The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-01-23
OREGON LETTER

ED. GAZETTE: I hope your readers
will not think that it is continually
raining here by not writing to you be-
fore this, for it is not, as we have had
some pleasant sunshiny days.
Mr.. Ellis place gives a fine view of
the Willamette valley and large por-
ton of the city of Salem, while in the
distance can be seen the snow capped
peaks Of Mts. Hood, Jefferson, Tacoma
and St. Helens. It is about three and
a half miles to the south of Salem, on
what is called the red hill lands of the
Willamette valley. Said red land are
said to be peculiarly adapted to fruit
raising, and with proper cultivation
produce large crops of grain and veg
etables. He (Mr. Ellis) bought of the
Oregon Land Co. two lots of five acres
each, containing the homestead build
ings of a large farm which said COM
pany has divided off into five acre lots
to be used for fruit raising, and to
which they have given the enticing
cognomen of Sunny Side fruit farm.
The greater part of these lots have
been taken up and set out to fruit
trees, mostly prunes.
The day after our arrival here proved
an exceedingly pleasant one. The sun
shining brightly, and after the rains
of the preceding days all nature SEEM
ed to be alive and putting on it's most
glorious adornments. When we saw
the green pastures, farmers blowing
and seeding their fields, birds singing
merrily in the trees, the green velvety
lawns divided from each other by
beautiful evergreen hedges of the aro-
matte box and California Privet and
dotted with flowers of various colors,
and the neighbors telling us such
things could be seen every month in
the year only with more added to it in
the spring, we came to the conclusion
that this was the land we had always
been looking for, and felt almost sorry
that we complained of the weather in
our last letter, but alas, we were soon
compelled to lose confidence in the
sayings Of neighbors and to find that
even these native Oregonians are IL
able to err in their predictions of the
weather, for before the day was gone
the clouds began to gather and in a
short time we were treated to a good
sprinkling of Oregon Mist, which for
the next few days was kept up with
varying success.
The old settlers here claim they dc
not have much rain in this valley and
even when it does rain that it does not
wet person, yet when almost every
person we meet carries an umbrella, g
rubber coat or some other waterproof
wrappings, their actions seem to be-
ly their words or that they have some
strange customs here, but to fall into
the ranks as every new conner should
we will admit that it does not rain
often-that is, nice, cool, drenchine
rain that clears the atmosphere of its
impurities invigorating to both mar
and beast but that it is dull sicken
ing continual drizzle-something be-
tween heavy fog and gentle rain.
Before we go any further perhaps {
few words about Salem and it's sur
roundings will not be amiss. Salem il
the capital of Oregon, centrally Located
in the far-famed Willamette valley, il
the northwestern part of the state-i'
situated about fifty miles south O
Portland on the east side of the vii
lamette river, and is on the line of tn
Oregon & California railroad, thereby
giving it direct communication will
San Francisco, the southern termina
ton of this road and the metropolis O
the Pacific coast, and both rail anc
water connections with Portland BY
the Willamette river, which is always
navigable as far as Salem, and from 81
to rs miles further south according K
the stage of the water. Salem is city
of about 10000 inhabitants, has five
miles of street car railroad, a complete
system of water works, electric lights
a good sewerage system put in las
summer at a cost of $4,000. He
streets are wide and lined on each side
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