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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1883)
February, 1883. THE WEST SHORE. a. A A- ..,t,:k ... 1.. ... 1 1 I. . . . , v 7 H mm to the depth of two hundred feel, .ml The principal town. are, Roaeburg, Wilbur. M u. f .f .uC .Am.... wnicn snows abundance of rich ore. The e inn., n.kl.n.l r..r.lin Twin, ci.),,, xi..ii. older, and settlements become denser these bodies bar ore in these mines varies in quality from three Creek, Canyonv.lle and Riddleburg. Roseburg of timber will become mines of wealth. to twentv-five ir mi. .,f i,M n( ;. .1,. . n...i.i.i. . .i wnicn is considered rich mrk. lliouwnd oeople. and on of the healthiest, and productions and inpustriks. prettiest villages in Oregon, reminding the traveler The soil of Douglas county, especially the rich of the neatness of the New England villages. alluvial bottoms along the.river and creeks, pro- Oakland Is the next largest town, a place of con duces immense crops of wheat, oats, barley, corn, The county is drained by the Umpqua river, with its north and south branches, and all their numerous creeks and affluents. Springs of pure cold water break out of the hills in all directions, and there is no part of the county which is not abundantly supplied not only with pure healthy water (or all purposes of the farm and household, but also for water power to drive mills and ma chinery. One of the best springs of mineral water on the Pacific Coast, breaks out of the hills at Snowden, n .-j . 1 it ... . ... ... uax kcq, ana an tne cultivated vegetahlcs 01 tms latitude. Douglas, and its neighbor, Jackson county, is the only region of Western Oregon where corn can be raised at a profit. In the Willamette valley the nights are rather cool for this grain, which demands elxnit one hundred on the O. A C. railroad close to the town of days of hot weather for Its perfect maturity. Drains. Here Dr. Fayton, an able and exper ienced physician, has erected a fine hotel and other accommodations to which hundreds of inva lids annually resort for the use of this mineral water. MINERAL WEALTH. The mineral wealth of Douglas county probably exceeds that of any other county in the state. And while it has been known to exist for years, yet for lack of the means of transportation, and the want of capital at lower rates of interest than has hitherto prevailed, there has, so far, been veiy little done to develop this natural resource of wealth. Sympathizing with the spirit of the whole Pacific slope, the first object of all prospectors of the county has been to find mines of gold. These have been found in this county, it is true, and many rich mines are known to exist which are yet untouched for want of water to wash down the hills, yet the real and sure mineral wealth of Douglas county consists in the more commonplace commodities of coal, lime and hy- In the line of live stock, Douglas was for a long time one of the leading counties ol the slate, but as the grain fields have absorbed the rich natural meadows, the area of pnslurnge for cattle has so siderable importance, and the center of the present mining Interest of the county. Drains la a flourishing village at the noith end of the county, and the point where the traveler leaves the rail road to cmas over to the towns on Coot Day via Scotlshurg. Gardiner it the seaport of Douglas county, which, although not on the ocean, It ec cessihle to deep water vessels. It was once a cily " of great expectations," but the construction of the railroad on the Inland route of commerce hat cut off much of lit tiade. Wilbur It the educa lionnl centre of the county and the scat of an diminished as to materially reduce the number of academy under the control of the Methodist d. cattle raised. In sheep husbandly, Douglas is still the banner county of the state In proportion to its area; and must annually tutn off at least a quarter of a million dollars' worth of wool. For merly large quantities of hogs weie raised and the pork converted into bacon; thuscondensingthecrop into the smallest and mint valuable bulk, so as to facilitate transportation) and many is the team, with its jolly driver, we have seen hauling bacon all the way from Douglas county to Portland, two hundred miles, before the railroad was built, and making a round trip, returning with the years supply of groceries, in about two weeks. In the matter of fruits, Douglas county is a most fruitful land. On the lint settlement or the valley, the settlers found strawlwrrics, rasplierries, blackberries, grapes and plums growing wild In abundance. nomination, and offers a complete course of in. it rue I ion In all scientific and classical studies. It is most beautifully located In a grove of wide spreading oaks, which give a picturesque charm to the landscae. " Myrtle Creek," to called from lit location on that creek, and In the vicinity of a great forest of the evergreen myrtle trees, It a town of large local trade, and It making a steady growth. Rlildleburg Is a new town lately sprung up in a day on the extension of the O. & C. Railroad, and Is located In the center of a rich