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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1900)
THE MOBNING ' OREGONIAlSr, MONDAY, JARUAEY 1, 1900. uable for timber and pasturage "for cattle and sheep. The farming lands are of a great variety of soil, and of great rich ness. Sand and black loam soil Is found along the river bottoms, and on the lower levels, while the clay and red loams pre dominate on the higher levels. Any crop peculiar to the Willamette valley grows In Clackamas county. The "Willamette river runs through the county from south to north, affording ex cellent transportation facilities at mini mum rates and serving, at the same time, to .modify and control the rates on the railroads. Many good-sized mountain streams, with water as clear as crystal, course through the county from their source amid the crags and fastnesses of the mountains to their exit in the waters of the Willamette and Columbia (rivers. Pudding river. Butte creek. Rock creek, Molalia. river. Milk creek, Beaver creek, Aberneihy creek, Clackamas, Clear creek. Roaring river. Eagle creek. Deep creek. Cedar creek, Sandy river, Salmon river. Bull Run and Tualatin river, are all streams of considerable importance. These, In turn, are fed by a multitude of rivulets and spring branches. An abun dance of water is one of the character istics of the county. It is the rule, hardly without -exception, that there is found either a cunning stream of Some kind, or a living spring, on every ICO acres of land in the county. The abundance of watercourses also naturally divides the land into-bottom lands and table lands, or plateaus, giving a great diversity of soli, suitable for every known crop pe culiar to a temperate climate. Let it be understood that Clackamas county lies Immediately south of Multno mah county, the county seat of which is Portland, the metropolis of the Northwest Thus we have an unlimited market for all our products. "When It is understood that one-half of the farmers of our coun ty can drive to Portland, do their mar keting and trading and reach home the same day, the Importance of this fact will be readily conceded and appreciated. In this day and age of close margins, it is an absolute necessity to cut down every expense. The farmer, by hauling to the great market centers, not only sells to the immediate consumer, but is enabled to purchase all articles of family use at less cost Commissions and profits to agents and middlemen are thus saved to the farmer. Clackamas county is making commend able progress in the construction of roads. It was the second county in the state to adopt the cash road system, in 1B93, and since then more real practical improve ments have been made to the public thor oughfares than In all the previous years under the old system. The annual road tax collected Is from 4 to 5 mills on the dollar, creating a fund of from $20,000 to $25,000. This sum Is expended by the road supervisors, under the direction of the county court. As the now and permanent roads reach out farther into the country, the farmers are greatly encouraged, and in their seal volunteer large amounts of work. We have adopted all three sys tems of road construction macadam, gravel and plank with good (results. In 1S99 a modern, road was completed to Molalia at a cost of about $7000. The peo ple of Oregon City, Carus. Mulino and Molalia contributed, in work and money, $3000, and the county paid the remainder. We nave now in Clackamas county near ly 75 miles of modern road. In less than five years main roads to all the large out lying precincts will be completed. Frnlt Industry. A great many of the old apple orchards planted in early pioneer days remain. They give, when taken care of, profitable returns from year to yean But the plant ing of orchards as a business and for profit was not seriously begun until about 10 years ago. Since then thousands of acres of the best varieties of apples, pears and prunes have been set out. In 10 years frultraising will .be .the. leading Industry of the county. Even now it makes a considerable showing, aggre gate results considered. Many farmers are making prune culture a specialty. The soil of the county, especially in the sections where the natural drainage is good, is well adapted td the successful growing of prunes. The precincts of Can by, Springwater and Clackamas lead In acreage. Driers are being erected each year to handle the new crop coming on, and the product is shipped by carload lots to all ax'ailable market points. While I have no patience with the boom stories of the wonderful results to flow from prune culture, I am of the opinion that $100 an acre, net, is within the reasonable limits of what can be realized firom a fair crop of prunes. So far, however, it has been demonstrated that no fruit crop ex cels in productiveness or value the far famod red-cheeked