Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-12-31
NUMBER 81

the two governments was settled in favor
OF the United States, and in lS4S, a Terris-
torial Government was organized; and
donations of land subsequently made by
| the General Government, to citizens who
should take them and become bona .tds
residents Of the Territory.
The p.ivations and hardships undergone
| by the first settlers of this country, are
| manifest from its remoteness from any 9TH
er civilizedcommunity. One or two illuss
trations are mentioned. There was no
mail, and the Oregon Spectator, BIZ
weekly paper published at Oregon City,
only reached its readers by special mes
senger, sent out for that purpose, after
each issue, to the different settlements in
the Valley. Money was so scarce that the
provisional Legislature, in lS46, passed
an act making government scrip, accept
ed orders on solvent merchants, and ,rheas
a legal tonder for taxes; judgments, de-
| crees, &c
Oregon was admitted into the Union in
February, 1850; and in 1861 began to
ity, by the discovery Of rich and extensive.
gold mines on its north eastern border
and the contiguous districts of Washing
ton Territory
, PHYSICAL. GEOGRAPHY sc.
All the country in North America, "
ing west of the Mississippi River, has
common axis OF elevation, which is the
greet chain of the Rocky Mountains, and
their southern continuation, the Cordille-
ras of Mexico The Sierra Nevada range,
with its northern extension, the Cascade
Mountains of Oregon, aad Washington
Territory, constitutes secondary axis
which materially effects the entire coun-
try of the Pacific Coast, both in soil and
climate To the volcanic forces of these
two great central lines of subterraneous
commosion, is originally due the Physical
| Geography of Oregon.
1t is generally known that the Rocky
Mountain range is chiefly of igneous COM
position. Some portions Of this range arc
of plutonic character, while some bear un-
mistakable evidences that their upheaval
was prior to the process of consolidation.
Sandstone abounds in many places in
these mountains, and very considerable
sIlurIan deposits are also found. Gold
bearing rocks occur in various localities
Where sedementacy rocks are found, they
are frequently regular IN their stratiGca-
| ton; generally, indeed, distorted from
tbn,-
retaining peIfectly their stratifed eharac-
ter. These rocks are usually intcrlaid
with micaceous slate, and rest on Mass
es of granite and gneiss. Mica is so abun-
| dent in some places, Il at it may be found
| in extremely thin flakes in al the water of
| the mountain streams
| OF the same general character Is the
| geological structure Of the Cascade range,
except that there is less Of stratifed rocks,
and stronger indications of recent volcan-
ic action are observed Basaltic and gran
itic rocks constitute bhe geological basis
of the country Slate and other argilla-
| ceous rocks, and sort of ;rreducable
| limestone, also characterize the western
lures become more marked the nearer we
approach the Pacific eoast- until arriving
at the Cascade range, this characteristic
is seen in Its most clear and unmistakable
| aspsetss
Certain differences between the soil and
vegetation on the east and those on the
west side of this second volcanic axis of
the country may, it is thought, be satisfac-
| torily explained by atmospheric or mete-
geological peculiarities 50 that the up
heavaI of this ridge, sithstandins
those differences was probably contempo
raneous with that ofthe Rocky Mountains,
or at least at no earlier period. Whether
this be so or not, it is certain that the Cas-
cade range has undergone much more
recent convulsions and, indeed, Of the
numeJus vents standing along the summit
line, some might be properly clessed, at
present, as active volcanoes.
Between the Cascade and Rocky Noun
tain chains, the country is composed Of
immense plateaur, interspcrsed with nu-
merous unconnected mountain ridges, of
recent volcanic origin Some Of these are
covered with immense forests, while 9TH
ers are merely sterile masses Of trappean
rocks piled together in rugged heaps by
the elevatory force of internal fires By
some of these less noted elevations and
by spurs projecting from the two main
ranges, the broad table lands above mem
toned are divided into three distinct val
leys or rather basins namely:
The Utah basin, centering at Great Salt
Lake, but having many undulations form
ing minor geographical centers, to which
its rivers flow and disappear in the sandy
plains, or discharge their currents into
inland lakes This basin has no outlet to
the sea.
The Klamath basin, lying to the north
west of the Utah, and drained by the
Klamath River, running to the Pacific
Ocean, and the river Deschuttes, empty
ng into the Columbia
The Columbia river basin extends over
a vast area of country, including all thab
n l., Of tt,Af 4Scd0e