Willamette farmer., February 02, 1883, Image 1

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VOL. XIV.
THE INLAND EMPIRE.
. General and Graphic Des
cription. THE CHEAT raCIFIC KEW MOKTHWK8T.
Sutarn Oregon The Columtota -The HlxBmd
Couitry PalooM and Northern Idaho
buck. Orchards Gharacttrlittcs.
Peculiar interest at present time attache)
to the Eaitern portion of Oregon and Wash
ington, because they contain the great areas
cf open country that invite immigration. No
where else in the United States can the set
tier find at once such advantage of location
soil and climate. Practically, the whole
Columbia region is nearer market than Iowa,
and far nearer than Kansas or Nebraska,
The wheat fields of the Upper Columbia Riv
er are within ISO to 400 miles of the com
mercial port where (treat ocean carriers load
cargoes for Europe. To-day, freights are
only 20 a ton from Portland to Liverpool
Telegraphic reports give the Chicago quota
tions for wheat as 923 cents per bushel,
while wheat is worth 079 centa at Poitland.
This fact .Uustrates the practical nearness of
this country to the worlds markets. Wit1 in
a few years we shall have the benefit of a
ship canal across the Isthmua of Darien. This
will make it possible to shorten the ocean
voyage to England to a journey of 30 to 35
days, instead of four to fi"e months, as now,
when cargoes go round Cape Horn and pass
Mi Fmmtor taice. That route will lessen
danger from damage to cargoes as well as
the intsrest and insurance charge, and will
add ten per cent, at least, to value of all
grain raised here.
EASTERN OREOON.
We shall proceed to describe that part of
Oregon cast of the Cascades two thirds of
the area of the State under three different
heads. First, that part bordering the Col
umbia river that is now within reach of trans
portation facilities and invites cultivation of
wheat foFexport. Of cour-e, farming is not
possible where wheat has to be hauled by
wagons a great distance. The country south
of the Columbia, within fifty miles of that
river, is becoming a farming region. Another
section of importance lies along the Eastern
boundary of the State and will be soon tra
versed by the branch mad building toward
Boise City in Idaho. This section invites a
farming community to settle and cultivate
the rich valleys of the Grande Ronde, Pow
der River, and the Malheur county. But the
greater portion of Eastern Oregon lies south
of all this, away from present transportation
facilities, and is a prolific source of wealth in
the hands of a comparatively small number
of stock men. This great cattle and sheep
ranno neennies about one half of the whole
area of Orenon. The time is not distant
when transportation facilities will develope
this region also.
SOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA.
Wasco county extends from the summit of
the Cascades cast for nearly 75 miles. The
valley of Hood river that flows north to the
Columbia from Mt. Hood, is settled with a
colony of fruit growers. Fruit growing and
stock raising are followed along the river un
til you pass east ward, beyond the mountain,
to where a rolling surface of uplands is tra
versed by deep streams. The valleys of
these streams are narrow but were early set
tled. They proved to be prodigiously fertile.
Within a few years it has been found that
the uplands also have deep soil that will pro
duce great grain crept, good gardens, and
excellent orchards. The fact tint water can
generally be found by dinging wells has
caused a demand for those high ridges and
they are preferred to lower lands by many.
All this recion is naturally covered by an ex-
,-Mlpnt irrowth of nutritious bunch grass. It
can be laid down as a rale, without excep
tion, that wherever bunch grass grows natur
ally, through the Upper country, wheat will
crow as well. Following that rule the ex
tent of wheat lands must be immense. The
land seeker can be better guided by that
fact than by any man judgment.
Northern Wasco is all within easy reach of
market and possesses a great extent of good
land that has been overlooked in the rush for
homes. In some respects the country south
of Snake river, the Palouse country and the
Big Bend country, to be hereafter noticed,
- nrnforahle. because possessing a more
comrjact and universal surface of good land,
but thev are 150 to 300 miles farther off and
have a more severe winter climate. It i
safe to say that two-thirds of the good arable
country south of the Columbia and within 0
miles of it, remains vacant and invites settle
ment; also that it oilers great inducement for
settlers.
Following the southern shore of the Colum
bia we come to the Deschutes river, sixteen
miles beyo.id Dalles city. This river heads
203 miles smth and drains a wide region.
Crossiug a divide of high plateau we reach, in
30 mile .ULn Day's river, that also comes
from the far aouth, heading in the southern
spurs of the Blue mountains. These are pow
erful and rapid streams, but not navigable.
