Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-08-29
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

A Marvellous Opening Up of Industries
and Settlement Through the Advent OF
Railways-A Country Rich in AgricuI-
ture, Timber, Minerals, Stock, and
Water-Power-Unsu rpassed Climate and
Wonderful Scenery.
PORTLAND, Oregon, Aug. %, 1SS8.-In the
mind of the observer who takes but furtive
chances from the car window in fastening
through the Pacific Northwest, the impress
s1ons created may not be altogether favor
able, but the man who comes and looks for
1acts Will be favored by a constant success
sion OF surprises Its agricultural resources;
Its mineral wealth; it's timber; it's manu-
featuring possibilities, through the close
association of water-power and raw ma
ter1al; its climate; and 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 it's future prog
ress and prosperity.
WHERE rs OREGON?
1t is the State of the Pacific Northwest,
and has the ocean for it's western boundary.
1t is bounded on the north by Washington
Territory, on the east by Idaho, and on the
south by Nevada and California. 1t has an
area OF $4,000 square miles, or over sixty
million acres larger than Old England and
New England combined, and is capable of
supporting ten persons where it now has
one. If you have never been there, admit
that you know nothing or very little about
1t. Oregon has not only 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 Il greater range Of
temperature, the winter, however, rarely
having more than a 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
shivering 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 sum
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 a
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 when
we state that the annual temperature OF
Sitka, Alaska, is about that of Minnesota
This current is the source of the Chinook
winds. which pass inland to Montana and
even Dakota, melting in a Few hours the
snow in Oregon and Washington Territory,
and allowing the stock to crop the heritage,
which is green and growing under the snow.
The lawns of Portland are bright and green the
whole winter through, and flowers bloom in the
open air long after the frost has withered the
vegetation of Virginia. Thunder storms. are
practically unknown, and there has never been
a blizzard or cyclone The farmers can pillow In
the coolest part of Oregon early February,