Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/748

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486
THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON
486

walled canyon from the Columbia river up to a point just below the junction with the Metolius. With 4,000 second feet at the 1,300 feet of fall which can be developed at these sites, 600,000 theoretical horse power can be generated. "With the low and high year flow equalized at the Benham Falls reservoir, and with a 120 foot dam in the Crooked river about 40 miles above Prineville, this low water flow can be increased to about 6,000 second feet, and the power to nearly 900,000 horse power. This is about six times the present installed steam and hydro-electric machine capacity in the vicinity of Portland, and about 40 times the low water power development at Oregon City."

This is but one river, and although a wonderful river, Oregon has many others furnishing vast power. Mt. Hood sends down half a dozen rivers, and keeps the flow of water up the whole year round.

RED MAN AND WHITE MAN

When the native red man found the new-comer white man taking possession of his land, killing his game and driving it away, depriving him and his family of their natural God-given sources of sustenance, he went to war; and fought the white man to the best of his ability. He was conquered in battle and placed on a Reservation to keep the peace. Sixty years later this same white man finds an enemy seizing his sources of life, light, heat and comfort through the cunning instrumentalities of legalized monopolies. Does he bravely oppose the new enemy like the Indian? No! But he attends primary elections, and votes this way and that way, and every other way but the right way, and his enemy wins every time, elects the rulers, makes the laws, and charges all the traffic will bear and still leave the worker alive to earn more taxes. The monopoly, the trust combine, the corrupt or incompetent legislature of his own making has captured the white man — and put him on a Reservation.