The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-08-12
HEPPNER MEN TAKE EXTENSIVE
TRIP into THE HARNEY COUNTRY
A. S. AKERS AND FRED TASlI FORD" 1T FROM
PARKERS MILL TO THE CATLOW VALLEY.
By A. S. AKERS

Having our families comfortably
located in the tall timber a mile be-
low Parkers Mill, and enjoying all
the natural blessings incidental to an
outing in the Blue Mountains of
Southern Morrow county, it was sug-
gested to me by Fred Tash, that jolly,
good-natured boss of the Farmers
Warehouse of Heppner, that we take
a spin down to Southern Harney
county and see and learn for our
selves the merits, If any, of the re-
Gently talked of valley of the Catlow.
l will try and describe the best
can, things as / saw them; also few
incidents relative to the trip, and give
brief description of the road and
country through which we passed.
Starting about noon, August End,
with Fred's 1915 Ford. with Fred, of
course, at the helm, and loaded with
few necessary equipments, such as
a roll of blankets, few spuds, bacon,
frying pan, and other pharaphernalia
necessary in case we might be strand
ed on some barren desert and rep
itition of the Imperial Valley Incl
dent befall us.
The first few miles of road, or un-
til we reached the Grant county line,
was exceeding bad, but which on our
return I am glad to learn that the
County Surveyor is now on the
ground surveying a new route around
this too long neglected piece of high
way.
From Parkers Mill to Monument is
25 miles, and very long miles the
freighters say, but which were clip
ped off very quickly after reaching
the Grant county line, by the unceas-
ing and regular chugging of that
world-renowned little Ford engine.
might say that between Parkers Mill
and Monument there is some very fine
timber: especially on the Sam Coch-
ran place, where we stopped to get a
drink There on the outskirts of the
big meadow back of the house, are
the big pines which seem to be all of
uniform size and whose branches ap-
pear to have been trimmed up about
so feet, and taken in connection with
the large field of tasseled corn to the
left of the meadow 1t makes very
impressive picture, especially to the
bunchgrasser of the pioneer type.
But let us proceed on our journey
to Catlow Valley. In passing l will
say for the benefit of those who have
never visited Monument, that it is
nice little burg on the John Day river
with two or three stores, post Office,
big new two-story hall building, etc.,
and situated in the midst of the
roughest country of Oregon.
Proceeding on our journey from
Monument, after replenishing our
supply of gasoline. to the tune of 35c.
per gallon, we passed through the
small burg of Hamilton, at the edge
of little, beautiful rolling valley,
thence on about two miles we passed
the little clump of trees where oliver
Snyder was killed; which thrust
Grant county into great fever of
excitement, and you know the rest.
A little further on, after entering the
little valley called Round Basin, we
left the Long Creek road and turned
to the right and crossed Round Ba-
sin, distance of about mile. On
climbing the ridge beyond there we
encountered the only car trouble on
the trip. After assisting up the hill
Mr.. Gibbons, the Castle Rock school
teacher who was bound for the Blue
Mountain Springs beyond John Day
City, with his family and the family
of Mitt Leathers, we attempted to
crank the engine, and 10 and behold
she was stuck. Fred, not yet having
received his diploma in the school of
Forddom, is not able to diagnose all
cases peculiar to that branch of To-
comotion, and as for myself, my edu-
cation along that line does not reach
farther than the rudiments pertaining
to the ailments of a Case and their
alleviation. But as luck would have
it, we picked up passenger at Mon
ument who wished to be conveyed
to John Day, and who, by the way, Is
the son-in-law of our friend Dan Stall
ter, of Mayflower fame, who seems to
have specialized in Fordology, who
held a short consultation with Mr..
Gibbons, and after injecting little
antitoxin here, and adjusting a
thumbscrew there, which was beyond
the comprehension of myself and
Fred, too, (judging from the express
sion on his face) the crank was given
quick turn with an air of confidence
and we were off. A few miles farther
through the timber we came down a
long slope into Fox Valley. This is
valley about ten miles across. 1t
seems to be prosperout little Sec
tfon with a number of fine fields of
grain it is we'll watered and a fine