Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-05-28
LANDS AND HOMES.

Marion county is situated IN the
neart of the magnificent Willamette
valley. the central gem in the clUs-
ter of rich counties that form that
princelv domain, and is the banner
commonwealth Of the great north
west in all the essentials that go to-
wards making it profitable abiding
place. and a home for the thrifty
farmer, the cunning artisan and the
Industrious mechanic.
Rich in its agricultural resources
in its cultivated and uncultivated
. lands, in its water powers, and
e. minerals: rich in its colleges and
schools of learning, and with a
climate unsurpassed for its salubrity,
it presents to the immigrant from
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 a
stretch of the imagination to COM
| prehend, and numerous complaints
are heard from the class who have
/ been misled by them, so in this
| brief sketch the writer desires to
avoid eXageTation as to its present |
and prospective advantages, asking |
those in the east into whose hands |
this may fall-particulaTly those /
who have their eyes directed towards /
this COast-tO peruse it carefully, |
feeling that it is not written to lure .
immigrants within its borders, but |
only as a truthful description of
land which, if it does not ''fiow
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 by
Clackamas county and the Cascade
mountains, which separate it from
Wasco county; on the south by the
Santiam river and the north fork of
the Santiam, separating it from
Linn courtyard 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 ,
distance of about tit- '
teen miles.
The mountainous portion contains =
some fourteen townships of mostly |
Insurveyed land; lying in IA strip c
twelve miles north and south by .
forty miles east and west, and COM 3
Drises all classes of land, from rich {
narrow valleys in the passes, up
through all the grades of rolling,
lilly and broken, to that of rock
bound canyons and inaccessible
,rHggy peaks. 1t is generally heavily (
and in the near future
will be valuable for its lumber SUI
plies. These hills and mountains
.hOrd wonderful summer range
Or stock, and many of the more en- il
erprising farmers are availing them
'elves of this opportunity, and when NJ
ne cold frosts of autumn approach, n
he stock are brought out to fresh h
PASTURES, thus enabling them to sur is
i've the winter storms with little pl
are.
GREAT ADVANTAGES. ri
\ decided advantage Marion coun- -
Y has over many others is the d.
'ersitied farming interest that can
'e carried on throught the entire
ear; Notwithstanding this is a wet
Innate during the winter months. Z
he uplands are seldom too wet t. =
work, and long before the prairie
lrmers are through with their seed
ny, the hill farmer is preparing for
lis summer work. And yet the
DIV lands are much preferred hy
many; the yield per acre is generally
reater, and perhaps less labor is re-
uircd to place the soil i'm proper
ondition for crops; and then should
he season prove dry, the bottom, ]
lnds are sure to bring the best ~
rops. No better farming land can
t found in the United States than
nat on the noted Howell prairie
'rench prairie, Santiam prairie and
alem prairie. The soil of these are =
'ondertully productive With good
forty bushels of wheat L
nd sixty of oats per acre can be
adily secured.
FACILITIES FOR MARKET.
The Willamette river, with two
mes of railroad running the entire
myth of the county from north to q
'uth, with the Oregon Pacific road =
'OSsing the southeast corner of the
'unty, affords ample facilities 10
ach n market in any direction.
SALEM
Is the capital Of the state and
'uuty seat of Marion county, sim-
ed ON the Willamette river-and
a the q. & &. railroad Costly
lildings have been erected, among
htch the state capitol building
'unty court house, Chemekete hotel W
eN house, new public school -
hiding, Catholic school building vi,
ethodist church, Willamette Uni
'rslty, and many private residences