MAGIC TOUCH OF YOUNG FARMFR TM
WILLAMETTE VALLEY DOES WONDERS
In Two Years E. I. Kleiner, By Defying Soil Traditions in Oregon, Converts Mere Fern Ridge Into One of
Greatest Show Places in State and Gives Others "Tips" on How to Make Money and Homes.
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A LI. tlie prophets who assembled
under the lig trees and date palms
way back In the Says when. It was
popular to take a squint at the weather
and Issue a bulletin on the probability
of the next stopping place of a wander
ing tribe of the children of Israel would
have been given another assignment If
they had decorated their stone tablets
with the story of E. L. Klemer and
what he would do in the Willamette
Valley in the year 1913.
Even If any prophet of late years in
the Northwest had possessed the te
merity to suggest that ripht here under
the nose of Portland Senator Paulha-
mus. of Puyallup, Wash., would be out
Paulhamused .by a young horticultur
ist from Minnesota, and that Klemer's
individual plans for fruit development
and marketing would equal anything
. tha.t has been accomplished by the en
massed population of Puyallup, said
seer and, revlator would have been put
In the class of those citizens who pre
dicted the election of William Howard
Taft In 1912.
Bnt after reading this tip, the old
timer who scratches his right ear with
a. wheat straw , and ventures the pre
diction that young Klemer will soon be
known as the greatest demonstrator
of Willamette Valley soils the bis
basin has ever known, will take his
place alongside of Solomon. And if
such prophet adds the statement that
the Klemer place, known as Kern
Ridge prchards. is the greatest show
place in Western Oregon, he would de
. serve to be written down as an expert
nail-driver.
Klemer In Soil Wizard.
Klemer Is a wizard of the soils, the
Oregon Burbank. an optimistic demon
strator of what-can be done, a patriot
who is proving the truth of every state
ment made since 1843 concerning the
richness of the Willamette Valley, a
man who has made $100,000 in real
money from a fern bank while some
of his neighbors have gone on raising
wheat and oats and sounding warnings
of the doom that was about to ring
for this young man who was rending
assunder the farming traditions of the
country. But Klemer Is a determined
Dutchman, and he went right ahead
demonstrating practical horticultural
and intensive farming methods, and he
Is now pouring his spoils back Into
lands and Bchemes for marketing prod
ucts. Klemer has nothing more to sell,
but he is aiding to fill the Fern Ridge
rountry with home-building people, and
hen he Is going to furnish a market
for everything they can raise.
The Klemer farm, 1250 acres in ex
tent, lies 10 miles north of Kugene and
nine miles west of Junction City. It
spreads over the Fern Ridge country
and was considered a worthless farm
posture when Mr. Klemer and his young
wife bought their first land in 1911.
Their horn is a beautiful and modern
bungalow. Klghty varieties of roses
bloom in the front yard, while for more
than a mile on either side of the dwell
lng stretch tree orchards and berry
8. S-jm. X... . f jv-k. ' ... . . . ..... . .
of the Portland, Eugene A. Eastern Rail
way at the new town of Alvador. and
I will have them In operation in time to
handle the crop of next season. The
plant will be co-operative to those
farmers who wish to become stock
holders, but I will buy for cash the
produce of those farmers who do not
care to invest in the company. By
this means we will somewhat equalize
the high cost of living and the low
profit of the farmer.
"Through an arrangement with the
Pacific Land Company I have secured
ten acres of land which also parallels
the Portland, Eugene & Eastern elec
tric line and will make It a demonstra
tion farm. On this farm I propose to
produce diversified crops, so as to fur
nish an object lesson to the traveling
public of what can be done in the
south end of the Willamette Valley,
and to give to settlers of the neighbor
hood complete instructions for working
the soils and producing the crops for
which the Fern Ridge district is best
adapted. It will be a show place as
well as a practical plan for aiding In
getting the best crop results.
"I believe that we shall have the
hearty co-operation of the farmers and
landowners of the surrounding country
for the reason that our selling or
ganization and facilities for refrigera
tion, storage and canning will operate
to their advantage in disposing of
every pound of their produce. The
profits of mot farms are lost In waste
products, stuff that cannot be marketed
directly and which the farmer is unable
to make use of. My plan means that
all these waste accounts will be wiped
out. Our canning and other plants
will be so constructed that additional
sections may be put In from time to
time to keep pace with the needs of
the -district.
Thousand . of Acrfi ATTalt.
