PORTLAND'S PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLr
OREGON'S
OUTLOOK
iff
X
I iVft
VMi
6
r &
ftil
ss
as
ih
G. A. White in November Sunset.
Maeterlinck sets up the theory in his essay on "The Future,"
that past and future arc realities of like value with the present,
nothing more than a point of individual observation, whence time
falls away into past and future, leaving man, because of long racial
habit, to judge of past alone. Yet the future is not put to us, so
complex in all things as to be inscrutable; nor is it alone the do
main of the profligate, trance-medium or the prophet. The doctor
steps into a sick room, puts his fingers to the pulse of the patient
and says with a degree of certainty, "In a day or two you will be
broken out with the measles." And so we 'may take the pulse of
a state in hand and determine from the heart-beats of its industries
and resources very much what its tomorrow will be.
What shall we say as to the state whose cliicf symptoms are:
, millions of acres of fertile lands awaiting the touch of the plow, bil
lions of feet of the finest timber inviting the woodman's axe and
the markets of the world ; waterfalls and streams ready for the har
ness of servitude in the generating of power and electricity ; great
stock ranges wherein the finest animals can be raised with none of
the inconveniences and setbacks of a severe winter; hills rich in
mineral store; a great commercial waterway, which opens the gate
of trade with the vast countries of the Orient; a people of pro
gressive spirit, who arc combined for the state's advancement; and
added to these things, enormous productions in every branch of
agriculture, horticulture and manufactures; new railroads thread
ing their way with commercial sustenance to growing sections of
the state. These arc some of the signs of Oregon's future and the
conclusion to be drawn therefrom is obvious.
Oregon's pulse today is beating with the strong steady move
ment of prosperity, a prosperity which includes past, present and
future in its scope. There is peace and plenty throughout the state,
attendant upon one of the most successful years in is hisory. This
year's crops have been heavy, products of mill and factory, exports
and imports, in fact every branch of industry and activity shows
increase. The banks arc full of money, the people's pockets arc
protruding with plenty; and yet the bright sun of prosperity is
hardly above the horizon, for Oregon is yet in her early morning.
Like California, Oregon is one of the younger communities ot
America. The Oregon country passed to the sovereignty of the
United States a brief sixty years ago and was explored by Lewis
and Clark one hundred and one years ago an event, the centennial
of which was so fittingly celebrated last year by the Lewis and
Clark Imposition at Portland.
Equable climate and bountiful resources early attracted the
westward-bound cavalcades of settlers, who found therein a land
of plenty, which gave to them a livelihood without asking too
much in return. They found that in Oregon, Nature had set up a
storehouse of the things that are good for man; and the word went
out bringing its throngs of hopeful homescekers from the less en
couraging districts of the East. And today the opportunity for
the homcscckcr and for the investor was never greater. Few, if
any, places, offer so much to the newcomer, whether he be capi
talist, farmer or workman. The need of all classes cannot be em
phasized too clearly.
Oregon is the largest of the Northwest states. California and
Nevada form the southern boundaries, with Washington to the
north, Idaho on the east and the Pacific across the west. .From
north to south is a distance of 290 miles, from cast to west 360
miles. The total area is 90,030 square miles, or 61,459,200 acres.
Three mountain ranges divide the state from north to south the
Coast Range, the Cascades, which segregate the state into Eastern
and Western Oregon, and the Blue Mountains near the eastern
boundary. It is among the slopes of these ranges that is found
the most valuable stand of lumber in the world a stand estimated
at 300,000,000,000 feet, board measure, and making up approxi
mately a sixth of the merchantable timber in the United States
Converted to lumber and disposed of at, say $12 per thousand feet,
the amount of revenue derived would be $3,500,000,000. Last year
1,300,000,000 feet of lumber was shipped, adding to the wealth of
the state the neat sum of $16,900,000. The increase over the timber
output in past years is represented in millions of dollars; for ex
ample, in 1904, the sum of $13,200,000 was derived, and in 1903,
the total was S12.000.000.
Industrial Oregon may rightly be divided into seven districts.
First, the rich Willamette Valley taking its way from Portlanu
southward across eight counties and occupying four million acres
of rich land. Here a total failure of crops has never been kuown,
the Coast Range doing away with the necessity of irrigation, al
though the need of conserving the surplus water supply for dry
periods and thus adding to the general productiveness, has of late
been generally urged. Diversified farming is carried on with suc
cess and the livestock and dairying industries are now on a sound
footing. Experiments in dairying have established that this is a
natural center for the industry. The mild climate does away with
that loss of energy and fat used up by rigorous winters. Forage
is of the best and there are good pastures the year round. North
eastern Oregon, a second district, is bounded by the Columbia and
Snake Rivers. It is a domain of grain fields, orchards, stock
ranches and ranges, and of great mineral wealth must of it yet
undeveloped. Central Oregon, at the western end of which stands
the majestic Mount Hood, with its mantle of snow, is an empire
of farming, stock raising and fruit growing. In the northwestern
portion of this district lies the justly renowned Hood River fruit
region, a name that has found fame in the four quarters of the
globe as producing the best apples in the world. And here the
Iruit growers work upon a basis that is well worthy of emulation.
