THE CITY AT THE FALLS.
579
of this great gift of nature, and among thousand ami thirty-fivo long, leading to
Lis plans for the development of this re- navigable water abovo tho fall. The
gion was one for tho establishment of locks have tocn in constant use ince
great manufacturing enterprises at Ore- that time, and have tocn an important
gon City. He caused a complete sur- factor in the transmutation system of
vey to bo made, by Paul Mecscher, a the valley. The stock was acquired by
competent engineer, who spent three tho Villard interet but ujwn the retire
months studying tho falls at Minneapo- meut of Mr. Yillard and the rupture el
lis before beginning the work. Tho the harmonious relations existing be
survey wss most thorough and complete, twecn tho various companies under his
and the results have been embodied in a management, his plans for the utiliza
hugo chart, which represents an expen- tion of tho falls and locks fell to the
dituro of . 1,000.00. From theso sur- ground. This was the condition of af.
veys it appears that tho falls at Oregon fairs until about a year ago, when lev.
City havo a fall of forty-ono feet, and eral of the energetic bunincss men of
possess forty per cent moro power at Oregon City and Portland, notably Mr.
low water than those at Minneapolis, E. h Easthara, of the former place, lie.
and ono hundred per cent moro at high gn tho work of consolidating the eon
water. Incrediblo as this may seem, Hiding interests. After considerable tin.
when the great manufacturing interests gotiation, theso gentlemen not only v
of Minneapolis aro considered, it is nono cured control of tho company, but ac
tho less an actual fact, and indicates, in qaircd all tho interest of tho 0. It A
conjunction with its moro favorablo lo- N. Co., tho Transcontinental Co., and
cation, that all which has toendouoat the state, thus freeing the property from
Minneapolis can bo repeated at Oregon all complications. The projerty of tho
City. All tho mills of that city could Willamette Translation A Wks Co,
1)0 run hero tho entire season, without now consists of two hundred acres of
resorting to tho aid of steam, a is done land, suitable for tho site of factories,
tbero in periods of low water. This About ten acres are on the east side, and
great water power is nearly all owned include tho largo warehouse ami the ba
by tho Willamette Transudation and sin, built in former years for the pur.
Ick8 Co., which was originally organ- of transferring freight from con.
ized to securo transmutation around tho necting steamers, as well as to conduct
falls for river steamers. Tho canal and water for jwwer puroe to the mills
locks, on tho west bank, as shown in tolow. The remainder is on the west
one of tho small engravings on tho same side, and embraces all Urn land on both
page as tho largo view of the falls, wero sides of the canal. In fact, the cornp.
completed in Decorator, 1S72, at a cost ny owns all the desirable land for man.
of $175,000.00. Tho state aided tho en- uf adoring purposes, and all tho avsil.
bTpriso to tho extent of 2W,000.00 in ble water wer, except that already
Umk Tho inner canal is sevcnty.fi vo utilized by the mills now there. In ad
feet wido and twelve hundred and fif- dition to this, the company owns a strip
teen feet long, abovo which aro four lift of land lying along the river, toth atoro
locks of ten feet each, forty by two hun. and below the falls, a distance of two
dm! ami fifteen feet in size, Abovo and one-half miles, and extending Wk
these is a guard lock of snine si.J as the from one-half to three-fourth of a mile,
others, and then one outer canal one miking i total area of nine hundred
hundred and fifty feet wido and one acres of land The officers aro 11 I