V
THE MORNING OREGOXIAN. MONDAV, JULY 1, 1907..
Reclaiming
SHALL the Great American Desert
disappear from the lace of the
earth?
Will 70.000.000 acres of arid land be trans
formed Into happy homes for prosperous
and energetic people?
- Stretching from Canada on the north
to Mexico on the south, and from the
Rocky Mountains westward hundreds of
miles, rolling sage-brush or sand-dune
land, lies that great blemish upon the
fair face of nature, that great tract of
worthless land known as the arid part of
America. Twelve hundred miles north
and south and hundreds of miles east and
west, it comprises an area equal to one
fourth that of continental United States,
exclusive of Alaska.
Six hundred millions of acres In extent,
the public domain has lain dormant for
ages, while all over the country men have
been fighting for land like hungry bears,
and finanlly discouraged, at the fruitless
search, the wisest of them have turned to
this trackless waste as the scene of fu
ture activity and splendid achievement.
Not all of this barren plain has been con
sidered desert, but It has been held as
arid by geographers since the first map
was made showing the Rocky Mountains
and the Pacific Ocean. Besides the eTior
mous area of Government land Involved,
great tracts of railroad grants and state
lands are to be found, while fully 70.000.000
acres are held to be desert land with a
big D.
Great stretches of this land are to be
found In Southern Idaho. Wyoming, Colo
rado, Nevada. Arizona, Utah and patches
exist in Eastern Oregon. In Washington,
particularly in Douglas County, the ef
fort to reclaim the land by dry farming
methods has already proved successful,
fair crops having been produced from land
that has been held as arid for ages.
Farms on Big Flan.
W. H. Babcock, known as the "wheat
.king" of the State of Washington, has
been.' operating a big outfit on the dry
land plan for two or three years, with
splendid results. An Immense traction en
gine furnishes power for the work. In
Southern Idaho the same methods are In
use, while In Wyoming and Colorado
great progress has been made in reclaim
ing the deserts by methods entirely dif
ferent from irrigation. In Eastern Ore
gon large tracts of. land await the de
velopment of dry luid farming or irriga
tion, as conditions may warrant, and as
the years roll on the demand for land
will force people to resort to the scientific
culture of at least a great part of the arid
belt.
Between Uncle Sam's Reclamation Serv
ice and modern "Dry Land Farming"
methods a great change is soon to come
over the face of this great domain. In
fact there are now many evidences of the
work done and to b done which show
conclusively that the next decade will
work wonders and give over to future
generations a new subdivision of working
people and a new field of development.
The Federal Government is spending
160,000,000 in sending water over the waste
places, in building reservoirs and immense
canals, in constructing great concrete
dams. In surveying millions of acres topo
graphically. In educating the people in the
proper manner of cultivation and care of
the land after they have been Induced to
settle upon It. In addition to these mil
lions taken from the general treasury,
the wise men of the West have gathered
and expended millions In Irrigation pro
jects, in. altering the face of nature, In
building up projects amid the most un
seemly surroundings. Still settlers have
expended years and years of labor, some
entirely unsuccessful in an effort to try
out the land and establish the fact that it
could be made the home of human
beings.
The expense thus far has been tre
mendous. What will the harvest be?
Pioneer ta Dry Farming.
To William H.. Campbell, of Lincoln,
Neb., properly belongs the honor of be
ing the pioneer dry land farmer of the
world. To him belongs the honor of hav
ing thought out a system by which moist
ure may be conserved, a system which
removed the sage brush and planted In
its place alfalfa, fruits and vegetables.
Over 20 years ago, Mr. Campbell evolved
the theory, and he put It to a practical
test. He experimented, and everywhere
success followed his efforts. Nebraska,
Kansas, Colorado, in turn sang his
praises, and soon the people west of the
Rocky Mountains heard of the new
scheme. They were interested. Every
where it was tried properly, the same re
sult followed. Other, men became Camp
bell's disciples, and carried on the work,
and still others are preparing to follow.
IE
COTE WILL CELEBRATE ADVENT
OF RAILWAY.
Fonr-Days' Frolic Planned for First
Week in July Citizens Happy
Over the New Line.
LA GRANDE. Or., June 30. (Special.)
Cove, the fruitgrowing community on the
east side of the Grande Ronde Valley,
joyous over the advent of rail connection
with the main line of the O. R. & N., is
busily preparing for a monster celebra
tion, to last four days. July 1, 2, 3 and 4.
July 1 is to be "Pioneer" day, and Joaquin
Miller will address the old settlers. Hon.
