The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-06-18
A FERTILE SECTION.
Tie Gazette's Special Core
spondent Tells OF
His Trip.

Through the eastern, soathern anu
southwestern portion Of this county
much was seen to please and much to
instruct the writer. A general air OF
prosperity seens to prevail in the above
named portions of the county. Fences
are generally III good repair, and roads
had been worked or work was being done
last week. A better style of roadmaking
seems to be the order of the day than
formerly. Better drainage is beiag ef-
fected and in many places gravel is freely
used as top dressing after the road beds
are raised i'll the center.
Crops generally speaking look well,
although some exceptions were noted
especially where seeding has been done
late on white land. Owing to the ex-
ceptionally dry autumn and very wet
winter the acreage of fall aud winter
grain is hardly as large as usual. How
ever the farme.s seem to have improved
every moment since the good weather
OSSdu lAtS Spl anu SAS oNASo3S ~
spring grain will not fall much, if any,
below the average. Should there be
good shower of rain within the next week
or ten days, crops will be good, except
h re and there in favored localities, will
be short.
The people generally are in good
health and seem hopeful for the future.
Many Improvements were noted, aaaonS
which were new house on part of the
lands of the G. B. Smith estate. Jesse
Porter has been building an addition 10
his residence and making general repairs
around his home. Casper Zierolf is
erecting large barn.
The Liverpool Touring mills have been
set going and will continue to make a
fac quality of -four. The Monroe mills
are also running night and day turning
out rs barrels each "a hours. Both of
these properties are owned by the firm of
A. Wilhelm & Sons, and are among the
substantial evidences of that firms solid-
ity and business sagacity.
DIR. Bond is a new conner in Monroe.
He has fine drug store we'll eqxipped
and has nearly car load of diplomas
from medical colleges and societies. He
is genial, companionable man and the
writer spent ali hour very pleasantly re-
viving old times and OLD acquaintances
in Nebraska. The DR.. incidentally men-
toned that he was Mckinley democrat.
Mr.. E. Brong, an acquaintance, of the
Dr's. was presert and was very enthusi-
astic over the future of the Willamette
valley.
Theo. Wellsher, blacksmith, and ]. c..
Loouey, liverynau, at Monroe, are both
happy aud doing fairly we'll, DIR. T. K.
Chapman also is a resident of Monroe
and enjoys good practice.
. One. of the nights while On this trip
we were graciously entertained by Hugh
Herren an family in the Irish Bend.
The next morning after breakfast he took
us through his prune orchard of fve
acres, which had been well titled and
gave evidence of good yield. He also
accompanied us to the orchards of Hugh
Finley and the Heron boys, his nephews.
Mr.. Finley joined MS and we tramped
through the Heron boys peach and
prune orchard, visiting their dryer,
which by the way, seemed to the writer
to be the best yet seen. The peach trees
in this orchard will yield we'll as will also
the prunes. These young men have a
fine orchard of 4-year-old Italian and
Petite prunes coming on. Mr.. Finley
will have full crop of apples and pears,
a partial crop of peaches and a bountifui
supply of prunes. These orchards seem
to thrive better than any we have visited.
The McElroy orchard on the hill west
of Monroe is welled titled and is loaded
with fruit. 1t is on red hill soil. which
next to the sandy river bottoms. is the
best for fruit.
The Bellfountain orchard is mostly
planted on rolling and hill land. 1t is
five years old and will produce fair
crop. The apples in this orchard, con-
sisting of 80 acres, will bear this year as
much fruit as will be good for the trees.
Most of the prune trees are looking we'll
and are making vigorous growth.
We stayed over night with J. w, Wal
tiers in the southwest part of the county.
He, with ten men, are cutting lumber
out of the mammouth frs that grow in
lo, H.
lures 10000 feet of lumber daily. He
owns a fine home and has good mill
plant and if it were not such task to
get the lumber over the mountains he
would have a bonanza. Mr.. Walters has
carved out his home among the trees by
hord work and is deserving of the sue
cess he is attaining.
Geo. H. Waggoner, Notwithstanding
the hard times, has made little money
during the past few years, and is now
erscting new barn.
Ed Williams is rustler and is deing
well. We broke bread at his table and
enjoyed his genial hospitality very much.
Ed is Simon pure Mckinley man and
is firm believer in the principals of the
republican party. L. H. Hawiey is a
stock raiser in the Belknap settlement,
cattle and goats being his forte. He was
was overstocked on goats last winter and
sustained some losses.
David Perrin, w. S. Humphrey and N.
o. Dodge are prosperous residents of
Dusty precinct, and all three Of them are