apple. And if any criticism is permissible in an article of this kind, it would be to the effect that we are not giving proper attention to the growing of apples and pears. Dairjlngr and Stockraising;. Clackamas is a clover county. The white clover grows on every roadside, and the red clover yields from three to five tons pec acre a year. As a matter of fact, the farmers of this county and of Oregon hardily realize the possibilities In butter-making. To be sure, our breeds of cattle are improving, and the outlook is encouraging; yet we have not scratched the surface of the Klondike of wealth to be found In the dairy interests of West ern Oregon. Not only that, but abundant pasturage in the foothills of our county offers special inducements to the raising of cattle for market. A great many of our foothiii farmers keep as many as 100 head of cattle in connection with their farming interests, and the number might be largely Increased with profit. What is true of cattle is true of sheep. Sheep pay. The best farmers are coming to understand that a flock of sheep is an absolute necessity to successful diversi fied farming. There is ample room In this county for wide-awake farmers with mod ern ideas who are not afraid to work. The soil is rich, the crons never fail, deep-water ships come within four miles of our county line, inviting us to greater efforts, and promising us the highest market price for our products. Clacka mas county is an empire in itself, and could support, without crowding, a popu lation of 590.000. A great matter of encouragement Is the number of public and private creameries starting up in various sections of the county, most of them during the past year. On a recent trip into the Sandy country, 20 miles east of Oregon City, I found five private creameries in opera tion, and the product found ready sale every week for cash. The farmers of Lo--.gan, 18 miles cast of Oregon City, are also organizing a cheese factory and creamery, which they expect to have in operation early this year. So the good work goes on. Cluckanias County Acres under cultivation.. Bushels of wheat Bushels of oats Bushels barley and rye... Bushels of corn Tons of hay.- Bushels of potatoes Pounds butter and cheese. Pounds of hops Bushels of apples Bushels of pears J Baskets of peaches Bushels of plums Bushels of green prunes... "Value of all other fruit raised in county Lumber cut, feet 1 Number of sheep Number of horses Number of cattle Number of swine Statistics. Value. 71,054 400,000 -$200,000 500 00 175,000 20.000 12,500 20.000 10,000 30,000 240.000 5C0.003 150,000 500 000 125.000 1,000,000 100.000 200,000 150,000 50,090 20.000 5,000 2 500 10,000 5.000 50,000 SO.O'jO t 25,000 16,000,000 ICO.000 9.00S 18,000 3.495 150,000 7,452 150,000 3,945 10,000 Real Estate. Sales of real etsate in 1S99 show an in crease of nearly 25 per cent over those of. 1S9L Sales in 1S9S aggregated 5400.000. A careful compilation of the records of Clackamas county from January 1, 199, to December 10, 1869, shows total real es- 1 tate sales of $472,009 39. By the end of the year the total .sales will easily reach &00 000 This sum, while not large", shows that the movement in real estate has be crun and Increased sales may be confi dently expected. Farms are, however, I cL-ap, and good bargains may be had, The snaps are being picked up fast, and better prices will no doubt prevail in the' near future. Any inquiries as to lands, in this coun ty or as to water-power will be cheerful ly given on application. H. J3. CROSS. .Oregon City. CLATSOP COUNTY. Activity in All Line Provides Work for All Who Want It. Clatsop county, in common with the rest of the state, has made a marked ad vance, the past year in the line of material development of its natural resources, and shows a well-defined Increase in the value of Its products. That -. Increase has been somewhat checked, especially in the farm ing districts, by the Jack of good roads and proper transportation facilities to the markets. This matter is now being remedied by a united action of the people OOOOCO0OOO9OOOOeOOO49OOOOOO0OOe9Oa9OOOOOOO3OO( o o o o o 9 o o o a 9 o 9 a 9 o o o a o a The following comparative diagram shows the highest individual 9, 1892t to September 7, 1899. Words could not tell so striking' a story Millions f Dfc.9.892 Jfray t893 i. -:.. ..: i-si:. - flec'9.69 v --,. . - M.t.jvjj I rf,l,.. ... H, ifll.ii.l Jut :789S 2ec.7.B96 .a,v.ig!i;.j"Vil-j dec. &J897 j Ziec.f. 893 Jetp0& J-.-.