Beyond John Day's river is a stretch of
country that extends from the Blue moun
tains, SO miles porth to the Columbia river,
most of which is arable land, watered by two
streams, Willow creek and Butter creek, on
which many good locations, were made at an
early day by stock men. This brings us to
the Umatilla river, one hundred miles due
east from Dalles City, forty miles of which is
in Umatilla county. Take this country for
one hundred miles and it is more a stock than
a farming region. Great flocks of shop,
droves of cattle and horses range the uplands,
making their summer pastures generally
through the adjacent mountains. It is in
tended that a system of branch roads shall
bring all this country, and the more distant
farming region of the Deschutes and John
Day-rivers into immediate connection with
the main lines ot travel on the Columbia.
While that portion of Umatilla county
watered by the Umatilla river, is yet chiefly
a stock country, the eastern portion of that
county, extending to within a few miles of
Wall Walla and from the upper ridges of
the Blue mountains to the Columbia, aggre
gating probably 50 miles square, is strictly a
farming region, from which stock is fast be
ing excluded by the advancement of agricul
ture. A portion of this soction was settled
20 years ago by immigration from Missouri
and Arkansas in 1S62-3. Strange as it may
m tlm value of alaiire tract lvinc near the
Colnmhia river, in the north cast of that
county, remained unknown, except to a lew
t-nek men who keDt their cattle there until
two years ago. It yet offers homes for actual
settlers, ims moment niuseraiua me ukui
of agricultural area and the difficulty of ob
tabling positive information about land tracts
until settlement actually invades them. This
eastern portion of Umat Ha county is an es
pecially favored region that already produces
considerable grain for export. A branch
road to cross the Blue mountains toward Ba
ker city, Snake river, and Boise city in Idaho
is already in operati- n 43 miles south from
Umatilla Landing, to Pendleton, and grading
is pushed over the mountains. A branch
road trom Walla Walla to Pendleton will soon
be constructed and will afford all the inter
vening country good facilities. This eastern
part of Umatilla county has four large and
thriving towns and supports threegood week
ly newspapers. The towns are Pendleton,
Weston, Centerville and Milton.
Farming In this section nas prospered, me
early settlers sometimes failed of success. It
requires good cultivation' to subdue the land.
The best returns on sod land come from
plowing twice in winter and spring and seed
ing the next fall. Summer fallowing if well
done is followed by a yield of 30 to 60 bush
els to the acre. A farmer south of Walla
Walla certifies to reaping over 2100 bushels in
1881. off of 30 acres. Yet the farmer who
plows up the fall grown wiry bunch grass in
early spring only three inches deep, and ex
pects a big harvest, is often mistaken, while
his successor will realize great returns on the
samo land as the first owner had subdued it.
This fact is applicable to all the upper coun
try, whi'h the reader will do well to remem
her. "Volunteering" is frequently practiced,
...V, w-Vi mian that the cram scattered in reap
in? conies up of itself and seeds the ground
.,,) mili rnrn on stubble land. Some
times, when fields are closely gleaned, the
farmers sow the stubble and harrow it in. In
1881 such fields often yielded 28 to JU ami
some 35 bushels to the acre. In describing
the methods of this section we are describing
those of the entire upper Columbia region.
THE EASTERN COCNTIES OF 0RFCON.
Union comity commences at the 46th de
gree of latitude, follows up SnaKe river on the
east and is bounded by the Blue mountains
on the west. Its chief agricultural areas are
found in the Grand Ronde valley, 10 hy 30
miles, a fertile and romantic valley that in
curving forn. is surrounded by high mountain
ranges and naturally one of the most beautiful
spots imaginable. The Grand Rondo river
is an impetuous torrent at some seasons, and
omes the length of the valley, finding an
outlet, through a deep canyon, to Snake river.
The Wallowa is another beautiful valley,
high among the mountains, on a branch
of Grand Ron.le river, that is now being set
tled. Though known for many years
its merits are only lately appreciated.
In the mountain section of Union county there
is considerable good land vacant. The beat
lands of Granda Ronde valley were occupied
by the emigration of 1662-3. Farmers here
have generally found markets for all their
products in the mines mar by in the Blue
Mountains and those not far distaot in South
ern Idaho. They combine sawk railing with
farming, and there are many who are chiefly
stock men.
