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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1889)
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS. Nor en Portion oi Sta NOW TO RETURN TO THE ApiiM Interests ol to f, A X J) IS SITUATED IN THE H COMPRISES ABOUT NINETY TOWNSHIPS Oil ABOUT 2,000,000 AGUES OF LAXD. Tho valleys are of an average elevation of about 2,000 feet above eea level, the highest mountain peakH Ixjiiif? nlwut 0,000 feet and continually covered with snow, which furnishes a water sunnlv for numerous streams the year round. 1 J THE CLIMATE Is dry and healthful, there being a sufficient rainfall to preserve the moisture of the soil and mature crops, know seldom falls to tho depth of one foot in the valleys, and never remains longer than from two to three weeks at a time. Tho mean temeraturo for tho winter months is about 20 degrees nlwvo freezing point and for the summer months alwut 70 nlxjve zero, the heat of the day being oflset by cool nights that ensure refreshing and invigorating sleep and rest for the fatigued Tho winter seawjn usually begins about tho lirsi of December and lasts till tho middle of February or first of March, when the husbandman is given an opiortunity to prepare for his springs seedini: Iron: March 1st to July 1st, the monotony of warm and dry weathoris broken by frequent showers of ram furnishing sulicient moisture to the ground and temperin the atmosphere so as to assure the farmer un abundant yield. During the months of July, August and September, which are the harvesting months in this county, the weather is usualy dry and adapted to the successful gathering of crops. Generally enough rain falls in thu autumn mouths to moisten the ground sufficiently to permit the farmer to prepare the same lor his fall grain. 'lliero is no country in the United States more blessed by a healthful climate than Union County the vigor and enterprise of is Citizens will prove. ' THE LARGST MOST FERTILE AND ATTRACTIVE VALLEY OF Union Couniy is the Famous Grande Ronde WHOSE BEAUTY IS BECOMING KNOWN Far and wide, surrounded by lofty mountains upon which seems to rci the blue vault above. Wherever tho eye gaze it cannot help being enchanted by our beautiful 'cenery. This' valley embrace!) iJOO.O'Oacres of as line Agricultural hand as can bs found on the I'acillo Coast. Thu Grande Ronde lier enters its boundary on the West and flown Easterly through the center of the valley and thenre Northerly arid out at its Northern limits; :Wx25 miles is its length and bredth 'd w ith Cathyrlne Creek, the laigest tributary of the Grande Ronde. enterhiK the valley at the youth, Mill Creek entering at the Kaxt and Willow C eek entering at the North, with numerous other small tributaries, make the Grande Ronde Val'ey one of the best watered valleys in Oregon, all of the above named streams aflbrdlnj; abundance of water the leason round. The soil of this valley Is principally a black, rich lom with rlav subsoil, there being avout three Townships of land having a sandy soil, known as the Sand Ridue, all of which produces excellent grain. J.HU jiuia oi w neat, uats, uariey, itye, Timothy, Alt Ifaand t lover is large, tiie cereals yielding irum iomiu oumei per acre ot v heat w to mo for uats ana liarley, and Ha frequently three crops of Alfalfa being cut in one season. lay from S to 8 tons per acre; PRODUCTIONS AND EXPORTS. Tho various contagions previlom in many localities are almost whnllv unt-nmrn i,nr. .i . usually very mild in their attacks when they do appear. There has only been one case of Smallnox i are in i 'n-. "... ..: !. ..! . .. . ... f. . f .w ........ "-v ? v. union ivouuiy suico us seiuement, aim cuius una iever are totally unknown. w im v inrn.inr.a iiirricanes to lay waste the country, destroy property and iho lives of people, nor blizzards to freeze the life out of humanity. Nor do we have the fogy and damp ntmosphero which is found West of the Cascade Mountains. SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS. There is l,'l()7,o00 Acres of Surveyed Lund in the County; tho rest is unsurveyed, the unsur veyed portion being valuablo for Timber, Pasture and abounding in Mineral Deposits. The valleys of tho County are Grande Ronde, Indian, North Powder, Rig Creek, Eagle, Fine and Starkoy. The