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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1876)
January. THE WEST SHORE. 9 LINN COUNTY. To farmers with means no locality in this state offers superior inducements to Linn county. It is most admirably located in the heart of the great Willamette valley, the "garden of the world," most of it being within easy access to market. It contains 1,850 square miles, a large part of it open prairie, and in some sections heavily wooded. The Willamette river, with steamboat navigation most alt the year round, flows along the entire western end of the count)', and the Oregon and Califor nia Railroad Company's trains make two trips each way daily through the entire length. The following is the census report of the assessor for 1875: Legal voters, 1,180; males under 21 and over ten years, 1,281 ; under ten years, 1,460; females over 18 years, 1847; under 18 and over 10 years, 737; under 10 years, 1,313. Total popu lation, 9,845. Acres of land under cultivation, 79,688; bushels of wheat raised, 998,626; bushels of oats, 519,694; bushels of barley, 13,213; bushels of rye, 645; tons of hay, 10,148; pounds of wool clipped, 168,893; ounces of golJ dust taken from the mines, 744; bushels of corn raised, 5,328; bushels of potatoes, 29,014; bushels of apples, 164, 708. Number of sheep, 4,406; hogs, 8,217; horses, 6,527; cattle, 12,559; mules, 109. Pounds, of tobacco raised, 2,529; iounds of cheese made, 850; pounds of butter made, 169,152. Feet of lumler manufactured, 2,500,000. The county papers, however, insist, very satisfactorily, that the assessor must have made a mistake, and give the population up to 14,000, and give the amount of wheat exported and stored for export of the 1875 crop at 1,500,000 bushels. Most of the lands to be had in this county are improved farms, which can be bought at reasonable prices, considcirng the amount of improvements made on them. There is some government land yet unoccupied, which can be had at usual gonjjiment prices; but it is somewhat fur Ihii "jmoved from the advantages of the tlii' kly-sittled portion than some people would fancy, esecially such as dislike pioneering. Minerals of different kinds arc found in the Cascade range, which divides this county on the east from Wasco. Placer mining is also carried on with fair success. The county is well watered, and several varieties of a superior quality of timber are found in profusion. Churches and schools are numerous. Mail facilities arc excellent, there being twenty-three post-offices, the largest number of any county in the State. The princial town and the seat of county government is ALBANY, one of the liveliest and most progressive towns in the State. It is located on the Willamette river, and has two passenger aod one freight train daily to Portland, a distance of eighty miles, and one passenger and one freight train daily to the southern part of the State. It is particularly noted for its public-spirited and enterprising citi zens, who have contributed liberally and spared no expense to make the city a place where religious and educational advantages may be enjoyed. The following incident sjicaks volumes for the inhabitants of the place: About three montlis ago a fire oc curred in the town, and one of its citizens lost his place of business (a liver)- stable) and all its contents, including horses, wag ons, etc. Early die next morning a sub scribtion list was rapidly circulated through the city, and before many hours had elapsed over $1,500 had been subscribed to assist him in rebuilding and recom mencing business. Several gentlemen gave I too each, another gave a good liorse, a number of meclunics, unable to give money, agreed to donate their labor to ward rebuilding, and the most praiseworthy act of all was the one of W. R. Cannon, who, although engaged in the same line of business, gave $50 to assist in building up an opposition to his own trade. With such high-minded citizens it is no wonder that Albany is going ahead and is sought after as a desirable place of residence. There are several churches and some excellent schools here. At the head of the latter stands the Albany Collegiate Insti tute, under charge of the Presbyterian Church, and the only institution of the kind in the State. The Institute is attended by about 130 boys and girls from different parts of the coast, and is in a very prosper ous condition. Prof. R. K. Warren is the president. He publishes a neat and inter esting monthly paper, Our Cclkgt Mam, in the interest of the institute. The city also boasts of a very neat county court-house (an engraving of it a pcared in our October number), built of brick, and costing $40,000. The residences are neat, and surrounded by little gardens filled with choice shrub bery, denoting taste and refinement. The Albany and Santiam Canal fur nishes unlimited water-power, turning the wheels of numerous manufactories, and there is room for ten times as many. Messrs, Brown 4 Stewart, publishers of the Albany daily and weekly Democrat, Origon Cultivator, and the proprietors of the most complete printing office in Oregon outside of Portland, also avail themselves of the above-named water-power, and run