Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-06-09

pany, and promised to psy him
lengthy visit if he ever went to the
valley again.
In this famed Walla Walla valley
the crops never wholly fail, water
abounds for all purposes, and three.
year-old orchards yield from $50 to
$500 per acre per year. The yield Of
wheat averages so bushels per acre.
yield OF 65 to rs not being unusual.
Very little irrigation is required, the
air being FRI quently filled with fine
dust which settles on tho land, thus
preserving tho moisture. Fruit lands
are held at 900 to $500 per acre-the
latter price being for orchards.
As already stated como Of the land
near Pendleton 10 not good. In fact,
whole sections have reverted to the
government, tho settlers having found
it impossible to make living upon it.
But where the soil is good, it is very
good, and con.idered sure for fifty or
sixty bushels of wheat to tho acre.
Once . farmer gets his seed in the
ground he can borrow up to thirty "
forty bushels per acre from the nsar-
est bank, At the rate of Eve to SIX per
cent. per annum: Portland capital
abounds in the "Iuland EMPIRE" as
it il called, aud loans on long time are
made at IS low . rate - four per cent.
Outside Of tho agricultural com.
munities, however, the people do not
seem very prosperous, wages are low
aud idle men plenty. At Pendleton,
for instance, printers get Gil per week;
ma.ons, - to $3.50 per day; laborers.
ii to $3.50 per day. In Walla Walla,
Colfax and Moscow wages are much
better, printers getting SIS to $1S per
week, masons % to "a per day. and
labosers @l.5Ot' - per day. Othe,
avocasions are paid propo'tionately.
THE ORE3ON METROPOLIS.
Portland, tho metropolis Of the
Webfooters. 10 fairly prosperous.
Very Tow cent buildiogs are seen,
and the price Of real estate is appreci.
atine steadily. Lots that n years
ago were offered this reptrtrr It 1850
aud $500, are now held at $1,000 to
$4,000. But houses do not seem to
rent for good figures. An ex resident
If HALEY, for instance, occup'e. .
fairly elegant dwelling Of some eight
or nine rooms, with we'll kept lawn,
fee shrubbery and roses, in tho best
quarter of Portland, for which he pay .
only t35 rent per mocth. A. the
property must be worth fully $4,000,
aud the owner must pay taxes, ,nsur.
ance and repairs out of the rent, it 10
evident that he is not getting a very
high rate on his investment.
THE SOUND CITIES.
| Seattle, Tacoma and Famhaven
have almost been doomed TO death.
In Seattle and Tacoma, many blocks
OF business buildings are unoecupied,
and even where the ground floor ia
occupied the upper floors are eener-
ally ticketed Ito let." Probably one.
third Of all the business portion Of
the cities named are thus ticketed
In Fairhaven q worse coalition oil
affairs is reported, and it is even
stated that many OF those now rem ain
ing there will have to leave for more
prosperous localities.
In Portland, Tacoma and Seattle
there are many hundred unemployed
The managers of stores, mills, o.
works in course Of construction arr
pestered with applications for work
and much suffering m lst ensue.
The New Northwest, While still
offering inducements to the agricul
turist, the miner and the man o
> means, is therefore good country TO
> a poor man to stay away from. Wit
the exception Of Portlsnd-whic
never hal boom-it will take full
10 years for the country to ''cstch u
with the towns"