T. T. Geer. ex-Governor, will deliver .the
address of welcome. The Cove- baseball
earn, as yet unbeaten this year, will play
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In the wake of the disciples of William
Campbell, the sturdy Westerners who
have chosen the arid regions, the sage
brush, the greasewood, the yucca, the
Spanish bayonet and the cactus are rapid
ly disappearing, and wheat, corn, alfalfa,
barley, grasses, fruits and vegetables are
springing up In most lavish profusion.
Homes, cities, towns, are coming to life
as if by the touch of the magician's wand.
All very well, but will It last? It has
never been done. Wrecks all along the
pathway show how failure has preceded.
The secret of success in the future lies
in the one primary fact that the dry land
farmer must never stop work. He is not
to be given vacations, he will not ask for
holidays, he will not go fishing and ex
pect his crops to grow during his absence.
He must work and. watch continuously.
In the older fields of the East and South,
there are periods of idleness and care
lessness that follow the "laying by" time,
or the harvest rush, and the farmer may
turn his thoughts to barbecues, picnics
and the like, or simply go out under the
inviting trees and follow James Whitcomb
Riley's plan of seeing "Jes" how laiy he
kin be."
Working Irrigated or arid land is
constant, hard work. It requires ap
with Island City. Perry, La Grande and
Union in the order named, on different
days.
Automobile races are being arranged
for; to take place on the highway east of
the town. The road Is so narrow that the
machine taking the lead will need make
no effort to keep it, for two machines
cannot pass.
Trains will be run over the Oregon Cen
tral from Union, a distance of nine miles.
Miss Violet Hancock has been chosen
to represent, the Goddess, of Liberty, and
Miss Claudine Kelly as Angel of Peace.
Much Building at South Bend.
SOUTH BEND, Wash., June. 8a (Spe
cial.) Messrs. Cressy and Kleeb, have
purchased two lots from John Drlssler,
on Water street, and will Immediately
erect thereon a concrete block to ad
join the Myers block now in process of
erection, the total cost of which will be
upwards of $30,000, and will be finished
and ready for' occupancy by November 1.
Over $50,000 in new blocks on Water
street, are now being built and will be
finished before the rainy season begins.
Desert Without Irrigation
plication study, constancy, indefatig
able care. But the harvest Is sure.
With Irrigation, the hot wind has no
terrors, the dry, late Spring does not
interfere. With a ditchful of water, a
disposition to work and a handy shovel,
the irrigation farmer feels as Independ
ent as a king and as confident of suc
cess as Napoleon ever felt
Must Conserve Moisture. i
But the dryland farmer must make
the best of conditions aside from the
ditchful of water. The minute a few
drops of rain fall upon his land he is
out in the field with his harrow to stir
the surface of the soil and powder It
so fine the moisture may not rise again.
He stirs It In this way a year before
he- plants It to grain or other seeds.
He stirs the land while the seeds are
sprouting until there Is danger of in
juring the plants by breaking up the
tiny roots, and then takes up the work
again and ceases only when the plant
are large and strong enough to cast a
protecting shadow over the surface of
his fields.
The minute the crop is off the land
he follows the harvester with the sub
soil plow, and the fields are made
ready for another crop. Usually he
FIGHT BETWEEN- FACTIONS
LITTLE TOWH OF HERMISTON
DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF.
Moving of Buildings Across Dividing
Line Leads to Lawsuit
Brought in Courts. .
PENDLETON, Or., June 80. (Special.)
The town fight which has been waged
nrcely between the two sides of the town
of HenniBton. has at last been brought
Into the courts. The Maxwell Land &
Irrigation ' Company Is the principal
owner and promoter of that portion of
the town located west of the O. R. & N.
track, while the Newport Land & Con
struction Company, W. H. Skinner and
allows half his land to lie in Bummer
fallow each year, in this way accumu
lating enough moisture to assure a
crop on part . of the acreage every
year without overworking the land.
Even as eternal vigilance Is the price
of liberty and peace, so Is eternal and
tireless Industry and care the price of
prosperity to the dryland farmer.
The method by which large areas of
arid land are being reclaimed Is known
as "dryland farming," and is quite
simple in principle. Its purpose is to
conserve every drop of water, every
particle of moisture that falle during
the year, not in large reservoirs or
lakes, but In the soil Itself, In the
fields awaiting the seed-sower. A year
before the land is to be seeded It Is
plowed deeply with machinery special
ly made for the work. Great disc
plows not only pulverize the soli but
pack. It Into a firm bed through which
the conserved water may not sink, and
through which the excessive salts
which usually lie four or five feet be
low the surface may not rise by evap
oration and burn and blight the vege
tation. On this subsoil the surface Is
pulverized to such a fineness by spe
cial machinery that it seems the work
must have been done by hand. This
others are the promoters on the east side
of the fighting line.
