The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1909-03-12

AIRY, tne real changes nave surpassed
even the most eNtravagant pen pic
lures that he drew. He has also stood
upon the rocky shore above the Simil-
kamecn falls, with the roar OF rushing
waters in his ears, with wilder and
grander surroundings than those that
compass in the rack of waters that
kane, and felt that for a second time
| he had before him Il grand force that
would at some future day be dominated
by the iconoclastic hand of man, the
weird and wonderous beautw to be
eliminated to produce pelf for those
restless and eager builders up of in
dustrics, those harbingers of civiliza-
tion, who apply thei energies and
capital in founding great fortunes, by
changing the face of the wilderness
into a land of homes, and scenes of
commercial and industrial activity.
| But probably the stockholders in the
Similkameen Power company are more
interested in u statement of more
concrete nature, covering the sources
of possible income from an investment
of the kind, with that happy and eX-
pressive resultant, dividends at stated
intervals, than a descriptive treatise on
waterfalls in general, and this near by
one in particular In this day when
cheap power for the generation of cleo
tricity is much sought for possession,
the individual, or company, that holds
such an admirable power producer as
the Similkameen falls is fortunate be-
yond the limits of calculation. 1t does
not require scribe out here on the
edge of civilization to wise up people
living in the thicklv populated east,
where electricity is supplanting all
other systems of force entering into
industrial life, and where water
power of one-tenth the capacity of the
Similkameen tails would be worth a
sum of money beyond the dream of
avarice, as to the present and pros
pective value of a large water fall, the
horse power capacity of which is only
limited to the amount that the holders
desire to develop and put to '.-e, Vt Is
today the most valuable piece of prop
erty in the northwest, BY this 1t is
not meant that it is Just now the most
valuable because of the revenue it
produces, but as tangible asset that
is yet to produce revenue there is no
class OF property, mine, ranch, manu-
factory, or what not, that is to com
with it for intrinsic value. If there
was not already a plant, using an in
finite portion of the power run
ming to waste, upon the ground, the
simple water right itself would be
worth thousands of dollars. Besides
the advantage of sheer drop of the
whole volume of water over a shelf n
rock, there is a series of rapids above
that gives additional fall to increase
the amount Of power development.
The Similkameen river is a stream of
considerable magnitude, flowing from
lar up III = bllll9n tolulllbld. "a lne
point where the foaming water churns
over the rocky barrier, the river is
compressed into a marrow compass be-
tween walls Of rugged rock, standing
perpendicular in places to the height
OF many feet. This rush of waters is
not spasmodic or intermittant. 1t is a
steady and heady now that can be de
pended upon at all seasons and at all
times The plant now in operation at
the falls has run steadily 36S days. If
a stoppage ever occurs it is not from
lack of water, it results from accident,
| or voluntary suspension of operations.
That feature is especially important,
for those who depend upon power want
to know that the supply can be counted
on all the time, and with the Simlka-
meen falls furnishing power they know
it is perpetual. 1t will thus be seen
that those who have invested in the
Simikameen Power company have an
interest in something real, tangible,
substantial, enduring and exceedingly
valuable.
To reach the point of power produc-
tion that the falls are capable of it
will require considerable more capital
for buildings machinery and improve
mentS. This increase of production
will come about a> the demand for
power grows, and that demand will
certainly expand from this time on.
! The company should prepare now to
meet that demand which is absolutely
certain to matcralle. There are many
uses to which electric power can, and
will, be applied, and this country is
on the eve of an awkcning that will
create uses. The present plant, among
other sources of revenue, furnishes
| light for Oroville. This at present, Is
a comparatively small item, but the
coming summer viii see the
Inauguration of a new order of things
that will push Oroville forward to the
magnitude of considerable city. Then
the lighting of the place, and the sup
plVina OF power that Will he Teqnired