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VOL. IV.
SUMPTER, OREGON, JUNE , k;oj.
NO. 39.
REMOVE HANDICAP
ON JOHN DAY VALLEY.
Electric Railway Being Built From Baker To
Prairie City Fabulously Valuable Min
ing Properties Road a Great
Money Maker.
The John Day country it 0110 of
the most bountiful aud fertile valleys
on tho globe. A Minor representative
wua over nt Prnlrlo City hint week,
rodo up mitl down tho bunks of tho
John Dny riror for 11 dozou mi lot),
and wits moro forcibly nnd fnvorubly
1 in pressed thim over before with tho
innumornblo attractions of that
favored region. To tho eye it 1h
now ut its best.
Aftor tho rido of forty odd 111 11 oh
from- Sumpter, through pino forests
thut shut out it view of tho surround
ing laudseapo, over roads that are 11
cruelty to niuti uud beast, It is 11
splritunl delight to pituso on tho
high ground two or threo miles roni
Prairio City, at tho timber lino, ami
survey with unobstructed vision tho
unrolled panorama, doubtloss
somothlug akin to that experienced
by tho children of Israel as thoy
emerged from their forty years
wandering in tho wilderness aud saw
the promised laud of Caunan. At
this seasou of tho year, up and down
tho valley, Mother Naturo is nourish
ing into ivgorous lifo young vegota
tiou. Tho air is laden with tho
fragranoo of fruit blossoms and
flowers, wild and cultivated; which
constitute a color scheme entrancing
to the sight, aud this perfumed
picture is framed in snow capped
mountain ranges as grandly pictures
que as any Alpine scene.
Thus the poet and painter would
estimate tho proposition. But tho
utilitarian, that commanding figure
of our present practical age, while
conceding that there Is something
pleasing to the sconces in all this,
recognizes something of greater value,
according to his standards. lie sees
profits in fruit culture, be knows
that tho meadow lands are fattening
cattle for the beef trust, that thoso
green Holds on the benoh lands are
producing wheat and other grants,
and speculates montally on the
worth of tho precious metalls in the
surrounding mountains to him it
is all au allurlug prospect of acquir
ing gold, literally and (lguratlvoly
speuklng.
For tho edification of thoso
materialistically Inclined, it Will
perhaps bo well to go somewhat into
dotail ou this subject. Tho John
Day valley and contiguous territory
of arable land, is about seventy-five
miles loug and varies from two to
six miles in width. Tho soil is
rinh any foot of it would fertullzo
tho most valubalo piece of laud In
New F.uglund. From tho mountain
ranges in to tho river that drains the
valley tlow hundreds of shallow
streams, fed by sprlngH aud melting
snow. Thoso supply moro cheaply
aud conveniently water for Irrigation
thau is found anywhoro else ou the
continent, rendering unnecessary
either tho construction of loug,
costly ditches or expensive pumping
plants, in order to got tho water on
high ground. J lore all that Is neces
sary is to plow a furrow from one
of those streams naoross tho Held
with tho trend towards tho lowor
lovols and tho water follows on the
plowman's heels. Tho aovrage
altitude of the valley above sea level
Is about 11000 foot, fully SOOO lowor
than that of Sumpter. Thoso com
bined conditions render this tho
ideal, perfect agricultural country,
giving it au almost llmtless raugo to
its products. For thoso reasons,
during tho thirty years slnco farming
operations were inaugurated thore,
there has never boon a crop failure;
cattlo have not died thore for lack
of food, as on othor ranges.
Tbereforo, the farmers and stock
men of the John Day valley are rich.
Thoir wealth is dsplayed in tho
substantial Improvements seeu ou
every farm, really handsomo dwell
ings, elegautly furnished; not the
plain houses found In the prairio
states to the east, the cheap shacks
on the ton-aero fruit orchards in
California, or tho log cublus of tho
bomesteadors In tho coast timber 1
region. They remind one moro of
tho luxurious plantation homes of
the South. And yet, this section
has labored under 0110 handicap
imposed upon no other equally
favored In America, the lack of
railroad transposition, Prairie City,
tho nearest point to tho O. It. A- X.,
Ih seventy-six miles from Maker City, us they may, when they read this
from which place all freight Is hauled ! statement. It outcrops for 11 distance
Clearer. Ho bought both groups,
aud is now acquiring othor properties.
The former Is tho largest gold
hearing ledge ever discovered ou tho
globe. It Is positively 000 foot
wide let tho tiresome skeptics scotr
in wagons. It is true that tho
Sumpter Valley could cut olf forty
or llfty miles of this wagon haul, but
Its rates are so exorbitant that it
cheaper to pay the teamsters 0110
dollar a hundred pounds to bring
freight through from linker City.
