The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-09-27
Information For Immigrants.

on the north side of the Columbia river, abou I
from NJ lltnomah County, Oregon, by the
Columbia river. It has an area of about67C
square miles, $40 of which is surveyed. Scat
tered over this surface there is population
of 1000 people; their chief occupation being
agriculture. This country, like the balance
OF Western Washington is u timber country;
yet there is here some land which is natural.
iy devoid of timber, bat all of this is occu
ped. There is a quantity of unoccupied gov
erament land in this county, all of which i.
more or less timbered. Some of it is com
paratively easy to clear, but large part Of
it is covered with heavy green timber. This
land lies chiefly on the eastern and north
eastern boarders of the county, and is, o.
course, more remote from schools and mar
ket than are the settled sections. The sur
face OF the country in the central and west
ern portions is level; rolling in the northern
part and billy and mountainous on the east
ern boarder The soil everywhere is good
The upland being clay loam along the riv
er bottom black sandy loan; in the alder
swale lands a heavy black soil and rich as
the richest The soil of the land is good
where grows the heaviest timber. The sol.
of the upland prairies is gravelly and regard
ed as second quality, but even here good
crops are generally harvested, and the farm
ers are nearly all we'll to do men. The soil
is adapted to grow almost any product known
to the north temperate zone. The cereals al
do we'll Vegetables as well as any othel
place in the world, and fruit the same Ap
PIES, pears, plums, prunes, &c. All kinds
small fruits grow and ripcn in perfection
The unoccupied timber lands and foot hill
afford excellent range for stock, and as til,
winters are mild all kinds Of sto.< h. well.
A good milk COW can be bought fos 80; .,
average work horse So, and Other s-oc,> Il
proportion. Farm laborerS get $500 pe
day aad board Wheat is worth $50 pc
bushel now, has averaged some less than SIG
per bushel heretofore, but is likely to b
worth fully that much hereafter Potatoe
are worth so cents per bushel and other veg
etables in proportion. Fruits are all cheap,
but when dried for the market bring good
prices. This is good county for poor
man. The necessaries of life are compare
lively easy to get The climate is mild, and
in consequence of the great quantities OF tim
l - r.n
! tiers have freezing spells lasting all the way
/ from one TO six weeks Though six weeks
| freeze-up is OF rare occurrence. Sometimes
the winter will pass with no frigidity in the
air, save a few frosts, and flowers viii bloom
in the gardens all winter long. The climate
is salubrious, though the humidity OF the
winter is generally thought to be bad fer per-
sons afflicted with throat and lung difficult
ties.
The county has about 40 public schools,
and, as usual, in new country, they are OF
the lower grade. The paople now here ar,
deeply interested in the cause of education,
and the schools are improving every year.
The timber of this county is mostly yellow
fir, and is good for numbering, ship-building
and various other manufacturing purposes.
There is some very fine cedar, some little
oak, considerable ash and various other var.-
cites OF small timber
The county IS bounded on the south and
west by the Columbia river, which affords
means of transportation to market by steam
boat It is 10 miles, by way OF the Columbia
and willamette rivers, from the southwest
corner Of the county TO Portland, the me-
tropolis Of Oregon.
That portion of the county lying next to
the river IS subject to annual overflow 1t
is excellent grass land, well adapted for dairy
ing purposes.
Farms partially improved can be bought
for 500 to $50 90 per acre, according to To-
cation. For further information, the reader
is referred to another column in this paper,
headed Real Estate Agency" There is a
U. S. Land Office located at Vancouver, the
county seat, where parties can avail them
selves Of homestead and presumption privi-
leges.
Vancouver, the county seat, is town OF
500 inhabitants, beautifully located on the
Columbia river, and one of the pleasantest
places to live in the Territory.
This county needs honest, industrious la.
| bor,,y mar, tbax- oan Hr,n, ,oD.tal ,.,;,