WEST SHORE.
887
THE OREGON LAND COMPANY.
o Probably there is no better illustration of the fact that things
do not do themselves, than in the growth of our western cities.
When a city is moving along at a lively gait, there is pretty cer
tain to be a special reason for it besides the mere advantages of
location and resources it may possess, and he who investigates
the question will find that the main spring of action is one or
more men of intelligence, enterprise and energy, who are using
all three of those attributes in the work of pushing their city to
the front. It has been demonstrated time and again that two
rival cities of equal opportunities have grown unequally simply
because of this one fact. The capital city of Oregon is a good
instance of this. For years Salem made but little progress,
though surrounded with the finest fruit and grain lands and
p3ssessing fine water power and transportation facilities. Two
years ago the Oregon Land Company was organized there and
began an active campaign of advertising the advantages of the
city, at the same time inaugurating several enterprises for its
improvement and secured the control of many fine tracts of
land in and about the ity so as to meet the demand created by
their work. The result is that Salem has bean, and still is,
making a growth unprecidented in her history, due almost en
tirely to the work of this enterprising company.
Not content with its achievements in Salem, the Oregon
Land Go. branched out to Albany, Astoria, Portland and other
places, and has become an important factor in the growth of
those towns. Ui principal place of business is Salem, but its
dfflces in the southeast corner of the Hotel Portland are the
most elegant real estate offices on the Pacific coast. They have
that same air of thoroughness and enterprise that are the com
pany's chief characteristics.' The members and officers of this
institution are old and well-known business men of Salem,
whose names alone are a guaranty of stability and honorable
dealing. This fact alone has had as much to do with the phe
nomenal success of the company as the enterprising methods
of its managers.
One of the firtt great truths recognized by the company was
the fact that the Willamette valley is destined to become one
of the leading fruit-growing sections of the world. Accord
ingly it purchased several large farms in the immediate vicin
ity of Salem, and cut them up into small tracts suitable for
fruit growing, and has sold hundreds of them, upon which -thousands
of trees have been set out. At the same time it laid
out a residence addition to the city, upon a high and healthful
site, and extended a street car line to it, thus providing a place
where beautiful homes could be secured at comparatively small
expense. This policy, started in Salem, has been continued in
the company's operations elsewhere, and has always been pro
ductive of the beBt possible results. The company has suc
ceeded because it has first endeavored to ascertain what was
required, and then has not only supplied the want but has per
sistently informed the public of its ability and readiness to sup
ply it. Not only has it advettised that it could supply the de
mand for lands, lots, factory sites, etc., but it has never failed
to do so when called upon. This is another important feature
of its success, and will have an impjrtant bearing upon its fu
ture work.
By its own exertions and business capacity the Oregon Land
Co. has become the mo3t widely known and the most extensive
dealers in real estate in the northwest. At Its elegant offices
in Portland the seeker aftur property of all kinds, be it city or
surburban lots, small tracts, vegetable gardens, fruit lands,
farms, timber lands, grazing lands, mines or manufacturing
sites, will find a large list to select from, as well as courteous
and well informed members of the company ready to give all
possible advice and assistance. People living in the east or in
any place where it is inconvenient to visit Portland can secure
full and reliable information upon any branch of its business
by addressing the company either at Salem or Portland. Spe
ial attention is given to this transaction of business by mail,
and those who place confidence in the integrity and good Judg
ment of the managers of the company by relying upon them to
make investments and to select property for them will find that
they have often secured better results than would have been
the case had they undertaken to give it their personal attention.
On the last page of this issue of West Shore is given an
engraving of the suburban town of Minthorn Springs recently
laid out by the company as a suburb to the growing city of
Portland. It lies on the line of the Southern Pacific railroad,
just south of the city of East Portland. It is reached by that
road three times a day by regular trains, and will soon have
three other transportation routes. One of these is the Wood
stock motor line, which is now within one and one-half miles,
and will soon be extended to Minthorn ; another is an electric
motor line between Portland and Oregon City which will pass
through the villa, and the third is a steam motor line between
the same pointswhich will pass within half a mile of Min
thorn. These roads will supply unrivaled facilities for frequent
and rapid transit between Minthorn and the city, and render
this the most desirable and accessible suburban villa Portland
possesses. The vflla may also be reached by the famous White
house drive and ferry and by steamers on the river. So fur as
health, pure water, scenery, etc., are concerned, Minthorn
Springs has no superior and few equals.
All communications about property and investments in Ore
gon or Washington should be addressed to the Oregon Land
Co., either at Salem or Portland, and they will receive prompt
attention.
Strangers wishing to learn of the financial standing and
honorable record of the company would do well to correspond
with Hon. Oeo. Williams, mayor of Salem; Hon. Van B.
DeLashmutt, mayor of Portland ; the First National Bank, of
Salem; the Capital National Bank, of Salem; the Williams &
England Banking Co., of Salem ; the Oregon National Bank, of
Portland; Ex-Governor Thayer, Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court, Salem ; Hon. E. B. McElroy, State Superintendent of
Public Instruction, and II. W. Cotila, Manager State Insur
ance Co., of Salem.
Fruit and vegetable culture in the Pacific states is no.longer
an experiment. One has only to visit W. P. Watson, an old
horticulturalist, near Portland, to see to what perfection it can
be successfully done. He has fruits of almost every kind and
variety, and some on young trees set and grafts inserted the
past spring, one year ag. There may be seen flowers in end
less variety, grapes of all the leading varieties, and turnips
now growing on land from which he has gathered a crop of
peas. Mr. Watson offers a reward of $1,000 for his success,
under similar circumstances, to be beaten in any state in the
union. He is an experienced horticulturalist, but what he has
so easily done may be well done by others.
A nineteen foot vein of silver carbonate has been found at
Logging creek, Montana, at a depth of six feet, which assays
an average of $2,000 in gold, silver and copper, and a portion
of which ran as high as $3,100 to the ton. It is a fissure vein,
and the find is said to be a very valuabe one.
The mines at Colville, Washington, are doing well. The
daily receipts of ore at the smelter there being about forty tons.