8
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, AVEDNESDAt, JANUARY 1, 1908.
WOOLGROWING IMPORTANT INDUSTRY
Leads All Others in Several Counties of Eastern Oregon and Many
Small Flocks Are Kept in Willamette Valley Wool of Fine Quality .
By E. F. Averill. s
IF SOLOMON in writing his Fiftieth
Psalm had referred to sheep instead of
cattle, and the statement, "the sheep
on a thousand hills are mine,' had ap
peared in some Oregon newspaper today.
It would have caused no comment. There
Is more than one man in Oregon who
could make the statement and still be
within the bounds of truth.
Oregon stands well up in the front rank
of wool-growing states, but owing to the
Inaccuracy of reports on the industry in
this state, it' is impossible to give exact
statistics. From the office of the State
Board of Sheep Commissioners, however.
It Is ascertained that 2,316,997 sheep were
dipped in Oregon last Spring and Sum
mer and from these figures, State Sheep
Inspector Lytle and Dan P. Smythe, sec
rotary of the Board of Sheep Commis
sioners and the Woolgrowers' Association,
estimate the total number of sheep in the
state at between 2,500,000 and 3,000,000.
In Eastern Oregon, Wallowa County
The Malheur Land & Livestock Company
Is probably second with 30.000. The
average flock, however, consists of from
1800 to 2250. As there Is no open range
In the Willamette Valley, the average
flocks contain from 100 to 500 sheep.
Record prices for sheep were reached
during 1907. Starting early in the year,
the market gradually advanced until,
when the sales closed In the Fall, year
ling ewes sold as high as JS.75. wethers
$4.75 and lambs $3.75. These prices, com
pared with those of a few years ago.
when a ewe and her lamb after shearing
were sold for $1.20, and wool brought but
5 cents a pound, explain the rapid in
crease in the wealth of Oregon sheepmen.
The Oregon clip in 1907 sold at an average
of 17 cents for the heavy sand wools, 22
for the light range and 27 and 28 for the
Valley product.
While many sheepmen have prospered
and some have become wealthy, expenses
have increased with the high prices for
sheep and wool. The vast free ranges
of a few years ago, where the sheepmen
were permitted to graze their flocks with
out let or hindrance, are found no longer.
All woolgrowers now own or lease their
corrals, unless guarded by armed herd
ers. Sometimes the coyotes enter the
corrals at'night and slaughter both old
and young. . : -
Re-enactment of the bounty ' law
would cost the state many thousands
of dollars and it is, therefore, hopea
that the poisoning scheme that Is to be
tried this month throughout Eastern
Oregon will prove successful. It is be
lieved that for less money the state can
get rid of . more coyotes with - poison
than under the costly bounty system.
For many years scab was considered
the most dangerous pest with which
the sheepman had to deal. The disease
was thought Incurable and, indeed,
growers usually kept a few scabby
sheep on hand with which to fight un
friendly sheepmen. At the. last Legis
lature, however, an annual dipping law
was passed and under the provisions
of this measure. State Sheep Inspector
Lytle and Dr. Mclure, head of the
Bureau of Animal Industry, with a
large corps of assistants, have practi
cally rid the state-of this disease and
caused the obnoxious Federal quaran
tine on Oregon flocks to be raised.
The number of sheep in Eastern Ore
s' . .............. ...... .................
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, nv jjwjnMi.rft. -. ' 1 i iirnrVtfwritwisiiistiilFJirs -a.. j t
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THE ANKENY CANAL, ACQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR KLAMATH IRRIGATION PROJECT. J
was exempt from the dipping regulation
and only in four counties of Western
Oregon was this law enforced. The flocks
In about 12 counties in the western part
of the state were therefore not accounted
for and in the four exempt counties of
Eastern Oregon, the only bands dipped
were those known to 'be infected or ex
posed to disease.
-The same authorities estimate the 1907
clip of wool at between 16.000,000 and lo,
WO.OOO pounds, or an average of eight
pounds to the sheep. They say that un
der normal conditions the flocks of Ore
snn shear an average of nine pounds to
tile sheep or from a pound to a pound and
a half heavier than the sheep of any
other state in the Union. The Winter
of 1906-7, however, was a hard one and
unfavorable for wool growing. The pre
ceding Winter was much milder and In
the Spring of 1906 some Individual grow
ers received as high as $2.77 a fleece from
over 6000 ewes.
