The West Shore.
VOL. 9 No. 8. 1 u 8,,1' wwr.
I i Front Ht,
Portland, Oregon, August, 1888.
Intend t th
PlMtufBM,
rr Annnm, I Mnli inl
too. I .u!
Craigie Sharp, Jr.,
Is fully authorized to transact business for this
publication.
SPECIMEN NUMBER.
Any one receiving this copy of TllR West
Siioub will please consider it an invitntion to be
come a regular subscriber.
SPECIAL NOTICE.
The September number of The West Shore
will be an agreeable surprise to our subscribers.
No expense has been spared in preparing it, and
it will be in full keeping with that event about to
happen which is so full of promise to the great
northwest, the opening of the Northern Pacific
railroad.
In the grand demonstration she is now prepar
ing, to celebrate the completion of the Northern
Pacific, Portland is simply doing what would
naturally be expected of the largest city of the
noithwest, the city to which the road brings the
must benefits for the present and the greatest
promise for the future. Her gratification as ex
pressed in the procession, decorations, illumina
tions, banquet, etc., will be typical of the
widespread and general feeling of joy throughout
this whole region, and will be so considered by
the recipients of her hospitality. In Portland
they will recognize the representative of this vast
region which is already pouting forth Its treasures
to sustain and enrich the world. The celebration
will be on a scale in keeping with the greatness
of the occasion and the magnitude of the region
thus made to speak its sentiments, and the $25,
000 necessary to carry out the programme have
been raised with scarce an effort. Were $50,000
necessary it would be cheerfully contributed.
Several papers, published at various places,
have taken occasion to make unfavorable com
ments upon the fact that there have len business
failures in Seattle, and to assert that they are but
the precursors of a general collapse in the business
of that Enterprising city, owing to over specula
tion in real estate. These statements are untrue
in fact and unjust in spirit. There have been but
two failures in Sealtle, and neither of the un
fortunate parties owned a foot of city real estate.
One of these (ailed because he trusted his business
in the hands of other parties, and the other lie
cause he attempted to handle more business than
he had capital to carry. Such failures are con
stantly hapcning everywhere, and there is no
just reason why Seattle should be singled out for
unfavorable criticism. To carry urban rivalry to
such a degree is wrong and should be stopped.
It not only injures the city in question but has an
unfavorable effect upon the reputation of this
whole region.
It is unfortunate that dyspeptic must travel, but
still more unfortunate that newspapers permit
themselves to publish their incessant growls about
everything Ihry see, hear and eat. They can not
e things a others do, but draw their own In-
pressions through the medium of their diseased
stomachs; and these are not generally so valuable
that papers should crowd out interesting matter
to give them space. A communication of this
kind recently appeared in one of our city dailies
from a man who passed over the Northern Pacific,
his stomach being chiefly aggravated by the stage
journey across the gap. Ciilmer, Salisbnrv &
Co. have on this line as fine stage accommoda
tions as can lie found in the world, and no one at
all familiar with stage travel would for moment
think of finding fault with (hem. The transition
from a Pullman car to a singe is certainly a
violent one for a dyspeptic, but he ought to have
sense enough to censure his stomach and not the
stage company.
The attention of that class of people in the east
who are entertaining thoughts of coming west and
settling upon government land but are constantly
deferring the time of departure for comparatively
trivial reasons, is invited to the following (acts
gathered from the report of the commissioner
general of the land office. During the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1883, there were 35,211 more
entries of land made In Dakota, Florida, Kansas,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska,
Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin than during
the previous year, representing an increase of
3,565,834 in (he number of acres taken. In
Washington territory cash sales advanced from
71,314 to 250,106 acres homesteads from 231,132
386,778, and timber cultures from 87,524 to 143,.
412. This gives a total of 780,296 acres of gov-
ernment land taken up in that territory during the
past year, besides which were thousands of acres
of land purchased from the railroad. If the
hesitating farmer does not see In these statistics a
reason for making his move westward quickly
as possible, or if the cautious manufacturer and
capitalist can not in them discover the prop, and
,tay for large enterprises here, it will be useless
jor us to attempt to point them out.
