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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1889)
.!; THE WEST SHORE, TUB TOWN OK POMEROY. I YIN(I on both banks of Pataba creek, an import L Ml tribuUry of Snake river, flowing into it from the south, is the town of Pomeroy, terminus of tb Pomeroy branch of the 0. II k N. Co's tern, oouuty seat of (iarfield couuty and the center of one of the most pnxluctive agricultural regions in EmU cm Washington. It ha a population approximating fifu-en buu.lr.Ml, and it rapidly growing in all the ele nienta that go U make a largfl and prosperous inland town. Ai a terminal point it possesses many advan tage, but u the commercial center of a large and pnxluctive region which must always trade there, no matU-r U what point the railroad might be extended, it (mimm-mi more and better one In the oouuty are opwardi of five hundred thou aand acre of land all of which ia arable and the greater iortion possessing a moat fertile and produc tive anil. Of thia leas thau one-fifth ia now under cultivation, leaving fully four hundred thousand acres of gd laud yet unturned by the plow. A crop can m raised the first year and the land can thus be made to pay for itaolf at once, including improvements of moderate coat. Huch an opportunity as this does not exist in the mountainous or timbered portions of the wrwt, and the time is rapidly approaching when they will not exist rveu bore, for the value of laud in this country is rapidly iucreasiug ami uuimproved land will soon I hard to flud. If one deaires improved projwrty it can now lw purchased at from (10 00 to fi'i(K( Hr arre, aoording to the improvements and iU nearness to town. This land li' s in that famous grain twit along the base of the lilue mountains, whert irrigation is uiiueeomry and a failure of crops is unknown. Vtith proper cultivation wheat yields thirty bushels r acre iu an ordinary seaaon, and many farms largely exceed this, at times going as high as forty five and fifty bushels on tracts as largo aa a hundred acres. Lark of adt quale shipping fa cilities for the gtaio raised has retarded the agricul tural development of Oat field couuty in the past, but now that watit is supplied and the area of cultivaUd laud ia being rapidly enlarged. Pomeroy is Uie jH.int from which all this region is supplied and where it transacts its business. Id trade lut year amounts to (I (MUKHHNI of which l.'-O.tMHM rrprearnt agricultural implements alone. An iraportaut eleweul in the business of the town is the rrt National Hank, which was incorporated in April, aud which erected haudsouie brick block lbs following year at a eot of ( Jii Oui (o. The Incairiioratori were such well-known businea. men as l. P. Thompson, W. F. HurMI and John R Pavii of Portland, and Jala Urady, C, .V. McCain, Elmon Scott and J. H. Walker, of Pomeroy. Operating with a capital stock of $50,000.00, the bank now hag loans and securities to the amount of $8G,48C.0O, and a surplus and undivided profits of $17,800.00. The officers through whoBe careful management this splendid condition of affairs has been reached are W. F. Burrell, president; Elmon Scott, vice president; and E M. Hathaway, cashier. Besides this institu tion the business of the town is carried on by a pri vate bank, two large general merchandise stores, two drug stores, two millinery stores, four grocery stores, three large agricultural implement houses, two hard ware stores, two shoe stores, one furniture store, two hotels, two jewelery and notion stores, one market, two harness shops, two restaurants, three livery sta bles, five blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two barber shops, two good weekly newspapers, five phy. sicians, six attorneys, two dentists and five real es tate, loan and insurance agents. Business in all the lines mentioned is good and the stores all carry large and well assorted stocks of goods. There are a num ber of brick buildings in Pomeroy and others are be ing erected this year. There is also a large opera house capable of seating six hundred people, and the Methodists, Christians and Catholics have good hous es of worship. The Presbyterians and Episcopalians also have organizations and the former are making preparations to erect a church edifice. In the town are two public schools and a school maintained by the Catholics, while the school system of the county is excellently organized, offering good educational op portunities to every family within its limits. Devo tion to the publio school is one of the characteristics of the people of Garfield county, and the formation of school districts was the fiast aot of the settlers in every neighborhood. School houses weft-built al most as soon as cabins to live in, and now in travel ing over the country it is almost impossible to get out of sight of one of these evidences of intelligence and good citizenship. In Pomeroy there are about two hundred and fifty school children, who are under the care of five teachers. It is proposed soon to erect a commodious brick school house, at a cost of about f.D.iXtO W), and when this is done Tomeroy's school equipment will be second to no city of its size in the t'nited States. Pataba creek is capable of supplying water power sufficient for a number of industries that might be carri.nl ou there to advantage. It already has a roll er flouring mill and a chop mill, but the products and characteristics of the country suggest a tannery, creamery and other industries for working the raw matertals produced. In the mountains aloDg the outhem border of the county are splendid forests of merchantable Umber, offering an opportunity for the