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DAILY CAPITAL JOUHNAL, SALEM, OREGON, THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1000.
GREAT DEVELOPMENT CONGRESS
Held at Ontario, the Gateway to Central Oregon and Southern Idaho
it
LdjLn
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CENTRAL,
BOISE. CENTRAL OREGON AND COOS BAY RAILROAD
OREGON
.A '. f
Five Hundred Delegates and Citizens Entertained at
Development Congress Held at
Ontario March 2627
OPENING CONGRESS SESSION.
Mnyor Poguo dollvorod tho nil
drcbH of welcome on bohnlf of tho
city of Ontario. Tho opera Iioubo
whh packed with delegates from pit
to gnllory tho hoIIiI. progrosBlvo clt
IroiiH of tho vnlloyB of two states.
Ho Bpoko of tho groat undeveloped
roHourooH and torrl(or of tho Inland
bmplro, and oxtondod tho cordial
hospitality of tho city to nil tho vis
itors Tho doom of thulr Iioiihch and
tho koyB of tholr honrtB woro hand
ed over.
Mrs. J. W. McOnlloch of Ontario
nnnK a boautltul hoIo, "Tho Llfo of
Lovo Ib Dut a liny," and It waH a
hlKhly flnlahod product. Tho next
speaker whh Hon. Frank Davoy of
UuniB, Hnriioy county, who told of
tho undovolopod rondltloiiH of that
flection.
Tho Opora Iioubo was u soothing mass
of pooplo. Ontario Bhouo'wlth great
HiHtro In ontortulnlng powors by pro
ducing n hand with about 30 trained
playern, who oxecutod a classic ovor
turo. A choniB of about thirty
voices, mostly splendid Blngorfl. lod
by I'rofOHBor Conkiln, next rendered
ono of Hoiihu'h groat popular patriotic
Bongs. Noxt caino tho maBtorly nd
droBH of Col. ... K. S. Wood, who
wbh Introduced by Col. Ilofor, who
presided, jib not only uuo of tho nb
luBt lawyerB on tho Pacific coast, but
tuo roproBontntlvo of BOnio of tho
largest property Interests In tho
Btato. Ho waH received with tro
Commlttctm on roBolutloiiH woro
mentions appIatiHe Ho drew ro
innrkablo plcturen of parallels bo
tweou tho highly dovoloped rnllrond
ByHtoniH of oaHtorn Washington com-
iiookt roit coos hay.
a ladles' orchestra of fifteen In
struments under a magnificent band
leader, Professor Hhynler, played
aovornl flno Hclecllons. Tho BurnH
mnle quurtot sang two dollghiful
songs and then Addison Dennett gavo
tho nudlonco n tnBte of Coos Day
und'hls oxporloncca crossing tho bar.
Ho described tho glories of Coos Day,
Kb cities, its harbor, Its wonderful
hotols, one of tho flnost hotels In
tho state. It coBt $75,000 and was
named after Mr. Chanter, who put
J 15,000 Into It nnd furnished tho
ground, ho told of tho Twin Cities
on Loos Day with 8000 peoplo and
payrolls of $3500 n day. Thoro wero
28 creameries around tho bay. Thoro
woro tho largest sawmills In tho
country, with COO men on tho pay
roll, with nearly 1200 on tho doublo
shift. Coos Day was a wonderful
asset for a railroad Into control Ore
gon and IJoIbc. Tho peoplo ovor thoro
did things on n largo scale. Tho
offices or tho Smith mill cost $100,
000. Tho wholo country la undor
lald with conl.
Tho second session closed with a
great wave of onthuslnsm to see
tho Coos Day country opened to tho
world.
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Mi-yiiiroM Irrigated Orchard In Snaki River Valley, near Ontario, In full lienrlng.
Commltteea on resolutions ro
appointed as follows.
IaioaI resolutions Frank Davoy
of nuriiH, MIbb Halullo Riddle of
Ontario, Addison llonnott of Irtigon.
Win, Plughoff. Ontarie: (1. A. lliir
luy, Valu,
Interstate resolution- -Rellly At
kinson. DoUe: M. M Helghu. Wel
aor; Frank M. Northrup. ltngeue. A.
W. Trow. Ontario. Geo. II. Shelleii
burg. HoUu; Jiiooh Printing. Onln
rlo; Jullun llyru, llurna.
Rollly Atkinson, secretary of the
HoUo Cotiuiiurrlul Club, spoke for h
largo delegation pihmhi from that
SATURDAY PROGRAMS.
