Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-07-07

hop business, says it takes 500 an
acre reserve capital to run hop yard
with safety. as a succession of sew
eral bad years will break even a well
managed yard.
The railroad tie industry is not
protected and trust can't be formed;
so this industry Is paralyzed by low
prices. A sound 7xS inch tie, Lon-
tanning 37S feet lumber now brings 10
cents on the railroad. A 6XS tie is
down to Is cents. A few years ago
the price was 27 to 80 cents. At pres
ent prices the saw mill can't run,
labor can't live.
The Mckenzie river runs into the
Willamette at Coburg. 1t is noble
mountain stream noted for it's lum-
Der and its trout. The latter are the
finest in the world, from one to two
feet long, dark and gamy, fat and
finely favored. Some day there Will be
a railroad here to the famous Foley
and Belknap hot springs and sulphur
baths. The rich valleys are dotted
with homes, orchards, hopyards and
grain fields.
The finest field of winter wheat |
saw in Lane county was that of Bruno
Vitus, northeast of Springfield. 1t
was ready for the sickle, level as "a
billiard table, several hundred acres,
and perfectly clear Of weeds No
cookie, tarweed, milkweed, french
pink, colts-fOot, dog-fennel or cinque
foil in that grain. If / wanted seed
wheat, here is where I'd come. There
are very few clean fields, but the
Vitus brothers are good farmers. L
noticed the golden cinque-foil along
the roadside in many places and in
some pastures great blotches of this
weed pest have gained foothold.
We were present at second cele-
bration at WalterYille, where nice
crowd of mountain people greeted us.
The Pleasant Hill band Of twelve
pieces furnished part of the music and
at night an orchestra played for a
dance at the store formerly kept by
Hon. G. H. Baker. The leader of the
band is a brother of Senator b. f.
Mulkey of Polk county, whose father
was for many years circuit preacher
of the Christian church. The Mulkeys
are about as numerous in this part of
Lane county as the Veatches are
about Cottage Grove. Both families
seem 10 be of virile stock. All the
Mulkeys / ever met are Republicans.
1 met about dozen Veatches and
they are all Populists or Bryan Demo
Gratis. The thirteenth one said he
didn't know exactly what he was, and
that is the fix of a great many men
nowadays. The great majority up
this way are for free coinage of both
gold and silver and the more the bet
ter.
AT Walterville there is a store and
pOstoffice. l visited the mountain
ranch of Hon. G. II. Baker, who has
seve.al hundred acres, about one
third in cultivation, He has large
band of mohair goats, fine orchard,
grain fields, and the best garden
have seen this year. His house is
modern Queen Anne cottage with
large rooms, big fireplace, running
spring water, fine barns,and all mod
ern Improvements. There is the
nnesJ nunJlng ana nsnlng, ana Oy
Mr. and Mrs. Bakers efforts Meth
odist church was erected Eear by so
that any want of this world, and the
next, can Re provided. Baker was a
cavalrYman in the Union army and,
like Old John Henry, Of whom James
Whitcomb Riley tells,) she feeds
himself after his stocks all feo."
Both Baker and his stock and his
guests are well fed-the best the
town and county afford. Mrs. Baker
is rare housekeeper and lady, who
would grace any position she chose
TO fill. Baker lives like prince and
so did your traveller.