2 THE MORNING OREGOXIAN, MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1917. A STRAHORN SYSTEM TO OPEN UP EMPIRE OF GREAT RESOURCES! Area of 28,000 Square Miles in South-Central Oregon to Be Served With 400 Miles of Railroad Communities Aid in Financing Project Four Existing Railroad Systems to Be Linked Up by New Lines SAW ntANCTSCO i hi isscf in . : - . - " -4 nf I nil,- - ' - -r " ' t,j$I ; - : fl x t -I lrc'r - ' - . !- ;i't-c:'-q i - .... f . ,j Vsy i JZT ef,im9:4'yJ r ,,t...?,.. y,ut,w,.. .. vvrSv Ai I ??5i' r- r w C;Sc I ' 1 r I vMf .Kf.,.,. .... .... - . .- - T g&WsSYpazorv? SWjem 1W 72 Connect, 1p centra sna Jouzjsjj-i Ore o on, . JVi'iJi Other J?c3zroa2ssf CHIEF FEATURES OP STRAHORN PROJECT. Three routes are proposed, as follows: From Bend to Klamatn Falls Tia Fort Rock and Silver Lake. From Silver Lake to Lake-view via Summer Lake and Paisley. From Bend to connection with O.-W. R. & N. line now building west from Vale. Aggregate length of proposed roads, 400 miles. Estimated cost. $6,000,000. To be financed by Independent capital, but to have co-operation with all existing railroads with which new lines will connect. Twenty - eight thousand square miles, now rallroadless, will be opened up by transportation. This area has: 10,000,000, a or e of "dry farming" land. 1,000,000 acres of . Irriga ble land. 600,000 acres reclalmable marsh land. 80,000,000,000 feet Western white pine. Salts, soda, nitrates and pot ash. Vast cattle and sheep ranges. Magnificent water powers. eastward to connect with the CJ.-W. k. JU- a , -C.' 7. . r r - z -r r & N. Company's extension now being Gfi Xfie 3eflCi-SS?r'J-.aJS SCOtSC? TocZtBrr. Hull nroatroa .1 t 1 inis worn can be done. Mr. stranorn Bend, and reaches of dry-farm terrl- rlon behind It and endless ranges be- ket elsewhere will com to Portland, communities. Its success, in financial the end of the third finger Is in Ne- and thousands of acres nw:Jn natural returns to its . backers, in new pros- vada, 315 miles south of liend and arras will be nroducinr Brain which Parity for the state and in a larger, only about 40 miles from Reno, and ?r8 ' W,,U -P.. VL. au"? .gJ .? new field for Portland, lies in the the end of the little finger is at ov wjh null iui wjr iu iivienmc. . ... ,. , . i.- . e-.ii. Ilfi n uuia fiaU MACU bU6CkUCA O a. -"-. , a.a.,v " " unit. from Bend. It is 250 miles from the An outline of that meaning Is of- tip of the thumb to the tip ct the third fered by Mr. Strahorn himself In his finger, across territory equally pro statement published on this page. The ductlve and roughly Including the Jor- through Oregon's metropolis. c 1 1 t i. - J c . . . r i - - .a 5?K1!ftteJ'.t-an-.-V-rf5tin nnn nl tory to the southeast are becoming pro- hind this In turn. Few cities In the Paisley, on the road from Bend to E ;" .. n t i ' ni-A 1 T-f auctlve, while the closer Irrigated areas Northwest are more notable for their Lakevlew. are all prosperous communl- - are coming into tneir own. south ana attractive bulldl The natural resources of the country we8t lle8 the Kreatest Dody of whlto which. with its Industrial possibilities that th s road can develop are bo enormous I mVrolUilm6tttmtocmU At the th'" e -vey which extends southeasterly ucts of every kind are grown, even tZWZl V Western tfreVon: I Porfllnd it nrSm; a n Ind north-and-south Strahorn survey Is from Bend toward Ontario. Is a com- Including peaches and other most ex- member, than all W estern Oregon. 2 xii-i-nii iin ,nnth thT-n.iiri, "--amath Falls, the metropolis of South- munity set In the center of an empire cellent fruit. I ?T nOwi r i nlJL. rZiJ??." Central Oregon. Surrounded by re- of its own. The great Harney Valley The Lakevlew region, consisting of 5 the East savins- .Avrral hundred miles markaDie assets In agricultural land contains probably more acres of first- the great Goose Lake Valley irrigated widespread fingers, laid r. with timber resources to boot. Kla- class agricultural land than any other section, untold wealth In timber and map of this Brest retrion. Citv and other Nevada. Northfiut. math's present Is prosperous and her single area in Oregon, and the potential wide areas of natural wheat lands with in Portland's sleeve ner hole of Southeastern Oregon, 100 miles square, and most of which will soon be pro- The surveys are like a hand, with portunlty for' the middle and index fin- down on a gers of future railway construction. The wrist is This is the hand of Portland. She Surveys Like a Hand. era California points. It would open future bright. the base of the hftlria fhn enninnrr. of All this V ft t And richness of the region is almost lncal- sufficient moisture for lavish produc- hand is at Bend; the end of the thumb rich territory in her grasp If she will up also a vast new and rich trade ter- A numDer or lumDer mills nave be- ou.aoio unci n dm oeea niicnea up 10 tion. without irrigation, ana tne ricn is at crane, 180 miles east of Bend; but reach out and accept It. ritory in Central Oregon and Northern hind them great bodies of pine, and a maraets wnn rails. paisley and Warner valley regions California and Nevada. It is of great nuge territory rich in resources funnels Today Harney County Is noted for altogether offer inducements for many importance to Bend. Klamath Falls. to tho cltv. which has for a near neigh- Its enormous herds of cattle, and when miles of railroad construction. Lakevlew and tha Harney Valley bor the bi Federal Irrigation eegrega- the new roads are completed hundreds But the meaning of the Strahorn country. tion. with a large grass-producing re- of head of beef which now find mar- project Is not dependent uton Isolated Although the country Is naturally - I . - tributary to Portland, at present Salt siramiiii Lake and San Francisco get the bulk fuLmiltifmimrnnuiiimurm of the buBiness on account of three existing railway lines from the East. South and Southwest. 