The outlook for 1908 is most encourag
ing. The Winter so far has been very
open and prospects are that Oregon wool
will be of good quality and the output
larsc
While the figures given by the commis
sioners apply to the state as a whole, the
wool industry is chiefly confined to that
portion. of Oregon that lies east of the
Cascade range. Herein years past, the
bands of range sheep have been made up
almost altogether of Merinos or fine wool
slicep. ' Of late years, however, the old
range Merino has been giving way
to high grade Delanes and Rambouiilets.
There still remains a strain of the French
Merino in -most of the Eastern Oregon
flocks. Recently some breeders have
been crossing the Lincoln and high grade
modern range Merinos with excellent re
sults. A. Smythe and William Smith, of Ar
lington, -have been crossing full-blood
Lincoln rams with Merinos and have se
cured a yearling sheep that shears from
a pound to a pound and a half more wool
than the Merino. Kor mutton the new
cross seems to surpass any of the other
cross-breed. not excepting the Shrop,
heretofore considered the best range cros
for mutton. There were several large
importations of Lincoln bucks last Fall,
for the ranges of Kastern Oregon and
there seems to bo a growing tendency to
raise the merged breeds.
Tho Rambouiletts and Delanes are
both on the increase and are bred with
much success in all parts of Eastern
Oregon. Umatilla County breeders not
only supply the ranges of this state,
hut their rams have a National repu
tHtl'on and are shipped to all portions
of the West.
In Western Oregon the conditions
arc altogether different. The climate
of the Willamette Valley Is peculiarly
adapted to the coarse wool grades and
herv the merino is seldom found. Much
success has resulted then in the breed
ing of the Lincoln, Shrop, Hampshire
down and Cotswold sheep.
Oregon seems to be well adapted to
the Lincoln, and from present appear
Hiic.ts this is to be the coming sheep.
At present there are more registered
Lincoin bucks in this state than In all
tho other states of the Union com
bined. The number here is about equal
to that in Canada and it was from
Canada that this breed was introduced
into the United States. The originul
home of tile Lincoln was Lincolnshire,
England.
As an indication that the Lincoln or
some other coarse-wool cross is to be
tliu coming range sheep of Eastern
' Oregon, it is cited that in tlie Spring
of 1906 an average of 12 "i pounds was
shorn from an entire band of half
breed Lincolns and the wool sold at
11 3 cents a pound. Yearlings sold on
tiio ranee for $o.f0 a head and weighed
l i." pounds when put on the block in
Chicago the latter part of June.
A. Smythe's halfbreed Llncolns took
seven prizes. Including firsts, at the
International Fat Stock Show at Chi
cago, In November, where they were
in competition with sheep from all the
range states. These were undoubtedly
the finest range sheep ver raised tn
Eastern Oregon and have topped the
market in Chicago for three successive
years.
Tlie largest individual owner of sheep
In Eastern Oregon is the Baldwin Sheep
& Land Company, which" has 36,000 head.
Winter range, and the Summer range is
either owned or rental is paid to the
United States Government for the privi
lege of grazing in the forest reserves,
which now Include practically all the
mountains.
The coyote has increased in Oregon to
such alarming numbers since the re
moval of the bounty a few years ago that
it is estimated between 150.000 and 200.000
sheep fall prey annually to these animals.
This, too, in spite of the extra herders,
coyote-proof fences and corrals.
It now costs twice as much to lamb
a band of ewes as when the bounty
Tl 1' ' U i ) .1 H I Wtta titan (.11 c f a c.t a
I scatter small bands of ewes over the
hills in lambing-time. Now they are
not allowed outside of coyote-proof
gon is constantly decreasing, the fall
ing off being especially notable in cer
tain districts. Large range areas are an
nually being taken up by settlers, -while
in some counties it is being discotered
that the range is too valuable for the
running of stock and it is being plowed
up and seeded to wheat. This is par
ticularly true in Umatilla, where the
number of sheep Is being decreased at
the rate of from 5000 to 8000 head a
year.
As practically all of the large sheep
owners have formerly been engaged in
the cattle business. It would now seem
that before many more years have been
added to history the sheep kings of
Eastern Oregon will be engaged - in
growing wheat. -
BUILD LINE INTO EAGLE VALLEY
New Railroads From Baker City Will Give Impetus
to Stock Raising and Mining in Tributary Territory
Free
rnoted LaMs
IN CENTRAL OREGON
290 MILES OF WATER LINES
80,000 ACRES UNDER WATER
T " ' " """" ssssssssssssss.,
1 60 Acres Available to Each Purchaser
UNDER THE CAREY ACT
At Actual Cost of Irrigation
' . ... ' ' ' ... .
