ON THE SHASTA ROUTE
IXVITIXG LAND OP GREAT AXD
VARIED INDUSTRIES.
Attractive to Settler, Traveler, Art
1st anil SportNiiinn Land Open.
to Settlement.
That portion of "Western Oregon lying
between the Cascade and Coast "ranges
of mountains sustains three-fourths of
the' entire population of the state, and
affords happy hunting ground to either
agriculturist, fruitgrower, stockraiser,
dairyman, miner or lumberman. The di
versified topography, various and respon-
sive soils, genial climate, excellent water,
fine timber and abundant transportation
iriake possible a wide range" of Industry,
mils Inviting district, for Its whole
length, is traversed. by the Southern Pa
cific Company's Shasta line, and. Its lat
erals and branches, to the. extent of
Ibarly 700 miles of track.
l8rs or cros5-ranges of hills cut this
coiirtry into three valleys, -named "after
the great streams which course through
them th "Willamette, Umpqua ' and
Rogue ,Rlvers each presenting a distinct
charafier of Its own in climate, rainfall,
soil fad rosources.
nie Willamette Valley, with. a length
of160 miles from the Columbia. River to
HOTEIi PORTLAND, H. C. BOWERS, MANAGEU-THIS IS-ONE-OFtTIIE
the Calapooia Mountains, and an average
width of 00 miles, contains about 5.000.000
acres of high fertility. The soil, running
from a sandy loam to rich black allu
vium, for diversified farming presents
Ideal conditions. Grains, fruit, stock,
poultry or vegetables may .be -raised with
equal success, while the dairy interest
bids fair soon to rival that of Minnesota
and Iowa.
Rolling, fertile foothills border the prai
rios and streams on all hands, and quan
tities of such lands can still be had on
reasonable terms. "When cleared, they
afford the advantage of drying off earlier
than the prairies, and hence a consequent
closer cultivation and wider variety of
products beside their patent adaptability
to raising cattle, sheep and Angora goats.
The timber growth Is found to have In
no wise exhausted the fertility of the
ground, for these same foothills produce
perfectly and abundantly all kinds of
cereals, tame grasses, and domestic fruits,
especially the apple, prune and pear.
In the upper reaches of the Willamette
River and Its tributaries stand magnifi
cent stretches of merchantable timber.
Some of these lands have cut as high as
300,000 feet to the acre! Expert and con
servative estimates "give the average as
30,000 feet to the acre. The most Impor
tant and useful species are Douglas flr
(yellow fir, "Oregon pine"), spruce, hem
lock, noble fir (larch), and red cedar. The
Oregon pint will yield 85 per cent of the
whble forest; It Is used alike for ship
building, spars, bridges, for the outer con
struction of buildings, as well as Interior
finish. Its wide area of usefulness can
hardly be equaled by any other tree, and
It has found n'o superior.
These timber lands are comparatively
accessible, and present tempting opportu
nity to lumbermen. The. main line ofjthe
Southern Pacific is close at hand, and
affords low "terminal rates" to all points
In the United States, via Sacramento or
Portland. For 30 miles on either side of
the railway is the land grant-of the Ore
gon & . California Railway Company,
which received the odd-numbered sectidns,
aggregating some 3,500,000 acres most . of
which Is in timber. These,l?nds reaclTto
the, summit of the . Cascade and Coast
Ranges, and comprise some, of the best
tlmbefedjground in. the t North west.
In many localities -the-adjalhlngi even-
numbered, sections are yet subject'-toi lo
cation. The, logger Is here materially-assisted
in his opera'tTdns'by" the innumer
able streams flowing into the. main rivers
by w'hlch the cbuntryMs'-watered. '
South of-the Calappola Hills' the-Shasta
" V
Line enters theValIeyof;the;Umpqua
well-described by one 'writer as a 'gem
of fertility. . ......
The high degree of cultivation attained
In this district will appeal-noMess1 strong
ly to 'the material minded' than, will jthe
marvelously picturesque formation -of 'the
land to the lover of the beautiful. "'In-the
windings of the South Umpqua ' nature
has formed some of the xnost' attractive,
landscapes, and the. sun shines on no, for-'
eign vistas more fair than the wayside
nere affords. "
Resources of the Country.
