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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1883)
THE WEST SHORE. During the past year twenty daily and seventy four weekly papers have been started in Dakota, there being now sixty-three of the former and 243 of the latter. That a territory with such a allow ing should be denied admission to the Union is absurd, and the probabilities are that congress will be shamed into doing it justice at the next session. The question of a division of the terri tory is still discussed, some favoring the 46th parallel as the dividing line, others preferring the Missouri river, and still others opposing a separa tion of any kind. In size and the certain extent of its population, Dakota would make three good states, and it would seem as though a division into at least two parts would be desirable for many reasons. In a recent interview at Mandan, Roscoe Conkling expressed himself as follows of that portion of Dakota and Montana recently visited by him: "There is no question but that the railroad is doing a glorious work in the opening up of this great northwest. This I realise more than ever since my connection with the road. In this the people, as well as the railroad, have an interest. I hope, therefore, that we shall see less of that of which there is so much ; I mean, a jealousy between these two. This should not be. Both are interested partners in a common cause, and should join hand and work together. Agri culturally speaking, I believe there is not a finer belt of country in the world than that traversed by the Northern Pacific railroad. It seems to me that the only question is one of irrigation. Let this be successfully grappled with, and nothing else is necessary to make this the garden of the world. There is now a great procession on its way to the northwest, composed, not of the poverty stricken nor useless members of society, but men of nerve and of muscle, every one of whom, if he keeps his eyes open and his head level, will do well. These men will cultivate these valleys and place cattle upon these hills, and, in the country west of that great body of water, the Missouri, will develop during the next decade one decade, mind you a country which will be an empire of itself." The question of tree planting on the plains and and valleys of Eastern Montana is one that has attracted more or leu attention. The advantage to agriculture to be derived from it is great. Al ready it U noticed that the cultivation of the soil is producing a change in climate so far as an in crease in rainfall is concerned, and that ih a few sections irrigation is not as necessary as formerly. The influence of forests upon the climate is tti l greater, and tree planting would be highly benefi cial. The value of the trees themselves would be the leading inducement, ten acres of black wilnu being equivalent to a fortune in twenty-five years. Much tree planting has been done In Kansas the past few years, and the experiments promise well M the present time. The Fort Scott k Gulf K. R. Co. has a forest of over 500 acres, those planted in 1879 being now from ten to sixteen feet in in height, and others three years old over six feet To insure 3,000 to the acre when grown, 3,710 were originally planted. The tree is the catalpa, a native of the bottom lands of Kentucky, Ten nessee and Missouri. It makes superior lies, tic, and is excellent fur fine cabinet work. H. H. Hunniwell, a Boston capitalist, has a grove - .y.. u.. JOO .cres, chiefly the ailantus, and many others have groves of varying sites. Black walnut, chestnut, white ash and butternut flourish when planted with the catalpa, and those varieties freely mixed with the others. Among the hundreds of timber culture claims taken in Intern Washington, Idaho and Montana, we hope to see some good groves of valuable trees brought to maturity. The surveys made at the Cascades of the Colum bia, in the work of constructing the government locks at that point, furnish some interesting facts about the volume of water that comes pouring through the Columbia gorge Irom the vast inland empire. Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia con ribute their portion to swell this mighty stream. At extreme low water the river at this point is 600 feet wide and a cross section measures 19,900 square feet) at high water it measures 61,250 square feet, the stream being 950 feet wide. The velocity of the current varies from 5 miles at low water to 18 miles at high water. The quan tity ol water passing per minute varies accordingly from 16,156,690 to 70,093,500 cubic feet. This would be an average of 40,15,095 cubic feel per minute. This would give 21,089,749,932,000 cubic feet per year, a volume of water sufficient to cover to the depth of one fool an area of 751,. 