Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-07
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST,

A Marvellous Opening Up Of Industries
ana settlement Through the Advent of
Fsnways-A Country Rich in "A gricul-
ture' Timber, Minerals, Stock, and
observation-disclosures Climate and
Wonderful Scenery.
PORTLAND. Oregon, Aug. ~, 1888.-In the
mind OF the observer who takes but furtive
glances from the car window in Fastening
through the Pacific Northwest, the impress
sions created may not be altogether favor
able. but the man who comes and looks for
facts VIII be favored by a constant success
sion OF surprises. Its agricultural resources;
its mineral wealth; its timber; its manu-
featuring possibilities. through the close
association Of Empower and raw ma
terial: its climate; and u full share Of those
superb creations Of nature which distinguish
our country from all others, convey to the
Intelligent traveller the most gratifying
thoughts. assuring him of its future prog
ress and prosperity.
WHERE IS OREGON?
1t IS the State Of the Pacific Northwest.
and has the ocean for its western boundary,
II IS pounded on the north by Washington
Territory, on the east by Idaho, and on the
south by Nevada and California. 1t has an
million acres. larger than Old England and
New England combined, and is capable of
supporting ten persons where it now has
one. II you have never been there. admit
CnaI you KNOW nothing or very little about
1t. oregon has not only a variety of material
resources. but there is difference in the
climate east and west of the Cascade
Mountains. On the coast there are four
seasons, but two only are conspicuous-the
wet and the dry-while in the eastern part
OF the State there is a greater range of
temperature. the winter. however, rarely
having more than few weeks or months of
snow. with summers cooler and more equa-
BILE than in the States east. The rainy season
| on the coast is in the winter, and the idea is
common that the rainfall is excessive, but
wrong, because the Signal Service shows
every South Atlantic and Gulf State to have
from five to twenty inches more of rain than
Portland. where the annual average is fif-
| teen to twenty inches in excess of the States
OF the Upper Mississippi Valley. In the
Southern States the rain is heavy; out here
the showers are lighter. come oftener. and
never with driving wind and without the
shtvering dampness usual to the rainy sea-
sons on the Atlantic coast. The snowfall at
| Portland is light. seldom enough for sleigh
| ing In the heat of summer there is no sun
stroke, nor the lassitude of Southern Cali
| fornia. and no night was ever so hot as to
preclude the need of bed clothing. The
reasons for so mild and uniform climate SO
! far north have been so often told that O
mere mention of the chief one is all that is
necessary. This is the influence of the
| Japan current. an immense gulf stream"
| in the Pacific Ocean which sweeps toward
| the North Pacific coast and affects it as the
Gulf Stream does the British Islands. The
| potency of the Japan current is seen whe n
we state that the annual temperature OF
Sitka, Alaska. is about that of Minnesota
This current is the source of the, Chinook