With tho ban dlondlng and parad
ing the streets, u bright sun shilling,
tho second day of tho Development
Congross opened auspiciously. Tho
opera Iioubo was filled for tho third
time amid groat enthusiasm,
Thoro woro largo dologntlons from
all the towns In tho Snuko River Val
ley. Tho sessions of tho congress
were attended by scores or origin ly
pared to undeveloped portions of
eastern Oregon without rnllronds
Climate, noil, molsturo and pooplo
woro the Bamo. Tho dlfforenco was
In tho absence of rnllronds In tho
0110 mid their presence in tho other
Threw rwllifmiU were dividing busl
it mm in the Yakima Valley and all
were doing a profitable business.
Here were larger, rloher nnd more
productive valleys that would become
!.. .... ik..nL.iiiu ami UMHlultl lllBt AH
HB mV . ...TOW .. ....! ,....-.. n.,. utnl.t.nw, Minrtlmva
uimiy rllrds Tno sjjwaKer w '" "" """'""
vlvwstl the objections to stato-oon-1 mid progressive fruit growora and
trollml rullnwds and the evils eon-1 etlve roal ostnto men.
.,-,11 iLowiiii it. linwoil that I A. W. Cowan of Rums road a pa-
city. '1'hoy woru alhe fur rnllronds. i n, unit of all oharKl of mlsnppro-1 per on tho Inland Hniplro. showing
He vnlil tW uHa HMim.uciurlnK urlNllou and grnftlng. stntes had! that Harney county had room ror
payroll or iiiuu h imy ua jouoiimi
iiouw did a busliiew of over a lullllou
lust year. He mud a spleHdld pre
sgntntton of the oommertlil vowl
Idlltlus of IiIm city m the sreMt fu
turo dUtribiltlnK center of the 8k'
Ulvor trrltory.
K. M. Helgho of Weleer fipoke for
tne IoohI railroHdH. whoee urenleei
l,tl,triut una In iinliiilldtuif liMHl tr
rltory and serving the people Iwiho- ' wry to give the peoule the jvower to 1ms lrrlitlon powlbllltles.
dlutoly benefited. A truttWontUeBt-(Uulhl rmlromU. or buy out and oo- V- M. Northrop of Hugono spoko
demH the rallrtmde now in extsienee mi iHvor m u . w.
TUe eonalUutloH of OrgoH did not Ox Flat, which ho believed would bo
comalM a word in prohibit Imlldlug ehaMji! to Itve men and live women
railroad ay the state The people Mm. He told of the development
had all the power how if ty wautwl t ekrough railroads and Irrigation
to uae it. Tkey -ere detenwlhwl lo Ib the eoHHtry east of the Rooky
iHvadv ettral OreoH. A groat high- Mouaialiw. 1I told of Wayne ooun
way of atoot muat Ue foreed aeroea Neoraska. wIumto lands sold fur
oeatrel -Orettoa. aad will wake Oa- r lr section IS ywrs
that land worth flM an acre, ineaaiiurk. a mii dtatrtlmtltit point. With . ikat was now worm ?to to
u nui nraflt. after imuIbm for ike rail ' im n vmlla manufartiiriBc will b J- J per acre, in the last throe
road out of the land, would ei tfc Miabltake4 here, aad wllk elertrlc
in Ail nuMiam IS. tat. toe As a rail i na nmMiul all tivur atiaiheira
roail IHUH h eeM aot kow aa , Idaho xtllt build a eliy here ee.ua! Suake River Valley
dUtrlot Hided rallitMd through a pro ,t mu rliy la oaaiera Waaklnctoa
lieli.wl railroads ami prospereit there . 80 00 people, and that It was oa
bi He showed that state or dls-'imblo of sustaining gonoral agrlcul
trict owuel railroads was almod at I lure and fruit growing with ltiluohos
under the Oregon amendment. It I of rainfall. Ho referred to tho dls
did not nroiHise to glvo a dollar of ioovery of gas nt Ontario and In Har-
. . ....... . .. ... i....iu I nuv nmniv u u iiiiimlvliiir ixiwtir mill
iHiuds or subsidy to any man or body
of men It did not propose to guar-
ney county. s supplying power and
material for manufacturing, axms
' ' . . w . t -. i . ... l .-.,. .1 Id t.itu
antee Interest on bonds, na was ue- ibbi iiv jwira ru m . u""
maaded by ono great magnate of the! sold for JS to S per aoro. now
Coos llay poopie. it was not necee- uk f ." -. "
nl line freuueiuiy NHbordlnatwl local
Interests. Not en In ooiiBt mating lo
cal railroads. They rreatetl local val
uta and ooiuiuunlty-uuiU railroads
iMirlohes the whole coiuutuali A
atrip of Imid of lOU.soo aerea worth
J600.000. which by putting a rail
road through It that cost a milltoa
dollars ta hutM. which would make
duotlve rjckN could make any ml
lake.
