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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1904)
WIJEN LEWIS AND CLARK, PASSED DOWN THE COLUMBIA river in 1805 they found below the mouth of the Umatilla a broad plateau, stretching far away to the north and south, covered with a luxuriant growth' of bunchgrass, bleaching under the October, skies. These so-called "meadows" were then, had been for unknown ages before and were for long years thereafter the favorite feeding-grounds forthe horses of various Indian 'tribes, and many sanguinary battles were waged by the aborigines for, their possession. As the red men receded and dis persed before the ever-conquering army of civilisation Indian feoriseswerer replaced by the herds of the whites. Cattle and horses ranged and fat tened over the plains in such numbers that the pasturage became scant, and then myriads of sheep were brought in and the grasses eaten to the roots. With a scant rainfall and almost yearly fires sweeping the range, soon even sheep could not subsist Then in place Of luxuriant grasses came the cactus and sage brush and the once famous Umatilla meadows were looked upon as an arid waste. , ,. ( ,. . . Tears ago it was learned that the soil of this, vast tract needed but the touch of water to make it ss productive as any In the world, and that the-climatic conditions, with water added, -were as nearly perfect for the production of crops as any in the country. It was found that the Waters of the Umatilla river could be' diverted and tetr sufficient to .ir rigate with its presei.t flow some 20,000 acres along the line of tb O. ft & N extending from Umatilla down to Castle Rock or thereabouts, and the project of building these canals was undertaken some ten years ago. But for such various causes as the lack of capital. Jack f engineering skill and the lack of that great factor in .all work of development, commonly called pluck, the enterprise failed and failed again. The water was here, the land was here, the climate was all that could b asked and the con tour of the country perfect for Irrigation; but for the want of a guiding hand and a fertile brain, for, the lack of a man with the genius for laying his hand to the plow and never looking back until the work is accomplished, for the lack of these things the ventures were from time to time lament able failures- . . ;; - v A few. years' ago the Oregon Land & Water Company, present owners of the Viliafarms Tracts, the name given' to that portion of "the meadows' susceptible to irrigation, came upon the scene, saw the possibilities, bought the lands and franchises, gathered up the tangled threads, discarded the' dilapidated wreckage and began in a methodical," systematic, intelligent way their present magnificent system of canals and laterals. With brains, energy, perseverance and capital to pack them, they went ahead, and today Irrigon and th& Viliafarms Tracts are beginning to attract attention all over the Pacific Northwest, standing on the pinnacle of latter-day Irrigation enterprises. ' ' TftE O. R. A N. RAILROAD PASSES DIRECTLY THROUGH THB VILLAFARMS TRACTS AND IRRIGON, BUT THE RAILROAD STA TION IS AS YET CALLED STOKES, WHICH SHOULD BE REMEM BERED IN BUYING RAILROAD TICKETS OR SHIPPING FREIGHT. . THE O. R. & N. MAIN LINE TRAINS RUN SOLID BETWEEN PORTLAND AND CHICAGO OVER THE NORTHWESTERN, UNION PACIFIC AND OREGON SHORT LINE ROADS, THESE BEING THE FASTEST AND MOST DIRECT LINES BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. ' FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WRITE A. L. CRAIG, G. P. & T. A 0. R. & N. CO., PORTLAND, OREGON. - DON "The Land of Perennial Sunshine" Irrigon is situated on the Columbia River and" the O. R. C& N. 7 miles west of Umatilla and 179 miles east of Portland, Or.. IRRIQON IS IN THE HEART, OF A BODY OF LAND COMPRISING ABOUT 42,000 ACRES, BELONGING TO THE OREGON LAND & WATER COMPANY, ABOUT 18,000 ACRES OF WHICH IS NOW ' OR 800N WILL BE IRRIGATED FROM THE UMATILLA RIVER THROUGH ONE OF THE FINEST SYSTEMS OF CANAL8 AND LATERALS IN THE WORLD. J'''-. IRRIGON IS A NAME COINED BY THE PROMOTERS OF THIS ENTERPRISE AS A WORD SUGGESTIVE OR IRRIGATION AND OREGON MEAN ING, IF YOU PLEASE, THAT OVER HALF OF OREGON MUST BE CONQUERED BY IRRIGATION IF EVER BROUGHT TO A PRODUCT? IVE STATE. , , IRRIGON IS A NEW. TOWN IN A NEW' IRRIGATING DISTRICT AND LOW PRICES NOW OBTAIN; IT OF FERS TO, THE INVESTOR AND HOMESEKER THE BEST OUTLOOK OF ANY DISTRICT IN THE WEST IRRIGON, OREGON ;'' j ' ,-" ' '''v.V''1 ". ' ' - 'a'. '' ,-' 'r'; f-.'