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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1889)
WEST SHORE. 4(U THE 8ANT1AM MINES. Your readers may not be aware that the capital stork of the mining companies of the Santiam aggregates over eleven mil lion dollars. Much of this capital is, of course, subscription for stock, and is not yet paid up, but several millions have been subscribed, and will be paid in during the winter and the fol lowing spring, and will be employed in developing the mines. Those who are In a position to know assure the writer that dur ing the year 1800 the mining camps of the Santiam will show greater activity than has been known since the never-to-be-forgotten season of '49 In California, when men, in their mad pur suit f irgold, forgot or ignored everything but the yellow dust, for which they abandoned family, homes, business, property, in fact everything that men, ordinarily, hold near and dear crossing mountain and plain, scorching desert and swollen streams and wild, raging torrents. If there exists any reason why the Santiam mines should not prove rich and Inspire our citizens with the belief that there lies stored in the Cascade mountains precious metals in quantities sulllclont to make Van dorbilts and Goulds of a score of our clticens, It is prokbly nothing more convincing than the fact that these mountains lie almost at our very doors. In the days when the Inspired writer declared that " A prophet is not without honor save In his own country," he might with equal pertinence have avowed that "Our people would not believe that any good thing can come out of the earth it our feet, but will believe In that which Com eth from afar." There Is good reason to believe that those who reside some dUtince from these mines have recently Invested liberty, and will make a vigorous effort to develop them and m them on a paying basis. And, while the writer is not In a position to particularise or give details, this much he will say: That sufficient capital will be put In one of our home compa nies to open up the mines far enough to assure the stock hold ers of the value of their mines, and to Justify them In pmtlnj in valuable and efll -lent machinery In the spring. They have no doubt but the mines are valuable, and will pay hand me dividends before the close of 18tX).-AfiWr, in Albany Unald. Notices of application for charters have been publish! In Canada for four new railways in Ibitlsh Columbia. The Kpo kane Falls & Northern Railway Co. will ask for power to build and maintain a line of railway fiom a point near the moulh of Pen d'Oreille river, near the southern boundary of the prov ince, to a convenient point near the twn of Nelson, on Koot ensy lake. A l.ind grant will also lie asked for. This railway Is for the purpuee of connecting the American lines with the mines of Kootmay lake, In order that the extensive trade sprlnglnif np In that region may In-come a feeder of those rail ways. The Spokane FalU A Northern railasy will sl seek a charter to btuM a line Ira a convenient point on Kettle river near the southern boundary of the province, thence by the m. st convenient and practicable route by way of Kwk rrwk and Oyoos lake to the Fraser river, near lt moulh, or to the coast. The construction of this line would on up a rich mineral, graslng and agricultural country. Application wll be made for an act to Incorporate a company to construct and operate a railway from a point on the Columbia river to some point on Kootcnay lake near the outlet of Koolenay river, end for the purpose ol orating a line of steamers httaeen llevel stoke on the Columbia and the railasy terminus. A laml grant la also sought. This is tl.e line of road that the ( ana dian Pacific has promised to build at the ea.lle.1 po-sl .lt moment from Hproat's Landing to the town of Ntlon. Wrt Is also given that application w II I made for power, to build and operate a line of railway from mm point on the Colum bia river about seventeen miles up the said rlvsr and In an easterly direction from Golden; thence to run In a south westerly direction to some point on the head waters of the river known as the middle fork of the Spallumeheen river, and a point at the junction of Copper creek. Aid will be sought from dominion and provlnc'al governments. The building cf these lines will be of great advantage to the province, and it Is stated that the two lines Into the Koolenay lake region will be pushed through to completion with aa little delay aa possible. The Walla Walla Vukn advocates the organisation ol a so ciety for the purpose of securing Industrirs In that city. It says : " Take for Instance an establishment for canning fruits and vegetables. All Walla Wall Is agreed that finer fruits and vegetable! are not grown on earth than are produced In won derful profusion In Walla Walla valley. The records show that hundreds of tons of both annually rot on and In the ground be cause the market la hampered by exhorhllaut freight charges. Ths supply Is practically unlimited as every acre ol the great Walla Walla valley la ratable ol being converted Into a fruit and vegetable garden. The reco.is show that thousands of case of tomatoes, peaa, lwana, corn and other vegetables, a lib thousands of rases of canned and dried fruits, hundreds ol gsl Ions of pickles and vinegar, are brought to Wslla Walla annual ly. That the vast bulk ol these arihle of food, equal to the best Imported, ran I put up In Walla Wad, la a proposition no thh.klng man will dispute. That a large share of the same goods consumed In the surrounding mining and fruitless re gions rsn lie put up In Walla Walla, Is also an Indisputable pro)osltlon. The reason It Is not done Is because the attempt to do so hss never been proirrly made. Men of practical ri perlcnee have m t been Induced to go Into the business. Tliey can he If propel representations and Inducement sre made. To asceitaln hat are proper Inducements and representation should l the work ol a committee apilnted by Hie Hoard il Trade or similar orgsn'satlon. To raise the necessary Indme metit after ascertaining what It Is, should be the labor of love of ever)one Interested In the groth and prosperity ol Walla Walla. Being aware that ' talk Is cheap but It Uk.a money to build a mill.' Tht V,.lun l prepared to donate, at the pnqr time, P to the fund necessary to start t first class estalhsh ment In Walla Walla for canning fruit and vegetable. Statistic regarding the lumWrlng Industry on the Pacific, coast show that In Orgon there are 212 saamllls, thirty on shingle mills, 18'J planing mills ol which twenty-nine are . ! ed as seh ami door factories and ten aa hoi factories. Seven logging rallroada are In owrtlon, fourteen dry kiln plants, and on mill has a Und saw. Ther are Ihlrlern hob-sale dealer and twenty five retailer resiled. In Oregon, a In many other states, alimxt every mill nun l a Ininlper dealer, though not clawed as such In this list. In W.shlnston 11 seemllla re reported, seventy-one shingle mills, In2 lnlng mills, of which thirty are sash ami dm factories; laehti-lao logging rsllroals and thirty eight dry kiln plants sr In orretlon, and Br ml ling com use band saw. Only thlit-en whole sslrr and twenty flv Mailer sr rented, hut lb remark a to this feature) concerning Oregon, applle to Wellington it well. In California tin re are IT mills, filly seven shin, to mill, KB planing mill, of which thirty-four ere sash and door factorle and eighteen as hi factories; thirty seven mdllng concern do their bulging with the aid cf t am or railroads, nineteen bav dry kiln In orstlon, and fmir mill are equlpH In whole or In part with Und saws; thirty even conduct r"' 01 " "' ml11" t,v"n' onljr