Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-05-30
LANDS AND HOMES.

LANDS AND UOMES.
Marion county is situated i'm the
neart Of the magnificent Willamette
valley, the central gem in the clus-
ter OF rich counties that form thul
pTincely domain, and is the banner
commonwealth of the great north
west in all the essentials that go tC-
wards making it a profitable abiding
place, and home for the thrifty
farmer, the cunning artisan and Tie
industrious mechanic.
Rich in its agricultural resources
in its cultivated and uncultivatCd
lands, in its water powers, and
minerals; rich in its colleges and
schools of learning, and with a
climate unsurpassed for its salubrity,
it presents to the immigrant fron,
the Overcrowded states, where cold
winters and hot summers, with
terrible cyclones, prevail, who
comes to the coast with some
means, advantages that no other
county in Oregon possesses.
Much has been written of this
western country that requires &
stretch of the imagination to com.
pTehend, and numerous complaints
are heard from the class who have
been misled by them, so in this
brief sketch the writer desires to
avoid eXageratiOn as to its present
and prospective advantages, asking
those in the east into whose hands
this may fall-particularly those
who have their eyes directed towards
this cOast-to peruse it carefully,
feeling that it is not written to lure
immigrants within it's borders, but
only as a truthful description of u
land which, if it does not "how
milk and honey" contains within
its bosom wealth and resources equal
to any other country on the Pacific
side of the Rocky mountains.
BOUNDARIES.
Marion county is bounded on the
north by the Willamette river and
Butte creek which separates it from
Clackamas county; on the east IN
tlackamas county and the Cascauc
mountains, which separate it from
Wasco county; on the south by tie
Santiam river and the north fork OF
the Santiam, separating it from
Linn county,and on the west by Tie
Willamette river.
PHYSICAL FORMATION.
The county contains, includu&
valley, prairie and mountain lanUo,
about 100000 acres.
There are two main divisions, tho
mountain and the valley. The
latter extends from the Willamette
river to the foot of the CascaG,
mountains, a distance of about f. =
teen miles.
The mountainous portion conta.Ls
some fourteen townships of mostly
unsurveyed land; lying in str,l
twelve miles north and south lE
forty miles east and west, and con-
prises all classes of land, from rich
narrow valleys in the passee, NJ
through all the grades of rolling,
hillV and broken, to that of rOcn'
bound canyons and inaccessible
craggy peaks. 1t is generally heavily
timbered, and in the near future
will be valuable for it's lumber SUI
plies. These hills and mountains
afford wonderful summer rantt
for stock, and many of the more ch-
terprising farmers are availing them
selves of this opportunity, and Whcn
Tie cold frOsts of autumn approach,
the stock are brought out to freslI
pastures, thus enabling them to sur
1--WE the winter storms with, little
care.
GREAT ADVANTAGES.
A decided advantage Marion coun'
~ has over many others is the di'
versified farming interest that cal
be carried on throught the entire
wear; Notwithstanding this is a wei
climate during the winter months
| the uplands are seldom too wet I,
work, and long before the prairie
farmers are through with their sceu
| inc, the hill farmer is preparing Ioi
| his summer work. And yet tht
! low lands are much preferred by
muny; the yield per acre is generally
greater, and perhaps less labor is re
duired to place the soil in propel
| condition for crops; and then shoulc
the season prove dry, the bottom
| lands are sure 10 DTlnB the pVo
crops. No better farming land cai
be found in the United States than
that on the noted Howell prairie
French prairie, Santiam prairie anC
Salem prairie. The soil of these arr
wonderfully productive. With gooC
cultivation, forty bushels Of whea
and sixty of oats per acre can b'
!cadily secured.
FACILITIES FOR MARKET.
The Willamette river, with TIVE
lines of railroad running the entir'
length of the county from north L
south, with the Oregon Pacific roaC
crossing the southeast corner Of thu
county, affords ample facilities t
reach a market in any direction.
! SALEM
Is the capital of the state an'
county seat of Marion county, stu
ated on the Willamette river-an'
ON the o. q G.. railroad. COST.
buildings have been erected, amonl
which the state capitol building
county court house, Chemekete hotel
opera house, new public schoo
building. Catholic school building
! Methodist church Willamette Uni