Show AN INLAND EMPIRE it vat extent and its Aban lant growth 0 lanced at abundance so far as the products of fields orchards and hop yards can supply it is the largest of the season to the people of the great inland empire says the portland Ure goman while the traveler choking with dust and languishing with the heat peers from the cars wondering at the tremendous amount of useless material that nature found upon her hands in the construe lion of the universe great stacks of liay waving fields of ripening wheat or huge piles of grain in bags awaiting railroad rates that will permit their movements loss to the producer and sleek cattle mindful of the fierce rays of the sun browsing upon the wide ranges refute his impatient criticisms of the utter worthlessness of this vast land while there are large tracts that must remain arid until some system of irrigation is devised to make the surplus precipitation of the winter months a blessing to the upper country instead of a source of mischief to the lower lands there are vast areas that have been reclaimed to agriculture by tillage and irrigation and the product of these is simply phenomenal passing through the entire eastern section of oregon and washington by rail at this season of the year one wonders how anyone can be induced to make homes on its seeming wastes but halting at one of the cities of the plains into which the surrounding country has poured its wealth of fruit and bounty of vegetables and meats the conviction of the productiveness of the region is forced upon the most skeptical traveler the loyalty of the people of the inland empire to this section is unswerving and their confidence in its future greatness is boundless |