Show BASQUE HERDERS LEND CHARM TO OREGON RANGES As tl e cir car drove over a hill writes allos A a os burg during a journey through orgon ve heard a melodious voice sing ng in a fore agn tongue ft it was a basque herder seated on a rim watching wat cling his nocks rocks below aleso are mystery men of the alige n ige courteous agreeable but red cent fitting in p with their unattended unit tended solitude when we drove into the basque town tonn of boidan valley another aspect of these people was presented it was late sunday dashing mount ed vaqueros with fringed chaps and tilting sombreros caracoling up the street on sp ponies and stroll ing ladies with a vivacity vi of natural charm and dress gave to this frontier oregon community a touch of the spanish pyrenees Pyre nees when the first basque settler wan dered into jordan valley more than forty years ago and saw the endless sheep range he urged his brother in faraway spain to come that was the beg nning of the correspondence that spotted the sage plains of southeastern oregon with basque herbeis and their nomadic floal flocia S these cleanly industrious and hos pliable people are gradually having the r language and customs modified by the oung people attending school there are still many of the children however who have never seen a train they refer to a trip to on tario tarlo as going out to the railroad after a basque dinner the entire population assembled in the comma anity hall and gave a basque dance in our honor the snapping fingers gayety merrymaking and frequent bursts of song that accompanied the dances flowed from the deep roots of their ancient heritage national geographic magazine |