Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-02-19
WEALTH awaits MANY
MARION COUNTY MEN
California Promoter Cannot Understand
Why Farmers Around Lake Labish
Do Not Drain Tracts.
SUGGESTS DEVELOPMENT OF
REGION WITHOUT DELAY
Funds Necessary for Development Small
in Comparison With Benefits to
Be Derived Therefrom.

According to j. o. Hayes, the Cali
fornian who has successfully drained
Lake Labish proper, farmers in Marion
county hardly realize the actual worth
of the land lying around loose in an un.
cultivated state. Mr.. Hayes portion
of the lake is small compared with acre,
age of the remainder despite the fact
that the California promoter holds at
least 2000 acres. Thousands upon
thousands of acres of this beaver dam
land is located north and northeast OF
this city and it is practically worthless
at the present time for the reason
the owners viii not undertake to carry
out proposition similar to that in
which Mr.. Hayes is successful engaged.
Enormous Farming Tract.
''Lake Labish comprises one of the
most valuable and largest farming ter
ritories in the country" said Mr..
Hayes yesterday. The land is cap
able of growing anything under the sun
and it is a great wonder the farming
community north of Salem has not
realized the fact long before this. Of
course, it costs little money to. pre-
pare this beaver dam land for actual
use, but when comparing the cost of
preparation with the great benefits,
both financially and otherwise, to be
derived, it is foregone conclusion that
to clear, drain and put the acres to
work means wealth for any person who
is willing to tackle the proposition,
81 would suggest that the owners of
the remainder portion of the lake dig
a ditch similar to mine from the pres
ent drainage ditch west to the VILLAIN
cite river. This beaver dam land ex.
tends for miles and miles from the ex-
treme eastern boundaries sixteen miles
northeast Of Salem, to the Willamette
river, and every foot of this land is
capable of growing farm produce in
unlimited quantities and of the very
finest quality 1t would require CON
siderable funds to promote such prop.
Osition, l will admit, but taking into
consideration the worth of the land af.
ter it has been properly cared for, the
money expended in Improvement would
be a mere trifle in comparison
Is Booster.
Although Mr. Hayes is a Californian
and has large holdings in the southern
state, he is not overlooking the posi-
bilities at hand right here in Marion
county. He declares that land worth
$1,000 an acre is not picked up in every
state and that he intends to prepare
1000 of the Lake Labish land and raise
things which will make the Oregon
farmer sit up and take notice.
AFTER have cleared my 1000 acres
it will be necessary for me to put it to
immediate use in order to keep it clear
of foreign growth" he continued, ~
am safe in saying that this beaver dam
soil will need work or it will be covered
with foreign growth in very short
space of time 1t will require great
effort to keep the land clear Of grow.
ing substances long enough to complete
the work of clearing, as the soil is Of
such nature as to render it veritable
natural fertilizer, which will force the
growth of all seeds and shrubs.