The west shore., August 01, 1883, Page 174, Image 4

74
August, 1883.
THE WEST SHORE.
quired machinery the development of these in
diutriei hai been seriously retarded.
MANUFACTURES.
ManuacturVig on alT extensive icale in a re
gion cut off from railroad privilege! could hardly
lie expected, and yet the excellent facilities of
fered have been improved to as great a degree as
possible, and commendable enterprise has been
shown, especially in (he establishment of a
woolen factory at Ashland. This institution has
been running successfully for a number of years
and its goods have an enviable reputation through
out the whole Pacific cokst. It was founded on
the theory that U was cheaper to ship the manu
factured article than the raw wool, and the suc
cess of the undertaking has demonstrated its cor
rectness. The mill is large, is operated by a
splendid Water-power, is fitted up with the most
approved of modern machinery, and is in every
way capable of turning out the finest quality of
goods at a minimum cost. Several excellent
flouring mills are in operation at Ashland, Phos
nix and Jacksonville, supplying the whole of
Southern Oregon with a suerior quality of
lour, and no doubt the bulk of the surplus wheat
of this region will, ere long, be shipped nbroad
in the form of flour. Saw and planing mills
produce all the rough and finished lumber needed
in ibis section, which is by no means a small
quantity, The mountains are covered with dense
furesls of fir, yellow pine and sugar pine, while
black and white oak, ash, laurel and maple grow
in abundance on the foothills, in the valley and
along the numerous streams. Intensive experi
ments have been made the past few years in the
culture of amlier cane, and both soil and climate
have lieen found admirably sdaptssl to it. It is
probable, then, that the manufacture of sugar
will be embarked in at no distant day. Splendid
water power exists in numerous localities very
advantageously situated for manufacturing, and it
is but a matter of time when much more of it
will lie utillied than at present.
SOCIAL AND P.nill'ATlONAL.
The first two inquiries made by a man of fam
ily seeking a home in a new cmmtiy are, " WhaU
i inc condition ol snarly ilirie. and what fucili
tics aie nflen-d fur the education of my children ?"
To Ik.iI, of these iniportiuit questions Jackson
dimly ran give a fnvoiablc answer. In the first
place it must be mnruiherctl that this is by no
ii.Mii!. nwly settled country, that It has been
.xeupird by an inlilligciil, industrious and law
abiding population for mie than thirty years.
The pionctis who located here and subdued ti e
v.iMirnes came from neaily every slate in the
I'nion. Many of litem were highly educated and
nil wcic accustomed to the rcq.iiicn.ent and con-vct-irnccs
uT older communities. Here they have
nude their homes and reared their families and
b.ve spa.cd no effort lo give them the advant
ages wjoyed by communities more ck.scly united
to the outside woild. The fact thai ihey have
leen all these years beyond the reach of railroads
has had no power to check the growth of educa
lion. Railroads re but an effect and not a
cause of knowledge. The community hat grown
and prospered by the mutual support of its own
industries and thisroiuerity hat enabled it to
provide even better educational facilities than are
enjoyed by many a community which would ap
peartoasupwficial ohm,., to h, mor, flvo,.
ably situated. The public schools throughout
the county will compare favorably with those in
any portion of the state, while the schools of
Jacksonville and Ashland are of a very superior
order. In the latter place is a college where a
high order of scholarship is maintained, and
which annually receives over 200 siudents of
both sexes. It was recently designated as a state
normal school by the legislature. St. Mary's
school for girls has been an institution of Jack
sonville for many years, in charge of the sisters of
the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, and re
ceives many pupils from a great distance as well
as from this county. Nearly every leading re
ligious denomination is represented, and most
of them have good and some of them even ele
gant church edifices. The daily and weekly pa
pers of Portland and San Francisco are taken in
great numliers, besides instructive magazines and
periodicals, and the three excellent papers of the
county are given good support. The advantages
of a daily mail and the telegraph have been en
joyed for years, and they have little to gain in
this respect by the advent of the railroad, except
in the saving of about a day's time in the receipt
of mail. ,
JACKSONVILLE.
