The west shore., June 01, 1882, Page 106, Image 6

'une, 1 883
io6
THE WEST 'SHORE.
Immigrants are warned not to be influenced in
their land purchase! by chance acquaintances.
The protxrr places to obtain reliable information
re the Unilrd Stale Land Offices, or at me nu
MU nf immigration, renresentine the Northern
Pacific, Onon and California Railroad Com.
panics, and the Oregon Improvement Company,
They are ecially warned against purchaiing
railroad land filing, until the lame ha been certi
fied by the railroad land agent. A filing not sup.
norted bv lite other necessary comlitiom of the
railroad company, hu no binding efTect on indi
vldiul or corioration.
Having furniihed our readeri in thii issue with
concise presentation of the land lawi of the
government, we feel it our duty to lay that North
cm Pacific lamb, at $2.6o per acre, are cheaper
and more easily obtained than the goveinment
lands.
PORTLAND, THE QUEEN CITV OF THE
NORTHWEST.
The cily of Portland, the lubject of the follow
ing sketch, is the commercial metropolis of Ore
gon, the lecond city of importance on the Pacific
asst. and ii pleasantly located on the west tide
of the Willamette river, about twelve milci from
ita junction with the mighty Columbia, and at the
head of ship navigation, l to miles from the Pacific
ocean. It b noted for iti wealth and the enter
prise and public ipirit of its citizens. Built upon
a plateau rising gradually to the southward and
westward, and sloping gently back from the river
to a range of hills which form in western bound
try, their summits being accessible by winding
roadways, form beautiful eyries from whence fine
viewt of the dty and Iti aurroundingi can be had.
H the reader will, In Imagination, accompany
ua there, he will tee l(,read out at our feet, like a
map, the busy bustling city, id itreeti crowded
with vehicles of all descriptions iti harbor dotted
ith craft of all kinds-the ponderoui ocean
steamer, ship, ol many nations iwift river Meant
boats, and fleet pleasure boat,. We preient a
"ewof the harbor, looking north from the cily.
d th. ,Ud hill, along the river, the winding,
Mich from our stand-point an k. ,
mile, bm wiser, , tmtVt f,om
IIlTs. Z... A,low,n6 r o wande,
7T"TW,r,,-'h"ving.uburb
Z rh'le "indin6 " of ep gulch
.1 i . ... P". hil alorw ik l.
of lb. WUmmtSEf"'"
hdr00- J- below
. visit
the Dort. (An accurate representation of this
ri improvement was given in our April num
ber.) In this vicinity a bridge will be constructed
m connect the railroad lines with the northern end
of Portland, where will soon be constructed a
grand union passenger depot, at an expense of
$1,500,000, the focus to which will center an me
railroads of the Northwest,
Four iteam ferries connect the city with East
Portland and Albina, and looking east from these
places, over green fields, fertile farms and wooded
plain, we see the Columbia river and can trace its
windings for many miles. On its eastern bank,
directly in front of us, can be seen the town of
Vancouver, and by the aid of a glass we can dis
cern the stars and stripes floating over the head.
quarters of the commandant of the Military De,
partment of the Columbia.
The background of the picture is formed by the
distant Cascade range of mountains which stretches
away north and south as far as the eye can reach,
while towering far above can be seen the hoary
summits of Mt. Hood, St. Helens and Jefferson,
clad in perpetual snows, and in the far distance
the peaks of Rainier and Adams can be dis
cernedthe whole forming a view unequalled on
the Pacific Coast, and perhaps nowhere can be
seen tuch a varied and magnificent panorama of
forest and stream, green fields and snowy moun
tains, on whose cool expanse the eye loves to
linger before returning to the beautiful architec
tural structures of the city at our feet, over which
blow the balmy winds of summer, cooled from
contact with snow peaks and odorous with the
spicy fragrance of ihe piney forests, making
roruanu me most pleasant and healthful place of
residence on the coast.