-r"---. : - ' - - n eoooeoooooo oooeoooQjeoo90oo9 09O0O8 oeoooo03oeooeocooooooooQOooe9OO oo .of the county at large, and 1900 will see this barrier to progress removed. Clatsop occupies the extreme northwest corner of the state "and In area comprises about 700,000 acres. About 550,000 acres ,Is covered with the best fir, spruce, cedar, larch, hemlock, maple and alder timber to.be found In the world, and tne remainder consists of prairie, cleared tim ber, reclaimed swamp, diked and wild tide lands. These lands are generally of a clay loam, mixed in parts with sand, with a subsoil of dark clay, admirably adapted for the storage of large quanti ties of the winter's moisture for the use of growing vegetation through the sum- mer season. And though there is but lit- lie rainfall from June to November, vege tatlon never becomes dry or withered. Agriculture Is carried on to a greater or less extent in all parts of the county, but more particularly in the Nehalem val ley and on Clatsop plains. Dairying and stockraising are the principal ocupa tions. though vegetables, all classes of cereals and even hops are becoming im portant sources of income. The develop ment of the county, agriculturally, dur ing tho past year has not been so marked Perhaps as in "some other lines, but It has been a gradual and steady growth, and the products will show a measurable in crease over those of a year ago. Espe cially is this true along the courses of the Lewis and Clark and Young's rivers, where lie many thousands of acres of tho richest and most fertile tldelands which are being reclaimed by the con struction of dikes. The construction of the wagon bridge from Astoria across Young's bay and the several roads lead ing to its southern approach has opened to agriculture vast tracts that have within a short time beeh transformed from veritable wastes of inaccessible un dergrowth to rich and teeming farming lands. Natural Rcsquxces of Great Value. In the wealth and diversity of natural resources, Clatsop county equals if it does not surpass any district of a like area in the Northwest. Of these the mosu Im portant, or at least the one that has been accorded the greatest amount of attention, is tho salmon fisheries of the Columbia river, the headquarters for which Is at Astoria. During the past SO years this In dustry has brought in a gross revenue of over $73,000,000. The annual outlay Is over $1,000,000 for the purchase of raw fish, to say nothing of the vast amount paid for labor in getting the fish ready for shipment to market. The advent of the cold-storage shipment of salmon during the past wo years has given a wonderful impetus to the Industry. It has raised the price- paid to the fishermen and has sup plemented the Chinamen who are em ployed almost exclusively In the canneries by the engagement of white labor for the cold-storage plants, thus Increasing In no small degree the sum expended for la bor. This money soon finds it way Into the natural channels of trade In the com munity. To this must be added ship ments of sturgeon and other river fishes, which will easily reach a value of over 5100,000 a season, and the deep-sea fishing, which, though only in its experimental stages, promises soon to be numbered among the most important Industries of the county. Timber Lands Increasing: In Valne. Next in point of value to the fisheries are the timber resources, which are just beginning " to attract merited attention from the outside world. Here lie over 500.000 acres of verdant forest, as yet un touched by the woodsman, and waiting only the application of capital and energy to add their latent wealth to the com merce of the world. A great portion of this timber Is Oregon pine. Traversing the country at frequent Intervals and 'n almost every direction are numerous small waterways, which, though Inaccessible for boats, afford excellent and inexpensive means of transporting lbgs from the for ests to the navigable rivers and bays. The development of these timber re sources,, has, during the year just past, "made rapid strides. Numerous logging camps have been established In different portions of the county, and the output in logs shows an increase in value of fully one-third. Timber lands have also made a wonderful advance in market value. Xands that a short time ago could be had almost for the asking now pommand a good figure, while those lo cated close to "any of the numerous streams have nearly doubled in price. Coal Beds. There are in the different parts of the county several coal veins, thick enough to prove profitable and of a character o be merchantable, but as yet very lit tle has been done towards developing them. In the southern portion of the county two veins "have been prospected, one of them showing a thickness of 26 inches and the other 33 Inches. These Veins have been uncovered in spots for a aistance or uve miles, and enough in- vestlgatlon has been made to show that ..Lore is sufficient coal in the locality to 1 last for years. Some of it is of a quality fit for steaming purposes and in quantity equal to supply the needs of the com merce of the Pacific. In the eastern por tion of the county a coking coal has been discovered, and recently a; local company was formed to open up the