The surface of the, country. Is rolling
and sparsely timbered with oak; the hills
valuable for fruit and stock, .and the low
lands for everv line of' agriculture . nos-
slole in .temperate, regions. . The soil Is
exceedingly productive; the range grasses
THE - MORNING OBE.GONIAN,
and hospitable climate make life come
easy for all kinds of stock.
The raising of prunes is here an Import
ant Industry, and no orange grove at Riv
erside is better kept than some of the
Umpqua orchards. In earth, air and
moisture all the peculiar elements called
for In prune culture seem to be here
present.. That corn is. not an Oregon
crop here finds exception, as great fields
yield such excellent crops that hograisingJ
is being profitably prosecuted. Although
possessing unexcelled advantages for apple-growing,
this Industry has been so far
much negelcted. The best shipping varie
ties could be here grown to perfection,
and to the visitor' it proves always sur
prising that so small interest and care
has been given to- a calling so clearly
indlcated.by conditions and surroundings.
. . Passing through the tortuous and "pic
turesque gorge of Cow Creek, the Shasta
route emerges Into the Rogue River sec
tion better . known to the general public
as "Southern Oregon." From point of
climate, this Is looked upon as the most
Inviting, portion of the state. The annual
average precipitation lies between 20 and
25 inches. . constituting that desirable
mean between-bountiful" moisture and "ex
cessive dryness, -which Is so rarely found
on any. continent,'
The soil Is a rich, sandy loam, ..verging
In the lower lands' into a black vegetable
mold, very, prolific; -the uplands are of a
disintegrated '.granite. -. The' chief -.products
are fruit, gGd.' stock, luiriner' and grain..
The. commercial fruits raised are-apples.
prunes and. peaches' of ;whlch -200, carloads
'have been'-smppedVoutln-one season, and
tc all parts of; the world. ,
Considerable, acreage has been.' given ,to
vineyards whl'chhere find condition's ;'of
a
'Photo by Burns.' Portland.
GHEAT HOTELS OP THE WEST. ,
soil and warmth and moisture resembling
those of the great wfne districts1 of
J France, and the product of the most-crud
memoes- point -to promising - results -or
scientific selection and cultivation of wine
grapes -In Jackson . County.
'The mountains, to the north, west t and
south of Rogue River are rich In gold
deposit; quartz and -placer mining are, ex
tensively prosecuted, yielding rich returns,
to owners. In 1S99 the estimated- gold
product of Southern Oregon was $2,497,500,
and very many developments have -since-been
made.
In the foothills of the Rogue? River are.
large forests of sugar pine and yellow,
pine estimated 'to -contain 22 billion feet
of merchantable timber. The product is
J tiow widely used 'for finishing lumber and
for fpult boxes. ,
Many mineral .springs abound, possess
TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1901. &
ing valuable medical properties, some of
which promise to attain national fame.
Besides her clear skies, absence of Irri
tating winds, climatic extremes and sud
den changes, Southern Oregon possesses
many adjacent and tempting mountain re
sorts, where game and fish and bracing,
tonic atmospher combine with grandeur
of scenery to fill the cup of the seeker
after recreation, health or sport.
From Ashland the Shasta route dips
Into that great Siskiyou and Shasta re
gion which has made its name among
the lovers of the picturesque and carried
its. fame to other lands. The beauties
of the SIskiyous, of Shasta "Valley, of
Mossbrae Falls, Shasta Springs! Castle
Crag,, the Sacramento Canyon and of Incomparable-
old Shasta Itself, called for
something beyond the radius of pen or
pencil and put to test the brush of artist
atid lens of camera.
