230
THE WEST SHOBE.
lovely and Bocludod valley, ton miles long and from one
to three miles in width, known as " Upper Alsea Valley."
The soil is the rich, deep' alluvium common to the bot
tom lands of that region, and yiolds abundantly in grain.
Grass is excellent and unfailing the year round, and with
an inexhaustible supply of fino water it would seem as if
nothing wore lacking that is desirable for embarking in
the dairy business. The population of the valley is
alxiut 350, who present the appeirance of thrift and
prosjwrity. From there to the coast the mountains are
but a Buccossion of high and broken hills. The river
descends 1,000 foot in passing from the valley to the
ocean, entering the estuary known as "Alsoa Bay " ten
miles from the sea. Flowing into the lower stream are
Five Rivers and Deep Creek, along whose fertile bottoms
many families have settled. There is room for many
more in this region on the bottom land of the streams.
The low land yiolds abundant crops of vegetables, hay,
grain and fruit
Yaquina River is of considerably greater magnitude
than the Alsea, and flows from the summit of the moun
tains westward to the ocean. In its course it receives
the waters of numerous tributaries, some of them of
considerable size and draining a largo area. It thus
Acquires a large volume of water. It is navigable on
tidal water as far up as Elk City, a distance of twenty
five miles alwve its mouth. It has a course of about
forty-five miles. Along its valley, and for miles on either
side, the mountains were swept by great forest fires years
ago, and are almost devoid of standing timber. A luxuri
ous growth of giant ferns has sprung up, usurping the
place of other forms of vegetation, among which the
burned stumps of trees may bo Boon. So thick is this
growth that at a distance the hills present the appoar
Bnoe of being covered with a thick carpet of grass.
Under the fern there grows the wild pa, giving nutritious
food in winter to thousands of cattle. In the gulches
And along the tido Bloughs fine timlwr, lnith fir and cedar,
is found, and considerable lumlwring is boing done.
Four bbw mills are at work, the bulk of thoir product
Iwing oonsumed by the Oregon Pacific Railroad Yaquina
Ray has also sent many ship loads to the San Francisco
market the jwist few years. Along the Btreams is found a
growth of hard woods, such ah curly maple and knotty ash.
Farming And sUx'k-raising is carried on in a Bmall way
along the river and bay, but not on an extensive scale in
any instance. No Buch broad levels are found as are re
quired for largo fields of grain, and though the range for
cattle over the hills is very wide, no one has entered
extensively into the sU'k or dairy business. Nm the
watr are narrow and level strips, and small areas of
cultivable laud are to bo found Among the hills. The
oil haa lieen enriched by the ashes from the burned
forest which have mingled with it, and yields abundantly
on the Utttums and among tho hills when the ferns have
been conquered. Potatoes are everywhere a fine crop
both m to yield and quality, and largo shipments are"
mado to tho San Francisco market Other vegetables
thrive, and the local market la wall supplied with M fin.
vegetables of all kinds as can be produced in Oregon.
The advantages offered here for stock raising have been
but slightly appreciated. Grass sown broadcast soon
attains a thick and vigorous growth, furnishing excellent
food for cattle in a region wholly free from lasting
snows. The natural meadows, also, along the water
courses, supply excellent grass and clover for dairying
purposes.
Fruit culture lwis attracted considerable attention, and
has been entered upon quite extensively by several par.
ties. The largest orchard is on the south bank of the
Yaquina, some five miles above its union with the bay.
Work in planting the orchard began in 1875, and the
trees are now getting into good bearing condition. There
are 4,000 prune trees, 500 plum, 1,000 apple, 500 pear
and a general assortment of cherries, apricots, chestnuts,
walnuts, almonds and small fruits. There are several
other fine orchards, some of them quite large. That im
portant fruit interests will be developed here cannot be
questioned; and the outlet to market afforded by the
Oregon Pacific Railroad and the connecting steamers
which enter the bay, gives to the Yaquina region all the
needed shipping facilities.
Yaquina Bay, now attracting so much attention as a
port, is destined to become a still more important receiv
ing and shipping point for the Willamette Valley than it
now is, as soon as the projected improvements, now far
advanced, are completed; not only that," but when the
harbor is rendered accessible to large ocean sailing
ships, and the railroad connections spoken of below
ore mode, it is expected to take rank as a port for foreign
commerce, to pass over a transcontinental route of which
this will be the deep-water terminus. At present Yaquina
Bay can be enter id only by vessels of draught up to 15
or 16 feet, but it is susceptible of great improvement
A sand cliff rises abruptly on the north side of the en
trance to a height of 200 feet, while on the south the land
is comparatively low and flat In this respect it some
what resembles the entrance to the Columbia, materially'
differing from it, however, in width. The channel across
the bar outside the entrance is about 2,000 feet long, is
narrow and straight, and in rough weather is clearly
defined by a line of breakers on either side. All but 600
feet of this distance is comparatively deep, the remainder
being shallow and until the Government works now in
progress were undertaken was, within certain and regular
limits, shifting. In summer the north winds were accus
tomed to pile the sand in from that direction, gradually
pushing the channel to the south, while the southerly
gales of winter forced it back again. More properly
speaking, there were three channels " North," "South"
and "Middle" each of which in its turn received the
main current The bar consists of sand resting upon
ledge of rocks, being now 12 to 13 feet below the surface
at low tide, and the rocks 24, the rocks being occasionally
swept bare by action of the current To make his action
a permanent one is the design of the work now in progress
by tho government engineers. A jetty is being run from
the point south of the entrance, which is to be wtended