vein. k Superior Quality of. Clay. Another valuable natural resource which, will, if properly utilized, result in the es tablishment of a paying industry, Is a superior quality of clay Within a short distance of Astoria are large deposits of potteryclay o a quality' suitable for the manufacture of the finest drain pipes and earthenware. A few years ago the manu facture of brick, was commenced, but the cheapness of lumber at that time reduced the demand for brick to ho small a- limit that the experiment proved unprofitable, and the works were suspended, but condi tions have changed now. Lumber Is fast advancing in price, and it will be but aj short time before brick of good quality will be In great demand. Quantities of this clay are now being shipped to outside towns and there made Into pipe and earth enware for the markets, but there is every I INDIVIDUAL DEPOSITS IN y s : - .r - ..,.L - LVJ - isit,,. - ;:i,' - i,i,".i.. - - .. - L,f.r. - n - ; ...:-k - .K - ,,v.f. - .:,XT:,;. ..:?-, ....iir-.....v:. hMYiiti:-"''"r '" - ll IIM. - IT' I ;-.. r 22222S v - m'.w1:?'. - ?'.1: .?"'-.. yrpr7.'-.v.r.firry.t- r-.'V :'! irtin ..m-.-. ,'j'."wf: -v i w.'.-jgTmrar-Er.-Ji .T-L-j;;:vTT7TreTv: - "i Jii.v,rt.--.Sr inducement offered for the establishment of a plant of the kind here. Among the new industries started last year the most important, outside of tho cold-storage plants, Is the creamery , at Astoria. Although thi? plant has been' in' operation only during the past season, it has proved a success, and has induced our resident farmers and many newcomers to engage more extensively in the business of dairying and stockraising, for which the tldelands and lowlands are well suited In material prosperity Clatsop county will compare favorably with any of her neighbors. A crop failure has never been known. The .renewed activity in lumber- ing" andfishing,1' and extensive Improve ments of a private and public nature have made work plentiful and distributed thou sands of dollars among the working peo ple. I. J. KERN. Astoria, Or. a COLUMBIA COUNTY. Prosperity indicated by the Increase of Taxable Valuations.' Midway between the metropolis of Ore gon and the sea is a country which for productiveness of soil and richness of har vest, cannot be equaled byany other part of the state. About 60 miles of the river frontage of this section forms a part of what is known geographically as Columbia county. Of late 5rears thjs section - has become noted for its mild climate, which oeoooooooo909eoGoeooodooooooooooooo900AOooaooooooooecoeoeooeoo6o&ooGoo&oooo o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o e o o o o o o o O) o o o o o o o a o o o o a o o o o 9 o . o o o -TJie following diagram, with comparative horizontal extensions, shows the foreign commerce, Imports and exports combined, of the customs dis tricts of Oregon (Portland, Astoria and Coos bay), for sixteen fiscal years ended "June 30, 1S99: Mb '3 07S dd s'esr r?4rrn'y 306 t-luh.. .',..'. -III. W'WJi .. w.. . .iti.-i.t.I.i!.ji.j, ii.il... 66 7 jji M'.T.'a-.'. !! ij!'.' - - v. 388 1 - 639. 690 1; ' 769 69Z' STES23E I 7393 o o o o o o o o o o o e o o o o o o o o o o o o e o o o o o 7094 r, nw7. 39S 7696 ayrTr-fyr! m lii rif-v2 J890 7699 .7897 ' :-rT ''-''"'"''w'' 11 1 1 1 11 11 1 .iiiiii mi mm 1 !. n J ' """ '" -"- -- -"--S-Iiiii'' SJi3Jl.ll'.L.'l.-..jj..:i'.;tefxt'u.,.'lH.1L.1iViii;:: During the sixteen years under review, Oregon has imported and exported merchandise 'valued at $125,982,623, of which $107,531,129 Is credited to Portland, and the balance toAstoria and Coos hay. Yaquina bay has reported neither imports nor exports in this period. Oregon's best year for commerce was 189S, when' ihe ,total of' Imports and exports swelled to $15,94,670. Though the total for 1899 fell below that of 1S98, It was 'greater than that of Oregon's third best year 1892. xo eO0OO9t9(S(99S6t8tC9SI99t in many1 respects is vastly superior to that 01 cauiornia a liitio coiaer in winter, perhaps, but with a very temperate sum- "While 'the immigration to Columbia "coun ty 'during the past year may not have equaled that to othe"r sections of the state, In point of numbers, it is very evident that that deficiency has been made up in qual- 'rioted for good schools, and the employ itv. Many newcomers have located on ment of many men in their saw mills. government lands, and are now busily clearing and Improving" them ' In v the older settled portions of the conn- 1 ty meg. of wealth have come and bought J ,7 out such as were desirous of selling, and have started new improvements. The Ne halem valley, where a few sections are still subject to entry, has received a fair per centage of the immigration, but along the river front, in the vicinity of Rainier, Clatskanle and Goble, the Immigration has been heaviest. Owing to good schools and . and the Chief at Clatskanle. church