that many of the animals will
be purchased by the contractors In this
county. During the past CO days two large
shipments have been driven across the
mountains to the Southern Pacific for
shipment to California points where ani
mals were needed on grading. It is
claimed by horsemen that this region pro
duces the hardiest and best draft horses
on the Coast. Horseflesh Is held at good
prlcos. and one lot bought recently was
at from $125 to $150 a head. The animals
were of good weight, and were not what
could properly be called "range horses."
although most of them had grown on the
ranges tributary to the valley and graz
ing lands about Lower Klamath lakc,
When the contractors move in force on
Klamath Falls they will have before them
first the task of locating their camp and
headquarters at a point to serve the first
portion of the work, or, if possible, where
tne enure unit maj be conducted from a
single base. It will require preparation
to care for the number of men and horses
that must be utilized, and so to srrarge
that everything may be done to bt ad
vantage in the big t.ik before them,,
It is a different proposition from loca-
ing a camp on a line of railroad or beside
navigable river, as Is the case along
the Clearwater In Idaho, where railroad
work is imdcr way. or along the lum-
bia betwene Konnewick and Portland. All
supplies except feed for the livestock and
meat, flour, butter and eggs, must be
brought from the railroad overland. Men
employed will get the best beefsteak thoy
nave ever tasted, with salt pork, fresh
pork and other meat produced In this
county of equal excellence. Rut notwith
standing these advantages, the great bulk
of supplies must come overland at pres
ent. General supervision of this, as well as
of all other reclamation projects, rests
with the Secretary of the Interior, and Is
handled under that department by George
JJ. alcott director of the United States
Geological Survey, with F. H. Newell as
chief engineer of the Reclamation Service.
and A. P. Davis as assistant chief engi
neer. J. B. Llpplncott. supervising engi
neer for California, has the Klamath
project under his jurisdiction, and T. H.
Humphreys, project engineer, has entire
local direction of the work.
Benefits or the Project.
It has been through the office of Mr.
Humphreys that all of the do tall work
has been directed, and he Is personally
familiar with every nook and cornor In
cluded in the vast project extending over
many townships, embracing the chunglng
of rivor channels, lowering of the water
level of streams, diversion of lakes and
their drainage in order that tholr beds,
enriched with the alluvial deposits of
countless centuries, may yield of their
fertility to produce vegetable products de
manded In the marts of men. It is in its
.cntiroty an immense enterprise, so vast
as to have staggered private capital, but
under this patomal plan xf the United
States Government homes will 1k created
for many thousands of people. Tho orig
inal cost will soon be returned dircctly
to the treasury, while the torritory is be
coming steadily productive direcilv and
is Indirectly beneficial to the State of
Oregon and Its people.
BEES OX THE OREGON FARM
Honey Can Be Made an Important
Side Issue.
Few farmers value bees as they
should. Xo crop iK raised with solttle
trouble, and such a minimum of cost,
as honey. It Ik true enough, as was
suggested in The Oregonlan a day or
two ago that by pollen carrvinir from
tree to tree bees Increase the crop of
fruiL They stop not at the fruit trees,
but visit berries and vegetables to the
gam oi tnc ueos and their owners.
They do more. They effect, by carrying
pollen from tree to trce cross, in
iivi-v ui -n-jeruuzation, and not
only more, but larger and better de
veioped fruit results. The dangers of
in-oreeuing aro seen In the vegetable
as wea as in the animal "kingdom
Among fruit treos the bees' work goes
iar to cure tins ill.
So much for the good done to trees.
Jiere is one kind of stock on the farm
mat tlie more they eat. the more thev
multiply, the greater is the gain, the
absolute gain. In these days of lum
ber made and patent hives there Ik ho
excuse for neglecting the bees. One
good colony will 1111 two supers for the
owner, and a third of their own Win
ter stores, every season. Eaoh super
jioius sections or one pound each.
