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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1890)
UNION COUNTY OREGON 5 IS SITUATED IN THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE AND COMPRISES ABOUT NINETY TOWNSHIPS OR ABOUT 2,000,000 ACRES OF LAND, unsurvoyed, the unsur- DepofutB. lhe valleys ino and Starkoy. Tho The valleys are of an average elevation of nlwut 2,000 feet above sea level, the highest mountain peaks being alKHit 0,000 feet anil continually covered with snow, which furnishes a water supply for numerous streams the year round. THE CLIMATE Is dry and healthful, there being a sufficient rainfall to preserve the moisture of tho soil and mature crops. Snow seldom falls to tho depth of one foot in tho valleys, and never remains longer than from two to three weeks at a time. Tho mean temperature for tho winter months is al,out 20 degrees above freezing point, and for tho summer months about 70 above zero, tho heat of the day being offset by cool nights that ensure refreshing and invigorating sleep and rest for the fatigued Tho winter season usually begins about the first of December and lasts till tho middle of Fobruary or first of March, when the husbandman is given an opjortunity to prepare for his springs seeding. From March 1st to July 1st, the monotony of warm and dry weather is broken by frequent showerB of rain furnishing suflcient moisture to the ground and tempering the atmosphere so as to assure the farmer an abundant yield. During the months of July, August and September, which are tho harvesting months in this county, tho weather is usualy dry and adapted to tho successful gathering of crops. Generally enough rain falls in the autumn months to moisten the ground sufficiently to permit tho farmer to prepare the same for his fall grain. There is no country in tho United States more blessed by a healthful climate than Union County, ns tho vigor and enterprise of is citizens will prove. Tho various contagions prevalent in many localities are almost whollv unknown here, and aro usually very mild in their attacks when they do appear. There has only been one case of Smallpox in Union County since its settlement, and chills and lover aro totally unknown. We have no tornadoes or hurricanes to lay waste tho country, destroy property and the lives of people, nor blizzards to freczo tho life out of humanity. Nor uo we have the fogy and damp atmosphere which is found West of tho Cascade Mountains. 80IL AND PRODUCTIONS. There is 1,497,500 Acres of Surveyed Land in the County; tho rest is ui voyed portion being valuablo for Timber, Pasture and abounding in Mineral of tho Countv aro Grande Rondo. Indian. North Powder, Big Creek, Eagle. Pi , , . it ii t v i .;. f lift l r . l - -fi i T m; 11 m i sou in UICHO vauoys is wen auapieu to uio raising oi vviicui, vjiuh, uaney, rvyuj iiiuuiuy, vyiuver aim Alfalfa, Vegetables and Fruits, such as Apples, Plums, Pears, Peaches, Cherries, strawberries, and in fact all of the smaller varieties grow to perfection. Tho yield of Wheat is from 25 to 50 bushols to the aero, Barley from 40 to 70, Oats about the samo as Barley, with exceptions in some localities, whon as high as 100 bushols of oats has been raised to tho acre. Tho Mountains aro covored with a Fino Growth of Timber, consisting of Pino, Tamrack, Spruco, etc. Tho most valuablo is tho Pino, which is used in tho lumbering industry, also some of tho larger species of Tamrac, but this class of timber is used chiefly to furnish wood ties, etc., which is amply sulficient to supply tho surrounding country for ages. Tho mineral resources of tho County aro only partialy developed, but sufficient prospecting and mining has been dono to prove that great ledges of ore interline tho mountain sides, which, when sulficient capital is employed in their development, will bo a great factor in tho general summary of tho wealth of the County. A more dotailed account of tho Mines and Mineral Resources of tho County will bo found further on. STOCK IfcVISITVCi- The assessment roll of the county tor the year 1888, hIiowr that there were 21.740 head of horses, 28,123 Head of Cnttle, r5,fn5 Head of Sheep, and 5,570 Head of Swine, showing of itself that the County is 8 great Stock- Raining Heiilon. Thousands of head of stock are yearly shipped, bringing to the owners thereof a nuut profit on their investment. In fact, the stock business lias been and still Is the most paying of any In the country and It bids fair to continue to bo hucIi for many years to como. The hunch grass growing upon the hills and mountains Ih very nutritious, stock fattening In a very short time, ready for market. Usually stock 1ihb to be fed bar for from one to two months during tho winter, but In nianv places horses will winter upon the bunch grass and do well. Tho climate Ih hucIi that sto k raised Is of a hardy and healthful charac ter, Klvlng!io work horaes a strong constitution and powerful mubcle. Tho tnlllc cow hero attains perfection. Sheep are very healthy and produce heavy lleeces. Tho dairying business In tho last few years haH developed Into a largo and profitable one, the country being specially adapted to tho business by reason of the milk producing qualities of the grasses and the ex cellent range, the largo