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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1900)
THE MORNING OREG,ONIAN, .MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1900. 5 vastly increased -when the Slletz valley is put under cultivation. The valley is about 60 miles long and varies from a quarter of a mile to a. mile in width- In July, 1S95, 40,000 acres of this land was alloted in severalty to the Indians. Since then 160 of the Indian owners have died, and their lands have been neglected, producing' nothing but large crops of weeds, where as these people at one time marketed many thousands of bushels of oats and po tatoes. By unanimous consent of all the Indians, backed by our citizens, congress will be asked to enact a law allowing the heirs of deceased Indians to sell their valuable farms. If congress grants the legislation asked, many hundreds of acres rich alluvial valley land will be bought by white people, which will Increase'the products of our new county and increase the county's revenue and reduce taxes. B. F. JONES. Toledo, Or. i MALHEUR COUNTY. Immigration of 1800 the Largest In the County's History. The immigration to Malheur county dur ing the past year has been the greatest during Its history, and the class of citizens making homes here is highly satisfactory, all of the newcomers having money to buy homes or improve government lands. Most numerous of these arrivals are the French Canadian and Hollander colonlBts, who have located about six miles south of On tario. Other immigrants came from va rious Eastern and Southern states of the Union, and are located in every part of the county. In consequence of the Increased popula tion, the agricultural development of the county during the past year has been al most phenomenal, as the immigration has been for the most part of the farmer class. Litigation with the various mili tary wagon road companies has practically ceased, and these lands are being thrown upon the markets. Increasing the volume of tillable lands open for development. The sagebrush has been cleared from thousands of acres, and hundreds of miles of wire fences have been stretched within our borders the past season. Hay that for several years sold for from $2 50 to $3 0 per ton, brought in 1S99 from $7 50 to $10 00, while stock of every kind found a ready market at big prices. In consequence, the old accounts have been paid off, mortgages raised and everybody has money to pay his bills as he goes. In other words, prosperity, with a big P, has struck Malheur land. In consequence of the prosperity pre vailing here, local capitalists, uniting with those of other points in Eastern Oregon, have begun the promotion of enterprises and Industries in almost every avenue. Immense irrigation projects have been launched, sufficient to supply 150,000 inches of water for irrigation pf lands In Mal heur county. A capacious brickyard has been established at Ontario, and was run to the full extent of its capacity through out the season. A complete block of brick business houses has been built with a solid front on Main street, and other brick houses, both residences and business houses, have been constructed through out the city. These were built both for sale and rent, and all are occupied as fast as they are finished. Altogether, over 100 new houses were built in Ontario in 1S99, while the population and volume of busi ness transacted was doubled. Stock Soles and Mining Development The chief resource of Malheur county is stockralslng, while agriculture, horticul ture and mining form most important and valuable occupations, and all of the latter are rapidly Increasing In Importance. As an indication of the Immense volume of the stock industry of this section it is shown that there were 60,000 head of cat tle shipped from Ontario during June and July, valued at an average of 525 per head, making the vast total of $1,500,000 worth of cattle alone during only two months of the shipping season. This apparently heavy draft upon the range is hardly per ceptible, except for a notable scarcity now of aged steers. . Mining has Tecelved more attention, and Its development produced better returns last year than at any like period sines the early days of rich placer diggings In Mor mon basin and Malheur City. Dredger boat mining along Snake river in this county has netted vast returns where carried on by practical miners, but in many instances syndicates were formed in the Eastern states or in Europe, and a project, purely theoretical, put into opera tion, which, of course, failed signally, and to a certain extent dampened that partic ular class of Investments and mining pro motions. But as a rule, these Snake river bars have been both steady and large pro ducers, bringing in good returns wherever properly worked. On the other hand, prospecting In the old placer regions has been productive of many rich finds of quartz mines, all of which have been read ily disposed of to capitalists who have put in the necessary machinery, and now stamps are dropping In three quartz mills In the northern part of Malheur county. while