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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1880)
January, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. gon possesses over California is the lower rate of taxation. The only draw back to Oregon i the wet weather in winter, but this is compensated for by the certainty of crops and the loveliness of the country in spring and summer. informat-ion'kor immigrants. Clarke count) is In Washington Territory, on the north side of the Co lumbia river, about 75 miles from the sea coast, and separated from Multno mah county, (Won. hv thP Pnlnm. bia river. It has an area of about 670 square miles. Scattered over this sur face there is a population of 7000 peo ple; their chief occupation being agri culture. This county, like the balance of Western Washington, is a timbered country; yet there is here some land that is naturally devoid of timber, but all of this is occupied. There is a quantity of unoccupied government land in this county, all of which is more or less timbered. Some of it is comparatively easy to clear, but a large part of it is covered with heavy green timber. This land lies chiefly on the eastern and northeastern borders of the county, and is, of course, more remote from schools and market than are the settled sections. The surface of the country in the central and western por tions is level; rolling in the northern part; and hilly and mountainous on the eastern border. The soil everywhere is good, the upland being a clay loam, along the river bottom a black sandy loam; in the alder swale lands a heavy black soil and asrich as the richest. The soil of the land is good where grow the heaviest timber. The soil of the upland prairies is gravelly and regarded as second quality, but even here good crops are generally harvested, and the farmers arc nearly all well-to-do men. The soil is adapt ed to grow any product known to the north temperate zone. The cereals all do well. Vegetables, as well as any other plncc in the world, and fruit the same, apples, pears, plums, prunes, cherries, &c. All kinds of small fruits grow and ripen in perfection. The un occupied timber lands and foot-hills afford excellent range for stock, and as the winters are mild all kinds of stock do well. A good milch cow can be lought for $J5; an average work-horse for $75, and other stock in proportion. Farm laborers get $1.00 per day ami Vwr4. Wheat f worth $1.00 per bushel now, has averaged much less than $1.00 per bushel heretofore, but is likely to be worth fully that much hereafter. Potatoes are worth 50 cts. per bushel and other vegetables in pro portion. Fruits are all cheap, but when dried for market bring good prices. This is a irood countrv for an industrious man. The necessaries of life are comparatively easy to iret. The climate is mild, and in consequence of me great quantities ot timber, the rain fall is abundant. Some winters have freezing spells, lasting all the way from one to six weeks ; though a six weeks' freeze-up is of rare occurrence. Sometimes the winter will pass with no frigidity in the air, save a few frosts, and flowers will bloom in the gardens all winter long. The climate is salu brious, though the humidity of the win ter is generally thought to be bad for persons afflicted with throat and lung difficulties. The county has numerous public schools, and, as usual, in a new coun try, most of them are of the lower grade. The people now here arc deep ly interested in the cause of education. and the schools are improving every year. The timber of this county is mostly yellow fir, and is goad for lumbering, ship-huilding and various other manu facturing purposes. There is some very fine cedar, some little oak, consid erable ash and various other varieties of small timber. The county is bounded on the south and west by the Columbia river, which affords means of transportation to mar ket hv steamboat. It is 11 miles, bv the way of the Columbia and Willam ette rivers, from the southwest comer of the county to Portland, the metrop- ons 01 Oregon. That portion of the county lying next to the river is subject to annual overflow. It is excellent grass land well adapted for dairying purposes. Farms partially improved can be bought for $5.00 to $20.00 per acre.ac cording to location. There is a IT. S. Land Office located at Vancouver, the county seat, where parties can avail themselves of home stead and pre-emption privileges. Vancouver, the county seat, is a town .if Sou inhabitant, beautiful!) lo. fiid on the Columbia river,and one of trie most pleasant places to live, in the Territory. This county needs honest, industrl ous men. If they can bring capital with them, all the better; hero are chances for profitable investments. Money loans readily for 1 per cent per month. The poor man will find this as easy a country in which to mako a living tor himself and family the first year, as any in the United States; but he must be frugal and willing to work, and leave behind him all expensive habits, if he has any. Lumbering has been, and is irener- ally, a good business in which to cm- ploy capital. The Columbia affords good salmon fishing. Manufacturing is in its infancy, but the natural facilities therefor are here in abundance. Me chanics command from $2.50 to $..no per day. Professional men have hut little to do in this locality. Dry goods, groceries and every thing else usually kept in n country store, can be Wight at very nearly, if not quite, us low prices as in the Eastern Stales. In conclusion, a general invitation is extended to all those people in the East who want to hud a new country, with room and opportunity to work, to iro to Clarke enmity, W. T. 1 Til 1 Bl sure and send all your renewals and new subscriptions for Eastern or California newspapers and magamics to this office. You will savemoney by doing so. As an example, we fur nish Harper's, Scrttner's, Atlantic Monthly and Frank Leslie's Weekly, for $14. If you were to send direct to each publisher, the price for the four publications, including the expense of a xstal order and postage for each, to say nothing of the trouble of writing four separate letters, would come to $16.35 All other publications at pro portionately low prices. For 1K80 We have superior facilities, and can offer better terms than ever. Write your address on a postal crd, let us know what publications you desire to take. and wc will immediately forward you a return card giving our price for them. The cost of the army in British India, even in time of peace, is $85,000,000 a year, or 45 iwr cent, of the entire reve nue. The buildlilt mid fimuthimr ,.1 .. country house for ihi! imH M"r of Bom bay cost $075,000. No' worW hr n a defimt in the ravenu'.'
