Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-08-06
WONDERS OF
IRRIGATION
Water Makes the Desert
Bloom.
Especial Correspondence

Mckenzie Bridge, Oregon, Aug. 1-TC
see vast desert covered with sage
brush aud juniper and the soil com posed
OF sand and rock, being converted into
garden spot producing grains and all
kinds of vegetables, is enough to cause
the average person, coming from the
vast emi-ard regions of Eastern Ore
gon, to stop and wonder just where the
American people will leave off home.
| building.
Leave PrinevilIe in the morning, drive
| down the Crooked river 10 O'NeIl, where
| you lunch, and then out on top where
| you come upon the great desert. A des-
ert has this been since the beginning OF
time, Int few are the years lett remain
ing in which to call this vast territory Of
sage brush, sand aud juniper, desert
Canals and small l4terals are to be
found running in most every direction
across this plain and small farms la "
been and are beng laid out where the
juniper and sage brush have been
cleared away and in their stead ia to hp
found hav fields and truck patches look
ing as thrifty as though they We're
growing upon tue most fertile soil OF
the willamette valley.
The DeaChuftes Irrigation Co OF
Bend, the Columbia Sou hern project,
Laidlow and Squaw Creek projects are
doing the work which is bringing this
immense barren waste into a state Of
cultivation where homes for many
thousands will be made in the next few
years The water is furnished bv the
DesChutes river and Squaw creek and
enough OF it they seem to have.
have Travelled in all parts Of Wash
ngton, Idaho and Montana and have
been pretty thorf ughly over the sta'e
of Oregon, bnt never have | seen ench
immense juniper as grow on the Great
desert in Crook county. The desert ,s
covered with forest Of junipe ard !
noticed many trees that would measure
more than three feet in diameter at the
base and would probably tower into the
ky nearly one hundred feet.
The homehuilders who are clearing
their property, use thi timber for fence
posts and wood.
MANY times did l with, while driving
through this thirty-six miles of sage
brush, sand and juniper. that Morrow
county could have been blessed with a
stream OF water like the DesChutes.
Take that country lying north OF
Heppner, Lexington and lone and put
the water on it that is being absorbed
by the Great Desert and there We would
have homes for double the amount OF
people that will be placed under the
bitches in the projects just enumerated.
Our soil is far superior, for under ordl-
nary circumstances our farmers raise
good crops upon that col, while here on
this desert nothing can be produced
without the aid of water.
Leaving the Great Desert at Sisters, a
small village at the foot of the Cascade
mountains. aId up the mountain side
thru forest of Bull pine and fir to the
snow line at the base OF the peaks OF
the Three Sisters, you suddenly drop
out onto crater OF lava which extends
for five miles along either side OF the
road. This is sight that is worth the
trip from Heppner of five days. This
beyond doubt is one of the grandest
sights to be found in the state of Oregon
and it will certainly leave the imp'ess-
ion upon ones mind that things were
very hot up there on the summit of the
Cascades one dav.
Great cracks in this rock and Jagged
peaks with honey combed edges are all
around you and the feeling that you are
upon a storm tossed sea comes back
into your mind many times ere you are
across and onto the head waters o. Lost
creek.
Lost creek heads at the base of the
Three Sisters, runs into the lava and is
lost for manv miles, as this flow of lava
continues for several miles down the
mountain side on the Western slope.
bnt finally Jumps out from meath the
rocks running stream as large 6s the
Umatilla river and emptes into the Nc
kenzie river just below Belknap.S Springs
BeIkpap springs is beautiful aud
picturesque pace, situated on the bank
of the Mckenzie and has wonderful
strong flow of hot water. This water
will boil an egg hard in three minu as
and one can stand with fishing pole.
atch a big Dolly Warden or Rainbow
trout from the river and .ard IL into the
spring aud cook it without moving on.
OF your tracks.
The surroundings Of this place have
been sadly neglected, but the grounds
are grand and resort secood to none
in the state could be easily constructed
here.
1t is six miles from Belknap to Ne
Kenze B,idge and five niles IRON here
10 Foley hot springs, on Horse creek.
The Foley springs are exactly the same
sort as Belknap. but At this place ae-
commodations are far superior aud the
place is much better KEEP, IN all partlcU-
lars. There is plenty of deer here and
a great MANY cougar and bear, but Sc
far neither Percy or | have gone in a1est
and have about arrived At the con-
clusion that Zig game will not he mo-
Tested bv me. The unde-hrush :
terrible and the game is hard 10 get
\ few nights ago cougar killed q
deer within the distance Of about mi le
and half of our camp and Old hunters
here claim that it is for this reason that
the deer are so hard 10 get, as coug al
and timber wolves have been and are
so plentiful it has caused the deer TO be