many poor prospectors have re ceived from $15,000 to $45,000 for their dis coveries in rock. Placer mining is still being prosecuted with unabated energy along all the streams, and some consider able placer gold Is still being taken out Pocket-hunting has become one of the best-paying mining plans in the Malheur City country the past year, and several valuable pockets have been discovered, In diatcing that there is yet untold rich treasure in the old and almost abandoned districts to the north. Land Made Valuable for Settlement. With the completion of the new irriga tion systems now under way, there will be opened to the prospective settler a vast area of agricultural and fruit lands In Mal heur county, a land the character of which is second to none in the world for farm ing and raising of every variety of fruits. The principal point at which these at temrjts are being made to reach Is a sec tion of land known as Dead Ox Flat, a bench of land lying about 10 miles north of Ontario, and comprising an area of some 40.000 acres of level, rich lands, the only drawback to which is the absence of water With which to irrigate crops. "With the opening of this vast territory lying con tiguous to a large and rich pasturage range of almost limitless extent, there will be added to the agricultural resources of this section an abundant competency for 2000 more people. There has been and is a large and In creasing demand for city and farm prop erty in this county, and farm lands have increased in value, especially those under the Owyhee and Nevada canals, from 50 to 200 per cent during the last year. City property has made corresponding ad vances, as is instanced by the offers maae for lots in the burnt district In Ontario, where one corner lot will now bring as much cash as the lots and buildings would have sold for a year ago. Much attention is being paid to frult ralslng In the Malheur volley at this time, and while the local nurseries are being worked to the full extent of their capaci ties, Utah, Idaho and even Eastern nurserymen are doing a lucrative business among the farmers of this section. All or chards are doing a good business, for, al though shipping rates will not Justify com petition with coast fruitraisers. there Is a large home market, and the higher alti tudes of the interior country, where there are large settlements in a non-fruitbearlng section, give market for all the fruit that will be uroduced for some time to come. The quality of Malheur county fruit Is excellent. Our fruitgrowers have taken premiums at Omaha, Denver, Spokane Boise, and wherever an exhibit has been placed, for size, quality and freedom from blemish. The fruit pests which destroy and deteriorate the fruits of older locali ties have as yet made no inroads upon the fruit industry of this country. Dairying Conld Be Made Profitable. It would reasonably be presumed that in -a great cattle country the dairying In dustry would be of great importance, but it Is the reverse hero, very little attention sure, a few persons engaged In the occu pation in a primitive way, but It remains for some practical and experienced per sons or company to come and reap the cer tain profits that await the development of that important Industry. Lumbering is a limited Industry on ac count of the scarcity of timber, which Is confined to the mountains in the far north ern part of the county, and thi means of transportation being limited to team work, only contiguous points are benefited by the home product. The upward tendency of prices In stock of all kinds has caused a continuous run of sales In all stock In this county the past year. Every stockgrower who set a price on his animals finally got It, and cat tle, horses and sheep have been bought in bunches, droves and flocks both by lo cal and Eastern buyers. Horses have been increasing In price steadily, and more than 50 tralnloads have been sent East from here within the past three months, the purchase price ranging from $3 to $15 for unbroken range horses. The glass-eyed cayuse Is practically a thing of the past on the Malheur hills, the hard winter and theLinnton cannery having done the work of extinction pretty effectually. The range lands of Malheur county, besides furnish ing pasturage for home stockgrowers, have pastured over 100,000 sheep for the Swift and Armour buyers, they having bought In various parts of the state and shipped to this section for pasturage be fore final shipment East. Malheur county, with Its more than 2S00 square miles of territory, can perhaps of fer greater Inducements in th way of un developed resources than any other coun ty in the state of Oregon. JOHN E. ROBERTS, Ontario, Or. TILLAMOOK COUNTY. The Dairyman's Paradise, "Where Grass Is Green the Year Around. Tillamook is one of the wealthiest coun ties of Oregon in undeveloped resources. It has a seacoast of over 60 miles, ad Joining Clatsop on the north and Lin coln on the south. It contains six rivers, which discharge Into the Pacific ocean. These rivers, especially the Wilson and the Trask, flow through rich timber dis tricts, where there are trees 