quantity of hay and gialu rained per acre, tho healthfulness of animals, the largo water supply and the quick marketof Butter and Cheese. The Jersey, Holstine and Durham are rapidly taking the place of the common breed of cattle, and dairymen are giving considerable attention to the breeding of tliolrcows. ... It Is Hal l more profit can be realized per year from a milk cow in this country than any other in tho United Stales, one instance being given of a single cow for one year, yielding a net profit to tho ownor of 9175 hehle the calf Two 1 n amerles are In operation at the Cove, In this county, whl"h make 120,000 pounds of cheese, worth 14 cents per pound, and 75,U 0 imiumIb butter, worth 23 cents per p-uind. TIiIh year a creamery Is In operation at I.a Grande, with what success remains to bo seen, although no doubt can be entertained but that It will prove to be a profitable concern. ITS MINING RESOURCES. TIih Mlnlmr District of Un'on County aro Cornucopia. Sparta and Saucer. Cornuconla District is in tho 12 stern portion or the County, ami embraces a section about ten inllcB square, within which there are about (WO quartz locations. The formation Ik granite and slate; the ledges running in a Southeartorly and Northwesterly direction. Tho first locations were made hero In 1881. The quartz contains Gold and .... I , . 1 t .1 f .1... .. - 111 I... A 4 1 , . I Silver, tno gom prouominaiing. ouiraui um iuihm uiu um iuuuuk, uuk uiuy Kuneriwiy contain Dane metal an In consequenco will Iiavo to bo treated in reduction workB. Assays havo been made of ore from the different groups, showing an average ylelct of from If 25 to $b 0 per ton. When tho proper methods are employed to work thoso ledge, to the best advantage, Cornucopia will be considered tlio Now 'Kldorado of the West." r , , The Or gon Gold Mining Company, of Louisville, Ky , Is the only company represented in the dis trict. It has opened up-overal of Hi ledges, which weio obtained at from 810,100 to $20,000 each. Tho Bed Jacket, belonging to thin company, Is a well defined ledge, averaging about four feet in thickness and whon struck on tho lowest tunnel, was found to bo a mass of the golden metal. This company has a 40-Stamp Mill running night and day upon tho ore taken from this ledge. Seven thou sand live hundred pounds of sulphurets were secured tho first month of this spring's operations, besides immense quantities of free gold caught upon tho amalgam pans. This company's expenses In buildings, machinery, roads, developments, etc., has amounted to over 8300 0 0, They have the Whitman, which has a shaft sunk over 1,500 foot and shows better as tho work progresses; tho Alta No. 2, which Is developed sufficiently to indicate a well defined ledgo of high grade ore. Tho present superintendent. Professor Smith, Is hlahly pleased with the prospect for his company and predicts a second Leadvillo of Cornucopia. Many other ledges of tho camp with 100 feet or more of development work aro showing up well, among which aro tho Simmons group, comprising the Koy stone. Checknia'e, Kmplru and Buckeye, all situated on the Simmons Mountain and aid to lie the best group of mines In tho camp, slso tho Blue Bell, Little Casino and Monto Chri to, situated on tho came mountain and extensions of tho Simmons ledges, showing same grade and character of ore. Tho Way Up northeast of Cornucopia, shows some of the delict oro of any In camp and U no doubt an extension of the Blue Bell and Simmons group. The Union, Companion. Last Chan e, Robert Kmmet, Forest Queen, Bed Boy, May Flower, Cox and Allen, Bed Cross, Steen groupe, Stella, Tiger Boy, Climax ami Queen of the Wot are all sulllclently developed to show them to be good ledges and contain paying oro In great quantities. Tho Cornucopia or Pine Creek district Is a rich one witli an unlimited amount of oro and only lacks capital to prove its wonderful richness. It is destined to be one of tho richest camps in existence. .... The Sanger mines aro operated by a San Francisco Company, which began Its operations two venrs ago, buying tho ledges for 8I7.0C0 and now cleaning up on an average of 870,000 per mouth. These mines aro on the road Iwlweon Union and Cornucopia, about !i I miles east of Union, having a tn-weekly mall from Union on to Cornucopia, thus being placed in direct communication with Union, their trad- ,Ut Tho's'parta mines aro about eight miles southeast of Sanger and have beon worked for tho past twenty years, still Yielding largo returns. Tho Sparta mines aro mostly placer, but quite a number of ledges havo latelv been found which, as far as developed, indicate good paying oro, A mill is being built here and good returns aro expected from its work. u N I O N C O U N T Y O R E G O N AORICULTUR AL INTERESTS. Now to return to the Agricultural Interests of the County, the Largest, most Fertile and attractive Valley of Union County, Is the Famous GrandcKonde, whose beauty Is recomitrg known far and wide, surrounded by lofty mountains upon which's'eftms to rest the blue vult above. Wherever tho eye gazes It cannot help being enchanted by our beautiful scenery. This valley embraces B00,0t0 acres of as fine Agricultural Land as can bi foun'd on the Pacific Const. The Grande Bonde River enters its boundary on the West