The .Shasta Line is valuable not alone
as the -great commercial artery of West
ern Oregon, the promoter of Its many
Industrjes, and full partner in its Joys
and sorrows, Dut aiso as contributor to
the further welfare of Its Oregon cli
ents in affording cheap and expeditious
outlet to California points, and especial
ly at this Winter season, to the many
charming resorts of the Southern Cali
fornia Riviera, as well as Arizona and
Old Mexico. Change, diversion, recrea
tion are good for all mankind excepting
not even the favored dweller In Western
Oregon and what could be found more
enticing than mid-Winter bathing at San
ta .Monica, boating at Catallna, taking the
sjih -at Santa Barbara and Pasadena;
picking ' oranges at Riverside and Red-lands,'-
or Inhaling the dry, tonic, Hfe-glv-lhg.desert
air of Palm Springs, Indo and
"Tucson.
, THE SHARK AND THE KEY.
Hott 'Oregon. Farmers Have Tancled
. Ip a Celebrated Trade Mark.
Hero "Is a trade mark of one of the
greatest horse-collar manufactories ort the
Pacific Coast, and thereby hangs a tale:
P. Sharkey & Sop, 180-182 Union avenue,
are the proprietors of the factory, and the
Idea was to illustrate the name a3 "Shark-
key." The product of the factory soon I
became, famous among the farmers and
horseiowners of Oregon, but the "point"
to the- trade mark did not seem to imme
diately permeate the brain pf the con
sumer, so much as did the superiority of
the article known as the "Long Straw
Throat Hand Made Horse Collars." The'
goods attained. Instantaneous popularity,
and many an unscrupulous dealer took
advantage of this renown to palm off In
ferior collars as of the Shark-key" make.
The farmers of the state were not to be
deceived, however, and for many years have
Insisted, that their dealers supply them
with the "Fish Brand Collars." The Im
print -of a "fish" upon a horse collar Is
known everywhere In this Western coun
try to-be a guarantee of excellence and
durability not yet attained elsewhere,
hence '.the Insistence on the part of the
purchaser In procuring the "Fish Brand
Colfarsi" and his refusal to be duped Into
"buying another product that is "Just as
good!" The "Shark-key" collars, both for
work and carriage teams, have now a
ready sale ln almost every city, hamlet,
farming, lumbering and mining communi
ty In Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Mon
;tana, Utah, Nevada and California, and
this broad market has been secured by the
triue.worth of the article almost without
itlje - companionship of printers' Ink. The
'firm '.has Just added to its extensive plant,
machinery for making metal seam collars,
a'nejw.thlng la this section.
: AlPOPTJLAR DRUG HOUSE.
One of the oldest, be3t-known and most
popular drug establishments in the city
isjthatof Albert Bernl, corner Washing
ton and .Second streets. Its success is due
to experienced and competent help, strict
attention to business and a reputation of
giving-patrons exactly what is wanted.
.Mall and country Orders given prompt at
RICH LEWISTON COUNTRY
AREA OF 10,000 SaUARE MILES
TRIBUTARY TO PORTLAXD.
Arable Lands Estimated nt 2,200,000
Acres Preaent Population
Is 25,000.
The Clearwater country,, or more par
ticularly 'the Lewiston district, which has
been the object of contention by several
I transportation companies for the past 10
years, has an area of 10;000 square miles,
a population of 23,000, and varied natural
resources equal to those of any state In
the Union. This district is a distinct
geographical division of the Inland Em
pire. The Blue Mountains, the Seven
j Devils, , the Bitter Roots and the Coeur
I d'Alene Mountains bound the Lewiston
1 country. It is drained by the Clearwa-
ter, Snake, Grand Ronde and Salmon Riv
ers and their tributaries. The altitude
; varies from G4S feet at the western ex
tremity to 3000 feet on the broad plateaus
Nez Perces Prairie, Camas. Prairie and
Asotin . Flat. The protecting mountains
THE FAMOUS NORTH-COAST
which almost encircle the valley. rise to
an average height of .7000. feet. This con
trast of' altitude-affords a climate para
dox. We-have the seasons 6f- a, southern
land with a northern market at our gar
den gates. - -
The contention for this territory by
transportation companies has greatly re
tarded development. The "boat and rail
road lines approach " within 15 miles of
only 10 per cent of the arable lands 01
Lewiston Valley. Until last tyear bnly
half that area was within thi3 estimated
limit of profitable cultivation of farm
lands. These richest sections of the
Inland Empire are greatly retarded by this,
railroad contention over the Clearwater
country. Either of the great companies
which are parties to this strife would sure
ly build feeders Into this district of such
great possibilities if not proscribed by
traffic arrangements. The very impor
tance of this district has made It worthy
of contention, and thus the conditions
which should have made us first in favor
have made us last to be served.
