June, 1883.
THE WEST SHORE,
129
the end of a division, and the necessary round
house, shops, etc., will be quite an addition to
the town. The new road, too, will give it a
prosperity far exceeding anything enjoyed in the
past. . Through it all the San Francisco trade of
Southern Oiegun will pass, as well as lumber and
coal from Coos bay to the Willamette. The
great counties of Douglas and Coos to be opened
up by this road to the coast, are unsurpassed in
Oregon for the richness of their natural resources.
Gold, timber, coal, fish, and agricultural soil of
great richness, combine to assure a future of pros'
perous industry. The coal and timber of Coos
bay have long be-n on the San Francisco maiket,
where the mines and mills are owned. The
celebrated Fort Orford cedar grows all through
that region in abundance, and line varieties of
timber adapted to the manufacture of furniture
are found in great quantities. Coal underlies a
vast belt of country and the road will afford
facilities for opening new veins at convenient
points. As a sheep and dairy country the south
em counties are very superior. From the
Umpqua valley comes the best wool of Oregon.
Small fruits are raised here in abundance and
shipped to the Portland market, and larger fruits
also crow to perfection. This ia a business that
will crow wonderfully in the next few years. As
to the valuable land now available for settlement
in Douglas county, the Mtptndent says s
A large portion of the vast territory embraced
within this county remains unsettled and unsur
veyed, and nearly all of it will be valuable, eilhei
for timber, agriculture or grazing. East of Rose
bure is a vast section of country as yet umlcvel
oped, and we might add, unexplored, as but
little is known of it. The Smith river counlry,
lying north and west of Drain station, is perhaps
the best part of the unsettled portion of the
county, the river heads in the mountains, some
fifteen miles due north of the town of Drain, and
flows nearly due west and empties into the bay or
inlet at the mouth of the Umpqua, two miles be
low the town of Scottsbure. The east fork for
some five or six miles above its junciion flows
through a beautiful, level plain, from one-half to
two miles wide on either side of the stream, with
mall fir timber near the banks, showing that the
country has once been a burn. The land close to
the banks of the stream is higher than back neat
the hills, where numerous prairies of swamp grass,
with scarce any timber, abounds, some of them
containing from fifty to one hundred acres in a
place, which need nothing but a drain to the
rivr tn n,aim lhfm first .(Jut farming land.
From the forks down to tide water, a distance of
eighteen or twenty miles, the bottoms on eacn
side are similar, save that the growth of timber
is larger. Considerable logging hs been done
on the lower part of the stream. The foothills,
or bench land next to the bottoms, are covered
for nearly the entire length of the river, with a
heavy growth of large fir timlier of the iett
Tk. Ari( h.v hrrn cleared out so that
saw log's can be floated the entire length of the
.ir.,m TVir, arc numerous small streams flow
ing from the mountains on either side of the river,
with bottoms in many placet sufficiently wide to
make eood farms. Within tne lasi yi . ;
t-r nf wrmm have settled on the east lora 01 in
.ml .r. .Iut to commence building
wagon road from Drain aero the mountain to
.1 ....1 1 -k;,.h In time 1 extended
SIICII KlllClllCUl, " .(..
dwon the river to tidewater. Application has
been made to the United Statet authorities lot
survey of this country, which we not i 1
made during the present season, as it will Mitel
persons in search of homes to this section and
material wealth to our county.
On. f the Intent resources of Rogue rivet
1 v . iMiinv the ore in the in'
iron. fcn:ii -"- -
terrstsol the Oswego Iron Co . and If t
of the proper quality Dew industry win
spring up in jacason coswy-
LASTERN OREGON. is swampy In character, and two lakes, Mtlheur
I --.1 If . 1! .. I I t C..I..1-.
A new tnun r,lUI I... I l.i.l """7. m m touu.crn ,.. .-711.1
IT.. :n. ... . 11-11 it . . river, a stream of no mean proportions, putt Into
Umatilla county, on Wild lloise creek on the I. , . . ' ,
dge of the reservation. Much building has already
been duiic. The plat embraces sixtv-hvc acres.
Castle Rock is the name of a new town on the
railroad above Alkali. A road has recently liecn
pened to that point from Ileppner, and it will lie
the shipping point of huge quantities of wool and
other products of the interior, as well at a supply
point for a large section of agricultural land now
rapidly settling up,
The Cold Spring country is a fertile section
f Umatilla county now coming into prominence,
It embraces four townships lying north of I'cndle
ton and west of Centerville and Weston. There
much vacant government land still unclaimed,
though older settlers are endeavoring to " smug'
gle " a great deal of it. Every alternate section
the valley in the norlhwett corner, and flows
inuthw.ra' to Utility Lie, and it the souiliwctl
boundary of the Malheur reservation, which hat
hut recently lieen restored to the public domain.
The swamp land referred to pioducet esrcllent
hay in unlimited quantities, while the mountain
ranges surrounding the valley are covered with a
thick crowlh of bunch era, rronmlifd- by all
stockmen to be the finest of wild graste for stock.
