Lincoln County leader., July 11, 1895, Image 3

LrN"COLjS" county, ore.
THE YOUNGEST COUNTY IN THE STATE.
A: Brief Description, of
And its Rich, Undeveloped Resources.
TINCOLN COUNTY was created by an act i inhabltan 8. It has three fine hotels, numer
the Legislature on February 13, 1893, an ous stores, a fine public school, one weekly
was formed from territory detached from Ben- new paper, one sawmill, and many other lines
ton and;Tillamook counties. It is bounded on ofbusiness. The government works are located
the east by Benton and Polk, on the south by her and the town enjoys a good trade. New
Lane, on the west by the Pacific ocean, and on port enjoys the reputation of being the finest
the north by Tillamook and Polk. The county
has a coat line of fifty miles and an area of
1,410 square miles, and a population of about
5,000 inhabitants. The temporary county seat
Toledo. The permanent county seat location
will be finally determined at the regalar June
election in 1896. The act creating the County
provides that the candidate for the county re
ceiving a majority of all the votes cRst shall be
the permanent county seat. At the regnlar
election in June, 1894, there were four candi
dates In the field for permanent county seat,
and no place received a majority vote, hence
there was no election. At the next electio
the two points receiving the highest vote at
last election will be the only candidates, and
therefore a decision will be assured. The two
contesting points will be Toledo and West Ya
qulna. There are four bRys within the limits of Lin
coln County, ul bounding in fish of all kinds.
Salmon river, or bay enters the ocean near the
northern boundary of the county. Along this
stream are fine tide lands and rich bottom
lands, soon to be opened to settlement.
Seven miles south of Salmon river the Siletz
river, or bav empties its srtnrklluff waters into
the old' Pacific Ocean. This stream drains a
large scope of country and afl'ords the largest
volume of fresh water of any river in the coun
ty, having many feeders. For this reason it Is
said that more salmon enter it than both the
Alsea and the Yaqulna combined. The Silct.1
river heads in and near the summit of the Coast
range of mountains in Polk county and runs
nearly all the way through the rich valley of
the Siletz, now an Indian reservation, soon to
be thrown open to settlement.
Twenty miles south of the Siletz Bay the now
famous Yaqulna Bay mingles her commerce
laden waters with the old Pacific. Yaqulna
Bay proper is about 14 miles long, but is navig
able for small crafts for thirty miles from the
mouth. There are many tributaries emptying
Into the Yaqulna, and many fine farms dot the
valleys and hill sides. Eight miles above New
port are large bodies of rich tide lands extend
ing on up the Bay for six or seven miles, many
acres of which are being dyked, reclaimed and
cultivated, and wheir once cultivated are said
to be the richest lands in tho world, the soil in
many places being sixty feet deep. The lands
are admirably adapted to raising all kinds of
beets, roots, mangel wurzels, etc., and particu
larly to the culture of sugar beets, The anal
ysis of beets raised on the tide-land near Tole
do showed 1G per cent of saccharine matter, be
ing the highest percentage obtained, in the
state.
Leaving the tide-lands and for ten miles on
up the Bay, or now the Yaqulna river, are large
sandy bottoms In and around Elk City, the gar
den spot of the county. Above Elk City and on
up the Yaqulna river and alon t e line of the
0. P. railroad are fine bottom lands. On these
bottomlands fruit of all kinds do remarkably
well. Several hop yards have been planted
on these bottom lands and the result has been
very satisfactory. Hop culture promises to he
one of the prosperous and profitable industries
of the county at an early date. At Nashville,
near the east line of the county, are large or
chards of prunes, apples and pears, Bhowing
that fruit will do well even so near the summit
of the Coast range.
Eighteen miles below Yaqulna Bay the Alsea
river and Bay empties into the Pacific ocean.
The Bay Is of a considerable size, and the en
trance is deep enough to permit coasting ves
sels to enter aud carry away the products of the
fertile valley of the Alsea river. The country
contiguous to the Alsea river resembles that of
the Yaqulna very much. It is settled with In
dustrious and thrifty people, and promises to
develop rapidly Its latent resources.
