The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-08-12
Tlle Albang gegister.
General Information About Oregon.


in the Union, with population of about
5O, 1000. Since that time her career has
been one of unusual prosperity. She has
undergone none of the viccissitudes that
usually happen to most new countries.
Her progress has never been rapid at any
time; always slow, but at the same time
always sure. Her future is one of un-
bounded promise. The majority of her
people, trained in the school of adversely
and trial, have tho economical and indus
trious habits that go to build up nations
to wealth and fame.
GEOGRAPHICAL.
Oregon lies between the 42d and 46th
parallels of north latitude, and between
the 117th meridian west from Greenwich
and the Pacific ocean. The State has an
average length, east and west, of $50
miles and breadth, north and south,
of 275 miles. Its territorial area is 96,-
$50 square miles. The population by
the census of 1870 is 90.776.
Oregon has great and varied natural
resources. Her valleys are highly pro-
ductive her mountains abound with the
finest timber produced by any country in
the world. Numerous beds and mines oil
iron and coal exist in the coast range Of
mountains; and in the mountain ranges
of the interior are found gold, silver, cop
per, iron, coal, and other minerals. Her
rivers yield, annually, very large returns
to the fisherman for his labor; salmon
from the Columbia and other rivers of
Oregon are now being esteemed the finest
of Its species. The native wild grasses
of the State are of excellent quality and
very luxuriant in growth, fattening every
year large herds of cattle ready for mar
ket. The prospects for her to become a
manufacturing State are uncommonIy
good. Raw material of every description,
fuel, and water power, the three requi-
sites for manufacturing enterprise, are
found well distributed throughout the
State.
About one-third of the entire area of
the State is adapted to agriculture, an
other third to grazing purposes; the re-
mainder Is mountain and timber land.
Of the grazing lands, but small proper
ton has passed from the hands of the
government into that of private parties.
The amount of land under cultivation
does not exceed FIVE per cent of the ag-
gregate quantity adapted to that purpose.
The timber lands still belong to the gov
er0ment, almost in an unbroken area.
The Columbia river forms the northern
boundary of the State. The watershed
of this magnificent river embraces terri
tory equal to half continent. 1t drains
the western slope of the Rocky mount
aims for ten degrees of latitude. IL is
the natural gateway of this extensive
territory-the only outlet to the sea. The
position that Oregon occupies on its waters
gives the State the key to its outlet and
the control of its commerce. The country
about its head waters is as yet scarcely
anything but a wilderness still very
large exports and imports find their way
up and down the Columbia river The
gorge of the Columbia offers the only pos
sible route through the Cascade mount
aims for the Northern Pacific railroad.
Its tributaries interlocking with those of
the Missouri, 800 miles from the sea,
form natural highway for the passage
of the road across the Rocky mountain
chain. That a great commerce will at
some time in the future make its high
way through the valley of the Columbia
there is hardly any necessity of attempt
ing to prove by argument. The PROPOSE
ion is self evident.
The mouth of the Columbia is five
hundred miles nearer China than is San
Francisco; and the entire route from
China to New York by way of the CO.
lumbia river and the route of the North
ern Pacific railroad is eight hundred
miles shorter than that by way Of San
Francisco and the Central route across
the continent. OF the forty millions of
II IL 4
States, two thirds are nearer to the mouth
of the Columbia river, by way of the
Columbia river valley and its proposed
railway connections, than to any other
point on the Pacific coast. Vessels go
ing from San Francisco to Japan Oh
China sail upon what is called the "granc
circle"-that is, they sail northward t.
within one hundred miles of Puge
Sound before attempting to cross th'
ocean, instead of in straight line. ANY
one testing these facts by string on
globe will be surprised ut the result, i
zhey have not previously studied the eff;
feet of the earth's rotundity and its di
minished protuberance as you go north,
ward toward the pole. No argument
could better illustrate the advantageou.
position occupied by Oregon on the prin
cipal international highway across the
American continent.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The physical characteristics Of coun'
try exert an important influence on it.
%inhabitants. Grand scenery, lcaping wa
ters, and q bracing atmosphere, produces
men of different cast from those wh'
dwell where the land is on dead level
.rmI wwTrnwn aha xfranxnu ara all afuUOards
Physically, Oregon is rugged, mount
ainous country, with numerous valleys
large and small, lying deep within it
mountain ranges To say that the coun
try is rough in its outward appearance
does not convey fair idea of it, however
as It's valleys have much smooth, undu
iasing surface. That term would prop
erly apply to the mountainous portions
and some portions of the high table lands
The valleys are remarkable for their grea