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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1889)
THE WEST SHORE. 5 olent work is an important influence in the commun- prospect are that matters will soon be adjusted so ity. Most of them were among the earliest organized that this valuable property can bo set at work. Thero in the state. are fivo cabinet shops, one foundry and machine shop, One of the best wagon bridges in the state, and one tannery, two wagon and carriage shop, one soda the first free bridge across the navigable portion of works, a cider, vinegar and fruit preserving cstab the Willamette river, is the one at Balem. It was lishment, a book bindery, threo job printing houses, bnilt in 1887, at a cost of $50,000.00, $30,000.00 of and sundry other small manufacturing enterprises in which were furnished by the city of Salem, $15,00000 various lines. by Marion connty, and $5,00000 by Polk county, Salem has exceptionally good facilities for facto which lies directly across the stream. The entire rics, it being a market placo for raw materials and length of the structure, including approaches, is two having a first-class water power. This power is ere thousand two hundred and forty feet There are ated by turning a portion of the North Santlam river, three spans, of two hundred and thirty, two hundred eighteen miles above, Into Mill creek, which empties and seventy and three hundred feet respectively, and into the Willamette at 8alem. Thus tho natural chan in the middle of the stream the bridge is eighty-six nel of the creek is used to convey a much larger vol feet above the water, permitting boats to pass freely nmo of water than naturally flowed In it, and as tho at all seasons. The structure was dedicated to the descent of the stream is rapid near iU mouth, tho wa free use of the public, and makes directly tributary tor is gathered In a flumo and distributed to factor in to the city of Salem a large area of rich farming along the bank of the Willamctto and in other por country on the opposite side of the Willamette that tions of the city, whero tho fall Is sufllcicnt to admit would otherwise go to other markets and trading of using tho water two or threo times In somo cases, points. There is abundant water In this flumo at all seasons Five miles north of Salem on the railroad is Che- of the year, and when necessary a vastly greater quan mawa, where the government Indian industrial school tity of water can bo secured at a comparatively small is located Several hundred Indian chi'dren, of cost, by increasing tho capacity of tho canal and clear tribes from Alaska to California, receive instruction ing the channel of tho creek Ono of tho advantage in letters and manual training. The work shops, of this power is tho easo with which it is controlled, school, boarding building", eta, are neat and comfort- There are excellent sites for building factories whero able structures, and the disciplinary provisions are this water can bo obtained without extra cxponie, and suitable for training the young aborigines to honest tho citizens of Salem otter special inducement to and useful lives. There are now nine buildings, msnufacturcrs to locato in that city. Preparations erected at a cost of nearly $30,000.00, comprising tho aro now being mado for tho erection of ono of tho plant of this institution, and the boys have cleared a largest woolen mills in tho northwest at Salem. Tho farm of nearly a hundred acres in the woods, on supply of wool from tho surrounding country is suf. which a large portion of tho provisions for the insti- ficent to warrant the establishment of such an enter tution are produced. P"10 aD( certainly tho eonditona for manufacturing The manufacturing interests of Salem aro large, at this point, for power and labor, aro unexcelled. Theie are two saw mills, which obtain their supplies Fruit, wheat, wool and wood should bo extensively of fir timber from tributaries of tho Willamctto manufactured at Salem. There is opportunity fur above, and their oak, maple, etc, from the bottom factories in other lines to do a profitable business lands of the river near by. Two sash and door fac- here, but those above mentioned ifler more pro toriea are now in operation. The agriculural imple- nounced adranUges, perhaps, than any others for the ment works were burned last year, but the factory has investment of largo amount of capital The fruit in been rebuilt and will soon bo in running order. Thero dastryis just now commanding moat attention and are two fruit drying establishments, one of wkich hu rapid progrcs is being made in that lino. Iho larg. a capacity for drying a thousand bushels of apple, or est orchard in the stato of Oregon b only a cw mile, five hundred bushels of prunes per day. Tho Jory from Salem, and by far tho larg?t et iporator in tho patent fruit evaporator is manufactured here. A tilo state is located In tho city. During ho put year or works and two brick kilns, besides tho penitentiary two tho farmer, of Marion county have gone into kiln, aro worked during their seaaon. Thero aro fruit raising on an extensive kJ, and a the orchard three flouring mills, with a total capacity for manu- aro coming into bearing condition, tho frui produc facturing twelve hundred barrels of flour per day. lion is increasing enormously. Many acre, hat lajo The largest mill is own! by a company in Edin- hitherto grown only wheat aro annually king u in burgh, Scotland, and owing to some trouble in tho fr.it; and the indication, aro t at In a few year, thu firm L plant U not running just at present, bat tho I will U ono of tho greats fruit center, on tho Pacifio