Liucoln county is admirably adapted for
dairying. With our mild climate, where snow
never HeB on the ground to exceed one day,
cool nights and abundance of pure spring wa
ter, It Is an Ideal dairying country. The cli
mate is such that grass never dries up but re
mains green during the entire year, thus af
fording annual grazing and reducing the cost
of feeding to a minimum. Clover Is naturally
adapted to this country, growing on the high
est hills or the lowest bottoms, wherever the
seed is scattered. Frequently our farmers cut
two crops of clover from their meadows in one
year, and have been known to cut throe. Silos
can be built and three crops can be obtain
ed annually for ensilage. A creamery plant Is
In successful operation at Toledo, having been
built and put In operation this season. The
plant Is a first class one, and Is turning out a
very superior quality of butter. There is no
longer a doubt but what this industry :'s a suc
cessful one and will rapidly develop. It Is said
all markets that butter and cheese produced
from the milk of cows that graze upon the suc
culent grasses rf our country excels that of any
other region. Tho day Is not far distant when
the dairying resources of our surrounding
country will be a source of large annual income
to our people.
Timber, Coal and Urinlte.
Commencing fliree miles north of Toledo and
extending on through Lincoln county Is the fa
mous green belt of fir, spruce, hemlock, larch
and cedar timber, only awaiting capital aud
enterprise to manufacture it Into lumber and
place it on the markets of the world.
Two and one half miles from Toledo, on the
headwaters of Depot Slough are the richest un
developed coal mine In the state of Oregon. A
local company have thoroughly prospected this
coal belt, and numerous assays have been made,
the last by California experts, who pronounced
it as being the only coal on the coast suitable
for steel works.
North and east of Toledo are located granite
mines in unlimited quantities equal in quality
to the Maine and Vermont granite, with water
power on the premises suHlcient to run all
machinery necessary to furnish rock for build
ing and monuments.
Towns and Tillages.
YAQU1NA CITY is the terminus of theOregon
Pacific railroad. It has two hotels, three stores,
a church and a school house. An academy has
recently been Instituted there, and promises to
be a successful Institution of learning. A con
siderable volume of business Is transacted at
Yaqulna City. At this place are the wharves
and warehouses which are used by the ocean
steamers, two of which ply regularly between
that port and San Francisco. The town-site Is
owned by the railroad eompany and has never
been placed on the market.
WEST YAQUINA Is across the Bay from Ya
qulna City and 1 w?ll located on deep ater
It will make a good town as It will enjoy a part
of the trade from the south end of the county
in ine near luture.
. NEWPORT, "Down by the 8a," Is the largest
town on the Bay. It has a population of 600
Lincoln County. Oregon,
summer resort on the Pacific coast, and during
the summer month thousands of people visit
Newport..
South of Newport ten miles is the Seal Bocks
Summer Retort, owned by James Brastlcld.
Here are loca ted good hotels, fine grounds and
many neat summer cottages.
On Alsea Bay are located two nice little
villages, one on tho north side and one on the
south. Good hotels and stores are found in
either town. At Woldport on the south side is
a good saw mill, now engaged in sawinglnmber
for the San Francisco market. On the north
side are located the salmon canneries where
annually are canned and shipped from five to
ten thousand cases of salmon of line grade.
The Alsea Bay is navigable for steam crafts for
twelve miles. This part of the County Is rich
in lumber, both fir and cedar, and Is the Ideal
dairying country. The Alsea harbor although
it remains today without ever having had a
J dollRr of money spent on it, is a better harbor
man many oinor narDors on ine coast, coast
ing steamers enter and depart regularly with
out a tug or pi ct. Crunberries raised ou the
Alsea marshes bv Mr. J. O. Stearns, are pro
nouncPd hv evnerts to bp of the flnpst ftnvor of
any raised from Oregon to Maine.
