Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-06-27
THE GREAT NORTHWEST.
1t viii Prosper, but Can Never Equal
California.


From the Oakland Tribune
W. II. Mills, Vice President of the Cali
fornia State Board of Trade, and Land
Agent of the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany, has just returned with his family
from thirteen days trip through Oregon
and Washington, during which time he
has visited all the prominent sections of
the country in his travels of over 2, 100 miles
by rail.
In an interview Mr.. Mills says the i'm
migration of Oregon and Washington is
much greater than that of California, and
is only exceeded by the influx to Southern
California two years ago, which he thinks
was the most phenomenal wave of immi-
grafton known in modern history.
The scenery from the summit of the Sis
kiyou Mountains and on up to Portland
and thence up the Columbia river to The
Dalles Mr.. Mills describes as the finest
panorama eyer seen from the window Of a
car or the deck of steamboat. From the
summit of the Siskiyou Mountains the
most interesting picture is obtained of
Mount Shasta, whose great hight of over
IA, 600 feet cannot be realized unless one
sees it from the highest accessible ranges
at distance of some seventy-five miles.
He says mankind in general is intolerant
OF differences, and for that reason immi-
grafton moves in about the same latitude.
The Swede and Norwegian go into Wis
consin and Minnesota and the Italian into
the grape and olive districts because they
find things somewhat the same as they
were at home. 1t Is, therefore, not difficult
for the Californian, casting aside his knowl-
ledge of the actual production of the State.
when he rides through the Sacramento val
ley up into Oregon to tell why Oregon is a
sight more attractive than California. 1t is
more likely to captiyate the Eastern Wis.,
itor, because its verdure and flora and
wheat fields look more like those of Ohio
or Iowa than those of the Sacramento val
ley. That is why Oregon and Washington,
with their comparatively recent transconti-
mental communications, are temporarily
filling up more rapidly than California.
However, Mr.. Mills says there is limit to
this which will soon be felt. The limit
lies in the cost Of preparing land for horti-
cultural and agricultural purposes.
The thlckly umbered country must be
cleared and artificial moisture supplied
and all this costs heavily. Western Ore.
gon, he says, is one vast, heavily timbered
country, more thickly covered with fir and
sugar pines than are the forest regions OF
California. and unlike the timbered lands
of this State the growth is rank and impen-
etrable. After deducting the value of the
uncut timber from the cost of clearing (S15S
per acre) an owner who was clearing his
land would still be out $40 per acre before
he could SOW a crop or plant an orchard,
and II he neglected his clearing for a few
years all his labor would be lost This ex-
pense is necessary before the land can be
made as good as tina: of the San JOAQUIN
valley which only costs $40 per acre to
water. In other words, it costs the Oregonian
fifteen times as much to put his land in
order as it does the Californian. However,
MIR. Mills thinks that the Oregon people
could make money in their lumber and
sheep and cattle interests, which, he as
serts, is better than CALIFORNIA;, because
that State has better variety of grasses for
the cattle.
Oregon can always raise finer apples
than California for climatic reasons, but he
thinks their agricultural interests can never
compete with the Golden State. Oregon
raises better oats than California. It's wool
Is unsurpassed in the United States and SC
he thinks Oregon has plenty of resources
OF its own. Although a good cattle coun-
try Mr.. Mills found that Oregon is import
ing over 70 per cent. of its butter from Cal
ltornia, W ereas if it should make its own
butter and rely on its natural resources ii
States in the Union.
With reference to the relative grsYth OF
Portland and its rival, Tacoma, Mr.. Mills
said Portland is city of 10000 inhabit.
ants with solidity necessitated by the de-
mands of the country of which it is the
commercial center. Il is the effect of a
cause.-The outgrowth of necessity.
Tacoma is city of 5000 inhabitants
which seems to have carried on improve.
ments with kind of mortgage on poster
ity. 1t has, by its enterprise invited a
larger population, which it NAV not get
When one sees magnificent theater. as
large as the California Theater of San
francisco, in the process of construction
nearly completed for a city of Is, 600 people
he cannot help believing that it has been
erected as a cause and not an effect 1t has
been erected, not rs a necessity demanded
by theater population, but as an invita-
ton for theater-loving people to come to
Tacoma, Portland shows soiidlty in
everything. Some of its largest merchant
houses would do credit TO San Francisco OF
New York.
The trip from San Francisco to Tacoma
or the Dalles is well worth taking, con-
cluded Mr.. Mills. One travels 500 miles
for about $i4, round trip fare, which is 81
less than the Yosemite. The cost of living
en- route is not nearly as much as to Yo.
semitic, while the scenery-except right in
Yosemite, of course-is above comparison
to that of the Yosemite trip. " Yes, the
northwest is progressing rapidly, aud il
they don't go against the grain industry
will succeed. But as an agricultural and
horticultural country California will sur.
pass the entire northwest. Last year Ore
gon and Washington imported from the
East, by the Northern Pacific Railroad
grapes and fruit. This year the California
State Board of Trade will see that no more
fruit comes from the East"