: v . The greatest opportunity ever offered in the West in land investments or
home making. The wonderful fertility and productiveness of this soil
" under, irrigation has been satisfactorily proven by Government experi
rrient stations and by actual settlers on the land. 38,404 acres now pat
. - ented to the State and ready to deed to. settlers. State requires 1-8 of
,: - irrigable land to be placed under cultivation and three months' residence
before deed will issue. 42,000 acres have already been sold. 300,000
'.;'."."'"'. more to be reclaimed. .
Land From $2.50 to $40 Per Acre
Don't hesitate to take advantage of this splendid of fer and oppor-
tunity. Write today for full information, diagram and terms.
THE DESCHUTES IRRIGATION & POWER COMPANY
ROOM 80S CHAMBER xOF COMMERCE BLDG., PORTLAND, OREGON
ing ' the Northwestern Railroad down
Snake River from Huntington to Lewis
ton. About 40 miles of grading have been
completed on the road, and there is now
material on hand for the laying of rails
for a- distance or 18 miles. Construc
tion on the road has been suspended dur
ing the money panic, but it is expected
that word will come- at any time to .re
sume operations, and the grading outfits
have been left on the ground in anticipa
tion of this order.
-This road will give transportation for
the ores from the great Iron Dyke dis
trict, at Homestead, which is now pro
ducing large amounts of copper ore that
are being treated at the mines. This
is one of the richest copper districts of
Eastern Oregon, and will be a wonderful
producer when proper transportation fa
cilities are afforded Several new towns
' By Don Prullt.
RAILROAD construction received a
decided impetus In the great mining,
and stockraising country tributary
to Baker City during the year 1907, and
more than 100 miles of new road are now
under construction. The citizens of
Baker City have subscribed $100,000 in
stock to the Engle Valley Railroad,
which is now building from Baker City
to Eagle Valley, and will continue over
the mountains into Pine Valley, giving
an outlet to the rich agricultural, timber
and mining district of that section.
Actual construction work is now in
progress on the Eagle Valley Road and
more than seven miles of grade has been
completed at the Baker City end of the
line. The company is now negotiating
with the Utah Construction Company for
a large amount of grading and expects to'
let the contract in a few days for the
rock and bridge work for nine miles of
road In Box Canyon on Lower Powder
River. The confpany Is well financed,
and will push the construction work as
fast as men and money can accomplish
it, as it is desired to have the road com
pleted by next Fall If possible..
The Bagle Valley Railroad will furnish
transportation for a large amount of ore
that is now awaiting shipment from the
Virtue mining district, and will give ade
quate facilities for the transportation of
tlie products of tlie rich Lower Powder
Valley. Proceeding east it will tap the
Goose Creek copper belt, where thou
sands of tons of low-grade ore are await
ing shipment to the Sumpter smelter.
The gold mines of tlie Sparta district
will be given transportation, which will
greatly increase their output. The tim
ber belt cast of Sparta will be tapped,
and will furnish a large amount of
freight for the road.
Some of the finest tomatoes in the
Portland markets come from Eagle Val
ley, and the apples of this section are
bringing high prices in the Eastern mar
kets. The great drawback' to fruit-raising
has been the lack of transportation,
as the products have had to be hauled
40 miles before reaching the railroad.
This is also a rich agricultural and cattle-raising
district, and the coming of
the railroad will mean increased produc
tion in all lines. .
The road will also enter. Pine Valley,
at whose head are the great mines of the
Cornucopia . district. These mines are
now turning out hundreds' of thousands
of dollars of ore each month, but with
the transportation afforded by the rail
road the developments will be vastly, in
creased, and the production of these
mines will soon be, close to the million
dollar mark. .-'.
With the coming of the Eagle Valley
Railroad also comes announcement--that
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
1XG YEAR ' 1907.
During the past ':" year 34.24 .
miles of streets were .Improved
under, ordinance by- the City of
Portland. This work represented
a total expenditure of $S31.
34S.20, and included a consider
able amount of hard-surface,
pavement. During the year the
city also laid 13.29 miles of
sewer, costing $2,'7S1.4:3. - Be
sides these improvements, 1.3.46
miles of roadway were graded
and 41.47 miles or sidewalk laid
under private permit.
a wool-scouring and baling mill will be
erected In Baker City, the Citizens
League having offered to donate the site.
A smelter has also been promised Baker
City, and a franchise has "been granted
for a streetcar and interurban electric
railway to be in operation -within IS
months. '
The Harrlman system is now construct-
10,000 Acres Semi-Arid
Land Under Irrigation
Lands adjacent to the towns of Echo. Foster and Hermiston,v
on main line of O. R. & N. Railroad. Umatilla County, Oregon.
