The west shore., August 01, 1883, Page 190, Image 20

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THE WEST SHORE.
August, 1883,
on a large scale are numerous, and several
enterprise! of that character are being con
sidered by capitalists. The Lucia mills just
being erected on the river bank in the lower
edge of the town, are owned by Eugene
Seinplc, of Portland, They are constructed
on the most approved modern principles and
have a dully capacity of 20,000 feet of lumber,
30,000 laths and 20,000 shingles, The build
ing is of good proportions and has more than
the usual amount of outside finish, thus being
an ornament instead of an eye sore to the
city, Occasional cargoes will be sent to
other markets, and to facilitate loading a com
modious dock has been constructed, Thou
sands of acres of agricultural land are being
cleared of the splendid timber growing on
them by settlers making homes for their fum.
Hies, and the trees which arc now a nuisance to
them could be made a source of profit by the
construction of a logging railroad from Van
couver. Such a railroad is being considered
by the citizens, and there is no question but
that it would be of vast benefit to the town,
bringing to it not only the logs but the crops
of a large extent of productive country,
licyond question Vancouver has Its destiny
In its own hands, By the Investment of
their own capital In a few enterprises, the
citizens can build up an Important manufac
turing and shipping point, and thus attract
capital and population from the outside to
come to their aid. One of the first and most
Important of these is a railroad into the fine
tlmlicr and agricultural lands to the north,
with Its ultimate extension to Pugct sound.
This would command a large territory, much
of which, for lack of such a road, is now
tributary to other points. Large grist mills,
saw mills, sash and door factories, furniture
factories, barrel fuctorles, etc., could then be
operated profitably with splendid shipping
fucllties at their command. Other railroads
would be drawn here by the very necessities
of the case, and with such a start, an attract
ive location and splendid town site, the
growth of an Important commercial city
would be sure to follow. The difficulty
about titles to property, which has done so
much to ntard Its growth, Is now at an end,
and that dark shadow no longer hangs like
an tucuhut over the town. The Clackamas
1'apcr Company, so well known on the
coast, has decided to remove the scene of Its
orations to this county. It has secured a
line location on the Columbia a number of
miles above Vancouver, and has begun the
erection of extensive paper mllU, saw mill,
etc. A town has been laid out, and no one
who Is familiar with the gentlemen who
manage the company's affairs, can doubt the
olldlty of this enterprise and the growth of
Important manufacturing Interests, all of
which will be tributary to Vancouver.
Clarke county contains many thousand
cres of fine agricultural land, some of which
has been successfully cultivated for year.
A heavy growth of timber overspreads It all
but when cleared the soil Is found to be rich
nd productive. Grain yields bountifully on
Ihe Milt .d In the river bottoms. Fruit,
.uch a. apple, cherries, rra, plums, ell:.
yield In abundance and are of excellent flavor.
The bottom lands are especially adapted to
dairy farming. Grass grows luxuriantly the
whole year round. Snow and ice never
keep the stock from grass and water, and the
expense of maintaining fine dairy cattle Is
extremely light. Facilities for reaching the
market are good, and the demand for dairy
products is great. Vegetables, also, can be
raised for the city markets at a good profit.
Of the land desirable for settlement there are
yet thousands of acres belonging to the gov
ernment, and that settlers are rapidly taking
homesteads here the population statistics
amply show, The census recently com
pleted by the county assessor gives the fol
lowing statistics of population : Number of
white males, 3,279 j white females, 2,754 !
Chinese, 126 ; Indians, 52 j total population
in 1883, 6,211 ; total by census of 1880, Inclu
sive of residents on the military reserve,
5,547. As the assessor did not include the
last element in his census, it will be seen
that the increase has been about 1,500, or
500 per year. This has not been the result
of a "boom " of any kind nor of town lot
speculation, but is the actual settlement of
families upon the vacant lands of the county
for the purpose of clearing them of timber
and making homes. There is yet room for
hundreds of families In this border county of
the Columbia river, on land which is, to say
the least, not Inferior to any in Western
Washington.
Several veins of an excellent quality of
coal have been discovered in the north
western portion of the county, also both
placer and quartz gold ; but though Its
mineral resources may, and probably will,
prove to be valuable, its timber and agricul
tural lands are enough to render it a popu
lous and prosperous county and Vancouver a
thriving commercial city.
Manufactures.
Morgan & Rider, from Burlineton. Iowa, have
secured three acres of land, about three miles
Irom New Tacoma, where they will erect a sub
stantial building and eneaee in the manufacture
of patent, self-adjusting, spiral bed springs.
