The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1868-02-18
The State of Oregon.

/ Bishop kavanaugh, of the Methodist Z,
| Church, South, has recently been on a visit to
Oregon and California He speaks of Oregon as
follows: '. -~- 90. ...s
'The population Of Oregon is chiefly from
Missouri, Kansas, illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.
The political feeling has never been so rabid
there as In California; the public mind sympa-
thizes more with us, and cur prospects are good.
We have only few preachers in Oregon-only
fifteen in the Conference. The population is OF
good character. The people are better supplied
with property than is usual in a new country
A living is easily made; it is a fine country for
poor men; farms are cheap and the soil is good
They raise mostly small grain and some corn
He was astonished to find so much wealth in our
church for a new Conference and country.
Nearly every man is in comfortable circumstances
= All the means of living are abundant but money
is very scarce. Fruit grows rapidly there.
man may plant an orchard and eat fruit from
the trees the second year. Peaches do better i'm
California than Oregon The whole country is
avast strawberry bed; they grow in the woods
and when forest is removed they flourish won
derfully. Other berries are abundant. The
''thimble berry" somewhat resembling straw
berry, is the finest fruit of the berry Kind he eyer
ate; it almost melts in the mouth, and has the
most delicious flavor 1t grows on a bush about
two or three feet high. r. .....
Some men who reached Oregon with only
few dollars, now have thousands Of acres Of land
and farms stocked with cattle and horses, &c
The horses are very fine large, finely formed and
powerful, equally valuable for riding working
and driving. The latitude is that Of Wisconsin
and Michigan, but on account Of its contiguty
to the Pacific Ocean and being swept BY winds
ha fha nj, IL,
winters are warm, ice for putting up is not often
made. In September the grass springs afresh
and grows all winter; stock Craze the winter
through and are never fed. The greatest obiec-
tion to winter is the ong-continued drizzlng
rains. In summer the climate is most delightful;
1t rs done up to youT taste. 1t is just warm
enough to foster vegetation and advance it to its
maturity and be very pleasant by day and by
night to the people. W. =, =. T. =
The country is partially timbered and partly
prairie. The fir tree abounds there, tail and
heavy. One is inspired with feeling of solem-
nifty in passing through one of the great forests
of fr. One man said he always fet like taking
off his hat to the grand old trees when he en-
tered a forest assembly ofthem. There are many
grand and commanding scenes. From one ee-
vatlon he looked upon seven snow capped noun
tain peaks, in summer One of thenl-Mount
Hoods reputed to be 100 feet higher than
any other mountain in the United States. The
water in Oregon, whether in wells springs creeks
or rivers is the finest in the world 1t is as clear
rs the air and as cold as can be desired. The |
surface of the country is mountain and valley, |
with some undulations contiguous to the noun
tains One annoyance to farmers is the fern, |
which has long root and is difficult to be de-
stroyed when well set. The streams abound
with the finest fish; the forests and prairies with
wild game, as deer, aud fowls and birds of diff
terent kinds. 3s t. IA !