East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-09-24
Both Hill and Hartman Camps
Actively Engaged in Con-
structiOn Work.
RIVAL INTERESTS PURSUE
CONQUEST OF COUNTRY
Hartman Contractors Have Estab-
lished Permanent Camp-Haye
Difficulty In Keeping Laborcrs Ow-
ing TO DisagreeabIe Sand Storms
Hill Men Also Active-Water Pow
CT Company Prepares for Big Dam
Part OF Track Is Already Laid.
Especial Correspondence }

Deschutes, Ore. Sept 24.--Rail-
road construction continues to be a
live question in this part Of Oregon.
Twohy Brothers working for the Har-
riman system have established a
large permanent camp at Deschutes
station, which is at the mouth of the
Deschutes river and is located on the
Miller farm. About 200 men are sta
toned here and are employed in grad
ing, work about camp, in the black
smith shops and in the stables.
peculiar feature Of this camp Is
the number OF men who are coming
and going Points on the main line
of the o. r. & n. ship in laborers
daily and these usually stay long
enough to secure two or three good
square meals and then move on to
Portland. Only small part Of
those who come remain to work and
many of these soon tire of the blow
ing sand.
Laborers Resemble Automobiles.
The laboring outfit very much re-
sembles a crowd OF automobile ex-
perts working with pick and shovel.
The men all wear thc regulation gog-
giles and the horses are also equipped
with apparatus to protect their eyes
from the blowing sand.
Burns & Jordan. sub-contractors.
also have a large camp five miles
further up the river. They are doing
a great deal Of heavy grading at pres
ent and have much of the roadbed
ready for the laying of the rails.
This firm employs Italians for the
most part and these board them
selves, only their tent equipment be-
ing furnished by the sub contractors.
Hill Men Also Active.
The Porter Brothers are also busy
and are now shipping much Of their
outfit for camps and grading to
Deschutes station. Many dump cars,
ready made and such as are used in
tunnel and cut work, are included in
the shipments. These are unloaded
here and are being taken across the
toll bridge to the west bank OF the
Deschutes river, where a large camp
has already been established.
About every five miles, the Porter
Brothers are building good wagon
roads up the west bank Of the river
and In many places they are using
boats to cross the river to points OPP
posite the grade leading from Moro.
The oregon Trunk Graders are now
at work on their grade for about a |
mile from the mouth Of the Deschutes |
and are making cuts much higher on |
the hills than those made in 1905, |
when a bluff was made at building a |
road up the canyon. The higher |
grade is made necessary in order to
avoid the lower dam sites.
Water Power Company Busy.
But the railroad construction COM
panies are not the only busy people
in the now famous Weschutes canyon,
The Eastern Oregon Land & Power
has established camp two
miles above the mouth of the Des-
chutes river, just below their propos-
ed dam site, where they are testing
for solid rock for their dam foun-
1atlon. They have dug holes in the
hillside on both sides OF the river.
They have aso erected powder houses
md are building roads leading from
he river to the dam. l.