The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-07-01
AnsnA SETTLEMENTS

Leaving the bay 20 ascend the river
To tidewater . miles above, four mics
above tho entrance Drift Creek enters
the main stream on the left. Seven
families have already settled on this
htream and room for 30 more was re.
ported to ms on the Alsea. Still great
er capacity for the accommodation of
settlers on the rich meadow lands
which align this stream Was reported
To me sfterward by parties on the Ya-
! oaina. The 1.ut2en Bros Lave iine
dairy on Dairy Creek where they make
large quantities of coed butter. Others
are following their example. One Of
the brothers has recently opened II
atore on the bay, goods for which we've
brought in on the schooner "kato' and
sAnniee the arrival of which is noted
above. All along the river new farms
are being opened and old ones improved
Mr.. J. II. Doty formerly OF Polk
county Ia u recent settler and struck
me AZ being one of those men who
take = sensible view of the capacity of
country. shall hc mistaken il he
does not set m example in the way of
developing latent resources which bis
neighbors wilt iied it profitable to fol
low.
Betw ,en Mr.. DO y 3 and tide water,
the pleasant and picturesque home of
Captain Thomas Russell, are number
of claims, new, and old, some Of which
are being. made productive ly their
owners, others laying idle Between
these last named points the Alsea river
IS one of the most picturcsqnesly betu
titnl streams boat ever iloated ON.
The same may be said however of all
the tidal estuaries OF Oregon which it
has been my good fortune partially TO
explore. The X askani' John Days
and Young's river near Astoria, the
Yaqnina and the Alsea rivers have
a peculiar beauty. Taking alr. John
Muir's facinating description of Puget
Sound rs a basis, should imagine that
each of these Oregon streams Is the
Sound in little / hope soo1 Ia havs au'
opportunity OF comparing them f1r my
self. Captain Russell whose guest ]
was for several days las carved n
beautiful homeste. d out Of land just
M wild IA any now to be found along
the river. Ills next door neighbor and
son in Law, Mr. VIM Peakc, nnd him
self have hnc orchards OF apples, pears
and plnms One plum tree near the
Captains house little over two years
old shows as lusty and rapid growth
as any ever saw in the semi-tropics.
The gardens OF these gentlemen fully
demonstrate the capacity of the soil for
the production in prolusion and per
feetion Of currants stray, goose and
black l,eiries. The lush growth of
clover, timothy anil nezquite grasses
demonstrate the pee,iliar ntness OF the
I.eountry for daiiyiug purposes. Pota-
toes, beets, turnips, mtngel wort.
zils, ard carrots are At home. Oats
succeed better than other grains.
Promising that Ia The section Of this
article devoted TO the Yaquina region
shall discues this branch Of the sub
iect more fully and that wlas ] shall
have to SAY in that connection applies
with equal force to the Alsea country
pass on.
Mr.. VIM. Teale, above referred to,
has the only saw mill now on the AL
sea, and perhaps tho only one in the
country, the entire work Of which il
1 done by one man. Being n practical
and ingenious mechanic, he has 81
arranged his machinery that by touch
ing q lever here and startinga pulley
:. there he dispenscs with the custo-
mary help OF the {" hired man, and
turns out good merchantable article
. of lumber, equal to the presfnt local
demand. lie will soon, However,
unless am much mistaken, have 10
enlarge his facilities, or divide the
trade with some one else.
Captain Russell in his coy little
home acts rs local banker, postmas-
| ter. etc. He is IN enthusiast on the
future OF his section, and, rs / think,
with good reason.
twenty-five miles above tide-water
by way OF the river is the Upper Al
sea Valley, about IL miles long by Il
to 4 miles wide. 1t tproduces annually
say 80, ,0G0 bushels Of wheat, besides
large quantities of butter, wool stock,
cattle, bacon, and fruit. 1t has been
settled about % years and is still iso-
lated and with inconvenient and In
adequate facilities of transportation
for both supplies and products. a
mountain road, practically impassa-
bic during winter, connects it with
the towns of the Willamette Valley.
Flour, bacon and other staples are
taken down the Alsea river on fiat
boats to tide-water. DISTINCTIONS III
the channel render this method haz-
ardous at times. between tide-watel
and the falls, distance OF IL miles,
the principal impediments are to be
found. The people of that section
are making strong exertions to secure
congressional appropriation OF q
! few tliul;sn1 3.,:Ifs, the judicious
! expenditure OF which would obyiate
: these disadvantages. In the same
connection it may be remarked thai
! repeated but unavailing efforts, up tc
the time of my visit in April of this
! year, have been made by the people
J of the Upper and Lower AIsea Val.
leys to induce the authorities Of Ben,
. ton County to order the construction
of road from the Upper Alsea tc
the Bay. Local jealousies, | am In
clined to think, more than due re
gard for the conveniences and neces
2 sites of large and growing portion
: of Benton County, had up to The
5 time of my visit defeated this jus
, measure. South Of Alsea lies what i
2 - =. Ii. IL De-. e.l....a L.. q.