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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1883)
January, 1883. THE WEST SHORE. S PENDLETON, OREGON. Our traveling correspondent, writing from Pendleton, says : " Thii place, the cuuuty teat of Umatilla, one of Oregon's largest and best agricultural counties, has made a wonderful growth in the past two years, I find all classes of business in a prosperous condition, notwithstand ing the late freshets did considerable damage. With their usual liberality the citizens have con tributed $2,400 for the purpose ol building dikes to as to hereafter confine the festive Umatilla river in proper limits. 1 find the Umatilla res ervation composed of as fine land as I have ever seen, and if this was opened (or settlement,' as it should be, it would afford fine homes for at least one thousand thrifiy farmers. The reservation adjoins the city of Pendleton and I do not expect to be the owner of many more gray hairi than I am at present, before this thriving burg will be a city containing from eight to ten thousand inhabi tants. The Oregon Railway and Navigation Co., have just finished a fine passenger depot here and their track extends ten miles farther east. There is plenty of government land yet open for settle ment which was heretofore considered useless owing to its remoteness from markets, which Is now being made valuable by the approach of the railways. explorer, has registeied hit own worthless name, in uncouth characters, over a part of the original inscription. But Gen. Anderson, rht-f fencer of the Northern Pacific railroad, has given orders to have the bumpkin's name removed and a frame covered with glass placed over the name of Wil liam Clarke to preserve it. It was on hit return from the mouth of the Columbia river that Clarke passed this place. The exploring party had divided a short time before, Clarke having taken this route, while Lewis pursued another. Lewis, upon his return to the cast, was made Governor of Louisiana Territory, and died by his own hand near Nashville, in October, 1809. Clarke was made Governor of Missouri Territory, and lived till September, 1838. RENTON AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. PORTLAND. Tills pleasant little village It tituated on Cedar river, aliout half a mile from lit mouth and three fourths of a mile from Lake Washington. It lays at the point where the valley of Cedar river oent into the Black river valley, on ground that slopes about tea degrees to the west, which glvet it fine drainage. At the back of the village Is the Cedar river bluffs, which contain large bodies of coaL Iti Inhabitants numlier alxmt three hundred and fifty persons. It hat three stores, two saloons, one hotel and a well conducted school, where the average attendance it almut sixty-two scholars daily. The village received lit nam fiom the coal mines which are located here. They now have a daily output of from one to a hundred and twenty-five tons of coal. This mine was discovered in 1871 by E. M. Smilhers, Kq. I hit gentle- man had prospected for coal In this locality fm a long time without success he finally had his proa- Portland, the metropolis of the Pacific North west, has a population of 28,00a During 18S2 her jobbing houses sold merchandise to the value of $40,000,000 The products of her manufacturing hands are valued at . . 7 TU.800 1 pecting narrowed down to that in all of the tur-1 city road, which will go up Hit Cedar river valley Her exuortt including those of the I rounding country only one creek, a very small I and tap a fine large body of bituminous coal and " 9 I .... t A lf ...I t L! L . I 1 I .... r I I 111. J rnl,.mi.:. i 1 r tftn nn I one at Wat. wot leu mm, wneroiiT mnn 1 iron ueiween v,oar ami urecn riven. 1 nis ruau -r ... , ,, yeartmlgntlie reanieu. vnevery uiMgicmJicuiiy, three-fourths of a mile of the village you cross Black river, on the west bank of which lay th Uy (aim of Dr. It. ft. Baglcy, of Seattle. This farm comprises tome three hundred, acres, there it no better farm for hay in the Puget sound basin, after crossing to the cast bank you are on the farm of E. M. Smlthcrs. I.ooking from the car window on youi left you see his house and barns. These tarns are used fur sheltering his cows, of which he hat about forty, the milk from these cows it shipped by rail to New Castle and Seattle daily. The prlncial aim It milk, consequently they are fed with mill produce In the greatest abundance, tome of thit band of cows give at much at four gallons of milk at one time, Mr, Smlthcrs also raises hay, grain and vegetables, fci all of which he and the several other farmers in this locality have ready market at the mines. Looking again from the window on the right hand side of the car you see the farm of Col. W. C. Squires, which it also a hay farm looking still (aither to the light you tee standing on the hill side the bunkers of the Rentnn Coal Co. These bunkers when full hold one thousand tons of coal, from them the coal it loaded in car of ten tons each and hauled over the Columbia and Pugrt Sound railroad to Seattle. A little lo the notth and east of these bunkers It the fnnn of Mr, WaUwoith, It it known as the Kdmund Carr farm, Here they keep a good band of cows, the milk from them It also shlpicd to New Castle and Seattle. The Pugel sound shore railroad posses to the west of ut about two miles. We have the Columbia and Puget Sound railroad passing through our village, It glvet ut two passenger trains dally, east and west. Il wilt not be long before we have two more railroads centeilng here, on will be the Seattle, Walla Wall ami Baker Real estate changed hands to the value of 6,686,731 Six hundred and forty-two buildings were erected in city and suburbs, valued at 2,977,600' The prospects for 1883 are that nearly all of the above figures will le doubled. POMPEY'S PILLAR. f On the south bank of the Yellowstone liver, between Miles City and Billings, a short distance from the Northern Pacific railroad track, ttandt a detached body of yellow sandstone, which rises abruptly on three sides to the height of about four hundred feet. Itt base occupies about one acre of ground. The fourth tide it irregular and broken, and affords a way by which ascent may be made. The rock is known at Pompey'i Pillar, having been so called by the explorer, William Clarke. The most noticeable thing about it is Clarke's name, carved deeply on the face of the rock, about half way up on the north side. At thit place, which may be easily reached by clambering up over the heavy blockt of sand ttone broken down from the body of the cliff, the face of the rock it protected by some overhang ing portions from the sun and storm and the in scription, " William Claike, July 35, 1806," is traceable throughout. It it in old-fashioned script, and is undoubtedly genuine. A modern vandal, who evidently had never beard of the Mr. Smlthert, In company with Mr. Crane, took hit gun and ttarted out for a deer. Mr, S.'i mind was not to much on a deer at coal hunting. Hit Jteps naturally led to the stream, " or at you might say, to his last chance." They commenced the ascent, and after following th bed of the creek for tome distance their hoct were brightened by discovering float coal. This proved that the body of coal was still farthei up. Continuing theii ascent of the stream and using th pick diligently, Mr. Smlther't hopet of yeart wer realised by th discovery of a fine vein of good workable coal, w P. Smlih. Esa.. who lives on th noith bank of Cedar rivei opposite Renlon, has very handsome pleasure garden, where th peopl of Seattle go to hold their picnic. Th house on the farm Is a large and commodious on. This (s kent oocn in summer Gif those who desiie lo get away from the city during the heated term, and no one knows belter how to look afler and supply the wants of his guest than W. P. Smith. Th lawn which surrounds his residence occupies his everv thought. His ireat aim is to make it attract ive and he bat tpenl yeart with thit in view, and it it certainly the finest in thit part of th country. Mr. Smith hat a dairy farm, and milks about thirty cow, the milk from these cow w ma.i inio butter, for which he alway receive th highest price. ... - ....It.. .L On approaching Kmlon wm :eam 17 in Columbia and Puget Sound railroad, who within In following up th valley of Cedar river tap also a large body of good farming land, and It on th direct route across the Cascade mountain through th Snocmalml Park. Th other road will pro. bably b built by torn foreign coronation Into the coal region, R. I. Tiloa. YAKIMA COUNTY. Our tag brush country I filling up rapidly with a good, solid class of peopl. Two year ago our vol was about fiv hundrl and this election aliout tight hundred, giving an Increase of Ihre vole. And they are now reclaiming th dry sag plaint by Irrigation, and lh tag land, when properly Irrigated, it th most productive toll In th country, and w hav a larg domain of lhal quality of land yet vacant, inviting settlers to com ami establish homes fur themselves and families. Beside our sag plains, w hav torn vsllry lands yet near th foot hill lhal an vacant, and lar" amount of high bunch gra, ot labl lands, yd unsettled. Also, lh Yakima Indian reservation embrace perhaps th finest valley lo Eastern Washington, and oar people are now petitioning Congress lo opn up that larg domain for settlement, awl gW what few Indian then tr left on It, tli homestead privilege, instead of th reservation. Titer ar but few Indian on th reserve, ami they xpres their willingnm lo cut louM from Ihcir trlUI relations, ami each on hav piet of land t himself, lhal M can cau hi vs-Ally Dmxtd.