The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-05-19
SPEECH OF H0y. II. c. eE0RGE CN "a.
QViXA Bay.

| The following is that part Of the
speech Of ID. G. George, ia Congress,
in regard to the appropriation fol
Yaquina Bay:
! Yaquiss Bay, the outlet to Yaquina
River, drains one ct the finest fruit
growing aud slock-raising regions OF
the Northwest. The Hills, gradually
dropping from the Coast range ts the
ocean, were once covered with iIn-
meuse forests, which years ago were
destroyed by . desolsting fire, giving
boundless r2age for stock Of ali kinds,
with Rndergrowth suxten2aee for win.
ter without need of other feed, while
the sunlight and air have chemically
improved the naturally rich soil until
it has become all inexllaustible field
for fruit, grass, and vegetable pro-
ductions. The valleys ars all fertile
and rich ia native clover and other
gra<aes. The best dairy region in the
! United States will sometime be de
veloped in these Coast Range valleys
In the bottoms Gue green timber give
| employment to the mills, while crop
pings OF coal and other minerals i'll
dicate the presence of untold wealth
While upon the subjec, of forests
| allow me TO refer, generally, to our
great resources i'll this respect. These
Coast Range forests embrace an area
OF abou, seventeen million acres; and
this is at Least equal to from ten to
twenty times as many acres OF the
best timber lands of Wisconsin, or
Michigan or Pennsylvania. 1t is, to
the Pacific States, a richer source O.
future rev enue than all our mines have
been i'll the past or al our graiu fields
of the present. Tie rainfall Of the
Pacific S.ates reaches Its maximGm
i'll these mountains, which, with the
fogs anl m;sts OF the sea, acrount tor
tic astounding growth O! the forests.
The Central Oregon Pacific Rail
road is now in process If construction.
This railroad, connecting the William
etc Valley with the Iaqu'na, was
originally STATED through contribu-
tions to the extent of $4,000 from
people OF the valley interested. The
plan ana purpose OF the ROAD is to ex-
tend across that valley tapping the
Oregon Central and Oregon and Cal
ifornia Railroads, aud crossing the
Willamette River, thus utilizing as
far as possible its navigation and
these roads as feeders. The one l.un-
drsd and thirty miles to he built this
year will reach and pass the William
cite Valley, and give an outlet 10
counties which produce = large pro
portion of the wheas crop Of Oregon,
and OF the wool. cattle, lumber, and
fruit which are now staple exports. It
is TO be extended over the Cascades
into the heart of Eastern Oregon
the pasture of the present and the
grand granary Of the future-and on
eastward nearly six hundred miles to
intersect OR meet transcon,iueEtal
line running westward. The compile
ton of the plan would insure direct
outlet to all those central and produc-
tive portions Of Oregon, with all the
advantages of competitive influence.
i.s Importance would be Very great.
When the harbor is improved and
this road built, it will be d rect com
petIng line with all other lines now
controlled by single corporations;
and the less the Government appro-
pria,es TO open the harbor the longer
this competition will be delayed. To
complete the proposed plan for tn.
harbor Involvement will require
s4l5,ooo. BY appropriating $2oo.0oo
this year and like sum next year
the improvement can be completed
in two years. In view of tie building
of this railroad from the inland to the
sea, the fiji st one hundred and thirty
miles of which will be at cos; of
$4,000 per nile, or s3,25o, 900, it is
obvious that the question presented
to Congress is not one OF expenditure
to benefit locality merely. AS the
$500, 100000 will evidently be appro-
priated in continuous sums within the
next few years, would it not be the
part of wisdom to complete the work
promptly rather than delay relief?
The road is being built on the faith
in the improvement by the United
States of the harbor entrance ut the
mouth of the bay. The people Of the
Willamette Valley in tho interior
counties have expressed through the
press and by public meetings and
otherwise great interest i'll this work.
| have in my hand long lists Of SUBJ