Further down tho valley the wagon
trains go to Shaulko, tho terminus
of tho Oregon Southern, from seventy
live to moro thau 100 miles. Until
three years ago, when this branch
was built, they went to lleppuer aud
othor towns on the O, It. .V X.
Columbia river line.
Hut it now looks as If this
handicap Is about to bo removed.
In that event, thoso interested In
observing tho rapid development of
11 region, tho sudden springing iu'o
Ifo of towns aud cities, will Hud
tli ere an interesting object lesson.
While in I'rairlo City last week tho
writer chanced to meet Major ).
W. Ilonta, tho geiitelniau from
Philadelphia who is going to build
tho road, and talked with him.
Ho is a well poised, self contained
mini, who does not take the public
Into his confidence, futher than to
stato confidently that tho lino
will be constructed and rushed to
early completion. Ho Is asking for
110 bonus, no faruchlso or anything
else, therefore, ho very naturally
feels that it Is not encumbent upon
him to issue bulletins to tho public
regarding his movements.
Tho origin of this enterprise makes
a briof, interesting stery: For
four years past Cleaver Hrot tiers
have been working on two immense
mining propositions in tho Straw
borry rango, known as tho Oregon
Wonder and tho Will Cleaver groups.
They aro both big things aud large
capital is absolutely necessary to
put thorn in shape to yield up their
rich treasure of gold and copper.
Thoso hustlers, Cleavr Brothers,
havo takou several mining men into
tho mountains aud showed them these
properties. While all havo seen
aud recognized thoir inestimable
valuo, they acknowledged that they
aro not strong enough Hnauclally to
handlo so gigantic a proposition.
Filially, after two years of corres
pondence, on tho strenght of a
favorahlo roport from his own min
ing expert, who spout sixty days on
the ground exploiting tho ledges
and maklug assays, Major Jionta
last summer made a personal ox-
amnatlon of tho mines. Ho saw that
cheap transportation would bo
necessary to profltablly work tho
Wonder, aud would eventually add
hundreds of thousands of dollars to
tho profits to ho taken from tho Will
of live miles, In places standing
above tho country rock full 100 feet.
The most prominent of these can
is be distinctly seen with a spy glass
from Prairio City, six miles away.
Three years ago the writer took a
snap shot at (his ledge with a cheap
kodac, while standing ou a peak
1000 feet below, which can be seeu
very distinctly in the photograph.
Assays of this rock run from ti!.7fi to
H.00 In gold, while picked samples
have gone as high as t. Colors
aro frequently found by panning.
Values contained in this Inimmeuso
deposit can therefore bo estimated
only by many millions. If Major
Ilonta carries out his plans to erect
great reduction plants for tho
economical treatment of tlilH ore;
lie will lay the foudnatlon for the
greatest mining fortune know 11 to tho
modern world of bonanza kings
greater than thoso taken from tho
Tread well, the Hoiiiestnko and tho
Comstock combined. Tho Will
Cleaver is 11 high grade gold-copper
proposition that could bo worked
loony 111 a prom 11 reusoiiiinie trans
portation cliaigcs to the smelter at
Suiupter could be secured.
Well, tho Major soon learned two
facts; first, that he couldn't realize
quickly ou his rich mineral holdings
without 11 railroad; second, that
such 11 railroad, in Itself, will lie 11
money maker belter than (he "gold
mine" of symbolic wealth. Ho
decided to build it and is now at
work on the enterprise.
Not In the west before has a road
been built under similar favorable
conditions. Other Hues have been
pushed Into new, unsettled regions,
relying upon their own cirorts to
build up the country and create it
business for Itself, lint this 0110
goes Into au old settled, prosperous
country, with the tonnage anxiously,
Impatiently waiting for Its advent.
These rich farmers have the price
and are liberal spenders. Tho
merchants up and down the valley
carry great, expensive stocks of
goods. With markets for their products,
on every side within a radius of 100
miles, these farmers restrict produc
tion to tho lowest point and nil bo
hay ou rich fruit ml grain lands,
becauso there Is a ready home market
for tho former. Stockmen pay high
cash prices for hay, for winter feed,
and drive stock fioin 75 to lf0
miles to reach rail connection with
tho markets of the east. In this
long drive twoiity-llvo per cent of tho
cattle's value is Inst. This road will
do a vast business In stock trans-
(CONTINUCD ON PAGE TOUR.)