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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1885)
THE WEST SHORE. 191 we nearly completed. The channel in front of the town has a good depth, ranging from twenty feet in low water season to sixty feet in high water, time enabling ocean vessels to approaoh at all times. As Port Hammond 1h the farthest point east where the railroad can le readied by ocean vessels, it is probable that it will become an important shipping point. As a place of residence it will be very desirable, since the climate is mild and quite uniform and the scenery most beautiful. After mentioning sixteen bars of bullion, valued at 144,000, the produot of two weeks' run at the Drum Lura mon; the shipment in April of 1125,000 worth of bullion from the Helena Mining and Reduction Works; the re sumption of work on the Legid Tender and Bonanza Chief; the regular shipment of bullion from the Llkhorn mines on Crow Creek: the steady yield of dust in Con federate Gulch, and the shipment in April of $50,000 worth of bullion from the Gloster mine, the IndeitnuUnt - says: " We cannot begin to enumerate the different duces in the viointv of Helena where gold (hint and bullion is being taken from. Suffice it to say that there are many and many thousands of dollars per month bronchi into our oitv. which is boooming so common an occurrence that but little attention is paid to it How ever, we doom it wooer and right that those living out side of our city should be posted as well as those living in it, hence the occasional publication of these facta." . It predicts that Montana's output of $9,750,000 of gold nnd silver m 18H4 will be excooduu the current year. Mr. D. II. MoNeil. the recently atiointed Govern ment Guide for British Columbia, returned from an ex nlorins trio to the North Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, and also on Valdoa Island. In the valley there is sufficient alder bottom and swamp land to provide aliout twenty-five families with locations. The Gonna district roads are convenient for the land, some of which fronts on the ooast and extends np the VBlley about seven miloo. Two settlers who aooomoanied Mr. MoNoil found good locations, and will begin at once to clear the land f he land of Valdos Island is swamp and marsh, with fine alder patches. Sufficient land is known to locate about fifteen families. There is a cranberry marsh on this iulnn.1 on. I a I art uvnrnl tllnceS where this DOIHllar f Ttllt can be successfully cultivated. On the island there is a strotch of nrairie of about one hundred acres without a stick of timber on it, oovered with a luxuriant growth of grass. There are also other patches of similar land of smaller extent A further exploration will no doubt dis cover that on this island there are other extensive stretches of good agricultural land The Comox Valley offers special inducements to settlers, as there is already a large settlement, with good roads, schools, churches, stores and weekly mail communication by steamer. LOioniii. The improvement the great bands of horses, eattle and sheep which graxe on the Western ranges are eon Bjmtlv uiidorifoins is a matter of congratulation to our stockmen and business men generally, since it indicates increased prosperity of the steck industry and all branches of trade in the least dependent nwm it The vast herds nf Una horned bonv and gaunt Isxas cattle tiial covered fnw VRAM iicm uta rnnidiv ..KAnimriiiir. am in Uieir plaoos are seen fat, beefy cattle worth twioe as much er pound This result has been produced by the imnnrtiilioti of nure blood or grade short horn bulk The range cattle of to-day are the mixed descendants of the long horns and short norns. a ihw more years win work even a greater change, as the short horn uloml still predominate over the native Texan. -This all means greater value per boad and loss excuse per dollar U valoo in handling stock. It also means prsstigt in tho market, which is an essential feature of the highest suo- h in the ptofjc bnninr?n. Tho tr.:uo li L'Uo ul raising, rcrcheron stallions have been put on our rnngos, with tho result of wonderfully increasing the sir.e and value of the scrubby horses so common in enrlior years, rresorviiig all the toughnoss ami endurance of tho dam, tho descendants also partake of the characteris tics o the sire, and Uie indications are that in a few yoaro the most desirable horsos for general purposes will oomo off our Western ranges. It is stated on good authority that the Chicago ft Northwestern Company is determined to push its Ne braska lino through to a junction with the Central Pacific lailroad, at some point in Utah, perhaps Corinne or Pro- montory. If this is so it means a union of the North western and Central Pacific to parallel the Union Pacific The locating engineers have already reached a point in Wyoming near the headwaters ol the Niobrara. I hence the line will push forward to the continental divide at Coal Creek, following that stream to the North Platte and Stillwater, and so westward to a junction with the Central Paoifle, as has been said It is stated that the track will roach the Wyoming line this year, Should tho Northwestern and Umtral raeitlo form an alliance as a transcontinental oomctitor with the Union Pacific, it is very likely that the latter will spring away from its con nection with the Central Pacifio anil strike out for tho western ocean on its own liun. J It lias already done this by building the Oregon Short Luio. Ko.1 Nor will the paralleling stop here, lhe Uhioago, Milwaukee ft ht Paul and the Chicago, lturlington A Ojuinoy have occi dental ambitions, and will not lie content until their iron is rusted by the salt water of tho Pacifio Ocean. The more competitive lines across tho continent the tatter. Tho time is not far distant wheu the lumlwr ot the Pacifio Coast will froolv minule witli tho two nines of the country east ot the Hookies, while the fruits of tho Cascade slopes and valleys will be found on tho humblest tames of the Cast at moderate prices. Aiorihuwiiirn iiumiHTimm. Artesian wells as a water supply for Irrigating are coming into great favor in California. Ten years ago. when Hanta l;lara and im Angeles counties ooniatiiixl nearly all tho Mowing wells in the State, there was natu. rally much doubt whether local experience thero would avail much elsewhere, but during the last decade there has loen such a multiplication of wells in widely distant regions that tho presumption now is in fuvor of success in most places, although tho dnjith to bo penetrated and tho consequent cost vary greatly. There are thirty. five flowing wells in tho vicinity of Pomona, twelve of them within an area or thirty acres, ihoy range in depth from KM) to '200 feet, and it has Iwcn demonstrated that the flow of old wells is not materially diminished by the sinking of new ones in the immediate vicinity. In Tulare County there are upwards of lt, with new ones con stnntly being added. They vary in depth from 1123 foot to 700 feel, and cost from P'M to $1,200. An arte inn well will irrigate from 40 to Il'JO acres of land, depending uHin the size of the well, character of the soil and tho use to which tho land is put My reason ot their flowing ceaselessly day and night, they enable their owners to grow any desired kind of crop, and licautify their homes with gardens ami shrublsiry as much as they will. With the boring of these wells has sprung up a desire for small farms, and tho district has the capability of supporting a large istpulation where before but few could have fouud a livelihood TilB West Hiioiil has often urged the sub ject of artesian, wells upon its readers. Thert are largo triictt ot land where tho soil is ooncodod to bo good, but wboro tho natural rsiufsll is too light fr mwwMful uU