soil in these yalloys is well adapted to the raising of Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye, Timothy, Clover and Alfalfa. Veiiotables and Irmts. such na Annies. Plums. Vonra. Pom-lion ni...rri. O(.:..i.,...ino ' 1 - . v. . , Diitinuuiiiuni twill in fact all of the smaller varieties grow to neriection. T ho yield of heat is from 2o to HO bushels to tho aero, Barley from 40 to 70, Oats about tho same as Barley, with exceptions in some localities, when as high as 100 bushels of oats has been raised-to the acre. Tho Mountains are covered with a Fino Growth of Timber, consisting of Pine Tamrack Spruco, etc. The most valuablo is tho Pine, which is used in the lumbering industry, also somo of tlio larger specif s of Uamrac, but this class of timber is used chiefly to furnish wood tics, etc. which is amply sulhcient to supply tho surrounding country for ages. The ; mineral resources of tho County are only nartialy developed, but sufficient prospecting and mining has been done to prove that great ledges of ore mterlino tho mountain aides, which, w hen sufficient capital is employed m their development, will bo a great factor in tho general summary of t''e wealth of the County. A more detailed account of thu At! - .... tHIIIVl III IkVOUlll ttO Ul tilU County will be found further on c o u TIip producing anH export of grain and hay from this valley is large and growing in quantity each year. Besides tho production ot grain and hay for export, an immense quantity of fruits, including Ap ples, Plums, PrunPK, Pears and siiialle fruits, al-o garden vegetables are raised in great quantities and marketed in the neighboring section. Butter and Che he is alt-o one of our staple products. .Stock raiing is entjncea in largely and profitably; as fine stock may be seen upon the farms of Grande Ronde Valley as anywhere, stockmen and fanners always securing the ln-st bred animals for breeding pur poses. Taxes are no higher on line than poor stock. The lands of thin valley have all been taken, but choice places can he bought at from 815 to .'!0 per acre, which is comparatively cheap. Many large bodies of land owned by single individuals and of the best qualliv inn lte had at very reasonable rates, which could be divided into several cood farms. TIMBER. The hills and mountains are covered with timber of the best qualitv lor lumbering purposes and easily reached. But little of iho timber lauds has been entered or taKen up. RAILROAD FACILITIES. The O. R. & N. R. R. entering the vallev at the southern portion and following the foothills on the Southwest, passes out of the valley on the West, traversing the Southwestern boundary of the valley for a distance of 14 mlbs. The Hunt Railroad system will be extended during the next jear from Wal'a Walla, W. T., through the Blue Mountans to Suinmervi le, in the northern portion of the valley and will then traverse tho en tire length of the valley through its center to Union. Upon the building of this road the valley will have the best railroad facilities. Paget Sound, W. T., is the terminal point of this line, putting Portand. (jr.. and the cities of the Sound in competition for the trade of the Valley, the importance of wliich is evidenced bv the building or this second line of road. In concluding this description of Grande Ronde Voller. it em" bo said with out fear of contradiction, that no better opportunity is offered anywnere in the Northwest for the home seeker or capitalists than in Grande Ronde Valley and its vicinity. The resources of iho valley and its tributary sections will sustain manufacturing industries of nearly every kind, of which we now have but very few. It will sustain ten times the population it now has in the farming and dairying business, ollcrlng in this line advantages not to be found but in very few places. The raising of thorough bred stock is a prod table business and there is hardlv an individual here solely In that buiiness at present. To visit Grande Ronde Valley and see it and to investigate its advantages, is to locate here. In no Instance have people, who have visited this valley given it other than the best of reputation in regard to climate, soil and everything that goes to constitute a gDod country. The Grande Ronde Valley has several considerable towns and villages: Uniou in the southern end of the valley, La Grande at the base of tho mountains on the northwest Summcrville in the northern end of the valley, Cove about midway on the east side, and Rlgin in the extreme northern part of the valley. K UNION COUNTY OREGON STOCK IfcVISliVG. The Assessment Roll of the County KOU TIIK YKAIt 1888 SHOWS THAT TIIKItK VI Itl. 31,7IO HEAD OP HORSES, 28.123 HEAD OF CATTLE. 