The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1886-04-21
THE FAR WEST.
An Interesting Letter from Oregon

SEATTLE, w. T., April 10, 1886.
Oregon, in it's present condition,
abounds in natural resources that
will in the near future, when facil-
tiles for transportation are better,
make it one Of the richest States
in the Union. AS yet, many parts
are in an undeveloped condition,
and the "forty-niners" are, as
farmers, so inferior to our Eastern
ones, and pay little attention to
their crops or cultivation of them;
but with the march Of improve
ments we will see a class OF farm
ers who, with the natural fertility
of the soil, will make "a greater
yield to the acre than can be made
by their Eastern neighbors. Both
the Columbia and Willamette val
leys are covered with a black loan
from six to eight feet in depth, so
it does not need the attention or
the use Of fertilizers, the way the
Ohio land does.
With a good class Of farmers,
Oregon would surpass the world
in its crops, as there is SO much
land not taken up" and of the
land taken, but a small part is un-
der cultivation. The climate, with
the exception Of the large rain
fall, is perfect. To think that in
February and March, while you
are having cold, disagreeable
weather, we see flowers in bloom
in the yards, the trees budding,
and, in fact, about such weather
as May and June in Ohio.
The scenery is pleasing to the
eye in all directions. On a clear
day Mt. Hood, Mt. st. Helens, with
three or four small mountains are
in view; and, with flowers in bloom
in our front yard, it seems strange
to see snow-capped mountains
within a few miles. Along the
Columbia river, from Wallula
Junction to Portland, the scenery
is grandeur itself, reminding one
of the Palisades on the Hudson
river; riding along in the cars it
seems at times as if on one side
you could touch the water, while
on the other side rocks rise per-
pendicularly some 1000 feet.
The Chinese question" is now
the great and about the only sub
ject in the minds of the average
"Orsgonian." A great many Chi
nese have been driven by mobs
from the smaller towns, such as
Tacoma and Seattle, Washington
Territory, Rossburg and other
places in Oregon, into Portland;
so there are some 1000 or 5000
in that city. Why the Chinese
have not as good grounds to be in
this country as the Germans, Irish
or any other foreigners, is a view
of the question that does not seem
to strike the anti-coolie part Of the
community.
In Portland, the anti-C Chinese
congress in its session in Febru-
ary, passed resolutions notifying
the Chinese to leave in thirty days
from February 22nd, 80 that troub-
lie was expected on or about the
oath of March. The better class
of the citizens, with such men as
Mayor Gates, Senator Dolph, Fail
ing, Ladd, Corbett and others, have
formed a citizens committee for
the protection of the city from ri
OTIS, ETC., and have had a large
number of deputy sheriffs sworn
in, who patrol the city nightly; so,
with the United States troops sta
toned at Vancouver, who will be
brought here at an hours notice
in case of any attack on the Chi
nese, there seems to be no reason
for any fear on the part of the
Chinese, and so far none have left,
nor seem inclined to do 80.
The Chinese are an industrious,
law-abiding class, taken as whole,
and as house servants, far surpass
the Irish, German and Negro girls
you have to put up with in the
East. They are never idle a mo-
ment, and are cleanly in every
way. Since they have been driv-
en- from Seattle, many of the fam
lilies there have been obliged to do
their own work in every way, as
the servant girls in this country
want to be considered members Of
the family, and be put on a social
equality with the lady of the
house, demanding the use of the
parlor certain number of even
ings each week.
Wood being the principal fuel,
one Of the points of conflict be-
tween the Chinese and the "labor-
ing man." is the saving and split