300 feet high and as straight as an arow, waiting for the mlllman to manufacture them into lumber for shipment to the markets of the world. Tillamook bay Is where most of the commerce of the county Is car ried on, in small coasting steamers and lumber schooners, and from where most of the lumber, tinned salmon, butter and cheese finds its way to market. The rich, virgin land of Tillamook valley Is being gradually cleared by the settlers, who are going into dairying, for there Is no county in Oregon better adapted, consid ering natural resources to furnish dairy products of all kinds, than Tillamook. It is esentlally a grass country. The bays furnish fish, principally salmon, and sev eral species of clams, native oysters and crabs. In the fall of the year the bay furnishes fine hunting, ducks and geese being plentiful, while the rivers and streams afford fine trout-fishing. The largest sawmill In the county Is on Tillamook bay, and Is operated by the Truckee Lumber Company, at Hobson vllle. The sawmill has a dally capacity of 75,000 feet, while Its box factory and planlng-mll! manufacture 35,000 feet dally. The largest logging outfit Is that of the Tillamook Logging Company, a corpora tion recently formed -to do logging with all the latest appliances. About $10,000 has already been expended In the pur chase of donkey engines, machinery, eta A company has been Incorporated to run a sawmill and do logging by electricity. It la expected that in the near future there will be a great demand for the timber lands of Tillamook county. When the mills cut large quantities of lumber for export, Tillamook may then be said to have commenced developing her won derful and almost inexhaustible timber resources. One improvement in road work was the introduction of planked roads. About eight miles of this road has been laid be tween Tilamook City and Beaver. The county purchased a portable sawmill and operated it under the superintendency of County Judge G. W. Sappington. It Is proving a great advantage to the Bet tiers. An important Industry te salmon-canning. There are four canneries In the county. Large quantities of salmon salt ed la barrels are shipped to market. The Dairyman's Paradise. Tillamook Is the dairyman's paradise, where grass Is king! What makes the county an ideal dairying section Is that the land Is covered with a thick green verdure nearly the entire year. The adaptability of the county to dairying is particularly striking. The natural grasses, the cool summer breezes blow ing from the Pacific ocean, the numerous mountain streams which flow through the valleys, the never-failing rains, the luxuriance with which the different clo vers and roots thrive--all these advan tages combine to make Tillamook the paradise of the dairyman. Not only this, but the climatic conditions In Tillamook county are peculiarly advantageous to dairying. The cheese manufactured here has a finer flavor and better keeping qualities than that made In other por tions of Oregon; hence the great demand for Tillamook cheese at top prices. The same may be said of butter, owing to the abundance of green feed nearly the year round, and clear, wholesome water. The grass lands naturally fall into three classes bottom lands, prairie lands and hill lands the first-named being the most valuable. To give an idea of the pro ductiveness of the soil, 12 cows can be successfully kept on 20 acres of land. Cheese factories have become so numerous that the dairymen In a remote district has about the same market for his milk as the one living nearer the center of business. There are eight cheese factories In successful operation in the county, pro ducing about 1,000,000 pounds of cheese a year, and four large creameries, besides many private creameries using the sep arator process. The large creameries pro duce 350,000 pounds of butter annually. A large number of dairymen ship their but ter to the Portland and San Francisco markets, where there Is always a demand for Tillamook butter. The gross returns to the dairyman run from $30 to $50 per cow, per annum, depending first upon the cow, and second upon the brains and mus cle used In the business. The subjoined statement is a good Illustration of what the Industrious Tillamook dairyman can accomplish with a dairy of 12 cows In a period covered from April 10 until Febru ary 2: Amount of butter sold, pounds.... 