The rivalry between these two artificial
divisions became Intense several months
ago, and reached one climax recently
when a member of the east side frater
nity purchased the blacksmith shop which
was located on the west side and pro
posed to move it over to the other. A
small war nearly ensued, but the build
ing was finally moved in the wee small
hours of the night, with Deputy Sheriffs
and Constables taking part.
Now It seems that the Newport people
have again invaded the ranks of the
enemy with their money, and this time
it is the Neater store buildings, one of the
largest In the Uttle town, which has been
purchased and is to follow the way of
the blacksmith shop. Fearing this master
stroke, the Maxwell people persuaded the
proprietor of the meat market who had
his shop in the building and who had a
lease for a year, to file an injunction suit
to prevent the sale and removal of the
building. This was done Saturday, but
according to Colonel Newport, the trans
fer of the property has already been
made and the building la to be moved.
By a. r Harris
makes a mulch through which rain
and melted snow may percolate to rwt
upon the packed subsoil beneath, but
through which no moisture will rise.
The system demonstrates the law of
capillary attraction, for moisture most
easily passes through moist channels,
just as oil rises more quickly In a
lampwick which has been saturated
with oil than it does In a dry wick, a
fact that everybody is conwrsant with.
Lecturers, In demonstrating the the
ory, have represented the damp sub
soil with a lump of loaf sugar sprinkled
over with powdered sugar. Wrhen the
lump is wet the powder will remain
dry.
Giant Machines Do WopIj.
American genius and modern Inven
tion have come to the relief of the dry
land farmer. Giant machines minimize
the labor and save time for him. Across
the unbroken stretches of virgin soil
a 100-horaepower engine puffs away,
pulling an aggregate of machinery that
startles one. It leaves behind It a
stretch of about feet of brown, pul
verized soil, in which the seed Is hid
den for the coming crop. The land
has been plowed, rolled, harrowed.
seeded and clod-crushed at one opera
tion. A dozen or 20 plows In gangs,
two Immense roller's, seed rills, har
rows, clod-crushers and sometimes oth
er Implements, make up the load for
th Iron horse.
From'the unbroken land to the "seed
bed Is but a minute on many a dryland
farm. In this quick way the soli Is
left In the bdst possible shape to re
ceive and germinate the seed. Tjiia
giant equipment prepares and seeds
from 25 to 75 or 100 acres a day, ac
cording to conditions of land and work
necessary to leave the land in perfect
order. The cost Is held to the mini
mum, for but few men are needed to
handle a very large acreage. The old
method would require the labor of
many horses and men, with food sup
plies an Item of heavy expense, and the
work would drag over many days, the
seed reaching the eoil after the first
moisture had left It.
In harvesting, the same quick meth
ods are employed, the same engine do
ing the work, using largely straw for
fuel. In the i early development of a
section, sagebrush Is used largely for
fuel, thus assisting In clearing- away
the troublesome natural Incumbrance
of the ground.
COUPMrS PLANS DELAYED
WETERHAETJSKRS NOT READY
TO BUILD LEWISTON MILL.
Suit, in the Courts to Determine the
Validity of Land Titles Will
Be Necessary.
' LEWTSTON,' Idaho, June . (8pecial.)
The hopes of the Lewlston people for
the early Installation of mills in this
Tlcinity by the Weyerhaeuser people has
been set back a pace by the visit of Fred
erick Weyerhaeuser, A. J. Humbrid and a
party of stockholders in the Weyer
haeuser companies.
The matter was taken up by the Lewis
ton Commercial Club some time ago
when it was learned that the Weyer
haemer people were looking toward the
Clearwater country with a view of com-
' fail r
Sparkling Apenta
(Natural Apenta Carbonated),
IN SPLITS ONLY.
A Refreshing and Pleasant Aperient
for Morning Use.
DRINK WHILE EFFERVESCENT,
Sole Exporters: THE APOLL1NARIS CO., Ld., London.
menclng operations on their large tract
of white pine consisting of approximately
100,000 acres. A committee of citizens was
appointed by the club and negotiations
commenced, a suggestion being made by
Lewteton that a suitable bonus would be
furnished by the city providing the com
pany would come to this locality.
It was believed that an understanding
with the big timber company would be
speedily reached until the arrival of the
party in Lewlston, when it was learned
that all operations In this territory would
be delayed until the question of the valid
ity of certain titles is secured either from
the Supreme Court of the United States
or by an act of Congress.
