Image provided by: Rogue River Valley Irrigation District; Medford, OR
About Central Point herald and Southern Oregon news. (Central Point, Or.) 1917-19?? | View Entire Issue (April 19, 1917)
THE SKY LOVE SIGN A Story of Central Oregon _____ Sy 3rr IFrattklitt CHAPTER I E astern Oregon is a v ast undeveloped empire of possibilities yet unmeasured. I t comprises tw o-thirds of th e total area of the s ta te with less than one-third o f the population. It is the largest area on the Pacific Coast still retaining dis tinct m ark s of the old order. In the central and southern portions are vast stretch e s of unredeemed land still in the virgin s tate. These v a st stretch es o f arid plains and valleys, b arren hills and narrow river gorges, sparcely cover ed with sagebrush, bunchgrass and patches of juniper, still untouched in many places by the white m a n ’s civilization, find many “ new comers” easy victim s of its wild witchery - - the spell of the wild ! As many an oth er young man seeking adventure and new opportunities, Will iam Bonham, a “ n ew com er” from Tennessee, was lured into this section of the W est. The conntry was fa r more sparsely settled then than now, for no rail road had y e t built into the interior. However the new twin railroads - - the Hill and H arrim an systems, that-now tap this section so well known in e a r lier days as a cattle country, were then grading their right-of-w ays up the g re a t Deschutes Cay non, the only feasible ro ut to th e issolated interior. The first night he slept in his blankets on the b are ground with the wonderful sky for a roof and miles of crisp pure air to fill his lungs and make his blood tingle with new life and energy. Tho tired from the journey th e facination of this stran g e, new land was too g re a t for sleep. For an hour or more he gazed up a t the brilliant stars, studying the beautiful constellations set in the clear, pale- blue dome of th e universe and watched the Milky Way slowly turn, as it seem ed, with the rotation of the e arth . Finally the cool night breeze, laden with the perfum e of the sagebrush plains, soothed the young em ig rant to sleep. In the early hours of morning he suddenly awoke. He heard the stran g e, wild bark of the coyote th a t sounded much like the heart-rending cry of a child at night. The stra n g e sounds aroused him so thoroughly th a t he lay for some time wide aw ake. The bending blue above had moved westw ard till new con- stelations w ere visible. In the low eastern sky he discovered a figure th a t he did not rem em b er having seen before. I t was a beautiful groupe consisting of five brilliant sta rs arranged in almost p erfect sym m etry. A row of th ree prominent stars close tog eth er and almost perpendicular, but with uniform in tervals betw een, formed the center. Opposite the three sta rs to the north and south, a t g r e a t e r distances, but a t equal distances again, were the other two brigh t stars. The figure was in the position of the early morning sun and was 8 l i g h t l y tilted tow a-d the e a rth a t the southern end. Having noted carefully the ex act location and ch aracteris tics of the new constellation, the S o uth erner once more d rifted into a sound slumber. When he awoke again the birds w ere singing on the plains and the d istan t moun tains to the w est were veiled in a soft, pensive haze. On the eastern horizon the new d a y ’s sun was bursting ipto view in a wealth of golden h u e s . The en ch an tm en t of th a t S eptem ber morn on Shaniko Plains captured him. The spell of the wild roused the primordial instinct and he loved its excitement. A f te r b reak fast a t the hotel the Tennessean left the little branch line railroad terminus for the h e a rt o f the interior by stage. scene was presented to his e a g e r gaze th a t seemed too good to be true. On the road the day before he had m et " S h o r t y ” , the stag e driver, who had given such a glowing account of the “ new schoolm arm " th a t he refused to bel eve it till he could see w ith his own eyes. And he could hardly believe his own eyes ! As the rider approached the schoolhouse his h eart pounded his ribs harder and harder. Now, the Southerner had a good stro ng heart, but the sight of th a t winsome, laughing girl playing with a half dozen kids on the school ground was a plenty to cause his hungry h e a rt to flutter. As he rode by the girl stopped her p'aying with the youngsters long enough to give him one steady, deliberate look, as if her curiosity had really gotten the b e tte r of her. He met th a t brief, ste ady gaze without flinching, looking s tra ig h t into her sw eet young face till she resumed her playing. As he passed over the nex t hill he chanced a look back. The girl was watching him—was standing a t the g a te with several little children pulling at her skirts. She presented a picture, standing there in the brig ht morning sun, th a t remained in the h o m esteader’s memory. For days he tho ugh t of little else—could see little else—but a winsome girl with luxuriant, rich chestnut hair and soft cheeks flushed with the bloom of youth and health. n GOOD ROADS N E W LI NE RALLY The Legislative Good Roads