55.565 HEAD OF SHEEP, Ami 18,571) Head of Swine, showing of Itself that the County is a great Stock Raising Reuion. Thou sands ot head of stock are early shipped, bringing to tho owners thereof a neat prollt on their invest ment. In lact. Iho slock business lias been and still is the most paying of any in the country and it bids fair to continue to be such for many years to come. The hunch grass growing upon the hills and mounialim Is very nutritious, stock fattening In a very short time, ready for market. Usually stock Iihs to be fed bar for from one to two months during the winter, but in inaiiv places horses will winter upon t ho bunch grass and do w ell. The climatu is such that sto -k raised is of a hardy and healthful charac ter, idvlng to work horses a strong constitution and powerful muscle. Th milU cow hero attains purfoctlou. Sheep are very healthy and produce heavy tleeces. The dairying business In the het few years has developed into a largo and proiltahlo one, tho country being specially adapted to thu IniHlnehs by reason of tho milk producing qualities of the grasses and the ex cellent tangs, the large quantity ot hay and gialn raised per acre, the healthfulness of animals, the lame 'water supply and ttioquiek market of Butter and Cheeso. Tho .Tersry. Ilolstino nd Durham are rapidly taking the pluceof the common breed of cattle, and dairymen are giving considerable attoution to I he breo lug of their cows. It is said more prollt can Ib readied per year from a milk cow In this country than any other in the United States, one Instance being given of a single cow for one year, yielding a net prollt to tho owner of $I7 U'sliles the calf Two creameries are in operation at the Cove, In this rounty, whhh make 120,(00 pounds of cheese, worth 1 1 cents ,or pound, and 75.U0 sunds butter, worth 25 cents per pound. This j oar a vrenmi rv is in operation at l.a Grande, with what surcess remains to be scon, although no doubt can lie eiiteriained but that it will prove to ho a proiltahlo concern. ITS MINING RESOURCES. The Mining Distilcts of Union County are Cornucopia, Spartaand Sanger. Cornucopia District is there urly and T Y in the Ijistein portion f the County, and embraces a hecllon about Ion miles quare, within which tin aui about (tOuquMtK locations. The founatlon is granite and slate; the ledges running in u Southeartu and iSorlhwosterl dlieetlon, The llrst locations were made hern In 1884. Thu ounrtz rontltis C.lil . I.f ....1.1 ... ...l.....l..u4 i.... i? ... ..!.. l . .. .. ......... .jii.t i. mi h"' 1'ieuumninuiiK. ouiiui m uiu louiw nru iroe mining, nut mey generally contain base, metal mi In consequencu wi ham lola treated In reduction wriks. Asays have Wen made of ore from the different groups, showing an averngo yield of from W to $1(0 per ton. When tho pr per methods me employed to work these I edge to the best advantage, Cornucopia w ill ha considered the New Kldorado of the West. The Ongon Gold Mining Company, of Towiuvllle, Ky , is the only company represented In tho dls tiicl. It has opened iipovral of tin ledges, which weio obtained at from lu,('00 to SL'll.OOO each. 1 ho Red Jacket, belonging to ibis company, is a well defined ledge, averaging about four feet in thickness and when (.truck on the lowest tunnel, wan found to be a mass of the golden metal. This company has a KLHamp Mill running night and day upon the ore taken from this ledge. Seven thou sand live hundred pound of sulphates wore itecured tiie llrst month of thia spring operations, besides Immense quantities of free gold caught upon thu amalgam pans. This company's eximiiHKh In hulldlngii, machinery, roads, developments, etc., ha amounted to over SIH.MOOO, Ihey have the Whitman, which has a shaft sunk over 1,MH) feet and shows bottoms tho work progresses; the Aim No. tf, which Is developed sufllcicntly to Indicate a well defined ledge of high grade