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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1886)
232 THE WEST SHORE. miles. The Hi unlaw ig the natural railroad route from tho upper end of the Willamette valley to the ocean. The bay offers a good harbor, easily accessible now to coasting vessels, and capable of being made bo for ships and steamers of deep draught The bay extendi inland in the form of an estuary a navigable distance of twenty five miles. That a railroad will sometime be constructed fioiii Eiiyoiiu City to Siuslaw bay admits of little doubt, and that the bay will be the ocean terminus of some transcontinental route is extremely probable. Both the Chicago and Northwestern and the Union Pacifio are looking closely into the question of routes across Cen- tral Oregon and ocean terminal points, and the advan tagns of the Siuslaw can not escape their attention. The Oregon & California road travorses the county from north to south, passing through the m.mt important towns and cities. This road will soon be a portion of a through route between Portland and Han Francisco, as the gap in Northern California is being rapidly closed np, and connection of the two roads is expected to be effected liefore the close of 1887. From Junction City to Corvallis, the terminus of both the west side division of the Oregon & California and the Oregon Pacific, run ning to Yaquina bay, a line has been surveyed, uniting tho two divisions of the Oregon & California. This will, no doubt, le constructed, and give Lane county an other route to Portland, as well as an outlet to Yaquina Imy. Hleamers ascend the Willamette as far as Eugene City, and offer additional transportation to the Portland market The narrow gauge road of tho Oregonian Kail way Co, entera the northern end of the county, termi nating at Coburg, seven miles north of Eugene. Ita other terminus is at Hay's Lauding, on the Willamette, above Oregon City, whore it connect with steamboat for Portland The following communication from Dr. J. P. Oil), an old and influential resident of Eugene City, states suc cinctly some of the advantages amWieeds of Lane county: Sixteen years ago I came up the valley from Port land, having just arrived from San Francisco, after a trip across tho plains and mountains. We passed ovor so much riub soil from Chicago to the Rocky mountains that we could not help asking ourselves " why leave all such flue land and journey to a laud so far away?" We did not fiud Utter land, but we found land good enough, and when we got to the head of the valley and anchored io Eugene City, we could not wonder at the exclamation of delight of Vioa Presidout Colfax, when looking north down the valley. With cool nighU after the warm days, with freedom from noxious insect, mad dogs, cyclones, destructive lightning, and so many other pests that in! f.t the summers of the old homes we left behind, with out the snow and ice of tho winters, I say to fiud our solve away from these make it seem that we are in fa bled Elysium. What have we at the back of all this? We raise plenty to eat and a largo surplus to sell. We have great undevelojietl mineral resources. There are nunilers of poor men rosecting in the mountains, and their fluda iu any other country would I worthy the at tention of capital; but here where capital is lacking our mineral wealth will have to wait tillcapital aids, or till the poor miner can work a plan to reduce his own ore. I hear of men who feel confident they have ores that can be reduced by cheaper methods than have commonly been UBed. This beautiful town will one day be a great center for legitimate mining enterprises. I know of rich ores that would be bringing in vast wealth to the state if found in any other state than Oregon. Oregon inns are an agricultural and pastoral people, entei prising enough, but no speculation in them. The poor man can not find any provision made by the legislature to help him to an assay or working test The state has profes sors in her colleges to make scholars for any business but what the state needs a development of her ores. I don't think we turn out one well qualified expert in mines and mining from the colleges of the whole state. The county seat and chief commercial point is Eu gene City, lying at the head of navigation on the Wil laraette. It is one of the most beautiful, prosperous and enterprising cities of Oregon. The view on pages two hundred and forty-four and five will give a good idea of the general appearance of the city, the site and sur roundings. It is the natural trade center of a large tract of country, and has no rival within forty milea -It has a population of two thousand people, .intelligent, thrifty and prosperous. The streets are broad, laid out at right angles and are lined with, handsome Bhade trees. It possesses twenty-nine substantial brick business blocks and a number of handsome residences, two banks, eight general stores, twenty-two other stores, two breweries, five hotels and a large number of shops and places whore minor industries are carried on. Its manufac tures embrace leather, flour, woolen yarns and hose, fur niture, carriages, vinegar and evaporated fruits. Other and largor industries would find this a desirable loca tion. Three newspapers, six churches and a public school building costing 112,000.00 testify to the intellec tual and moral character of the people. The State Uni versity, a view of whose imposing buildings is given on page two hundred and thirty-three, is located here, and is one of the loading educational institutions of the Pacifio coast The edifices cost $100,000.00. A few miles east of Eugene City is the town of Springfield, with a population of three hundred, and containing three stores, several shops, a flouring mill and a sash and door factory. It is an incorporated town, in the midst of a good farming country, lies close to the railroad, and has an abundance of good water power which may be had on reasonable terms. Cottage Grove ooutainB two flouring mills, saw mills, planing mills and a population of three hundred. Junction City, a shipping point on the railroad near the northern end of the county, has a population of about four hun dred. Other towns on the line of the road are Latham, with saw and flouring mills; Creswell, with a flouring mill; Irving and Goshen. Pleasant Hill, Willamette Forks, Lowell, Long Tom and Siuslaw are interior vil lages. Florence is located on Siuslaw bay.