-1''' '" '- ' '' .,':' -i ''':y': . - '.S'-.'i Water ; topaiay MORE MINUTE AND DETAILED INFORMATION CAN feE HAD BY ADDRESSING THE OREGON LAND & WATER COMPANY AT IRRIGON, OR FROM OUR AGENTS. , PEOPLE IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY WHO WISH TO GO UP AND SEE THE PROPERTY CAN MAKE FAVORABLE ARRANGE MENTS WITH THESE AGENTS, AS THEY ARE TAKING PARTIE8 OF FROM THREE TO A DOZEN ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. Brohg (1 Hammer . AGENTS Alder Street - Portland, Ore. ORH. L. GILL, WOODBURN. ORE. IRRIGATION IN OREGON IS LOOKED UPON BY MOST PEOPLE IN the east as a "Joke." They, call Oregonians "Webfaet," and think the entire state- is subject to a phenomenal rainfall. These reports origi nated by Lewis and Clark, who wintered near the coast, where the rain fall runs from 80 to 145 Inches per ylar; they were to a great extent cor roborated by early settlers in the Willamette valley, where the rainfall is not excessive, but it all comes in the winter months and seems much greater than it really is. . ; Oregon Is a large state and has various climates. In some places the precipitation reaches almost 150 inches, In other places, as at Irrigon. it averages 8 inches, and of course in such localities Irrigation has to be re sorted to In order to produce paying crops. - ... . ; The Oregon Land & Water Company Is offering a few hundred acres of land in tracts of from five to twenty acres at $75 td 100 per acre; lnclud- : ing a perpetual water right. These lands are as fine as any In the World, and for fruit or vine or vegetable cannot be surpassed. Our season Is two weeks earlier than at any other point in the1 Northwest. Our seasons ara longer than In any like latitude in the world. Our markets are unequaled, ou system of transportation of the best; and, what Interests many pur chasers still more', our terms are very easy, five years time being given with a very small cash payment These lands will, no doubt, like the lands in any other favored Irrigated district, soon be worth from $250 per acre up. The first purchasers will reap the profit. For full terms and particulars address our agents or OREGON LAND WATER CO., Irrigon, Ore. 1 1 1 11 , , i i LOTS WILL BE ADVANCED In price on the first day of March, 1904, $50 to $75 on residence property and $100 to $150 on business lots. PRICES ARE ON THE GROUND FLOOR NOW I They are walk ing upstairs and will soon be on the top. Now is the time to get in and drill. t t E8TA0AOA HOTEL, HOW ITEAJUJra COMP1ETIOH. The house is being provided with a complete system of call bells, a modern water system and all other appurtenances appertaining, to the most complete hostelrles of the country. It will be ready for the opening about April X. WILL BE THE MILL CITY OF THE STATE Because of its great water power and enormous $750,000 electric power plant now building. IT OFFERS UNPARALLELED INDUCEMENTS TO PERSONS SEEKING BUSINESS LOCATIONS IN OREGON And there is no more delightful place in the world for a home. The waterfall of the Clackamas river affords ample power for all kinds of factories, the timber the material to manufacture, and the agricultural resources insure a lively I? ij t'mca, . The soil in the neighborhood wilt produce abundant crops of every known cereal grown in the world, and fruits and berries yield tremendously. The timber resources will keep numerous sawmills in action for many years, and the furniture factory that will be in operation before the end of the year will be supplied with hard wood from the immediate neighborhood of Estacada. . . THE OREGON VVATER POWER AND RAILWAY COMPANY !Jft.?d,d ?50,000 in reaching Estacada, and is now building an slectrio power plant at an expense of 7U,000. and this will furnish power for all the machinery that can be put up in that community. Of course, I f!,,r? bui,d thir own ,'"m c,n d0 ,0 nd provide themselves with power, because there is abundance or it there, but the railway company will sell power to those wishing to employ it at very low rates, as every new fao tory means new business for its freight department. With its multitudinous resource THE OREGON WATER Telephone Main 216 ESTACADA WILL BE A METROPOLIS OF IMPORTANCE townsite.Mn$ eekin '" locations of any kind cannot do better than to communicate with the owners of the The A LARGE FLOURING MILL HAS BEEN CONTRACTED FOR m.iy decrin9'th ey will operate it day and night. There is no doubt but that the machinery of twenty r-JI JiTi i ViIH CL Vi P"r"'" wnnin twenty months from today, nor is there doubt but that the value of UthZVlMJwli'l holding at the inioryPfigCur;..Th0, f hir 'dV'n' h'V PRICES WILL POSITIVELY BE ADVANCED ON MARCH I The rise will be from f 50 to $150 per lot. PROPERTY IN ESTACADA WILL NEVER BE SO CHEAP AGAIN NOT SO LONG AS THE WORLD SHALL LAST. h POWER TOWNSITE CO. 1,'.' ' I ' ' I ' Apartment 5; Oregon Water Power & Railway Company's Bldg., First and Alder