3124 Average per pound $ 01987 Average per cow 517250 Amount of cash for same $620 70 Eight calves 60 00 Pork , 62 50 Total $743 20 The dairying Industry of Tillamook Is yet in Its Infancy. It offers splendid in ducements to new settlers, with the assur ance that it will prove a money-maker. The dairymen of Tillamook are indus trious, thrifty and Independent, with no complaint to make of hard times, failure of crops through bad weather or low prices for their products. Cranberries and Honey. The southern part of tho county is chiefly valuable for dairying, stockralslng, general farming, beekeeping and cranberry-raising. The Big Nestucca river has a large area of fine bottom lands along its course and several tributaries that have fine valleys. Small coasting vessels enter the Nestucca river, which eventually will be the outlet of the commerce Of that part of the county. But few counties in Ore gon can lay claim to raising cranberries, but of those few, Tillamook is first. In Ssnd lake country, this Industry is prune orchards of the county come into full bearing, wheat will be relegated to the third place, and will finally fall below dairying, and still without any diminution In its own intrlnslo vaue, for while diver sification and rotation may reduce the acreage, they will Increase the average yield. Railroads and Highways. The county Is already well provided with, railroads except for local needs. To sup ply these, a system of short railway lines, radiating from Salem as a center, is con templated, and on. one of thesje; the Salem & Pacific Coast railway, construction has already begun. Upon the highways of the county some Improvement may be noted, particularly those roads between the state Institutions, which have been worked by the convicts of the penitentiary under authority of an act passed by the last legislature. It Is unfortunate for this object lesson in good roads that the act did not provide for competent engineering supervision. New Enterprises. Many new enterprises are projected which will doubtless materialize in 1S99. A few have been started and are, progress- 9 0 Comparative Diagram Showing: Increase in "Wheat Production in Oregon, O99e099099Slil9e99e99e99C099 sure to grow to large proportions and be- come a factor in the development and in' dustrial prosperity of the county. A few years ago cranberry-raising in Tillamook was In its experimental stage. Today, they who first experimented in cranberry raising are possessors of valuable cran berry boes. The vines are well adapted to Tillamook climate. They grow vigor ously, and, where the bogs are properly prepared, they are enormously productive. Another industry In this part of the county is the production of honey, which cannot be surpassed for flavor, color or sweetness. The early settlers soon found out that this part of the county was tho home of the honey bee. The Nestucca val leys cannot be surpassed In the advantages offered for the making of honey. White clover, which, apiarists say, produces the best honey, seems to be the natural prod uct of the Nestucca. .Naturally, dairying soon attracted the attention of the set tlers, and with the advent of the cream ery and the cheese factory, tho south part of the county Is Just as progressive and enterprising in the manufacture of butter and cheese as other parts. Resonrces of the Nehalem. There are wonderful possibilities ahead for the Nehalem region as a lumbering district. This region is In the northern part of the county, and, In all probability, It will be from that direction that a rail road will enter Tillamook county. The timber resources of the Nehalem are prac tically Inexhaustible for the next 50 years. Like other parts of the county, especially alqng the Wilson and Trask rivers, . the Nehalem country contains great forests a9999999999999999999999999999999099999t98(99099ISC899 JtgjQiajfe Comparative Diagram 999999999999999999999999999 of big trees. Many of the trees are 40 telligence and means, and appear to be feet in circumference and over 300 feet ' skillful farmers, who, by wedding Eastern high. Most of the forest trees measure i thrift to Oregon productiveness, will assist from 15 to 20 feet in girth, and are often in the development of that higher agri free from limbs for the first 150 feet. The culture which is rapidiy ascending to a Nehalem river drains a watershed of I higher plane. Such diversification as is over 200 square miles, Including the north adapted to the present development of the and south forks of tho river, all of which have sufficient water to float logs the entire year. Along this vast stretch of heavily timbered country the axman has not penetrated. No more inviting loca tions for loggers or mlllmen could be found anywhere than along the banks of the Nehalem, for the river flows through the finest timber belt in the Pacific North- west, 20,000,000,000 feet of timber being tributary to it Large areas of timber lands changed hands during 1899, presum ably with the purpose of lumber manu facture in the near future. There are only two small sawmills operating In this vast body of timber. Donkey engines and other modern appliances are being in troduced for logging purposes. The tim ber consists of spruce, fir, cedar, larch and hemlock, some tracts running as high as 16,000,000 feet to the quarter section. Spruce has been the principal timber logged thus for. It Is In great demand for boxes, kegs, barrels and other packages, being a taste less and odorless wood. The Nehalem Is, par excellence, the sportsman's paradise. Four kinds of sal mon teem In Its waters in their respective seasons, keeping two canneries running. Salmon trout are also very numerous and take the troll freely. In the tributaries, fine fishing for mountain trout may be had. Ducks and geese abound In the fall and winter mo'nths, and In the woods are