Connecticut western news., 1873-03-28
From The Far West.
OREGON.

huNOT COHn. " eStTH Ne0S in COIL versation few days since with an old resi-. dent of Oregon, the subject of the limited knowledge of the people living in the Eastern States of the geography and location of the country on the Pacific coast, particularly of the State of Oregon, came up. He spoke of stopping in Boston a few days, some four years ago, and at one of the hotels guest asked him what state he came from. His reply was, "Ore- gon." ''Oh yes, Oregon-that is down in Mexico, isn't it?" "Only a few days after, "Isays the same gentleman, II was in conversation with very nicely appearing lady on board the cars near Boston, and was telling her what the gentleman said about Oregon being in Mexico. She re- piled that if that gentleman had taught school as many years as she had he would know better l then asked her if she could tell the capital of Oregon, when she replied. Yes; it is OmSAa.' Now con- fess l was little astonished at this. assert that great ignorance prevails In the East in regard to this vast country west of the Rocky Mountains, but that Massa- chusetts ''school-marm" should not guess within three thousand miles, was little more than l was prepared to believe"
 It is a fact, and not a little surprising either, that so little is known among the people of the Eastern States of tue great extent and breadth of country west of the Missouri River. A stranger cannot possi- bly, avoid being impressed with the vast ness and greatness of everything before and around him. The grandest and high est mountains; the deepest and broadest valleys and canons; the longest and wid- est prairies. all seemingly reaching out to an unlimited, never-ending extent. When the State of Oregon is spoken of, how little apparently is known or realized of the ex- tent of territory embraced within its boun- daries! Take for instance the w illamette Valley. in the western part of the state |: it is larger in extent than the whole state of Massachusetts, while it's hillsides and mountains surrounding it abound in min erals to very great extent, such as gold, silver. copper, iron and coal, possessing all the facilities within itself to make one of the richest states in the Union, and yet it is only small part of Oregon. There are other valleys Tn the state-Umqua and Rouge valleys-but not go large in extent, yet large enough to make several Connecti
 cuts. mention these facts merely to give some idea of the magnitude and extent of the state of Oregon, which many people in the East still persist in calling territory ! And what is true in regard to Oregon is also true in regard to California and Wash ington Territory-not only as regards their great and beautiful valleys, but their rivers and mountains are equally as grand in mag nitude, number and extent. The Villa melt River, on which is the city of Port land, is navigable for two hundred and fif- ty miles above the city, with steamers and other vessels running through tho entire length of the Willamette Valley, before spoken of, and emptying into the Colum- bia River-the mother of all rivers west of the Rocky Mountains. Then there is the Corolitz, Snake, &c. that are of no mean magnitude and are navigable for a great many miles. and are all tributaries to the Columbia. Now what shall l say of the grand, lofty old mountains2 On our jour ney shere some five months ago we came overland, as 1t is called here, from Califor- mia, preferripg that way of traveling than to come by steamer, which is called rather unsafe. In Northern California we passed by stage near the foot of Mount Shasta, the highest peak of the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, and it was grand sight indeed and well worth journey across the continent to see towering up some l5, 900 feet, one third being perpetu- ally covered with snow. In plain sight from where l am now sitting is Mt. Hood, some seventy five miles away, towering up above the clouds some l6,o00 feet. It seems as if standing on a vast plain, look ing majestic indeed, and seems not more than ten miles away. It is so beautiful and grand one never tires of gazing at it. It is truly the pride of Oregon. Then when the sky is clear we can see other tall noun | tains, their tops above the clouds. Mount Jefferson, Nit. Rainer, Mt. St. Hclens and