The west shore., May 01, 1889, Page 267, Image 40

THE WEST SHORE.
2i!7
made in the two brick yards near the city, and pot
ter's clay iB found in abundance in many places. Cor
vail is offers great inducements for men of capital to
build up manufacturing enterprises at that point, and
they are well worthy the consideration of investors.
The plan of bringing water in a ditch from some
point up the Willamette river to furnish power for fac
tories is now taking form with the board of trade. That
stream has a quite rapid fall, and it would not bo very
expensive to lead a portion of its water in a largo
ditch with sufficient fall for a fine power at Corvallis.
The flouring mill has already demonstrated the plan
to be a success, and all that has to be done is to en
large on that project to meet larger demands.
Benton county has by no means reached a state of
full development. Its agricultural resources, which
are chief, are susceptible of great growth, and it
needs many more people than it now has to till the.
soil. The land is very productive. No section of
the west excels this county in the abundance and va
riety of its farm products. The climate is mild and
healthful, with the same pleasant features that char
acterize the climate of the Willametto valley in gon
eral. The summers are dry and tho winters moist
and extremes of temperature are unknown. Tho cli
mate of the portion west of tho mountains is a little
moro moist than in the valley, and vegetation is green
there the entire year. Sometimes thero is snow in
the valley for a very brief time in winter. During
nearly half a century that Benton county has been
cultivated there has not been a single failure of crops
and tho ordinary yields are proverbially large. All
the common grains, vegetables and fruits are raised,
and even the more sensitive grapes and peaches are
successfully grown. The fruit interests could CBsily
be quadrupled by the establishment of curing facili
ties. There are large quantities of cultivable land
still unoccupied on both sides of the mountains, but
the western slope has fewer settlers than tho eastern,
because it is a newer section and has not tho modern
conveniences of the valley. In the foothills on tho
east side, as well as on the west, there is a great deal
of government land open for settlement But it is
not necessary to go into the rough country to get land
for farming. For grazing purposes, tho foothills of
the mountains contain the choicest lands; but for cul
tivation the more level surfaco down in tho valley
preferred, and such farms may be obtained in good
locations noar market for from $10.00 to tfOMp"
cre. Improved farms, of course, cost moro than the
ild lands. Many of the land holders now own bun
dreds of acres more than they can us and they are
now manifesting a disposition to cut up those large
kacts and dispose of the surplus laud to immigrants
kiEg homes in the west. This section dos cot
offer very strong inducement to more speculators and
adventurers, but it has superior attractions for homo
seekers, and it is that dam of pooplo more than any
other that is becoming interested in Bontou county
Though Corvallis wns ono of tho first sottlod towns
in tho northwest, it hns boon under tho disadvantage
of being somewhat removed from tho main linos of
travel, and while other point of no moro morit havo
experienced a lively growth, it has ploddod along
more modestly, ami is but just uow reaching out for
tho patronage that will bring it Increased prosperity. "
It is swinging into tho lino of puWprislng cities of
of tho country and making itsolf known abroad. Hut
it is not inviting outsiders to locate thero merely to
help thorn) already there. Its citizens aro taking tho
initiative and are organizing enterprise for homo im
provement that will make that locality much moro at
tractive even than it has boon. As indicating tho en
terprising spirit that has boon awakouod, tho new
court houso eroded by tho county, tho projxwod ooti
structionof a flno public school homo anil a city ball,
tho former of which is already Miiurod, tho establish
ing of an electric light plaut to light tho city, tho
projected water owor canal, tho orgaul.itig of a lxrd
of trado for tho special purposo of promoting tho
city's business interests, and many other things might
bo mentioned It is one of tho most plaatul locall.
ties, loth for residence and Imsinem, (hat can U
found Corvallis is surrouuded by a truly smiling v
land, and it promises to movo forward with a rapldl
ty that will surprise itself.
Tho stranger riding through Benton county is cap
tivated by tho smiling pearanco, of tho country. It
is not an unbroken plain. Tho gently undulating
surfaco rolls away in tho distance and is covered with
a luxuriant growth of crops or patches of woodland
that corno into view. Tho mountains to tho writ make
a jaggod horum, Mary's -k Mug tho mt proml- -neut
elevatiou. Tho snows -f that j'k M tho
stream that joins tho Willamette at Corvallis, Mary's
river. Across the valley to tho owl tho (Wad
mountains aro plainly in view, aud tho snow-clad sura
mils of Mount Hood, J If-wo n d th Throo Hitters
aro prominent feature of tho landscape Tho Wil
Umetto wind through tho valley, Uarlng an liapor.
taut part tho commerce of tho region. Tho atmos
phere is clear and invigorating. As a rrprenUlioa
of tho moro mel't harmonic of taturo, this locality
is rarely surpMe.L Tho virw from tho .uramlt of
Mary's i--ak is Mb grand and U.ut.ful, a tut .trrtcb
if V(k,y, riv,r, laootUin .,! .ww.ml k
8rtitgthry.nbt,l th di.UH tori terminate.
, ne. Ksi-mlly at tho sunset Loaf ar, th
UaUrM- ruchanHr.tr. aid .ill "1 ono for tU I ,
bor of r-acLiig that Uk lod-.