pheasants and quail, coon, wildcat, bear, cougar, deer and elk. The river bottom lands of the Nehalem are the richest and produce Immense root crops, white clover in particular being 9 90ee0$e9999 99ft999eCe9999eeteeC9eet9S09G9 999e999999 e j indigenous and everlasting. Timothy and other grasses yield from three to four ton3 of hay per acre. This, with our never failing rains, makes it an ideal dairy coun try. Nehalem is destined to bcome an im portant lumbering center, and will be one of the first places to feel the effects of and profit by the building of the Nicaragua canal. Covered with virgin forest, what Nehalem most needs la the advent of the lumberman and mlllman to cut and saw this immense forest for the markets of the world, to be followed by the dairyman and stockralser, with clover and grass, to make this one of the finest portions of Uncle Sam's domain. For more information pertaining to Tilla mook, write to the Headlight, Tillamook vii), wi tui uiuaiiuieu uuu uusmipuvo edition or me county, wnicn wm oe sent free. FRED C. BAKER. Tillamook, Or. i a MARION COUNrY. Hops the Principal Crop Raised, With Wheat Second. Immigration into Marion county in 1S99 was larger than that of any year since 1893. While no part of the county has been neglected, the northeastern portion has perhaps been more highly favored than other sections. These new additions to our population are generally men of In- Showing Expenditures lor Public 9999990999999999999999999999999999999099999999990999 state and the requirements of Its urban population comes with increasingly rapid strides, an dwlll soon crystallize Into some particular rotation, which, having due ref erence to soil, climate and market, will prevent the exhaustion of soil which Is the indispensable accompaniment of single cropping. Clover, the great renovator of worn- out soils, the cultivation of which but a few years ago would excite comment and derision whenever some "book-farmer" would shamefacedly venture a cautious experiment, has become so common a crop that the product of the county al ready exceeds the home consumption. Hops. Of the 16,000 or 17,000 acres In Ore gon devoted to hops, about E500 are located In Marlon county, and about 3000 In Polk county, thus making Salem the great hop center of the state. In 1S99 about 27,000 bales were raised In Marion county. Thi3 Is less than the average yield, which Is about 33,000 to 35,000 bales. There Is probably no crop which places so much money In general circulation as hops, through wages paid to pickers, about $11,000 being required to harvest the Marlon county hops alone. Horticulture. About 10,000 acres In Marlon county are given to fruit, of which 5000 acres are de voted to prunes, easily the first In impor tance. The output is growing rapidly. Two years ago but a few dried prunes were exported, while last year 130 car- f loads were shipped and the estimated out put for next year Is at least 2o0 carloads. Experience has demonstrated that It is pralnarlly more profitable to dry the prunes than to ship them green, hence nearly every grower Is supplied with one or moro modern evaporators. Dairying. The development of the dairy Industry proceeds very satisfactorily. Fow new creameries have actually been started, but much has been accomplished in the evolution of conditions Immediately prece dent. Dairy herds are being Increased, poorer stock weeded out, better strains of dairy stock introduced, the raising of en silage crops for winter feeding Is becom ing common, and more silos have been built during 1899 than existed in the coun ty before. To show what can be done in raising winter feed, I offer the following Illustration: A farmer of this county sowed les than 2 acres, of only ordinary fertil ity, to vetche3 (with ryej in the fall. He cut this crop early enough In the spring to plant the same ground to corn. Of vetches he had enough to fill his 25-ton silo and had four tons left, and was compelled to build another 25-ton silo to hold his corn ensilage, thus raising more than 20 tons of succulent winter feed per acre, which tends to prove the contention of that veteran dairyman, George W. Weeks, that In this vicinity at least when brains are a factor, a cow can be kept to each acre of arable land, Sheep and Goats. Sheep husbandry is flourishing In the county. The number of sheep and goats 89999999999999999999999999, Education In Oregon. ha3 Increased by more than 10 per cent during the past year, and the quality has correspondingly Improved. Goats are found especially valuable in clearing brush land. Minerals. Tho mineral resources of Marion county are unquestionably great, but their devel opment has been retarded during the past two years by the overshadowing Klondike boom. This has led prospectors to neglect the rich fields at their doors, which can be exploited In comfort and safety, for the alluring promises of the frozen north, which but too often yield a very Inadequate return for much expenditure, toil and pri- vation; still the home fields are not en tirely neglected, and the rich placers and quartz deposits of the'Santlam are being