The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-11-21
LuSs CoUsrY.

has rich country north, southeast and
west Of It, river on one hand and n
railroad on tho other. It's entire aspect
is one Of thrift, permanencc, prosperity
and steady growth. II ia the county
seat OF Linn county, which embraces
area, say, forty miles long hy seventy
miles wide. Not being parallelogram,
the acreage is estimated at about one
and one-quarter million acres. A very
large proportion is valley land, generally
characterized AZ sandy loan. Succea-
slve cropping for many years has un-
questionably impoverished the soil In
Il conversation | held this morning with
IA gentleman who evidently knew what
he was talking nl'out. he said that the
need OF phosphate Of lime is beginning
TO make itself apparent. If sueh IL the
case, il only remains for somebody 70
90 To work and find mari bed. This
valley WAS an arm of the sea once, and
the mari is here somewhere. The val
ley proper il from fifteen To twenty
miles wide, extending ensierly from the
river 10 the foothills, when the face Of
the country changes. and is diversified
by small valleys with sol of rich loan
and rolling hills abundnntiy productive
Of rich natural pasture grasses. The
county extends to the summit of the
Cascade mountain range, the slopes Of
which are finely wooded. Bat little, if
any, vacant land ia found until those
portions Of the foothills thirty miles
back Of the river are reached.
PRICE or LANDS.
Farms within three miles of the town
Of Albany are held at 500 rer acre,
from thence the price declines to $50,
and thence on down to 81. 4 fair av-
erage mny le set down nt from geo to
$25.
RUST IS WHEAT.
But the appearance Of rust in wheat
fields has had the effect Of making come
people believe that the end of all things,
agricnlturally speaking, in Linn county.
il at hand. I am inclined to think that
such views are fallacioua, Tho rains
for the present season were exception
ally heavy and late, and most Of the
grain WAS spring sown, and from the
best information ! can obtain, the fall
aud wintcr-sown grain WAS unscathed.
Tho farmers Of Linn county are learn
ing the same lesson that Californiana
have had TO pay for 50 dearly, and they
are taking advantage of the present fine
weather To get in their crops. If it is
only spring sown wheat that is liable To
rust. the farmers of Linn will require
more storage room next season.
TAXABLE PROPERTY.
The assessment roll for 1879 foots up
Sc, 6,7sI, 500; indebtedness, 81, ,S25, $40;
exemption. Si7l ,600-total sum upon
which taxes are levied, 81, 400, 0,S54.
The rate Of taxation is as follows on the
one hundred dollars: State, zoe; coun-
ty, 60c; school, SOC; total. 81 60. 1t
may be mentioned in this connection
that the tax-roll for 1879 foots mp some
5000, 900 less than that Of 1878.
EDURATIosAL.
Linn county makes good showing
in her Public School Department.
There arc 81 school houses ia the eoun-
ty of the average value of $j19 Is
each. The number of teachers en-
ployed is 40. Wages paid teachers
run from $40 per month TO SlO0.
Probably a fair average would 6e S+5
for male teachers and S33 for females
per month The number of school
children enrolled is 5,367; the per cent
of attendance does not show 80 well,
the average being little less than half
of the whole number enrolled.
FARM LABOR.
The wages paid to farm laborers
rlnge from S25 per month with board,
the year round, to 81 80 per day in
harvest time.
TIMBER LAND AND SAW AND FIGURING
MILLS.
One third of the area OF Linn county
il timber land, the principal varieties
being 6r, (or Oregon pine,) white pine,
maple, ash and oak. Home manufact-
urers convert the ash, oak and maple
into very attractive furniture. There
are in the county fifteen sawmills, with
cutting capacities ranging frsm 5000
to $4,000 each per day. The price o.
lumber ranges from $S to $l4 PEI
thousand. There are nine Touring mills
in the county, one with the capacity o
$50 barrels per day, another $50 bar
rels, and the remainder running dowI
to custom mills.
TOWNS.
There are numerous towns in Linl
county. Albany, with 5000 inhabit
ants; Harrisburg with 700, with a
agricultural implement manufactory
Brownsville, 600, with woolen factor.
employing from twenty to forty hand
the year round, and manufacturin
superior blankets, cloths and woolel
goods generally, with the principal sal
depot in Portland; Scio, 500; Lebanon
twelve miles east, 400, to which latte
point branch of the o. IL G. Il. i
will be run in time for the next year
crop. Tangent Shedd, Halsey, an
Peoria are other small towns III tn
county.
MANUFACTURERS.
Albany manufactures furniture, line
tWine from fax raised in the count-
wire cloth, coopers' wares and the usu'
articles turned out at local foundriea
The lint flax raised in Linn count.
took the premium over the Irish am
Holland exhibits at the Centennia
The fibre grows here to the length
fou,, faat sometimea five. A large are