So tho hives besides sending out at
least one swarm, will yield for sal. 4S
pounds of comb honey, at 12 cents
per pound. That Is $C a hive, and with
an increasing slock year by year. Thus
one nive ot noes brings in about as
much as three sheep, and costs noth
ing. To learn enough bee-keeping- lore to
provide, put on. and take off your su
pers, and to hive a swarm, is easy.
Then. If j-ou are tempted from the pri
mary Into the next class.. a8 will prob
ably be the case, a course of Roofs
A. B. C of bee-keeping will open the
door of study to you and you may go
far.
It used to be said that the Willam
ette Valley was a poor bee country. But
all the new crops provide good bee
food. On a vetch field in bloom you can
hoar the bees at work a hundred yards
away. Alslkc and white clover keep
the bees for months. Even the red clo
ver gives bee food In Oregon, as has
been often noticed. In the Coast Range
they crowd on the vine maple, which
keeps them going until the golden rod.
holds up its yellow head in the late
September sunshine.
If children are brought up to fear
and to fight bees it is an injustice to
child and to bee for that early preju
dice Is hard to overcome. Needless and
foolish prejudice Is at the root of the
neglect of bee keeping, one of the
most interesting of the minor Indus
tries on the farm. If you want to be
gin now is the time.
Homesteads In Forest Reserves.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash
ington. March 11, Representative Lacey
of Idwa, chairman of the House commit
tee on public lands, has introduced a bill
designed to meet one. of the principal ob
jections raised by Senator Heyburn and
others to the extension of forest reserves.
The bill provides for the entry under the
homestead law of agricultural lands that
may be embraced In forest reservations,
and closely follows the recommendations
of the Public Lands Commission, as in
dorsed by President Roosevelt.
Fine Kpcclmens of cotton fabric are oftrn
fouad in Peruvian tombi dating teack to
the time ct the laeu.
SPRING IN SOUTH
Countless Fruit Trees in Full
Bloom Along Rogue River.
PROMISE RICH HARVEST
Attention of .InckMm County Divided
Between Crop Prospects and
Politics Good Bond Work
Is In Progress.
ASHLAND. Or.. March 11. SpocIaI.)
The attention of the people of the Rogue
River Valley is divided Just now between
polities and an outlook upon a year
which seems full of promise of prosperity
and progress for this section ot Oregon.
Spring sterns to have loliowed tne calen
dar closely, for March opened with de
lightful weather which has since con
tinued and Jackson County roads arc dry
and dusty, and the air is as balmy and
the meadow lark's voice as mellow as in
early Summer.
Phvslcal conditions of the country were
never better, nor was there ever a bet
ter promise of bounteous harvests at this
season of tlie year. Almond trees have
been in bloom for a fortnight and hun
dreds of acres of bursting pink blossoms
mark the stage of development in tlie
peach orchards and give promise of a
splendid harvest, though peach growers
are always a little nervous until May.
when the frost season Is over.
Apples promise well. Last year the
apple crop was very short In this valley,
but this year the trees are well loaded
with buds which are beginning to show
their color. Thousands of acres of new
apple orchards have been set out In the
Rogue River Valley the past year. In
fact thole is a regular boom on in apple
growing and a few years hence will see
a wonderful increase In the apple output,
and as a natural consequence a wonder
ful increase in the wealth of the county,
for apple growing the past few years has
been demonstrated beyond doubt to be a
most profitable industry in this valley,
which has established almost a world
wide reputation for Its product In this
line.
The acreage In pears is also bIng
steadily Increased. There are many ad
ditions to the extensive peach acreage
around Ashland too. In fact the fruit
industry generally is thriving in the
Rogue River Valley and the enthusiasts
who. a few years ago predicted the de
cline of cereal crowing and the transi
tion of this valley Into one big orchard
and garden, are coming to a realization
of their dreams.
.lackson County's Good Roads.
Jackson County has taken an advanced
position during the past year In the good
roads movement arid has spent thou
sands of dollars In an Intelligent appli
cation of the best Ideas upon the subject.