They send out none but their finest fruit, sacrificing enormous
quantities that the best may go to the outside markets. You will
find the Hood River apple featured on the markets of New York or
Michigan or Ohio, even of Europe and the Orient. The fourth,
or Coast district, begins at the junction of the Willamette and
Columbia Rivers, taking in the Coast country on down south to the
California line. Great showings have been made here in dairying
and the making of cheese. The settlement is sparse and there is
unlimited room for development room that is rapidly being taken
advantage of by investors and homescekers. The Southern Oregon
district and its neighbor, Southeastern Oregon, likewise offer op
portunities innumerable and arc drawing hundreds of people to
share their mineral and agricultural wealth.
Oregon's exports form no inconsiderable item. The total ex
ports from Portland and Coos Bay harbors amounted in value last
year to $10,131,949, as compared with $7,146,444 for 1904. These
exports for the most part went down the Columbia River to serve
Europe, Asia, Oceanic, Africa, Mexico, South America and the
Hawaiian Islands. The average cargo leaving Portland harbor
now runs up to 7500 tons. With a forty-foot channel at the mouth
of the Columbia River the largest vessels need show no hesitancy
in making Portland. River improvements are now being conducted
bv the Government with this end in view.
Tle Columbia River, with its tributaries taps a region as great
as the whole of New England with New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Maryland thrown in for good measure. Its foreign com
merce averages up to more than $12,000,000 in solid business. Sub
stantially all exports arc grown in the country tributary to the
river. Practically all imports are absorbed by Oregon. Demands
from the Orient for all commodities are increasing and this fact,
added to the growing population, the expanding territory, and the
great field for manufacturing, forms the magnet that is attracting
the investor.
Last year Oregon produced 13,700,000 bushels of wheat, 1,750,
000 bushels of barley, 6,250,000 bushels of oats, 800,000 tons of
hay and 375,00 bushels of corn. The salmon output on the Oregon
side of the Columbia River made a total of 24,581,671 pounds, the
total farm products brought $4,510,343 (and only about one-sixth
of Oregon's area is now included in farms), fruit added $1,544,411,
and so the figures may be piled up indefinitely all telling their
story of resources immeasurable and of opportunities unlimited.
Two things that should be touched upon in passing arc climate
and scenery. The climate is milder than other regions of the same
latitude. The mean annual temperature in the Coast region is 51
degrees: in the Willamette Valley, 52 degrees; in Southern Ore
gon. S3 degrees, while in Eastern Oregon the average is 46 degrees.
This is much milder than normal, latitude considered. Western
Oregon and parts of Southern Oregon are green the year around.
Roses flourish in Portland on Christmas day. Oregon scenery is
urged as an unanswerable argument for the patriotic "See America
First" campaign. There is perhaps no more inspiring sight in the
world than the trip down the Columbia River from The Dalles to
Portland. Nature has laid on her coloring with a lavish hand in
this magnificent sweep of scenic grandeur. Crater Lake, a master
piece of coloring, the Willamette Valley, with its rural charm, the
Rogue River Valley and the mighty Siskiyou all reveal a wealth
of incomparable scenic beauty.
A factor of the utmost importance in the development of the
state at this time is the unprecedented railroad 'activity. It was
pleaded a few years ago that all Oregon had outgrown its rail
roads. But to this an ample remedy is being applied. Fully a
hundred million dollars will have been put into new steam and
electric lines before the close of 1908, and will accentuate the de
velopment in every direction. Oregon is becoming the Mecca of
the transcontinental lines. The Harriman lines in Oregon alone
have at hand for immediate expenditure the sum of $14,343,587.
This money is being expended as rapidly as possible in the face of
a labor shortage, such as is now general throughout the Northwest.
Wages in every field of activity were never higher nor workmen
so hard to get. Another big work wherein the railroads arc help
ing is that of publicity. Thousands of dollars arc being put out by
lines in Oregon in presenting the state's resources to Eastern fields.
The relation of the railroad to the development of the country it
serves has never been more fully illustrated than in Oregon.
When Portland and Oregon, with characteristic spirit and en
terprise, held the World's Fair last year, a reaction from the ac
tivities attendant thereon was predicted on all hands.
But there has been no reaction. Commercial and industrial ac
tivity have swept ahead on a broader scale under the impetus which
the Exposition gave. Realty values in Portland and throughout
the state have increased steadily. Portland, with Oregon behind
it, and Oregon with its wealth of resources behind it, were never
greater than today.
V'a: -.
Chapman Timber Co.
tf?r
,"
MM& ko:
IM&
ftwfr
J
jW
.
Yellow Fir Logs
Long timbers
Cedar Logs
',-
l r
Ooerations. SCAPPOOSE, OREGON
Offices, 4 1 9 Lumber Exchange Bldg., PORTLAND, OREGON n '"
'&Hi!
... . " ss
- IS
1 J g
B ft
K ft
fcyg Kg