Hater countv includes the valley ol Pow
der river, of Burnt river and of the Malheur
and its tributaries. To the far south it has
valleys on the head waters of the Owyhee, a
tributary of Snake river, which joins that
stream in Idaho. It reaches back to the lake
region south of the Blue Mountains. It has
ImmHiii area and capacities that are neither
understood or appreciated. Powder river
valley is not extensive, has rather high alti
tude, but possesses considerable extent of
good fanning land. The Oregon Improve
ment company pesacsses a largo exteut of
good farming land in this valley that will be
very valuable upon the constiucton of the
Baker City branch of the O. R.& N, Co., and
soon to make a coi.nccUd through line from
Portland to the Eit. This enterprise rapidly
PORTLAND, OREGON,
nears completion, and will call for the settle
ment of all the arable lands in .Baker county
as far south as the Malheur river. Settlers
are are now coming into that valley, and the
probability favors the speedy settlement of
nil that part of Eastern Oregon at an early
day,
STOCK RANGES OF EASTERN OREGON.
Agricultural development is rapidly expel
ling stock herds and flocks from the arable
lands south of the Columbia, but nature has
so fashioned that county that the stock inter
ests shall not decrease, but will rather in
crease with the future. One half of Oregon
must remain a stock region for years to come.
By improvement ot breeds and some care t
scatter seed to replace worn out pastures,
stock interests can increase in value always,
even after agriculture shall have claimed for
itself every foot of land that is valuable for
grain growing. A well established fact of
farm experience in all Oregon places good
pasture as high in the scale of profit as 6teady
cultivation in crain. without the care and
unceitamty. Wheat will always be the great
s'anle. but evcrv intellicent farmer will com
bine stock raisiug with its cultivation. At
present cattle kinps own stock cattle, horses
and sheep that roam the public domain far
and wide without ownership of more land
than will give them watering places and
some land lor meadow, nicy recosinizu eac-n
other's claim of precedence, and are governed
by their own rules. This condition of things
will naturally melt away as agricultural de
velopment takes place. In the not distant
future branch railroads will extend south
f oin the Columbia to every portion of coun
try worth developing. Besides this it is
probable that withiu a few years a railroad
will pass east and west through Middle Ore-
ion, crossing the uaseauo mountains tu uiu
Villmnpttn Vnllev. These enterprises are
demanded by the country to be developed,
and will co.ue. Meantime, the great stock
owners will have sway. V hen time shall
make it possible for settlement ot mat coun
try by practical farmers, they will naturally
combine stocK raisiug with farming to a great
extent, and themselves utilize the pasture
lands adjacent to their larms. in mis way
stock raising will be better carried on, admit
of m. re improvement, and add more cer
tainly to the public prosperity. We give this
as a glimpse of the future. The present time
finds all 'his region south of the river in au
uncertain stage, waiting for the era of devel
opment to commence.
EASTERN WASHINGTON.
The new settlements that aro going on in
the Upper Country are chiefly in Washington
Territory. Gradual development extends to
every part of the Pacific Northwest, but the
tide of immigration that surges up the Colum
bia river goes far above the junction of the
Snake with the Columbia, where tho newly
opened region of the Big Bend of tho Co
lumbia and the Spokan country offer induce
ments, or south of there in the Palouse coun
try. Eastern Washington is like some de
liehtful surprise that wakes one to constant
change'. As yet it is in its infaucy. The
Northern Pacific Railroad only penetrates to
its northeastern boundary in 1880. Before
that only a few pioneers who followed tho
preliminary surveys had settled theie, except
when some government military pot afforded
inducement to raise its supplies. Now, really
thriving towns exist, as it by magic, along the
railroad, and villages spring up away from it
as the country settles up. It is a wonderful
example of progress. The difficulty of reach
ing here is a great drawback, but those diffi
culties are exaggerated, and aro soon over.
Tho inducement to reach hero early en'.ueh to
locate a choice piece of laud near market is
sufficient to bring tens of thousands every
seaBou. Soon these will have p issed to other
hauls and can only be purchastd at a round
price, where now the Homestead Act reaches
everywhere, and railroad land is cheap to ac
tnal settlers. The Columbia river follows a
westeily course from its junction with Snako
river, tor over a nunureu miles, 10 ino wanes.
rrom tne iar norm n luavto jhuisu unum
bia, comes down a hundred miles south to its
junction with the Spokan, turns west in a
grand curve, then south ami east, to its junc
tion with Snake river. The great sweep of
the river includes the country known as the
Big Bend of the Columbia, the Spokan coun
try, and tho Palouse country, that, with the
fertile stretch south of Snake river make
what we properly call Eastern Oregon. Be
tween the Cascade Mountaii.s nd the south
ward sweep of the Columbia is a region we
will nominate Middle Washington Territory,
containing Klickitat and Yakima counties
The northern part of all Washington East of
the Mountains is contained in Stevens county,
a wild, mountainous region, containing some
beautiful valleys. A great part of Stevens
county is set apart as a home of the native
tribes of all this section.