The benefits are manifest already to the
farmers and everybody who travels over
the public highways. There Is now a
main thoroughfare leading from Ashland
via Talent. Phoenix, Medford. Central
Point and Gold Hill, practically to the
nnrthom line of the count)', that Is a
credit to tlie county and to the adminis
tration ot County Judge G. W. Dunn and
his co-workers, for it Is a good road A in
ter and Summer. The good roads policy
is being carried now to the side thorough
fares and if the present plans are car
ried out Jackson County in a few years
will have a system of county roads which
will brine all sections of the county into
I much closer communication with each
other and make it much easier ror tne
farmer and fruitgrower to get his crops
to market.
The old plan of alloling all road work
to the superintendence of the supervisors
In multifarious districts, which did not
tend to promote any uniform system, has
been supplanted by providing a county
roadmaster who has a complete road
making outfit under his direction with a
crew of trained men who are paid their
wages in cash Just the same as employes
of the corporations and private individ
uals and arc expected to give value re
ceived for their labors.
This plan Is found to be eminently sat
isfactory, though it naturally met with
much opposition to begin with from
those so long accustomed to have a part
In the old plan of individuals paying their
road taxes in labor.
Copper Mines Promise Much.
The development of the copper mining
Industry in Southern Oregon la one ot
the things which promises much for this
section In the future. The proposition of
most Interest to this immediate section
just now Is what Is known as the Blue
Ledge property, located near the Cali
fornia state ltoe in tke Elliott Creek 4te-
HULL OATK. ON THK KLAMATH LAKE RAILROAD.
trict. which Eastern capitalists have re
cently secured a working bond upon and
are now pushing work vigorously. There
Is a long wagon haul to the property
which Is reached via Jacksonville and
the upper Applegate, and stages and
freight teams are now keeping that road
warm in hauling passengers and freight
into the new copper camp, while the
public is contemplating the time when
the development of the copper deposits
known to exist there will lead to the con
struction of immense smelters and a line
of railroad.
There never was so much politics be
fore In this section as since the new
primary law went into operation. Jack
son County has only one man aspiring to
place on the Republican state ticket. Hon.
K. V. Carter, for State Treasurer, but
there has been an Invasion of the county
by the candidates from other sections of
the state, and If we are to form an
opinion from the Interest that is being
taken in this county by the Congressional
candidates in the first district during the
past fortnight, all of them seem to think
that Jackson County's vote at the pri
maries may settle their fate.
Legislative candidates are slow to tile
their declarations with the County Clerk
and seem at a loss to know what posi
tion to take as to Statement No. I relat
ing to the United States Senatorial vote,
upon which beyond doubt sentiment is
strongly divided among the people.
Review of County Politics.
Thus far there are two Republican can
didates in the field for Sherln. two for
County Clerk, one for Recorder, one for
Treasurer, two for Surveyor, oije for
Commissioner, while the only Democratic
canuiuate niea as yet Is one for Treas
urer. It Is expected that the Democrats
In this county will work entirely har
moniously and will put up but one can
didate for each office at the primaries
and leave the Republicans to do the
"scrapping."
Three Republican candidates for the
State Senate are already In the field.
although none of them have as yet filed
tormai notice of candidacy, but no one
at this date, has announced his aspira
tions tor place lower down on the Leg
islative ticket.
COHL IN CROOK COUNT!
SAID TO BE BITUMINOUS VA
RIETY OF GOOD QUALITY.
Numerous Veins, One Five Feet Wide,
Discovered Only 17 Miles From
Columbia Southern Road.