"I have always employed from 35 to
60 laborers on Fern Ridge farm, and
have operated two boarding-houses for
their accommodation. This Winter I
will build cottages for the men at the
new town of Alvador and thereafter
will employ nothing but married men.
who can reside with their families
close to their work." ""
And back of the talk of this young
man Klemer is the money and the
spirit to carry out his plans. Back of
those things and the magnificent Klem
er ranch are the thousands of other
acres of lands, equally rich in soil
values, but which have never come un
der the m3gle of the Klemer touch.
Klemer realizes that he could not con
trol all of these lands If he wanted to.
and that his colony of 60 settlers will
be the center of a district containing
nunareas or sucn country places, ana
he Is willing to aid them all in "getting
the knack" of making a success of the
land.
Just what all this means to Western
Oregon can 'scarcely be conceived. It
may safely be said that the larger part
of the acreage of the Willamette Valley
is In the ownership of a few persons.
That Is particularly true of the', south
half of the valley. Most of the dona
tion land claim farms have never been
cut up. In hundreds of places farmers
are cultivating large tracts when .the
same amount of energy devoted to a
small acreage would bring greater re
turns. This Is proved by the fact that
of the 2,096,030 acres of arable land in
the valley, only 829,236 acres are under
cultivation. .
To the northwest, southwest and
southward of the Klemer place there
are thousands of acres of opportunities
such as he embraced. While unlm.
proved lands in that district are not
high in price, it takes money to buy
land with an orchard on it. There is
plenty of it where the difference be
tween a high price and a low price ts
represented by willingness to swing an
ax.
47r& y&ajr 7?a?r
tracts. More than 100 acres of straw
berries, loganberries and gooseberries
are Hanked by acres of garden truck
and all of it a. growing success. There
are no "mourning doves In the trees"
on this ranch, nor no "little owla call
ing tremulously to their mates." as is
written of by a former President of
these United States, but sitting on the
piazza of the Klemer home one can
look away over miles of country that
will soon be brilliantly developed and
where thousands of prosperous homes
will exist.
But taking his visitors to the top of
a bigh tower, from which a. panorama1
of the great valley can be viewed and
which Mr. Klemer calls his salesroom.
Farmer Klemer related "his own story
of his life:" ,
Beginning Made In 1011.
"All that I have accomplished on
this farm can be done anywhere in this
district by the man who is wUling to
work the soil." was the first statement
handed out by this alchemist of pros
perity. -
"In 1911 I disposed of an apple or
chard a.t Hood River and with the cash
In my pocket, began searching for land
for diversified farming. I found It
here on Fern Ridge ajid secured 470
acres. The analysis of the soil satis
fied me that, it was peculiarly adapted
to my purposes, it was far from the
railroads and it gave me an oppor
tunity to get In on ground floor prices.
"By bleeding them. I easily killed out
the ferns, which had been found to be a
detriment to other farmers, and set the
land to small fruits and garden stuff.
One-year-old strawbery plants pro
duced more than 100 berries to the
stalk, loganberry vines gave me 70 per
cent of a full crop the first year, and
my vegetables proved of good size,
quality and a big yield. These results
enabled me to interest persons who
were looking for homes, and they
were . induced to come here to
investigate for themselves. My
Parting on Battlefield Is
Recalled in Oregon
Albany and Salem Men to Kind Spot
at Ott.vHbura; AVherp Separated
During Historic Fight.
wife worked- the typewriter and
showed the lands - from the sales
room on the tower. The result Is that
I have purchased and resold 900 acres
or H ern Ridge lands, each tract planted
to the variety of tree fruit or berries
the purchaser desired, have 350 acres
left for myself, and have so planned all
these orchards that vegetable crops
can be planted on the same ground.
"These lands have been sold from
Seattle to Boston. During-the present
year and in 1814 more than 50 families
will come here o build their homes
and to take over their holdings. Not
one of them has been allowed to pur
chase any of these lands until I gave
his character and reputation a. thor
ough "nvestlgation and was satisfied
that he was the kind of a man who
would strengthen a community. They
include such men as Dr. Louis Nippert,
a noted physician and surgeon of Min
neapolis; F. c. Popham, principal of the
High School at Anacortes, Wash.: Wil
liam T. Young, civil engineer of New
York City; E. G. Quigley, Seattle;
Thomas R. Cole, head of the Broadway
High School of Seattle, and I think
every other school principal of that
city. I am under contract with these
purchasers to handle their. lands for a
number of years, and in 1914 I expect
that 450 tons of stuff will be produced
by these lands.
Market Next Big Need.