privileges offered at these polnt3 Here the horticulturist finds a soil and along ., with steady employment in mills, climate ihat wlU grow fruit and nutbearing factories, lumbering and logging camps, f trees of all varieties except those peculiar there is now, and will be for some time, a lyadapted to a. tropical climate. -Prunes steady growth In population and wealth. Increase iu Stock Holdings. A verdant land, where -the grass is al ways green, one would naturally suppose to bo a good country for stockraising' and dairying. We flndtNthat by development and clearing, the acreage of tillable lands has been increased at least 10 per cent during the past year. A steady growth is noticed ,ln the stock business; sheep, cattle, horses, mules and swine, In the order named", show Increases ranging from 45 per cent for sheep to 10 per cent for swine. Agriculture In this country is yet in its Infancy, owing to the fact that the forests must be cleared away before farm- OREGON NATIONAL BANKS deposits of the National banks of Oregon of the prosperity of the people. 7 ? o MfluWMVwn ii aim li,T i, , ii ,, ,,,! , .. . .,- ,7la:.,:rALMAtw7.vtv?7ra .-.-.r; :--...-.r.m: i..-.----cv- -.? - sJf.-n.'V'-- 'r-s iitn I11Q PI see JlTliA '.w,'ir' "'da S3 ;tf,'firan!'t,-iJ.:iir,r;.1! Ing begins. Along the waterways and rapid-transit lines 'dairying and creamery 'industries are flourishing. A large number of skimming, stations and creameries have been established, notably in the upper end of "the county along the Columbia and Wil- lamette slough. Several dairies are op- erateciton the rich Bottom lands, witn cows numbering as -high as 100 to the dairy. Tho product of the dairy finds ready market, , with cheap transportation, and it, Is safe to say that this Industry will be perma nenC It 13 constantly growing larger. As an indication of tho material pros- perlty it Is worthy of note that the taxa- ble wealth of the county has increased durlnj? the "past year"almost $100,000. "St Helens, the county seat, and Houlton, which adjoins St. Helens, both show signs of decided improvement. The Orcgonl Wood Company has greatly Improved their facilities for handling wood. They have on their payroll from 40 to 50 men, and the average per month has been about 1000 cords, which is sold from thejr new dock, mostly to steamboatmen. They have 3 miles of flume, and own real estate valued at SS0O0. The new improvements I contemplated hero are a new four-room schoolhouse, where it is Intended to hold a graded school tho entire year. A $2000 church and parsonage will be qrected by the Methodist Episcopal congregation, their old church having been burned last July. An addition to the courthouse is being constructed to provide more room for county officials. Progress of County Towns. Rainier, the largest town in the county, FOREIGN COMMERCE OF OREGON V 7 t 'if".?1!"! - .r?MlLgVV - .'iJ'r,ilWfJV:V'!fJl!."J 1 ,.,..,..tLj.l.i i, .j'.lJ,.'tl i . IvT-Tll.u.U - - ; hvv?rhvrrMV.Wjiwjr . 1 I ' .1 1. I , I r r l 1 T ZZ22SrZE I 4 "'-''"-- XI 1 w w :,. !.... j... vl..j.Ur 3 - Jjl'UgjJj!ftSrMi.n,gl"'.Lw -'' "''uT-"flilVfi'r 09Q 09 O OO O Q 9 made phenomenal growth last year. A fine railroad station: a three-story frame hotel and several residences and business blocks were built. Tne Knights of Pythias jtalk of erecting a large two-story build ing for lecture-room and castle hall. Clatskanle grew very rapidly during the year. .Rainier and Clatskanle are equally shingle mills and factories. The cold-storage business ox Goble has been kept quite busy ever since it started and has added greatly to ihe wealth at . ( that part of the county. At Goble the wood, logging and lumber trade gives em ployment to between 200 and 300 men. There are three newspapers in the coun ty, just half the nuniber'of four years ago. 'The Columbia County News and Oregon Mist are published- at St Helena. and cherries grow In large quantities, and here, too. Is the favorite place of the "Or jjon Red Apple." Mineral development, It is but fair to state, has hardly begun. It Is- a well .known fact that the Nehalem coal fields and Iron mountains are very rich, and one might say, inexhaustible. Although no high-grade ore has been found, yet the Rock Creek sliver mine prospectors, are stilt In hopes of striking It rich. Along this line it is worthy of note that a mineral paint works is In operation near Scap poose, and ;from these works much of tjia yellow and red ocher in Portland markets is obtained. The projector of this business, Frank Payne, has shown by skill and en- iooooeaieaeaaaoaaea9aaaaeaaaee in each year from December 'ZZ)0ar$ 9.fc$3SZ39 9.96. 362.: 67 7.S92.9S-&4A 8.460,69.2? 7.6S-.C9S.V f. Q8, 38.78 9. 8S8.99M , 78 ;'$.