ELK CITY is the oldest town In the county,
and is nicely located at the junction of the Big
Elk and Yaqulna Rivers. It has a good hotel,
two stores, a blacksmith shop and postofllce,
and being the center of a large farming district
enjoys a good trade. Thousands of bushels ol
potatoes aud many bushels of fine apples are
shipped annually to San Francisco.
TOLEDO, the tomporary County- eat, is well
located 12 miles above the mouth of tho Bay, on
the line of the O. P. R. R., and nearly in the
center of the County, drawing the lines to the
compass. Toledo enjoys the undivided trade of
the Siletz Indian Reservation. It is tho center
of the famous tide-land belt, and will hold her
own by reason of her splendid location. Toledo
has one first-class hotel, four good general
merchandise stores, one drug store, two weekly
newspapers, one steam saw-mill, blacksmith
shop, a fine large public school building, two
churches, and other minor businesses.
PIONEER, or MORRISON, is a station on the
0. P. R.R., about three miles from Elk City.
At thi place is located tho famous Pioneer
Sandstone quarry. The products of this quarry
isbecomming justly celebrated all over the
coast. As a building stone It is unexcelled.
Large quantities of it are being shipped to San
Francisco where it is used in the construction
of some of the mammoth buildings of that city.
Tho quarry employs a large number of man
and Is building up a largo Industry.
On up the railroad are the stations of Chit
wood, Eddyvllle and Little Elk, all of them
trading points of some Importance.
The 811tt Reservation,
In the north part of the county lies tho famous
Siletz Indian reservation, now soon to be thrown
open for settlement. This reservation Is among
the last of the Indian lands to be opened to the
whites, and offers about tho last opportunity
the prospective settler will have in securing
home from Uncle Sain. The Indians having
been allotted their lands and one hundred and
eighty thousand acres remaining which w ill be
turned back to the general government and be
homesteaded and taken under the tlmbor act
The Siletz river Is navigable for twenty-live
miles up from lis mouth for all classes of river
boats. Along the river on cither side for throe
miles inland are large bodies of rich tide land,
and for the next twenty miles large sandy bot
tomB extend from the rivers edge, varying in
width from two hundred yards to a quarter of
a mile. This territory has never been visited
by a fire and there are millions of feot of flue
fir. IPTch PVt codnr timber. Larpo deposits nf
the same as that of the magnifiosnt Depot
Slough coal. On this reservation can bo found
Bomo of the best agricultural and graalng lnnd
on the coast. All the preliminary work look
ing to the opening of the reservation has been
done, and it is only awuitlng the President's
proclamation announcing it open for settle
ment, when the pioneer's ax will startle tho
wild elk and deer from their natural haunts;
when capital will take up the echo and soon,
where but a few months before nothing but the
wild animuls' harsh notes and wierd chants of a
few old Indians, the reminantsof a once power
ful tribe, washeurdasthcypaldthclrtribute to
old Medicine Rock, will be heard the music of
the Baw and hamirlcr. Civilization shall con
quer the earth.
Mlsrrilaneoas.
Owing to the mild climate and absence of
frost, fruitof all kinds that can be raised in Ore
gon do exceedingly well hero. Largo orchards
of prunes, apples and pears are being set out
and so far have proved to be perfectly free from
all fruit pests, common in the Willamette Val
ley and California. Lincoln County will bo the
banner fruit County In Oregon.
The Oregon Pacific Railroad which has its ter
minus at Yaqulna City, has reached the Cas
cade mountains and Is operating one hundred
and forty miles of road. And as soon as this
road makes connection with an eastern road
and becomes a trans continental Hue opening
up the great wool and wheat belts, of eastern
Oregon, Yaqulna Bay will then become a for
midable rival of other ports on the Pacific coast
of known fame.
Lincoln County offers better inducements
than any other county in Oregon for capital.
Lincoln County offers good inducements for
homcseekers.
Lincoln County has many undeveloped re
sources only sleeping for the want of capital.
