The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-06-07

ships a tuition of S. per quarter must be
paid. The college is now under good min-
agement and is doing efficient work. Many
addicions to it's present means for instruc-
ton are, however, contemplated for the
near future, amoug which are the erection of
military drill hall and shop for instruction
in iron and wood working and buildings for
the use of the experiment farm, and the
purchase of animals for properly stocking
the farm. 1t has an excellent start and
very gratifying prospects for rapid growth
The influence Of this institution will be wide
and constantly increasing.
The Benton county court house, with one
exception the finest and most expensive In
the stat, is just receiving its finishing
touches. 1t is large three-story brick
structure, erected at cost of SOS 200, and
is an ornament to the city and a credit to
the county. The basement is made of a
superior quality of gray granite, which is
quarried near the city and the bricks were
also manufactured at home. The interior
| is finished in fir, white pine and redwood
in their natural calors. The city is now
making preparations for the erection of a
school building this season, to cost about
S25, 900. This will give Corvallis better
public buildings than any other town of its
size in the northwest.
| The city now has two public school build
ings, in which two hundred and eighty live
pupils are regularly taught by five teachers.
Six teachers will be required next year.
fThe annual expenditure for school purposes
is about $4,000. The churches of the city
are Methodist, Southern Methodist, Con-
gregationalist, Presbyterian, Evangelical,
|Chrlstain, Episcopal and Roman Catholic.
There are two lodges .of Free Masons. one of
Knights of Pythias, one of United Work.
ag Il Il F.,n ns .'.atn.
plars, Grand Array post, Woman's Relief
tCorps auxiliary to &. A. r., and Woman's
}Christian Temperance Union. A free read
ling room is supported by the citizens. The
city has telephone exchange and is con-
lnected by telephone with Philo,path, a viii
lage of about three hundred people seven
: miles west of Corvallis. An efficient water
works system furnishes water for general
consumption and fire protection. 1t has
two iron and wooden tanks, with capacity
of thirty thousand gallons each, erected
seventy feet above the grouud. and ordina.
rily the pressure from then. is all that ia ap-
Piled to the pipes, but in Gaze of fire press
ure is supplied direct from the steam pumps.
The volunteer fire department. consists of
one engine company, one hook and ladder
company and two hose companies, well dis
ciplined and e iuipped.
The assessed valuation of Corvallis prop
erty is $793, 900, and of the county 1867,
$40. The county has twenty hun
dred horses and mules, and nearly ten thou
sand cattle, nearly fourteen Thousand sheep,
, and thirty two hundred swine. These are
the figures taken from the assessment roll,
and they bear about the same relation to
the actual number and valuation as the as
. sessments throughout the state-only a
fraction of the true value.
> Corvallis has twoprivate banking houses,
one OF which has a branch establishment at
y Yaquina. Both are doing.a prosperous busi
ness, that is gradually increasing i'll volume
. Financial matters throughout the county are
in very healthy state. Two weekly news
papers are published in the city--the Cor
9 WALLIS GAZETTE, and the Times-and ont
> semi. weekly-the Lea,ler--all of them being
enterprising local journals. A board O
trade, recently organized, is doing vigorous
work in promoting the interests Of the city
:, The citizens are moving in concert to pusl
a their locality to the front, and are already
s attaining gratifying results.
Some Of the enterprises which have con
tributed to the growth of Corvallis ant
q placed it in a position for future advance
l.. lment deserve special mention. One Of thes
r is the Willamette Valley & Coast railway,
e concern conceived and inaugurated by Cor
Wallis men and capital. This road is noy
= operated by the Oregon Pacific c"mpan..
a under it's construction contract with tn
,f Willamette Valley & Coast Company, ant
r. it is generally known as the Oregon Pacific
!. 1t Was started twelve years ago, but sever
r. al years passed in making the prelimlnar
n arrangements and constructing the. line from
o Yauuina bay to Corvallis. From that point
:, in accordance with the original design,
was continued eastward, ant it crossed tn
:. Willamette river at Albany and pushed fo
n eastern connections beyond the Cascades
y The line is now completed nearly hundre
). miles ca It of Corvallis, and the comin
summer it is expected to complete the trac
o. across the mountains. 80 that it will be /
u. operation in eastern Oregon next season.
Iv is generally understood that the Chicago
= Northwestern; company is behind this eI
K terprise and that the eastern connection wi
nf be with that great railway system, whic
Il will render it entirely free from any poss
h BILE handicap from any other transcontinel
10 tai lines. Corvallis LIZ looking forw ard.
il the completion of this road with. assIranc
that it will inaugurate new era for tn
i. region 1t will make that one OF the prom
< inent objective points for immi grants fror
n. the east who would never think OF visitin
n it as it lies now, a little removed fIOm th
al through lines of travel. The general office
j. of the railroad are in Corvallis and all il
at funds are handled there.
tv few years ago, when the Willard. il
- fluence was at ITS highest in Oregon. th
At plan of connecting what was west side div
ne sion of the Oregon 4 California railroad
o which already had its southern terminus
in Cory alis, with ths main line of the road &
h. Junction was formulated. The route wa
ed surveyed and active preparations for cor
Il structing the track were begun. The con
n. paRy even went SO far as To get out britle
or timbers and drive piles for bridges, and the
Of came the collapse of the Willard scheme
nd and this project was dropped. Latel,
Il however, this matter has been, revived, al
as the newly organizei board Of trade of ca
IN Wallis has taken hold of it with, a. good. pro
h. pect of accomplishing the object in view
n. A strong petition has been gotten up an
4 extensively signed by the citizens of Corva
ed lis and vicinity, and it is also being circui
nt ted in the towns on. the railroad. this side
Corvallis. This plan, having been so nearl
of tconsumated before, and the conditions beiI
;s so ripe for it now, it is considered a practic
Y certainty for the near fnture. With tn
nd lenterprise completed, Corvallis will be 9
no another through transportation line. III
w. west side of the Willamette valley wou
* ~ then have the same advantages, that I'll
M. east side has long enjoyed, and the ter
ts "Willamette valley" will soon. come
m. mean more to, visitors in the west, than tl
nv land bordering the ,eastside OF the river.
is. Entirely aside from. prospective increa
en- of TRANSFORMATION facilities, however, Co