The greater part of the Weyerhaeuser
holdings in the Clearwater country was
formerly held by the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company as a land grant from
the Government and the transfer of the
interests of the Northern Pacific Railroad
Company to the Northern Pacific Railway
Company has brought up a question as to
the validity of the title of the timber
grant.
It Is generally conceded that the ques
tion Is but a technical -one and that the
delay in operations in this section will
be but for a few months. The situation
is regarded as cheerful and it is believed
within 12 months a definite announce
ment of the Weyerhaeuser plans for the
Clearwater country may be expected,
WILL HAVE MILK CONDENSER
Big : Plant Assured for Albany and
Stock Is Subscribed.
ALBANY, Or., June . 30. (Special.) A
milk condensing' plant, to cost at least
$40,000, is assured for Albany. The stock
for the industry has all been subscribed,
and stockholders will meet in this 'city
at 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon to form
the company to manage It. It Is planned
to erect the plant this Summer.
The establishment of this Industry has
been promoted by H. H. Olmstead, rep
resenting Eastern manufacturing Inter
ests. For the past month he has been
securing subscriptions of stock and en
listing farmers to furnish milk for the
enterprise. Most of the stock for the
plant has been subscribed by Linn Coun
ty people.
The plant, as it is proposed to erect it,
will utilise 80,000 pounds of milk a day,
and to furnish this milk 5000 Linn Count:,
cows have been listed. Farmers in the
vicinity of Albany, Lebanon and Scio
have agreed to furnish a certain num
ber of cows each, bringing the total up
to B000 for the first year. If the plant
is founded and succeeds, these farmers
have promised to double the number of
cows for the second year, making a list
of 10,000 cows to supply milk for the
plant.
Unless unforeseen aimcumes iro iit-
sented at the meeting next Tuesday af-
tcmnnn the nlant is assured, ana ine in
dustry, which may ultimately be made
the largest plant oi tne ainu m
state, will be founded here at once.
OUTLOOK GOOD FOR HUNTERS
Young Chinese Pheasants Are Plen
tiful This Summer.
ALBANY. Or., June 30. (Special.)
There are plenty of young China pheas
ants in Linn County fields this year. The
1807 "crop" of these unexcelled game birds
is a good one. Linn County is the first
home of the birds in America and they
are yet more plentiful here than any
where else, so the fact that the fields are
full of young birds this Summer Is a
good omen for sportsmen.
Climatic conditions were the best this
Spring that have been experienced in
many years for the hatching of the
birds. The weather gave the young birds
every opportunity to grow. Crows, the
traditional enemies o pheasants' nests
were also scarce this year, and fewer of
the eggs were destroyed than usual.
The only thing that can now prevent
a bountiful supply of the birds when the
open season begins next Fall Is illegal
minting. It is generally known that
hundreds of birds were killed out of
season last Summer and tnere was so
much hunting dons that the birds wera
both scarce and wild when the season
opened.'
Will Hasten Bridge Work.
LA GRANDa Or.. June 90. (Special.)
Since early last Spring, people living
above Perry on the Grand Ronde have
been unable to reach La Grande with
teams except by a roundabout way.
owing to the destruction of two county
bridges during the high water.' The
County Court has become impatient at
the delay In construction of the new
bridges, and a" few days ago set July B.
as the limit for the contractors to flnmh
their work, and declared their Intention
to claim the forfeit of $100 per day after
that date, according 10 ins wraiu
the contract. The construction company
agreed to have the bridges completed by
that time. -The County Court has adver
tised for bids for the construction of a
steel bridge across the Grand Ronde at
a point about three miles west of Elgin.
This ill be the fourth steel bridge
to be built In the county this year.
New Sturgeon Fisheries.
SOUTH BEND. Wash., June SO. (Spe
cial ) A new fishing industry Is being
established at Bay Center In the catching
of green sturgeon for the markets. Two
tons are shipped dally to the cities and
the Indians, instead of going to the Co
lumbia River to fish through the season,
are running fishing boats at the mouth of
the Wlllapa and are averaging $40 to the
boat per night. The green Bturgeon are
said to be superior to the white sturgeon
for eating, and this promises to become
an Important Industry and is one which
has heretofore been overlooked.
New Mill for Long Beach.
SOUTH BEND, Wash.. June 30. (Spe
cial.) J. A. Kennedy Is building a shingle
mill at Long Beach and will have It in
operation by the middle of July. This will
provide a market for the cedar wriich
.Krows so plentifully near that town.
RAISES SPLENDID FRUIT
TIMBER VALLEY ADAPTED TO
STRAWBERRY CULTURE.