MIDDLE WASHINCITOX TERRITORY KLICKITAT
AND YAKIMA COUNTIES,
A glance at the map will show the location
of every district of country described. The
two counties above-named cover a great
sweep of country and much excellert land.
Klickitat county lies north of the Columbia.
Goldendsle is a thriving town surrounded by
a good country. There is considerable settle
ment in that vicinity, and yet a great deal
of land is vacant. This is a eoxl section to
combine farming with stock raising. The
eastern part of the county possesses a fine ex
tent of rolling surface covered with luxuriant
growth of bunch grass, with timber in the
Simcoe Mountains and aion the Columbia
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1883.
river for fire wr.od. Apparently this is a
plendid country tj cultivate and lies close to
the Columbia. A strip with fifteen miles aver
age width and sixty miles long, in Eastern
Kliekitat. is almost entirely vacant, and offers
excellent inducements. The climate is good.
A sandy ridge, severalmiles wide, separates
this good country from the Columbia.
Yakima county is north of the above, and
is more extensive. The rivers that eome in
from the Cascade Mountains to the Yakima
have good valleys, though narrow, and the
uplands between, when clear from rock, offer
excellent firm lands. When branch railroads
shall lead to fuller development of these two
counties, they will become populous and can
support a large population. Good lands ofl.r
vacant homes for tens of thousands. As yet
stock interests are in the ascendency, but
grain grows in all sections; fruits succeed ad
mirably; orchards do well in the foot hills of
the mountains. Considerable bench land
grows large sage, and has pr oved to be excel
lent for crops of all kinds for orchards and
for hops. In the Yakima and Klickitat al
leys hops yiehl very largely, of the best qual
ity. Between the Yakima and the Columbia
is a stretch of upland, 100 miles long, that is
covered with bunch era's. In tho future
much of this will be farmed. The mountiins
possess abundant timber; the valleys havo
Cottonwood along tho streams, and tho up
liuds are grassy plains.
Stevens county to tho north covers a groat
scope of wild country. Colville valley is a
beautiful farming country, and has been long
settled by people who supplied tho military
post near by. Indian tribes occupy large
tracts of this county, and are all peaceable.
When time requires it, railroaels will develop
this northern region and fill it with people.
Its resources are neither known or under
stood. It has abundant wood and water,
good soil everywhere, and possesses some
il aractenstics quite different from thu n gions
to th south. Its mineral resources promise
1 1 aid its development in time, for it has rich
gold mines, and probably coal exists. It is
probable that the O. R. & N. Co. will place
a steamer on the Columbia near Colville
There are rapids in several places below
these, but 200 miles of navigable water above.
In the future portages around the rapids may
make direct shipment possible from Colville
to the ocean.
NORTH OF SNAKE RIVER WHITMAN AND
srOKAN COUNTIES.
A look at the map will show that the
country north of Snake river and east of tho
the great sweep of the Columbia comprises
the counties of Spokan on the north and
Whitman on the south. These two counties
contain immensely fertl'.o regions that aro
now tho objective point for immigration. Tho
Northern Pacific Railroad passes through
the so two counties diagonally, from tho junc
tion of tho two rivers at the southwest to
Spokan Falls in tho northeast. Tim country
from the Palouse river to the Columbia, and
as far north as Ritzvillc, on the line of rail
road, is dry and arid, without running
water in great part and possessing no tim
ber. An enterprising Scandinavian, who
works in the railroad shops at Ainsworth,
has taken up laud on the Columbia, near
there, and reports great success with crops.
Cultivation will change all that country in
time, but immigration will not attempt to
subdue it while more attractive regions arc
vacant. It is known that there aro strips of
excellent soil all through this dry region.
Above Ainsworth, on tho noith shoro of
Snake river, is a largo Btretch of good soil,
where water can no doubt bo procured.
