Connecticut western news., 1873-04-18
Iron in Oregon.

There is no doubt of the fact that at some time, an1 not great way in the flu ture either, Oregon will be one of the great iron producing states. Taking into ac- count the excellent quality and apparently inexhaustable quantity of iron ore in the northern and western part of the state, to Say nothing of the unexplored portion, and the vast quantities of timber, hundreds ci miles in extent, covering almost the whole state and of most excellent quality too, and then the almost certain probability of great quantities of iron being wanted here and in California for railroads, not only 10 finish those already commenced, but the many others in contemplation that will be in a short time commenced, built and equipped, not only across the continent, but up and down the coast. The Northern Pacific Road is soon to be commenced at some point on the Columbia river and pushed eastward, through Eastern Oregon, Idaho and Montana to the Missouri River, and must and will be completed in two or three years. A charter was given to an enter prising company by Congress during the last session to build Railroad from the Columbia River to Salt L Ike City, to say nothing of the road now building from Cortland to California state line, hundreds of miles in length. And all these roads must have vast quantities of iron, and American iron too, for their charters com pei them to use no other. Now in view oi all these facts what is to prevent Oregon sooner or later becoming great iron pro- ducing state 2 The great lack of energy aud enterprise and want of practica- bilitY and knowledge on the part of her own people cannot always keep it back And as California makes no claim that know of to having any quantity of iron within her borders, although she does claim to have almost everything else, and in great abundance too, and the great demand for iron must be supplied by Oregon. There never perhaps was better place than here, For better time than now for foreign capitalists to invest their money in iron and timber lands for miles and miles on the Or egon side of the Columbia River the land is literally filled with brown and red heme- tite ore of the richest quality. It is found in quantities near the surface and in many places crops out in plain sight, and as to depth, no bottom has yet been found, and to all appearances it is almost or quite in exhaustable. And this same land is cover ed with the finest of timber, producing in some instances two hundred cords of wood to the acre. And the average quantity on all 1 have seen will be one hundred and fifty cords to the acre. This location I am now speaking of, as said before, is on the bank of the Columbia River, extending from within few rods of the bank of the river back for miles. One continuous bed of iron ore and a neyer-ending forest of timber, and on the bank of the great Columbia River, one of the biggest rivers on the continent, being two miles wide at this point, one hundred miles from it's mouth. Ships of the largest size can touch at any point adjacent to these ore lands and could receive and transport to any and all parts of the world the iron that might and ought to be made here very easily and cheap.
 And now what is this property worth here is question that would quite reasona- ply be asked. There is not a pound of iron made in Oregon, and there are but few people. if any, that understand or appreciate the value or worth of ore lands. Thou sands of acres of this same land have been sold over and over again for from two to Ave dollars per acre, and there are thou sands of acres that have visited for sale that have been in the market for years and a buyer cannot be found, and any five of of these acres would supply all the blast furnaces in the Housatonic Valley for fifty years with iron ore. was offered farm of three hundred acres for five dollars an acre, with large stream of water running through it, affording splendid water pow CT, and hundreds of tons of ore in plain sight. and two feet below the surface was complete solid body of ore under the whole farm By way of inducement was offer ed subsidy of eight hundred acres free, by adjoining proprietors, the deed to be given on the completion of blast furnace; and all this ore and timber land less than two miles from the Columbia River, on smooth, even surface, and as lovely plain in all respects as can be imagined.
 There is a good deal of capital in this state, but so long as it is worth one and one half to two and one-half per cent. month to loan, capitalists are not anxious to in- vest in manufacturing enterprises. however much it might benefit the state at large by so doing.
 There is now, aside frsm railroads, quite a demand for iron here, and hundreds of tons of Scotch iron have been sold since I have been here for from ffty-six to sixty dollars ton, and is transported from thirty to forty thousand miles and occupying some ten months in transit.
 Pig iron can be made here at cost not to exceed twenty-five dollars ton, and would be much superior article to any imported iron, and fully equal to the best qualities of Salisbury iron.
 Great opportunities and abundant wealth are in store for the young state of Oregon and the iron intetest will certainly stand prominent and above all others, and seems only to be waiting for eastern capital and enterprise to develope it.
 GHAs B. BorsFoRD.
 Portland, Oregon. March 21, 1873.