The arable lands of this valley are esti
mated at 2,200.000 acres. Of this belt only
a pretense of cultivation has extended
even to the fencing of 700,000 acres. About
375,000 acres of this land have been plowed.
A million and a half acres of rich agri
cultural lands are yet untouched. With
only one-third of the grain belt in culti
vation, the product In 1900 was over 6,500,
000 bushels of grain and flaxseed.
The fruit interests of the Lewiston coun
trty are not only large, but the conditions
of climate and geographical location make
this perhaps the most promising fruit belt
In the United States. The warm, dry at
mosphere of the protected, low valleys
advances our seasons more than the av
erage of 00 miles of latitude in other
quarters of the United States. The fruits
ripen on the river bottoms as early as
In California, while our markets are near
by In the mining, milling and commercial
centers. Over 400 carloads of fruits were
shipped from, our orchards and vineyards
In 1900.
The livestock interests are important.
The public ranges afford almost the ex
clusive feed for cattle, sheep and horses
during all the year. The shipments for
JTrom the noted copyright photograph by George M. Weiater, Portland.
LIMITED FAST SERVICE BETWEEN PORTLAJVD AXD ST. PAUL.
1900 reached the aggregate of $1,000,009.
This item alone brought to the district
over $30 for every man,, woman and child.
Our exports of grain, stock, wool and gold
reached 'the aggregate of over $4,000,000
last year over $160 for every unit of popu
lation. Our greatest wealth In every class is
still undeveloped. Our forests are equal
to those of Michigan -of 40 years ago. The
rangers have estimated 10,000,000,000 feet
of lumber in the timber belts that border
the water courses and may be floated to
the junction of Snake and Clearwater Riv
ers. Our mineral resources are of most Im
portance. There are over 7000 mineral loca-
tions in this district which have been rep
resented during the past year. The min
eral belt extends around the whole moun
tain boundary of the Lewiston district.
Waterways extend from the Lewiston Val
ley to this circular mineral belt and the
timber belt like the spokes of a great
wheel, and at the end of every spoke thero
is an embryo Butte or Coeur d'Alene.
The present assembled wealth of the
Lewiston district is about $4,500,000. There
are 3100 homesteads within the boundaries
to which patents will be issued within
two years. This completion of land titles
will add $4,500,000 to present valuations.
The timber lands and mines have never
been estimated by the Assessors. ThesB
items will give a total realty asset of
nearly $20,000,000. With a population of.
only 25,000, our per capita property valu
ation is about $SO0.
The value of agricultural lands is lower
In this district when the question of pro
ductiveness is considered than In any oth
er division of the Northwest. Land that
will produce 40 bushels of wheat to the
acre can be purchased for $10 an acrs.
This land Is rich and free from foul
seeds. It Is especially suited to the growth
of oats, barley, flaxseed and many va
rieties of hay and pasture grasses, as well
as the great staple wheat.
The watercourses of this district ara
Immense, and the variation of altitude
of 3000 feet in a few miles affords unlim
ited power for manufacturing- purposes.
The existence of coal and minerals, as
well as the more common raw materials.
such as wood, wool, fruits, vegetables,
and grains makes this an ideal manufac
turing center. There is available In this
district more water-power to run fac
tories and more materials to supply them
than is now utilized In any one state In
the Union.
Our coal measures may be classed a
new asset for the year 1900. A Portland
company is developing the Grand Ronde
coal, fields, a vast deposit of which ha3
been recently classified as a high-grade
fuel for steam production, manufacturing
purposes' and for domestic uses. In ap
pearance, this fuel is a brown lignite.
NEWTON HIBBS,
Lewiston, Idaho.