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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1889)
THE WE8T SHORE. 189 production were cut down in the interior towns by railroad transportation. The towns near navigable water ways experienced a less marked change, but the advent of the iron horse was beneficial to the whole region penetrated. The country was opened up and made attractive to settlers. It brought to hand not only markets, but means for developing nat ural stores and for utilizing the various products of industry. Immigration was facilitated and society was benefited by being brought into closer communis cation with the world at large. The counties which most particularly are influ enced by the river and rail routes, are Wasco, Sher man, Gilliam, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Baker, Malheur, and, to a less degree, Crook and Grant Wasco county is the nearest of any of them to Portland. The county seat is the city of The Dalles, which is as large a city as any in the state east of the mountains. It is located near the dalles of the Columbia river, which is the second obstruc tion to navigation in the channel of that stream. It is a town of about four thousand inhabitants, and has a large volume of business in the trade that goes there from the surrounding country, the manufactur ing industries, and its admirable shipping facilities, both by rail and by boat It is one of the largest wool shipping points in the state, and a depot for grain, pelts and hides. The banner sheep county of Oregon, Crook, lies just south of Wasco, and its nearest shipping point is The Dalles. The railroad shops of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company are located there, and other foundries and machino shops do a large amount of business. Saw mills back in the rough country of the interior manufacture lumber and float it in flumes to The Dalles, where it finds a ready market or facilities for shipment to the great marts. The salmon fisheries of tho Columbia river near The Dalles are important, and tho exports of fresh and cured salmon from that station are great er than from any other primary inland market of the Pacifio slope. A large portion of these shipments are to the east by rail Other styles of curing are employed than simply canning the fish, as is the al most exclusive method on the Lower Colombia. The river at that point is a little more than a quarter of a mile wide, and the usual rise during the high water or June is about fifty-five feet The Dalles, being the first town of importance east of the mountains, is made a bare for tourist and the objective point of excursions up the Columbia river from Portland, because the scenery that ha. nude U river famous is mostly between tho mouth of the Willamette and The Dalles. So much ha. been wnt ton of this scenio route that it is unnecessary to tempt any description here, Thoso who have roie the trip can novor forgot it, and no one can obtain an idea of the magnificence, tho awful grandeur, of tho Columbia river scenery from written accounts. Many tourists go from Tho Dallas to Mount Hood, taking tho route up White river and asoondiug the east side of that hoary giant Others make Ilood river, a fow miles this sido of Tho Dalles, a baso for that trip, and that seems to bo a route that is growing in popular! ty, as Elliot glacier can bo most easily reached and explored from that direction. One of tho principal features of a tour through tho far west, to ono who wishes to mako tho trip complete, is an excursion to Mount Ilood, which is coming to rank with the Yel lowstone park as an object of interest to travelers. The Wf.ht Siioiie has already published a largo plo turo of Mount Ilood, and has in view for tho not dis tant future, the publishing of a largo engraving of Grand canyon, which is ono of tho features that de light all visitors. At The Dalles long stago routes from tho interior center. Theso routes have connections that traverse tho wholo state, from tho Columbia river to tho Cali fornia boundary, and to tho eastward, continuing in Southorn Idaho, Tho Warm Spring. Indian reor. vation occupies a largo tract in both Wasco and Crook counties, and tho remnants of tho tribes that had their homes in Ceutral Oregon aro quartered on that re serve. The De.Chutea river, with its numerous trib utaries, drains all that tract lying between tho crest of the Cascades and tho John Dy river, comprising nearly all of Wmoo and Crook and a considerable portion of Grant Tho descent of this stream is too rapid for navigation, but it furnishes unlimited waW power. Bhorman is a county erectwl at tho last sea sion of tho legislature, from tho northnast quarter of Wasco. Grant's I. tho county sent IU stock Inter. esU are chief, though a larger areas aro yearly being sowed in wheat, and tho grain output has already U come an irojwrtant addition to tho product of tho state. Crook county, lying Immodiatdy south of Wasoo, it the second Urgent county of the staUv It has val uablo mini'., considerable timber and a vast amount of live stock. IU grazing Interest aro the moot val. uablo in tho state, iU largo area swing to make It aggregate valuation much greater than any other county. Tho sheep excl both cattle and lor In value. Gold plaonf mining Is quit extensively car. ried on about Prineville, and considerable lo tho way f new development. U being don. Mount Jeffer. on one of tho prominent suow-clad peaks of tho Ca cad!, i. in the northwestern irt of tho county. Next east of Bhrrman and Waaoo, lies (Jllliam county, of which tho town of Arlington, formerly known a. Alkali, I. tho .eat of justice. This county