1 Perhaps on the old assumption that 1 charity begins at home, Mr. Strahorn, I before discussing financial arrange- E ments with outside agencies, went dl- 1 rectly to the people of the interior country whom he proposed to serve. Interior Towns Vote Bonds. This Is to be a partnership arrange- BIG AREA OF GREAT POTENTIALITIES TO BE OPENED UP BY STRAHORN SYSTEM. MY ROBERT K. STRAHORJf. By George Palmer Putnam. fTiWO years ago. Robert E. Strahorn I went Into Central Oregon to "look ment," said he, in effect.' "I want you around." After looking once he folks to have an interest in the road, saw eo much that he became mightily not simply as. shippers but as owners, Interested, and thereafter passed many too." 1 weeks exploring the vast areas of this Then he outlined to various communl- rallroadless region t,es what he expected of them and the I The result is today that Mr. Stra- way, they-responded showed with re- . . , . ... .. . t , markable conclusiveness how anxious torn, on his own initiative and at his central Oregon is for rail transporta- I personal expense, has completed the tion and how willing its citizens are to 5 survey of some 400 miles of railroad accept their share of the project's fl- which is planned to serve the central nanc4al obligations. " 1 portions of Oregon a region six times Below, in a few words and a few I as large as the state of Connecticut figures, is Just what the interior towns s ind a goodly area in Northeastern Call- have done; taken all in all. it is a re- i fornia and Northwestern Nevada. markable record of real progressive- i Not only has the survey been com- ness: 3 pleted, but all plans have been worked Burns voted a $125,000 bond Issue for 1 out for the construction of the required "railroad construction' on August 1, SSii-nA - otfl COoSt wU1 ,be ,6" 1916- h vte being 145 for and 20 000,000, and it Is Mr. Strahorn's plan against. 1 to have the project "owned at home" Bend voted a $35,000 bond Issue for 1 PO far as possible. Most of the needed the purpose of acquiring railway ter- I rights-of-way already have been do- minals. August 15. 1916. the vote being ' Hated, and all of them will be obtained jg6 for and 24 against without cost to the project. Interior Lakevlew voted a $20.0.00 bond issue 1 communities which will be especially for the purpose of acquiring rlght-of- I benefited already have come forward way and terminals. The election was I with nearly $.00,000 to aid the fi- held November 14, 1916. the vote being 5 aancing. 249 for and nine aealnst. E Portland to Aid Project. Klamath Falls voted a $300,000 bond i That Mr. Strahorn expects Portland Issue for railroad construction on No- I to take an active Interest in the proj- vember 14, 1916. the vote being 1222 g ect and assume a share of its financial for "4 10 against. Private subscrip- responsibilities is no Becret. Already tlons In the country affected amount , 'the matter has. been discussed and the to about $200,000. tStrahorn plans have received the warm Four Conn tip Raise ST0O.O0O. 1 Indorsement of Portland bankers and rour communities, two of them al- I prominent citizens, and the Chamber mo8t 10o miles from railroads, have 1 of Commerce is prepared to take the Come through" with almost $700,000 to campaign up in earnest when Mr. Stra- ald tne strahorn project. The combined I f," 18 Je,dyJr 1 na cion- ich population of the four Is probably less I will probably be early in the year. ' than 14000 people. I Mr. Strahorn is the man who con- closest to Portland of the towns I eeived and built the North Coast Rail- wh,cn wIn feel the effect8 of the stra- I road Project In the state of Washing- horn project ls Bend. Toaay Bend has I ton and who directed the Southern Pa- two ranroads frpm the north, connect- I cities recent electrification in Oregon. , wJth the H?u and Harriman sys- I The outline of his constructive ac- tem, on the Columbia River. And to lumunmun. .iipwring on Lni page tho south it has the undeveloped em- I plre which Mr. Strahorn will tap. Bend's population ls now probably I slightly In excess of 6000, and it ls 1 growing with leaps and bounds. Thanks to the completion last Summer of two great sawmills with a combined payroll of about 1200 men, a big impetus has I been given to the community's develop- ment. Smaller mills are building, box and sash and door factories are work- J ing, water power is being developed ? ire evidence of the caliber of the man who has set himself to the task of "opening up Central Oregon." t He proposes, in brief, to build a new road from Bend to Klamath Falls via Fort Rock and Silver Lake, connecting with the O.