slowly developed and will yield more than satisfactory returns to those who prefer the Santlam bird In the hand to the flock in the Klondike bush., Inmberinff. Reports from the many saw mills of the county all Indicate an extraordinary in crease in the output, both for export and home consumption. Timber lands have advanced greatly in value, and the demand for them has never been equaled. Comparative Crop Values. While the wheat crop has slightly de creased in a series of years, owing to a diversion of acreage to other and more profitable crops, the decrease bears no comparison to the value of the crops sub stituted. It will surprise many of our own people to realize that while the aggregate wheat yield Is nearly what it always has been, It has already fallen in value far below the first place in our county prod ucts. Following 13 a table showing values of the principal agricultural products, based upon average prices and yields: Wheat, 800,000 bushels at 50 cents..$400.000 00 Oats, 900.000 bushels at 30 cents.. 270.000 00 Hay, 35.000 ton3 at $5 210,000 00 Potatoes. 600.000 bushels at 25c... 150,000 00 Sheep (28,000 In number), wool, 197,000 pounds, at 15 cents, $29,550; Increase, 75 per cent, 21,000, at $3 50. $73,500 103.060 00 Prunes, 3,120,000 pounds, at 5c... 156.000 00 Other fruits 100,000 00 Hops, 33,000 bales of 190 pounds, at 12 cents per pound 752,400 00 From this table It will be seen that the hop crop, produced from less than one eighth of the wheat acreage, brings in a revenue 88 per cent greater. When the ing favorably, but advancement upon tlus line has been In the revival of old Indus tries which have been allowed to lan guish, rather than In the establishment of new ones. Material Prosperity. The present condition of the county as to material prosperity is excellent. The assessor's returns show an Increase of more than 50 per cent in the money re ported, and a decrease of more than 13 per cent in notes and accounts; merchants have had a good trade with satisfactory collections, and the banks report a large Increase In the number of depositors and the average size of deposits In some banks both have nearly doubled. Inducements to Settlers. It is doubtful if another county in the state,, where all counties present extraordi nary Inducements, offers equal advantages to tho Intending settler. A fertile soil adapted to every product of the temperate zone, and watered by a hundred streams, with virgin forests of inexhaustible tim ber, with a profusion of raw materials of every kind waiting for the manufacturer to utilize the splendid water-powers to be found on every stream, both great and small, and which will surely make this a great manufacturing county whenever our trade relations with the Orient are adjust ed and the Pacific coast awakens to her opportunities, with numerous cities and towns-affording ample facilities for trade tnd commerce, with an excellent trans portation system combining rail and river; with a fine educational system, beginning with the district school and ending with the pride of Salem, the Willamette uni versity; with the capital of the state and its numerous public institutions located at Salem, all these offer to the immigrant a peerless opportunity. Taking It all In all, we claim that. In a state second to none In the Union for great and varied natural resources, Marlon county Is still tho ban ner county In the valley, without a peer In the world. HENRY B. THIELSEN. Salem. i o SHERMAN COUNTY. Rlecelpts or Wheat by Warehouses Amount to 3,000,000 Bushels. Sherman county may be classed as one of the great wheat-raising belt3 of the state. It forms part of the plateau re gion of the Inland Empire, with a front age of SO miles on the Columbia river, which 13 its northern boundary. On the western limit of the county Is the Des Chutes river, and on tho eastern bor der the John Day. Of these three rivers the Columbia alone is navigable, and at present only so far as The Dalles. The new project of building a portage rail road around the rapld3 between that point and Celilo will, however, open the river to navigation, and Sherman county will then have all the advantages of a mari time county. The Deschutes river is a SDlendld moun tain stream, which comes rushing from Its source In the Cascade mountains, and for Its whole length abounds In miniature waterfalls and sparkling rapids. This riv er is well stocked with salmon and rain bow trout, the latter taking the fly readi ly during the spring and summer months. Along this stream and on the John Day may be found the home ranches of the sheep and cattlemen, comfortable home steads, well sheltered from the biting blasts of winter. Here their flocks are fed during that period, and come forth In the spring in excellent condition, ready for shipment to market On leaving the rich river bottoms, we come to the renowned wheat fields of Sherman county, which stretch away on every siae as rar as the eye can reach. In this region farm operations assume gi gantic proportions, but owing to the use of the most improved machinery seeding and harvesting on these vast wheat