J. D. Hurst has purchased the flouring mill at
Aurora, Oregon, and will have D&tent roller ma.
chinery put in with a capacity of 200 barrels per
any, 10 De increased as rapidly as prudent.
A company has been incorporated in Htlfna
with a capital stock of $25,000, to engage in the
manufacture of soap, candles, axle grease, etc
Sprague is soon to have the largest brewery in
Washington territory. R. O. PomW h..
chased five acres of eround and a snrinc ;,,. --k
of town, and will erect a Urge brewery to cost
wo.
The new mill being constructed at Spokane
Falls by Havermale & Davis will he filial
with the gradual reduction system of rollers.
It will cost $80,000, and will be in running order
by February. It, capacity will be 500 barrels of
iiuut per aay.
In regard to manufacturing ln Montana, the
Helena Indtptmintt says 1
The necessity and importance of establUhini
such manufactories in our midst, as will us,.
the raw material we produce here is evident f0,
thereby we save freights on our products to the
eastern states, also upon the manufuctured articles
when returned to us; besides giving employment
to hundreds and thousands of our own popula
tion. No country can thrive unless by diversity
of productions. Aside from mining, Montana
has other resources which bid fair to outstrip that
industry in the annual value of wealth produced.
For twenty vears we have labored and toiled to
open up and develop this country, and we have
succeeded to such an extent that railroads have
sought us out for our carrying trade and our pas
senger traffic. In all these years we have im
ported all manufactured articles we have used
except lumber and brick, for building purposes!
We have not made a pound of iron, although coal
and iron are native here and can be produced in
vastly greater quantities than in Pennsylvania.
For the number of our people we have used more
machinery made of iron, as quarts mills, hoisting
works, saw and grist mills, boilers and engines;
agricultural machinery, printing presses, etc., etc.,
than any other people in America. We have im
ported all our clothing, blankets, carpets and
woolen goods, to the value of several millions of
dollars annually.and have not manufactured a single
yard, and made but a few garments, although we
exported 3,000,000 pounds of wool last year.
Every man, woman and child wears out, on an
average, two pairs of boots or shoes in a year, but
we have not a single boot and shoe factory in the
territory, to make them for our hundred thousand
people. We drove out last year, 50,000 head of
cattle and 10,000 head of sheep, and they carried
their hides and pelts with them. Besides this,
we exported hides and pelts to nearly an equal
amount, in addition to 100,000 buffalo hides, 40,
000 buffalo robes, and a vast number of elk, deer,
wolf, bear and beaver skins. Yet we do not tan
a pound of leather for making into the boots,
shoes, gloves and harness we use, although we
have forests of fir that would furnish tan bark for
all the world. West of the Rocky mountain
range, in Missoula county, are vast forests of the
finest white cedar and pine in the world. Yet
we import every bucket and tub and chum used
by all our people. Neither is a match made here,
although we have the finest grained pine to make
them of that can be found. No furniture except
of the cheapest kind is made here. All is im
ported. We also import every pound of printing,
writing and wall paper we use, and all envelopes,
and stationery. Never has a pound of cotton or
linen been saved by our people for the paper
maker, but all has been burned when worn out
Not a pound of straw has been made into wall or
wrapping paper, although our grain fields produce
enough straw to ten times supply the demand for
the purpose. We exported 9,000 tons of copper
matte and over 4.000 tons of lead bullion last
year, and did not manufacture one pound of them
.L; ... t J . a?
into anyimng. we nave oniy namea a pan
the articles that we import and might manufacture;
and we have clearly shown that Montana produces
the raw material (or the manufacture of every
pound of iron, copper and lead needed by us;
also for every yard of woolen goods, underclothes,
carpets and blankets we consume; also the hides
and skins for our boots, shoes, harness, gloves,
etc.; also the tallow for the manufacture of soaps
and candles; also the horns and hoofs for glue
and combs; also the timber for our tubs and
buckets and wooden ware; also the material
for paper, in all its varieties. Then, when we
know that we have inexhaustible coal fields, to ,
use in making steam, and water power on every
stream, sufficient to turn the machinery of the
whole country, we ask If with the raw maierm
in abundance, and the nower to turn the ma
chinery, is it not time we started manufactories,
at least to supply our own wants, and not to send
our millions abroad to pay a profit to eastern
manufacturers, and to keep in employment lj .
thousands who work for them, while we m
have them come and work here in our factories,
and spend what they earn among us.