Coal discoveries In Crook County were
told of last week. This weok has
brought more details. One letter, printed
In the Prlnevllle Review, follows:
"To the Editor The coal found Is In a
favorable geological formation, the car
boniferous strata characteristic of coal
.measures of importance: and as to grade,
it lias been pronounced bituminous by all
coal men who arc acquainted with the
coal fields of the Middle West. That the
quantity is great there Is not the shadow
of a Ooubt. for cropplngs have been fol
lowed for over four miles, and In many
places a thickness In the seam of over
five feet Is shown. Both above and be
low the large "seam are smaller onesi"
The Dalles Chronicle gives more de
tails: "The outcropping samples are a dis
tinctly bituminous type. In texture simi
lar to Roslyn. Wash., coal, and it looks
and burns well. Every Imaginable test
was given the samples, and each was
satisfactory? -s to the number, fre
quency and thickness of the veins, the
discoverers are keeping that to them
selves, promising, however, to enlighten
the public upon new discoveries and de
velopment work as such occur. The lo
cation of the vein Is being kept a secret.
"However it has been ascertained that
the veins are numerous and In a com par
atively unbroken country: that the walls
of the veins are of crctaclous shale, and
that the discovery Is but 17 miles from
the Columbia Southern railway terminus.
"This last is the only adverse point, as
it Is Impracticable to team coal any dis
tance, no matter how valuable It may
be or how much there is of IL But all
that difficulty may be overcome later. A
railroad to Ashwood will mean much for
the newly discovered coal proposition.'
In view of impending railroad develop-
, . , - , . , -
HiciiK. wic ! mhvc
iXrr1: "
the
should appear at this special moment.
The railroad to reach the coal to advan
tage must approach it from the South'.
Wllhelm Schmled, of Unterctdb. German),
who lnftructe4 a. atsaemifon to Inscribe on
his wife's tomtMtcwe the wordt: "-'Here reU
the bo4y ef Maria Schmled. who died, after
much sufrerlnc. from the effects of . un-scrwjM-!o-
tre-.mU" has beea sentenced
to' a s-t-mtk's Im-pr1meEt fer alaadtrlar
t)e 4car -la. tae eJLM-'. . .. .
DUTLOOKQH GfUTS HARBOR
ELECTRIC ROADS AND MANY
NEW INDUSTRIES PROMISED.
Futurc for Sister Cities or South
western Washington Appears
Bright Life In Aberdeen.
ABERDEEN. Wash.. March 11. (Spe
cial.) With the promise of electric roads,
flour mills and other enterprises, the fu
ture for Gray's Harbor appears rosier
titan ever. While there Is nothing definite
to be said In regard to the reports of an
electric road from the harbor" to the
Sound. It Is believed that one or two of
the continental lines that are trying to
reach the Coast have some Interest in
tlie proposed road to Tacoma. and thut
the talk of an electric road is preliminary
to the real plan thut Is under way.
Gray's Harbor has been .at a disadvan
tage for several years because of the
indifferent service given by the Northern
Pacific road, both as to passenger and
freight traffic and the organization of the
milt men a few days ago. with the adop
tion of an ultimatum that the railwny
company must give them better service or
take the consequences. Indicates that the
combined capital on the harbor will take
affairs In their own hunds before long
ami show the Northern Pacific company
that It will have a competing road for the
lumber business or know the reason why.
Along with the other prosperity of
the Gray's Harbor country Is the active
movement In farm lands. Gray's- Harbor
has beon hemmed In as no other portion
of the country because of the high hills
that surround It on every side and
through which roads -must be forced at
heavy expense. It has never been easy
to got connection with the county scat at
Montesano because of the lack of ade
quate roads, and there Is but one train
each day to take persons to the county
seat to transact business. ' This has
brought about the desire for the .removal
of the county seat to a site between Ho
qutam and Aberdeen because the bulk
of the law business is done in the two
cities.
But the County Commissioners, how
ever, have been doing good work the
past year in solving the good roads prob
lem, and with the county out of debt
and money In the treasury It is expected
jlo do a lot of valuable work in opening
up sections of farm land which are now
only reached by the navigable rivers.
Farm land, in consequence of the dispo
sition of the county to aid the farmers.
have advanced considerably In the past
six months or a year.