The county scat is Jacksonville, once the live
Itest mining camp of this region and still the
most important trade center. The conditions of
ils existance have gradually changed from that of
a rudely conslructetl and transient mining camp
to that of a thriving trade center for a large ex
panse ol mining and agricultural country. Its
business is firmly established, its business build-.'
ings large and substantial, and its private resi
dences neat and often elegant. It has always
held the position of the leading town of South
ern Oregon, which its enterprising business men
are determined to maintain. It has a population
approximating 1,200, and is beautifully situated
on the banks of Jackson creek, a tributary of
Kogue river, in a western arm of the valley. Its
taxable property amounts to about $500,000, and
is increasing year by year. The advent into this
region of mony new families to engage in agri
culture and fruit raising, which is certain to fol
low the railroad, will lacilitnte the growth of
Jacksonville and increase its business, and the
citizens very properly anticipate a large advance
in in population, trade and the value or real cs
talr. Severn! classes of manufactures could be
conducted here profitably, and their founding is
only a matter of time. The most prominent
buildings of the city, aside from the long rows of
substantial brick business blocks, are the Masonic
temple, Orlh block, United Slates Hotel, the
Presbyterian church and the court house, no
in process of erection. The Inst namal structure
will be of brick on a solid stcme foundation, and
will rnct nlwit.l Cr r. . -n
ii win oe very orna'1
menial in Us architecture, two stories high, and
turmounled by . belfry. The Presbyterian
church is one of the most handsome edifices of
the kind in Oregon. The Methodist and Catholic
denominations also have neat church buildings.
A large flour will i. one of the institutions of
Jacksonville. Two excellent newspapers reflect
the intelligence and enterprise of the citizens.
The Democratic TSma it ably conducted by it,
proprietor, Charles Nickell, and i. one of the
best exponent! of democratic principle! in the
state. The Ortgom Stntintl, published by Frank
Krause, is a supporter of the republican party
and has been ably edited for a number of years
by W. M. Turner. Both papers are excellent
local journals, and make their presence felt
throughout the state in the political field.
ASHLAND.
The second town of Jackson county is
Ashland, situated on the line of the railroad
now being constructed, and in the southern
end of the valley at the base of Siskiyou
mountain. It has a population of about
l,cco, and is rapidly increasing in size and
importance. In the beauty of its location
and the character of its residences, public
buildings and business blocks, it is the equal
of any town of its size In Oregon. In ad
dition to its excellent public school, college
and woolen mills, which have already been
mentioned, it has a fine flouring mill, a saw
mill and planing mill, doing a good busi
ness. Another flouring mill is situated a
short distance from town. Ashland is a thrlv
ing place, and its position as the most south
erly railroad town in Oregon and the nearest
station to the Lost river and Goose lake re
gions, assures it a large increase in business
and population. Its water power is excellent
and capable of being utilized much more
than at present. The leading public build
ings are the Masonic temple, Odd Fellows'
hall, Methodist and Presbyterian churches,
and Ashland college. The handsome resi
dences with their well-kept yards and beds of
flours, the streets and walks, the business
buildings, and in fact everything pertaining'
to the town, present an appearance that in
dicates culture and refinement. The Ash
land Tidings is a spicy independent weekly ,
published by VV. H. Leeds, and is devoted
to the interests of the town nnd Jackson
county. The assessable property of the
town amounts to $250,000 by the assessor's
valuation, having increased largely over the
total of last year.
PHCENIX.
This is a little town lying in the valley on
the road between Ashland and Jacksonville.
It has a good flouring mill nnd is one of the
oldest settlements in the county. There are
twenty other postoflices in the county, none
of which have yet arrived at the dignity of
townR. Stations wil.1 be established at some
of them, however, as rapidly as the railroad
advances, nnd a few, such as Grant's I'a
and Rock Point, will no doubt become busi
ness centers and shipping points.
SIIIPPINO FACIMTIKS.
As has been before remarked, Jackson
county's connection with the outside world,
so far as shipment and receipt of goods and
products is concerned, has hitherto consisted
of the slow nnd cumbrous freight wagon.
The Oregon and California railroad began
extending its line south from Roseburg a few
months ago, and it has already reached nearly
to the northern line of this county. It is the
expectation that the road will reach Ashland
by the first of January, where it will be com
pelled to halt for a few months until a very
expensive tunnel through the summit of
Siskiyou mountain shall have been com
pleted. The Central Pacific is lso extend-