"In the meantime other farmers are
Increasing and - their produce must
have a market if the community Is
to prosper. The Pacific Land Company
holdings now almost surround my farm
and I understand that they have been
succesful in selling a large number of
tracts These people must also have a
market.
"In solving this problem I am new
planning. the erection of a (30,000 can
nery, cold storage plant, dryers and
Juice mills. This will be located on six
acres of land along the right-of-way
ALBANY. Or.. June 28. (Special.)
Andrew Crooks, of Albany, and
William -H. Simpson, of Salem, who
parted under unusual circumstances on
the field of Gettysburg, to meet for the
first time afterward 43 years later on
the opposite side of the continent, will
soon enjoy a reunion on the site of
their parting half a century ago. Both
are members of the party of veterans
which the State of Oregon sent back to
Gettysburg to enjoy the semi-centen
nial of the historic battle.
Both Mr. Crooks and Mr. Simpson
were members of Company D, 149th
Pennsylvania Regiment, known as the
"Second Bucktalls." On the first day of
the battle the Union brigade of which
their regiment was a part gave way
before a strong Confederate onslaught
and about the time the' retreat began
Sergeant Stewart, of the company, was
severely wounded.
aergeant Stewart was placed on a
stretcher and four men were detailed
to carry him to the rear. Simpson and
Crooks were on the same side of that
stretcher, Simpson being at the head of
the stretcher and Crooks at the- foot.
In a hail of bullets from the oncoming
enemy, the men picked up the stretcher
and started to run along the Chambers
burg pike. Before they had proceeded
far Crooks was struck in the leg by a
bullet and fell, the stretcher going
down with him.
The command at that time was in
full retreat and the company found it
necessary to abandon the wounded, so
the other three men who had been
carrying the stretcher went on with
the retreating soldiers, leaving Crooks
and Stewart on the pike. The tern
porarily victorious Confederates passed
by them In the attack and when some
of them returned later, Crooks, in order
to get water for the suffering Stewart,
traded his and Stewart's new canteens
for the Confederates' old ones, which
were filled with water.
All that night Crooks and Stewart
lay there on the pike and the next day
they were taken to temporary hos
pitals In churches in Gettysburg. Stew
art had a sister-ln-law, Mrs. Sarah
Stewart, residing in Gettysburg and he
was later taken to her home, but died
In a few days. The surgeons found it
necessary to amputate Crooks' leg In
order to save his life and while he was
recovering from the operation he was
cared for at Mrs. Stewart's home.
Mrs. Stewart is living In Gettysburg
yet and Mr. Crooks will visit at her
home while attending the semi-centennial
observance of the battle.
From the time Crooks saw Simpson
disappear down the Chambersburg pike
on the first day of the great battle he
never saw him again for 43 years, for
after the amputation of his leg Crooks
was discharged and Simpson served on
through the war and after the end of
the conflict they settled in different
cities.
Soon after coming to Albany to live
with his son, H. M. Crooks, president of
Albany College. Mr. Crooks beard that
Mr. Simpson was living near Salem,
and after some correspondence they
met in SaVm at the State Fair seven
years ago. - Since then they have held
a reunion each year at the Oregon
State Fair and next week they will
walk down Chambersburg pike to
gether and endeavor to find the exact
place where they parted half a century
ago.
Assuan Dam May Be Harnessed.
CAIRO, June 28. (Special.) It Is re
ported as highly . probable that a pro
ject for the utilization of waterpower
from the Assuan Dam will be embarked
upon at- the end' of the year.
FIVE PER CENT OF CITIZENS OF
COTTAGE GROVE SEPTUAGENARIANS
Well-Known Bohemia Mining District, Which. Is 35 Miles Southeast in Calapooia Mountains, in Last rive Years
Has Produced $700,000 in Tree Gold and Much Silver, Copper and Zinc.
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Ec?'o7 Co??3$rg 27-?ys
BY ALFRED POWERS.
COTTAGE GROVE, Or, June 28.
(Special.) Cottage Grove is noted
for the longevity of Its citizens.
More than a twentieth part of its
population has passed the three-score-and-f
lve mark. .
Elbert Bede. editor of the Cottage
Grove Sentinel, recently began a col
lection of the photographs of all resi
dents over 65, and already in this-remarkable
. gallery '-there are. 125 pic
tures, with 50 yet to be taken, of
"gray-haired boys and girls," many 70
and 80 years old, and one 93.
