The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-04-19
RANCHERS AND MINERS
OF NORTHERN HUMBOLDT
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for the accommodation of freight
team drivers and passengers to Me
Dermitt and National. 1t is now
under lease to Antoine Romascoo,
who enjoys fair patronage prlnci-
pally as an eating place for travel
ers. Of course, freight outfits and
trucks are often put up there for
night, while the drivers utilize the
hotel accommodations, but this is
of course more infrequent now than
in days gone by because more rapid
travel facilities make possible the
trip to McDermitt and similar points
in one days travel. A fruit orch
ard and small ranehing activities
are part of the station life. 1t
may be said in passing that Mr.. and
Mrs. Romasco conduct a first-class
hotel, are extremely affable as host
and hostess, and that the eats are
such that make an ordinary city
plug sit up and take notice and
wish for greater capacity. A radio
dance brought out dozen or more
couples there and enjoyment was
unrestrained.
Orovada proved to be a great
surprise to the writer, and right
here, in the lack of knowledge con-
corning farming requirements and
possibilities, it must be said that no
one can be blamed for wanting to
own land there. The valley is
mighty pleasing to look upon, the
soil appears rich and good, easily
susceptible of clearing and culti-
walton, but totally lacking of water
supply except by the pumping
method. The valley is unusually fiat
and level, five to fifteen miles wide
and perhaps sixty miles long. At
least one natural reservoir site is
observable in the foothills, and if
the water supply is behind it and
not already utilized for other pur-
poses, it is not hard to see a pos
sibility here, in future years, of one
of the greatest agricultural districts
in the state.
Orovada has been knocked in
the past, with or without cause, a
subject upon which this writer dis
likes to comment for the aforemen-
toned reason of insufficient know
ledge of ranching requirements. At
any rate, it has been said that home
steaders there have no chance for
Guccessful cultivation of their lands,
for the reason that pumping costs
are too high and the market too
remote. So far no figures have
been displayed to prove the asser-
ton.
On the other hand, the Orovadans,
who resent the knocking" keenly,
claim that they can pump irriga-
ion water from seemingly mex
haustible, shallow wells, at a cost
greatly below that charged for wa
ter on many government irrigation
projects. At any rate, disc 1urage-
ment does not seem to exist in
their minds.
To the man understanding ranch
ing it would appear that the present
greatest drawback to the Oravada
community is lack of capital to de-
yelop ranches. This is not true in
all cases, for it is known that sew
aral of the settlers have sufficient
means to push development work
ahead, but apparently they deem il
advisable to depend upon their own
labor rather than to employ men in
large numbers to more rapidly bring
their properties to production.
The valley at the present time is
rather thickly populated, as popu-
lation is figured in this part of the
world, and at the present time most
of the government land available
to settlers has been filed upon. 1t
is said that before this year is
over the last piece of government
land in the valley will have been
filed upon. During the last week
more new settlers have gone into
the Orovada district and at the pres
ent time are busily engaged erect
ing habitations. More are on the
way.
A visit to several of the ranches
was interesting, even though be-
cause of lack of time inspection
was necessarily more or less super
fetal. The William Grabill ranch
one of the first to prove that really
good crops can be raised in the val.
ley, is a mighty substantial looking
place, depending upon windmill ir-
rigation. Last year there was raised
upon the Grabill ranch good crop
of general ranch products, includ.
ing watermelons, canteloupes, pump
kins, potatoes and various garden