and flows Easterly through tho center of the va'ley and thence Northerly and out at lis Northern limits; 30x25 miles is its length and bredth and with Catherine Creek, the largest tributary of the Grande Bonde entering the valley at the South. Mill Creek entering at the East and Willow Creek entering at the North, with numerous other small trtbutarleR, make the Grande Ronde Val'ey one of the best watered valleys in Oregon, all of the above named streams affording abundance of watrr the eason round. The soil of tills valley is principally a black, rich loxm with clay subsoil, there being a-out three Townships of land having a sandy soil, known as the Sand Ridge, all of which produces excellent grain. The yield of Wheat, Oats, Barley. Rye, Timothy, Alfalfa and Clover is large, the cereals yielding from 25 to 60 buehel" per acre of Wheat. 4C to 100 for Oats and Barley, and Hay from 2 to 8 tons per acre; frequently three crops of Alfalfa being cut in one season. PRODUCTIONS AND EXPORTS. Th producing anH export of grain and hay from this valley Is large and growing in quantity each year. Besides the production of grain and hay for export, an immense quantity of fruits, Including Ap ples, Plums, Prunes, Pears and smalle fruits, also garden vegetables are raised in great quantities and marketed in the neighboring sections. Butter and Cheese is also one of our staple products. Stock raising is engaeed in largely and profitably; as fine stock may be seen upon the farms of Grande Ronde Valley as anywhere, stockmen and farmers always securing the best bred animals for breeding pur poses. Taxes are no higher on fine than poor stock. The lands of this valley have all been taken, but choice places can he bought at from $15 to 830 per acre, which is comparatively cheap. Many large bodies of land owned by single individuals and of the best quality ca-i be 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 quality for lumbering purposes and easily reached. But little of the timber land has been entered or taken up. RAILROAD FACILITIES. The O. B. & N. R. R. entering the valley 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 miles. The Hunt Railroad system will bo extended during the next year from Wal'a Walla, W. T., through the Blue Mountans to Summcrville, in the northern portion of the valley and will then traverse the en tire length of the valley through its center to Union. Upon tho building of this road the valley will have the best railroad facilities. Puget Sound, W. T., is the terminal point of this line, putting Portand, Or., and the cities of the So nd in competition for the trade of the Valley, the importance of which is evioenced by the building of this second line of road. In concluding this description of Grande Ronde Vslley, it can be paid with out fear of contradiction, that no better opportunity is offered anywhere in the Northwest for the home seeker or capitalists than in Grande Ronde Valley and its vicinity. The resources of the valley and its tributary uections will sustain manufacturing industiies of nearly every kind, of which we now have but very few. It will sustain ten times the population it now has in the farmirg and dairying I usiness. offering in this line advantages not to be found but in very few places. The raising of thorough bred stock is a profitable business and there is hardlv an individual here solely in that business 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 good country. The Grande Ronde Valley has several considerable towns and villages: Union in the southern end of the valley, La Grande at the base of the mountains on the northwest Summcrville in the northern end of the valley, Cove about midway on the cast side, and Elgin in the extreme northern part of the valley. UNION, Tho County Scat of Uulou Comity, is situated iu the southern portion of the Fertile' Granite Hondo Valley, and has the best Natural Location for a City of any town In Easteru Oregon. Situated, just at the base of rolling hills on both sides of Catherine Creek, a beautiful, sparkling stream, whose waters are pure us nature ever distilled and held suspended iu her mountain reservoirs, furnishing Immense waterpower just waiting to be utilized by the hand of niau for all kinds of manufacturing industries. In fact the water power is amply suftlcleut to make Union the Lowell of Oregon if the attention of her enterprising citizens were turned lu that dlrectlou, which will be the case when new blood and Easteru capitalists como iu. This Is one of tho best places iu oregon for the ereetlou of manufactures. A woolen mill Is greatly needed now, and soio energetic capitalist who Is engaged lu such business would find here tho chosen spot for such on enterprise, right iu tho heart of a great wool-growing section of the country. No high freights to pay, water-power iu abundance, and iu fact everything that such a busluess would consume Is pro daced hero lu the valley. Tho preseut population of Union is about 1,200, but whon the O. & V. T. railroad reaches here sho will double her population inside of six mouths. Eager eyes aro watchiug to take advantage of tho preseut low prices In property and procure for themselves a homo where they may livo in peace and plenty. Water works can bo put in at very