their large cylinder press by it as well as the smaller job presses. This is the only newspaper on the coast using wattr-pint'tr (no pun intended). Besides the above publications, Coll. Van Cleve publishes the Albany Rtgitttr, a news)-, spicy and thorough newspaper. In the hotel line we find two very good ones the St. Charles (the largest), kept by Mathews 4 Morrison; and the Ex change, by E. S. Merrill. An excellently-conducted banking house, with abundant capital, presided over by Mr. John Conner, is also one of Albany's institutions. In the mercantile line we find R. Cheadle, with an ample stock and doing a very large business. As before stated, many manufactories of different kinds are located here. The principal ones are: Beach 4 Monteith's Albany City Mills, manufacturers of the well-known "Baker's Extra;" A. F. Cherry's foundry and machine shops, doing a thriv ing business, and as complete an establish ment as any in that line in Oregon ; M. B. Rogers 4 Co.'s sawmill, conveniently lo cated, thoroughly cquipcd and doing well. J. F. McCoy 4 Co., in the saddlery and harness line, do a good share of busi nesst are very enterprising and deserving of success. F. M. Rumuuugh, broom manufacturer, docs perha; a larger business than any one else in the same line in this State out side of Portland, E. Carter 4 Co.'s planing mills manufac ture sashes, doors and blinds, and supply all the wants of Linn count)' in that line. Althousc, Backensto 4 Ketchum make a specialty of putting up grain sciarators, and in fact do all kintls of mill work. The Alden Fruit-Peserving Comany, started here on the I91I1 of August, 1875, with Allen Parker as president and Eli Carter as secretary and stierintendcnt. The capacity of the drier is 150 bushels per day. In the eastern part of the town is located the Albany Farmers' Co. warehouses. Mr. D. Mansfield is the secretary. They not only do a general warehouse business, but sell all kinds of farming implements. C. D. Simpson also does a general ware house business, and deals in shingles and salt as well. G. W. Collar, in the furniture and bed ding line, does a good business. Tileston 4 Scott, formerly of this city, are in the same line of business yet as gunsmiths and general machinists. Their shop is conveniently located in the princi pal business part of the town. John Briggs has recently completed a neat and substantial business house two stories in height for his own use, wherein he at all times keeps a full stock of stoves and tinware. M. S. DcPew, in the same line, also does a very good business and manufac tures tinware of all kinds on an extensive scale. W. H. McFarland, one of Allnny'a pioneers, occupies a sulistantial-fire-proof brick building, stored with stoves, tinware, pumps, etc. Titus Bros, jewelers and watchmakers, have an elegant establishment, and being located here for a number of years, have a flourishing and constantly-increasing trade. Bell 4 Parker's drug store, although a comparatively new firm, enjoy a fair share of public confidence and patronage. K. 0. Smith, dentist, has a vet)' neat office in the new "brick row," recently completed. J. Foshay, druggist, in the postoffice building, also deals in books, stationery, paints, window-glass, etc. G. W. Gray, a well-known dentist, who has furnished to the State Dental Associa tion several very interesting articles on "Surgical Dentistry," hits an office over the postoflkc. G. W. Baker, formerly of Portland, keeps a dollar store, whcrcinhe displays a full stock of goods usually kept in an es tablishment of that kind. II c uses printer's ink liberally, and does well. S. W. Mclan, a merchant tailor of more than ordinary ability, has a comfortable shop, and receives the latest patterns as early as any establishment in that line in Oregon, J. Joseph has a full line of groceries, toliacco and cigars, and gentlemen's fur nishing goods. Monroe 4 Staigcr's marble works, a branch of the Salem house, do some very fine work in their line, and supply the entire upper Willamette valley. Willcrt 4 Busch manufacture wagons and carriages on a large scale, and do a general blacksmilhing business, Wm, Lister, an enterprising and go ahead business man, has a full stock of groceries, crockery and glassware, atid doing business on the cash system, is natur ally successful. K. B. Purdon has a picture gallery, and manufactures picture frames of all kinds. R. Jacolis gives all his attention to the cleaning and retiring of gentlemen's clothing. E. Boyle, bootmaker (the principal one in Albany), las a large run of custom. His style of boot is aluays in demand. The Beehive Store, containing a large stock of groceries and crockery, and pre sided over I')' 11. Weed, its gentlemanly proprietor, is, as the name of the place implies, a busy institution, but, unlike other beehives, is all honey and no stings. The Albany Brewery,' of which Mr. Clias. Kiefer, is proprietor, is a popular place. His beer is of a superior quality. Schmeer 4 Miller, of die Empire Bakery, supply an excellent article of bread and cakes, and have also recently oned a coffee and refreshment saloon. Frank Wood is a general blacksmith (CouthJtJ on fagi 1 1.) AT THE CE0S8 BOADS fa yBfo if THE LITTLE STUDENT.