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About Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1903-1919 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1910)
DAILY CAPITAL JOURNAL, SALEM, OREGON, GREAT EDUCATIONAL HOME GITY OF WESTERN OREGON I Makers of jrromoong P Orchards IB. W. Johnson, Postmaster mid President Conuncrclnl Club, Cor vallis. Sonic Orclinrdlzlng Enterprises. Twenty years ago a group of pro- fgressivo spirits began organizing the Corvallis and Benton County Prune ; Company, which laid off and planted tho first commercial orchard in this tpart of the Willamette Valley. It haB had the fato of pioneer enter prises, ups and downs, good crops and bad crops, and in the end the proprietors found that farming by telephone was not profitable. Many Corvallis people like to look upon Jthelr first outburst of fruit culture :Jas the magnet which has drawn all Vother similar enterprises to Benton county. The Oregon Apple Company Is a corporation which has acquired 1000 gacres of fruit land in Benton county and is making one of tho best demonstrations in development work for the fruit interests of Western Orogon that haB yet been undertak en. It has enlisted sonio of the men of high character and complete con fidence in the future of this region. This company Is Issuing a prospec tus in which it is evident that one organization is trying to show how much it can do for the buyer of fruit tracts instead of how little, and is also seeking to give an object les son In productive horticulture that will add materially In dollars to land values in Western Oregon. Scientific Apple Culturlst, W. F. Groves, who is serving on his second term as secretary of the Corvalll3 Commercial Club, is en titled to be ranked among the-successful fruit growers of Benton county. Ho Ib cultivating from 25 to 30 acres of orchard of varioua stages of growth from ono year old up to mature bearing trees. It .'s his aim to achieve success by carw ful, scientific treatment of his or chards along modern, commercial lines. Mr. Groves got some of hia ideas of method and discipline from his formor employment In the Uni ted States Navy Yard at Bremerton. He has ono of the most sightly farm homes In the Willamette Valley ad joining tho Oregon Agricultural" College and about a mile and a half from tho city. Ho has made a grear success of irrigating for truck gar den products. Each year he goes to considerable expense to make a dis play of the apples grown In his or chards. Ho tries to viBit all the ap , pie shows and kep in touch with tho development of the apple Indus-, try. It is natural that such an en terprise should have produced a marked advance in the value of his property. A fow years ago some progressive men Interested themselves In the or ganization of the Corvallis Orchard Company. This corporation pur chased tho Sam Wyatt ranch of 270 acres which 1b located three-quarters of a milo from the city. About 100 'acres has already beon planted to pears and apples, and It is tho Intention of tho proprietors to put out as much moro this year and to plant and cultivnto tho entire traot The owners are planting tho orchard as an Investment, and not for sale. They proposo to keep thl3 property unUl It is in full bearing The ranch was sold for $80 por acre and would now eaBlly bring $150 par acre. Mr. W. S. Brown, a Cornell College man, la the president and manager of the company. Ho is a practical fruit grower who has had Oregon CI6ntL$TfC at Corvallis experience in Southern Oregon and bood River. Tho farm is a sightly and beautiful location just south of tho c!ty on tho Corvallis & Eastern Railroad. Fruit Grower and Lawyer. Professional men are making some of the most successful fruit growers. W. S. McFadden, who has practiced law for about 3C years, 13 tho present owner of a 440 acre farm In tho Wlllametto Valley that he has reclaimed from the bosom of Nature. Originally, It was practi cally a forest primeval, but now it is transformed into blooming orchards that yield larger and larger fruitage as tho years roll by. The McFadden ranch has about $10,000 in modern barns and fruit dryers and a homo where Mr. Mc Fadden lives from Juno to October With his family. Ho has about. 