Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-04-05
LANDS AND HOMES.

lion comfy is situated in the
MAJ va of tbe magnificent Willamette
neIi na.,. tbp central gem in the clus-
vaile rich counties that form that
tei eiinceiv y, domain, andis the banner
plLnInnuu1onwealth of the great north
COM cOlllliiiD IN all the essentials that go to-
west ws5s - making it a profitable abiding
Walu ,1 and a home for the thrifty
snar giaov the cunning artisan ana the
inpdnstrious mechanic.
ln9isbt pieb in its agricultural resources,
NJ ~ cultivated and uncultivated
M III AZ i'm its water powers, and
ai,uS aiii,roIals. rich in its colleges and
lInbools of learning, and with
syo 'Iin9ote unsurpassed for its salubrlty,
!. gli ,,,,es ,,resents to the immigrant from
II ~ ioTLceercrowded states, where cold
.LiI Li,ters and hot summers, with
Willie SIrICI cyclones, prevail, who
N,ln% nIos 10 the coast with some
Cval,y onns advantages that no other
nnnnty l,,Ir in Oregon possesses.
cVvrb cSInSb has been written of this
.autorn tern country that requires "a
.gtretcb of the imagination to COM
pnsrebend, and numerous complaints
ro heard from the class who have
az, alo rnisled by them, so in this
Ssiaf peSS sketch the writer desires to
Void exageration as to its present
"a, anS ,nrospective advantages, asking
sn% tbOsa in the east into whose hands
tbis his NAV ALPHABETICALLY those
vbo have their eyes directedto towards
His coast-to peruse it carefully,
selling that it is not written to lure
ivonnigrants within its borders, but
nniv llriL, 9s n truthful description of a
Iand which, if it does not "how
milk and honey" contains within
its bosom wealth and resources equal
~ m anv other country on the Pacific
sde Of the Rocky mountains.
BOUNDARIES.
Marion county is bounded on the
north hy the Willamette river and
Bntte creek which separates it from
Clackamas county; on the east by
ClaGkamas county and the Cascade
mountains, which separate it from
Wasco county; on the south by the
Santiam river and the north fork of
fhe Santiam, separating it from
Linn county, and on the west by the
willamette river.
PHYSICAL FORMATION.
The county contains, including
valley, prairie and mountain lands,
about 100000 acres.
There are two main divisions, the
mountain and the valley. The
latter extends from the Willamette
river to the foot of the Cascade
mountains, a distance of about fif-
teen miles.
The mountainous portion contains
some fourteen townships of mostly
unsurveyed land; lying in a strip
twelve miles north and south by
forty miles east and west, and COM
prises all classes of land, from rich
narrow valleys in the passes, up
through all the grades of rolling,
hilly and broken, to that of rock
bound canyons and inaccessible
craggy peaks. 1t is generally heavily
timbered, and in the near future
will be valuable for its lumber sup
plies. These hills and mountains
afford a wonderful summer range
for stock, and many of the more en-
terprising farmers are availing them
selves of this opportunity, and when
the cold frosts of autumn approach,
the stock are brought out to fresh
pastures, thus enabling them to sur
vive the winter storms with little
care.
GREAT ADVANTAGES.
A decided advantage Marion cOun-
ty has over many others is the di-
versified farming interest that can
be carried on throught the entire
year; Notwithstanding this is wet
climate during the winter months,
the uplands are seldom too wet to
work, and long before the prairie
farmers are through with their seed
ing, the hill farmer is preparing for
his summer work. And yet the
low lands are much preferred by
many; the yield per acre is generally
greater, and perhaps less labor is re-
quired to place the soil in proper
condition for crops; and then should
the season prove dry, the bottom
lands are sure to bring the best
crops. No better farming land can
be found in the United States than
that on the noted Howell prairie,
French prairie, Santiam prairie and
Salem prairie. The soil of these are
wonderfully productive. With good
cultivation, forty bushels of wheat
and sixty of oats per acre can be
readily secured.
FACILITIES FOR MARKET.
The Willamette river, with two