NORTHERN OREGON, SOUTHERN AND EASTERN IDAHO
CHAPTER XVIII.
Northern Oregon, Southern and Eastern Idaho.
The air in Portland did certainly seem good to me; the mist was coming down gently, yet constantly, just making enough mud to be noticed. I kept my windows open day and night and in the morning woke up feeling so refreshed and bright from inhaling that pure and balmy November air.
I noticed that the people of Portland, and in fact the entire State, were making great preparations to celebrate the Lewis and Clarke Exposition in 1905. There I will commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Lewis and Clarke explorations of the glorious West; when people will congregate from every nation to enjoy Oregon's delightful climate and witness the great prosperity and advancement of the yet young country.
After a two weeks' pleasant sojourn in the city, I went east over the Oregon Railroad and Navigation, 231 miles, to Pendleton, a city busy with the shipments of wheat, cattle and sheep, products of the great stock and agricultural country surrounding. Here a branch of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation runs north to Walla Walla, the Palouse country and Spokane, Washington.
La Grande has a beet sugar factory, with immense stock raising.
A branch road runs to Elgin, in the Grand Ronde valley, and the Wallowa country.
East of La Grande is the celebrated Hot Lake, a natural flow of hot water coming from the mountain side, spreading itself out into a large lake, whose medicinal properties are very beneficial.
Union has valuable stock interests.
At Baker City I had a home feeling from again being among rich and valuable mines, there being many rich gold producing properties tributary to the city.
Stock raising on a large scale has been conducted here, and today great herds of cattle and horses roam at will over these seemingly boundless ranges, and thousands have been shipped and are continually being shipped yearly, from the extensive surrounding ranges of Eastern Oregon. From here a branch line extends to Sumpter and Whitney, bringing in the ore from the rich mines of the Blue Mountains.
Horses, cattle and sheep from the stock ranges of the Burns and Canyon City sections all bring prosperity and business to Baker City.
At Huntington is the division point and connection of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Co. with the Oregon Short Line Railroad.
Here I cross the Snake river, arriving at Weiser, Idaho. This town is the outlet of the Seven Devils mines, a branch line having been finished as far as Council. The smelter for the mines is built adjoining Weiser, and the entire section is prospering raising fruit, aided by irrigation. Between Weiser and Payette is one beautiful stretch of fruit trees, melon patches and every variety of fruit that can be grown in a mild, temperate climate, interspersed with fields of alfalfa, from which are cut four crops of hay a year, averaging two tons per acre for each crop. The Payette river empties into Snake river, making abundance of water for irrigating purposes, consequently the whole valley, as well as Payette, is very prosperous.
The railroad again crosses the Snake river into Oregon before it reaches Ontario. Near here the Malheur river joins the Snake, which I soon again crossed, arriving at Palma, Idaho. There, and at Caldwell, is the same rich country, made productive by irrigation, from the waters of the Snake river and its tributaries.
Arriving at Nampa, Idaho, I gaze in wonderment, for the sage brush is entirely gone, and in its place are the broad fields of hay, grain, and all kinds of fruit. There is no uncertainty whatever as to the future of these irrigable lands, with the impounding of the flood waters of the streams, so that the annual wastage may be saved and utilized at the season of irrigation. Pastures verdant and beautiful, orchards of luscious fruits, fields of waving grain, and homes ornamented with vines and flowers has succeeded the gray areas of sage brush, through the efforts of this bright and enterprising class of people. And for the climate I will state it is one that is healthy, bracing and invigorating. Nampa has the Dewey Palace, which is unsurpassed in architectural design by any hotel in the West.
Here also has been erected an elegant depot by the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company, as this is an important railroad center, with a line extending south to Murphy, the distributing point for the rich gold and silver mines of Silver City. To the north extends another line, through the valleys to Emmett, the supply point for the tributary lumber sections. This is also a rich fruit country and is surrounded by valuable mines. Also from Nampa, the Boise special runs to the capital, a distance of twenty miles, passing Meridian, where a large creamery is in operation; and through extensive fruit farms.
From Nampa I passed through Mountain Home and Glenn's Ferry and on to Shoshone, where a branch line extends north to Bellevue and the silver mining towns of Hailey and Ketchum. South on the Snake river is Shoshone Falls, from which extensive electric power is being developed. At American Falls is another power plant. Here I again cross that noted Snake river and stop at Pocatello, the second city of Idaho.
Pocatello is the great division headquarters for the Oregon Short Line system, and where immense railroad shops have been constructed to handle the business extending east and west, north and south from Butte to Salt Lake City. The road crosses here nearly at right angles. It has a State school, substantial business blocks and commodious homes. Pocatello has valuable mines in the vicinity and the whole section is engaged in stock raising.
East of here is Soda Springs, then Montpelier, the outlet for the Bear Lake valley, and, with Paris, on Bear Lake, and Malade, on the south, are the largest southeastern Idaho towns.
On the line north is Blackfoot, where is located the State asylum. Blackfoot has a branch line running to the town of Mackay, where smelters work the ores of the mines of central Idaho.
I inhale the sweet perfume of sage brush as I run along to Idaho Falls. I found great improvements had been made here, being a great vegetable raising country, made productive by irrigation. Its progressive citizens have since put in a beet sugar factory, in fact "the half has never been told" of the improvements I notice each and every time as I pass through the many Idaho towns.
A branch line runs from here to Rexburg and St. Anthony, where, by the construction of ditches and canals for irrigating purposes, the waters of the Snake river are utilized. If my readers have followed me, they will find this river in evidence in three different States, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, where it connects with the Columbia at Pasco. And in many sections, by the aid of irrigation, it has made the sage brush desert change to productive farms, thriving villages and populous towns. I will now go back to that "Dear Butte," to have my second Thanksgiving dinner, and celebrate the holidays with my many friends, having traveled on different railroads a total distance of twenty-seven thousand, seven hundred and four miles, during the last year.