The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-09-26
RUSHING THE BIG PROJECT.

RUSHING THE BIG PROJECT.
! We had an opportunity during thu
past week to take flying trip as fal
north as Penticton, and it is necessar,
an making such trip to follow the
,okanogan valley, passing through thu
,,22,0OO acres of land that the British
columbia government is to put under
water and sell upon very flatterine
terms to returned Canadian soldiers
AT the upper end of the district, which
lwiil be covered by the first unit OF
the project, engineers and workmer
nave camp, or several of them, and 2
huge steam shovel is scooping a deep
wide ditch along the surveyed route OF
the proposed main canal. Water is to
be taken out of the Okanogan river
a short distance south of VausauS
lake, one of the pretty lakes constitut.
ing the chain of lakes that dot the
valley from Oroville to Penticton. A,
the initial point of work the canal
crosses a wash formed by mountain
creek coming down into the valley
from the east, which is dry at this
season of the year but subject to tor
rental floods judging from the nature
land extent of the rocks and rubbish
that entirely covers the valley, which
is crimped to narrow confines at that
point. The debris thrown out by the
lshovel is entirely made up of boulders
and coarse gravel consequently the ma
ture OF the ground is porus as a seive
and the canal will have to be concrete
lined in order to carry water. But
the physical condition of that part OF
lthe country is mentioned only to show
that the constructors of the project
are going ahead with the work regard
less OF impediments, and as the worst
|ground is that where the work is now
in progress when the big wash is
crossed the shovel will eat dirt, mor>
rapidly than can be expected at the
present time. And the fact that tn
beginning is in evidence is an assur-
lance that the entire system will be
contsructed as rapidly as the men and
means at command can carry out such
a gigantic task, for 1t is a gigantic
task considering the acreage to be re-
Iclaimed
For time immemorial that great
stretch of country has been barren OF
Ihabtati0n. From Osoyoos to where
the present work is in progress, the
home Of Val Haynes is the only habi-
Ted structure, or was, until this sum-
rler, and Mr.. Haynes home is down
on the river and out of sight of the
road. To the traveller the valley is a
Isolitude. In the days OF Tom Ellis, and
lsince the .organizatioEfspf the Okanog-
ian Land Company, ffiiich Of the land
has been fenced. the bottoms produc-
ling a large crop of hay and the up
lands grazing for cattle, but that land
never felt the edge of plow and has
lbeen and is in the same primative
condition as when the nOmadic abor-
|igies roamed the hills and pitched
their wigwams along the course Of the
jbrawling Okanogan. 1t is an extensive
land charming domain, under it's nat
ura' state unproductive, but with the
addition of water capable Of being
made as richly productive as the lands
around Penticton or Oroville, where
life giving water has been artificially
supplied to the soil.
| AS evidence of the fact of this state
ment, and establishing the wisdom of
Launching the enterprise, attention is
called to a verdent dent that has been
made in the very midst of this desert
Iby an enterprising settler within the
last few months.
At a point about equal distance be-
tween the head of OsoyOos lake and
Fairview some settler whose name we
have not learned has cultivated a few
acres of land, pumping water from the
lriver, and has a neat bungalow under
construction. That spot is already only
a single seasons growth and is an
oasis in the wilderness. 1t is an object
lesson demonstrating what the soil is
Icapable of producing under water and
| in the hands of man who is not
arraid of work. 1t gives one an idea
of what the valley will be within two
lor three years after the projected irri.
cation system is distributing water
over the land. If any skeptics existed
as tc the possibilities of making the
lbig project a success in the way OF
providing means of income to the en-.
lergetic settler all that skeptic has tC
ldo is to see the result of one seasons
[effort and his mind will be disabused
IThe scenic surroundings make the To-
lcation attractive to the home seeker
land builder, the climatic conditions
have as few drawbacks as any part o.
1.-THE great northwest, the soil is pro-
llific in productivity, the Canadian gov
Ielnment will certainly supply means
lof transportation to provide a ready
Imethod of moving the products of the
lcOdntry and it is certain that within
a very short time after the land is
Iopened to settlement every available
tract will be taken. Five years from
Inow that section will not be recogniz
liable on account of the transformation
THAT will be wrought by the applica
ltion of water and muscular energy
lintelligently applied.