The new steel bridge, for which the cits
I to pay from . to $33,000. will be fin
ished In a few weeks and will give a long
deslred hlghvyay .to the east side of the
river. Last year the Council foollshly
tore down a wooden bridge which they
considered unsafe, when a little repairing
would have made It good until a new
bridge hod been ordered and made ready
for putting up. and the consequence was
that a ferry had to be operated at a very
large expense and with much discomfort
to a large number of people. The open
ing of the new bridge will be therefore
hailed with delight.
When the bridge Is ready for business
it will also complete the electric car
service from Cosmopolis to Aberdeen, a
distance of four miles, which has been
blocked for a long time, where the ferry
has been operated and .which compelled
a disagreeable transfer of, passengers'.
Aberdeen has enjoyed a musical pro
duction by amateurs In the presentation
of tho cantata. "Belshazzar." No city
of the size of Aberdeen has so many
good singers and the public is always
willing to bestow its dollars- upon the
amateur entertainment. It Ms proposed
after the completion of the new opera
house to get together all of the best
musical talent on the harbor and gjvc 'as
pretentious an opera as "Faust
Rehearsals are to be started soon and
continued until as nigh perfect a per
formance as is possible may be given.
The entertainment lsfor the benefit of
the public library.
The past week witnessed the departure
for California of Mrs. C. B. Weatherwax
and family, where they will probably
reside. Mrs. Weatherwax vhas been prom
inent socially and In musical circles.
WILL IMPROVE WATERFRONT
31arshfield Plans a Forty-Foot Street
Along the Tfarbor.
a wuo oAi. Jim xa. opcciii. ine
(Town Board of Marshfield has taken up
me "tatter of making" a street along the
water front. At present the water front
Is occupied by warehouses and small
makeshift buildings, and presents a bad
appearance to newcomers.
City Engineer Codding has made draw
ings for the proposed improvement, and
It Is understood that if the property-own
ers will give 20 feet, the Government will
extend the harbor line out an equal dts
tance. thus allowing a 40-foot street the
entire length of the town.
The greater portion of produce from
-f I
the surrounding farms reach Marshficld
by small gasoline launches, and th mut
ter of proper place for their landing has
become a serious matter, as well as for
the ocean-going steamers from Portland
and San Francisco.
Work has been begun on the three-mile
spur from the Coos Bay Eastern Rail
way Company's track up Cunningham
Creek. This will tap several sections of
fine old growth fir and Port Orford cedar.
It Is estimated that there Is close to 73.
OOO.COO feet of loss within easy reach of
this piece of track-
SIIEEP SELL STILL HIGHER
Eastern Oregon Papers Tell or Sev
eral Big Deals.
Many times it has- beon said recently
that the price of sheep was abnormally
high" and was bound to fail. Yet It
holds up and even rises. Witness the
following from the Shahiko Republic:
"That contracts have already been
made for most of tho saleable sheep
of Wasco. Crook and Wheeler Coun
ties 1st the statement made by J. N.
Burgess, of thj Cunningham Sheep &
Land Company to the Pendleton
newspapers on his return from a trip
to his old home near Antelope. The
prices paid, according to Mr. Burgess,
have x-aricd from 5.50 to $3.25 per
head for yearlings. The highest
price was paid for ewes, while many
yearling wethers have sold- for $2.75
per head.
"Especially are yearling ewes In
demand, and consequently splendid
prices have been secured by men having-
such to sell. There has been a
difference of about 50 cents per head
in the price of ewes and wothers, the
former selling for $3.25, while tho
price of wethers has ranged in the
vicinity ot 52.75."
The Fossil Journal notes recent sales
as follows:
"G. L. Frizzell sold his yearling sheep
this week to. J. F. Ashcr. who bought
them for Blcknell & Oxman. Joseph
Roberts has sold his yearling- sheep to
be delivered after shearing-. At the
prices being: paid, yearlings will bring
the stockman about 51.50 per head. One
thousand head of ewes at per head,
said to be the highest price ever paid
for range sheep In this state. Is the
latest sale of Central Oregon livestock
to go on record. The sheep were pur
chased of T. S. Hamilton, of Ashwood."
