The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-06-29
INTERESTING FROM OREGON.
LegiSlAture-- A1ines-lIsta stals--CIimats eSIth
s-0rain and Tlmber-sFruit, go.

Legislative -mines-A NE -CIimatS-I1ealth
--Grain ana TImber-.Fruit, go.
BY our eastern exchanges. we have
news from Oregon up to 22d February
last. twill be found highly interesting.
and we give ita place to the exclusion of
other matter.
The news Oft organization of the
territory by the U. S. Congress had been
received, but the Governor. Gen. Lane,
had not arrived.
The old Legislature adjourned on the
10th February.
A law was passed establishing mint.
We give the following items as we find
them, taken from the Oregon Spectator.
One would naturally suppose that the
highest coloring is given TO the advan-
,ages and richness ofthe country. Much
of this intelligence is new and speaks
most favorably for the territory. 1t
would not be long, had we the proper
facilities, before thescountry would be
thickly settled. The necessity of Rail
road 10 the Pacific becomes, each day,
more apparent, aud the Government
should take immediate measures TO con.
strucl one. 1t is only by its assistance
that il can be done, and the cnterprize is
in every way sufficiently "national" to
satisfy the "sirictest constructionist."
OREGON LEoIsLATuRE.-The subject
of lands. pa rtnershiPs, appointments.
gaming, disiiling ardent spirits. (the
former Of which is s"prohibited," and the
last regulated had received the atten-
lion of the Legislature. Thus early. also.
thers are divorces" from bed and board
and, in fact. all the re6nements Of civil
lied married life.
MINES, METALS. &c.-Iorn ore is
known to exist in the country. 1t is said
that there is an extensive bed of good
pine ore len miles below this city, and
one mile from the Willamette river.
Other beds ofron ore, more ur less ex.
lensive. are said to have been discovered.
1t is beloved that iron ore in abundance,
and Of good quality. exists in Oregon.
Extensive beds Of rich lead ore have been
discovered in different portions of the ter
litory. Black lead of superior quality
is known to exist in abundance in TIE
middle portion Of Oregon. between the
Columbia and tho British possessions.
Cupper of q very pure quality is said to
exist in the western portion ofthe Terri
tory, between the British possessions aud
tho Columbia. Eastern and northea ST.
ern Oregon abounds in granite and mar
BILE. Sandstone is found in different por-
,ionO of the country some beds of which
are sufficiently hard for building purposes
while others are soft. Limestone is also
found in different portions of the country.
Stone coal has been discovered in several
places at the foot of The Cascade noun.
tains in the neighborhood of the Colum.
bia. on the Cowhitz river, on the Colum.
bia in Catalament bay, and in the vicinity
of the coast, about 10 miles below the
mouth Of the Columbia. The coal from
lhese localities ba been but imperfeclly
tested. A good article of coal exists in
abundance on NancOuver's island. and
the same vein crops out on the coast
south OF the 40th parallel.
Platinum is said to exist in vast quan.
titles in the Flathead country, in the
neighboIhood Of Fort Okanagan.
Gold has been discovered in several
different places in Oregon, but nowhere
as yet in great abundance. Within the
last three weeks gold has been discovered
on the Santiam river, tributary of the
Willamette, taking it's rise in tho neigh
borhood Of Mount Jefferson. Some per-
sons engaged in gold digging on the San
liam ale making S4 per day. and think
the prospect good for finding the gold con-
siderably abundant when. from the disap.
pearance Of the snow, they shall be able
TO penetrate into the mountains. We
have conversed with several who have
returned from the California gold mines,
and all agree in ascribing striking sim
larity in the geographical character of
several portions Of Eastern and Sosthern
Oregon and the gold regions of Califnr-
mia, aud they all unite in the confident
opinion that gold will be- found in great
abundance in Oregon.
TIMBER.-The timber of Oregon con.
siSts of pine. fir, cedar, oak, spruce, hem.
lock, cotton wood, cherry. and maple.
Probably there is no country in the world
where timber grows so strikingly straight
and beautiful. and of such gigantic alti.
tude and dimensions as in Oregon. Two
hundred feet is but moderate height
for the growth of frs, Oedars and spruce.
aud they frequently attain much greater
altitude. We have seen alder growing
in Oregon three feet in circumference
and of the height of forty feet. Black
alder aud species Of laurel grow to
what would be termed, in most countries,
tall trees--logs Of alder have been oh,
tanned thirty.two inches in diameter, Of
the laurel four feet in diameter. I
In Western Oregon groves of timber
are found skirting aud separating prairies,
but the immense timber districts are
mainly confined to the neighborhood Of
the coast of the Pacific, 10 the Coast.
Cascade and Blue ranges of mountains
and the immediate vicinity Of the rivers.
There are about thirty saw mills in Ore
gon. yet lumber is worth $50 per thousand
here. and Sl2O per thousand M San Fran.