Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-03-23

The old maps of Oregon show an
enormous area east OF the Cascades and
south of Prineyille nearly to the Cali.
fornia line bearing the ominous and for.
bidding label, "The Oregon Desert"
Millions of acres were 80 abandoned to
the coyote and few jackrabbits.
Herds of halt-wid cattle and wholly.
Wild horses roamed at will. The
streams are few and far between. but
many lakes and marshes are dotted over
at wide intervals. The vegetation con.
sists mainly Of sage brush. some bunch
grass and varieties of wild bay grasses
covering the moist areas. The western
tanks of the Cascade Mountains are
covered with yellow pine timber.
When this gives out. as what was
known as the desert proper, is reached,
no natural tree growth but small and
scattering willow existed for very many
miles.
For the map of today the former title
of THE Oregon Desert" is both obso-
lete and misleading. The first discov.
.erv was that the central belt, reaching
from the Cascades to the Snake, could
be reached with abundant water. The
SHOWS of the mountains supplied
streams and springs of continuing and
unvarying flow. The peculiar forma-
ton of lave beds. end volcanic ash, tufa,
and the like, which cover the whole
eastern flank of the range, fulfil two
purposes. The ono has been to cover
the eleyated plateau OF Eastern Oregon
with coatings of volcanic ash and pull.
verified rock, which hold material for
the richest fertility when dissolved by
water and brought into contact with
plant life. The other has been to pro-
vide channels and watercourses, under
ground and protected from evaporation,
which issue many miles away from
their mountain sources, or else through
wide expanses furnish saturated
strata but few feet from the present
surface of the ground.
The great central dep.essio is the
lrIigable area. 1t begins at the Des-
chutes River. where the town Of Terd
has sprung into life; it etretches car.
ward through the Maheur valley and
canyon to the Snake. 1t is needless to
desc. ibe the tide of sediment now fol.
lowing the life bringing water through
o 1T this region.
This, however, is not all by any
means. Not only are wheat and barley
farms spreading over the whole district
to the moth and reaching to join haL DIS
with the farms belonging to the Colum-
bia basin, but ceresls there are growing
day Oh unirrigated lands. Farm life
is spreading over the upland expanses.
The stretches OF ssge-brush- d
areas south of the irrigab!e area have
recently been tested on wide scale.
Water in abundance was found at from
not in isolated spots, but in section
after section. The SILVER Lake and
river country is the most receut land of
promi-e. Tie first wave of new settle
mant touched there last week and
brought thirteen heads OF families who
selected permanent locations. These
people found as their headquarters and
tr ding point little town with about
$50 people, hotels, stores, school and
church.
These men, and those who will follow
them along the road they travel, have
truly taken their courage in both hands.
Il is four days good driving from the
nearest railroad to the north of them
and 60 miles 10 The nearest little town
t. the south of them. Five day 8 from
Portland. Do Oregon people realize
that the Oregon, Nevada q California
Railroad, pushing northward from Reno
is at Madeline, less than 100 miles from
the Oregon boundary. with an easy