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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1878)
March. THE WEST SHORE. 99 ern entrance of the Straits of Fuca to the 54th parallel; penetrating into all the passages that appeared to run east ward, in the still lingering search for one that should connect with Hudson's Bay, or any navigable waters connect ing with the Atlantic. Not finding what he sought, he again sailed down the coast as far as San Diego, and thence, in December, to the Sandwich Islands, where he wintered. While here, Lieut. Puget took possession of the Island of Owyhee (Hawaii) for His Untannic Majesty. In the summer of 1794, Vancouver once more visited the northwest coast, and surveyed it, as thoroughly as he had the other portions, from Queen Charlotte's Island to Alaska; adding to the geography of the world some very interesting facts, furnishing the navigators of his own and other nations with valuable charts of these western coasts, and contributing important ma terial to the world's store of knowledge. After completing these surveys, Van couver returned for the last time to Nootka; hut not before he had "taken possession" of the western coasts of this continent, from his NtW Georgia to the 59th degree of latitude. These several "takings possession" included the whole Pacific Coast, with the islands adjacent, from below Cape Mendocino to Mount Fairweather, in the Russian Possessions, Considering the circumstances under which he came to the coast, not as an explorer only, but as a commissioner, to receive a cer tain small parcel of land said to Jjelong to a British subject, it cannot be denied that it would have been a more gracious policy to have waited the final decision of the right of Great Britain to even a small portion of these Spanish territo ries, before appropriating twenty de grees of latitude! At Nootka, Vancouver found Briga dier Alava in command, Quadra having died a few months before at San Bias. No instructions awaiting him, as he expected, at Nootka, he sailed away to Monterey, where he learned that a fresh commission had been issued by the court of London, which relieved him from any further connection with the business, and soon after returned to England As before mentioned, the exact man ner in which the dispute concerning the Nootka territory was settled, was never made public. When Broughton, after having visited the courts of Lon don and Madrid, hastened back Nootka. in the summer of 1706, he found the place deserted, and the only information he could gather of the cause of the abandonment, was a letter left in charge of Maquinna, stating that the port of Nootka had been delivered up to Lieut Pierce, of the Marine "agrceablv to the mode ot restitution settled between the two courts," the vear previous. What the mode of res titution was. never appeared. Great Britain and Spain had formed an alii ance, and had probably agreed mutu allv to abandon the place in a secret and quiet manner, each being willing ,0 lev. ,0 th. firtu and .he course of events, the settlement of the question of ownership. Thus finally ended the Nootkan war, with its long tram of consequences. The war into which Spain wus forced immediately after by the encroach ments of Great Britain upon the coasts of Chili and Peru, put an end to the Nootkan treaty, and the ancient rights of Spain to exclusive sovereignty over the west coasts of America, once more reverted to that power; nor were these rights again disputed until the ccdure by Spain to the United States of her possessions north of California. The decline of Spanish power finally al- lowed much of the territory once claimed by Spain, to come into the possession of Great Britain; nnd the quarrel for the following fifty years, was between Great Britain and the United States. EASTERN OREGON AND WASHING TON TERRITORY. Dr. Blalock, of Walla Walla, who has received numerous letters from his acquaintances cast, making enquiries auoiu mil section 01 countrv, writes a letter for the Walla Walla Watchman, answering these letters generally. The icscription given applies to all of east ern Oregon, eastern Washington nnd northern Idaho territories, ami is a very faithful and correct account of the country. Y 0 reproduce it for the bene fit of any who may wish to send a copy of it to friends in the east who intend immigrating to this portion of the United States: The climate is healthful and, on the whole, desirable; the summers are not very long; usually we have a few hot days, not many, the nights are invari bly cool and pleasant. The winters are milder and shorter than in the cust, a warm wind, termed the " chinook " wind gives us this result, the winters being governed thus by the wind, are variable, occasionally giving us a winter when the plow can be run almost the vear around, other winters top it from four to eight weeks. Rain falls principally in the spring and fall, there is seldom much, if any during harvest. A farmer has the largest part of the year to plow and seed in, so that by the use of gang plows and improved gram seeders one man can put in a very large area. At this writing, December 4th, farmers arc still plowing and sow ing. The best land is the bottom land ilong the streams and foot-hill land ly ng along the Blue Mountains for a distance of from ico to 200 miles, ex- tending some distance below Umatilla to the Spokane; there is perhaps no better wheat land in the world than this foot-hill land. The width of this line strip of first-class land varies verv much, say from :o to so miles; of course all of it cannot be cultivated this is simply a general description The further from the mountains after .. AM1m .lit...,,.,. tUn nrtn.