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About The Madras pioneer. (Madras, Crook County, Or.) 1904-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 1911)
MADRAS STA' BANK 4lo Interest Paid On Savings Deposits WTilHMHnHnHHHnHHaHIHHHHMNH FARM LOANS and INSURANCE C. E. KOUSH, President H.'S. CROTHERS, Vice-President 0. A. PEARCE, Cashier J. L. DEHUFF, Assistant Cashier H. S. CROTHERS 0. A. PEARCE DIRECTORS C. E. ROUSH A. W. BOYCE M. PUTZ CENTRAL OREGON "The Land of Opportunity" Central Oregon is the last Great West. The place where land is cheap and where a few acres will make you independent for life. The greatest resource of this vast domain is agriculture. The soil is rich and deep, and the rainfall sufficient to insure a crop. Like all new countries, there has been been but little scientific soil cultivation, so it may he pre sumed that crop yields will stead ily increase when the best meth ods of dry-farming are employed, Before the advent of the rail roads early this year, Madras, the first big town the traveler enters after leaving the Columbia river, was only a trading post for cattle and sheep men, who claim ed the unsettled country for their range. The Willow Creek basin where Madras i3 now located, was one of the first sections to be home steaded, for there was running water the greater part of the year, and water could be obtain ed in wells at depths of from 10 to 30 feet. Following the build ing of the Columbia Southern branch railroad to Shaniko, the latter place being 45 miles dis tant from Madras, there was a homesteader's rush to the this section. The new-comers from other lands and other grain sec tions said that the great area of of rolling hills and the immense Agency Plains just west of the Willow creek basin were promis ing wheat growing sections. Dur ing the land rush period, several thousands of homesteads were filed upon and the country set tled up with surprising rapidity. The first year's cultivation proved that the section had great! grain possibilities. Sod lands) produced from 10 to 30 bushels per acre, and last year the yield for all the wheat land in the vic inity of Madras was in the neigh borhood of 20 bushels to the acre. The better farmed lands are yielding 40 bushels in many sec tions, and the possibilities of the section under scientific cultiva tion are yet unknown. The best timber land lies in the Blue Mountains only a few miles to the east of Madras. All the lumber used has come from the pine lorests, with which the slopes of the mountain are cov ered. On the upper branches of Hay creek, about 12 .miles east of Madras, has been discovered a considerable deposit of what is apparently a very fine quality of bituminous coal. Some 2000 acres of these lands have been taken up under the Coal Land Laws. There are also large deposits, of deposits of lime in this district. In spite of its previous isola tion, Madras has grown to be a town of about 500 souls. It has several good general merchandise stores, blacksmith and repair shops, garage, two drug stores, two harness shops, two restaur ants, confectioney stores and soft drink "emporiums,'' two good hotels, jewelry store, and various other enterprises. What is of great importance, also, the town can boast of three' good MADRAS "The Gateway to Central Oregon" Madras has immediately tributary to it, an area comprising 750,000 acres of tillable land; a large portion of which has been taken up, and is now partially under cultivation. For further information write to MADRAS TOWNSITE COMPANY 02G Chamber of Commerce building, PORTLAND, OREGON B. O. RANDOLPH, Agent, Madras, Oregon churches and a modern graded school. The Madras flouring mill is an institution that has no equal on the coast for its size, in the way of modern machinery. ' It was entirely rebuilt this summer, the company installing the latest machinery methods for the manu facture of high grade flour. The mill has a capacity of 80 barrels a day. The Madras State bank is en joying a good business, the de posits showing- the prosperous condition of the community. The bank has just let a contract for a new brick building, which they expect to occupy about the first of next February. The result of scientific farming cannot be better illustrated than repeat what one man has done on a small piece of ground about six miles from town. This man who has produced wonders on his land, is Tillman Reuter. At Dry-Farming Congress held last year at bpokane, he brought home first prize for the best col lective individual exhibit from all dry farming states. He also captured other first prizes for different displays of vegetables and grains. At the Dry-Farming Congress this year, held at Colorado Springs, Mr. Reuter was awarded 24 prizes in all. Photographs of his exhibit and the cup he won are shown on the front page. It is known that sometime the land incorporated in what is now called the dry-farming district, will be put under irrigation. During the fall and winter of 1908 and 1009, several engineer ing crews, belonging to the Re clamation Department of the Government, were working in and around Madras, running ditch lines and making estimates on a storage reservoir in the Crooked river basin only a few miles away. It was estimated that 175,000 acres of extremely fertile soil would come under the proposed irrigation scheme. Where there is now in the Madras Country a family on each quarter section or half section of tillable land, with an irrigation system completed through that section, there will be a family on eaeh 20 or 40-acre tract, and Madras will then bp in the same class with North Yakima or Walla Walla, and other lively and pro gressive cities whoso growth and prosperity is due to the irrigated lands in their immediate vicini ties. The Pacific Monthly in its is sue of November, 1910, had the following to say of one man, that can be construed to mean the feeling of all who come to Central Oregon: "I walked in to Central Oregon, but I won't walk out." He had just refused an offer of $15,000 cash for his ranch and timber land, which a few years before had been worth practically nothing. There are still hundreds of op portunities for the young man who wants to build a home for himself in Central Oregon. . . ' i - -, : KANSANS BUY ON AGENCY PLAINS Leave Their Native Land Because They Couldn't Raise Anything On Their Farms FIRST M. E. CHURCH Madras has three churches that work for the betterment of social and moral life. "We left Kansas because we couldn't raise anything on our farms," is what R. J. Rockwell said last Tuesdap afternoon to a reporter for the Pioneer. Ac companied by Mr. Rockwell on his trip to "the land of oppor tunity" was J. C. Vannoy, of Tribune, Kans., and Elmer At kins, of College Mound. Mo. The above party was induced to come here after they learned of Central Oregon through J. W. Branstetter, a relative of R. J. Rockwell, who was visiting at the home of the latter at Horace, Kans: They are all farmers of some means and will immediately se cure land and go to work. Mr. Vannoy has purchased the-D. T? McDonald ranch of 320' acres about five miles northwest of town on Agency Plains. Mr. Rockwell says he has looked at several farms and will be ready to buy in a faw days. He also says that he knows of - five other families in his neighbor hood who will leave wichin the next sixty days for Madras. sale! ACRIFICE REDUCTION of FURNITURE, CARPETS, RUGS, MATTING LACE CURTAINS, LINOLEUM, OIL CLOTHS. ETC. To make room for a grocery department and other changes, will give you an opportunity to buy furniture at practically your own ' price for the next 20 days commencing NOVEMBER 4th Iron Beds from $4.50 Mattress for G.00 8.00 15.00 " 12.50 " 3.25 7.00 Steel Couches for 8.50 and up Couches for 4.00 Child's Cribs 15.00 Book Case 8.00 Go Carts for -10.00 Fir Dresser for 18.00 Dressers 20.00 Dressers $2.00 to $12.00 3.50 4.50 5.50 12.00 :9.50 2.25 5.50 5.25 2.50 10.50 6,00 7.50 14.50 16.00 This "The Norleigh Diamond" Sewing Machines, $22.50 is a sso. l, up-to-date sewing mach ... -w WUl, boto'Xint Bed"RCk PriCeS- D "0t " 10 - "took The fl T fill Near Oregon Trunk 3 h UUi (lonn Un.l .1 3 V4 m