98
THE "WEST SHORE.
60,000 to 100,000 persons; and a greater numW, of
uuuibo, uuu Utu uoimitioim of trade and agriculture shall
liave advanced. At present such track yield no income
to any jiorson, excepting the few who gi axe cattle or sheep
in the more ojien spots.
Other features of the Willamette Valley will appear
in the following descriptions of the social resources and
advantages and tlio general condition of tho various
oouutiea lying within its limit, or in tho accompanying
remark on other pagca ujkiii tho climate, various indus
tries, etc.
MULTNOMAH COUNTY.
The smallest, liut nouo the less tho richest and most
' jKiptilous, county in the Ktate is Multnomah, lying along
Wh sides of the Willamette near its mouth, and extend
ing along the south side of the Columbia from below the
mouth of the Willamette to the Cascades. Multnomah
County consists chiefly of tho city of Portland. There is
surrounding it considerable good land for farming pur
poses, lying in small patches among tho hills and aloilg
tho river, and a wealth of timW covers all the upland
and mountains, contributing its. quota to tho sum of the
city's prosperity. There are many desirable spits where
vegetables, eta, can be profitably raised for the city mar
ket, which can tie had tijioii reasouablo terms, and good
opKrluiiitiea aro offered in that business to one who
understands it Dairy farms, also, offer an inviting field
for intelligent enterprise.
I'OHTLANIl AMI ITS Hl'lll'IIIIH.
The city of Portland lies on the weal bauk of tho
Willamette Ilivor, twelve miles aliove its confluence with
the Columbia. Its site is a lsautiful sloie, gradually
rising to tho ridge of fir-dad hills at its liack, into which
the city is rapidly extending. 'It also spreads up and
down the stream, occupying several miles of good harbor
front, much of which is bordered by expensivo and com
modious docks and warehouse. Opposito, on the oast
bank, are East Portland and the town of Alhina, both of
them practically a portion of the city, with which they
are connected by four ferry lines, and to which will soon
be added one, if not two, sulmbintial iron bridges. Sell
wood is a small residence suburb adjoining East Portland
on the south. Kt Johns, several miles down the stream,
is a river shipping point
Portland may lm said to lie the crystalixed effort to
fttlablish a city at tho head of deep water navigation, as
near as poaaililo to tho great agricultural region of the
Ulamette alley, ami yet located so as to command the
tratle of the npiter Columbia. Other iminU were chosen
before this one, and many rivals have sprung up and
lived a precarious life for a brief lime, but the inevitable
law of "natural selection " decreed that Portland should
survive them all ami becmne the melro.lisof the North-
west flic city lias now a firmly etnblihod trade, ureal
concentrate capital, and vast sums invevted in busim
and improvement; MmNe several miles of solid busi
now Mocks; is protected from fire by a large and eflicient
firs departuiaut, auJ supplied with tht ulectrio firs alarm;
has three street railway companies, whose lines traverse
the city in all directions; enjoys Uio conveniences of tLq'
telephone and tho advantages of the electric light, and
iiosseHses complete systems of gas and water works.
. . . a, a n Art Ann'
During the past three years more man $iu,uuu,uw
have been expended in building improvements. A whole-1
sale trade of upward of $40,000,000 annually is transacted
with the merchants of Oregon, Idaho, Washington and
evon more remote sections. The annual value of manu
factures oxceeds $11,000,000. In 1884 foreign exports
amounted to $5,048,118, and domestic to $0,284,735. The
.lomestio imports were $18,080,129, and foreign $1,013,800.
The mordants handled 5,045,102 bushels of wheat, 403,463
barrels of flour, 8,942,517 pounds of wool and 3,578,074
munds of hops. These statistics indicate a city of vigor
ous growth and healthy business activity. The railroad,
and shipping facilities are such that Portland can be
made a great manufacturing centre, and as such should
receive the attention of capitalists. Educationally and
socially the city compares favorably with those of like
size in the East. There are six large graded schools and
a high school, founded upon the most advanced system
of education, and conducted by a corps of experienced
teachers. There are, also, two excellent business colleges
and half a dozen denominational schools and academies.
Nearly all tho religious denominations are represented,
and have oomfortahlo odificos, some of them quite com
modious. M
Besides lieing at the head of doep water navigation on
tho Columbia and Willamette, and thus being the ship
ping and receiving punt for this region, Portland is the
railroad city of tho Northwest. Both the Northern Pa
cific and Union Pacific make this the ojierating terminus
of thoir overland routes, the latter by its new line known
as the " Oregon Short Line." The Northern Pacifio has
a line north to Pugot Sound The 0. R. & N. Co. has a
line running up the Columbia and branching out into
the various sections of the great wheat and stock region
oast of the mountains. The 0. & C. road connects the
city with Rogue River Valley, passing directly south
through the State It also has a line to Corvallis, run
ning up the west side of the Willamette. A lino of
narrow gauge road runs up the valley on each side of the
river, and the Oregon Pacific runs from Yaquina Bay to
Corvallis, where it connects with the 0. & a Steamers
in great numbers ply on the Willamette, Columbia, Cow.
lit and other tributary streams, all of them centreing in
Portland, and a Hue of ocean steamers plies' regularly
Mwecn the city and San Francisco. The position of
Portland is that of the natural metropolis of the North
west, and all thnt is necessary to maiutain it as such is
enterprise on the part of its citizens and the establish
ment of the many industries for which it offers superior
facilities.
CLACKAMAS COUNTY.
Lying Wtween Multnomah and Marion, and extending
irom a lew miles went nf tl.niv;ii u. t- ,
., , "nim-iMj juver io uie
uinmit of the Cascade Mountains, is the county of