The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1917-04-19
VALLEY MAN WRITES
OF EAST. OREGON
Willamette Valley Not to Compare
With Section This Side Of Noun.
tains, Says Mathew Gibson.
(Silyertou Tribune)

(Silyerton Tribune)
Editor Tribune: Kindly give me
space In your valuable medium for .
brief account Of my trip to Eastern
Oregon. This is not as complete as
1t might be had taken notes as
travelled over this section on this. my
FIRST, trip.
In company with one of my neigh
bors. H. E. King. we left home on
Saturday. March 3. and got to Port
land that evening. At 1880 next
morning we boarded the O-W. r. &
N. and proceeded up the south side
OF the Columbia river. To any one
who admires the grandeur Of nature
this Is = most excellent trip, as It pre-
sents to the windows of the soul
many interesting sights not soon to
be forgotten and perhaps NOSE espec-
tally at this time Of year. rs the lofty
peaks that seemed to predominate,
looked more majestic In their robes
OF white. We arrived at Heppner
Junction about Q p. m. Here we
stopped ten minutes for lunch and on
time proceeded to Morgan, where we
stopped for a few days. The country
between Heppner Junction and Nor
gan, especially along the railroad
track, is q very fertile and productive
valley, ranging In width from one to
three miles. In this valley are raised
immense crops Of alfalfa. peaches.
onions and other vegetable crops,
also immense herds of cattle and
fiocks of sheep that are being win
tered and fattened for market. l
was told that one man thinned out
his flock Of sheep and sold "only"
1000 head at $40 per head. netting
ham $4,000, and this was only
part Of his flock. -
Emerging from this valley and 60
ing up over the ridge, ON either side
we behold vast and seemingly end
less tracts OF wheat land that have
netted the ranchers Of that section
small fortune An last years wheat
Al the. little station Of Morgan.
Morrow county, there are now In
storage over $4,000 sacks Of wheat
averaging 40 pounds per sack. and
the writer was told this was grown
within q radius Of five miles. A
large per cent Of this wheat Is stored
in open warehouses, or rather plat
forms, and is exposed to all the win
ter's storms, and is dry and sound
despite the snow. About four miles
up the railroad track is another open
platform, upon which Is piled large
quantity of wheat, also exposed to
winters storms and still in condi-
tion for milling purposes. From
here we went to lone, where we re-
mained about two days. At this
place, Hike the two former, were more
warehouses filled to capacity with
wheat We were told that 100000
wheat sacks were distributed among
the farmers in that immediate vicin-
ity each year. The land in this vicin-
ity, like that at Morgan, is somewhat
of q volcanic ash and seems especially
adapted to wheat growing, as is seen
BY the number of sacks put out.
One strange sight that greets the
eve of a farmer from the valley is the
fact that the farmers haul their barn.
ward manure out and dump 1t on
rock piles instead of putting 1t on the
land They stated to the writer that
the manure had tendency to burn
the land and absorb the moisture
that might be conserved therein. An
other rather strange sight was the
rock formation on either side Of the
railroad track. Here can be seen
rocks almost square, varying In size
from six inches to 80 inches, stand
ing on end and laying together In
rows as though put there by human
hands and might incite a vivid i'm
agination that at one time 1t might
have been wall or part of ancient
buildings. .N,
There is no timber for fuel pur-
noses within q radius of 80 miles
but old fir can be delivered there by
rail for IS to $3.50 per cord.
lone is a hustling business town,
containing one bank, a large mod.
ern. up-to-date hotel, a large graded
school. where several teachers are
employed, several stores and imple-
ment houses, lawyers and hustllne
real estate agents. From here we
made extensive trips over some fine
Farming country, going first to q
swedish settlement, where we were
shown over the ranch of q Swedish
farmer who desired to retire from
farming on account Of old age, ano
whose family consisted of two charm.
ing daughters, both school teachers
and at present engaged in that vo'
cation. This gentleman was farm
ing about 500 acres and had to reiy
on hired help most OF the time
wages in that part about $4o pei
month in winter and 800 in summer
mnfil harvest sets in, and help Is not
available even at that. In this sec
tion we met a Mr.. Witzel from Salem
nrairie. who Is farming about lOOc
acres and annually is adding nea'
amount his bank account. AT q
short distance from here is the rancl
% Mr.. Vandevort and w. c. WinsloW
of Salem, who received $4,000 as
their share of last seasons whea'
crop off of 1000 acres of land.
From here we returned to town
where we made the acquaintance OF
Mr.. Benedict, owner OF one OF inc
finest ranches in that section, known