The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-11-19
raE cRooKED RIVER ,AlLEY.
letter Descriptive of that Country writ
ten by.aR old settler.


the oath ult, and will now answer the quos-
tions to the best of my ability In the first
place commencing at the foot of the Cascade
Mountains and running in an eastorly direo-
tion, passing Cache Creek, Squaw Creek,
the Great Desehute River (the length of
which is two hundred miles, aud the average
width 200 fcet) there is not much farming
land. but it is highly adapted to stock rails
ing, as all the country is covered with the
finest of bunch grass. Anywhere you wish
to stop ON the river YOU have good stock
ranch, Tor the country for a'hundred miles
the finest sort of grass and under brouSc for
cattle and horses. Also the numerous clus.
ters of jumpers afford a shelter that is actu-
ally better than barn, for it never gets
muddy under foot have been here eleven
years, and | think the average depth of
snow is inches. Sometimes for two months
IN winter there is no snow at ALL but other
times the snow falls about inches deep. and
theu comes the chinook" or warm south
west coast winds, which takes il all off ex.
winter the stock goes back ON to what we
call desert land, where the grass il reserved
in summer for them in winter, not by being
fenced, but for the reason that in summer
tSere Is no water, but in winter it is plenty,
and for this reason there will be plenty OF
grass on these places foriiity years or longer
Stock raisers have but very little use for
other than the natural feed that is free for
every man.
Wheat never has been worth less than n
dollar \ bushel. and sometimes twice that
amount. There are numerous little valleys
in every direction that are very fertile for all
the small grains aud grasses. All the hardy
vegetables do well here, and in many places
all kinds are raised. From the Desehutes
River you pass over 10 miles of country that
is literally covered withgr juniper timber
and plenty of brouse for stock in winter
Then you are at the lower end Of Crooked
River valley, which is about - miles long
and extends almost due east and west This
is beautiful valley with little or no timber
in it, with the exception of willows along the
river. The average width of this river is
100 feet. Il gets very low in summer and
autumn, but high in the spring, but not
high enough 20 enterfere with bridges. Now
comes the stock country on the south OF this
river, and along its entire length is one line
of hills and plateaus thickly covered with
bunch grass OF the best quality. Every few
miles comes in creek from the high lands
back on either side. On these streams from
head to mouth, with few exceptions, are good
farming lands. At this time there arc hum
dreds of thousands Of acres OF good land ~
ing idle, waiting for the industrious farmer
to fence and plow and raise grain on, Bat
what Is the use There Is no market for
grain except ia limited quantities, as we have
no facilities Tor shipping 20 theoutsidc world.
The consequences Is tkat II a man docsn I have
money enough to go into the stocl, business
he won't come here at all Peace was made
With tbe Indians here only two years ago,
and families have been afraid t. settle, bot
they are now coming 10 to a considerable
extent The one great trouble here IS to get
onr supplies When man with large faui-
ily has to go 100 and sometimes 200 miles TO
mill and 70 do his trading. y. la, is the use OF
settling ia such country. II We had rsil-
rad somewhere on the ca, q west Of here.
and running east So as to eouHec. with some
't the through lines It would open up thous-
lnds OF good farms and homes
As soon as it Is a settled fact that the Or.
sgon Pacific will be built, just whisper the
tidings that there Is such country as this.
anil only lying across the mountains iroin
the Willamette Valley, aul there will be-
such stream OF emigration across the Cas-
cades as was never before seen. TIE fam"us
P4louse country will never i,e { earl OF again
Oar snii is just as productive as theirs, and
our climate a great deal milder. but they
have transportation and We have not Give
Us a railroad and We are satisfied it is all
that Is needed TO make this one OF the most
localities on the coast. Within
a year after the completion Of a railroad to
this locality, the people over in your section
viii be surprised at the vast amount OF grain
received from here. Your whole valley and
the Sound country will be supplied with
stock from here. As it Is now we have to
drive our fat cattle from one to two hundred
miles iE the winter to find market, and by
the time we get them there they are poor.
Give us a railroad aud we can ship our fat
stock 500 miles to market and afford to sell
cheaper than those who live in your valley.
We do not have to feed at all. We mark
and brand calf, turR him out on the range
and when he is four-year old sell him for $40
cash-net profit about 81. DoesAa pay :
Give us facilities for getting TO a better mar
ket, and it will pay better
Our whole country Is either the best Of
farming or grazing land, and if railroad Is
run through it every acre will be worth from
$40 to 500. Nearly all the land belonging to
the Cascade Mountain Wagon Road Co. in
this section is Of the very best, and as it is
not now for sale it retards the settlement of
the country very much. 1t would be very
valuable in case railroad should run through
here, and as it is now, without railroad,
would willingly pay the company $50 per
acre for all that ! am able to buy.
As you go east from here along the line OF
the military road the valleys get great deal
larger, the soil more productive, the climate
milder, and the timber is of better quality,
and there is more of it, and the country is
capable of sustaining very large population,
but without railroad it will always have to
be devoted exclusively to stock raising.
Hoping that / have not tresspassed too
much ON your patience, I remain
Yours as ever,
L. YANDERPooL, N. D.
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