farms are accomplished with amazing rapidity. To give an Idea of the magnitude of the wheat Industry in thi3 county it may here be stated that the different warehouses have already handled 3,000,000 bushels of wheat this season. Quantities of oats and barley have also been raised, and several acres of flax tried as an experiment. Judging from the returns obtained from flax, there is no reason why this new In dustry may not yet be developed and be come of considerable importance. Larere Stock Shipments to the East. While the flocks and herds have In great measure given place to the plow and har row, the sheep Irdustry Is still an import ant factor, and 40.000 head may still be found In Sherman county. Large ship ments of mutton sheep and lambs were made over the Columbia Southern rail road last summer to the Chicago mar ket and other point East. Cattle also form an Important part of the county's resources, numerous, well-bred animals being bought from time to time by our local stockmen for breeding purposes. while large droves of beef cattle are shipped every year. Of horses, there are also a plentiful supply, the Sherman county draught horse being of the finest In the United States. Numbers of hogs are raised, still the demand Is great er than the supply. Thousands of pounds of bacon are shipped from the Eastern states, and fortune awaits the man who will take hold of this Industry and con duct It on business principles. Hog chol era and other diseases prevalent among these animals in other localities are un known here. It does not follow because Sherman county Is not a heavily timbered coun try that an ample supply of lumber 13 not obtainable within her borders. A few enterprising capitalists established a saw mill on the Deschutes river, seven miles from the city of Moro, last summer. Saw logs are floated from the dense forests which abound near the headwaters of the Matolls river, in Crook county. A large quantity of rough and planed lumber was cut 'last year. It found ready sale In the neighboring towns. The traveler on the O. R. & N. will, if he wishes to make Sherman county a visit, leavo tne cars of the O. R. & N. at Biggs, the northern terminus of the Columbia Southern railroad, and take his seat In one of the comfortable coaches on that line. An hour's ride will bring him to Wasco, a lively Eastern Oregon town. Here the North Pacific flour mills and other live business enterprises are lo cated. Leaving this important shipping: point, another short rida will bring him to Moro, tho county seat, where he will find a bustling business town, with a pop ulation of about 700, several merchandise stores, an iron foundry, large grain ware houses,, bank and the new courthouse, just completed, at a cost of $10,000. Moro is, for the present, tho terminus of the Co lumbia Southern railroad, but is not Ions; to have that honor, as work on the ex tension of the line, 40 miles south, is be ing pushed rapidly, and by the time thi9 article is In print will be completed to Grass Valley, a growing town 10 miles south of Moro. Here may be found the usual complement of business houses that go to make up a thriving Western town; also the Baptist academy, where a num ber of students are being perfected in the higher branches of study. Besides this seat of learning, Sherman county Is well equipped for the Instruction of her youth, having at the present 23 public schools, with an attendance of 1309 pupils, pre sided over by a staff of efficient teachers. All religious denominations are well rep resented, each town having from two to three places of worship. Thl3 year the beautiful new Methodist Episcopal church In Moro was built by voluntary subscrip tion, at a cost of $8000, No Better Opportunities Anywhere. Not in the great West Is there a better field for the Immigrant and homeseeker than that offered by Sherman county. Many good homes have been secured, and a vast area of tillable land has been reclaimed during the past year, chiefly in the southern portion of the county. Yet there Is much available agricultural land awaiting the plow, and some can be had for the cost of flllne and entry under the homestead laws of the United States. Many tracts have been taken up in antici pation of the facilities offered for trans portation by the new line of railroad, which runs through the center of this region. Government lands settled on a few months ago are now valuable prop erty, and men who have secured them for a small outlay have suddenly become quite comfortably situated. Intending set tiers should bear In mind that snaps of C1I3 kind are becoming scarcer and scarcer as time passes. They who wish to secure homes at a nominal cost must take time by the forelock or they will And In a year or two no free government land to be had. They who come with moderate means and who wish to buy improved farms, can suit themselves. Good land can be had for $3 an acre, and very de sirable farms, with substantial buildings, may be purchased for from $10 to $12 an. acre, on easy terms. Then there Is al ways an opportunity to rent. Many men who have a competency raising wheat