Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-05

eventually close up, many California
mines, the miners and capitalists must
hunt for new fields, and here is the place
for them. There has always been a
Southern Oregon, but little has been known
of this section, it having until recently
been good deal isolated. But now the
people here besin to feel that they are
little nearer civilization, as they have a
railroad but twenty-eight miles away.
When the gap between Delta and Ashland
-130 miles-shall have been covered by
railroad, then this section will be quite
easy of access. The settlers here talk of
Grants Pass !" as near by, as their nearest
railroad depot has been for many years at
Roseburg, to the north, and Redding much
further south. There are good many
LITTLE RANCHES
In the county, and could be a good many
more if the people had the enterprise and
push of the Eastern farmer. Oregon was
originally settled by people from Missouri
and Arkansas the United States Govern
ment giving each settler whole section of
land and as each married woman was
entitled to the same, many girls were mar
ried at the age Of IL years. The surpris-
ingly slow development of such q region
can only be accounted for by the method of
settlement, the first corners getting title to
nearly all the good land The new settlers
eagerly seize on every chance for improve
ment, and are doing considerable, but it is
complained that these old fellows hold on
to the land like burs, and die mighty SLOW"
And from longer experience with the first
families" l am driven to the painful con-
clusion that about hundred
FRsr-CLAss FUNERALS
Would prove OF great advantage to Oregon
The r,ral web foot as the residents are
called, an ironical allusion to the climate,
is sai genefs; there is a distinctively Ore
CONAN look about all the natives and old
residents which is hard to describe Ger
| tainly they are not an enterprising people.
They drifted in here all along from 1885 to
1855, and some of them at an even earlier
period, when many Western and Southern
people came to the Pacific coast to engage
in cattle-raising, not considering the coun-
try fit for much else. They left Missouri
and Arkansas-most of them - because
those States were even then too crowded "
for them. and they wanted to get away
where " there was plenty O. range and
plenty o game" and have good, easy
time. With one team to each family (time
being no object TO such people, it costs
them nothing to move, and the peculiar
land laws applied 10 Oregon at that time
gave them every advantage, and have been
serious hindrance to settlement ever
since. The result was, as have said, that
hundreds of girls, from II to 10 years, were
married SO as tc acquire more land, and
further result is that all this fine
land is owned in vast bodies by
these old families, many of whom
will neither sell, improve, nor hire
anyone else to improve. They acknowl-
edge their own laziness, and talk about it
SO good that one is compelled to
sympathize with them. The immense
timber through which the roads and trails
run is constant establishment to the
traveller. During my trip to the Siskiyous
| passed through miles and miles of vast
| forests of frs and pines of every diameter.
from one to ten feet. Here is inexhaustible
wealth in lumber. The fir is harder to
| work than the pine, but more durable.
With good facilities for shipping every acre
of this forest would be worth $500 But l
| much doubt that this will be in my time.
Perhaps, when the timber now easy of ac-
cess shall have been exhausted, then
the lumberman must go farther back, and
will probably find some way of getting it
to market.
LUMBER
In this vicinity can be purchased at the
mills for from $40 to $12 per thousand
they always charge extra for delivering.
There are several mills in the mountains,
and as they can work only in winter, or
after the rains begin, they make up the
loss of the summer months by running
day and night AS we have had two
weeks of almost constant ram, the streams
are running bank-full. the sawmills
are in operation, and the miner is happy.
One great drawback to success
full or profitable farming in this
vicinity, is the long, dry spell in summer.
Although great deal of rain falls during
the winter, the soil is of such q porous
nature that crops must necessarily suffer
during the hot summer months The land
is strong and fertile, and only needs water
TO produce good results. An irrigating
ditch would be of inestimable value to the
rancher, and there are great hopes among
them that they will soon have one, for
am told that Sacramento company. bay-
ing secured some 800 acres of valuable
mining ground, it will necessitate the
bringing in ditch some fifteen miles long
which, before it reaches the gravel deposits
must pass through hundreds of acres of
farming land, and at an altitude that will
easily furnish water for the farms below.
From what / have seen l honestly believe
that the Sacramento company have the
biggest thing on the coast.
For the benefit of your readers who are
fond of hunting, l will inform them that
the country abounds in game, such as bear
deer, grouse, and all the small game, such
as hare, squirrels and quail During the
last month several bears have passed along
the road in front of the house, aud some Of
them in broad daylight As we were at
lunch few days since the County JUDGE
on his travels through the county, halted
at the gate and called for every one to come
out, as there was
AN OLD BEAR
And two cubs right in front of the house.
Two of the men dropped knives and forks.
and each taking a rife, called the dogs and
made for the bush. AS | had lost no
bears" climbed to the roof of the house
to see the fun. The boys soon came back,
saying the brush was so thick and the DOGS
no good" not having been trained to
track bear, that ,hey could not find them.
Inc woods are full of deer and at almost
any hour of the day one can see them feed
ing with the cattle on the hillside; and the
quail? why they eat with the chickens, and
some two dozen that were Matched near the
house came into the yard and during the
storm of last week they crowded on to the
porch, even on the door sill, and would
look in at us so innocently that could not
bear TO kill them. So when want quail
dinner | go to the fields for them.
THE GAME LAWS
Are very stringent, but any one is allowed
to kill what they want for theirown use.
| had almost forgotten to mention one
rather interesting item regarding the coun-
ty. They have a most novel way here of
disposing of their paupers. When q man
becomes so poor as to be liable to be thrown
on the county. the people call an election
and elect the man 10 some office, generally
a school Superintendent. At least this has
been the case for the last four years. The
present incumbent a year ago was bed
ridden, and the teachers had to go to his
room for their examination.
J. ]. AIKEN.
Feeble Frames, Shaky Nerves
And dyspeptie stomachs are usually found