The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-12
THE FuTURE OF OREGON.

power and extensive mines of the pre-
eiOus metals, besides large deposits Of
coal and iron, there is nothing to him |
der it from becoming at once the grand |
bread-producing, manufacturing and
mining commonwealth of the Great
Northwest. With these three great ell
ements Of success and development
it is difficult to conceive how any other
than an era of the greatest prosperity is
in the nearby future.
The agricultural interests are supe-
rior to most other sections Of the Union,
and certainly inferior TO none. 1t is a
conceded fact that more bushels of wheat
can be produced from an acre of ground,
with less labor, in the Willamette val
= ley than in any other portion Of the
United States. We do not know just
what the average wheat yield of Oregon
is, only that it is large; but, large as it
is, it is not a tithe of what may be pro-
dueed. When the population Of the
State shall have increased from hund- !
red thousand to a million something
may be shown as to what the real
wheat-growing capacity of Oregon
approximates. The crops are always sure. |
The winter rains, of which so much
complaint is made, always insure a
good harvest. Drouths, often expe- |
rienced in California and the older
States Of the Union, are consequently |
unknown.
The manufacturing interests Of this |
young State are also worthy of notice. |
No finer water power can be found than
is furnished by the swiftly flowing
mountain streams. Already quite
number of wooden manufactures are in
successful operation, those at Salem
and Oregon City being the most promi-
nent, all run by water power. Nearly
all the grist mills in the State are also
run by the same motive power. Ore
gon City, at the Willamette Falls, is
destined TO be the Lowell of the Pacific
coast. The water power there is ex-
celled nowhere, and may be easily util-
lied. Everything considered, the man
ufacturing interests of Oregon will be
nearly if not quite equal to the agricul-
tural. Indeed, these two will go hand
in hand and cooperate with each other.
What 0regonian can contemplate with
out feeling of exultatiOn and pardona-
BILE pride the sure-coming future when
his State shall not only feed and clothe
its own mighty population, but send
abroad, by railroad and steamer, raj
ment and sustenance to other lands ?
To accomplish all this needs only the
aggregation of population and capital.
Both, in a steadily flowing and ever in
creasing stream, are constantly arriving
among US.
The mining interests are worthy of
mention. Eastern Oregon is a gold
bearing region, and though not equal to
Idaho or Montana, yet exports a consid-
cradle amount of bullion. Iron and
coal have been discovered i'm various
portions of the State in paying quanti-
ties. With the influx of capital will
come development of all these
Eastern Oregon, besides being a rich
gold field, is also well adapted to cattle
raising. Nor is it altogether unfit for
wheat growing, some of the small val
leys being very productive of this sta
pie.
The Umpqua and Rogue River val
leys in Southern Oregon, though small
in extent compared to the Willamette
valley, also grow large crops of wheat.
This section Of country has heretofore
been little noticed, on account of its dis
tanee from market, but the Oregon and
California Railroad, just now penetrat-
ing it, will bring about different order
of things. With a market brought near
by means of railroad facilities, Southern
Oregon will naturally and inevitably
attract a large immigration.
The climate of Oregon is salubrious,
and the death-rate is less than that OF
any other State in the Union. The
educational facilities are of the best.
The people are moral, intelligent and
industrious.
We have said this much In reference
to Oregon in general for the information
of our Eastern readers, many OF
whom have expressed desire 10 know
something through our columns of the
resources of this young State. We can
not close this cursory sketch without a
brief allusion 10 the metropolis.
Portland, in our judgment, will main
tain the position she has already won
Of being the largest city on the Pacific
coast north Of San Francisco. With an
active, energetic population Of about
twelve thousand; the terminus of two
railroads, one traversing the east and
'he other the west side of the William
cue the prospective center Of n mag
ninceht railway system, which will
maze II the great distributing point for
Inc northwest; easy of access for ooaan
steamers and sailing vessels. tl,o o,,o,ro
cation Of capital already here;-al IS f6eso
iacts go TO show that Portland will CO..
tinue to be what she is nov-,ha -
city OF the North Pacific. 0'''ei
And now final word to a..
ing to remove to Oregon: DON'T c..
with a determination that Won ,,-;,I
find fault, if possible, with the copntr,.
but rather with desire to like it If Won
can. Come with the expectation of
experiencing a little more rainy weather
during the winter months than may be
especially desirable or agreeable, but