The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-01-15


PORTLAND, OREGON, Dec. 2s, 1869.
A goodly number of Oregonians have made the
trip 20 and from the States cast of the Mississippi
all the way to the Atlantic seaboard, within the
past year, by the great overland railway, and in
whatever else they differ to what they have
seen or heard in the various sections they have
visited tarried they all unite in saying that in
nothing was their pride of home more wounded or
their ideas of the geographical intelligence of
their countrymen on that side more at fault than
in matters and information concerning Oregon
Scarcely anywhere did any of them meet people
who knew of the geographical location of this
State its notable features either as to natural
resources or that which the labor and enterprise
and skill of man has developed. Even in New
England, so boasted tor the enlightenment of its
masses, almost nothing seems to be known of
Oregon, sayeit be apocrytical scraps derived from
poets, or the very imperfect sketchings of that
class Of fashionable tourists who more for the
harniopious how of tropes and the graceful round
ing of periods in all they pretend sketch. than
for faeAs realities and the pains taking earnest,
intelligent description of the country through
which they have passed. Theirs may well he
termed " birds-eye yiews,' inasmuch as the
writers appear only to have skinned over the
land without ever alighting from the wing to
mingle with the inhabitants. to learn of the trade,
business and labor industries of the resources
and wants, and what has been done toward the
Development of tho the supplying of the
other. Yet New England forms no exception to
the rule. North and South. East and West the
same want of information concerning Oregon was
discovered. Even in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri,
from which States the great majority OF the pio-
noer settlers of the wilds of Oregon emigratet,
there appears to be quite as much ignorance OF
the country rs in other portions from whence
there has been but little emigration hlther.
In view of this condition of things on that side
OF the continent, perhaps it will not be deemed
inappropriate, labor lost to here give, in such
a way as the brief limits of q newspapers col
umns will allow, some facts pertaining TO oregon
In general way.
Though sparsely populated, the State presents
throughout its whole extent, Il wealth of rcSour
not excelled by any in the Union. Oregon
has her rivers, numerous smaller streams. ex-
tenslve and exceedingly lovely valleys; vast un-
duiatng lands, mighty forests of trees, valuable
Tor ship building, for lumber, and for fuel, anu
high mountains. here and there topped by sigan-
tic peaks whose SUBMITS perpetual SNOW
as Bierstadts" Mount Hood grandy tells the
world. She has rich mines of gold-placer and
quartz, and also of iron and copper and great
coal beds--seme already developed which have
been pro6tebly worked ten years past. And
so she has as fertile and prolific farming lands,
and as luxurious grazing fields are known on
the habitable globe.
To Illustrate the surprising richness of the soil,
the product of her wheat alone III the past twenty
years can be instanced. There are fields in the
willamette valley which have been sown with
wheat almost continuously for this many years.
and yet failure of so little = half crop has
never been known and the average produce OF
these fields has been fully thirty-fve bushels to
and at this day the lands which have so
constantly and nbundantly rendered profit to their
owners, seem as fresh and as fertile as though
they had been just subjected to the plow and
harrow. 1t is in wheat and oats that Oregon
exseis; yet, excellent crops of barley, rye, and
fax, good corn and tobacco, and superior hay can
be raised in every portion of the State and in
the hardy fruis-apples, pears ,pfums and cherries
she has certainly superior, if equal, in
any part of the United States. Superior pine,
oak, ash, cedar, fir, maple. yew and laurel. are
among her most valued woods and cottonwood
and willow, juniper and tamarac, abound along
her rivers, in her widest mountain lands.
No country can surpass, few, if, any, can COM
pare with Oregon in the variety, the quality and
the great abundance of wild game, whether wing
ed, or Quadruped, or of the hnny tribes-of
mountain and forest, of valley prairie, OF of
tide or inland waters. Along tho banks of the
Willamette and lower Columbia the sportsman
can readily bag canvass-back fine those
noted fowl of the Chesapeake, and, also, through
out the interior, splendid mallard teal, red-biil.
and wood duck, wild geese, eurlew, grouse. e.pheas-
ant, jack-snipe, quai,-and in Eastern Oregon,
prairie chicken and sage-hens. The hunter can
readily find black-tail and other deer elk, brown
and black and cinnamon bear, jackass rabbits
hare squirrels, and, for peltry, otter and beaver.
The salmon and sturgeon of the Columbia river
are noted among the most delicious of the species
found in any part of the globe, while the brook
and mountain trout the salmon trout, the smelt,
perch, and other varieties of small or pan fish,
are OF excellent quality, and are found in une-
qualled abundance.
The markets in every city and town throughout
the State present a very tempting appearance.
In meats there are-fat, tender and juicy beef,
really superior in grain and flavor to most of the
stall-fed beef of the States east; excellent NUT
ton. veal and lamb and pork of that first quality
which has won for Oregon hams the reputation of
beingithe very best in the California market In
game, can be seen, in the respective seasons the
wild game mentioned above, together with fine
barnyard poultry. And in vegetables and fruits
an endless variety of every escuent, relish and
species for pickle, from potatoes to cranberries
and from onions to horseradish, with luscious
wild and cultivated Strawberries and black ber-
ries, raspberries, whortleberries, saryis and
thimble aud salmon berries, wild and cultivated
grapes, and such apples and pears as are rarely
or never seen IN the older States besides peaches
ounces, piuns, cherries and apricots of good
qualities.
The large and fine stock ranges of the William
cite, Yamhill and Umpqua valleys, and of the
Tualatin and Clatsop Plains, wore in early wears
sorely subject to the ravages of iacuars Tor pap
thers}, wolves. and other destructive wild animals
but SO thoroughly have they been hunted that it
is very rarely sheep nova days moiested in
the fold, and the horned cattle Craze as free from
danger as if under their owners's sheds
Much attention is given to tho breeding of
Thoroughbred and good blood stock in Oregon
horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs, and in the cast
division of the State to the hreedin1 of
fine mules also. Noted sires and dams have heen
brought from Kentucky and other States to inn
prove the already good native stock of horses
and from these have sprung splendid racers fast
trotters and roadsters, and carriage and draft
and work horses of such quality as to command
the highest prices in the horse markets of Cali
fornia and Nevada Durham aud other famous
breeds of cattle have been brought from Illinois.
New York and New Jersey; also the best breeds
of Spanish and French Merinos, Cotswolds. South
down, and other celebrated or favorite sheen.
from Vermont New York, England and Aus
traiia, for wool and mutton both; ; and White
Cheshire, Essex and Berkshire hogs, are to be
found throughout the State, imported direct from
England the East.
There are, generally, very good roads in every
section Of the State, and nearly all are county or
free roads. Toll gates, except in the region
of the mines in Esstern Oregon, are rarely en-
countered, and at the few unfordabIe streams
which not bridged, the ferrage charges are
Testrieted toslow rates by tho County Commits
sioners. The great highway which leads all the
way from Portland to Sacramento, in California
IA total of nearly 700 miles, of which quite half
10 in Oregon-and over which the daily four
horse mail stages travel, has but toll gate in
this 500 and odd miles. The character of the
road can be pretty well estimated when it is
known that during eight months of the year the
whole sdistsxies through between Portland aud
Sacramento Is made in Eve and half days, and
during the wet or winter season in from eight to
ten days, as the weather happens to be more or
n 3-s4- T.