3aS THE WEST SHORE.
fiitul results. No marked type of dis
ease predominant. Last winter the
river wn the hilvt and the thcrmo.
meter the lowest in cighUcn years; the
latter 4 (leg. alovc zero. Also more
mow than for many yearn previous. No
twamp or mineral springs, l'lenty of
tiinlwr of fair quality.
JAI KSON COUNTY, I'HOK.NIX.
Dr. I). A. Covert, l'hoenix is in the
Rogue river valley. High mountain
range to the north mnl south. The
valley in well wooded. Has a number
of mineral prings. Drainage good.
The climate about the same ax all of
Southwestern Oregon neither hot nor
cold. An to rain, there is not too much
nor too little. Snow seldom remains
more than forty-eight hours. Disease
arc generally of n bilious nature. Gen
eral health, medium. Mortality of
children, remarkably low.
am' vai.icy.
lly Dr. A. C. Stanley, situated in
Uogue river valley ; surrounded by
mountains and heavy timber. The
valley li barren of timber. Climate
mild. Wet winter and dry summers.
No winds or bad storms. One or two
weak sulphur springs. Water soft. No
lakes, but some twamp on the river
Ixittoms. Seldom have more than three
Inches of anow. Range of thermome
ter seldom us low s lo deg. below or
loi) deg. Im)Vo Hero. No particular
type of disease! prevail unless it be ma
larial fever. Occasionally a case of
typhoid fever, General health good.
Rate of mortality very low.
LINN COUNTY, SIIKIIIIS.
lly Dr. J. W. Starr. The location Is
healthy. Drainage not the best, as the
country it level. No epidemic or en
demic of any kind. Some indications
of malaria oft mild type. No mineral
springs, lake or swamps. Water soft.
Climate wet, windy and moderately
cold. Slight snow.
MARION COl'NTV, STAYTON.
Jly Dt. J. M. Kitchen. This section
is free from swaniM and hikes, Water
soft. Moderate supply of timber. Drain
age generally good. Last year the pre
vailing disease were of the alimentary
canal, especially among children, with
a mortality of about five per cent.
Rheumatism ami tcailetinn ha ap
peared. La4 December enteric fever
1 became endemic, but of ten case in my
practice only two proved fatal. Dis
eases of the air passages arc frequent
but not of a serious nature.
TIIIAMOOK COUNTY, NKHAI.EM.
lly Mr. C. F. Knowles, postmaster.
" We have about two hundred people
here. The settlement is ten years old.
We have three graves; two of still
born infants and one of a man who shot
himself. If you find any healthier lo
cality than this, please let me know."
Mr. Knowle reports the county moun
tainous; heavily timbered; good drain
age; abundance of soft spring water;
usual wet and dry seasons; no strong
winds. Some winters no snow at all.
The lowest points of thermometer last
winter were 6 deg., lS deg., 23 deg.,
and 26 d:-g. Five years ago it sank to
10 deg. below zero. No prevailing
diseases or endemic have occurred for
many years.
UMATILLA COUNTY, WILLOWS.
By Mr. A. Wilson. No physician
in that locality. The county is hilly
with some even lands of from eight to
ten mile wide. No timber within
thirty miles; no mineral springs, lakes
or swamps. Water generally hard.
Little rain fall; the county dry and
sandy; a great deal of wind. Snow
'fall last winter about one foot. Ther
mometer fell to lS degrees below zero;
sometimes rises to no degrees in the
summer. There are but few sutlers.
Principal disease among children is
diphtheria; cannot give the rate of mor
tality. UNION COUNTY, INDIAN VAI.LKY.
Dr. M. H. Morris says he is living in
a very healthy county. The county is
hilly and barren, but good lands and
grass near the mountains. Water soft
and climate mild. Fed sheep only
three days last winter.
WASCO COUNTY, NMNKVILLK.
Dr. L. Vanderpool reports a sandy
country but with bottom lands of rich
loam ; tome alkaline sections. The
county is one vast plateau with numer
ous small bed of lava. The streams
run or teem to have cut through lava
beds. The few mountain peaks which
seem to pierce the level sands, are all
covered with fir, pine, and tamarack.
The lava lands arc covered with juniper,
sage and hunch grass. Lands along
the streams arc very productive. Frosts
every mouth in the year. Rains in
Mimmer but not in winter. Slight
now full-only three inches W winter.
December, 188a
Water generally hard. Thermometer
sank to 28 deg. below zero, but did not
remain long. In summer it reaches
100 deg. the average for winter being
30 deg., and for summer 76 deg. The
usual variety of diseases prevails, such
as bilious, congestive, intermittent and
puerperal fevers, diphtheria, etc. Mor
tality of children not more than one
and one-third per cent. Children have
good teeth owing to the hard water and
absence of acid fruits.
THE GEOLOGY OF OREGON.
The geology of Oregon is unique
and interesting, and the geologist will
find no richer field for his researches
than in Oregon. Cenozoic along the
coast ; Mctamorphic in the range and
region of Coast Mountains ; Cenozoic
again throughout the Willamette val
ley ; Volcanic throughout the Cas
cade Mountains and along the Snake
River country ; while the rest is a var
ied combination of the above.
Formerly the Pacific extended far to
the eastward, and lashed the borders of
the Rocky Mountains, and nothing ap
peared to the westward save a few of
the highest peaks of the Blue Moun
tains ; perhaps none but the huge vol
cano which formerly occupied the spot
where Grande Ronde valley is now
situated. In course of time, however,
the coast was elevated until the Cas
cades projected above the surface, then
the waters between them and the Rocky
Mountains formed a great lake with
the Blue Mountains forming an island
in the center, and thus it remained
until the gorge was cut through the
Cascades where the Columbia now
runs, when the water was gradually
drawn ofT and formed what is now
called the Columbia Basin. Immense
deposits of marine shells found on the
several sides of the Blue Mountains,
and deposits of the same age found on
the top of the Cascades, prove the
above theory to be correct.
Subsequently, when the coast was
higher elevated, the Coast Mountains
made their appearance and there was
then formed another lake between
them and the Cascades, and not until
the rocky barrier at Oregon City was
cut, was it deprived of its water.
The Coast Mountains gradually de
crease in height as they approach the
Columbia, and after they pass the Brit
ish line they are no longer visible a
mountains, but form a chain of islands
extending as far as the territory of
Alaska. The elevating force has been
more active in the southern than in the
northern part of the State ; hence, the
Coast Mountains, which, when the
Cascades formed the coast, appeared a
islands like that part of the chain that
it still submerged north of Puget