The elevator system of handling grain, similar in
its general details to the method now in vogue in
the east, is about to be introduced In the north
west. Elevators will be erected at the chief ship
ping stations in the wheal regions, and larger
ones at Albina, New Tacoma and later at Seattle.
The one at Albina will have a capacity of 45,0-0
tonsand cost$ 800,000. The farmer will I saved
the expense of buying sacks for his grain anil ran
thus afford to pay a small price for Murage.
The facilities for unloading wagons and loading
cars will I such as to reduce ibe cost (o a mini
mum. The same will I the case with (he un
loading of cars at Albina and other leimlnal
points. It is by no means the Intention to ld
vessels In bulk as is done In the east, but the
grain will I sacked in the elevator before bring
run Into the hold, and this will be dor at the
least possible expense. The Hanger from a shift
ing of the cargo, hen grain Is shipped In bulk,
especially on a voyage of 00 great a length as
from this coast to Liverpool, makes ll necessary
for all grain to U sacked b' shipment.
Under this systsm Riain can taken from the
farm and placed on bosrd the vessel In much
quicker time and with far less expcnie and labor
to the fanner, dealer and lranttortalion company
than by the old style of hauling it In sacks.
Every improvement of this kind enhances the
value of grain in the hands of the producer, and
thus Increases the general prosperity of the
country.
In Montana and Idaho anil certain portions of
Oregon and Washington where Irrigation Is neres
sary, the mailer of procuring water by means of
artesian wells Is receiving some attention, but not
as much as its lmiortnnre seems la demand,
There are many thousands of acres which only
require water to make Ihem highly productive,
and which would be eagerly taken by settler
were the mailer of irrigation settled in a satis
factory manner. Where large tracts can I sup
plied by a ranal running (mm some stream, It
becomes simply a question of capital, ami many
companies ate being nrganlrrd to construct th
necessary ditches and sell water to the selllcr.
In this way vast arcs heretofore considered no
lielter than a desert, are being reclaimed ami con
verted into gieen fields but lhr Is a class ol
land lying higher up and beyond th reach of any
ditch, which Is equal if not siipeiior to that of
the lower bench, and ll is for this class that lh
artesian well prolines to be so beneficial. A
good flowing well will furnish water enough In
irrigate a quarter section, though Ilia amount of
water that will be supplied lr any particular well
it absolutely uncertain until after It la completed,
so greatly do they vary. Windmill pumps for
oidinary wells have liren tried, but Iheir rapacity
isentirely inadrquate. Enough experimenting ha
Iwen done to show Ihe practicability ami value of
artesian wells in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and
Nevada, (lood flowing well have been made,
which lid wonderfully In reclaiming desert lands.
In the lava beds of Knakt river, Idsho, I lis
Oregon Short Line secures lis walrr supply in llil
manner, A well ol from 300 In Joo feel will cost
fiom $1,000 to $1,500, and will Ik a permanent
source of supply, requiting but llltl ewne lo
keep ll in condition. One of Ih recommends,
lions is that having lh well on Ids own premises,
ihe owner can be entirely indcindrnt of any
ditch company or factious neighbor. Wt would
like In se espcrimenlal welts driven In (twry
iretion needing nmistur by artificial mean.
Th agricultural implement factory rvrtnily
established by llyron Jackson in Wall Walla
employ forty men. Th siiwrinlrn.!rnt said to
a reporter of Ih Union x "llynrst nn w
will quadruple our manufacturing capacity, ami
have our husineu syttemsllred. W then propos
lo manufsrtur grlrulturl Implement of all
kinds, from a thresher lo a sulky or gang plow or
harrow. A vti is lb Norther IVlfk I
through w will Import hrd wood In urh quan.
title that can manululur In competition
with eastern work, and not only that, w will also
manufacture traction, ptwtabl ami stationary
gim of ill and w lv Intend turning not
Ih hrnofls California wind mills on a lrg sral '