Leaving this region and passing along the
railroad to Ritzville, tho country improves
At Sprague wo are n'ar a large body of good
i-ountry. Cheney is the center of an extcti
Bivo farming region. Spokan Falls, again,
has good eouiltry to back it up West of
tho railroad a system of waters rise in tho
north, How south into Crab creek, which in
lime empties all its accuinu ations into
Moses like, which has no outlet. South of
that is the arid region we have just paed
over. A natural divide exists west ot Spo
kan Falls, running westerly, pnallcl with
Spokan and Columbia water. From it
streams flow north to those rivers and other
streams flow south to C ab creek. About 7,r
miles east of the railroad is tho Grand
Coulej of the Columbia, the dd channel
once pursued by that great river before some
great cause or convulsion of natuni caused it
ti make a detour to the west. The Grand
Coulee, like the railroad, pursues a course
from northeast to southwest.
Much of the country between tho Grand
C'ouleo and the railroad is wooded, and it is
all well watered. Where it is 'cab land"
which means rocky oo the surface -still
there is much grass and many lakes and
ponds. This region is now attracting immi
gration, which, so far, has located within
easy reach of transportation. Towards the
Uoulee a great scope oi guou cumin y wait,
for settlement. Timber can be procured in
all the canyons that put into the Columbia.
West of the Giand Coulee, in the Big Bend,
are tho Great Plains of the Columbia, a high
table land, covered with rich glasses, the
home of great h-rds ami droves, for as yet
the Big Bend is a vast stock range where
bands of horses live and thrive, sullering lit
tle loss even iu the severest winters. They
paw away the snow and keep in good condi
tion on the dry bunco, grass that retains the
virtues of cured hay. The region we have
ilescilUd as lying iu the Big Bend, west of
the N, P. It, R., centains four million acres.
It is an imperial domain, and will lie a mag
nificent feature of the Inland Empire when
veveloprueiit .hall transform It and trans
portation facilities intersect I'. A compara
tively small area is settled upon, and it offers
homes for many thousauds.
THE l'ALOUSK CO0NTRY.
East of the Palouse river, occupying the
eastern part of Whitman and partly inldaho,
is one of the most fertile of all the agricul
tural areas of the Pacific Northwest. Extend
ing from Snake river on the south to the N.
P. R. R. on the north, and east to the Pa
louso river, it comprises over 5,000 square
miles of solid agricultural land, with very lit
tle that is unfit for cultivation. While the
land is high, rolling prairie, it is seldom too
steep to be cultivated. It ia well watered,
and if without living stream or spring, wells
can be dug and water easily found. Timber
abounds on the east in the Ceeur d'Alene
Mountains, also on the north, near the rail
road, and en the west along the Palouse and
branches. The soil is deep, sandy loam that
retains moisture naturally, Rains usually fall
in this section abuuelantly, and ('round is
plowed until June for sowing wheat.
Settlement hs been made along the tim
ber line, but an extensive scope of this beau
tiful region remains vacant. A railroail is now
biiildinir that will connect this country with
the N. P. R. R. at Bluff Wells. It will go
thence to Eudicntt, and there branch to Mos
cow, in Idaho, and Farmington, so as to supply
all the ci.uutry. It will bring wood and lum
ber down from tho Ceeiir d'Aleno Mountains,
and so favor all parts of the Palouso country
with every needful lae'lity. Take tho contral
and southern parts of this region, ml tho
government laud is over half vacant, und
twv-tliirds of tho railioad land is unsold.
OF.NF.KAL RK.MARKS.
Tho railroad, from Ainsworth to Spokan,
follows up natural depressions, Beats of old
evate courses, now dry, called Coulees by the
Cmadian French of tho early period, and so
docs not afford tho traveler any correct im
pression of the entire country. West of the
Palouse river to the railroad, tho land is gen
erally scabby, with many lakes, abundant
grass but little farm land. Take tho whole of
Whitman anil Spokan counties, and they af
ford many locations where a man can select a
good home spot, ami locate his homestead or
pre-emption on meadow land, with pasture
lands all around him unfit for cultivation. On
such locations, though remote from society,
stock can bo made to pay well.
Tho valuo of timber is becoming so well un
derstood that many claims aro taken up for
that purpose along the mountains, and timber
bolts.
Good locations for dairying can bo had in
all directions, and that interest is certain to
pay well.
Tho health of all that region is very good.
