The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-10-24

with sand. and above these rise the
grim. wind-worn forms of basaltlc
cliffs and precipices. The Columbia
below the Dalles is picturesque and
grand. Above, it is still wonderful,
but almost horrible in its forbiddlng
grandeur.
At Dalles City, which is a bright
and wide-awake place OF some 4,OOO
people. and prospering with agricul-
tural and stock raising interests, we
took a train for the Baker City
Branch Line, which branches OF
from the main stem of the Oregon
River and Northern Railroad at
Umatilla, 1S7 miles from Portland,
on the Oregon side Of the river, the
trip from the Cascades to Dalles
City being made by steamer. The
Baker City Branch is a part OF the
system by which it is intended to
develop the rich farming region trlb-
ntarv to the Columbia and Snake
rivers. 1t will ultimately connect
with what is known as "The Oregon
Short Line" built northward from
Utah by the Union Pacific Com
pany. thus afiordinga second eastern
outlet for this region. This connec-
ton will also create a certain COM
munity of interest between the
Union Pacific and the Northern Pa
ciic which may, in case of future
complications. be used to hold in
check the ambitious designs OF the
Central and Southern Pacific Rail
road system. At present the manch
line to which refer. and which Is to
pierce the Blue Mountains, is COM
pleted only to Cayuse Station, on
the borders of the Umatilla Indian
reservation. Leaving the train we
took carriages that had been sent up
from Pendleton to meet US, and
were driven across the country to
Blue Mountain Station, about II
miles distant, and at present the
terminus of another branch of the
railway system to which the Baker
CITY Branch belongs. The Umatilla
Reservation, across which our route
is traced, is another of those fertile
tracts on which the white man casts
his covetous eye. 1t is a vast undu-
lating prairie, intersected with
streams, but for the most part tree
less, except where it stretches up
into the foothills of the Blue Noun
tains. where there is excellent tim
Der. The reservation comprises
100000 acres. The exact number
of It's inhabitants Is not easily ascer-
tanned by the casual visitor. The
station agent at Cayuse said, IN an
swer to an inquiry AZ to the numer-
ical strength Of the Umatillas :
That depends upon the source OF
your information. If you ask the
Indian agent he will say there are
700 on the reservation. If you ask
any of the old settlers, you will be
told that there are about 800. |
tried the experiment on our driver,
an old acquaintance, who drove a
stage from Marysville, Cal, to Sac
ramento, in the days ofmy youth,
and who has drifted up hither.
This ancient charioteer reckoned
there was about 400 on EN- When
we asked him ifthe reservation were
to be declared open for settlement
would it be speedily occupied
he said: Humph : If it We're de.
clared tonight, at sundown, that
the reservation was open for settle
ment. thar would be man and
pile of lumber on every quarter sec
ton before noon tomorrow. liz
the struggle for possession of the
coveted domain the "squaw-man }
has an unfair advantage. he mar
ries daughter of the Umatillas, anC
as the lands are owned in common
he NAV cultivate as much OF the
communal soil as he is able to man
age. One of these thrifty amalgam
ationists. whose ranch We passed OF
the road from Cayuse to Blue Noun
tain Station, has 800 acres unde
cultivation. His wife is half-breeC
but has all the rights of full blood
ed Umatilla, and the snug farm
buildings, rich fields, herds, anC
granaries of the squaw-man attes
| his wisdom, if not his refinement o
taste. The most fastidious outsider
declare that one of the seriou
drawbacks of the squaw-man is tn
/ fact that all his wife's relations la,
down on him." that is to say, b
must support the idle and lazy peo
ple into whose tribal propert,
! he has secured an interest by mar
riage.
No pen can describe the dust tina
covers the country roads here a
this season of the year. The soil
rich, deeu and loamy. The road lie
over rolling hills and among loy
canons. hundreds of wheat wagon
travelling to and from the rancho
outside of the Indian reservation
in every direction, until the trail
cut into sharp ruts, and clouds c
fine black dust arise and load tn
air. II is impossible to see ahead :
much as wagons length, and W
are in constant danger from coils
sions. The aspect ofthe party, whe
they reached their journeys enc
was that of civilized men who's
faces and garments had been dippe
in war-paint. The prevailing hue
were black and red. Nevertheless:
the Journey was worth all it cos
No richer agricultural land than thi
lies beneath the sun. The labor c
seeding is primitive in Its simplicity
the soil is broken once: the seed j
drilled in afterward, whether anon
the stubble or the fallow ground
matters not. The average WELD is 3
bushels of wheat to the acre, althoug
as much as 60 bushels have beeI
raised per acre in exceptional case.
/ The estimated cost of raising a Gro
is 25 cents per bushel. One mar
with a helper, may seed and han
vest 800 acres. When we note tha
the present price of wheat, delivere
at the railway station is 62 cents
bushel, the profits of the wheat fal
mer may be readily estimated
is not surprising that every man
crazy with wheat raising. Thi
IL. .-....l..,. "a. l.. ~.