East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-12-16

nioDdnlN ne duutu Nllit Nut AiA"S'
prosperous portion of that region, all
things considered, is its agricultural
districts-the farming portions OF
Wasco. Sherman. Gillian. Morrow
Umatilla, Union and Baker counties,
says the Oregon Daily Journal
A wonderful and exceedingly
gratifying change has taken place in
that region since about 10 years ago
or perhaps little less, as many who
lived there then will remember. some
of them with a momentary shudder
at the trying experiences of that time
followed by a feeling of contentment
and satisfaction at present prosperity
and future prospects.
Period of Depression.
At the time alluded ito both wheat
and wool were low, and railroad
rates much higher than now. With
good crops on good land farmers
could not make much. And then
there came several hard years in
succession. One or two years the
seasons We're exceedingly dry. and
newcomers supposed they were ordi-
nary seasons in that region. Another
wear or two. when the prospect late
i'm the spring was good for wheat
crop. hot north wind cooked it in
it's milk. Frosts in winter seemed
unusually malevolent about that time
on the best lands fair crops were
raised. i'm spite OF all these climatic
discOuragements but on lands not so
good but where great crops have
been raised for years past, not enough
i'm many instances could be harvested
to pay the cost of raising the crops.
Many disheartened new farmers
moved away in disgust. Many others
would have gone If they could. II
was a dismal. chilling period for the
wheat growers.
The sheep and cattlemen also Jared
hardly They had not yet become ac-
customed to putting up sufficient feed
/ against a hard winter, and the hard
winters came. Stock perished by
tens Of thousands. And what were
saved were scarcely worth what they
had cost. Wool had to be hauled far
and sold cheaply. Sheep marketed in
/ Chicago or Omaha We're driven over
land most of the way. The country
/ was well-nigh "broke" The banks,
/ particularly one at Pendleton, stood
/ by unfortunate stockmen and far
. mers nobly, and risked much, to tide
/ them over. Otherwise hundreds of
I them in these counties would have
I been forced to give up. who thus aid
I ed. weathered the storm and are now
well-to-do.
PrOpitious Years.
Propitious years followed. one after
another. Sometimes there had been
/ damage by drouth or frost or wind
or hail. but when the harvest time
comes around the damage is found TO
/ be comparatively slight There has
not been since such a series of dis
couraging years in that region. One
I is a little better than another, but all,
since about 1890. have on the whole
been good. Land that was abandoned
as worthless is now producing big
crops. and lands, in Morrow and Gil
liam counties, especially. that no one
would then have thought of farming
at all are turning off from 90 to 30
bushels an acre OF first-class wheat
And the best lands, that produced
we'll then, have gone on producing
ever since and never better than now
That soil is inexhaustible.
Almost coincidently with better
seasons came better prices Wheat
has ever since sold at paying price,
II a man has a good farm. and some
years, as this year, a big crop of
. heat yielded a very large profit. The
, price OF wool also arose. and while
, fiuctuating somewhat, the experience
ed and careful sheepmen had long
period of fair prosperity. Cattle are
low now, but they. too. have formed
: the basis of profitable industry
, New Lands. New Industries.
| While the range has necessarily de-
creased, stockmen have raised more
G feed. especially alfalfa. and even the
q agricultural counties of Eastern Ore
!, gon will always remain a good stock
q country. New lands have been
4 opened up to wheat raising, and far
mrrs have improved their methods
Dairying and fruit raising have also
become profitable Industries i'm many
localities. Business conditions have
! immensely improved in every respect
u The banks are overlooking with de
. posts Farmers and stockmen arr
usually out of debt, and many o
them have thousands OF dollar
ahead. 1t was a dark. chilly, gloom!
time in portions of that region IA o
Is years ago. Now the sun of pros
perity shines brightly over all.
II should be added that while thi
is true the difference in the season
during a few years about the tim
mentioned and those since is probabl.
partly imaginary. When man ha
: his land in good shape and his crol
= well put in, has good comfortabl
2 buildings and a bank account; o.
y when one has big stacks of alfalfa 70
winter feeds and his stock is alread,
r sleek and fat, and he has the pro
r ceeds of last years sales deposited
the hard winter and the dry summe
4 has slight terror for him as compares
with the time when an unusually un
propitious season meant dire disaste
and as 1t seemed ruin. The farmer
and stockmen of Eastern Oregon
could almost smile at a barren yea