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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1881)
August, 1 861 THE WEST SHORE. WOOL CROWING IN GRANT COUNTY. Immigration was first attracted to thU county bv the report of the rich discoveries of gold within the limits of the county. All who came here at that period came only with the indention of engaging in mining, or tome business tributary thereto. The idea of remain ing here to develop the country and to build up hornet formed no part of the calculation! of the then inhabitants of the county; each one expected to make hit "pile" then to return to hi home in aome older settled community. But when the placer mines began to be ex haunted, people discovered that Grant county contained excellent ranges for fltock, and was not such a bad place to live after all. The number of cattle in the county increased from 1384 in 1870. to 84,1 IS in tS8a Many have trebeled in a few years the money in vested in cattle. But now it is found that the ranee has been eaten off to such an extent that cattle no longer ob tain good feed in the winter season hence they are being sold and the money invested in sheep. Eastern Oregon offers many inducements to sheen raisers. The climate and the r soil are dry, which are very necessary The winters are usually so mild that sheep range out all winter without any other feed than the grass on the hill Occasionally, however, a winter comes there need be no fear that wool grow ing properly conducted, will not be re munerative in this country. The only question that (concerns the Grant coun. wool growers is, can we compete with eastern farmers who have mar ket close at hand? Without a doubt he eastern farmer not only has to feed is sheep through a longer ami severer winter than we do, but even in the summer he must pasture lus nocks pon land that represents an invest mentof$5oto $100 per acre. Here the ranee doesn't cost a cent. Should the number of sheep in the county In crease in the same ratio during the present decade as it did from 1870 to 80, we will,have J ,800,000 head of sheep when the Grant County census taker around again. Grant Ct. Ntivt. Columbia county, W.T, that is severe enough to cause heavy losses. It is alwaya best to be prejar ed with plenty of feed for these hard winters, It will pay best in the long run. There is no good reason why the growing of wool should not prove profitable in this County for many years to come. It it profitable now while the wool is shipped by the long and expensive route via The Dalles, Portland, San Francisco and by rail to th eutern manufactories. With the completion of the railroad from Grangci to Baker City, which will probably be accomplished within two years, our wool can be shipped that way, at sav ing of five cents on a pound for freight. This five cenU will be direct gain to the producer. There is not much like lihood that the price of wool will be much lower in the U. S. for many veara to come. We probably Import niu hundred million pounds of wool each year to tupply the demand in e ceta of home production. Until our production equals our consumption, All of the out land here Is excellent range, being covered with bunch grata it furnishes good pasturage the year round. This relieves the necessity of feeding except when the grass Is cover, ed with snow, which is generally but tew weekt each year. Hence thia la t good ttock country. The raising of hogs, sheep, cattle ami horses art all profitable Industrie. Tho principal staples of the country jst the present time are wheat and wool. The other products above enumerated will soon be entitled to the same rank. is loumled on the north by Snake River, on the East by Idaho Territory, on the south by Oregon and on the wct by Y a Wall county. In length east ami west it is near sixty miles, in breadth from north to south near fifty. It comprises within Us ooumlarie some of the finest agricultural land on the Western coast. The surface of the country is rough and broken, compose principally of high table prairie land Along Snake River, the Northern bor dcr of the County, ami fur a few miles back on the foot-hills the land Is con sidcrcd comparatively worthless, ex ccpt where it can be irrigated, being of light sandy character easily affected by drouth. With a few exceptions the rest of the land throughout Columbia county, level enough for cultivation, of a very excellent quality. And there Is a vast quantity of this excellent land ready to yield to the magic touch of the husbandman it golden harvest. When we take into consideration the fact that there is nearly a half million acres of cultivatable land in this county, that a Urge portion of said land Is of the finest quality and cipabla of yielding from twenty to fifty bushels per acre, the prospective agricultural wealth of the county looms up in grand proportions before us. The district of country Is well adapted both In toil and climate to the growing of wheat, oats, barley and all kinds of small grain. In different localities throughout the county corn is successfully grown, but the seasons Pkickh. The Oregon Improvement Company have fixed the price of their lands at $5, $7 ami $10 per acre. Con sidcring the enhancement of value by reason of the early construction of the O. K. Ac N. Co.' road through the heart of this body of land, the prices are very reasonable. The Portland Mechanics' Fair which for 1SS1, promises to he the finest ex hibition ever held In the Pacific North west, will open on the 13th of October and continue for 17 dayt. Excursion tickets at greatly reduced rate will be otd from all points ami very large at tendance can be confidently expected. The Society are doing all in their power to make it an Instructive exhibition ami they fully merit the liberal patronage of the public. The traveling public should consult the new time table of the Oregon Kail way and Navigation Co., which ap pears in our columns this day. Several Important changes are announced. la this connection we take pleasure to men tlou that this Company's steamer are first-da In all their appointment! and they employ only polite and attentive official ccd, safety and comfort are secured by traveling on the O. K. & N. Co', lines. 1 Wrinkle k Co, the enterprising Dry Goodt merchants at the corner of First and Salmon ttrcctt, have begun live annual clearance tale of spring and summer dry goods, ami purchaser cat) secure rare bargains by calling or tend ing to them early. Thia Is one of the most reliable dry good house In thl city, and resident in the country en trusting order to them can rely on ob taining only uch article as are ordered, and fully a cheap a the closest city are generally too short for first clasal buyer can obtain them hy personal at t com country. I tendance.