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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 29, 1890)
WEST SHORE. A shingle mill with a capacity of 120,000 shingle, per day Is being erected In Montesano, Washington. A company has been formed at Kelso, Washington, for the purpose of developing some of the coal ledges near that place. A movement Is on foot to establish a wire nail factory in Seattle or some other sound city. The proposed factory will cost $40,000, and have a capacity of 160 kegs per day. There is a project on foot to construct an Irrigating ditch near Grant's Pass, Oregon, at a cost of $100,000, that will render fertile 25,000 acres of land now barren and unproductive. The two largest breweries in Seattle are now reported as being bonded by the ubiquitous English syndicate. Over $75,000,000 have been invested in brewing plants in America by this corporation. Another steamer will be placed on Flathead lake, Montana, In the spring, making fonr in all. The rapid settlement of that region has over taxed the freight and passenger capacity of the boats on the lake. Parties have made a proposition to citizens of Farmington, Washing ton, to supply the town with electric lights. They aek that 150 lights be subscribed for, and a lively canvass Is being made for that purpose. An abundance of fine timber and a splendid water power, are the Inducement the town of Cottage Grove, Oregon, is holding oat to some enterprising individual or firm to start a sash and door factory at that place. The British Columbia Tanning company has added a complete outfit of boot and shoe manufacturing machinery to the establishment and is now taming out a grade of goods which has struck a popular vein with home merchants. If proper support is given to such concerns by residents, Na nalmo will gain largely in wealth as a result. An extensive ledge of granite rock has been discovered near Wilkeson, Washington, on land belonging to the Northern Pacific. The company has had samples of it polished and tested in Tacoma, with most satisfactory re sults. Three grades, fine, medium and coarse are found. It is the intention of the company to construct a spur from its main track and then lease the property to responsible parties for working. Granite is a scarce article in this region, and a large ledge so accessible as this is very valuable. A company of New York and Chicago capitalists is constructing a mammoth irrigating ditch In the Gallatin valley, Montana. It starts about three miles south of Salesvllle, on the west side of the West Gallatin river, and runs northward some thirty miles and flows into Camp creek. The ditch is to be sixteen feet wide at the bottom and (our feet deep. The company has purchased 30,000 acres of Northern Pacific railroad land, which will be supplied from the canal, and the surveys have been made in such a way that an immense amount of government land can be served with water also. Work Is being pushed rapidly, and It is the expectation of the promoters of the enterprise to be able to supply the settlers with water for next season's crop. For a number of years it has been known that there were good coal prospects north of Eagle Rock, but they were so far away from the railroad that nothing could be done with them. Within the past lour weeks, how ever, several parties have been making further Investigations and one good Sevan-foot vein has been discovered. Many other places have been found where the cropplngs Indicate that there is plenty of It. These locations are from forty to sixty miles from Eagle Rock, and of course until a railroad Is built are of but little value. Tbey are however, within a few miles of the National Park branch railroad, which there is hardly a doubt will be built before the end of another year, U not by the Union Pacific It will be done by a corporation formed for that purpose. 6amples of coal have been sent to Butte for testing and have been found all right. With the Immense water power and coal so convnelent there la nothing that will prevent the location of smelting works, where the expense of fuel Is one of the chief items. Tima, Eagle Rock, Idaho. 251 Grangeville, during the present year, has made a wonderful growth, but not In advance of the demands of the surrounding country. There are quite a numerous population on Camas prairie now, and it la filling up very rapidly. They are pushing back into the timbered regions and taking up every foot of land. Many have iquatted on unsurveyed land and are wait ing for It to be surveyed. These people find Grangeville a central and easi ly accessible point at all seasons, and with this steady flow of people Into the country it is necessary that the town should Improve. The growth of the town Is simply a response to the growing demands of the surrounding country. Next year the town will make a still larger growth, and In a very few years it will have a population of two thousand. And why notf Situ ated In the heart of the best agricultural and stock raising region in Idaho, with vast mountain regions on the north, east and south, burdened with timber and seamed with veins of the precious minerals, why should not a good and lively town grow up and prosper amid such resources? The mines now being developed are only a fraction of those which are awaiting facili ties for working. With rich and extensive mining regions and dense tor rests In sight, and a productive country all around it, and only waiting for a railroad to enormously Increase its products, and a thrifty and energetic population surrounding it, surely Grangeville has a rosy future before lt. Frtt Prtu, QnngmlU, Idaho. It is reported by the Kelchum Ktyilont that within the last ninety days 50,000 acres of land have been taken up In the vicinity of Idaho Falls, Idaho, under the desert act Special Agent Tynor, of the land depart ment, suspecting that the land was being taken op for speculative purposes, Investigated, and found that the entries were being made by eastern parties who had been induced to file, or to claim, by a Denver syndicate. It is alleged that parties of eastern people were taken to Idaho Falls on special excursions and thence by wagons across the Snake river to some high point where the view is unobstructed for twenty miles, and the parties then went to the land office to make affidavit that they had visited each tract upon which entry was made. The law requires that each person shall visit the tract entered upon and swear that the land Is not taken up for speculative purposes. It seems that those provisions have been Ignored and the special agent thinks he can have all such entries canceled. Bona fide settlers are complaining, as the land will be tied up and held back from settlement three years. The records of the land office In Idaho show that on one day over twenty entries were made by Chicago parties. Large parties were also brought from Portland, Denver and Salt Lake. II this Is kept up all the desert land will be tied op in a short time. The matter will be brought be fore the department at Washington and if the entries are canceled, eastern parties who have been taken Into the scheme will be out the expense of their trip and the fees paid the company Inducing them to go. What are the sources and causes of the unexampled development that Is taking place in the State of Washington. While the natural resources of the state are very great, yet natural resources alone, wrought upon by the ordinary methods of Immigration and unaided labor, would not produce a phenomenon so remarkable. The secret lies mainly In the Introduction of capital into the state. The rapid Introduction of capital la due to the tact that capital In Washington is allowed unrestricted movement and freedom of action. Oregon has never had an object lesson equal to this, Wash ington invites Investments ; the fact has become known, and she gets them. Money Is pouring into the state from all quarters, It seeks every opportu nity; It enters into every avenue; It creates cities, builds mills, opens mines, makes farms, Irrigates lands and establishes Industries of different kinds, It Is planted wherever men see a prospect that may In time produce dividends or yield profits. Not so in Oregon. What la the reason T Simply this: The laws of Washington favor investment of capital, while the laws of Oregon practically forbid it. Investments are free in Washington ; In Oregon they are hampered, trammeled, restricted by our tax laws and by the practices that have grown up under them. There Is no usury law In Washington, and money may be lent on mortgage in Washington without subjecting the lender or borrower to tax. Capital, therefore, finding a free field, la pouring Into Washington, filling the state with industries and effect ing a transform it ion whose rapidity and extent has seldom been witnessed In the growth ol our states. On the Pacific elope there never has been any thing to compare with it. What has been done In Washington during the last few years has been mainly the work of capital Introduced from abroad, This capital has been Introduced because the people have Invited it, have not hindered its free movement by usury or mortgage tax laws, and have been wisely content with taxation of the property it has created, Instead of taxing the credit! and loans on which the Industrial development of the country is founded. Had she not extended to capital this invitation and opportunity, Washington would not have witnessed for twenty-five years to come the development she baa now In so short a time achieved. ATorlA vulern Finanritr.