Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-11-23

Dnfc surveys Ol Tue State Oh oregon
and to that end bill will probably
be drafted in the near future.
Messrs. ]. g. Stevens, photographer,
w. @. Mendenhall, geologist, and f.,
G. Barnard, topographer, of the u
s. geological survey bureau, were In
Salem last evening in consultation
with State Engineer ]. II. Lewis on
the subject and all three gentlemen
returned to Portland this morning.
Every dollar appropriated by the
state for carrying on this work the
government will duplicate annually
until the entire state ia surveyed and
Typographical maps made giving the
contour, geological formation and
adaptability of the soil of every sec
tion. Oregon. according to Mr..
Barnard, who has been in the service
for years, is the least advanced in
this line of any state in the Union,
with the possible exception of Flori-
da, as fully five-sixths of the total
area of the state has not been sur
veyed and plated in a systematic
manner and IL will take at least so
years to complete the survey and
drawing of maps If the present sys-
TEN is followed out-that of appro-
priating $500 per year for the
work.
II the state will appropriate $685.
900 per year, says Mr.. Barnard, Il
will be found to have been the best
investment It has ever made and
more direct and permanent results
will realized than II s250,000 be
expended in advertising with the or
linary style of literature. In dis.
cussing the subject Mr. Barnard
said
"The state of Oregon has thou
sands of acres of the most produc-
tive soil now bearing crops of sage |
brush that only need the magic touch |
of irrigation TO become the most pro-
ductlve agricultural land, and in its
streams Is stored an inexhaustible |
supply OF power that will be in ex-
istence long after the coal mines are
exhausted. for this source of power
will continue as long as the rain falls
and the water flows down hill.
"And there is sufficient available
water 20 reclaim much of this arid
land, and the power that may be de-
veloped on the western slopes of the
Cascades is almost lncalculable.
"But in order to reclaim this land
and develop the water powers Il is
necessary that mans be made of the
land te be reclaimed and the streams
that will furnish the water must be
in order to know the avail.
able supply That the power stored
In the various streams may be utll-
lied, maps of large areas of the coun-
try must be made in order TO dis {
cover, locate and determine the fall 4
as we'll as to show the distance from ,
the point where power may be de- s
yeloped TO the place of utilizing the s
same. Z
"The area OF the state OF Oregon q
Is 96,030 square miles. OF which To- 7
900 square miles have already been
surveyed by the United States geo. [
logical survey and the maps pub
llshed
"The topographic maps published
by the United States geological sur
vey are called quadrangles, named
after the most important town or
natural feature on the same. and in.
l : or 80 minutes OF latitude
md longitude. covering an area of 7
from goo to 900 square miles, de-
pending upon scale and location. !
On these maps are shown all the /
roads. railroads, trails. towns, post q
'tfices. houses, streams, lakes and
as well as the section and !
iownship lines where they exist. and
he elevation is also shown by
means OF contour lines at intervals !
" twenty, SO or 100 feet. according I
20 conditions.
These maps are obtainable from 4
he office OF the U, S. geological sur I
'ey In Washington. ID, c., at the
price OF Ave cents copy, !
Ind where purchase by 100 or more, I
.t three cents a sheet. 9
The state of Oregon needs more :
ailroads TO open up and develop its Z
FAST interior. The railroads in the I
'tate extend along its northern
boundary and down the western side !
'ut short distance from the coast.