Numerous small streams put Into the valley from
all tides, affording abundant water for Irrigating
purpose where reeded. In the northern pait of
the valley the liollom lands along the creeks It a
rich, blark loam covered with tod, while on th
higher ground the tame soil with a '.literal sprink
ling of sand Is found. A heavy growth of wild
rye and rank sagebrush Is found on this, anil the
is railroad land, and this can lie purchased at the I mil hat (he appearance of being able tn produce
regular price. There is an abundant supply ol anything with prnjier care. No attempts al farm
water in the canyons the year round. The roads lug have yet tiern made In the surveyed portion
are good, and grain can be hauled cheaply to the f the valley, The rllmnlt is much the Mine as
railroad or to the Columbia. Helix, the new thai of valleys in Northern California, The most
town in that region, is rapidly becoming a business serious drawback the country now hat to contend
place. with ia the misrepresentation of ill cllmata by
The town of lluntinclnn hat ken laid out in parllet having large ttork Interests In Ihtvlrlnlly,
liaker county, on llurnt river, nliout two miles as these are drlroiit of keeping out tettlert, that
above its mouth. This is a point known fir years they may reap all tha advantage t or llif roagntli.
as Miller's Stuge Station, and was selected at a rent range. Every suggestion In regard to raising
town site because it was the nearest point to grain or other cropt hat been met with such
Snake river where there was level ground enough tlorm nf ridicule from lhoe Interested In dit
to give the necessary room for the Junction of the couraglng such Industries that no attempt at culll
0. R. & N. Co. with the Otegon Short Line, vatlon has been made. When ll It considered
This place has not Iwen announced as the (mint that there are now in the Harney valley and adja.
of union, but the character of the country seems cent mountain aUut 1 50.000 head of rattle, and
to render it the only suitable spot. That Hunt- that the range Is or such rlenl Ihal it is aid lo
m.ion. or whatever point is chosen at the place furnish feed ror this vast numlwr or cattle lor years
n ' . . I . 1. 1 ... . .. i... .1 - ..I- .
of junction, will become a town ol Importance to come, 11 is easy 10 tee wny me rm men .re
can not lie doubled. It will possess large round antlout to prevri,: the settlement of the country.
houses and shops, and will of necrsslly enjoy a
The mountains to the north and northwest of
' 1 .. I. I I.I. . .1 l ..
large trade with the surrounding country, The v.i.ey are cove.ro wnw .
country Immediately surrounding it Is undulating fJg fVtZ
and not as rule suited to farming, but U pecii- . . . ,lle eon,, f IM,t,y q)l
liarly adapted to slock raising, being well watered tn, nrnhoj-any, with ( few stunted pine. The
the year round, and covered everywhere with tjmlrt on the north, however, It of good nimllty
luxuriant bunch grass. W, uteri a t m id, and ,,,,, ,,y ,hm , w,e-.
mow seldom falls more than nx Inches deep and (tle(, , (,,, it ,MMI joo. nd It Increasing
never lies long enough lo do any harm. The r.(.dly. The prtneliial sciilcmenl It In the north-
Willow creek and Malheur valley, ar. about l iTruuuiZ
wenty miles soulhwe.1 from here and are rapidly g M w, ,,, ftrt ,. t. r,lkf
settling up. This will te Ilia natuiai ouiiei 101 who ,Mrt ,ht, fr-;,;n AU danger from
Iheir products and the place where they will re- Indians now ran f tald lo Iw safely passed and
celvethei, supplies. It is also the nearest pom, - "' ,,h;';
on tha toad to Washington mining dltliscl In . Mc lUlnt1. now ah.ndon.il at mill-
Idaho, which it now attracting the attention of hary pott. Ther It but little grain In Harney
eaoitallsts from all parts of the counlry, while valley, tni init worm tit ,0 o.
eapnaiitis 11 u , , k h UmUt worth Ijo iwt M tl
only nine milet away (in Urrgon) u ,e..eu 1 oe ciM u u JlQ f M
Ilv Hone silver mine, Ulievetl to U one of the
best propertiet of the kind on the coast, Ills
now In the hand of a Salt Lake comny, who
will toon erect machinery fur working lb ote.
Coal hat been discovered in small quanliliea
few mllea tr-ulh. and though never pimpecled lo
any extent, It la thought that coal can U t'Miui In
paying quantitiet with Ijght eapente.
Hartley valley It the largest Uly of agricultural
land in t Want county. It lie 4 mih 1 smihea.t
of The Dalle, from whence it draw It stipples
oavine (out and one-hall cent per pound (4
fjeit-ht. AbotH thrtw-frainh of tht emit valley
The latter figure I higher than theft It any
nerrtsily for, at ll rmild U haukd fit lrt wlrh
very gKl rntrgln tor prolil, as mi it irg
mailt lT larxl graMwr lo make lh anllrt vallry
a swtn.p land illsnH, and lhl will frrxl lo ills
rrtge Immigration lo rnnsMcrtbU extent,
Te line of the WllUmette Valley and ( WU
Mdilar Wagtm IOkuI tomttny !" Ihtotif
I he valley, and whi'e there rt nn i!'iU thtl thlt
nwpoitliofl ht no right lo eUlftt any of the laml
fotmetly tn. Iled In ll Malheur reialkit, U
U certain lhal th'y will altrmpl l do tn, and I lot
i! ItkewUi have h Inflornce In disemirsglnf
tettU-menl. Ie.!!9 thlt, Harrtry valv in few
year will U ihm of the rmt ttrtile arul thriving
ditlriett of Orrgow.