or running stock, are willing to rent to a good tenant, and many who made a begin ning In this way now own the farms they first rented. A glance at the financial standing of the county may be of Interest. When this county was cut off from Wasco in 1S91, it assumed an lndebtpdnes3 of about $9000, and In August, 1S99, all warrants up to data had been called In. ThU3 it will be seen that Sherman, although one of the smallest counties, Is probably In a better financial condition man any county In the state. This splendid showing can be accounted for by the fact that such a large proportion of Its territory can bo brought under cultivation. There Is but Uttlo waste or barren land, all or nearly all the soil being susceptible of cultiva tion, and to these conditions may be large ly attributed Sherman county's prosperity. To the capitalist there is here no limit to the possibilities. Take for example, tho immense water power of the Des chutes which, in the near future. Is sure to bo utilized for various enterprises. But this is a subject which space forbId3 to enlarge on. In conclusion, let me say that the cli mate of Sherman county compares favor ably with that of any county in tho world. Owing to our bracing air. pul monary diseases are never known to orig inate heTe, and settlers who come from the ague-laden swamps of less favored lo calities Bocn get rid of the malarial poison, and once more feel able to enjoy life. M. FITZMAURICE. Moro, Or. 0 fr UMATILLA COUNTY. Sales of Product Lost Year Brought $3,250,000 to tho People, Umatilla county's progress in, 1S93 was manifested quite as much in the contin uity of the movement towards permanent prosperity heretofore started, as In the inauguration of any new enterprises. Solidification of business, elimination of old-time loose methods, growth of tho system of cash payments replacing long time credits, abhorrence of debt, appli cation of business principles to farming operations, even distribution of retail trade throughout the year instead of phe nomenal sales at one period and slack aalea at others, retention of surplus money from last crops instead of unwise expenditures for things not needed these constitute the elements of Umatilla coun ty's progress duringr 1899. Specifically stated, they would fill a volume with in teresting figures, for this progress has been extremely gratifying. Its telling complete,, as, indeed, in any previous year, would read like a romance. Answering; the question asked by The Oregonian: "Has Umatilla county been nrosDerona during 18997" Emphatically, yes. This fa proved by the statement of the quantity of grains, livestock, wool, mlllstuffs and other things produced. It Is proved by the marvelous demand for building materials, which has taxed, beyond ability to supply, every mill, shop and factory la the county, and made heavy draft on mdlla of other towns. It is proved by the fact that the produc tion, per capita, for the year, was $250; by the production of commodities which, sold and shipped out. brought in $3,250. 000 In gold, or more than three-eighths o the total assessed valuation of all the property In the county. It is proved by the absolute independence of a commu nity essentially agricultural, which, not withstanding that almost the entire 1S99 wheat crop remained in the houses, un sold, with a large portion of the 1838 ciop also unsold, was able to and did carry it self through, the term of annual settle ments without placing enough mortgages upon the county records to worry half a dozen well-to-do farmers to satisfy them. It is proved by the number of substantial brick business buildings and the very many comfortable resi dences erected during the year la every town; and the further fact that every room thus provided In addi tion to those already In use was leased before the ground was broken for the excavations. It is proved by the state ments of the county's banking houses, which, with the equal of one entire wheat crop still In the hands of the growers, are yet bursting with coin and currency, over $1,000,000 being in the two Pendleton bank3 alone. It Is proved to the thought ful observer, who, visiting the towns o the county, will make futile search for one citizen heard uttering one complaint of being "hard up." And it is still fur ther proved by the fact that not an acre of tillable land can now be rented, or a quarter section of range land leased hx the entire county. Immigration has been steady, although not large in volume. But. those added to our population from other states have been of the best class of cltlzen3, indus trious, frugal, and in the majority of cases possessed of money enough comfort ably to settle themselves by the purchase of lands or homes In the town3. The qual ity rather than the quantity has been the feature of Umatilla county's Influx of pop ulation during 1899. Agricultural Products. It ha3 become a familiar fact that Uma tilla county produces, on an average, one per cent of the wheat crop of the United States. The average for many years past has been 5,000,000 bushels. This year the crop was cut down not lesa than 23 per