What better encouragement can the
sheepmen want?
ROSEBURG WANTS LIGHTS.
Sentiment Is Strong for Municipal
Ownership of Utilities. '
ROSEBURG. Or.. March H.-(SpeciaL)
Considerable Interest Is being manifested
just now In Roseburg. owing to a prop
osition recently made toy Albert Abraham
to the city to put In a system of electric
lights. Quietly contracts are being signed
up oy Dusiness men. pieagmg tneir sup
port to the new venture. The service of
the present company Is unsatisfactory.
and much complaint Is raised, both as to
tho lights and the water furnished.
An effort was made at the last session
of the Legislature to amend the city char
ter so as to permit the citizens to vote on
the question of bonding the city for $200.-
000 to put in a system of water and lights.
but the bill was defeated. There Is a
strong clement who have watched the
operation -of franchises elsewhere, such
as the great Portland gas graft, who
believe the only true release Is in the
city owning and operating its own plant.
The Oregonian, in its fight against the
Portland gas graft, is doing much to
wards creating a. sentiment favorable to
city ownership of all public utilities.
Mexican Statistics Boiled Down.
Modern Mexico.
There are lOvolcanoes In Mexico.
Mexico has 59 lakes and great lagoons.
Mexico -has a coast line of over SOW
miles. '
Mexico has vast deposits of onyx and
marble. Vr
Slavery was fully abolished In Mexico
In 1S37.
Coahuila coal is exported to the United
States.
The army of Mexico comprises about
40, COO men.
The area of Mexico Is about 750.0UO
square miles. .
The "valley" of Mexico Is 75CO feet
above sea level.
Mexico Is about 10 times larger than
Great Britain.
There are only -163 square miles in the
Federal district
Cotton factories In Mexico employ over
25.000 people.
The rainy season generally lasts from
May to September.
The traveler In Mexico Is seldom out ot
sight ot mountains. '
There are probably 000,000 men employed
in the mines of Mexico.
Mexico Is the richest mineral country
In the world; not excepting Peru.
The largest state is Chihuahua, with an
area of nearly 90.C0Q square miles.
It Is said that no country in the world
shows so great a variety of plant life
as - Mexico. , .
BAKER DISTRICT
OUSTS"WILDGATS"
Legitimate Development of
Many .Properties to
Start Soon.
BIG GOLD YIELD PREDICTED
ltcal Producers Will Be .Made of
Many "Prospects and Mines Form-
ciiy Conducted for Stock
rrofits Alone.
t BAKER CITY. Or., March 11. (Spe
' cial.) More gold will be marketed from
i the mines in the Baker district this Sum
j mer than during the entire past four
years, according to prominent mining op
erators who nre acquainted with the con
ditions. This increase they attribute to
the ousting of the "wild-cattcr" and the
j advent of the legitimate miner. Numcr
I ous properties which have been "goph-
ercd" by the stock seller and then left
! to worry along through questionable
hards have been more thoroughly devel
oped and are ready to be placed on the
producing list.
There are now two sections in the
Baker District holding the public at
tention. The prospectors are Jumping
sideways trying to get in on the ground
floor in both places. These sections are
the Durkee district and the copper belt.
In the Durkee district great things are
promised for this season. The Gold Coin,
a jnlne which., judging from present de
velopments, is unlimited, will install a
100-stamp mill, commencing this work
about April 1. The mill and Installation
work of themselves will cost about $200.
C0. But it is the nature of the Gold
Coin mine that is causing so much ex
citement. It Is in many respects a dupli
cate of the famous Treadwell mine. The
owners of the Gold Coin expect to quarry
the ore the same as in a rock quarry
and run it through their mill. The entire
mountain side Is one mass of decom
posed quartz, giving colors to every pan
taken put.
Work has'becn extended 300 feet down
the main shaft with many drifts, and it
is always the same. Tho vein Is 75 feet
wide and extend: in many directions. In
fact, there Is no limit to it, at least
there doesn't seem to be at this time.
