The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-08-25
Western Wanderings.
Correspondence Of the Journal

EDITOR JOURNAL; Horace Greeey's memora
bic advice, Go West Young Man" has more than
once come to mind during my wanderings, accom-
panied by the query was it good advice is It good
advice TO follow now F? Having obtained a some
what comprehensive idea of our great Northwest
the grounds upon which that advice was based be
come palmer True, the veteran editor Of the Tr-
bune was thinking OF another West, when he
made the recommendation West that is now
the East from the place of this writing, Mt it was
not better West, a grander or more inviting
West than this in which have soiourLed for four
weeks. If there was ever a section of our country
over which Horace Greeley jourueYed to which it
was desirable for Young man to emgrate, tins is
more desirable. Y ct am far from being convinced
that it was good advice. TO the man contempat-
ing removal from the East to the Northwest
am strongly inclined TO say, as said the old bache
lor III his advice to young people about to marry
Don't"
Nevertheless | viii try to give faithful pen
picture VI this region, that others, reading it,
may Judge for themselves have been studying
how to do this duty eiTectuay and if | succeed
the effect will be somewhat startling An exceed
ingy vague and inadequate idea is generally had
III the East of this portion Of our country lu pre-
ceding letters, some facts have been presented
relative to two somewhat dissmi ar portions of it
now we want to look over the whole field at a
single glance. This undertaking will be difficult,
for it's magnitude is so great that il almost refuses
to submit to generalization Probably few Of your
readers appreciate the yastness Of this region.
suppose we limit our survey to the basin or va
tershed Of the Columbia and its tributaries, That
will prove to be quite extensive enough for our
purpose 1t embraces all of Oregon except LttL
of the southwestern corner, say as large an area
as Vermont and New Hampshire. and all OF Wash
ington Territory save the northwestern corner
about Puget Sound say as large as Maine, a large
portion Of Idaho aud Nevada and qlite Slice OF
British Coumba-in all about foar h,ltd,fd Mo"-
s,,Dd square miles, Still you have no adequate
idea of what those numbers mean, and know OF
no better way to make the impression vivid than
by comparing the watershed of the Columbia with
the East which is better known. 1t large enough,
therefore to embrace at ouuo the six New England
States the four Middle States as they used to be
called, together with Marylaud Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois Missouri and tho eastern phe Of Mieh
oan N al jft.0 u,J, L,,lt nf our older States
Tbns evto,,s;,,. i ~ domain thot l,vn ho,r
ristin,, tba n.st ,non+b nrto Diva II 81 dlffnront
,, .,ro.;,.a ;Il,4,,,;
large as the territory of Great Britain. France,
p.5.; rI.u..,, ", l.-;...z.,,,,,ro, o,,,,
bined. containing an aggregate population OF
eighty five millions The older States Of th1 East
~ "'''e' ~ 0D'''A {" 'f''
.'0" 81 0'i i'''''0n' 80
o"sii' contains "' i'eoen' ~ ~ N"i-''tu ~
'"''l - '''
- = =
'A'N' -
CHANGES OK sCt' hSs
will be large because the growth and development
Will BE great and rapid Here IS a region capable
Of supnortjns vngIIlatiou of hftv niilioas. per
haps even Of twice that number. occupied now BY
only 4 scattered four hundred thousand 1t must
fiji np RAPIDLY. when tho railroads .udlines ot com
muu;cation now projected are completed --anu
the most important OF them soon will be-provl
ed always that the management shall be such rs t.
command the confidence Of residents and prospec
tive settlers Then the places which are NOW IL
the germ vlll lump into prominence Towns %
villages viii become cities and the small invest
rnents Of t1 lav will become colossal fortunes IT.
five or ten years Among these
PORTLAND
claims TO bc The coming metropolis, There are
good ground, for the claim. She already has tlt
lead-aready is the general business centre, anc
there appears TO be Ne adequate reason why sAt
should not hold the lead which she has takeL I g
Portland is city OF less than $1,000 inhabitants
and 900 Of them are Chinese, who do not &onn
ascitilens Now think Of the multitude # cities
in our Eastern domain above named, that arc
larger than Portland There arc Boston, Proy
dence, New York, Brookyu Philadelphia, Balu
more. Washington, Rochester Buffalo, Cincinnati
Chicago and st. Louisa dozen in all-wlth poPu
lations ranging from one hundred to twelve nun
dred thousand nearly Us many more with popUla
tons between fifty ana one hundred Thousand anC
about sixty others larger than Portland and al
within territory which the watershed Of the
Columbia would cover. Does not that showing
hint at vast possibilities OF growth Does It MOI
suggest that Portland may some day rival SaT
Franciseo-nay, even New York in Commercial
importance There are other places that Will bt
great cities also Seattle on the Sound, is almOs
sure to be one of then-somc even think that il
will become rival OF Portland. Hence it requires
but glance to show that the field is inviting to
investment and for business men to locate aul
build up ii trade
Speaking Of Portland it must D. confessed lhal
the bar at the mouth of the Columbia threatens tc
obstruct somewhat the rapidlty Of her growth. Il
is.dangerous and in rough weather or low tide
impossible. Ships drawing more than twenty feet
are often detained outside for considerable perloC
of time, before they can safely cross while tht
Sound is much more easily entered although dur
ing several wears last past accidents have beer
more numerous at the Sound than at the mouth o
the Columbia can only account for this on the
Of aytra r,rannutinr in ono ST AM