Health and , long life, however,
though surely sufficient provocation
for a town, have not alone made Cot
tage Grove the second town in Lane
County, a lively country village of 2500
Inhabitants, but to health has been
added wealth in manifold forms min
ing, lumbering, farming, f rult-ralslng,
dairying and stock-raising. Practical
ly every resource of the state is rep
resented in the district adjacent and
tributary to Cottage Grove. The town
has every economic reason ' for exist
ence and growth. It has the advantage,
also, of not being embarrassed by the
proximity of other towns. Eugene is
20 miles to the north and Roseburg Is
60 miles to the south.
MlnlnV Close At Hand.
Cottage "Grove is the only gateway
of the well-known Bohemia mining
district, 35 miles southeast in the Cala
pooia Mountains, a region from which
during, the last five years 1700,000 in
free gold has been taken, and which
also produces much silver, copper, lead
and zinc The Black Butte Quicksilver
Mines, located 18 miles southeast of
Cottage Grove, its nearest railroad
station. Is the one important mercury
mine that has been developed on the
Pacific Coast. The crest of a ridge
which attains an elevation of 1750 feet,
has massive outcroppings continuously
for a distance of 7500 feet, and speci
mens of ores run from 30 to 70 per
cent mercury. Four miles northwest
of town large deposits of mineral paint
have been discovered.
In and around Cottage Grove there
are 81 sawmills with an aggregate pay
roll of . 850.000 monthly, while 200,000
acres of' standing timber are tributary
to the town.
Creamery Output Large.
The Cottage Grove' Creamery, owned
and operated by R. S. Trask, made 10,
000 pounds of butter in May. The
creamery has 130 patrons whose com
bined monthly checks amounted to
more than 82000 last month. The im
portance of dairying in this section is
shown by the fact that one man's
monthly check frequently amounts to
8300.
The 8100-cow,' the cow that produces
$100 worth of butter a year, formerly
regarded as a. sideshow marvel, now
can be found in almost every pasture.
There are several cows around Cottage
Grove that produce $12 worth of but
ter a month.
The celebrated Lorane country Is to
Cottage Grove what Pleasant Hill la to
Eugene. It is '10 miles west of town
and Is drained by a branch of the
Siuslaw- River. - The valley is six miles
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long and from one to two miles wide,
with a. minimum elevation-of 800 feet.
Here are sawmills, two cheese factor
ies, - and Union High School No. 2, of
Lane County. Large tracts have been
planted to orchards, one pear and apple
orchard containing 1000 acres. Sheep,
horse, hog and cattle-raising, as well
as. general farming, are still exten
sively carried on, though orcharding
gradually is encroaching on these in
dustries. Town Has Many Enterprises.
Cottage Grove has all the ordinary
enterprises of a town, . some in dupli
cate, some in numbers two banks,
two newspapers, two furniture stores,
four hotels, five livery stables, a moving-picture
show but Cottage Grove
has reached a stage where considerable
space is required for an enumeration
of all its shops. Two places it has
with more-than local reputations: the
Armstrong Studio and The Cottage
Grove Sentinel. -
If one hasn't time to visit Row River,
Silk Creek, the Coast Fork, Lorane,
Mosby Creek, or Bohemia, it is a de
lightful compromise to go Into Mr.
Armstrong's studio, there to find in
thousands and literally tens of thou
sands of pictures an almost infinite pan
orama of the Cottage Grove count rv
people, mills, mines, farms, cattle, sheep.
hogs, orchards, hills, rivers," roads and
forests. Mr. Armstrong has lived a long
time at Cottage Grove and he has lov
ingly and thoroughly explored It with
his camera.
And who that has heard 'of Cottage
Grove has not heard of The Cottage
Grove Seutinel, edited by Elbert Bede?
Mr Bede yes, he bane from Minnesota
speaks remlniscently of his career
leading up to work at. Cottage Grove.
He first set pi In his father's print
shop in Duluth, Minn., ' and tells of
the first week's work of six sticks
for which he demanded $1 a stick, but
compromised on $1 with instructions
to buy himself and brother a new hat.
His name first appeared as editor at
16 years of age on "Fine Poker" at
Pine City. Minn. He had a varied ex-
perience on Minnesota weeklies and
dailies before coming to Oregon two
years ago. He Is the only editor of a
country weekly on the board of visi
tors of the School of Journalism. He
is 32 years old and In appearance his
width might with advantage - borrow
from his height.
In a single year's time, with Mr.
Bede as editor. The Sentinel, born anew
from the old paper of that name and
steadily keeping its rejuvenescence, haa
come to be locally and generally re
garded as one of the-best, .if not the
best of country weeklies in the state,