30 acres of peaches and has 50 acres of 13 vpnn nlrl nnnla frriM find nhmit Krt acres in prunes. Last year ho sold about 7,600 bushels of apples and a"bout 50,000 pounds of dried prunes. Ho Is naturally Interested In tho solution of thlo problems growing out of tho fruit industry, such as tho proper packlug, growing and marketing of tho product. An Organizer and Captain of Educators. Tho state of Orogon was Immense ly fortunate in 1907 to secure tho services of William Jasper Kerr as presldont of the Agricultural Colloge at Corvallis. He camo to this state from a similar institution at Logan, Utah, which ho had occupied for thirteen years, .and where ho had mado a name for himself that was favorably known all over tho West and his reputation extends to the Department of Agriculture at Wash ington, D. C. Dr. Kerr has one of the most perfect educational equip ments possible. Ho was born lu 1863, educated in tho public schools of Utah, took the normal courso In tho university of that state, entered Cornell University In 1890 and put in four years graduating as Bache lor of Science, then becamo a prin cipal of a public school in a western city, served for several years and was elected to the posftlon of In structor In physiology, geology and physics In tho University of Utah In 1887. Ho -later filled tho chair cf astronomy and mathematics. For at least twenty years Dr. Kerr do-, Waldo Hall for Domestic Science, an d Woman's Dormitory voted hlmsolf to higher sciences, and is today an active and honorary momber of nearly all tho great na tional sciontlflc societies. Since coming to Oregon his work has been recognized by bolng elected to the presidency of tho American Associa tion of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, and also vice president of tho National Educa tional Association. With such an equipment and with such national recognition It is not possible to over state the Importance of his work in the development of Oregon. Dr. Kerr has not only groat educational and administrative ability, but ho is on tho top wave of progress as a be liever In industrial educational. The influence of this is felt in ovory pub lic school and institution of higher education of this stato where there has been felt a tromondous awaken ing on the subject of manual train ing as an integral part of the pub 11c school system. As a builder and administrator it is only necessary to refer to what has boon done at tho Corvallis institution sinco ho took charge. There has been added not only hundreds of students and a perfectly balanced faculty but tho material development of the Institu tion has been something remarka ble. There has been' added a Me chanics Art Building, costing $50, 000, recognizing tho fundamental necessity of teaching the trades. Next came the dairy barns costing $20,000, tho Agronomy Building costing $40,000; Sheppard Hall, $22,000; an armory and drill hall costing $40,000; not yet finished; green-houses costing $10,000; and the central Agricultural Building, costing $55,000. Tho aim and am bition of the Agricultural Colleges are to correlate industrial educa tion to the actual wants and needs of the entire Industrial and produc ing population, and in this ambition to servo the masses of tho people Dr. Kerr has secured tho support ,and co-operation of tho great body "l unu l'"I'tuuuu. Two Telephone Systems. Besides two telegraph systems, Corvallis has two telephone systems. It has the largest farmer's exchange of any city in tho state via tho In dependent Tclophone Company. Tho Independent Telephone Company started in a small room with one operator and a telephone connection with two country lines ono to Mountain View and tho other to Monroe. From this tho system grew until today tho Independent Com pany has 2,100 connections In Bon ton county, that many families hav ing direct communication over their Key boards, with about 3,000 miles of wire and many miles of cables. Thoro are employed fifteen operators and five line men. An automatic d'al connects with any subscriber in tho City of Portland of the Home Telephone. A harmonic ringing sys tem enable subscribers on party lines to be called without disturbing others on the' same line. There are The United States army regulations no batteries In the telephones and are in force in detail and tho samo a visit to the perfectly equipped system of administration 'Is em plant shows that . there has been ployed as In the regular army as far wonderful progress In telephonic ' as circumstances will permit. Th9 sclonce, largely induced by tho pro gress and up-to-date methods of the great competitor of tho Bell system. The Boll system has also a large list of farmer's connections and a long distance service that extends all over tho state. Agricultural Education for tho AVholo Commonwealth. This is really 4ho groatost work of tho Agricultural Collego and has been conducted for tho past 11 years by Dr. Jas. WIthycombe, Di rector of tho Unltod States experi ment station work at Corvallis. For thirty years ho conducted a large stock farm near Hlllsboro, which he still owns and operates. Ho also fills the chair of Animal Husbandry, teaching classes in breeding, feeding and general care of live stock, as well as goneral farm management. Dr. WIthycombe Is also Stato Dlroc- . ' v . .