The west shore., July 01, 1888, Page 348, Image 2

THE WEST SHORE.
market which in essential to the development of oth
er branches of farming was not at hand. The pro
duction of fruit, in which Douglas county is unsur
pwMKtl, could not be engaged in with profit until rail
road transportation enabled the orcbardiats to take
their crops to market Previous to 1872, when the
Oregon k California lino was built, this county had
no railway, and the people, were compelled to find an
outlet for their surplus production by water and
freight wagons, which, from the nature and location
of the county, was a very slow mode of transporta
tion, and correspondingly unsatisfactory. This lack
of shipping facilities was a great drawback to the
raining of fruit, and many orchards which were start
ed well were neglected when they came into bearing
condition, bocauso the ripened fruit could not bo han
died to advantage. With the advent of the railroad
to Douglas county and the extension of transconti
nental lines in this western country, and the develop
ment of the mining regions of Montana and Idaho, as
well as of Oregon and Washington, an extensive mar
kct for Oregon fruit was opened, and the Umpqua
valley is improving the opportunity for employing its
ujerior qualifications in a profital lo manner. Along
the rich river bottoms many have gono extensively
into the cultivation of small fruit-strawberries, rasp
lorries, blacklerrictt, etc-and on the higher lands,
poaches, pr ars, apples, plums, etc, are produced in
abundance. The jeachea of Southern Oregon are
unrivalled in aizo and flavor, and the small fruit of
that section is the earliest in tho Portland market
The prune induhtry has proved a tourco of great
profit in tho southern part of Douglas county, and it
is spreading rapidly over the other portions of the
Umpqua basin. An rquablo climato is the most im
ortant element for successful fruit culture, and
Douglas county possesses this and other natural
qualifications, so that tho lalwr of tho orchardibt is
in union with natural forces, rather than in neutral
ising any disadvantage which naturo has imposed on
most sections. Frosts do cot kill tho trees, nor do
cold winds blast tho fruit Tho soil is suited to fruit
culture and tho facilities hich are now in operation
ami those being introduced enable tho orchardist lo
realire tho utmost profit from his business.
Tho paiturago of Douglas county is so good that
stock raising and wool growing are among its most
important industries. In the vast area of hills and
mountains, either too rugged to bo tilled or more
profitable for grazing, and the creek bottoms where
level land is in small tracts and not yet demanded for
actual sutler, cattlo and shwp find ample sustenance
and fatten and thrive, The winters are so mild that
it is not expensive to kevp stock in good condition.
The wool clip of this section is said to bo the best
produced in the United States. It is unexcelled in
length and strength of fibre, and is free from burs,
sand and other foreign substances which generally
impair the value of the wool product The operation
of woolen mills now in course of erection will afford
an additional stimulus to the business of production
and the wool crop, already probably more reliable
than any other one product, will be rapidly increased
and made a source of more profit to the people. The
poultry product of Douglas county is estimated to be
greater than that of any other county on the Pacific
coast The quantity of eggs and live and dressed
fowls shipped from Oakland, which is the principal
shipping point for this product, is enormous.
The minerals of Douglas county include gold, iil.
ver, quicksilver, iron and nickel ores, coal, cement,
limestone and marble. Gold was discovered on the
South Umpqua river near the mouth of Cow creek,
in 1851, and since that time mines have been opened
on Coffee, Starve Out, Cow, Myrtle, Mitchell, Cali.
pooia and Jordan creeks, and on the north and south
forks of the Umpqua river; but the character and lo
cation of the country has prevented very extensive
work of development from being done. Lately a
new interest is being manifested in the mines of this
region, and operations on a larger scale than have
heretofore been prosecuted are in contemplation. It
is known that the mines of Douglas county are rich.
Sufficient prospecting has been done to establish that
fact Mining operations are now conducted in vari
ous parts of the county on a paying basis, and the
annual output of ores is an important item in the ag
gregate production of the country. More experienc
ed miners are needed to take hold of the work in
Douglas county and bring out the mineral wealth.
There is an inviting field for persons of enterprise
and experience in this line,
The foregoing is a brief mention of the principal
general industries of Douglas county, but these are
by no means all that are represented. Many very
fine horses are raised, gardening is engaged in and
manufactories requiring wood, grain or wool find fa
vorable conditions. Bat the Umpqua valley is i
comparatively new section. It is only a little more
than a quarter of a century ago that the first white
people settled in what was then a very isolated re
gion. There were mountains on all sides of them,
and communication with the outside world was, in
deed, difficult and often hazardous. Boats could as
cond the Umpqua river as far as Scottsburg, which
for years was the depot for receiving and shippicg
supplies and produce. Almost the entire commerce
for the basin was carried on in this way until the
railroad was constructed. But for the superior qual
ifications which the Umpqua valley possessed, settlers