Lincoln County wants business men, working
men, farmers and capitalists. It takes all kinds
of people to make and develop a country. Take
Horace Greely's advise and come west, where
blizzards and cyclones are unknown; where
every man's latch string hangs on the outside;
whero the warm breath of the grand old Pacific
paints brilliant colors on mid-winter flowers;
where Ayers Ague Cure is ofnoniorevaluethan
a bushel of sand; where fever aud malaria are
strangers and outcasts; where an honest, in
dustrious man can make him a home and be ai
free aud independent as Governor I'ennoyer.
If you are an old man come and view a sunset
down by the sea, rest your mind and be care free
for a while. If you are a yonng man come aud
grow up with the country. If yoa are a mon
eyed man come and double your capital. If you
are a sinjle man come and see our girls. Hyou
are a sickly man come and get your health, if
you are a tourist come and see our evergreen
hills, our Newport, our Heal Rocks, come and
stand on old Caqe Foulweatber. the farthest
point west, and cast your eye out on the foam
ing, rolling, restless, dashing, breaking, roar
ing, angry ocean waves, and se In them a like
ness of the human family, always moving.
always restless, always striving to reaoh the
Yaqulna Bay and Lincoln County.
Collection, of Taxes.
Lincoln comity is confronted this
year with a very heavy delinquent
tax list. In fact ever since the
county has been organized a very
large proportion of the taxes have
each year gone delinquent. It is
true that ever since the county has
been organized times have been very
close aud taxes have been very hard
to collect, yet we do not think that
this has been the fault, only to a
limited degree. Last year Marion
county collected her large roll up to
$5, ooo before July. This year Clat
sop county has collected over $105
006 on a roll amounting to $112,398
46. It is true that Clatsop is a
large and wealthy county, but it is
equally true that it has its propor
tion of boom property that is not
worth the taxes on it, aud also that
that the hard times have been as se
verely felt in Clatsop county as it
has in Lincoln county. The fact of
the matter is, the trouble seems to
lie in the diffeient methods employ
ed to collect taxes. In Benton
county before it was divided, it was
the custom to collect money from
all who came forward and voluntar-
pukl LiiCli laXCS. AlICllfluw
Sheriff alternated between threats
and appeals through the local pa
pers to get the delinquent ones to
come forward and settle with the
county, but no forced sale was made
or attempted, aud no levies were
made upon personal properties, as
by law required. The result was
that the taxrolls became badly and
hopelessly mixed, and a delinquent
list piled up until the total equals
the debt of the county twice over.
When Lincoln county was formed
it was apparent that the same poli
cy was to be followed. It is true
that a sale of property was attempt
ed in 1893, but owing to the gross
ly incorrect condition of the taxroll
the sale was of but little effect.
Since then a sale has not been at
tempted, and as a consequence the
delinquent roll is out of all reason
able proportions.
In Marion county the sheriff uses
every means of collecting the taxes
before the sale of real property is
attempted. If the delinquent has
any personal property subject to ex
ecution the sheriff levies on the
same. The taxpayers know that
the taxes will be collected if possi
ble, and hence they use every effort
to pay them before they are delin
quent and thus avoid the costs of
collection. The same course should
be pursued in Lincoln county. This
seems like hard advice, but a care
ful inspection of the tax rolls in the
oTirp of Sheriff LnnHis will diclo?f
the fact that but a very small por
tion of the delinquent taxes are due
from what we term poor men, who
are residents of the county. The
greater part of these men have
managed by some hook or crook to
pay their taxes. Most of the de
linquent taxes are due from noti'
resident speculators, or men in our
own county who are able to pay
but don't intend to pay until they
have to. Indeed we know of one
man whose taxes for this year have
not been paid, but who finds mon
ey to speculate in county warrants
when the discount is ruinous
enough to suit him. Now such
men as this keep well posted on the
course pursued by the county in
the collection of taxes, and don't
propose to pay till the last minute
It is true that there are some who
are unable to pay their taxes, but
who would pay if they could, and
whose property will have to go to
sale, but there are not nearly so
many of them as one might think.
In any event it is no more of a
hardship to thera than it is an in
justice to force those who do pay
taxes to bear the whole burden of
the county government.