The winters aro sometimes cold, as Oregonians
consider, but Iowans call them mild. In
1881-2 snow lay on over 60 days, and po iple
hauled wheat 50 miles to mill with ease.
Winter snows will be regularly utilized for
hauling of all kinds, especially hauling timber
and fencing from the mountains nnd grain to
warehouse. Tho lay of country is fuvorablo
for such work.
So far as tested, fruit does well all thiough
these counties. Orchards thrive whenever
well cultivated. On tho low bottoms of
Snake river and tho Columbia, all fruits grow
perfectly; apricots, p aches, nectarines, and
even tho raisin grapo, succeed in thoso low
canyons. Tho climatu there differs materially
trom that of the up'on 1 t, which have nfte'i
2,000 feet greater altitude Fruit growers
havo only to select a good location in thu can
yons of some of the rivers to reap great re
wards. Fruit growing can be carried on to
advantage in many places, but men who un
derstand gardening anil fruit growing, can lo
catc on these bottoms with certainty that
they will find market for all they can produce.
NORTHERN' IDAHO.
The same character ot country, soil and cli
mate as we havu described, extends eastward
to the C'i'ur d'Aleno mountains, which are 20
to 50 miles, cast of tho dividing liuu betvocu
Washington and Idaho Moscow, one, of tho
ino5t thriving of tho P.ilous'i towns, is in Ma
li , The cliaraiter of all of Northern Idaho,
west of the Cu-u- d'Alenu mountains, is sim
ilar to what we havo described as pert lining
to tho I'ulonsu country. 'I ho people of that
portion ot Idaho, and ot the whole icrntiry,
in tho election held in tho fall of 1KS2, ex
pressed an emphatic desire that thu northern
counties of Id iho shall bo annexed to Wash
ington, to which Stati It is naturally allied.
Should Washington ho aliuitt d as a State,
there is no re-asm to doubt thut Northern
Idaho will he included iu its limits, and the
Hitter Knit mountains bu thu o intern bound
ary. SOUTH OK SNAKF. IHVKIl WAI.I.A WAI.I.A, t'OI.
OM1I1A AND (IAIlFIS:l.U .'OU.NTIa.S.
The oldest and favorite section of tho upper
country was the lenilo belt of land along the
foothills of the Blue mountains, known as tho
Walla Walla ngi"ii. It is indeed a paradise,
watered by streams that branch out over the
beautiful prairies, with tho Blue mountains
near, with delightful climatu and fruitfulness
that is unequ tiled. Taku that stretch of
irountain side, and the rolling hills and up
lands reaching from the Oregon Ino to Iiwis
ton, Idaho, over 75 miles in length, anil there
is no more beautiful region. It is varied and
diversified, and possesses rich soil everywhere.
The mountains abound in timber. J here are
water power in abundance to turn mill
wheels and wood to utilize for every manufac
turing purpose. This ia the old settled section
of thu upper country, Walla Walla is a beau
tiful city with ft OOC people, extensive trade,
fine buildings and great enterpuses, and has
becjtne the tliitiibutint' pilot for a wide re
gion. Beyond it 18 miUs is Waitaburg, and
30 miles east is Dayton, a place of general im
portance. A handsome town, with fu'tjrhs
an 1 mills, and a large trade with a good coun
try. Still eatard is Msrengo, and III mUes
vast of Diyton and 60 miles from Walla Wal
la is Point roy, another Important piiut; cast-
NO. 51
JE
ward still 35 miles to Snake river, vou crn
tho Idaho line, to Lewistou, a thriving place,
that represents the growth of the northern
counties of Idaho. It must be a thriving and
growing region that sustains so many good
Dusiness points.
From the Blue Mountains to Snake river,
for an average width of 40 miles, the country
is excellent. Towards the Columbia and
Snake rivers, locations are not to valuable as
closer to the Blue Mountains. It is further
from wood, and water is not so easy to get.
As to soil, there ia no prett nse that crops
will not grow well everywhere, oven though
they may not turn off the enormous yields
that are realized in the foot hills. It is true,
in the summer of 1882 that half of tho arable
area of Walla Walla county was vacant, in
eluding the dry hills towards Snake river. A
great portion of land in the northern part of
Columbia county, near the river but destitute
of natural water, where it was not easy to dig
wells, was then vacant. There is a beautiful
country on tho branches of Assotin creek, in
the southeast of what is now Garfield county,
but is represented on our map ns Columbia
county, lying close to where tho Snake river
comes out of tho mountains, one half of which
is vacant. It has been supposed that the
south siilo of Snnkei river was settled up com
pletely, but that region yet contains vacant
lauds capable of making homes for thousands
of settlers.