& oeoosooooeooooooooeooooooo ergy that there is room for one of the greatest paint factories In the world at this point. All that Is needed is capital and push. Xew Roads to Nehalem Valley. New wagon roads are projected from several river points Into the Nehalem val ley. There Is talk of a railroad from sea side to Salem via the Nehalem valley. Several big sales of timber lands have been made during the past year to Eastern capitalists who are interesting themselves In the Nehalem country. The prospects for the next year or two are brighter than ever before. New ln- dustrles, new settlers and new improve- ments are-the order of the day. R. H. MITCHELIi. St Helens, Or. a BENTON COUNTY. Farmers Do Not Depend So Ulucb Upon Grain as in Former Times. -It Is now more than half a century since the valley lands of Benton county were first occupied. Like those who lo cated In other parts of the Willamette valley, the early settlers were men of sturdy character and sterling qualities. Many of these men have passed away, leaving the sections and half-sections of land, donated to them by the government to their children, and it is these sons, 9 7o 72 73 74 wwjagvK!'gflair:wa.tg.ja. I 9 O OS98 9 O0OO with the disposition and' characters of 1 their sirfes,' that make up the larger part of the producing population. They are not men given to speculation, but. ad- i vised of the possibilities or their eon, are , edness. The health of the city has al contented to cultivate their farms and j ways been good, but the improvement Is Invest their surplus income In the im- 1 undertaken as a safeguard as well as a provement of their homes and the quality of their-stock. The larger part of the til lable land was taken up early in tho his tory of the county, so that those who came later purchased farms already test- I ed, and, profiting by the experiences of their neighbors, continued in much the same fashion as their predecessors.. Tho result is a stable and prosperous com munity. The good- prices for wheat prevailing to years ago assisted many farmers to again catch up, so that, whilo the low prices at this time are felt, the effect la not as great as it would have been a few years ago. The people of the county are realizing. thatL grain, is not the only thing they can produce; that cattle are in demand, at excellent prices; that mo hair Is a staple article and that sheep pay good returns. As a result, whila not abandoning the growing of wheat and oats, more attention is being paid to rais ing cattle. Farmers generally desire to provide themselves with a small band of sheep, and those who live near the foot hills either own a band of goats or are anxious to find some to be purchased or taken on the shares. It is noticeable that an Increased disposition is being mani fested amoDg farmers to awn a better grade of cattle, sheep, goats and poultry than they have heretofore possessed. They are improving constantly and getting as near the thoroughbred as they are able to do. Some of the finest grades of -joata. in the state are to be found here, impor tations' having been made from Texas and Iowa of some of the finest, and a testi monial of the. quality of some of the cat tle was the sale, by a local cattleman, of about 15 head of yearling bulls, at $100 each. Of this number, five went to the Ladd farm. .- The advantage of the silo has come to be recognized, and now silos are ,to- be found on many farms In the county. Their benefit will be felt still more later, when the farmers more generally come to con tribute to the creameries, as they will surely do. One creamery has been suc cessfully operated at Corvallis for three years, and those who furnish milk' find the results most satisfactory. A cheese factory was established a little over a year ago about a mile from Corvallis, and pro duces a first-class article that finds ready sale. Mr. Woodcock, the owner, has re cently purchased some adjoining land, and added a herd of thoroughbred Jersey cows. k 'For the cattle industry the entire coun ty is especially well adapted. The coun ty is traversed with living streams, and range fs first class. Land In King's and Alsea valleys is not as high-priced as along the Willamette. There is yet some public land open for settlement, but only to a limited extent. The newcomer to Benton county takes no chances. There Is no experimenting. Hi3 purchase of land will be measured In quality by the price he pays, and if he exercises an ordi nary amount of care in his selection, ac cording to his Individual tastes, he Is cer tain to get his money's worth. It Is a safe assertion to say that the bottom will never drop out of Benton.. The location has the advantage of a healthful and even climate. Extremes In temperature, for the summer, are about 92 deg., and for the winter about 8 deg. above zero. The mean temperature i3 about 60 deg. Total rainfall for tho year will not average over 42 inches. To the above may be added another de sirable quality, that of the certainty of crops and the presence of