-W. R. & N. Company and the Oregon Trunk at Bend and with the Southern Pacific at Klamath Falls; to build another line from Silver Lake via Summer Lake and Paisley to Lake- -. i i Tn..... ir.ii... . i '"f" ... ... j tJ-i. ii and an ever-increasing volume of dis- with the proposed Bend-Klamath line t,lhn,, ,.in... i. f t Silver Lake and with the Nevada, " " " California & Oregon Railroad at Lake view, and. finally, to build from a point Rich District to Be Tapped. Sheep and cattle from the south and bear Bend on the Klamath i aUs, line southeast fojua to the railroads at ...n,.,i Portland must depend for any considerable future growth almost entirely upon the settlement and cul tivation of unoccupied lands and the development of other resources of its tributary country. Likewise, its existing railways can only liope for adequate business to meet their interest and other charges, after the abnormal war conditions pass, by the creation of interior local traffic to compensate for the through business they must again surely lose to the reopened Panama route. We have just one more big, empty back country, imperial in extent and prodigal in potential wealth, to respond heavily to these demands. Fortunately, it is almost in sight, and certainly within easy reach, of Portland. In Central Oregon and . Northern California and Nevada'is a region as large as Great Britain, having a volume and diversity of resources comparing favor ably with any of Similar size between the Rocky and Cascade Mountains, and only touched at its outer edges by railroads. Its valleys average 500 to 1000 feet lower than the most productive zones of Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming, and its climate fosters the production of every needed and profitable crop usually raised in such plateau regions. . It has 10.000.000 acres of "dry-farming" grain lands, 1 ,000,000 acres of irrigable lands (about one fourth irrigated), 500,000 acres of marsh lands being rapidly reclaimed, and the most extensive and . best combination of Summer and Winter pasturage, and the largest area of natural hay meadows of any state west of the Rockies. Its 50.000.000.000 feet of Western white pine is the greatest compact body of finishing timber in the world the reliance of the near future of the white pine users of all America. Its mineral wealth, especially in such salts as soda, ' potash, nitrates, etc, is very great. In healthful, climatic, scenic, hunting and fishing attractions it is unsurpassed. Of 14 different railway lines planned and partially constructed to reach this country, at a total outlay of about $75,000,000, five have, at large expense, worked their way up through tortuous canyons from the north, south, east and west, and halted at its boundaries. Their reasons for so doing have often been stated, and lack of space forbids repetition here. It requires only 400 miles of track to connect up these five stub lines, which are a part of or connect with four great competing transcontinental systems. I have demonstrated by complete surveys that, owing to absence of difficult construction features, these lines can be built amply efficient for development and pioneering purposes over the best traffic-producing routes for an average of $15,000 per mile. It is found that the Burns. Lakeview and Klamath Falls districts can thus be tied up to Portland through the connection at Bend with the Hill and Harriman systems, and recover the great trade of those districts of which about 85 per cent now goes to distant cities." It is estimated that three years purchases of those districts amount to the whole $6,000,000 the proposed system would cost. The vast development during and after construc tion would increase the trade manyfold. The resources" are scarcely touched. Development is bound to stand still or languish without better trans portation facilities. The development I propose will make the operation of each of the five now unprofitable lines we seek to connect up profitable, and with their reasonable co-operation will enable the independent system to earn what it should to make a fair return upon its cost. Operation of the neW system independently will be more economical, and rates and regulations on such a home-built, home-owned "people's road" will be more liberal than would be possible on the old roads. Local interests have responded with great public spirit and liberality to my suggestions that adequate transportation facilities can only be obtained through their universal and aggressive initiative effort. Much of the right of way, practically all of the station grounds and terminals and nearly all of the cash they have been asked to contribute have been forthcoming. With the promised proportionate assistance from Portland, which, after all, has the greatest stake , and will be the greatest beneficiary of the settlement and development of this vast, rich region at its doors, our final success is