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.