pests only as an exception. Not only are the crops cer tain, but; the land and climate are favor able to a generality of crops, so that gar den, orchard and field will produce a wide jango of vegetables, fruits and grains. Benton deserves as much as any other county her just proportion of credit that earns for the Willamette valley the title of "garden spot." True, her productions may not in the aggregate be as much as that from other counties, but It must be remem bered that Benton Is only about SO miles 'square. Every portion of the county la well watered. The demand for land 13 good, more par ticularly for farming than for city prop erties. Farm lands have within the last two years increased in prices. It took the" first of these two years to get prices in equilibrium again, and the last year has shown the increase. This Increase cannot be expected to continue in the same ratio for the succeeding years, but It will con tinue to some extent. This condition has been brought about to a considerable ex tent by purchases of land made by parties coming from the East. An Increased number of sales have been nnade within the last year, and all at good figures, for the most part spot cash. The county and the city of Corvalll3 are well supplied with public administra tion buildings. The courthouse and city hall compare with those of any other county in the state outside of Multnomah. During the past year the city of Corvallis has adopted a complete system of sewer age for the thorough drainage of the city, and is at this time engaged in construct ing two large sewers- that are expected 7 76 Do7ars 7.728.9e79 6.S5;95 7.66703 7.09.V d.SV66Vj 7. 98X77:. 6083.996 737X977 9.3X1SZ6 ZOOO.Z'o S:4.6bi &9V0.QS3 6S0.78o 8.6S6267 Z797.670 '&.639o6d 0OOaOOOOOOOO to De of material benefit The cost is upwards of $10,000. and is being paid by warrants drawn on the general fund. It , is not anticipated that any Increased levy wln be neceSary to pay the'indebt- convenience. Although supplied with tw.o schools, conducted under the branches of the United Brethren church. Philomath is to have a new $3000 pablic school building. It is understood that arrangements have been completed to secure a sightly post tion for the "building, that is to be mod era' In its construction and of pleasing: design. The location, of the state agri cultural college at Corvallis, with an at tendance of over 3S0 students from all over the state, with, a farm of 175 acres and an equipment second to no educa tional institution In the Northwest, makes thl3 county particularly desirable for its educational advantages. This year thero has been added to the college a heating plant for the principal buildings, costing $19,000; a stone mechanical hall to replace the former, which was destroyed by fire, at $25,000. and a system of sewerage. The principal manufacture of the county is flour, there being four mill3, with an average capacity of 200 barrels per day, besides two custom mills, located in the rural districts. The local lumber mar ket is more than supplied by local mills, and a considerable amount of haiawood, ash and oak. Is shipped to California by the Corvallis saw mill. For several years the navigability of the IiOng Tom river has been an open ques tion. During list summer the government removed the snags from the stream as far up as Monroe and cleared it for steamboats. Recently the county court has removed county bridges spanning the stream, and henceforth during the winter season' boats will load wheat and flour at Monroe, thus saving considerable in the way of hauling to railroad station or Willamette river landing. GEORGE DENMAN. Corvallis, Or. a UNION COUNTY. Large Grand Ronde Farms Being Cat Into Small Tracts. The population of Union county was considerably increased in 1S99 by immigra tion from the states farther east The majority of the settlers came from Utah, Their settlement In Oregon can be traced directly to the beet Bugar industry at La Grande, which was originated by peo ple from that state. A few of these im migrants have settled in th various towna of the county. As they ars principally of an agricultural class, tho majority of them have purchased small tracts and. will engage in sugar-beet raising and diversified farming. Nebraska and Mis souri also contributed quite a number of immigrants. One of the be3t results of this increase in our population Is the ten dency to cut some of the large ranches of the Grand Ronde valley Into small tracts and place an Industrious family upon each of these smaller tracts. A number of real estate deals are now in cdntemplation with this end In view. The most Important factor In the devel opment of the -county last year was the Increased production of sugar beets. Beet growers profited by the experience of last season, and were enabled to get a con siderable increase in yield per