The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-10-27
LETTER FROM BIG VALLEY.
Bro VALLEY, CAL., Oct. 9th, 1871
Editor Democrat

given by two respectable citizens OF
Linn county, Messrs. L. b. Pardon
and Martin Wertz. AS have many
friends in Linn county who requested
me to report on this country, desire
to give them and the puhlic true and
correct report tso far as developments
have demonstratedD of this Valley
through the columns of your paper.
The grazing lands of the valley pro-
per comprise about 1000 square miles,
while the hills surrounding, which are
low and generally barren of timber,
comprise many times this amount, all
covered with luxuriant growth of
bunch grass. TIE haying lands (cov-
cred with native grass) being confined
to bottoms along the water courses,
comprise but small portion of the
tillabie lands of the country, yet rs tho
yield per acre Is large from to 0 tons)
hay Is In abundance for all home de-
mands and q surplus which Is selling to
drovcrs ut from Si to SO per ton In the
stack. Many thousand head of stock
have been brought to this valley to
winter, as the facilities for keeping
stock here are good, and the past win
ters mild, scarcely any or no feed being
required to..keep stock In good condi-
tion over winter, Us they get very fat
on the abundance of grass before winter
sets in. So fur as the tame grasses
have been tried here, the yield Is large,
and il Is expected the coming year u
large breadth of timothy aud clover
will he put in In sections not favored
with the natural hay of the country.
The liable lands now under cultiva-
ton are very limited, being confined
chiefly to garden products, which grow
very rapidly and yield enormously,
potatoes giving 400 bushels per acre,
and other vegetables in proportion.
have squashes (Which 1 raised from
seed planted the 9th of last June) meas
uring 33 inches i'm length, 3S IL inches
in. circumference, and weighing 10
pounds. They are fully natured and
OF excellent quality. These were
grown without irrigation and With but
little cultivation. Grain this year was
put in badly on sod Land and grown
under many disadvantages, the worst
being the drouth, yet the yield was
very fair and the quality good. From
IA to 80 bushels of wheat per acre have
i,: IN harvested from land without irri-
CATION. still Ii il thought much larger
WELD can be obtained when water Is
used on the uplands. The farmers are
very sanguine that in or,linar, seasons
irrigation is not necessary-cxeept on
the hul lanLs-and that u large yield
can be raised of all kinds of grain. II
is expected the coming year n large
surplus of grain will be produced, and
in the future .ich agricultural region
will be developed in this valley. Tie
tiliable lands lying along each side of
Pitt River for distance OF 10 miles,
being from to S miles In width, can
all be Irrigated with but little expense,
If, in the funurc Ii Is found necessary;
while Ash Creek and its tributaries will
give as much more land, just rs favora-
bly, situated for irrigation, making as n
safe estimate $40 square miles of good
rich bottom lands, which are very pro-
ductive when water Is tIscd upon them.
Immigration is coming In rapidly, and
the valley is beginning TO assume the
aspect of a prosperous civilized coun-
try. Several good district schools are
i'm operation, while other districts are
organizing and building schoo!houscs.
The city OF Alden, situated ut the =.
+. side of the valley, Is gradually inn
proving, having now two good stores
of general merchandise, blacksmith
shops, boarding houses, small drug
store, two saloons and a post-ofiice-tlLc
Government having established II mail
line to this valley. Messrs. Loukey &
Gibson have erected first -class lumber
mill on the s. +. side Of the valley,
which is rapidly converting the fine
forests of timber into excellent lumber
all finding ready sale at SIS and $50
per / 900 feet, in the growing wants OF
the enterprising settlers. Timber is
plenty and of good quality. Pine, fir,
and cedar are the prevailing varieties.
Juniper, oak, ash and quaking asp are
found in limited quantities. The dairy
business is assuming considerable inn
portance; large supply Of butter and
cheese will find it's way into the San
Francisco market from here at a good
profit to the producer. The cattle bHs-
mess commands more capital than any
other branch OF business at present.
Thousands of head of beef cattle will
be sold this fall, and are now being dis
posed Of to San Francisco buyers.
The mines are giving an impetus to
business just now, bidding fair to rival
the richest mining districts i'm the State.
1t is chiefly confined to'quartz, which
has assayed from SIG to S9S.S7 per ton
at the Virginia City (Nev.) mills. A
quartz mill owned by the Providence
Mining Co. has just commenced opera
tions, and will soon determine some
thing respecting the quartz in theii
ledge. From the secretary of that com.
pany, j. R. Burton, obtain the fol-
lowing report: ''They have been run
ming a small raster for several months
which crushed about ton of decom.
posed quortz per day, from which they
obtained from $4,000 to $1,000 pei
month, losing much Of the gold, as II
is very fine and hard to save. They
have sunk down 81 feet-on their ledge
which has widened from 1-2 feet te
II feet, and still widening There arc