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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1881)
ta THE WEST SHORE. January, 1 88 1 I'HYSKAI. (iKOOKAI'IIY OK WASHING TON TFHIMTOKV. hATIKAI. IHVISIOMk, I'l.lMAlK AND NAMHAI. IIISIOKY. Tlic special niiluriil ffiiturcn common to tlic whole Territory, lire the Can onic mountains mid IhcC'ohinihiu river. TIIK CASl'AHK MOUNTAINS. The range of mountains known in California as the Sierra Nevaila, ex tends through Oregon, Washington mid Itritixh Coluinliia. Here named Cascades, because of the innumerable ticautiful cascades which filicide from every crevice, at every height, mid sometimes even pour over the summit of the steep bluff sides of I he gorge, through which the majestic Columbia force ilh way to the Pacific ocean. With the exception of its lofty snow peaks, Kainier, St. Helens, Maker, Hiul Adams, hut few poinls in this Ten itory iittain in altitude above the snow-line, iiIhiiiI Cx feet. The chain hear slightly northwest and southeast. The several riven, passing through or Inking their sun ice in these mountains nlToid eligible pusses fur (bo construe lion of roitds. TIIK COI.l'MHIA til cnlert the Territory from the ninth, luvcrscn its whole hmidth, constitutes almost iu entire sunt In-i n boundaiy, mid with its tributaries diains nearly the whole Territory. It rises in the Rocky mountains, in latitude jo 20' north, How northward to 520 10' re reiving Canoe river which has its source in 53s north. It then turns shar- ly to the southward, expanding in 51 Into a chain ol small lakes, receiving the walcni of the Kootenai .p 30' Just south of 40., the Pend d'Orcillc the great north Auk (Clarke's) pours iln waters into il; then flowing south il receive the Sokani', and turning al imwt due west, the Okanagan Mows ' into it from the north. Still bending south of west the Mcthow, Chelan, Eutcatwa mid Weu.ichcr, llowing cast rnul south from the Cascade mountains lonlributc their water, when il tuins southeast wmdly receives the Yakima ami then it joined by iu great southern folk (Lewis) now called Snake river. It then Mows almost due south receiving Walla Walla river alut parallel 46", then turn abruptly to the west, and with a general west cuic flow into the J'acifW ocean. The Great South Fork, Sunkc river, rises in latitude 41 north, as far east as in0, west of Orernwieh, while its mouth is 1240 west. Thus the river of the west and its tributaries permeate a region em bracing 1 2 of latitude and 130 of longi tude. Its vast importance as a means of continental transit, is at once appreciat ed, by the statement of the fact that a portage of 450 miles is only required to connect the navigamc waters 01 Columbia and Missouri rivers. With comparatively inconsiderable portages in the Cascade gorge, above the Dalles, at Priests' and Huckland's rapids, and at the mouth of the Mcthow, the Colum bia river is navagable to Kettle Falls, a distance of 725 miles from its mouth. As this distance is so largely caused by the big bend of the river, White Muds is the practical head of navigation. A road due north from that point thercoy avoiding the Hig Heml, would strike the Columbia near the 49th parallel, from whence it could be navigated northward about 150 miles, into the very heart of the richest mining regions of Krilish Columbia. Again connect ing by road the mouth of the Walla Walla river with the mouth or Powder river, (one of the main tributaries of the Snake) there is a reach of about 100 miles upon Snake river navigable for steamers. NA'ITKAI. DIVISIONS 01' TIIK TKRRI TORY. The Cascade mountains traverse the Territory at un average distance from the Pacific Coast of about two degrees of longitude, dividing it into Eastern and Western Washington, widely dis similar in climate, soil and products. The former consists of .vast rolling plains, traversed by the Great Colum bia and its tributaries. The soil is gen erally of good agricultural character, admirably adapted for wheat-growing and stock-raising, being a rich sandy loam sHulaneously producing luxuri ant bunch-grass. Along the many streams of this well-watered region, there is sufiicient imher for fuel on the hills and mountains an abundance for IiiiiiIht. Western Washington is densely tim bered with tir, cedar, all the pines, oak, maple and alder interspersed with mull areas of prairie or open land. Many rich prairies, valleys and river bottoms allord a fair proportion of ex cellent agricultural area. Although Western Washington must be regard ed a timber country, yet agriculturally considered, it has more than self-supporting capacity. It liberally produces all the cereals, garden vegetables, the hardy fruits and berries m the greatest variety and profusion. The great wheat-growing region is in Eastern Washington. There the Walla Walla, Yakima, Klickitat, Colville and other valleys furnish fields, which in their wheat producing capacity, both as to quantity and quality, equal California, Oregon, or Australia. There too, peaches, corn, melons and the grape luxuriantly flourish. Beef, mutton and wool are successfully raised in the whole of Washington. While East- em wasnmgioii uiiauijjav.u those specialties, west of the Cascades the products of the dairy attain greater success. OKEGON AND OTHER LANDS. A few days since we heard a gen tleman not long among us, who is con versant with the good qualities of many lands, assert Oregon to be the best State in the Union, and the best coun try in the world, except France, which hardly should be brought into compar ison as it is the most highly cultivated ' of all lands in Europe or the world. The natural conditions of soil and climate, the range and' character of our products, and the extent and variety of the resources that await development, all combine to make our State and the whole Pacific Northwest most desira ble as homes for present and future gen erations. We deal with many of the great sta ples of commerce in the most satisfac tory manner. Our breadstuff com bine the highest perfection with the most reliable and abundant yield and are eagerly bid for by the most exact ing demand known to commerce. Our wool clip is increasing in quality so as to be distinctively known and appre ciated as the product of Oregon, and we find Eastern manufacturers compet ing for its purchase as peculiarly suited for certain styles of goods of superior quality. Our flax, too, is attracting at tention and commanding reputation as being of the best quality for the finest manufacture. Our fruits are the best (of many kinds, if not all) known in the temperate zones and as a dried pro duct are winning golden opinions and prices in the world's most fastidious markets. As a stock country the whoU Columbia river region possesses