The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-04-12

LHHANoN, o., Feb. q.

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paper from 8. q. Main OF Sodavllle, Or.
I will just say that ] have known
Main from thecradlc up. ! have just
ceme from his house, pleased to find
him improving In health. j will try
and explain few ideas that Main don't
know. No man can come here and
know as much about the country as
Mains claims to know, in 40 short q
time. First, Mains has not been five
miles nom 6cdavllle since he came
here. Second, Sodavllle at the foot Of
q mountain and is a summer resort, Is
the famous soda springs and 1t Is ~
rocky place as you will find In the
country and he thinks that he has
seen all Of the valley. Mains Is not to
blame for his opinion, but ] will bet
him $40 he has not been on the Will
annette river since he has been here.
He said that the grass dried up in July
and they had to feed until spring.
Nonsense. The grass here dries up in
August, but stock does well until
Christmas. How does that strike you
fellow farmers? My neighbor sold 100
head Of cattle the other day fed from
this washy grass, Mains calls 1t, for
three cents per pound they were nice
fat cattle and had never eaten two tons
of hay in their lives. Ihave lived In
Madison county ten years, and ! have
been here in Oregon three years. i am
we'll known in your town, perhaps too
we'll. Mains said in his letter that the
price Of land ranged from $50 to $40 an
acre. He can buy fine farms from so
to $50 per acre, near town, and possess
ing other advantages. Mains says
that long feeding makes butter 40 and
90 cents per pound; here is where he is
off, business men, lumber men, work
shops and foreign demand takes all of
the butter and cause the high prices.
Mains had better travel over the valley
and take a view of the country and
may be he would see something besides
setting and doing nothing, as he Is
right about failing in Sodaville for they
ate to lazy to scratch their own head,
for saw man give another two bits
to scratch his head, but this does not
speak bad for the country. / have tried
myself to get Mains TO 30 to Albany,
20 miles distance to see fine business
place, but he said II was too far, it |
wsald cost him one dollar to make the
trip. ] would say to Mains i have 80
head of cattle and they have not eaten
Two tons of hay this winter, and some
of them will make good beef. Men
need not come out to Web-foot think
ing they will find fine government
land with fine houses and orchards, like
some think, for 1t is not here. Nm.
Avery came here and tried to get him
to buy o timber.claim which would
have cost him 5000, but he thought 1t
too much. Now the property is worth I
81 400 cash. The erection of saw mill
on the creek near by and the discovery
of a fonrteen-foot vein Of coal one mile
distant is what caused 1t TO raise in
value, so you see 1t takes pretty smart
man to discover the resources Of Oregon
In four months. As for not seeing q
cattle sale since he has been here, Is
because they don't buy cattle at Soda
vile. If he had cattle to sell or want
ID to buy, he could find all he could
pay for, and as for no trading going on
1less his heart every body is a trader
1fr. Editor don't know as i ever
aw you, nor don'tcareif never do, II
you will just print this for me, as l am
Inaturalized Web.foot, and ifyou come
long bymy ranch stopand i will feed
you on good trout and buck meat.
Now, gentlemen, ifyon want as fine
climate as you ever lived In, q id as
Inc soil as you ever titled, aud AS fine
ruit country as ever you saw, and as
Inc water as you ever drank, and as fine
imber as grows, come out to Web-foot
nd bring three or four thousand in-
tead ofthree or four hundred dollars,
nd If you don't find just what you
rant call on Mr. Cyrus, Lebanon, Ore
on, andif he don't fix you l will set
hem up.
Ar. Editor, ] will quit, and If this is :
ublished Twill feel proud, AS this Is my "A
rst, and my children will feel proud to