| Show 13 BASQUE ASQUE HERDERS LEND CHARM TO OREGON RANGES As the car drove over a hill writes amos burg during a journey through oregon we heard a melodious voice singing in a foreign tongue it was waa a basque herder seated on a rim watching its ills nocks flocks below these are mystery men of the range courteous agreeable hut but reticent fitting in perfectly with their unattended solitude when we drove into the basque town of jordan valley another aspect of these people was presented it was late sunday D dashing mounted vaqueros ros with fringed chaps and tilting sombreros sombre ros caracoling cara coling up the street on spirited ponies and strolling young ladles indies with a vivacity of natural charm and dress gave to this frontier oregon community a touch of the spanish sh pyrenees Pyre nees when the first basque settler wandered into jordan valley more than forty years ago and saw the endless sheep slice range ho he urged ins ills brother in faraway far away spain to come that was the beginning of the correspondence that spotted the sage plains of southen southeastern Rout heastern stern oregon with basque herders gerders and their nomadic flocks those these cleanly industrious and hospitable people are gradually having their language and customs modified by the young people attending school thero there are arc still many of tho the children however who have never seen fl a train they refer to a trip to on tarlo as going out to the railroad after a basque dinner the entire population assembled in the community liall hall and gave a basque dance in our lionor honor the snapping fingers gaiety gayety merrymaking and frequent bursts of song that accompanied the dances flowed from the deep roots of 0 their ancient lierl heritage tage national aco geographic magazine |
