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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1887)
ARLINGTON, OREGON. 783 prosperous condition may be derived After leaving their burdon at the large from the engravings on pages 711, 827 warehouses, they receive from the var and 828, which give a general view of ious stores or freight depot, loads of the town, and sketches of the ferry and goods and supplies, which thoy convey several business blocks. into the interior. When the town was founded, the vast There is no hotter opportunity to bo stretch of rolling hills to the south and cure good prairie land, ready for the southeast were considered valueless, ex- plow, than is to be found in Gilliam cept for grazing purposes. It was not county. The flats along the creeks are long before it was discovered that a all taken, but vast areas of uplands, great portion was arable land of the fin- which have been demonstrated to bo the est quality; that its dryness was more best wheat lands, and which rccoivo the apparent than real, and that it was ca- most moisture from the clouds, aro yet pable of producing excellent crops of open to settlement Ascending the hill wheat, corn and other cereals, as well as south of Arlington, a table land region vegetables, melons and fruits. It began opens out to view, and as far as tho eyo to settle up rapidly, and in the past four can reach, in every direction, are to bo years the gray vista of sage brush which seen fields of grain and comfortable stretched away from Arlington has been farm houses and buildings, all contrib changed to one of golden grain. Thou- uting to tho woalth of the county, and sands of acres of grazing land have been especially to the prosperity of Arling fenced in and brought under the plow. ton. Vast as is this area of farms, thoro Where, a few years ago, the jack rabbit is a still greater area of unclaimed land sported among the tufts of sage brush, lying beyond, inviting tho settler to are now happy homes and fields of grain, make his homo upon it Milo after while the same breezes which then bore mile of this land, as good as any now only the mournful howl of the cayoto, occupied, is used only as a range for now carry on their bosom the song of stock. This land, rising gradually from the reaper. The settlements have, in a the river, and improving in quality as measure, interfered with the stock in- it approaches tho mountains, has not terests, by cutting up the range, yet been taken because other lands were these are still quite large. Especially more accessible to tho railroad; but sot is sheep raising an important industry, tiers are now rapidly coming in, and bo There are more sheep grazed in the re- fore many months it will all bo occu gion tributary to Arlington than in any pied. other in Oregon, and more wool is ship- Settlers need have no fear of perma ped from this point than from any other nont isolation from railroads, as tho 0. railroad station in the state. R. k N. Co. has already projected two Gilliam county, of which Arlington is branch lines across Gilliam county, ono the county seat by designation of the of which, from Arlington to Heppner legislature, until definitely located by a and Pendleton, will no doubt noon bo vote of the people, lies between Wasco built Tho company has just negotiat and Morrow, and stretches south from ed a large sale of bonds. Tho monoy the Columbia to Crook and Grant coun- derived from these is to bo dovotcd to ties. From all this vast territory, wag- tho construction of branch lines, among ons loaded with wool and grain converge which the ono mentioned is ono of tho upon Arlington, in whose streets they most important Within a few years, form an almost continuous procession. Gilliam county will have as good rail-