-.,.. k. until, finally, it is worth but little ex cent for cattle, horses and sheep range for which it is better adapted than the foot-hill countrv because the snow fall is less, so that stock can get at the grass. There is a large amount of line Wheatland outside ot the belt referred to, and even the poorest soil, which is of a light formation, yields heavv crops when irrigated. The country s well watered and has good water. The great bulk of vacant Mfricul lural laud, however, lies northeast of here, along the mountains in Columbia, Whitman and Stevens counties and is being settled very fast, but as there is such a large amount yet to be settled it will be some years before it is all taken. The general opinion is that the upper countrv, as it is allied here, will in a few years contain the bulk of the population. The mountains arc cov ered with fine timber, principally pine, tamarack, fir and spruce. Sawmills, located in the mountains, furnish lum ber at from $io to $12 per thousand at the mill. Most of the wood and rails come from the mountains, still there is a good deal cut along the streams, prin cipally cottonwood. Wheat is the staple and yields on the best land from ,-y , ,,igh acre and in a few cases higher, the average is about thirty-five bushels; on light soil the yield ts less, average perhaps one year with another, twenty bushels. Other small grain does equally as well, of course barley and oats yield more per acre. Corn is not raised much, produces well, bnt not so well at in the Western States, on ac count of the coolness of the nights. Fruits of all kinds do remarkably well, so do vegetables, with the ex ception of sweet potatoes, which are raised but are not first class. I think this country is about the surest of any to yield a bountiful crop when once seeded. There never was known a failure of the grain crops, the same can be said as to fruit and vegetables. We have no worms in apples, curculi to ruin the plum crop, no insect to injure grain. Fruit trees bear younger than in the east, As this is such a fine fruit country and the dfmand for trees is in creasing so fast, it looks as if there was a good opening for some good nursery men, although we have some very good nurseries in the valley. Wheat fields, when allowed to lay over, al ways volunteer, producing a second crop from one sowing. When it does, it is harvested and often yields (torn fifteen to forty bushels on rood land. The fart is, wheat prmv like weeds. so that oats sowed on wheat land always have considerable wheat in it when threshed. Hogs are used a good deal to pick up waste in grain fields, and are, as a rule, good stock, plenty nnd cheap. Game and fish are abun dant. Most of the cattle and stock make their own living during winter; men who feed usually have to do so from two to eight weeks. The market here is not as good as desirable but is improving, and will be undoubtedly better at no distant day. tt present our grain is sent from Walla Walla on a narrow giiaee rail road to Wallula, a distance of thirty two miles, at a cost of $5 to $6 a ton; from there it is shipped down the Col umbia river to Portland, I distance ol about 275 miles, at a further cost of $6 ton; trom there it w loaded into barges for Astoria or light-draught vessels, and the greater part is taken to San Francisco and marketed, while the rest is sent directly to the markets abroad through Astoria. Several pro jects are on foot with a view to better the market facilities, all of which are plain indications that the intrinsic value of the country is sure to force a market sooner or later. Those who come be fore all these improvements will be here to reap the benefits when they are made. This is n live country and im proving rapidly. A good deal of pro duce such as, fruit, vegetables, etc., are either hauled or packed into the min ing regions and sold. 1' ield crops are not irrigated except in some cases when grain is sown on some of the light land mentioned before, and some irrigate gardens. Regular schools exist nil over the country. The people appear wide awake on the subject of educa tion. There is very little foundation for fear from Indians. We have very good mail facilities. IS THi: PRESS DOING ITS DUTY i ESditoM Whst Shorb, DEAR 8lR : It would be interesting to know in what light certain kinds ol advertisements are regarded by those who have the editing and supervision of religious newspapers. There are at least two classes of advertisements, com mon in denominational organs, that to your correspondent seem to savor strongly of sin, viz : Those that promise immense remuneration from a pleasant employment, requiring little or no capi tal; and those that promise the speedv and permanent cure of the most mortal maladies at little or no expense. How rich in promise are those to the poor and the