Without Irrigation, and With Little
Cultivation, Excellent Specimens
Are Produced in This Section.
LYLB, Wash., June 30. (Special.)
Timber Valley, lying between this place
and Camas Prairie, is unquestionably
the coming fruit section of the Pacific
Northwest. This is not an idle boast,
for the horticultural products of this
valley are eye-openers and suggest al
most unlimited possibilities for grow
ing fruit of all kinds. E. L. Smith, of
Hood River, one of Oregon's pioneer
horticulturists, recently visited Timber
Valley and declared that owners of land
here have but a slight knowledge of its
value for horticultural pursuits.
A. E. Weber, who owns a small tract
of land seven miles from here, was In
Lyie a few days ago en his way to
Portland. He had several boxes of Ma
goon Btrawberrles he had raised with
out irrigaton. He employed no ferti
lizer and says the land required but
little cultivating. The berries were
large, well flavored, and, as is the case
with all . fruit grown without irriga
tion, were hardy and good keepers.
They are especially suited for ship
ping. The land in Timber Valley, which
embraces several thousand acres, Is of
the red shot composlton with a heavy
clay subsoil. This combination is par
ticularly adapted to fruitgrowing, apples,
apricots and other tree fruits thriving
equally well with strawberries and
the smaller fruits. Land covered with
small timber and hazelwood, easily
cleared, can be bought for from $25 to
$50 and ' is considered an investment
certain of substantial returns. The
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company owns
the heavy timber land surrounding the
valley, but there are several thousand
acres owned by private persons that
can be bought for horticultural pur
poses. Many new settlers are locating
In the valley, which will be thoroughly
exploited by the Timber Valley Im
provement Association, for the organ
ization of which initial steps have been
taken by the farmers.
This section has the advantage of
other fruit-producing districts since it
is already supplied with ample facili
ties for getting its products to market.
The Columbia Northern Railroad pass
ing through this place is but a few
miles distant from the heart of this re
markably productive fruit country, and
the North Bank Road, In course of con
struction, will pass through the valley
and aid greatly In its development.
Other than rail transportation, farmers
have the advantage of a good steam
boat service down the Klickitat River
to The Dalles and Portland.
RECORD CROP OF CHERRIES
Yield at Eugene Is Much Heavier
Than Was Expected.
EUGENE, Or., June 80. Special.) The
prophesy made earlier in the year that
the cherry crop of Lane county would
bo light has been completely overturned
by the great quantities the fruit-growers
are bringing into the cannery and pro
duce houses for preserving and shipping.
The crop Is a heavy one and the quality
of the cherries is fine. The yield has
probably never been better on an aver
age than this year, and the tonnage will
run higher than for any previous year,
owing to the increased acreage.
The prices are good, and many tons of
the green fruit are being shipped north
and to California points. The . Royal
Annes form the principal crop here, and
the raising of this variety has come to
be an important industry in this section
on account of the ease with which a
splendid cherry can be raised and the
profit to be derived from the sale of the
fruit, either in the home market or
through shipping. There are a number
of orchards from which an average of
$15 to $20 per tree Is the common income,
and the best of cherry land can be
bought for $30 to $60 per acre.
The cherries raised here are so much
in demand for canning and packing, on
account of their quality, that the prices
In the local market are" kept up well, and
the whole crop can be profitably disposed
of The fact that there is little risk
to' run In the marketing of this fruit Is
causing a number of fruit growers to
give considerable land over to this pur
Seek Location for Library.
ALBANY, Or., June 30. (Special.)
Albany's public library will be started
as soon as a suitable location can be
found for it. Arrangements are com
plete for instltutirg it and as soon as
temporary quarters are rented the li
brary will be opened. Nine directors
have been elected and their election
has been confirmed, in accordance with
the state laws governing public
libraries, under which this institution
was formed by the City Council. These
directors are Frank J. Miller, Mrs. J.
K. Weathorford. H. H. Hewitt. Fred P.
Nutting, Mrs. H. F. Merrill. Mrs. S. E.
Young, M. H. Ellis and Miss Lucy Oard,
To Create Drainage District.
COLVTLLE, Wash., June 10. (Spe
cial.) The effort to create a drainage
district to include the lands in the
Colville Valley immediately west of
town, will be renewed at an early date.
It Is proposed to restrict the area to
the actually overflowed lands of the
valley. The project which was recently
voted down included nearly half its
area in uplands, and acreage that
needed no drainage. The new plan is
receiving much encouragement and will
doubtless carry when put to a vots,
and when adopted the work will be
executed according to the survey made
under direction of the Government last
year.