Notice.
UNITED STATUS LAND OFFICE,
OREGON CITY, OREGON,
MAY 21, 1895.
By virture of a proclamation of
the President of the United States
and the order of the Honorable
Pftmm?:irinoi- rf lia n.tArn1 T nA
L . '"-'"i xauu
Office the lands in the Siletz Indian
Reservation, not otherwise approp
riated, will be opened for entry on
and after Thursday, July 25, 1895,
at 12 o.clock noon of said day.,
Robeet A. MittER, Register.
Peter Paquet, Receiver.
Chit wood Cpips.
Weather warm after the refresh
ing showers of the 4th.
Haying is in full blast, the crop
good aud everybody putting in good,
time.
There was a nice picnic at Chit
wood on the 4th. The folks that
could not go to Newport, or to Si
letz to join the tribe, met in the de
pot, as it rained too hard to go to
the grove. The table was. filled
with good things to eat (which Un
cle Jimmy Chitwood says is the
best part of any picnic). Hon. A.
L. McFaddeu delivered the oration,
which was well delivered aud full
of historic facts. This was follow
ed by an essay by Miss Edith Hol
lister, which was not beaten at any
celebration in Oiegon. Then the
the signal was given to bite, and
then you ought to have seen the
contest rage. The contest was the
fiercest between Uncle Jimmie Chit
wood and Mr. Foster, but Mr. Dur
kee was too busy to talk and car
ried off the prize for stowing away
the most grub. The afternoon was
spent in singing aud and games,
and all went home wishing the 4th
did not come ottener. .. -
Dr. Chandler, wife and daughter,
of Des Moines, Iowa, are here on a
visit to a brother of Mrs. Chand
ler's, Mr. M. T. Whitney, theNas
by of our town. We hope they will
enjoy their visit to our mountain
home, and that they will prolong
their visit as. long as possible.
There is lots of travel overland at
present, home hunting and pleasure
seeking being the order of the day.
Some ol them are taking homes
nenr here.
Chitwood, July 8, 1895.
Nash ville Notes,
Harmon Fatnent and wife
re-
turned Sunday from Newport.
He
says he will celebrate at home next
year. "
Harry Porter has finished his
kitchen. It is quite sumptuous
piece of work.
A. L. Porter and wife spent the
4th at Norton.
R. Chambers has finished up the
county work which was left in his
charge.. He has cut about all the
brush and fixed several bad places
which were impassable. .
Zene Young and Clyde Htintin
ton returned Sunday from Newport
where they had been celebrating.
George Harnar, Claude Rigdon,
J. A. Hamar and Miss Sarah Iluffa
Vef rnent the 4th at the Agency.
They report a fine time.
James Huntington's family ar
rived last Saturday from Portland.
Ida Skinner came up from Little
Elk last Saturday to stay a few
days with her father
and mother,
Ada Owen made a
trip to f&iem
last week. He says
everything id
flourishing in that vicinity.
Walt Brown drove 35 head of
beef cattle out to Blodgett the lat
ter part of the week.
Hard Tack.
Glen Items,
Reeolved too late for last week.
A shower the last of jhe week
was very refreshing to the thirsty
earth. It will greatly benefit the
gardens and late grain, but it has
brought down lots of hay which it
will not greatly benefit.
H. C. Wilhoit, H.. H . Curler,
John Watkins, Will Arnold, S. J.
Wilhoit and Albert Watkins have
been at work on the Salado and
Drift creek road between the saw
mill on Gopher creek and II. C.
Wilhoit's place. They have It al
most completed to the latter place
It is the intention to extend it on
to the postoflice of Glen soon and
on to Drift creek as soon as. the
people will turn out to help. We
are under obligations to L. W, De
yoe for three days work, O. C.
Simpson three days' work, and J.
H. Blair .one days' work, all Elk
City people. Many thanks, gentle
men, for your assistance. Others
are most cordially invited to assist
also.
ICIIABOD.
Portland .had a three days cele
bration this year, with fireworks
three days after.