Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-08
TWO AV|AT0RS KLl[D|GRANDE RONOE VALLEY
Lefebvre and Posi- Both Fall Settled by Those Who Aban
to Their Deaths. doned the Oregon Trail
FORMER NOTED FOR DARING LONG DEBATABLE GROUND
Reckless Aerial Feats That Made Land Over Which indians Fought
Him Famous Above Others. for Years
THRILLED CROWDS AT RHEIMS INFLUENCE OF THE MoRMoNs
Broke French Speed
Fined Him ~ and Then Con- tory-Grea Apple Country.
graduated Him. Wheat Raising Ceases
LONG DEBATARLE GROUND
Land Over Which Indians Fought
for Years.
INFLUENCE OF THE M0RMoNS
establishment Of Beet-Sugar Fac
tory-Great Apple Country.
Wheat Raising Ceases.

Wheat Raising Ceases.
By WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald
LA GRANDE. Ore, August 80. 1850.
At Huntington, few miles west of the
| Idaho boundary. that part OF the Harri-
| man system known as the Oregon Short
Line terminates. and the Oregon Railroad
and Navigation Company. which is an
| other factor of the same system. assumes
the responsibility Of furnishing transpor-
tation for the people of eastern and north
ern Oregon. Huntington is said to be the
toughest town in four states. It's popula-
ton Is migratory and turbulent, mostly
| railroad men. construction gangs and
| miners. who are bound in or out of the
Baker City district where there are more
tnan oOO small mines in operation, and
hundreds OF square miles Of country are
now being searched by prospectors. Baker
CITY Is the mining metropolis, and al
though 1t has not produced any bonanzas
as yet. many people are looking for them.
Beyond Baker City the track enters the
Powder River valley, which has been fully
oeveiopea and Is one Of the richest dairy.
fruit and grain sections in the state. The
capital of this favored region Is a thriv-
ing town called La Grande, 800 miles east
OF Portland. and was called the Great
Round valley by the French explorers be-
| cause u IS q circular amphithsater In
tains They are not very lofty, being
from 5000 to 1910 feet above the sea. but
gre perfect protection against the blasts
and blizzards of winter, and assist in
N 4yfS a. ~
higher peaks, which are always covered
with snow.
Debatable Ground.
The first white people to find this de-
lectable country were emigrants who
abandoned the caravans on the Oregon
trail because they could no. resist the
temptation. In 1852 trading store was
established near the center OF what is
now La Grande, and around II accumu-
lateo little settlement Of pioneers, who
raised oats. wheat. eggs and chickens to
sen to the emigrants who passed through
IN large numbers In 1853 and the follow
ing years. La Grande Ronde valley never
belonged to the Indians. but was debat-
Oregon and the Snakes from Idaho. and
was Fought over for centuries Whenever
the warriors Of either tribe felt like fixht-
ing they put on their feathers and paint
ana came here: where they usually found
g war party Of the second part to afford
them satisfaction. The white settlers have
never been interfered with. The Umatil-
las finally drove out the Snakes, who re-
NAMED for safety on the Idaho side OF
me ri Yer. AFTER which they are named. In
1891 there was general uprising in Ore
son. and battle was fought between
regiments OF Oregon volunteers. under
Gen. Shaw. near this place, in which the
lnaians were badly punished. They have
monument was erected on the battle
ground last year with ceremonies that
were attended by q battalion of veterans.
In 1865 and 1866 La Grande Ronde
saney BEGAN to I'LL up with Confederate
they had In the civil war and wanted to
start afresh. They brought their politics
with them, and this was an almost solid
democratic country for years but It is now
The relics OF the Lost Cause have passed
over the Great Divide, but their sons
have been vigorous and enterprising citi-
Gems and have made this valley one of
the most prosperous spots in the state
Mormon Beet-Sugar Factory.
The Mormons have assisted them ma
terially and are strong in uumbers.
wealth and influence. as they usually are
whenever they form community. A
few Mormon families came in 1875 and
took up land at the northern end of the
valley. and still larger number came
eleven or twelve years ago when a beet
sugar factory was built here by Mormon
capital The factory has a capacity Of
400 tons Of beets per day. and pays IS a
ton for them, which makes the farmers
contented. This is said to be the only
factory In the country which pays that
tells me that he can afford to do SO be-
cause the beets will average Is per cent
saccharine and IS per cent purity, which
Is very high. They have gone as high as
- per cent saccharine.
The difference in the popular feeling
toward the beet-sugar management here
and In other places Is quite remarlsa BILE.
and. as have suggested. 1t Is due to
the 80 ton. There may be places where
on kindly terms with the farmers who
furnish their raw material. but have
never found one. The trouble usually
grows out Of the assay of the beets
distrust and dissatisfaction
Here, as In other places, the citizens
raised bonus to induce the company
s so sgd rom acto to 4 d Ey We SUBJ
eighty thousand dollar bonus and nobody
seems to regret 1t. This is the first case
OF the kind have ever known. The factory
ran Independently and sold it's product in
ultimately compelled to go into the trust.
It still sells most of Ats output In the
local markets for San Francisco prices
and ships some to Portland Seattle and
Spokane. All the other western beet
sugar factories ship to Chicago or San
Francisco.
Great Apple Country.
This is a great apple country, and
the people claim that their fruit is
equal to that Of the Hood River valley.
They shipped 4o5 carloads last year ana
got from $1.25 to $3.50 q bushel for their
apples About so carloads went to Euro
pean markets. This is the oldest ap-
pie section in the state. The oldest
tree has been bearing for forty-flve
years and last year produced 81 boxes
of apples, which sold for $1.60 a box.
Most of the orchards are small. The
largest covers 200 acres. but the aver
age is about 90 acres and the husband
men here contend that no one man can
cultivate more than that area. which,
in a good year. ought to bring a net
profit OF $4,000 above expenses. al
though It is necessary to cultivate
very closely in order to get that re-
suit. There will be fair crop this
year, but not a big one. The orchards
here did not suffer SO much from the
F~ocf 40 those in Payeffe valley ocd