and productive region, Canyonville Is the gale to a forbidding defile through the Umpqua mountains, and through which "fighting Jot) Hooker," when only a lieutenant, made a govern mrnt road away back about the year iHto, In this vicinity Is found the vrlna tf gold, silver, Of the culllviled sorts, applet, I copper and nkkel and the time will com when Canyonville will be the centre of great mining district, employing thousands of buy opk Douglas county can boat of some of the largest and must priMierous hutinru house In Ihe ttate outside of the city of I'oriUnd. The houtea of 8. Marks k Co., and Abrahams & Co., at Roselmtg, would lie a credit to any eliy of a hundred thousand people in in atrrn state. RAILROADS AND TRAMroRTATION. The transportation facilities of pouglat county draulic cement, Many quarti veins bearing silver have been lound, but none so far, that will justify I peaches, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, and Ihe working at the present prices of labor and ma- whole line of berries, are produced in great quan chinery. Copperand nickel have also been found, titicit, and of the finest quality. 1 he liner varle but no permanent workable mine has yet been I ties of California and foreign grapes are lielng In r I opened. Veins of valuable coal have been found I troduced, and seem to stand the climate well, and both in the Calapooia range, and on the route of I produce fruit of fine quality. the railroad proposed to connect Roseburg with In the matter of manuiacturing inousm, Coot Bay. Large and valuable deposit! of lime Douglas county has, so far, butlitlletoshow. The and cement have been found in the neighborhood ercI,t mass of her population having been engaged of Oakland, and althouch sufficiently tested to in the ouiet pursuits ol isrining ami sioc-ri.inK, " . 1 .... . . Drove the intrinnir value nf the limestone and ce- .v..,. ... horn hut little demand lor ine inousmci ment rock, vet no nnenin has been made to ...1 ..,..,!!. developed and necessary to denser enlst of the outlet lo th oreart at Gardiner, . . . ' . u)' 1 . I... I 111. 1... I. In 0-,.ll.ljUllf work th. m n aa a hut naa. I ...I n.mrivi itan Population, oiuii I wnicn iciiuima nui"' .-... . But the most notable undertaking to develop mnin6( .ufficient to show the value and profile- ,d transfer by river steamer lo Oer.mier, to make lines in thit county, it that of the Quicksilver We employment of capital In this line, ha. been l, ,vallable and by th lln of lh O. C. Rail- Mining Company which it now working the mt(le. Mill, for the manufacture 01 ittn.uern. mH, h' "ow " "Nnfinara-it Mitt ' in tt. wiinilv nf Oakland. .v...i,,ii ihe county, and fir and cedar lum-1 entire length of the county from north to toutn. This company hat expended on tunnel., thaft. fur , home demands, and ihe construction of J; and openings of the mine, and in reduction fur- lhe railn.axla it being produced Vast quinliii "J jj,' m ey7 U;(,n(t naces. DrobablvoverSioo.ooo. After a lone battle i .u ist. which can be and will J utillKd becomoleied and the whole line finished with all sorts of difficulties, most of which resulted for .cricultural implements and lurniiuie. n..o lhr,lUh w , tmnecl ruriiann, uieg.m, wi.n from the want of competent and experienced men for ,he finer articles of cabinetware, the evergreen mvrtle and wild cherry lurnisn ma.eriai . g.. strength, tolidily and beauty, and capable of lak ininn the hiuhest polish. Of the miscellaneous arts ami Bini,i.m 11 1 I iamuiiw and l n,..ir.nf mint, orrwene. iii;i !h like, their establi-hmenl keeps up wilh tl erowth of the county, ToWNS Ai rirui.ii.-, to build the furnace and manipulate its working, the company are just now beginning to reap tome reward for their persevering efforts and generous outlay of capital. One hundred and twenty-five flasks of quicksilver worth thirty dollars a fluk, have recently been shipped, and the outlook for the future is very encouraging. Near the "Non pareil" it the "Bonanza," also a quicksilver mine, owned bv Ihe Dourlas Quicksilver Mining Co., with a nominal capital of $100,000. This com- thou pany ha not yet commenced active operations on itt own account, but has leased its mine for ten years to the other company,' which has optased The popu'ati-.n of lhe county is nw sul tm ouund,a..d ir,.-rca.i.,g.ith a steady jM1 .1. ii h mourees to employ and growth. And It , ha. 'a'c"Z Jco. M and ber t-upl. hav tv.ry reasoe, to con Support a population a. Irg. a. th. Jrt.1 of UH ammS!nM "lb. ci W nectlcni. han Vr-inclsco, Callloinia, Iry th ntl ol the present year. Then lh great travel and Had Uiwecn the o slate will past through th county. Anoiher line of railroad It pr.jid from Rotelmrg to Coo llay f lh vallry of th t'iKuill river. Thit promi to b of great Uf 10 lit county In dvhing th l w imrce of coal and llirilur al'ig lh line, ami affording ajiortamldlreeteonrieclion with ocean enmti W. Ks-Gov. Chxlwkk U at lh hd of Hill eoleiplisc. nu it uiiniM wj (j..,.....-. wiih ampl catiiial living in S411 I'iiikwu Alt'gether lU pfntpen f Ioogl county ti treotKl to no portion of Oregon or lh rati fie Coast, am graivjurw I
