The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-05-17
PUBLIC LANDS.

NdIO lllulNluudlS III our county, are con-
stantly in receipt of letters asking for
information regarding our land district.
These letters come from all parts of the
United States, and not infreouently
from foreign countries, sent forth like
Noah's dove to bring tidings of new
land. The writer's are usually men OF
moderate means, who have enough
money to bring their families west, and
after paying to enter homesteads, to
build their houses and begin settlement.
The questions asked are varied, some
times vague and diffuse, but for the
most part are apparently from men who
earnestly desire information about Ore
gon.
Several such letters lie before us, and
while we have not space now, to speak
at length of the wonderful wealth and
resources of Eastern Oregon, we have
thought that the publication of answers
to some of the leading questions may
interest our readers.
Eastern Oregon is nearly in the form
of a parallelogram, being 275 miles long
and 230 miles wide. From this large
area, 8,061 800 acres form the land dis
trict known as The Dalles, comprising
all of Sherman and Gillian counties,
and parts of Wasco, Crook, Morrow and
Grant counties +; in all about 800 town
ships; 349, $50 acres of this vast tract is
unsurveyed, being heavy timber and
rough land, but 3,491, oil acres are still
open to settlement.
The land in this district is broken and
hilly, and principally adapted to grazing
purposes. Some small valleys and un-
dulating tablelands constitute good
farming land, but the greater portion is
broken, hilly and mountainous.
The Cascade range, 120 miles distant
from the coast, is the western boundary,
the land sloping eastward to the Hood
River valley. The country is watered
by the Hood, Deschutes and John Day
rivers and their tributaries. Timber
grows in profusion on the mountain
slopes, but in general the timber in the
district is only adequate to the demands
of the country for fuel, building and
fencing purposes. The Hood River val
ley is particularly adapted for fruit.
Apples, pears, plums, and all small fruits
grow we'll here, while the land lying
east on the Deschutes and John Day is
better suited for wheat raising, which is
the great staple; oats, barley, rye and
of every variety can also be
grown. The Blue mountains on the
east form water shed parallel in the
main with the Cascades, from which the
and slopes westward to the John Day
and Deschutes rivers. Large numbers of
horses, sheep and cattle have been
raised here, but as the country becomes
more thickly settled, more attention is
given to farming and fruit raising. In
;he southern part of the district, the
eading industry is stock raising, the
,pen land being fit only for grazing.
The following questions are taken
rom letters received here by the Reg
ster and Receiver of the Land Office:
No. lis there any government land
,pen to entry in your district?
YES, ,49l oil acres.
No. 2-How can it be taken?
Land under timber and stone act is
;2.50 per acre; desert land $1.25 per
lcre; isolated tracts subject to open bid,
he minimum price being $1.25 per acre.
No. 4What kind of land have you?
All kinds as described above.
No. 5-Can you send maps, plats, dia-
,rams, lists or circulars describing va
ant land?
No; the government does not furnish
uch for distribution.
No. els there any school land left.
Sections Is and SO in all townships be-
ong to the state. Some sections are yet
'acant, but exact location can only be
by applying to. the State
soard of School Lands at Salem, Or.
he state also selects tracts throughout
he district in lieu of sections Is and SO
ying within certain reserves made by
he government.
No. What are the conditions of