The west shore., September 21, 1889, Page 45, Image 13

WKST SHOKK.
A GROWING YOUNG CITY.
0
Athena has nil the usual general mcri'nntilo house
llllil sloS lH.H'tltilll In till' comfort illi.l eolUeliielie.. of
X the Oregon Railway Navigation lino fro,,, j an intelligent ami progressive community. It has n
ivmueion in huh nun, nnout the same (1H. lH.a m-wspnisr, ,allki wU.U nm iv,.rv Mv1t
tnnce from each ot those places, is the Kriht j that .1.. n nourishing business, . most excellent pub
- ..f 111 - I' . .. .... n 1
young my oi mucim. i nui a lew months ago
i ... :n . i i . . .
i! was Known n v cniorvmo. in population ami Imsi-m-stf
importance it is the second city of I'matilla
county, Oregon. It now lian eight hundred inhabitants
mid in growing so rapidly that it docs not seem tM
much to expect it to donhle in size within the coming
twelve months.
Where Athena in now situated was merely farming
land previous to 1H7S, In that year the town plat wan
laid out. The location was not on any considerable
Ft renin of water and there was then no railroad through
. that country. The only thing that seemed to justify
the attempt to build a town there was its central posi
tion with reference to a wide range of the finest agri
cultural land that was being developed by the settlers
then going to that section. The result was for a time
somewhat doubtful, but when the Oregon Railway tt
Navigation road was built through the town in lHH.'l n
considerable- impetus was given it, and the recent con
struction of the Oregon and Washington Territory line
has accelerated its growth to a very marked degree. It
is the terminus of the latter road (otherwise known as
the Hunt line) which opens nn entirely different route
to tide water than that existing before. Now the grain,
which is the most important product of that region,
may W taken either to Portland, the great Columbia
river jHirt, or to Taeoma on Puget sound, for shipment
abroad, and all branches of business have the IkhcIH
that always accrues from the competition of enterpris
ing trnnstortation companies. A grain elevator has
been constructed this season to pxiicditc the handling
of the large crop marketed there nnd nlso to change
the manner of handling the grain so as to do away
w ith the necessity of investments in quantities of narks,
which are expensive for the farmer and the trouble in
procuring them often causes delay and consequent
damage to shipments. Though Athena has had its
second railroad but a few months the increased price
nr schools. 1 ho school house is n two story building
that cost more than lO.mm and no niggardly licy is
pursued in suppling education. In connection with
the schools is a literary society which is making con
siderable progress in establishing a public library as
one of the features of its work. The Methodists nnd
Christians havechurehes there. The following fraternal
orders are represented in the city : Freemasons, Odd
Fellows, I'nited Workmen, Knights of Pythias, Cbssl
Templars and Knights of the ( Sublet) Kagle. A live
military company is one of the prominent organisation
of the town, which also has n band of music The
Imard of trade is an clticicut organiation for promoting
the welfare of the town. Many of the hindiies houses
are built of brick and the streets present n tidy and
business like apcarahoe. There nre many line resi
dences in the town, which is regularly laid out and
combines numerous features of natural Utility together
with a sisitiou of advantage for trade
The country around Athena is chielly valuable for
its agricultural resources. It is a farming region of
almost unlimited powihilitim. The soil is of the same
general character as that of the far famed Wnlla Walla
country, which, if sssiho, Imihiihs richer as the I'ma
tilla country is approached. The divnniHed volcanic
matter gives it suN rior strength and the admixture of
alluvium in the valleys piii kens its fertility. A a
larger area is bring drought under cultivation many
other crops than grain are king cultivated. Tin' large
yields of wheat, oats, barley, etc., of that region nre
proverbial, f bile years, however, n good dml of
attention has ken given to fruit raising and the i. suits
have Imtii so gratifying that the industry will rapidly
increase. The soil and the climate nre Is.th iiit favor
able for the production of appb , p ars, -m In , plums,
and many varieties of gr.i-s, nn Iarii.., etc , tbut
require a semi tropical climate. Tobacco and s..tghiiiu
I.. .ii.risi.fuHv crown. All small fruits yield nbuu-
. .i : t th.r i i ant V. hill rii..n I worimni u' T""' " M I
.or grain, U.rectly traconiM.no . ' , , , ,, , ,, ,,. , f,,r
irans.s.rtation route from the city to , seacard , - f
- i d nn niiHir nut itmi to tin1 ni ir i r".
1 II H'IB U MllPIII'lf HUH II in mi )
producer when hundreds of thousands of bushels arc
concerned. All kinds of farm prince, and. in fact,
every class of freight, are similarly benefitted by the
operation of the new railway line It should "
inferred that the previous railway connections were
uiisuited to the demands of the country, however 'I he
Is nctitswnfcrred by the new arrangement are siirha
result from the nhnrcning tendenci. s of all legitimate
"iins'tition in business.
..A. . . .. . .1 .1 .. 10....
is rolling T" tl"' 11 "r ' u,y ," 1
Mountains int. r- their rugged relief and the f...t
lulls furnish p.i-'urage for great nuuiUr. 'f latlle,
thrcp and lor... There are lafg- tract of land In
,.igiblr ntion. that may le-w pur. had l reason-
u,,. pr.ee., bill the UpldltY With W hi. b the .....Mry I.
owmgwilltmdl upysll Ih- hmd U'l
Valued in .r....rl...i. I" 'r-''Mily t..wn
lllt1.. el,.r,,.t.r..f til." .mpf..).ll.e.l.