Logo
Prev
Bookmark
Rotate
Print
Next
Contents
All Pages
Related Articles
Browse Issues
Help
Search
Home
'
National Geographic : 1934 Feb
Contents
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE The deep, disintegrated lava soil, car peted by immense showers of volcanic ashes, has shown amazing productivity under irrigation. Even in the apparently lifeless desert, plants burst into perfect life at the touch of water. Engineering genius has tapped the far spreading waters of the Columbia River system and brought the magic streams to thousands of thirsty acres, transforming them into flourishing farm and orchard lands. There are four large Federal irrigation developments east of the Cascade Range. The Malheur and Owyhee rivers, tribu taries of the Snake River, which in turn flows into the Columbia, are furnishing the water for the Vale and Owyhee projects, which will put 150,000 acres of land under irrigation in their basins. Already water has converted parts of these sage lands into productive farming districts, in which Vale, Nyssa, and Ontario are vigorous commu nities. Owyhee Dam, creating a reservoir 52 miles in length when full, will be a colossal water treasury. To provide employment and to expedite the benefits expected by the owners of property in the region, the Public Works Administration has allotted $5,000,000 for completing the North Canal system on the Owyhee project and $1,000,000 for con struction of the Agency Valley storage res ervoir on the Vale project. The brave tracks of the Old Oregon Trail, obliterated almost entirely on the sage plains, can still be seen crossing the Blue Mountains among resinous pines. Descend ing into the Grande Ronde Valley, I passed through La Grande and then steered through the alfalfa, hay, and grain ranches of the Wallowa Valley. BARTER IN THE AUTOMOBILE AGE These are cow-country folk, a little reti cent toward strangers, but hospitable and friendly when once acquainted. They were busy bartering produce among themselves, stocking their cellars for the winter. A gas-station operator at Lostine remarked that it was a novelty not to have me offer him a sack of potatoes for gas and oil. At Enterprise and Joseph, the granite walls of the Wallowa Mountains rise ab ruptly from the valley floor. This change of altitude is essential for a livestock coun try, as it gives pasturage for stock through- out the year. In the winter the stock mark time on maintenance rations in sheltered canyons; during June the cattle graze up the lower slopes, while the sheep are driven higher into the alpine pastures as summer advances. In the late afternoon the sun's slanting rays glinted on the stone shaft marking the grave of Old Chief Joseph, buried with his tribal ancestors in the "Land of Winding Waters," overlooking Wallowa Lake. On his death-bed Old Chief Joseph had called his two sons to him and requested them to hold forever the beautiful Wallowa for his people. But settlers came. To avoid conflict, the Government decided to remove the Nez Perces to a reservation in Idaho. Misunderstanding followed, re sulting in conflict. After defeating two companies of the United States Army, Young Chief Joseph began one of the most spectacular military retreats in history. Handicapped by women, children, live stock, and all possessions, he led his people through the worst mountain wilderness of three States for more than 1,000 miles, ford ing torrential streams, giving battle, eluding, outwitting, outgeneraling the three armies in pursuit. Within 50 miles of the Canadian bound ary and freedom in Montana, Chief Joseph was prevailed upon by promises to sur render. But his people never returned to their "Land of Winding Waters," and Young Chief Joseph died an exile. To see the beauty of the region, dawn found me hanging to a saddle horn on a horse, climbing so steeply up a trail into the Wallowas that it was only a few hours before my packer led me to the summit of one of the highest pinnacles. Set aside as the Eagle Cap Primitive Area are 223,100 acres where primeval nature, with the ex ception of a few trails, will remain unmo lested. The traveler must bring his outfit and depend upon his own resources (see Color Plate XII). Seated on our lofty vantage point, over looking grassy alpine meadows and spar kling blue lakes, we gazed upon the encir cling horizon jutted with 16 snow-turbaned peaks from 8,000 to 10,000 feet high, a refuge rugged enough for the last remaining bighorns who live here. To the east a wil derness of peaks and canyons extends until it meets the basalt ramparts of the Seven Devils Mountains, forming the Idaho wall of the Snake River Canyon. 204
Links
Archive
1934 Mar
1934 Jan
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
