The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-12-27

onca So asricultural settlemep.
row, o 'ormed part Of the big catt,.
h' ta".h staked out over sixty wears ' aa'
~ 'he late Judge Haynes. and whie, e,
we're iater acquired by Thomas E,,,a
p,e pne tlme cattle king. In their lata,
ths s'vly they have been bound up witt
.me ,,s ; fortunes of the Stafford brothers
VINO. until the outbreak Of tba wa :
,omo. low VISIONS n, OF establishing in IN,
'o"er oKanagan valley an even great
80 a'u more prosperous settlement,
nan they established on the north.
cry portion of the Ellis estate IN IN,
uistrict now famous as Pen,,c,om Wv
lwehty-seven years ago Mr.. w r.
onatiord came from Nova Scott, :,
START business at Vernon, followed twr
years later by his brother. l. w nou
senator SENATOR shatford-who opened bust.
ness at Fairview in the lower Okan.
asah valley. Impressed by the grea,
asricuitural prospects of the val,ay
'ney went east in 1906 and enlisted tbs
, anu OF capital to buy up the entire
ems ranch of $4,000 acres. with the
luea OF inducing settlers to enter on
the fertile sagebrush lands and on.
gage IN fruit growing and agriculture
oh the northerly 10000 acres the
nourishing districts of Penticton and
Na,ai'iata now are situated. The lower
'aliey lands had been held back for
stiii greater projects, and had bee,
auued to by purchase of an additional
@ooo acres, for some OF which as high
as Sao an acre had been paid by the
southern Okanagan Land companv. of
winch Messrs. w. T. and L. w. Shat.
loro nave been co-managing directors
since formation.
Inc Okanagan river, which runs
through the middle of the property
Is navigable all through the summer
from Osoyoos lake to Fairview Bridge.
where much of the best land is situ
ated, distance of about sixteen
miles. None Of the land is more than
five miles from the river and most of
1t is within two miles.
Most of the land in the valley will
need irrigation, though small portion
is so well watered as to require drain
age. The reports all agree. however,
that there is an abundance of pure
water available. Most of the land
can be irrigated direct from the Okan-
agan river by a gravity system. The
greater portion of what is outside Of
the river fed system is said to be cap
able of being irrigated by gravity
system fed from the creeks. The nee
essary reservoir sites on Inkameep
creek. which were obtained by the
company some time ago, pass with tine
property to the governmtnt. Only a
small portion of the lands will require
power pumps to bring the water to
their bitches.
It is understood that the govern
ment will embark on the work of irri-
cation by easy stages, bringing areas
of a couple of thousand acres or so at
a time under irrigation. The irriga-
ton plans when completed. however.
are expected not only to take care of
the needs of the valley itself. but also
to provide water for the needs of the
Inkameep Indian Reserve on the east
side of the valley. AS no settlement
has taken place in the valley, the work
of planning out an irrigation scheme
to serve the entire valley is said to
be much simplified.
In his report which was made at a
time when he was transferring his SER
vices from the U. s. Government to the
government of the Colony of Victoria,
DR.. Elwood Bead, after referring to
the range of semi-tropical fruits which
can be grown in this valley AMI to its
possibilities, said: THE
last resource to be enumerated, but
one regarded as most important, is
the combination of attractive climate
with landscape of unusual scenic
beauty. The succession of lakes be-
tween Vernon and Oroville are lovely
now with the mountain background,
but their beauty will be immesaurably
enhanced when the valleys become
centers of civilized life and their
stones are covered with orchards and
This tract is the only one
where extensive development Is pos
sible and the long narrow strip on
each side of the river offers an ideal
nlace for homes. 1t will in time, be
the resort of those who have accumu-
lated a competence in more rigorous
climes and wish to enjoy it where they
can have the greatest measure OF hui
man comfort.
In this connection Senator Shatford
whose recollection gees back TO the
dav when there were only twenty-five
nersons living in the Penticton dis
trict. says that the lands behind Pen
fiction. where he and his brother years
ago installed an irrigation system ant
made cultivation possible, are no"
valued at $1,000 an acre. Pent'ctor
itsc'f has a prosperous populatioh o.
0OO nersons. while the value OF the
nroduce shipped out of the Okanagar
valley this year exceeded .$4,O0o.oo"'
"Within ten or twelve years Tine
fullv expect to see the Southern oKa
nagan valley which the government
has now taken over. with production
of s4.O0O,Oo0 a year. stated Mr.. w
T. Stafford.
In corroborating the announcement
nc TO the purchase of the property D.
the government, the Messrs. Shatfor'
both admitted to a twinge of regret a
feeling compelled to hand over to m
hands of the government the task o
bringing about the speedy develop
mept of the Southern Okanagan vale
which they described as the Parad,s
of Southern British Columbia.
During the past week attendance a
.he public schools has greatly increas
cd and the number Oil the rolls is al
most as large as wnen school mrs
.,,onod In the fall.