ore. I he present, superintendent. Professor Smith. Is hluh y pleased with the prospect for his company and predlciKji second Buttorville. of Cornucopia. Many other ledges of tho camp with 100 feet or more of development worknro showing up well, among which are the Simmons group, comprising the Key. stone. Checkmate. Ihlllllrv and lliu kexe. all situated on thu Simmons .Moiintnin nud nll tn l il,.. Iw,. group of mines in the camp, hUc. the Blue Bell, Little Casino and Monto Chrl-to, situated on the came mountain and extensions ot the .Simmons ledges, allowing (.antegrade and character of ote. The Way Up. northeast of Cornucopia, shows some of thu richest ore of uny in camp and U no doubt an extension of tho Blue ; Hell and Simmons group. Tho Union Companion, list Chan e, Robert Kiumet, Forest Queen, Reil Boy, May 1' lower, Cox and Allen, Bed Grots. The Steen groupe, Stella, Tiger Boy. Climax and Queen of the ot arealUutllcleutly developed to show them to be good ledges ami contain paying ore In great iiiiuutUlos. The Cornucopia or Pino Creek district is a rich one with an unlimited amount of ore and only lacks capital to prove Its wonderful richness. It Is destined to he one of thu richest ennuis In existence. The Sanger mliicM are operated by a San Francisco Comiwny, which began I(h operations two vears ago, buying the ledges for l7,0ti0 and now cleaning up on an average of 870,000 per month. fhe.e iuIiiuw are on the road belworn Union and Cornucopia, about!!) miles east of Union, having a tn-weekly mall from Union on to Cornucopia, thus being placed In direct communication with Union, their trad, lug point. The Spurt mines are about eight miles southeast of Sanger and have been worked for the past twenty years, still yielding large returns. The Simrta mines are mostly placer, but qulto a number of lodge have laloly been found which, as fr as developed. Indicate good paying ore. A mill Is Mug built hurt' and good returns are expected from its work. o R E G O N U N I O ' , THE COUNTY SEAT OF UNION COUNTY, IS SITUATED IX TIIK Southern Portion of the Fertile Grande Ronde Vallev, AND HAS THE BEST NATURAL LOCATION For a City of any town In Kiistcrn Oregon. Slluuteo, just at the bit -e of rollliiK hill- on both siK"- of CutUerl lie Creek. u otmuiuu, sparkllUB stream, whose wutors are pure as nature eter ilMIUcl mid held suspended in her mountain res ervoirs, furnUhluK Immense waterpower Just waiting to be utilized by the hand of man for all kinds of mauufaetur liiK industries Iu fact the water power is amply sulllcieut to make I'nion the Lowell of Oregon if the attentiou of her euterprlsliig ett zens were turned in that direction, which will be the ease when new blood and Hasten, capitalists come In. This is one of tho best places iu Oregon for the erection of mauufspturlei.. A ...,w,1.. Ill I.. i . . is greauy ueeueu now, and some cnergutlu capitalist who l. engaged In l,lltl. VTiSh?-V..1 iVS1 0r,"Ut!l1 11,1 -,"tJrle, riRht iu the hiart of a great wool-growlng motion of the couutry ' duml uA Vo VilYS?.er",,0Wer uljuud,lULL'' uud 111 fL'' "erythlw: that ueh a biwlm-. vould elsum" ?' p iich business would find No ro- r..v.. w ..... m uu unn mi ih-hj, rpnugs, eie., nir uo (Hirer uriuklug water can be found. vi.iV!!f.lCv ?o1 f?,c,1U,k's aro uusurpasseil. Wo hove iu our public school, a High School liraile. The school is sut.t.lled children ar M ilniS&$W . .IV.ii '""' elaBS islucation auu that they can Ik edueate.1 iu no better wav than bv ha iut: a No 1 hiTnl t iinim. tiou.aUo several hnuarell dollaw wir of rtmmVt-V- A', ,'".luu Mnl M""01 ' ' tontempla- ff1P1I U Utl.l ft.. I 1 - . . . I I 1 1 I trMourW ufeSS" 'taken all iu all, Uuiou is one of tho best towns iu KaMrrn iiregon on fippmiMt deJelo ,ed.md ItTmlake hs'pla ft' WTJfX bitTT, W,11TJ ss'm'Xte cltVifu7 .,bloc-kOo "''""ou. traet. adjoin 1 arties desiring information of Union County, can do mi biitt iniMin.Mn f lIu n(.flAi.l..H,. ' ' " ",IVI ' " " ilUUfV CM IV of hlnco thu much talked of Hunt lUllroad itau assuritl fact, nmnertv in Ih-IiioIu" i.i i . .i , . the present time ;clty lot and blocks may Ik. had at verx reaMmlble rate,. ,K-"""W- '"''"' I" l-rlces, though at r could UdliUL' lug thu sa tho WILSON & HACKUTT, Who will cheerfully furnish them with all the information ilwirwl. V.
