Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1887)
NORTHWESTERN NEWS AND INFORMATION. 183 are among the finest in Oregon. In going over this lift, it is apparent that the average price of improved farm land in the valley, and cIok to the railroad, is less than f M.OO, while the aver age for fairly improved farms in the western and southern portions of the state, but a little farther from the railway and towns, is lens than $18.00 er acre. Good farms in these localities are offered for less than 112.00 an acre. These are rare opportunities for new-comers. Flathead Valu.y. In Missoula county, in the northwestern corner of Montana, lie Flat head lake and valley, the latter U-inn at the north end of the lake. The- valley is n-a bed by wagon, across the reservation, from the Northern Pacific, and by steamer on the lake. The following is the suWtance of an interview, in the liuttc Miner, with Mr. Charles Nelson, a resident of that city, who had just returned from the valley: " Mr. Nelson is inocstacics with thd IsNiuty of the country, and is a conns tent judge, having seen the garden Sot of the West, the Iloisc and Salt Uke valleys, which he says are unworthy of comparison. He would not have Wlievcd it possible- for a Northern country, like Montana, to produce such a para dise. He lought his ranch then' last year, and put up a house and barn then. It is situated on the Stillwater. Nearly a down people an going in every day on a loat. The lsit leaves the foot of the lake and lands passengers at Ashley, alsmt fifteen miles tip the river, at the head of the lake. The Isjat makes a trip only one way each day. It goes up on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and n-turns on the al ternate days, lying up on Sunday. The cap tain told him that be had to let out alwut sixty feet of line when he casts anchor in the river, at its entrance to the lake. " Thn gold excitement on Wolf creek, Utit twenty miles a!oc the valley, will undoubted ly attract many js-ople to the pla this year, lie was shown a vein of coul on Wolf creek which linked promising. The Mine) ing party from the Manitoba is expected to reach the this spring, as soon as the snow can gt on the range. In shaking of the products of the soil, Mr. Nelson said all kinds of garden lru k wen raised there last year. A height on a ram b next to bis raised a turnip weighing thlrijr-wv en and one-half sjund. Ust year the wn was comparatively dry. A a rul there U not miirh rainfall there. " Tlx Flathead country is low, two thousand feet above snow level. Ut summer, th Os mometer ro to one hundiM and t it de grees in tho sun, but at no time was the heat sweltering, as there is always a m u which relieves tho tcmicrattm Then? was no fnwt in the ground last winter, and but sixteen In li es of snow. Tho soil is loamy, fmm a M to two feet and a half ilooji all over the valley. A flouring mill is going to U built on the Mill a tcr, and a fonv is at work on it now. A saw mill is one of the near certainties. It Is ex pected that Mt will l in i.rati.n this sum mer. AUmt seven hundred s-ople arv rvsi dents of the valley now. Muck is all looking well, and came through the winter unim-alred. It is eighteen year since the region was sur veyed, but no claims were taken up until alsiut four years ago. For those who like agricultural pursuits, Mr. Nelson knows of no wet ion in Montana to coinjar with tho Flathead coun try." Mtsox I'm an, W. T.-i.ei,f ih thriving towns of rocs-lit dcvelopnn lit in Washington Territory, is Shelti.ii, in Mason county. The town of hhelloii was established mid laid out a year ago. It is located at the month of ( ioulds Isjrocnck, where it empties Into I'.ig ."ks.kum bay. It is distant aN.ut thirty mil frmn Ta coma, ami is reached by loats from this rily, Olympia and Seattle. Pur ing the past winter, and to the present time, twenty four u have Ix-en built and n isrupie I. Then re now seven other hou-c in pr-ss of i ontru tioii. The rang" of tubus for som- of these building is from :,,imi In) to t;.f al.OI. rvme of the huin-s houses est over 'i,is"M. Tti re arc now in the town, two hotels, two l anting houses, four sa'siis, one lsd mid sh- shop, two stores, twol'lai kltUti ho4 slid one news pajs r. Tlte Mas;n an clearing ground lt new Masonic lull, :'si feet Tin r- is ,!n a ly a town hall for public ue. Tin r- isalM pol- oilier at Shelton, !'i l the olln of tb- rooil- ty auditor, treasurer i I prolu'e ji !'. Ma . Nin county m- r ba b id a j. no un nil; eub lished loiil.t) seat, but iin n'Ufi s Will I' taken at the nut l. gil.itur-, to Imn Mm lt"ii appoint ed a soh. lb ."ats-'p raiWl is now (sing built to rirw t I'ugct mid witii lira)' bar Seun miles of tlte r I an? no in ra tion, on wbih arf two locomotors cigV'dlli hauling two hundred lh'ii4i I ( t of w 11 ly, beid doing general freighting r U fi llers. There a'r sit logging fmn-s !og the liw? of U- ro l Tbi re r tetrn m.b-s 4 tin n;l gr'ld, and waiting for l)" rii, wbi. I were hipj-d from l.n;!in l an I ie rjtd l.i anivr wiMiin a mtk m IV rd 'M