suffering, whose intense desire for wealth and health impairs the judg ment and paves the way for plausible deception! But do the publishers of such advertisements pretend to be the educators and guardians of public mor ality? If so, "'tis j)itiful( 'tis passing nitiful." that ihev arc either so nro. foundly engrossed in the spiritual weal of mau as to be innocent of the snares ! ,lcy themselves set for hi hiV W3lv v IT willjnplv assist in defrauding him. u2 AQO a ycirIi u$7-0 can w carncd by any one in three month $, nutfit'frce!" What a palpable per version ol truth! What an obvious outrage on common credulity! HpW pernicious m a periodical ol niou pretensions! But this class is not the worst, for it trifles only with the monc tary miseries of its victims. But what shall we say of those that toy with the hopes nnd cruelly mock the expecta tions of the afflicted? "Cancer cured!" "Panacea pellets!" "Consumption conquered !" "Thou sand of cues cured! All this for the sake of a "stamp" and "suffering hu- manily!" What glorious gleams of comfort those philanthropic words cast upon the weary soul of the wan con sumptive, receiving as they do the quasi indorsement of her church paper, that surely would not deceive her. How eagerly she complies with the easy requirements! How high her hopes run until the time for a reply comes round! But what words can express or pen portray the agony of her disap pointments, the bitter anguish of her despair, and the utter helplessness of her deep depression? And this at the hand ot a trusted adviser! And yet every week we find mingled with homilies on Brotherly T.ovr " nnd "Christian Consistency" those decoys of impostors and quacks. It seems like icnnang their subscribers .it the shrine ol "filthy lucre." Perhaps it is not so. If it is not, will one of those papers please to dissipate the gloom of guilt that apparently enshrouds the subject? 1 ours respectfully! Gov. Vancouvih, W, Tm March, 1S7S. J PIONEER, Jennie Cieek is a stream rising in the Cascade chain, between Rogue liver valley and the Klamath basin, nnd llowingdown through Immense forests, green meadows, and occasionally deep unions, nnt m a westerly ami then in a southerly direction to 'the Klamath river near the State line. Its length Is perhaps forty miles and the basin which it drains is an extensive forest laud, sandwiched in between the Cas cades on the cast and the Siskiyou, ridge on the north and west. Among the forests are numerous iilades. some of them affording considerable meadow grass, and all suited to summer graz ing. Some of these glades have been used, for several years past, as summer range for sheep. Wild beasts arc num erous, however, and the closest atten tion is necessary to prevent (he wolves, bears and panthers from living at the expense of sheen owners. Mr. Pervcs, the pioneer settler of the Jennie creek highlands, lives near the point where the Llnkvllle stage line crosses the creek, and the new saw mill of Pervcs & Stearns is also located in the near vicinity. This point is about 24 miles from Ashland and probably II miles north of the Klamath river, ami seems to possess advantages calculated to make it the principal business point in the highlands. The citizens have asked for the establishment of a post offioe at this point, to be called " Pioneer;" a name doubly appropriate on account of its being on the route, lo cated with no little difficulty through the Siskiyou and Cascade mountains by the exploring party of fifteen pioneers in 1N46, and because it is the place where the Hrst permanent settle ment was made in the enuie Creek basin. John Lacy resides on Corral creek, aoout two miles west of Pioneer on the Stage road and perhaps three miles from his place in a southwesterly direction is the new saw mill of Ham mond, Willits h Co., now near com pletlon This mill is located on Kecne creek, a tributary of Jennie creek, ris ing in the Siskiyou ridge, and is in the midst of as line forests of pine, fir and cedar BS can be found in our forest State. A few miles south of Pioneer is the Fall Creek settlement, near the Jennie Creek canyon, where stock-rais ing ami tanning have been made a otic cess, and where there is room for a few more settlers. We understand that a good practicable road leads from this settlement to Pioneer, and that the Fall Creekers are anxiously waiting the establishment of the office. Might miles east of Pioneer, Win. (. Parker, one of the fifteen road hunters of 1846, keeps a public house and road station, and three miles farther east, at the Cold Springs, is Charley Adams' For est House; not now " running" but to be opened for the accommodation of travellers in the spring. Few places in our mountains afford finer opportu nities for sporting than the Jennie Creek country, and it is fast getting to be a grand summer resort for hunters, fishers and rusticator. Near Mr. Per vcs' place arc several soda or chaly beate springs, which will, doubtless, some day Attract considerable attention. Considering its luinlnrring, pastoral and sporting advantages, and the healthful Mea of its climate, (he Jennie Creek country will undoubtedly contain quite a little population, ' t- many years, and be extensively visited by pleasure seekers during the summer months. Tidings.
