Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-12-20
IMMENSE Project IS
BEING RAPIDLY DRAINED
Beavers Are Forced From Their Homes
as Water Is Being Taken Off to
Expose Rich Land.
HoLLANDERS WILL SETTLE ON
TRACTS AT AN EARLY DATE
Intensified Farming Will Be Carried On
and Heavy Crops Will Be Raised,
1t Is Believed.

Right on the apex of the great wave
of land development and agricultural
spirit, which is sweeping the country il.
the Willamette valley at the present
time, there is work being carried on,
under the very noses of the people of
Salem, so to speak, which is the great
est in extent that has ever been record.
ed lin the history of Marion county. A
multi.millionaire is going to make one
OF Oregon 8 most historical spots one of
vast fame. That man of wealth is no
other than j. o. Hayes, of San Jose,
California, and the spot in question is
known throughout the entire state as
"Lake Labish, " or the "Lake of Elk. -
For the past six months great work
has been going on in the Lake Labish
district. This enormous tract of land
is not exactly covered by water, but is
better known as the largest beaver-dam
section in Oregon. At the expense of
over $15O,000 Mr. Hayes is having this
land, or at least his share, some 1000
acres, drained, and upon the completion
of this work, he will carry out plans
that promise to bring forth one of the
most interesting and valuable land ad.
vertisements for this county that can
be imagined by the most sagacious of
our Marion county farmers.
Fortunes in Lake Labish.
Today Lake Labish is merely great
bed Of decayed vegetation, swamp ash
and weed.growth Within the next year
and half, declares the promoter, the
same land will be worth not less than
5000 per acre.
Mr.. Hayes is not carrying out this
drainage project for speculative purpos.
es. His attention was attracted to the
lake by Portlander who had one time
visited the place, and then and there
Mr.. Hayes decided to drain the lake,
clear the land and Immediately drew up
plans for a model farm which he in
tends to perfect to the extent that there
will be no equal outside of the great
Vanderbilt plant in South Carolina.
The Capital Journal writer made a
day s inspection of the Lake Labish
territory recently and what he saw, and
could judge from his limited experience
and knowledge in land culture, Mr.
Hayes has shown rare judgment in Sc
lecting that part of this county for his
model farm. In fact, this purposed
farm, when in shape for cultivation
will raise anything that any other land
in the world is capable Of
Cream Of Soil
At the present time the 1000 acres
belonging to Mr., Hayes, and at least
1000 acres more owned by other parties
are practically useless, owing to the
natural morass nature Of the territory
both in and surrounding the lake. One
piece however, has been drained by
Mr.. Hayes and here is where the unlim
tied possibilities before those holding
the beaver.dam land can be readily
seen. For the first eight inches down
the lake is covered with one Of the
most valuable fertilizers known-de
cayed vegetation. Then comes that
powdery, black rich loan such as ear
be found only in swamps and lowlandi
inhabited by that very busy little beast
the beaver. This loan is Of the very
highest quality. 1t is the cream of th,
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