THE WEST SHORE. 103 the Government or railrond Lane County has an area of 2,500,000 aores, of which about one-fourth in loVul prairie and three-fourths timber and mountain land. About 1,500,000 aores are surveyed, and 1,000,000 aores in the timber and mountains, are unsurveyed Only 370,000 acres are now settled by a population of 12,000 or 13,000. Land can be purchased in the hills and in the little valleys in the mountains at $1.25 to $2.50 and $5 per acre, and choice improved farming land in the valley at $10 to $30, and near town at $10 and $50, per acre, according to looation and the value of improvements. The opportunities for farming, stock raising, lumbering and manufacturing are groat Splendid water powor for manufacturing exists along noarly all the streams. Lane takes the load in Oregon for the culture of hops, of which thore are numerous fine fields near Eugene City and in other favorable localities. Lane offers a field for varied industries, such as wheat raising, gonoral farming, hop growing, wool growing, fruit culture, stock raising, dairy ing, lumbering, miscellaneous manufacturing and other pursuits. Many highly desirable immigrants are annu ally settling within its limits, either purchasing land in the valley or entering foothill claims under tho home, stoad and pre-emption laws. An important soetion is that lying west of the summit of the Coast Range, a de scription of which will be found under the head of " Tho Coast Region." The chief town and business oontre of the oounty is Eugone City, the oounty soat, lying on the Willamotto River and O. & C. Railroad. This is the loading town in the upper end of the valloy, and has a population of some 1.G00. It possesses the State University, and has a flour ing mill, fruit cannery, furniture factory, saddle tree factory and several othor industries. It is favorably located for steady growth and prosperity. Junction City contains two warehouses and a population of 400. It is the Bolocted point of junction between the two linos of the O. & C. whon the west side line shall have boon ex tended south from Corvallis. Cottage Qrove is a town of 300 people on the O. A C. road, near the south line of tho county, and contains two flouring mills and a planing inilL Latham is a small railroad town containing grist and saw mills. Irving, Goshen and Creswoll are also stations on the road, the last namod containing a flouring railL Springfield, containing a flour and saw mill, Plea, ant Hill, Willamotte Forks, Lowoll, Long Tom and Sius law are othor small villages. The O. & C. runs through the heart of the oounty from north to south, furnishing shipping facilities for the most thickly settled portion. denton oourrr. Benton o:nlraoos an area of 2,000 square miles, ex tending from the Willamette River to tho Pacific, and lying between Polk and Tillamook counties on tho north and Lane on tho soutlu The eastern end lies within the limits of the Willamette Valley, and include thousands of acres of the most fertile arable land in Oregon, much of which has been under cultivation for a third of a cen tury. This is dividud into three gonoral classes pruirio, bottom and foothills. The prairie land, extoudin for miles north and south of Corvallis, the oounty Boat, liea within tho groat wheat belt of tho valley. This is gen erally level or slightly wiling, boooming more broken aa it approaches the base of the mountains. Under careful cultivation this land produces from twonty-fivo to forty bushels of winter wheat to the acre, in exceptional cases" even large fields excelling that limit , The farms are nearly all well improvod, with oomfortable and pleasant dwellings, commodious farm buildings and good fences. Thore are, however, many tracts not yet broken by the plow, ovor which a few sheep and cattlo grajso. Land will soon become Uxi valuablo to be used in that manner. Gtxxl farms can be purchased hero at from $25 to $10 or acre; though tho choice ones, with exceptionally good improvements, cannot be secure;! at such prices. Com purativoly unimproved farms can be bought at much lower rates. A farmer with a little capital cannot do bet tar in Oregon than to purchase laud of this oharaoter in Benton County. Many such havo looatod there tho past two yoars. A few fruit trees are to be found on nearly every farm, whilo a oonsidornbla numlier of extensive orchards have been in bearing condition for years. Such fruit as jwars, apples, plums, cherries, graes, etc., are of sujwrior quality, and tho trees and vines yield abundantly. Along tho Willamette thero aro long stretches of lxt tom land, somo of it overflowed in tho spring timo, which is extromely valuable. This land was formerly covered with a denso growth of fir, maple, balm, ash, scrub oak, hazel, etc, and was olearod with much diflloulty; but it is now well worth oil tho lalr and oxpensoof Improving it Timber and brush still standing here and thero give an indication of tho former condition of nil tho bottom lands. The higher jNirtions of the bottoms make splendid wheat land, whilo the lower booomo natural meadows where tho grass nover fails. Dairying is an important and profit able industry along tho river; also tho raising of vegeta bles. This low land is especially adapted to tho culture of hops. Thero are a numW of hop fields in tho oounty and plenty of excellent laud upon which to start now ones. The foothills lio Iwtween tho prairie land and tho mountains. Here is considerable land oon to settlement, much of which is very desirable. In its natural state It is covered with oak trees and shrulm, Wieath which there is fine pasturage, where sheep, cattle and hogs can lo maintained at littlo exjsmso. This submits readily to cultivation when proxrly situated, giving tho possessor generally a combination of arablo and pasture land Much of this land in its nnimprovod state can Iks pur chased at a nominal sum, whilo land with greater or less improvemenU is held at from $5 to $25 per aero. Thero is also considerable Government land, though not so desirablo as that which is hold for sale. Tho western end of tho county, including the Alsen section, is treated of in "Tho Coast Region" diwcription elsewhere. The seat of justice is Corvallis, situated on tho west lrnuk of tho Willamette River, and approachable by stesuiur from Portland This is one of tho oldest and