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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1889)
WEST SHORE. LINKVILLE AND THE KLAMATH COUNTRY. 17 LA MATH county, in Southern Oregon, combines f a greater variety of interesting and valuable fea- tures, inil)iilly, than any other county in the state. It lien on the eastern sloie of the (Wade inountainH one hundred and thirty mile from the ocean, and its southern boundary in the California state line. Among its most prominent featured are high mountains, fertile valleys, navigable and beauti ful lakes, curious geological foruiationo, picturesque scenery, hot and cold springs, rapid streams, game and fish in abundance, tine funning, grating ami tini ler landri and oportunitieH for uianufaeturiug. Klam ath county is an elevated tract and clearly shows it volcanic origin. Its area in nearly equal to that of Mh the states of Delaware and Ithndc Island. It is full of absorbing interest to the student of natural his tory, but the purpose of thin article in rather to show the industrial phase of the country than to dilute on the wonderful natural curiosities that abound there. The land surface of Klamath county is divided about as follows : One and a quarter million acres of timber land, five hundred and eleven thousand acres of grazing land and three hundred and forty-live thou sand acres of farming land. Of this total of two mil lion one hundred and six thousand acres, some live hundred and seventy-six thousand are within the limits of the Klamuth Indian reservation. AIniiiI Up Mrand I-ower Klamath lakes there is swampland aggregating in area some eighty thousand acres. Of the entire area of the county not much mure thuu one fourth lias yet Wn taken. The remaining thn-e-fourths Wongs to the United States and to the stute of Oregon. Title to government land may lie obtained under either the pre-emption, homestead. tiuilMT culture or desert land ads of congress, but most of the valuable government lands an now held by settlers, tiovernment timUr land may lie pur chased forflftl an acre under certain restriction to prevent the gobbling of large quantities by sjmviiU tors. The school and state lauds belonging to Oregon may lie purchased for ll.'.M an acre, and the agri.nl tural college land at 2..'l. The stale, achmd and cl lege lands of value have mostly lieeii sold, These comprise a great variety of soils and general charm' teristics to suit different tastes and dim-rent business interests, (banl government claim can I .ur hit.-.l from settlers at reasonable prices There arc two large lakes in Klamath county and half a doien small ones The Up-er Klamath, or Utg Klamath as it is sometimes called, is in the south western part of the county and is thirty mile. Ug by an average breadth of about right miles Its depth varieifrom twelvr to forty M. and it is. tl.er.-e.rr, navigable for vessels of considerable draught. The Klamath Indian agency isou the hank near the north em extremity of the lake. Fort Klamath military Mt is located on Wood river, which empties into Up per Klamath lake on the north. About the borders of the lake is a god deal of swamp and marsh laud, which is quite valuable in that country, l.ower Klamath, or Little Klamath, lake is situated aliout three miles south of the larger one and extends be yond the border into California. The mrtion of the lake that reaches into Oregon Is from two hundred and II fly feet to half a mile w ide ami carries a depth of from live to fifteen feel of water. Front Linkville at the extreme northern extremity of the lake to Its southern end in California is thirty miles, and it Is navigable the whole distance. There is a large area of low land on the margin of this lake as aUml the Upper Klamath. The Mnl amount of the marsh and swamp laud alNHit the Klamath lakes is estimated at eighty thousand acres, the greater Mrtion of which could lie easily drained and rendered cultivable by the cxienditure of a few thousand dollars. Title lake is a considerable body of water to the eastward of the Uwer Klamath, which lie! mostly Mow the Califor nia boundary. Lake of the Woods and Hue k lake In the extreme northwest and two small lakes In the ex treme north drained by the lie holes river are inter esting shel ls of water, and Crater lake In the moun tains in the western part of the county Is one of the most curious of the natural features of this remarka ble region. It apparently occupies the crater of an extinct volcano at an altitude of six thousand three hundred fit ! alove the s-a level It is In (he midst of the Cascade mountains The lake 1 about right miles one way by six the other, and on every side rl vertical wulls of rock to a height of from one thousand to too thousand tao bund red f.it above the surface of the wuter. Near the western end of the lake Is a small voleanic Island projecting a thousand f'1'! into the air in a conii al f.-rui ailh a crater at the summit four hundred and seventy live fct in diameter and one hundred and twelve f.i t dup A sounding has Ix-en made by ('apt Imtloii of the U. H geodetic sur vey, who found the Water to b l.tKNl fret deep Is wonderfully pure and char, and makes a sublime sight The scenery aUml the lake and the view from its high and rocky shores Is the grandest Imaginable As an objii I of Interest it ranks with the Yrllowslont park and the Yosemile valley, and when il becomes as aoissihle o general travel It will I as famous a resort fr tourists ll.mrver, it has a number of li tors every yrar. and the smson of "roughing It M Is very murh rnjoynl In a rounlry with aiu li rllmaU ami ruery and with smli game and fish Tbs pro jet of budding a g'sxl road to Crater lakt U Umg