The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-08-12

stock country. Going up out of the
Valley into the timber we soon found
ourselves sailing down the long Pig
con Wing grade onto Beech creek
past the station called Mt. Rest
Home. A little ways beyond the sta
tion the road forks, and | will say
for the benefit of those who might
be going to the John Day country.
that one should stay on the Beech
creek road that leads down to Mt.
Vernon. 1t is several miles farther,
but a good road. The road straight
across is miserable, as we found out
when we went over, and we almost
imagined we were in some parts of
Morrow county. We arrived in John
Day after dark, of course, but never
theless safe and sound, a distance of
80 miles from Parkers Mill, but by
the way Of Mt. Vernon which is down
the river nine miles from John Day,
about IS miles.
The thing that attracts ones atten-
tion the most in the vicinity of John
Day and Canyon City, which is up
canyon about three miles to the south
is the heaps Of washed gravel made
In an early day by the rugged miners
who succeeded In unlocking the
earth's treasury and escaping with
many millions in gold. A Portland
company is now building dredge
and will soon be ready to dredge the
creek bottom between John Day and
Canyon City, and it is thought an i'm
mense amount of gold will be OBJ
tanned.
started in to take you to Catlow
Valley. but it seems am not pro-
crossing very fast.
Leaving John Day we went south
up Canyon creek through Canyon
City, which is small burg, hardly
third as large as John Day. Leaving
Canvon creek several miles above
Canyon City we passed through a
long stretch of fine timber and enter
ed Bear Valley; very high valley
about five miles across with post
Office near the center called Seneca.
Bear Valley is the head of the Silvies
river which flows for many miles
down past Burns and into Harney
Lake. Leaving Bear Valley we enter
er the timber again and after several
miles we came down into Silvies Val
ley, which is about ten miles long by
one and half miles wide. A few
miles farther We passed through
Trout Valley. A little valley about
three by two miles. Going up long
grade out of Trout Valley, which is
about % miles from Burns, we came
into the timber again and left the
timber about 16 miles north of Burns.
There the scenery changed. The great
Harvey Valley. about fifty miles in
dimensions, stretched out before us,
while far to the southwest could be
seen Harvey lake in which no crea-
ture ever lived because of the min
eral 1t contains; even the ducks and
geese never light on its surface.
Malheur lake could also be seen in
the southeastern part of the valley.
1t is fresh water lake, with the Sill
vies river emptying into it from the
north and the Bitten river from the
south. Burns, which Is pretty little
place of about 1900 inhabitants, is
the county seat of Harvey County
and about so miles from railroad.
After eating dinner at Burns, we went
out east about five miles to the ex-
perimental farm. We spent a while
viewing the different grains and veg
etables, and saw at first hand the eff
feet Of all the different modes of
planting and cultivation. 1t can easi-
ly be seen what features relative to
obtaining a good crop 10 avoid. and
what to adopt And 1t might be we'll
to say right here that the citizens of
Morrow county should not rest until
they have obtained an up-to-date ex-
perimental farm. There are great
many thousand acres in Harvey Val
ley that are sub-irrigated, on the
greater portion of which wild grass
grows very thick and tall and is cut
for hay. One big company seems to
own the most of it. The most of the
valley contains big sage brush and
after being cleared seems to raise
good grain. For several miles back
from the lakes 1t is more or less
swampy, and considerable portion
of 1t contains quite bit of alkali. In
this alkali district there is another ex-
perimental farm, and it can readily
be seen that grain and alfalfa can be
grown successfully. We left the ex-
|perimental farm near Burns and went
out to Lawen, a little town of one
store and few residences in the cas-
tern part of the valley about 20 miles
from Burns. From there we went to
Narrows which is % miles from Law
en- and the same distance from Burns
by direct road, which road we took
on our return trip. Narrows, which
comprises one store, hotel and saloon,
Continued on Page Four.)