assured. With all these remaining preliminary details promptly closed up, I see no reason why we should not have a considerable mileage built and in operation before the close of 1917, and the entire system completed within three years. If so, I look for a population of 250.000 and development equivalent to the building of a new state in that interior country by 1920. t BUILDER MAN OF ACTION Few Men in West nave Had as Interesting and Picturesque Career Many Big Projects Are Carried to Completion. TO MAN In the West, and few either ducted the publicity department of the AN i he was f Puget jf is Greaf' horn wsm East' or West, who has been unl- Vnlon Pacific Railroad, which work versany successful In large ventures. V;S.dl, the construction of" th! has had a more picturesque and inter- Oregon Short Line, and In various esting career than Robert E. Strahorn. irrigation, telephone, telegraph and builder of railroads, who plana the townslte entcrurlsea in Idaho. Orejton transportation rejuvenation of Central and Washington, and in 1S90 he was Oregon. on the construction staff of Puget j from -Who's Who' and sundry ree- Sound lines now parts of the ords of railroads and corporate en- Northern Railway. terprlses is obtainable the dry facte of From 1890 to 1898 Mr. Strahor his constructive career. But. of course. In the bond business in Boston, doin they don't include the picturesque In- a large portion of the financing of ee cidents of his frontier experiences; of curltles for the state of Washington, his participation in the Sioux cam- .From 1898 to 1905 he personally paign of 1875-76 as a war corrtsepon- financed, constructed and operated dent; of his newspaper and publicity hydro-electric power plants, transmls work, which took him Into every coun- sion lines and waterworks in the Pi ty In every Western state, and gave cific Northwest. him first-hand knowledge of their He was the projector and builder of needs and their possibilities; of his the North Coaet Railroad (now Un hunting. his writing, his travels, his ion Pacific) in 1905-12, whore Impor magnctic personality and his buoyant tant engineering and constructive fea vlgor. which today makes him an act- tures Involved an expenditure of about ive, aggressive worker, truly "6t years $20,000,000. He was also vice-presi-young." dent and general manager in charge of Here Is the official record. It shows construction of the Oregon-Washing-the caliber of tha man who has done ton Kallroad & Navigation Company, big things, and who now plane one For three years following 1912 he was more great constructive enterprise in president of the Portland. Eugene & Oregon. Eastern Railway (now Southern Pa Robert Edmund Strahorn was born cific), the activities under him involv in Pennsylvania May 15, 1851. He was ing new construction, reconstruction of educated in Illinois public schools and steam lines ind electrification of some In printing offices. In 1877 he married 300 miles of road at a cost of about Carrie Adell Green, of Marengo. 111. $12,000,000. From 1866 to 1875 he was chiefly en- Mr. Strahorn Is now president of the gaged aa a newspaper correspondent Oregon, California & Eastern Railway and publicity worker for various rail- Company, the corporation which is roads. From 1877 for six years he con- handling the Central Oregon project. IRRIGATED DISTRICT GROWS Value of Crops in Central Oregon Project Increases $161,918 Bank De posits Make Gain of 60 Per Cent. CI UBSTANTIAL gains In crop and Value of livestock for 1916 shows O stock production In the Irrigated of $38,218 over 1915, being $308,990 section of Central Oregon were made last year, according to the annual re port of the Superintendent of Malnte for 1916 and $270,772 for 1915. Of an examination of 730 farms It was found that 37.8 per cent of the farmers were making money; $1 per nance of the Central Oregon Irrigation cent were making only a living as yet. Company's project. Tho farm population Increased from due either to Incompetence or to the fact of the place being new and unde- 1366 in 1915 to 1535 In 1916. Production "P.d,: "f p '"L1" f a"uf of alfalfa hay approximated 20,000 tons. I an Increase over J915 of about 10 per I cent. There was an Increase in area and 19.7 per cent living in whole or in part from outside resources, their places either new and not yet produc ing or being conducted primarily for planted to potatoes of 20 per cent, and farming. This is considered a fine garden, orchard and miscellaneous pro- showing and will compare more than duction shows gains. More beef and favorably with other farm sections in dairy cattle were raised and sheep new countries. showed an Increase of more than 800 per cent. , Deposits In the Central Oregon banks increased 60 per cent over the previous year. Value of crops In 1916 show a gain of $161,918 over that of 1915. being $176,603 an4 $311,6&5 respectively. New sales of water and filings under the Carey Act have been few to persons coming to the country, but a substan tial number of sales have been made to settlers who now own lanfls and who have added to their holdings by new purchases from profits made from their old lands.