- yam If. " - " . ' . , tor of tho Farmers Institutes which are held In ovory county throughout tho stato whonovor they are callod for. Ho also organized and has car ried on for three years tho demon stration train work on tho railroads of this stato. This is carriod on with a fully equipped train of cars and includes practical work illus trated with equipment and machin ery from tho college in all depart ments such as fruit, grain, poultry, live stock and markot gardening. Everything is carried on tho train from the finest Jersey cows to tho humble hen and tho busy honey bee. Tho campaign for 1910 will start in March for Eastern Oregon, when tho farmers at overy station will bo shown tho best equipped demonstration train ever put out in tho Unltod States. It will bo a veri table Colloge of Agriculture on wheels. Dr. Withycombo has thrown his whole life work and re markable energy into tho develop ment of agriculture to tho highest state of perfection in this state and Is literally adding millions to Its productive resources annually. Preserving tho Military Spirit. Ono of the most attractive fea tures of life at tho great Agricul tural College Is tho military organi zation. This has boon so highly perfected that tho Oregon Fnrmors' College was ono of tho few In tho Urtitod States that wore spoclally mentioned and highly complimented by tho corps of inspection officers detailed to visit all institutions hav ing military discipline in the Unltod States. Tho cadet organization at O. A. C. consists of two regiments, each with a regimental bank, six teen companies with officers, and weekly recitations in military sci ence conducted by Capt. U. G. Mc Alexander of tho 13th United States Infantry who for two years has been tho officer detailed at Corvallis. Ho has served in the regular army for twenty-seven years, went through tho campaign in Cuba, and was on two tours in tho Philippines. For a number of years he was detailed on general staff of the array at, Wash ington. Wanting to improve his heath he asked to be transferred to Oregon and Is a living picture of the beneficial effects of our climate. There are about 800 cadets in uni form at the college. They are drilled flvo times a wook, weather permitting, until tho new armory with Its drill flocrr shall bo ready. now aVmory is one of tho finest In the United States with a well lighted drill floor under steel arches 120 bv 300 feet. The room for storing arms Is 50 by 120 with a gallery to hold 600 people, and two stories of of fices and club rooms. Tho armory 1 WK at Stato Agrl cultural College, Corvallis. 1s built of rclnforcod concroto with a stool roof, perfectly fire proof. Stands for Literary Ideals, Tho peoplo of Corvallis have al ways favorod tho development of lit erary and musical culture and one man who has 'distinguished himself In promoting tho field of lettors Is John B. Horner. He camo to Orogon in 1862 and has all his life been conneoted with educational work. His first sorvlco was rendered in Whitman Somlnary, In tho Blue Mountain University In Eastern Ore- gon. Next he held a chair in the faculty of Philomath College and j Agricultural Coll Carries Extension Courses to People Wlllamotto University, coming jo tho Orogon Agricultural Collogp nineteen years ago. He took tho po sition of Professor of English and Literature. Recently ho has bean promoted to tho Chair of HiBtory and Political Science. Professor Horner has taken a number of special summor courses at Harvard and the University of California. H's vacations aro all dovoted to the pursuit of literary research and ho is the author of a printed collection known as Orogon Litorature and al so of a pamphlet, "Vacation on tho Mediterranean. Ho has established a repuutatlon in tho lecture field on literary topics and during tho pres ent year Is booking a number of ap pointments In thg principal cities for a lecturo with storeoptlcan slld03 entitled, "Oregon Logonds and Liter ature." While ho has given his life to this branch of education, way down deep In his heart John B. Hor ner loves ovory foot of dear old Oro gon. It Is a dream if his that somo timo ho will go back to naturo and carry into execution somo high Ideals which ho poscsses on tho pos sibilities of Oregon soil. Just In what form theso will bo cultivated and will blossom forth no man can toll, not oven J. B. But ho has proven that a man can dedlcato him self to high Ideas In every depart ment of tho commonwealth with which ho has so thoroughly identi fied himself. Tho citizens of Corvallis live in an atmosphore permeated with agrlculturo and horticulture, and no matter what olso they may do, they are dreaming of orchards, flno stock, and soli culture as tho ultimate happy propeot before them. Agricultural Interests Center Here. Corvallis is not only tho center of agricultural education for tho en tlro