903 square miles ; it would flood the entire stales of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Kan sas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louis iana. The Cascades are 160 miles from the river's mouth, and below that xint it is joined by the Willamette, Iwls, Cowlitt, and other streams. It no doubt receives enough more water from Ihese sources lo add Nebraska to the list. Collect this body of water into a lake with a uniform depth of loo feet, and it would cover the state of Massachusetts. A Dakota exchange says 1 " The habit some New York men have, who are interested In the northwest, of misrepresenting things out here to foreigners, is calculated lo do the country injury. We recently had an interview with a gentleman who came out here on the representation of Ihese New York men, who pictured to him a certain town, with Its fine drug stores, groceries, dry goods and hardware stores and solid blocks of business and residence houses. II cam lo lh town and was disappointed. Instead of what bad been represented he found on of our flourish ing new western towns, with its buildings scat tered, as is always the case with new (owns. It is time this paper town business should cease, and the sooner the better. Th lacts and the truths are enough lo build up this country without mis leading people and thus causing disappointment. Such men as Ihese New York gentlemen should be throttled at once." Though speeulalora of that class are uninterested in Oregon and Wash ington, there ar a few local dealers and specu lators who are inclined to "boom "a little loo hard. We bar a glorious country with resources both varied and valuable, and ara enjoying a healthy growth and merited prosperity. W be lieve that there is no better country in lb world tor an enterprising man, and are pleased lo ac its advantages brought lo lb attention as strangtsi but all efforts lo mislead by praising nny section beyond its just merits should be discouraged br every true Iriend of the northwest. Transportation. A new steamer, called the Alut. has been nut on the route between New Westminster and th North Arm settlement. On the Oiegon & California extension il.. Cow creek tunnel is on the verge ol completion, and in a few weeks the end of the track will reach Kogue river. The C. P. N. Co. has purchased the steamer Yiumitt, and placed her on the route between Victoria and New Westminster. Sh is sSi fret long, 80 feet beam and 21 feel hold, and is finely lurnuneu and lilted up for the convenience of passengers, Work Is being pushed rapidly al Iwo points on the Cascades branch of the Northern Pacific, one being fifteen miles from th mouth of th Yakima, ami the other thirty miles from Yakima City to wards the mountains. Contract has been lei for the first 110 miles, lo be completed al one. Hie enterprising business men of Walla Wall have Incorporated the Walla Walla ft Snak Kiver Kailroad Co., with a capital slock of St.. 000,000, lo build a mad from that city lo Snake riv. It is their intention that their rlty shall maintain its position as lb metropolis of ih In land empire. A map of the Wynmlnir and Montana road has been filed at Ihe Cheyenne land office. Th line lirgins al Fort Steele, on Ihe Union Pacific, and runs parallel lo ih North Piatt as far north as Ihe Seminole oil springs, iliitanci of 100 miles. It is lb supposition lhal lb Una Is In be extended lo Ihe National Park of (lit Yellow stone. The citltcns of Helena hav received aaauianc lhal a branch of th Northern Pacific will U con stiucted from lhat city lo Ih town of Wicket, via. Clancy and Jefferson City. Il will be called the Helena & Jefferson County Kailroad, and will be completed this fall. This Is Ih first of a number of short branches lhat will no doubt b extended from Helena into ill rich mining re gions surrounding her, Helen promises to b an Important railroad center. On Ihe twenty-second of August Ih Iwo tnds of th Northern Pacific wer united, and lhal great entetprls which has been bsforelh public so many years brought lo successful lasu. Th day finally selected f"f lb driving of the golden splk and th other ceremonies of Inrinally opening Ih road, Is the eighth of September, ami tlx plac selected la t point on lh Lllll lllarkfoul, on ih west slo of lh Rocky mountains, Ulwern llellgal river and Ih Mullan tunnel. Tb lllakely Mill Co. Is constructing lugging railroad about four mile In length, up Ih south fork of the Skagit. This will U a suUianllai iron or stcl railroad and will b equipped with locomotive and cars lo do an slrnsiv logging business, a It is Ih Intention lo 11 lend th road into ih Interior a Ih limber holds oal and bu. Beta will warrant. No doubt several such roads will b twill on lb Skagit and Hamlsh within a year or two, lor than appear lo b In only CcticalU way of gelling out lb timber lying k of Pugel suuaj.
