The west shore., January 01, 1885, Page 21, Image 21

THE WEST SHORE.
21
"I Bee nothing," said Sir Urban.
" There! there!" persisted the child, excitedly. .
Hut as she pointed, at the sound of the approaching
stops, the forms of the ancestors of the house of Ashford
slowly faded away even from Edna's eyes.
" My darling child," said her father, tondorly, to Edna.
" You must control yourself. These fauoios are not for
the ears of every one." .
"They were no fanoies," persisted his child. "My
own eyes saw them. They are gone now; but they have
told me all! In that cabinot lies the confession of a
crime of which you were innocent."
Spite of his resistance, Edna lod her father to the
cabinet, and entreated him to opon it Drawer upon
drawer was opened at Edna's instigation.
"What is this?" said Sir Urban, at last, "a papor!
It is in Randolph's writing! Good Leavens! what do I
see?" and he read rapidly. "He confesses to having
been the cause of the death of his brother Emorio, and
Ah, Providence is merciful! My iunoconoo is thus pro
claimed! "
Lady Ashford flow to hor husband's arms. All orowdod
around thorn with expressions of wondor and congratula
tion. " Hark! " cried Edna, nestling to hor falhor. " Hark!
it is the organ; it plays again. But now it is a song of
jubiloo!" .
I am told that since these strange occurrences at
Ashford Hall, little Edna lias exhibited no furtlier symp
toms of that peculiar temporamont, which may be fancied
to have connected hor with the spirit-world It soomod
to have boon gonoratod in hor at the period of hor
mother's bitterest sorrow in order to clear away that
fearful cloud on hor fathor's name whon the fitting time
should come. J. Palohavk Simpson.
Adaptation or Sheep to Climate. Sheep adapt
themselves to a widor latitude than any domesticated
animal except dogs, says the Journal of Agriculture.
For more than a thousand yours tlioy have boon raisod
with profit in Iceland, whore the climate is so cold that
few cultivated crops can be prmlucod. They are also
raised with profit in all the countries of Europe and Asia
that bordor on the North Sua. Hlinnp raising has lately
boon undortakon in Patagonia, witli excellent promise of
success. South Africa and all the islands in the Indian
Ocean are found to.be well adapted to the raising of
sheep. Spain and Asiatic Turkey have long producod
most excellent wool, although the climate of thoso coun
trios is very warm. Sheep do well in evory State and
Territory in this country, and are better adaptod to xxr
land than any other domesticated animal exoopt the goat
They utilize the food that grows on hills and mountains
that are too steep fur horses and cattle to climb. Thny
will eat more kinds of forage than any animal excopt the
goat. There is economy in keeping a few shoep in pas
tures that are chiefly dovoted to other animals, for the
reason that the former will eat many kinds of weeds and
grasses that the latter will leave.
UNION COUNTY.
THAT portion of Oregon lying botwoen tho summit of
the Blue Mountains and Snake River, and extending
from Baker County to the lino of Washington Territory,
is known as the " County of Union." It has a superficial
area of 8,400 square milos, the surface being much broken
by the Blue Mountains, whose summit ridge forms the
dividing lino lwtweon Union and Umatilla counties and
the Eagle Crook Mountains, which lie in tho eastern por
tion of the county. Thoso mountains give the country a
greatly diversified character. Into the gonoral mako-np
of the whole Nature has woven, iu a most wonderful
manner, many elements of pioturosquouoss, grandeur and
boouty. Lofty, ruggod poaks, with crowns of perpotual
snow; beautiful little lakes, hidodu in the depths of tho
forests; sparkling streams of cold mountaiu wntor, and
numerous valleys, dotted with thriving towns and vil
lages, all oombino to iniiko Union County an interesting
subject, either from a piuturosque or industrial point of
viow.
Tho climate is as diversified as the surface. It is not
difficult to find looalitius which are subject to tho same
extroinos of heat and cold that prevail in the northeastern
portion of tho United States; and from such a climato, in
a journey of a few hours, one may pass into a tempera
ture where snow seldom falls, or to ono where frosts
come evory month in the yoar. By reason of this diver
sity no gonoral description can do justice to any single
locality or convey a correct iilna of tho wholo. For that
reason we will consider it according to tho natural divi
sions occasioned by the two mountain ranges.
Tho mostwoHtorn portion consists of tho eastern sloe
of tho 131 no Mountains. It is about twenty-five miles
wide and oxtonds the full length of the oouuty. It sii
ports largo forests of timboi, including fir, piue, spruce
and tamarack. Thoso forests abound in elk, deer, bear,
grouse, phoasants, etc., and the streams are full of trout
All the larger streams find their sources in small lakes
among the highest mountains. Along them are narrow
valleys, where the soil is exceedingly fertile, and whero
wild rodtop and several other grasses grow, affording ex
cellent hay and pasturago for live stock. Many places in
tho mountains are suscoptihlo of cultivation, yet but few
settlements have boon made. In tho summer time sheep
hordors and stockmen resort to this region with their
stock, fur here they dud valuable pasturago for shoep,
horses and cattle. Tho Blue Mountains are of volcmiio
formation, ami there are several places which have tho
npxmranoe of having once been craters of volcanoes, and
there are many springs of warm mineral waters.
East of the Blue Mountains, and west of the Eagle
Creek Range, is Grande Rondo Valley, a circular, grassy
plain, thirty milos in diameter. It is one of the most
fertilo valleys on 'the Pacific Slox, well watered, and
vory productive of fruit, grain, vegetables and hnj. Whent
often yields from forty to sixty bushels to tho aero, and
oats and barley from sixty to eighty. It is cut off on the
south by a high range of kills, which extends in an east
erly and westerly direction, oouuocting the mountains on