Committee has decided to hold a state wide good roads rally in Portland, Saturday, April 28, Every organization in the state favorable to the road bond bill is Invited to send representa tives to this gathering. The committee has taken tip with the various transportation companies the matter of secur ing a special reduced rate for those attending the rally. Re ports from Astoria and several points in Eastern Oregon are to the effect that the good roads enthusiasts of those sec- tions are planning to charter a boat or special train and come to Portland in large numbers. accompanied by bands. Siml- lar large excursions are in prospect from other points. There Is every indication that the rally will prove the most notable^ ' ‘gathering of good roads boosters that was ever held in the Pacific Northwest. Spring Foot Wear * ** V •* * * •* Complete line of St Ladies* Canvas r it St tt r . st st n «*. st s»v p r sc r. st F r’ends of good roads who desire to resist In the campaign for the $ti,- Oic .-no bond issue ran do so by foi .arding subscriptions to Bruce Deuuig, Executive Secretary, at Good Ron is Headquarters, 310-211 Selling Building. Portland, Oregon. The metn- be:s of the campaign committee have refused contributions from paving concerns and are relying entirely on free will offerings from good roads enthusiasts to meet the expenses of the vigorous campaign that has been outlined in behalf of the road bond bill. * The em ig ran t had good stuff in him and in four years he became a hard ened pioneer. And four years had wrought a gradual but surprising change in his life. He had a homestead, and had become very much of an "o ld -tim e r” himself. His new home, “ Dixie R a n c h ,” was situated on a narrow plateau bounded on the south by a high ridge and on the north by a sheer rimoock precipice th a t dropped abruptly down to the steep slope running to the edge of the little valley below. The unobstructed view from the high elevation always inspired him. The power of th a t subtle witchery th a t had captured him on ShaniKo Plains had n ever left him, and had grown stro n g er with the years. Every evening when he was a t home he would walk out to the rimrock near his cabin to watch the sun set behind the snow-capped Cascade Mountains. He would sit with his feet hanging over the perpendicular, eighty-foot rock wall and watch the day die and dream his dream s. The twilight hour held a peculiar fascination for him. And he never tired of th e p re tty sight of level alfalfa fields in the narrow, peaceful valley seven hundred feet below, the barren buttes and ridges to the north and n orth-w est and the evergreen junipers on the g r e a t plateau of the Deschutes Valley to the w est, with the majestic Cascades in the background. B ut always in the autum n he would look for his favorite figure in the night sky before going in. Even through the cold w inter months and early spring-tim e he would look for the p re tty constellation always before retiring, for he had learned to believe in it as an omen of good f a r tu n e —the sign of constancy in friendship and love. And a ft e r w atching the sign for four king years it did bring him good fortune. A g r e a t e r change th an had been wrought in th a t time was to effect his life ir. as many weeks. A nervy, winsome city girl had ta ken the school in the district w here the young pioneer lived. When school began he was sixty miles away on th e J ‘ fall rid e .” But his employer sold out his c attle soon o fter the ride began, so he found himself homeward bound earlier th an usual. I t had rained the day before and the air was more fresh and pure than common. I t w u recess in the morn ing when he passed over the last hill and came in sight of the schoolhouse. A r * Pumps - A N IJ * If the $0,000,000 bond issue and the highways designated therein are ap proved, comprehensive provision for construction of highways will have been provided. Road construction will have been standardized; Federal aid and co-operation secured; the cost of efficient engineering will have been minimized; co-operation between v State, Government and counties, to-', gether with genuine competitive bid ding for construction will have be come a reality. The acquirement of funds for road construction at a low rate of inte-est and a method of pay ing both nterest and principal of state bonds out of current rt venues already imposed will also have been secured, and this without ad litional tax burden and with proper safe guards to the general taxpa; er. * * *• -A L S O Mon's (tilling Shoes CRANFILL&ROBNETT * The Highway Commission has gone on record on this score Unless con tractors are reasonable in their bids, the Cominis ion has announced that It will install a pavl ; p > t and go Into the pav.r.g l.i.sin ss it. elf. * HIGH-TOPPED LACE SHOES * I'pon the corstruC'qn of t h e roads named in the r ,a 1 bon I L II. the money formerly spent b> the <■ .unties In repairing and maintaining the main line? of travel ca.i b • us I for ;m proving the latera.s and ie traveled roads. • FOR CRACKED and CHAPPED HANDS Dennis Eucalyptus Ointmapt A T ALL DRUG S T O R E S TUBES 25C JARS 50C FRANKLIN will w rite your FIRE INSURANCE