acre, whila they were also enabled to reduce the cost for weeding, thinning, etc. It will probably take four or five yeara to get the sugar-beet Industry satisfactorily es tablished, but there 13 not the least doubt that It will soon be one of the principal sources of revenue la the eastern portion of the state. Plenty of Worlc for All. Notwithstanding the low prices of cer eals and the fact that a considerable per cent of the grain crop was damaged by wet weather during harvest it is doubtful if there has been a time within the past decade when all classes of peoplo were so prosperous as they are now. All classes of workers, from the skilled me chanic to the common laborer, had no- .J difficulty last year In securing employ ment at fair wages. The individual who was not welt provided when winter began could be set down for one who had cither met with misfortune or one who had wasted his means in extravagant or riotous living. Mineral development received a great deal of attention, and some promising discoveries were made. The copper depos its along Snake river. In the southeastern part of the county, have attracted the at tention of mining capitalists, and many of them will doubtless be developed into paying mines this year. Until recently it was supposed that the northeastern portion of the county was devoid of prec ious minerals, but during the past few months it has been discovered that both gold and siLver-bearlng ore exists here in large quantities, and recent assays denot, that a new and promising mining will shortly offer opportunities for h.1 vestment. I feel safe In making the assertion that there Is not another county in the state the resources of. which are more varied than are those of Union. Our soil and climate are well adapted to the successful growing of all kinds of grains and grasses found in a temperate climate. The sugar beets produced here are among the finest in the world. All kinds of hardy fruits and vegetables grow to the highest per fection. Our foothills and mountains af ford an abundance of free pasture for thousands of cattle, sheep and horses. Our almost exhaustless tracts of timber give, each year, hundreds of laborers employment in getting out sawlogs, rail road ties and cordwood. In addition to these, our deposits of precious" minerals furnish regular employment to &. largo number of men and are constantly grow ing in Importance. The timber Industry of the county Is rapidly coming to the front as one of the greatest importance, and, as timber land3 can be purchased at reasonable figures, this Industry offers superior Inducements to practical sawmill men of moderate capital. There i3 not a sawmill in the county that is not making money for its owner, A Year of Many Improvements. The improvements throughout the county last year were many and varied. The number of new substantial steel bridges that have been placed across the various streams on our public roads makes it apparent that the county au thorities believe In making our publlo improvements of as permanent a char acter as possible. The various towns In the county have all had a number of sub stantial business houses and residences added to them during the year, while the value of the new farm buildings that have been erected would foot up a large amount The most Important public Improvement undertaken in the county was the build ing of a new wagon road down the Wal lowa hill. This road is now fast Hearing completion and will cost several thous ands of dollars. The principal part of the expense was met by the taxpayers of Uniori county, although the business1 men of Elgin and the towns of Wallowa coun ty contributed quite an amount Tho new road reduces the maximum, grade from 19 per cent to 10 per cent, and as tho distance Is less than a mile farther than by the old road. It can readily bo seen that It Is of the greatest import ance to the people of Wallowa county, who are obliged to convey practically all of their exports and imports over this road. The influx of newcomers Into the county kept up a steady demand for city prop erty and farming lands during the year. This extra demand for agricultural lands has Increased the price within the past IS months from 20 to 40 per cent, and it is now difficult to purchase good farm lands, in the Grand Ronde valley at less than $50 per acre, while a great deal of It, situated within a short distance of the sugar factory, could probably be sold for twice that figure. The increase in tho value of town property has not been quite so great as In that of agricultural land, although there has been a steady demand for town lands at prices much higher than, those that prevailed in 1S93. Scarcity of Lumber Delays Bulldinjt. It is probable that no industry in tho county received more attention last year than lumbering. The number of saw mills In the county haa bcpa Increased,