Col. Drake of Weteer spoke of w
iRtloiis la Vst Vlrgtuls In htvlug
b..l ratlroade to helh their iHdiw
trlul oondlllons. Their lands wore
Inoroased from alwoat Hoiking to
S00 to 1300 an acre-
PIUKUtAM 1'IU.IAV HVKN1.NC1.
Tho aecond sesslou of the tKr
was a greater sueoew than tha first
oam tht iMnitoB of the entire mid
die wwt ws Ueftog attraeled to the
The stream or
popuuiioa tkat wu cotHing west
Witulil amlk' lair lv 1klir ttlttll thrtTO
Out WikhI said la hU grat uiHNH'h U(-. r-miw .u ar iu in twantv
to ihv iugreea that four great rod m9fm HogB jj , PortUna 5
vvr' hradliiK for Outarlo as the ivat
ural sitfy tu ine great luluud Rm
oestta a kuwdred higher than at Onov
ha. This oouMlry wuld grow eora
Blr of cutral Oregw. U VNuWjM, H0K- tHJUBl i0 aMy 8Ulrt B tho
make Outarlo a great city for mm . Unlau. H showel that the torrl
rallroad to crow this stole to the tory lr,bUtar to Ontario when de
great seAnort pn toos Hy that lpue i vm wouia giutslu noo jiooplo
usd oHougk buslHeea to support a i ,0 tj, square u,utt. or -100.000 poo
w4! jple. In the not distant future. Mako
tho lnnd productlvo nnd tho peoplo
will bo here, was his prediction.
Settlers woro needed. Peoplo wero
gregarious. Irrigated tracts of flvo
acres would support tt family, with
Inrccr nonnlntlotl liionov rates of In
terest would constantly decline. As
lands Wont up Interest wont uown.
rinn. l. Hhnllnnliurff nf Tlnlfle onoko
next of tho possibilities of railroad
dovoiopmont. t'eopio wno wonuereu
a fow years ngo how they could pay
$10 an aero for water now pnfd $40
an acre for water chcorfully. Flvo
years henco thoy would mnko moro
monoy paying $100 nn ncro for wnt-
cr. Ho told how bciiooi iioubo meet
ings woro hold In counties in Iowa
to vote flvo per cent tnxns on tholr
lands for a rnllroad from Fort Dodge
in lt.milio1.lt mill L-iivii 275.0U0 in
cash and 22,000 acres of Bwamp land
in pnf n rnllrond. Lnnds thoro had
gone to $100 nn aero for corn and
dnlrylng. In tho Doiso vauoy tnoy
grow G4.000 husholB or appios on
100 acres orchnrd olght years old.
No ono could cstlmato tho possibili
ties of Biich production. Tho Pny-
..Mn.llfilmi nrnfont would nrodtlCC
onough apples In ono year to koop
a railroad working 500 dnys nt 10
tralulondB a day to maraoi mem. in
1907 tho world's crop of iipplcn was
short 27,000,000 barrels. Thoro wnB
no such thing as overproduction In
this lino. Ho talked hopefully on tho
railroad situation.
OUT OUT HARHIMAN.
In opening tho second day's ses
sion Col. Hofor said ho wanted this
congress to go on with an affirma
tive program and cut out nil rofoi
onco to Mr. Harrlmnn. Tho Oregon
Idaho Dovoiopmont Congress hud a
great task beforo It of woldlng tho
various elomonts of tho citizenship
of two great states Into a harmoni
ous co-oporatlvo effort to secure for
thomsolves tho bonoflts of modern
transportation fncllltlOB. This con
gress wnB not lormeii u mj u nn
In tho way of Mr. Harrlmnn, or any
other groat railway mngnnto, or any
combination of capitalists or syndi
cate that might want to build rail
roads. They had only good will for
nil such onterprlsos nnd for nil such
IMC" SATURDAY A1TKRNOON.
