The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-07-12
OREGON AND IDAHO
A Trip through the Webfoot State
Its Revenues, Population, etc,
Politics and Newspapers
" Idaho, etc.
SILVER LAKE, Idaho TER,

vi II LtddtE.
A trip from Wyoming to Oregon by
the most favored route is fraught with
many difficulties and disadvantages,
but to make the journey .'across lots"
is, to say the least, unpleasant. The
writer, in company with some choice
spirits from Cheyenne has Just COM
pleted the journey by the latter course,
and is now well on his way back again.
There was nothing of Importance
transpired ON the westward journey
outside of the usual course of roughing
1t, and the country being just recover
Ing from the shock of winter, could
not be seen to advantage, but however
the ''outft'' arrived at Baker City, the
most eastern town in Oregon, in early
April, covered with glory and mud.
Oregon is the third largest state in the
union, and is bound to be a powerful
commonwealth in population and re-
sources at no distant day. AS yet it is
in its infancy, its population not being
much over 10000, but every year
brings thousands of immigrants, COM.
posed of hard working industrious agri-
culturists, worth their weight in gold
to the giant young commonwealth of
the Pacific coast. The Cascade noun
tains form a natural division of the
state, that portion of it lying east of the
mountains, composed of the counties OF
Waseo, Grant, Baker, Union and Una
tilla being known as eastern Oregon and
and that portion westof the mountains,
western Oregon, or ''webfoot." A bit
ter rivalry exists between the people of
these sections, but '.webfoot'' being
the more powerful in population,
though not in resources, has things gen
orally its own way. Eastern Oregon
has, perhaps, more natural
han any portion of the Pacific slope.
Rich in mineral, agricultural and
stock raising resources it is no wonder
that its population has trebled in a
couple of years. But it has one great
drawback, and that one, will, | am
afraid, seriously affect it for some years
to come. That want is a railroad. As
yet the numbering stage coach and lazy
OK team are the only means of commu-
nication with the outside world, save
the steamers of the Oregon steam nayi-
CATION company which ply between
Portland, the metropolis of the state,
and Umatilla. The o. S. n. company
is a monster monopoly, having supreme
control of the Columbia river and
charging freight rates that would as
tonish civilized beings. The o. S. N.
company is the Great Mogul of Oregon,
both commercial and political. 1t con-
trolls the councils of both political par
ties. 1t has owned every Legislature
that sat in Salem for the past fifteen
years and never hesitated to make it's
creature do its bidding. 1t has hidden
the democratic convention whom to
nominate forgovernor, and the week af-
ter informed the republicans who their
candidate should be. A corporation
as INSCRIPTIONS and powerful as that
is a sad detriment to the state. 1t en-
genders corruption in politics and stag
mates enterprise In commercial sources.
The Columbia river being the only
avenue to the outer world from eastern
Oregon, save the overland stage, it can
easily be imagined what influence the
Q. 5. N. company has on its destiny.
Being an agricultural country princi-
pally, wheat growing particularly, the
crops offer but a slender remuneration
to the farmers on account of the want
Of a market for their products. Stock
raising however is extensively carried
on and without any of the disadvan-
tagcs attending farming, as the large
herds of cattle now on their way from
the state to your city can attest. There
cannot be less than 40, 900 head of stock
driven from Oregon this spring, and to
a casual observer passing through the
state the supply seems undiminished.
Politically Oregon is almost evenly
divided between the two great political
parties, with the democracy slightly in
advance, having a full delegation in
congress and the governor of the state,
though the republicans have the rest of
the state officers. Oregon voted for
Hayes in 1876 and the republicans
claim that it is still republican on a
fair contest, though the democrats OF
course deny this statement and your
correspondent is inclined to believe
their claims.
Oregon has perhaps more newspapers
con sidering its population than any
state in the union. Portland, its chief
has a population of less than 90
600, has four live daily newspapers, |
evenly divided between the two politi-
cal parties. 1t has, however, but one
first class paper, the Oregonian, that
paper having a monopoly of the asso-
ciated press dispatches. In politics it
is moderate republican, enjoying a
circulation; it is the Warwick of
r~epublicanism in the state. Harvey
w. Scott, a brother of Mrs. A. j. Dun
iway, of literary and woman's suffrage
notoriety, is the editor. The daily
Standard is the democratic organ, and
lacking Geographic news is ably con-
Quoted. There is no daily paper pub
lished outside of Portland, but every
of two hundred inhabitants baa