little ex pense by running apart of Cathorluo creek into a largo reservoir ou the hill back of town. This will give all the fall we waut from 110 feet up; no expense of keeping a steam pump and the necessary repairs. This mountain stream cau bej made to run directly into tho reservoir and all the wasto can be utilized lu furnishing power for machinery. When once waterworks aro completed there will bo no ueed for wells, springs, etc., for uo purer drinking water can be found, Our school facilities are unsurpassed. We have In our public school, a High School Grade. The school Is supplied with every possible convenience. Everything is furnished by our liberal hauded citizens, who believe in giving their children a first-class education aud that they cau bo educated in uo better way than by having a No. 1 bchool at home The school at preseut is divided into four compartments, all thoroughly graded. Students ou completing tho pre scribed course of study receive a certificate to that effect. An addition to tho present school building is iu contempla tion, also several hundred dollars worth of apartments is soou to bo added. Morally aud socially, Union Is unexcelled and her hospitality Is widely known throughout the surrounding coun try. We have four churches, all iu a tlourishlug condition. There are six secret societies, doing much good to hu manity. Wo have a number of stores of different kinds, all doing a profitable business, as they supply a great agricul tural district and the numerous mtniug ramns in tho near vicinity. We aro also annulled with m-vcml minm.. i,.r. bershops, blacksmlthshops, etc., one principal hotel aud several restaurants, so that the most fastidious tastes of the cplcuriau rati bo fully satisfied. We are also supplied with two first-class livery aud feed stables so that strangers coming 1 atmosph that can I first beholdluirc Our county Court House is well finished iu every particular, having a large and commodious ball, amply sufficient to accommodate any and all uudieuces. It also has lu connection a jail built by the Pauley Ilros., with ill their latest improved! cells, thus nuking things secure agalnsf the escape of auy prisoners that may be confined therein Our Opera House is ouo of thf largest this 6ldo of Portland, with handsomely decorated curtains and finished in superb style. One large and commodious Flouring Mill, full roller process, with all modern improvements, Is situated adjoin lngthotowu. Also several saw mills iu the ueur vicinity. The lumberlug interest Is bound to become quite a fea ture iu our Industries. Taken all lu all, Union is one of tho best towns iu Eastern Oregon. Heretofore she has been kept back ou account of poor railroad facilities, but when the Hunt System of Railroad is completed luto Uulou, its lateut resources will bo developed and it will take its place among the thriving cities of our laud. We havo one of tho loveliest towns iu Oregon, and a great deal of wealth Is hero already. All that Is now needed is for people to come and take advantage of the great Inducements soon to be thrown at the feet of every euergetie mau possessing either braius or muscle The pleasure-keeker or the luvalld can find no better place to while away tho summer mouths. Only threo nines away can tie fouud Hot Springs aud Lakes reveling lu medical virtues aud curative powers tho famous "Kansas Hot Springs," itbeuinatism and such complaints disappearing as If by the baud of some magician. Lovers of the piscatorial art will find tho beaualful sparkling waters of Catherine creek alive with the gamy mountain aud brook trout. In the edge of the mountains largergame may be found, while out iu the valley along the Grande Hondo river are geese swan and ducks Iu abundance, lu tho the gratu field prairie chickens are quite plentiful. Taking all these natural advantages for pleasure aud business, wo think people looking for a homo cau find uo place supplvlug all their wants better than the beautiful city of Union. bluce the mueh talked of Huut Kallroad Is an assured fact, property is begiuuisg to advance lu prices, though at tho prccut time city lots aud blocks may be had at very reasouable rates. a :o mis iowu win nave uo irouDie iu procuring a ursi-ciais team auu taxing a arivo out into the exhilleratiug ero and feasting his eyes upou the grandeur of our mountain scenery, and breathing iu the life-clvim? mv5 be fouud nowhere so mire as In Union County. To tin Hasten v, who is not used to mountain iv wi? ur beautiful looatlou. his first aud luvoluutary oxelamatlou Is. "Paradise Found at l.m THE UNION REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION Now has in its possession tracts of land suitable for small farms, or they could be laid off into blocks. This asso ciation has started in on a firm basis, having within its power the means of handling property to a better advantage than anV firm in Union CountV. TheV alreadv havenumArnnc trnptc nHinininxy thfi o.itv! forme lrr j ..Mw 0 J 7 ivv LU J , ka mrA rv vavu rAnennnh a tArmc av frw onek Parties desiring information of Union County can do no better than interview or address the managers of thi a . - C3 v association. WILSON & HACKETT Who will choorfiilly furnish them with all tho information deairod. TJIVIOIY, OREGON,