Carl l'ayno, chairman of tho Idaho,
commlttoo that drnftcd tho district
railroad bill, was introduced nnd do
clared that thoro was nothing in tho
Oregon constitution to prohibit dis
trict building of railroads. An en
abling nld had been pnssod In Idaho
to pormlt tho peoplo to do this. Ho
showed that tho Idnho law croated n
railroad district, provldod for hear
ing of tho land owners, for making
ostlmntos, for electing directors, nud
proceeding oxnetly as do tho land
ownors of nn Irrigation district. Ho
Bhowed that as tho land bonofited by
tho proposed railroad wn Bto bo tax
ed, and no other lands will bo taxed.
He predicted that within 30 days
work would bo Btarted on district
railroads, north toward nutto and
south toward Ontnrlo. Tho spirit
of co-operation ontored into this
cumpulgn.
1RRKJATIOX AT ONTARIO.
Placards poBted all ovor the town
announced that reviving tho Mai-i..,..-
r.vnimin. .nn urnluet. with an ex
penditure of $6,000,000 was ono of
tne oujeois oi uuo 6i"'
new wator codo onnoted by tho Ore
...... inoiaintiir.i whh luttiounded at ono
of tho sessions by Hon. F. M. Sax-
ton of Uaker Olty- Sreni po
siollltloa of Irrigated lands cropped
out nil through tno proceedings and
tho comblnod power of districts oov
erod with ditches, and tho same dis
tricts sorved with a railroad, both
ditchos and railroad owned by tho
..u.,tN nt thn lunds. ns assets of
creating wealth are simply Inonlcu-lablo.
Ontnrlo bus tw onowspnpers. mu
Argus and tho Optimist. The latter
paper published a dally edition dur
ing tho sosslons of tho oougross.
The Malheur project was presented
by Walter Griffith of Oaldwell. who
recited all tho steps that had been
taken to seoure this great govern
ment expenditure for this section.
hich now aeows very likely to be
taken up and completed. Petitions
had been signed up by owners of all
tke lands In the dlatrlet about 185.
G00 acres la all to be supplied with
,...,- v., i.rrUwt avr before the
Interior department had ever made
a better showing or was more prom
ising s an engineering project.
About S0.0 acre wa already un
der Irrigation and the results were
golag to bo great The construction
.. litis iimIivi woultl bo tke cause
of building many miles of railroad
rand mauy new towns and larger cit
ies. Tne two miiuencee coiruihwu
would result In rapid transformation
of the whole country Intu modern
luterurbau conditions.
Pen Picture of Ontario and Its Hospitable People
Orchard Conditions a Duplicate of Medford
and Hood River.
ONTARIO RICHLY DOWKRED.
Tho city of Ontario lies In tho
iicart of tho rlchost section of tho
Snnko Rlvor Vauoy. Tho Mainour
nnd Pnyotio rivers ontor tho gront
Bouthorn confluout of tho Columbia
a milo apart nt Ontario. Tho Dolso,
nnd tho Owyhee ontor 20 miles on
tho soutii, nnd tho Wclscr twenty
miles north. This notwork of rivers
spreads like tho fingers of n hand
Into tho rich, nllouvlal plains and
prnlrloB, that nro rapidly being Irri
gated nnd rendered from two to flvo
tlmos ns productlvo as tho rlchost
lands in i.io great prairie states of
Iowa and Illinois.
Ontario, electric lighted, well wat
ered, with graded stroota and spread
ing suburbB, with high schools and
churches, sits llko n llttlo queen In
tho centor of a torrltory that in
resources In as rich as a placor mine.
Tho city has n complete sower sys
tem. For two dnys of tho Oregon nnd
Idnho Dovoiopmont Congress Ontn
rlo wns rhythmic with band music,
explosive with bombs, nnd radiant
with bunting, nnd fluttering with
nags. Tho business men hnd bought
every last yard of dccoVatlvo matorlal
nnd sent to nearby towns for moro.
Hotols wero crowded to tho limit,
and every homo In Ontnrlo that had n
Bparo room throw It opon to dele
gates and visitors. At tho head of
tho principal business street nt night
two giant flames of natural gns as
cended to heaven. Tho splondld hos
pltallty of tho peoplo of Ontario con
cluded with n freo banquet to all tho
hundreds of guests, nnd the bnuquot
wns a Bproad of unusual splondor.
LAND (JOINO LUCK, MRDFOHD.
This heart oi tho Snnko River Vnl
loy Ib going llko land around Med
ford, whoro tho wholo Roguo Rlvor
Valley Is worth from $300 to $1500
an aero In orchards. Tho valley Is
not subject to floods, tho soil Is rich,
tho high color and flavor and keep
ing quality mako tho big yields turn
out money llko tho pockets of a pla
cor mine. Hero Ib n sample of tho
way lands In orchards go up In prlce:
Wood & Tool put out 100 acres in
apples six miles from Ontnrlo; It
was sagebrush land worth $50 an
aero two years ago. Last fall they
wero offered $310 an aero for It.
