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