The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1884-01-18
ing from IS to s25 per acre.
FRUITS.

Ing from s. to $25 per acre.
FRUITS.
Tho Willamette Valley is noted for
the abundance and fine quality Of its
lrults, especially, apples, pear, ,pIums,
cherries, prunes and berries, such a.
blackberries, strawberries, rasp her
ries,. gosseberries, currasts, etc.
Grapes and peaches 10 few favored
localities do well
Taxes have never been high in this
county. The highest levy at any one
time was IL mills on the dollar, but
the levy Is generally about 15l mills.
This Is the amount levied this year by
the county court and divided as fol.
lows State tax 5.6 mills, School tax 4
mills, County purposes 40 mills. The
gross amount Of taxes under the above
levy Is S97.361. The total taxable pro
perty Of tbecoanty is $500, 900. The
voters Of the county have been most
fortunate in eIecting county commission
ers who have managed county finances
in the most jndicious and economical
manner. The indebtedness cf the cours
ty amounts to about $500, which
amount will be paid out of tax collec.
tions made this winter.
COUNTY BUILDINGS
The county buildings are q brick
court house, two stories high, built In
the middle of slightly block in the
heart of the city of Albany, the county
scat Of the county, at cost Of about
$4,000. It was built in 1864 and Is in
good state ofpreservation.A Also brick
jail, two stories high, with jaiIer's resi-.
dencs in the upper story. The building
cost about sl5, 900, and Is very secure.
1t is built on the corner Of the block
upon which the ceurt house stands.
CLIMATE.
The climate in Linn county, as we'll
as all Western Oregon, is peculiar.
There may be said to be but two cli-
matte seasons in the year-the wet sea-
son aud the dry. The wet or rainy
season begins usually about the first or
middle Of November, and continues up
to the FIRST or middle of April, during
which period it rains a great deal Of
course there are days, and even weeks,
at times, during this period. that are
dry,sunshiny, and very pleasant. Strange
as it may appear to persons rallied in
other and different climates, this seassn
is very healthy, and the more eontin-
ious the rain the better is health. When
We have two or three weeks of frosty,
clear, chilly weather, It breeds, as rule,
diptheris, scarlet fever, lung fever,
coughs, colds and the like. While the
unobservant reader viii conclude that
more rain falls In Oregon than in any
of the other states, yet such is not the
case, as the average yearly rainfall in
the New England states Is 47.S5 inches,
Middle Atlantic states 46.42, South
Atlantic states SO. OF, Gulf States $500,
Ohio Valley states 49. 80, while in Ore
gon the average yearly rainfall Is about
400 inches. AS q rule the rain falls
here in the most gentle, quiet and
gradual manner, and very rarely falls
in torrents, and is never accompanied
by those tornadoes and cyclones which
are at once such a terror and destroyer
of life and property in many of the
other states. Sometimes We have snow
here which falls from l to 6 inches
deep, but it rarely remains longer than
a few days. The writer of this article
has been an inhabitant of Oregon 81
years, and has seen good sleighing but
twice in that time. The summer,or dry
season here is of the most pleasant
character, being not hot and sultry, but
sunshiny and Of a very CHEEKY nature
Nights, as a rule, are cool, and no placs
can be found on earth where the weary
man will find more pleasure, oomfers
and benefit, physical and mental, in the
arms of "nature's sweet restorer," than
in the Willamette Valley.
POPULAR RESORTS.
There is no community In all the
! country whose people 50 generally at.
tend summer resorts and 90 on pleasure
excursions as do the people of Linn
county. And in accordance with the
eternal fitness of things there are many
places of resort of easy access which
afford the means and opportunity Oi
satisfying this habit. The whole cas-
tern part of the county is mountain
Gus region forming a natural park oi
great beauty and attractiveness. Here
may be seen mountain peaks covered
with eternal SHOWS, gorges snexplor d
and unexplorable, tall.wild precipitoul
cliffs, extensive forests with their lcrd.
ly stalwart trees of pine, 6r, hemlOck
etc, pellucid, bottomless, mountaiz