The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-08-12
HEPPNER men TAKE TRIP
Continued from First Page)

heur lake with Harney lake. 1t is
bridged across and is the natural
pass for the public highway leading
to the south. The railroad now be-
ing built from Riverside will pass
that way. We spent our second night
at Narrows, arriving there late at
night. We might have exceeded the
speed limit the last few miles, but
that can all be charged up to the mo-
suuitoes, as our only salvation was
to outrun them.
From Narrows to Beckley in Cat
low valley is 5S miles. The road lead
ing south from Narrows follows the
elevated land along the Bitten Val
ley, finally coming down in the val
ley and following the levy on the edge
of canal for miles and miles, which
was dug by the Hanley Land Com
pany from one end of the valley to
the other, distance of 40 miles. The
valley is about three miles wide and
was originally swamp but is now
pretty we'll drained. Thousands of
acres are covered with bullrushes and
cattails from six to eight feet high.
The whole valley is fenced in by this
company with a four and five-wire
fence with stays about four feet
apart. 1t contains thousands of head
of the fattest cattle | ever saw. The
Bitten river, flowing down from
Stems mountains, upon entering the
valley formerly spread out the full
width of it but now follows the can
al. 1t is thought by some that the
railroad, after reaching Narrows, will
come up along the canal and pass 0v-
er into Catlow Valley, and it is fur
ther stated that the Hill line is one
of the companies which gives support
to the belief that Catlow Valley will
have railroad in the near future.
At the head of the canal near where
the Bitten comes down from the
mountains, told Fred to shut off the
gasoline and we would try our luck
at fishing. After driving the ducks
away so we could cast our lines, and
Fred had succeeded in running down
a grasshopper, following a prolonged
chase through the grass, we cast our
hook out into the deep, sparkling
water. 1t was no sooner done than
it was grabbed by big trout which
was landed to the waters edge and
there snapped off the hook. Then
there began a scramble by Fred to
get possession of his prize, and also
great scramble by the big trout
which was fully sixteen inches long,
to regain the water. The fish finally
proved to be the better of the two
and regained its watery abode. Fred
was unable to hunt another hopper
so that job feel to me. After the
hook was rebaited with fat, juicy
hopper and Fred had regained his
composure, he cast out the line again
only to break his line and pole all to
smithereens. Fred, unable to stand
the strain any longer, told me to cut
willow and try my luck, which
did, and after landing several large
ones, one of them measuring at least
16 inches, we proceeded up the long
grade and over the divide, and there
obtained the first gaze over the large
and level valley of the Catlow; the
valley which we had started out tC
see and which | have racked your
nerves in an endeavor to lead you uI
to a description of the same. The
valley, which is about fifty miles long
and twenty-five miles wide, is cover
ed with large sagebrush and dotted
all over with new homestead cabins
and tents. The eastern edge of the
valley on the foothills is lined witt
scattering jumpers, while far to this
south and west tower the Stems
mountains. These are the things We
saw while going over the divide anC
down into the valley. We glided ov-
er the smooth roads about ten miles
down the valley to the Beckley post
office and store. The little building
also contains a living room and kit
chen for the Beckley family. The
little Ford was run up in front of the
door and stopped. Mr.. Beckley came
out to greet us. | thought by his &C
tions that he knew us but | founC
out later that it is characteristic O.
most of the inhabitants of the valley
to be thus friendly and affable t
strangers. They know everybody a!
soon as they come in sight. | asked
him if this was Beckley and he said i
was, and if this was Mr.. Beckley ant
he said it was. Then commenced thu
string of questions which he had an
swered hundreds of times before, bu
which he seemed pleased to have thu
opportunity of repeating. The onl.
difficulty he had was to keep tract
of Fred's questions which too Otter
he would ask before Mr.. Beckley ha'
thoroughly answered mine. We wer
invited in to supper but kindly re
fused as we had just stopped fey
miles up the road and with little 0
the big sagebrush that covers the val
lev had fried our fish and other viii
game.
There has been but little attemp
to farm so far, as the homesteader
are all poor and it will take som
) time for them to do much developing
cnrinp nloWing and sowing does nc