Before attempting to give any description of
the Portland of the present, a brief allusion to its
past history will not be out of place, as this
journal is intended to reach thousands in distant
lands who have no knowledge of tlvs matter. No
muily folio, need be searched for the chronicles of
our fair city, for the man U still living who when
in hi, prime .truck the first ax blow in the un
broken forest which covered it, site, and who can
recount.il the struggles of the earlv a
uccessei of the more prosDerous whirl, rn j
and in witnessing the proud eminence the city has
attaint! fan ....Lr..iK. '
- uum.uuy My, "All of which I saw
and a part of which I was."
ThU pioneer of progress was A. L Loveioy,
Overton lnpiment ht his .r
Jcar away . port.on of the forest which covered
J- Overton hi. interest in 184410 F W
block, were U i if ,h follo'ne year sixteen
oThe.:ielit?theriVeraS,he inning
Lovejoy iSTT,, Pr'Td and
toded bv ,h,::,r- was
" Portland -" - PPer cent, and
ofteembrv r"Ti
J Z?""". ThediL.:
. -aiiorn ia h.mi .v. .
auwuofor ...L.7V."
' " excUemnt the great scarcity
nf lahnr hut little imnrnvempnt u .j
r "mue, ana it
was not till 1850 when the market of San
Francisco offered fabulous prices for the lumbe
fruit, flour, etc., of this state that prosperity began
to dawn on Portland.. In' 1851 the legislature
granted the city a charter, the boundaries of the
corporation extending two miles aloftg the u,
and one mile back j an election of city officer,
was held, and from this time may properly be
dated the history of the city which at that time
consisted of "only a few houses in the wood,"
the whole population not exceeding one thousand.
Regular communication with San Francisco by
steamship was soon established, shipping began
to arrive from China and the Islands, and the de
velopment of the great mineral resources of
eastern Oregon awoke the enterprise nf
business men, and before long swift steamboat
were navigating the waters of the Columbia and
its tributaries in all directions. A newspaper had
been established the preceding year, but it was not
till two years later that the first brick building
was erected. . - ,,
The limits of the present article will not allow
us to trace in detail the history of the city or the
growth of its commerce. , We will only add (hat
in 1855 it contained . one public school, one
academy, four printing offices, about forty stores
and a population of one thousand two hundred
and fifty. '' ' it.-: :, :i ':
Portland, as we now behold it, has far outgrown
the limits of the original corporation, extending
along the stream north and south,' and already be
ginning to climb the hillside; and' is rapidly be
coming one of the best built cities in the union. :
The population now n timbers 28,000, am ii rap
idly increasing in wealth, as is ev'idenced by Ihe.
expensive city improvements, the constantly u
creasing cost and , magnificence of the business
blocks and residences erected, and ' the display io
our show windows, from year to year, of more aid
more costly articles of .wearing apparel, jewelrj,
fiirnitnrA anA n,4.nr. r nii.i,;nn
..... uiviviimiuiac ui atl Jkluua v, ' c
From our elevated stand-point we can. see, the
business streets next the river, lined with spacious
elegant and substantial blocks of brick,' iron and
stone, which are not surpassed in cities of much
greater age and pretentions. To. attempt any if
scription, however brief, would .exceed the limits
of this article, and we. must refer the reader to the
beautiful and truthful illustrations elsewhere for
an idea of the business quarters of our cityV ,
Further back from the fiver we see the residence
portion of the. town, the most striking' picture 0
which, from this distahce,, is tht great abondaiw
of foliage, giving this section the appearance of
vast garden, the embowered streets appearing like
vistas in a forest, on' either side of which rise the
homes of our wealthy citireris-Umariy of themo'
beautiful design and magnificent interior fumish-
each surrounded by gardens, tastefully laid, outi
and embellished with a profusion of trees, shrubs
anu nowering plants, all of which grow ano oi"
som in luxuriance in our genial climate and fenf'
oil. 'A specimen of a Portland ' home ! 'w!U J
found amonest our illustrations 10i r "
Through the entire lehrith of the citTiH distance
of two and a half miles,; with ,but, a siiujle breat
can be seen extend iner m nf Mocks set aside
a nark. TW. ... '.J.th tU and lined
- - ... JX. 1 piajilWU TILL fc.w- - , ' J
on either side 'with'iiandsome':residen'ces,' w
when contemplated improvement are haft
t will form a boulevard whicb will be credit to