The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-17
THE BEAUTIFUL
WILLAMETTE
One Of The Mast Remarkable Valleys
10 the World and II l'opuIer
Fart Of 0reOOn,
CONNECTION WITH ASTORIA
-
Na.ufal boad bstNssn ruaeue and the City
b, the Sea to Improve Willamette
M'sr 80 Freight caa Nc IsaH.
onsbly Shipped to Ocean.
CONNECTION WITH ASTORIA

n willamette valley Is ono OF tho
moat remarkable In tho world. and will
always bV tho most popular part Of ore.
Eon. Ito development. although the
mos, advanced OF any part OF our state.
has hardly begun
Tho iowlands, or levels. which extend,
on Tho average. ten To twenty miles ON
each eide ot tho river, havo been farmod
over IN q certain fashion by the grain
rala"r hut have not by any meanu been
put ~ IN th'lr fui proiuotiyonraa
Their productive value rAa - doubled ur
ttohled ~ two syntuma OF culture. which
are already 30 soma extent IN protuna OF
introduction one Of these In the grow.
lhE ~ clover. alalkr. alfalfa. utc which
ruhoNH tbs nitrogen OF tho soil; and the
other II Undertaking. which doubles or
gualtupl's Tho depth VI soil. and makes
u p'thrahlr to Tho lupt Of nl the pla4iis.
Another sort OF treatment. which ID fol.
lowed 10 very small extent 10y any SGT
plan. 10 tho Unr OF dams on tho Hood
lahaa to catch tho nodimuntation ow.
'WA -" WV NNhN lFcnh0N every year ana
IN" large amount of mud ia tho mood
water, any overflow land may not only
10 renewed zach winter. but DO brought
to a condition resembling an ash heap,
TOT ulih Thla method Of fertilization
ana pulNvrisation OF dlsaulyinE OF tho
soil 10 IN actual operation On az least
ono farm In tho valley. and 10y the simple.
natural noo'ilns alung tho river hotiomA
a similar renewal takua place alnipnt
every year
hu II 10 not the level lands. OF witch
thoFr aru probably two million acrps,
mat form either tho beauty ct EFoatust
value " this valley, Through the con.
tral part Of Il extend ranges of low hills
and solitary button. disposed like Islands
Ia an inland sea. an indeed they once
were. seldom anywhrfc rising TO an cir.
walton OF over leo fovt. and rarely 10
a"N Tor the most par, having very long
and easy nlopoa
heihS surrounded by tho extensive wall
Toy. where warm airs rise at evening
and Ian their uid~a. and being composed
"t volcanic rocks. rich In lime and phoa.
pilates. all the other material necessary
Tor the growth OF trees. these hills anord
the natural places for orchards and nut
srpNra They are tho natural rlaco. too,
Tor homes, being both beautiful ana
slightly,
A. trees or vines, such a. fruit trees.
or nut trees. or grape vines, produce
moro food per acre than any other form
OF vegetation. tho productive value OF
thrar hills In easily seen.
nut not only does this iaFEo country
have It's central. or old island. chains OF
hills. but surrounding it on the weat,
south and east arc tho foothill lands
amphlthrauira elevations and piatraux.
wAIervi BY lnnumsrabio streams OF the
beat water. producing u soil Of great fer.
UNITY. and In some eases of axtraordi.
nary depth. This foothili lands. white
In many places an good for fruit, 49, tho
coniral hills, are best adapted to tho
grains and e~loycrH, and will be the home
OF tho dairymhh and Htockman.
Tn beat valleys AZ any drnucly popu-
lated Eastern state. such as Nrw York.
or krntucky, or OF European states.
such as France or Italy, van hardly equal
tho willamette valley In IT, natural
bounty, or beauty. either II comparrs
remarkably we'll With tho valley or tho
To. Ia Italy. being In about the same
latitude. n having somewhat tho Same
productions, though hardly 80 warm a
climate. and In alno OF about tho namc
area
Near mo head o.! tho Willamette val
10y IL the city " Eugene. u " situated
near, though not at. the confluence OF tho
two main branches NJ tn Willamette
the Mackenzie AMI the Middle Fork. II
n a rhott DISTANCE south OF the ihttrr
branch. hut II not situated Immediately
on the river bank. and has none N tho
characteristic of a river town. About
ton milcn east, across tho meadows NJ the
two rivers, rise the foothills u the Cas-
cadr mountains About nVe mll,a west
begin the low hills that swell az length.
twenty miles further. into the Coast
any which Ia here very low itself on
tho south there Rrv low rolling plains.
or hills. that culminato at ionglh IN u
very steep zone, ncary 2Oo feet high,
called Spcncrr'E butte, which closes the
View. To the north. In unbrokcn pros
pcct, except for an odd little butte hc-
tween tho town and river. stretches away
the great plain " the upper Willamette
The butte rctcrrrd to-Sklnncr'H-which
In hHld on the south side. and about so
feet high, forms u pictpr 'aquc part OF
the town, has a number ot nnc residences
and IN utilized ut the top for tho city
reservoir. also for an observatory OF the
university. the name Of the founder OF
the place. Eugene Skinner. ls pcrpotuatcd
In that or the town and the hill
Eugene n the business eentcr OF Lame
county. which has a large area, Sonc
3,0oo.0u acres. NJ which NNoOo are rnid to
be- cultivated, and n population Of over
ih.onn over u million bushels OF grain,
quarter q million dollars worth Of hops.
and nearly all the other farm products.
hrc raised each year Eight thousand
horses. i5,OO0 swine. 26.OO cattle and S0.OO0
sheep were reported In the county n Few
years since,
, The city IL we'll and even handsomely
built. with broad streets. shade trees.
large blocks and numerous nllcyways,
good brick stores. fair public buildings.
a beautiful mndNrn Jail, AMI many very
nice residences, tts many attractive
residences, Indeed, numbers OF which ARE
pretty. ana many handsome, with large
door yards. plenty OF shade trees, lawns.
kitchen garden, flowers, and the general
n%lrinoss. roslnesH, comfort and rcpnse OF
u spacious, inland, quiet, easy going hut
stlll enterprlsng ~plRce-these are thu chief
charms OF Eugene,
II has the state university. too. with
It, atHtcly buildings. extensive campus,
many students and learned faculty.
what ought TO interest Astoria most
In Eugene II the plan now pretty web
maturcd, for improving the Willamette
river 40 m to make II navlgnblc at all
SEASONS for steamers to that city. When
his II done freight may be shipped az
81 n ton from Eugene to Astoria. THE
most OF II will como by rail, but the
waterway will fix the price.
The mouth OF the Columbia will al
why's he the natural outlet for the pro-
auctions OF the Willamette valley,