Ontnrlo Is surrounded by rich
plains, running up to foothills and
to tho north flanked by ranges of
snow peaks, Tho air Is crisp and
clear by day and by night tho flare
of gas wells Illumines tho sky. It
Is the brightest of bright llttlo cities
by day or Jy night.
The climate Is dry. exhilarating
and stimulating, and the great prod
ucts aro stock, alfalfa and fruit of
overy description. The 'fruit ship
ments within 26 miles of Ontario
amount to three ax four hundred
carloads. The on hards produce 1m
lnensoly. nnd the full crop of apples
on 160 acres of Irrigated land Is
placed nt one hundrod carloads. Tho
crop of ono carload to tho acre Is
very common at 12 years old
RKAL KSTATK ACTIVE.
Six real estate firms aro handling
dirt and doing a business that grows
by leaps nnd bounds. Two banks
have aggregate doposlts reaching In
to six figures each Tho First Na
tional paid out Its money all Mirnugh
the panic. There aro ubout ten large
mercautllo establishments. Ono docs
n business of nearly n million dollars
a year.
Thoro aro thrco largo llvory sta
bles with rigs sultublo to take peoplo
hundrods of miles In any direction.
Tho city has a good wator supply.
It Is pumped from an artesian well
nnd has n sulphur tinge that makes
It very healthful. It Ib Impregnated
with n gas that is fatal to all germs.
Tho prlnclpnl Irrigation systems nvo
tho Novntla and Owyhco ditches. Tho
two call for about ton ' to Hlxtccr.
thousand Inches, or 8000 ncrcs.
SOCIAL CONDITIONS KXOULLKNT
Ontnrlo has about 2000 people,
with 410 children in tho public
schoolB, with a well equipped high
school. Thoro aro Methodist, Con
gregational, Prcsbytorlan, Catholic,
Daptlst, Advontists, and episcopalian
congregations well attended. Tho
Cnthollo sisters conduct a parochial
school. Thoro aro nil tho fratornul
orders, nnd a public library sup
ported by tho Work and Win Ladles'
Club.
A ORKAT SHIPPING POINT.
Ontario Is on tho main lino of tho
Oregon Short Lino railroad, a Harrl
mnn transcontinental line, nud yonds
out hundrods of cnrloads of cattlo,
horses, sheep intl hogs tho great
est llvostock shipping station on tho
lino. Thoro havo been as high as
1200 cars of cattlo sent out of hero
In ono month, 'more havo been ns
high as 25,000 hood of stock waiting
shlpmont nt ono time.
Sheep nnd wool shipments nro
enormous, thoso products coming as
far as 170 miles. Fruit shipments
nro rapidly Increasing and lusldo of
five years v. Ill bo as hoavy as live
stock. Ontario has tho flnost pnssongor
depot between Pocatollo and Port
land. Hotol facilities nro good, but
the rapid growtli of tho city requires
another largo modorn hotel.
XATulntL TRADE CENTER.
' The contract for a steel bridge
across tho uunko Rlvor at Ontario, to
cost $30,000, Is let. Tho brldgo will
connect Ontnrlo with Plymouth col
ony, a vory prosperous Irrigated aoo
tlon of idaho, wnero orchard lands
uro already soiling at $1000 an acre.
Tho brldgo will bring to Ontnrlo tho
trudo of about two thousand peoplo
that formerly went elBowhore,
Ontario Is tho terminus of tho Mal
heur Valley railroad, that connects
the city with tho thriving county
seat, nud is tho groat distributing
line to interior Oregon. When ox
tondod this will ho tho Snnko River
terminus of tno Dolso, Qontrnl Oro
gon and Coos Day railroad. Tho fu
turo of Ontario as a railroad orosslng
of oast and west and north and south
lines was fixed by nature.
LIGHT AND POWER INDUSTRIES.
htectrlc llgnt and power is sup
plied from olgnty mllos away by
what Is known as tho groat Ox Dow
power plant on Snsko Jtlver. Thoro
Is a substation at Ontario that sup
idles noarby towns. Tho plant op-
I orates olectrlc car line at Dolso and
Caldwell, and is preparing to con
1 nect Ontario with Dolse. by way of
i Plymouth. Ulectrlc linos aro being
extended over all this part of Snake
I uiver Valley A line is building to
Welser. with a branch to Payette.
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I III 111 III I