Pendleton men. T. G. Ayers and Dr. T.
H. White, together with the discoverer.
C. H. Durkee. own the property and arc
not floating any stock.
Work Will Follow Litigation.
The Gold Hill, in the Durkee district,
after about ten years of litigation, is go
ing to be put in operation this Spring
by Colonel James A. Panting, who has
secured sole control. This property has
about five miles of shafts and tunnels
and has produced some very rich ore. ,
In the copper belt the excitement Is
gresitest. This belt extends from Medical
Springs to Goose Creek and the Seven
Devils. The Indiana mine , owners have
fully developed thfclr property, spending
about 5000.001?. with the result thai they
are fully satisfied as to the extent and
deposit, and will erect a smelter this
Spring and begin making copper matte.
The Indiana first went through a strata,
of native copper and then through a
great depth of sulphide, the exact depth
of which they refuse to state. They then
tunneled and drifted and found the ex
tension to be continuous and of the same
high grade. This convinced them that
the copper deposit was worth working,
and they are now working it.
Baker Copper Belt Established.
Following the Indiana, the North Amer
ican started a shaft about six miles from
the Indiana, and at a depth ot SO feet
struck native copper. They went
through 40 feet of this and entered the
sulphides, and are still sinking in that
kind of ore.
Mining men say this establishes beyond
a doubt the extent and quality of the cop
per ore of the Baker copper belt. This
ore will go 2 per cent commercial, and a3
high as 7 and 10 per cent. It can be
easily mined and concentrates at a good
percentage.
As to the railroad from Baker City to
Eagle Valley, everybody hopes It will be
constructed, but so far there has been
given no Ironclad assurance. This road
as proposed will tap this copper belt from
end to end.
The starting ot the Golconda mill re
vives the stories of the old wildcat days
when mining millionaires were as thick
as prospectors. The Golconda mill is
scheduled to start again this week, and
a large block of ore is now on the dump
watting to be run under the stamps. The
Golconda was one of C. a. waacs as
sets when he became bankrupt two years
ago, and it Is one of the very few com
panies on which the stockholders ever
realized any money. Golconda was cap
italized at $5,000,000, and the shares went
on the market for 2 and 3 cents. When
Wade capitulated It was found he had
over $3,000,000 of the stock, for which he
had paid an average of 20 cents per share.
Several men cleaned up fortunes on this
deal.
The Standard is another -mine on the
stocks out of which fortunes have been
made. Its stock went on the market at
about 5 cents, and Milwaukee and Chi
cago factions began fighting for control,
and the stock jumped up to 20 cents.
Everybody around here unloaded so
quickly that It put the Milwaukee faction
out of business.
But these are the only stock jobbers
which brought money to any one except
the promoters. The downfall of Letson
Balllet and his White Swan mine marked
the end of the "wild-catter," and today
there are but very few properties in the
Baker district attempting to sell value
less stock.
Good Word Tor Hopgrowlng.
It Is a novelty just now' to come
across anyone who has a good word
for "hops. The Hlllsboro Independent
has the following to say:
"Last .iprll Sam Orndorf, of Laurel,
planted 11 acres to hops, and It wasn't
a very good year for hops, either. The
crop was picked In September and the
money received for it paid all the ex
pense of planting, gathering and snip
ping and the cost-of a new hophouse
built on the place. A pretty good rec
ord for the first year. Many of the bops
anA nnf-h:tlf Innhes In
length." '
Past experience Justifies tne advice
to our hupgrowers to hold on. Their
losses this year, so far as an outsider
can judge, have been due to no defect
in the plant in Oregon. Quality need
not be second to any, if reasonable
care In drying, nacklng and marketing
is used
And, in coming years. It seems quite
practicable to secure such common ac
tion among the growers as shall frus
trate the knavish tricks and confound
UK JUIHI.J Ul tiiv. H" v
ly depress the price- .