state, but tho work that Is planned hore, roaches out practical ly to the ontlro farming Interest of Orogon. Hore tho most progressiva farmers educate their sons and daughtors. Hore many of thorn, when they rotlro with a compotonco come to resldo and lnvost tholr money and spend their declining years. Ono of the groat features of tho educational work that Is cen tered hero Is tho oxhlbit of work dono by students in all departments, as well as products .of tho college fnrm and demonstration work by members of tho faculty, at tho Oro gon Stato Fair each year. This, In itself, brings Corvallis as a center of agricultural education bofore practically tho pooplo of tho ontlro stato, and makes It ono of tho best advertised cltlos In tho stato. Remarkable Record of a Young Rank. Tho Benton County National Bank oponed Its doors in August, 1907, and has In that short space of time devolopod a splendid commercial business and has deposits at present aggregating about $300,000. Tho man at the head of this Institution 4 Is Sonator A. J. Johnson. Ho was for many yoars National Bank Ex aminer and removed his family to Corvallis about sevon years ago In order to givo his children tho benoflt of tho splendid educational privi leges to bo had In this city. Ho set a now paco in this city by oroctlng tho bank building and tho post-of-flco building, modorn business struc tures that would bo a credit to any town in thi9 stato. Mr. Johnson Is also Chairman of tho building com mltteo of tho now $25,000 Prosby torlan church that Is bolng orected. Ho takes an active Interest In the movoments for tho subdivision of tho largo ranches, and tho promotion of modern lines of fruit growing and tho brooding of improved stock. So far as 1b consistent with good banking policies, Mr. Johnson wel comes ovory now ontorprlso and has not been afraid to Identify hlmsolf with a number of movements to es tablish now Industries and onoour ago manufacturing establishments In Bonton County. Ho has served In both Housos of tho Oregon Legislature and has beon ono of tho champions of Bonton county Interests at all times. CORVALLIS BOASTS OF THREE RAILROADS Corvalls has three railroad lines, and is destined to bocomo ono of tho railroad contors of Wostorn Orogon. Tho Southorn Pacific operates two passenger trains a day each way bo twooon Corvallis and Portland on its West Side Lino. The Corvalllj & Bastorn, undor Southorn Pacific man agement, botwoon Detroit and Y.i qulna bay oporatos ono through train onch way per day, and special trains to that summor resort in soason. Besldos thoro aro threo trains a day oach way botweon Corvallis and Al bany, making olght trains dally on tho Corvallis & Eastern to tho mala lino of tho Southern Pacific at Albany and four trains a day on tho West Sldo Lino. Tho Corvallis & Alssa railroad, just building, Is ballasting Its road from Corvallis west, and will soon bo running regular trains, Tin ballasting is dono with gravol, and a train can be loaded within 20 minutes with gravol takon out of tho Wlllam etto rlvor on a steel cablo and Jcrap or operated with a donkoy engine. This gravol will also bo usod In im proving tho country roads. Tho Corvallis & Alscn Ry. A now transportation lino, which promises to bo of great bonoflt in tho development of Bonton county, Is tho Corvallis & Alsoa River railroad. Tho company waB organlzod some thing over a year ago, for tho purposo of constructing a lino railroad to Blachloy postofilce, in Lano county, and also to tho Alsoa Valley, in Ben ton county. Considerable local capital was put Into tho ontorprlso and with tho ex ception of C. E. Sprlnklo and J. L. Sprlnklo, two Montana capltallstts, tho stopk of tho company Is hold by . Corvallis pooplo. Tho building of tho road contom platos tho oxpondlturo of about half n million dollars and Is now consid erably moro than halt complotod. It taps ono of tho most magnlflcont tlmbor bolts on tho Coast, all of which will find a market through Corvallis. Two Bawmllls located at Corvallis and having a capacity of about 150,000 foot por day, will ro colvo Its supply of logs by this rail road, Tho road Is In operation to Monroo in this county from which point it receives a largo amount of grain and flour for shipment. As it oporates through a rich agricultural section which hau borotoforo boon without tho advantago of rail trans portation, it Is proving a great fac tor In th dovolopmont of tho terri tory through which it has been com plotod. Real oatate values have advancod materially along lta lino and many largo sales of 'farming lands during tho past year can bo attributed to the building of this road. In many ways It la proving a successful In vostmont and Corvallln citizens vbo assisted In gottlng the company or- ganUed havo roason to congratulate themselves.