The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-05-15
OREGON.
Its, Geography, Climate, Resources and
Institutions.

We copy the following extract from
q lengthy communication, written by
w. A. Mcpherson, and published in
a late number of the Christian VT
ness, a paper of extensive circulation,
issued in Macarthur, Vinton county,
Ohio;
Before proceeding to inform those
wishing information regarding Ore
gon as a home, where, by the exer-
else of prudence and reasonable
share of industry, every man and
woman may secure a competence, if
not amass u fortune, it may not be
uninteresting to give brief geo
graphical description Of the State.
The Southern boundary of Ore
gon-separating the State from Cali
fornia-is on the forty-second paral-
lei of North Latitude. Let the read
er take a correct map Of the United
States, and, commencing at Cape
Mendocino, on the forty-second par
allel, trace'a line, by the scale, east
three hundred,,miles; thence north two
hundred and seventy miles to Snake
river; thence down Snake river in a
northwest direction fifty miles.
thence, still northwest and on the
south side of Snake river, one hum
dred and ten miles to the Columbia
river, and follow the meanderings of
that stream to the Pacific ocean,
Having done this, and remembering
that Oregon has q coast line OF four
hundred miles, any one can form
correct idea of the geography of the
State.
Embraced within the boundaries
above given is, perhaps, the most
wonderfully diversified portion of
the earth's surface, Every tempera-
ture of climate, from eternal snow
to almost perpetual spring, may be
found within the limits of the State.
Every variety of scenery is presented
to the eye, and the lover of nature
gazes upon q scene in which the aw-
fully grand and sublime are mingled
with the beautiful and picturesque.
Two ranges of mountains extend
through the State from north to
south. The Coast Range forms
rocky rampant along the shore OF the
Pacific, often projecting It's frowning
hattlements to meetthe pillows which
break in mad fury at the base. From
the mouth Of the Columbia, south,
along the west side Of the Coast range,
for distance of fifty miles, there is
good body of agricultural lands,
but from that point to Cape Mendo-
cino there is little country inhabitable
along the coast.
The Cascade range of mountains,
running parallel with those on the
coast, are from fifty to eighty miles
inland, and the Willamette river
flows north between the two, empty
ing its waters into the Columbia,
ninety miles from the ocean. Thus
the far-famed Willamette Valley is
formed. The Willamette river, from
which the valley takes its name, has
its main source in the Cascade noun
tains, among the lofty peaks and
deep gorges, where there is perpetual
snow. Numerous small tributaries
flow eastward from the Coast range
and add their waters to the broad
volume of the Willamette. The
length Of the Willamette valley is one
hundred and twenty miles, and its
breadth varies from fifty to eighty
miles. This is the garden Of Oregon,
and is the largest body of agricultu-
raj land north of the valley of the
Sacramento. On the west bank of
the willamette, and twelve miles
from its confluence with the Colum-
bia, is situated the city Of Portland,
the present commercial emporium of
the State. Here is the northern
terminus of the California X Oregon
and the Oregon Central Railroads.
the former traversing the east side Of
the Willamette for distance of one
hundred miles, as it extends south
ward, while the latter is constructed
on the west side of the river, The
Oregon e. California Road is com
pleted and daily trains run from
Portland to Roseburg, in the imp
qua Valley, two hundred and twenty
miles. The California end Of the
road is completed from San Francisco
to within two hundred miles of Rose
burg. Work is suspended on both
sections for the present, but the com
pletion Of the line is only question
of year or two at most. The Ore
gon Central is completed for dis
tance of fifty miles, and is designed,
when completed, to form junction
with the Oregon & California Road
near the head Of the Willamette val
ley.
The Willamette river is navigable
for small steamers from its mouth to
Eugene City, one hundred and thirty
miles.
Salem, the Capital, is situated on
the east bank of the Willamette, fifty
miles south of Portland. South of
Salem at convenient distances are
situated the towns of Albany, Cor
wallis, Harrisburg, and Eugene City,
all thriving centers of trade, while
inland on both sides of the river are
numerous towns of local importance
The Willamette Valley is more
densely populated than any other
portion Of the State. Wheat and
other small grain are the principal
products, though every variety Of
vegetables are grown equal to the
best raised in any of the North-wes-
tern States. Only the earlier varie-
ties Of corn are raised. The summer
is too cool and the season too dry for
corn TO succeed well anywhere on
this coast. The average Of wheat
per acre in this valley, last summer,
was twenty bushels. In Umpqua
and Rogue River Valley south, and