The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-05-26
JUST ACROSS
the Line
Where Water Is Working Mar'eious
Change Upon an Erstwhiie
Desert.

Those who have been familiar in the
past with the valley north OF oroviiie
and across the boundary line havs
surprise in store fthey would take
run into that section at the present
time. Two or three years ago there
was not house along the traVeiea
road through the valley from osoyoos
to the big cliff some miles beyond the
old Fairview mining camp, ana ohl!
one or two buildings from that point
to Okanogan Falls. Ii is different to-
day. and the great difference has tax
en- place within the last few months.
The great irrigation project being put
| in BY the British Columbia government
| is responsible for the transformation.
The system itself is worthy Of all the
praise that has been heaped upon II,
and the construction is a revelation II
those who are familiar with irrigation
systems on this side OF the line. Solid
ity and permanency have been the aim
of the builders. and money has not
been spared in carrying out this plan.
Built largely through very porous lana
it was necessary to eliminate the loss
from seepage. concrete canal OF
large capacity was started from the
intake on the Okanogan river, AMI
after concrete was introduced the en-
tire main canal throughout its length
was floored and lined with the same
material Even the laterals are OF con-
crete piping, laid three feet under
ground. and the pressure from the
main bitches is sufficient to force the
distributed.
The construction of the system,
which is now delivering water far
south of the town of oliver. has stimu-
lated the selling of land. The first
real cultivation of this land is being
carried out this spring. and it is a
moderate estimate to say that fully
two thousand acres have been broken
out and planted to trees, alfalfa and
smaller fruits Houses are springing
up in every direction. and country
that was but recently an unoccupied
unproductive and barern waste is rap
idly becoming settled up. Within five
years this valley will be one of the
most charming beauty spots in the
dominion Of British Columbia.
y The settlement of the country has
created an excuse for a town, and in
response the town of Oliver has
sprung up as though by the touch Oi
an Aladdin lamp Oliver is very new
very raw. with all the earmarks of a
frontier village. At present it is in
the pioneer stage, but a nucleus
around which in time will be built IN
a flOurishing town. Should the mines
at Fairview prove to be producers,
Oliver will make an important city.
Already many lines of business are
represented. and from the way build
ings are going up Oliver will be con
siderable of a place by the time snow
falls next winter.
There is tributary territory sufficient
to insure continued growth of the
town and another factor that will con-
tribute toward that end is the railroad
4
summer. The rails of this proposed
road are already laid from Penticton
to Dog lake, where force of carpen-
tiers are engaged in building a huge
barge upon which cars will be convey.
ed to Okanogan Falls, where a wha I
is now under construction. A small
force of men are at work grading the
road in spots between Okanogan Falls
and Oliver. There are no great topo-
graphical obstacles to overcome and Ii
is expected that the road bed will ,e
completed, the rails laid and trains
running by August That road is np:
going to stop permanently at Oliver,
or Osoyoos. where it will be eventual lily
extended, but it is almost a certainty
that within very short period that
branch or feeder, of the Canadian Pa
cific will be extended to Oroville 20
connect up with the Great Northern.