Altitude 500 to 600 feet above sea level. Extreme early
seasons. Especially adapted to all kinds of fruits and earliest
vegetable crops. Perpetual water rights deeded with the land.
Write for full description, prices, terms, etc. Lands with
water for rent on easy terms, for one or more years. '.
The Eurmsn Ditch Company
W. J. FURNISH, President.
PENDLETON, OR.
F. S. STANLEY, President. E. 0. BLANCHAR, Cashier.
E. L. SMITH, Vice-President. V. C. BROCK, Asst. Cashier.
THE FIRST RATIONAL BANK
HOOD RIVER, OREGON.
Capital Stock $50,000 Surplus $ 1 2,000
Organized June 1, 1904.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT
March 22, 1905, Deposits $ 56,000.00.
March 22, 1906, Deposits 138,000.00
March 22, 1907, Deposits ... . ...... 236,000.00
Dec. 3, 1907, Deposits 256,000.00
. ' A General Banking Business Transacted.
DIRECTORS
F. S. Stanley. E. L. Smith. A. S. Blowers.
J. W. Hinrichs. R. Smith.
i . :
HOOD RIVER
RED APPLE LANDS
Ask For Our BARGAINS AJWJielow
21 ACRES First-class; 16 acres young Apples, best; $5000
crop next season ; buildings. Price $13,500
20 ACRES Fine, young orchard;1 crop next season; good
buildings; near railroad. Price .$10,000'
160 ACRES Good apple soil; 6V2 miles out;.'. . .$50 per acre
GEO. D. CULBERTSON S GO.
LEADING LAND AGENTS
HOOD RIVER - - OREGON
I ' V ...-. . ....
Hl?
vsH
HOOD RIVER
. KI.ECTRIC
I.HiHT. POWER
AXD WATKB
COMTAXY;
Hood Rlrer, Or.
Has 3500 horse
power, water or
electric. In city
limits. 160 acres
of land available
for factory sites,
on railroad. at
nominal rental;
for ong time to
foer users.
Now furnishing
continuous light
and power for
factories. mills,
a smelter and
for city and surrounding-
coun
try. Excellent oppor
tunity for, paper
mills or other
factories using;
nr.- oak. spruce,
cottonwood. larch
or pine, which
may be had
cheap in large
Quantities
s Will contract 1
to ;isoo H.-F.. or
Pewer nam f Tfea. Hand Rlrer Electric Mcht. Power & Water C. sell entire prop
Showing Waste Gate and Intake at Tpper End of Pipe Line. erty.
have come Into existence along the new
road, COpperfield being the most prom
ising of any of them as it is situated
at the great Ox Bow tunnel.
The Northwestern Railroad down Snake
River will open to the public some of the
greatest natural scenery ever looked on
by human eyes. For miles down this won
derful canyon the rock walls rise sheer
for a height of 4000 feet, and are almost
impossible of ascent or descent. So rap
idly does the deep river flow that It la
noticeably higher in the center than at
the sides. In laying out the road sur
veyors were let down a distance of 240
feet over ledges to drive stakes- for the
survey. So far as is known only four
men have been successful in making the
trip through this canyon, although sev
eral others have tried It and lxst their
lives. The sun rises in this canyon at
11 o'clock and sinks from view at 2 P. M.
S. SCHENCK
President
GEO. A. LIEBE
Vice-President
MAX A. VOGT
. Cashier
FIRST
NATIONAL BANK
THE DALLES, OREGON
Capital, $100,000 Surplus and Profits, $75,000
A Bank. Distinguished for Sound Con
servative Management and Liberal Treatment of Patrons
THE DALLES HOSPITAL
A Modern Forty-bed Hospital for the Treatment of all Medical and Surgical Diseases.
ESTABLISHED 3901.
L ..itff ill
' n"S i Mil
1 Jt tu.Jt u,
!3 Kswwwa &s
VlgM ""I
twiisi----. I
K--aHmnnirl-inn-AAt--'' '"Mg--tfinimiinTrrfrr &--- --'--i-r-iiiirmstmLiBl
Medical Directors E. E. Ferguson. .M- D.. J. A. Reuter. M. D., Belle C. Ferguson. M. D.
Seufert Condon Phone S19. THE DALLES, OREGON. - Pacific States Phone
Xewoperating room has just been added with all modern appliances at a-cost of $000.
FOR FRUIT, SHADE
AND ORNAMENTAL
JI il w lid lU iCr
SEND TO
THE DALLES NDRSERIES
THE DALLES, OREGON