Tho fertility of all tho rcio.is of tho Upper
Columbia rest on tho most undoubted testi
mony. Certified returns of crops near Day
ton, W. T., made as basis for business trans
ac iors, spe'ak on oath of harvests that havo
realized beveuty-fivo and oven eighty-fives
bushtlsof wheat to thu acre. It is roved
that a farmer south of Walla iValla who
saved over 2,100 bushels of wheat from thirty
acres. Dr. N. G. Blalock, a leading physi
cian, also an enterprising man, had in 1881,
in his 2,700 aero farm, within sight of Walla
Walla, on 1,000 acres of summer-fallowed
laud, an average of fifty bushels to the aero,
and several bundled ncreH of atubblu land
gave an average of thirty live bushels. These
are not singlo )o examples work, il up from
specimen acres, inrougn tno raiousu country
thoy plow in April ami May, nud expect thirty-live
to fifty bushels of wheat back tho same
keasou. There aro plenty of examples to sus
tain tho assertion that thu Upper Columbia
regiou is the finest wheat land in tho world.
There was unexampled drouth in I8S2 and
comparative failure of crops, but thu average
harvested was above thu returns of California,
Iowa, Minnesota, or the Willamette Valley
even. Coining out of a season whon no rain
fell, in many instances, from Hied timet in May
until harvest, they had twenty-live to forty
five bushels of w lie it to tho aero and often
the latter for every aero that was, well cul
tivatod in summer-fallow.
PRODUCTION OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS IN
INDUSTRIES. The Pacific Northwest, as a general thing,
produces nil tho grains, grasses, fruits and
vegetables eoiiunon to tho Northern States,
with tho exception that tho moist climate of
tho western portion is not entirely favorable
to corn and such fruits us peaches and grapes,
It caiiut be said that any portion of it pro
duces com as successfully as it is grown in
the Northwest. Thu great staples aro who t
and wool, in which lines of production the
whole region is without a superior. There is
room here 'or ovcry practical fanner to follow
Irs specialty. Stock raisin,' of all kinds;
dairying; thu culture of hops and flax;
the growth of fruit and manufacture of canoed
and dried fiuits; thu btisiuiHS of market gar
dening and tho cultivation of small fruits; in
fact every branch of production and tho mak
ing, curing and packing of meats of all kinds;
thu breeding of fine stock; all these invite the
experienced and practical man to win the
highebt rewards that good husbandry can
ollir.
Tlicii again, all branches of industry are
open for competition and development. The
pwictical mechanic can win hero as sure re
turns as any country on earth can ollei Tho
iintiniil resources of this gloat region are only
eoiinii ncing to bo developed ami wait for tho
spirited onturprisu, baekud up by labor and
capital, to t iru hidden sources of wealth into
stieams of revenue. Muiy industries are
carried on already, but they are hardly a
eoiirtcnc'iineiit of whit this region can and
will sustain. Hero labor can get certain re
wards and capitil iiiikusafo investment, All
the wido world does not co.itain a laud of
grcati r pritu'se, but thu man who comes ex
pitting to re.ali.u without patiunt effort and
judicious management will ascrtainly bu
disap, muted here as elsewhere While it is
absolutely what many pronounce it ; "tho
bust poor mans coiiney in thu world, thu
poor man must bu a faithful worker to realize
it. There is here, unoccupied, ouu hundred
millions of acres of territory, comprising any
variety of suit, climatu und condition known
to thu temperate .one, without tho sharp
vicissitudes of climate that mark the seasons
ir. evury other Stito in the Union. V havo
neither thu Mummer's heat nor tho winter's
cohl found in the same latitude East. Har
vest is made easy by cool und refreshing
nights, anil the laborer can usually work iu
wintir with littlu loss of time. There arc
compensations lor the regions that seem least
favored by nature, that enable thu new
comers to win fortune in spitu of difficulty.
Hut nouu need com-j to thu Pacific Northwest
expecting to lind a paradise without defect.
It is simply a favored portion of eurth, where
nature has been kindly ami bountiful and
wh re the rewards of labor and enterprise
seem unusually certain.
.Mining in the tiiiia district, Douglas e uu-
ty, is not flourishing as desired, iu acccui.t of
tho
;hv SL-arcity of Hater,