The west shore., August 01, 1889, Page 437, Image 30

THE WEST SHORE.
residence property than comfortable, healthful and
pleasing surroundings, and there are few surer indi
cations of a refined public taste than beautiful parks.
The avidity with which property of this sort is taken
shows that people who want homes appreciate the ad
vantages of suoh locations. The haunts of vice and
crime in the large cities are not about their carefully
tended parks or where any particular effort is made
to cultivate a taste for the beautiful in nature. Those
provisions are, in a measure, a check npon the evil
inflaenoes that infest most cities and tend to spread
as the city grows to metropolitan dimensions. Fair
mount park is another of those pleasing and UBofal
ornaments of Salem that contribute so much to its
reputation as a picturesque city.
But Salem is by no means devoid of picturesque
attractions aside from its parks. Every street is
lined on either side with shade trees, even the main
business thoroughfares containing a number of large
trees that afford a grateful relief to the parched ap
pearance whioh rows of business blocks in any city
present in warm weather. The prevailing varieties
of trees for ornament and shade in Salem are maple,
oak, elm, locust, poplar and evergreen. These ex
tend their long branohes and thick foliage out over
the streets, many of which are vistas extending as far
as the eye can see. The trees are not of such rank
growth that all sunlight is prevented from reaching
the earth or Denetratintt the habitations of the peo-
dIo. The stately mansion and the embowered cot
tage derive a tone of refinement and genuine oomfort
from the presence of largo trees and flower gardens
that could not be obtained in any other way. Wild
birds sins and build their nosta and rear their young
a 1 t I
in the swaying boughs, and even squirrels maw Mia
to take no their abode, unbidden, in some inviting
knot hole, whioh they fill with acorns from their own
home tree or toothsome dainties from the neighbor-
incr warfihnnses or orchards. It is indeed rare tha'
such scenes of sylvan beauty are beheld in a city the
size of Salem and the infrequency of their occurrence
Mitinnal value to those who love rua-
tio surroundings, while they may yet enjoy all the
itnnanlonui rt tha mrvlnm Oltv.
The street railway that has been built entirely this
m. tn,U fmm And of the city, traversing
the principal streets. There are now over four miles
of track in operation, and extensions are in progress
tn trA .nWUn residents a cheap and eay
of reaching the business center. Railway station, ho.
I' 1 till
tola and parks are on the street railway nun. .
city has good hotels, by the way, and the Southern
Pacifio company last year erected one of the ci
passenger stations on iU Oregon lines at Balem.
The Willamette river, flowing placidly ry
city and bearing a considerable portion of the com-
mcroe of the valley, adds muoh to the attractiveness
of Salem. On this stream timber is floated to Balem
actories, and steamers ply regularly making connec
tions with transportation lines for all parts of the
world by way of Portland or Yiquina bay and Ban
nancisoo, as well as handling a very considerable
volume of strictly local business. In many places on
he margin of the river there are stretches of wood,
and where boating and camping parties find the
most charming spots for enjoyment, and sportsmen
have ample use for both rod and gun. On both sides
of the city the river fl ws through woods, and from
the long bridge, whioh spans the stream at a height
of some eighty foot above the water, a delightful
soenio pioture gTeoU the eye. To the west are the
rolling, grain-laden hills of Tolk county, increasing
in altitude in the distanoe back into the Coast moun
tains. Tha fields of ripening grain or stubble and
the green growing crops, with patohes of small Urn.
ber, make a landscape of pleasing variations. The
hum of the farmers' harvesting machinery reaches
the city. Up and down the river the stream winds
away out of viow behind the luxuriantly-growing ver
dure along the banks. Water fowls may sometimes
be seen even that near the city enjoying themselves
as if there were no enemy within a thousand miles of
them. To the east, on the bank of tho river, lies the
growing oity, with its spires and towers plainly visl
ble above the buildings of ordinary height, and away
beyond the city are the rich farms and loaded or
chards of Marion county. Borne of the largest manu
factories are in plain view on the immediate bank of
the river where they have booms to both rail and
water shipping facilities in obtaining their supplies
and marketing their manufactured product. Balem
has the largest flouring mills in the northwest and
many other factories, all run by water power from an
eighteen-mile canal constructed for that purpose.
In driving through the city ons oan scarcely fail
to note the large number of fine residences that adorn
every quarter of tho town. Nearly ail ara built of
wood, which is the prevailing material for residences
in tho west, and are of pleasing designs of arohlte.
ture, Tho Illustrations of Balem residences in this
issue of Tin Winr Biioiie afford a hotter Idea of tha
general apjtfaunoe of the homes of the capital city
than words could oonvey. The great number of neat
and pretty otUgea owned by families of moderate
means is a very siguiui-aui .....
,x.lo own their homes and are in every way IdontU
fled with tho best interests of ths city. There are
rich and costly dwellings, too. Every home has iU
Uwu, where, thanks to the favoring Inflaenoe of a
mild olimata, flowers often bloom through the entire