Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-04-06
LANDS And HOMES.

,,-;on county is situated in the
Ma'1fft ~ the magnificent Willamette
bear. - tbe central gem in the clus-
yaic .o of rich counties that form thaI
81 eiiDcely =, domain, and is the banner
prlnl,o,,,onwealth of the great north
colllliiO ~, oil the essentials that go to-
WestS Sl - making it a profitable abiding
TaluS and n home for the thrifty
plsce, 6r tbe cunning artisan and the
!Saidnstrious mechanic.
lngGsbtl'i gisb in its agricultural resources,
ITS lis cultivated and uncultlVate9
inrds y Ia in its water powers, and
ai,u9, aii,nor,als. rich in its colleges ana
mlneiiS minnis of learning, and with a
sGllootf I!poo 70 unsurpassed for its salubrity,
q ellll,%se llrasents to the immigrant from
" io[vyercrowded states, where cold
Lle i.tors U and hot summers, with
While While cyclones, prevail, who
Oones to the coast win some
U,oans Oo advantages that no other
nountv in Oregon possesses. -.
oVI,,cb has been written OF this
sutorn Torn country that requires
Seotc ,eotcb of the imagination to COM
slIl'Lond and numerous complaints
Tbaard from the class who have
an lo misled by them, 50 in this
W. W. sketch the writer desires to
void o,,y exageration as to its present
AND irrespective advantages, asking
Az sLOsa p in the east into whose hands
.his NJ NAV fall-particularly those
'I, 'rbo have their eyes directed towards
tbis gHo coast-to peruse it carefully,
s1ni;ng WI that it is not written to lure
!e.r,; eem Grants within it's borders, but
INV nniv 9s a truthful description of a
land land which, if it does not flow
milk milk and honey" contains within
itU ii bosom wealth and resources equal
:" anv other country on the Pacific
side Of the Rocky mountains.
BOUNDARIES.
Marion county is bounded on the
north by the Willamette river and
Rmtte creek which separates it from
GIockamas county; on the east by
Ciackamas county and the Cascade
monntains, which separate it from
Wasco county; on the south by the
Santiam river and the north fork of
the 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 800, 900 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, 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,
billy and broken, to that of rock
bound canyons and inaccessible
eraggy 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-
yersified farming interest that can
be carried on throught the entire
year; Notwithstanding this is a 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