The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-08-12
going to get there" Truly, it Is a good


ly land. II may and undoubtedly has it
! drawbacks, in common with mos
countries, but they were not apparen
on the face Of 1t. All kinds Of grain
and fruits common toany Of the middl
states along the great lakes are raiset
here to perfection, and the valleys seen
i ! particularly adapted to fruit; peaches
pears, prunes, plums, apples and SO on
Corn does not mature ON account of tn,
cold nights. The elevation is but q few
feet above the sea level in the valley
proper. There is very little snow ant
that quickly melts. The settlers. say
that the streams which come down from
the mountains and empty into the
Willamette or its tributaries never freeze
and in many towns Of the valley ice il
as scarce as in the tropics.
AS the early settlers fond the countr,
the lands were found to consist of twc
parts, forest and prairie, the latter bare
ofyegetati9n other than the rank grasses
Outside OF the prairie lands is u belt OF
rolling land verging into the hills and
mountains in the higher portions, which
extends entirely around the valley.
These rolling lands are generally cover.
ed with brush which las to he cleared,
but when SO cleared present. many ad.
vantages over the lower lands. The un.
cleared are held ct about S5 an acre
The Chinese are most generally employ.
ed for clearing brush land and the cost
is about $40 an acre. Improved lands
run all the way from $50 to 500 an acre
practically about the price OF the best
Iowa lands.
l have Travelled all oyer this land of
ours, from Atlantic to fhe Pacific and
from Canada to the gulf, and lave in
variably found this: that when climate,
soil and conditions are right for the
profitable growing Of fruits and
grains the price OF land is just as high
as in Illinois or Iowa, or in anv other
old settled state. | have yet to see bet
ter land at the sanls price than i'll our
own state Of South Dakota. And where
ever you go yot find people who think
they could better themselves somewhere
else; the same restless discentent aud
desire for change which means n
constantly shifting population. Thus ii
will be until tho end of time. This
never.ending shifting about is found
more west between tho Mississippi
and the Pacific, twice over. than in the
east, and to which may i,a attributed
the wonderful enterprise { the Great
West. This reminds me, lie yever, that
we heard general complain in the
valleys Of Oregon of the lack Of enter
prise among thu people. stated, this
country was settled before the war and
according to tho testimon. of the in
habitantA themselves isin L. NY respects
not unlike the effete east. fney want
business men and farmers II enterprise
10 come and help develop tho wonder
full resources Of the e..;.n.ry and il
possible get the old fogies out of The
rut.
Through the courtesy OF the Southern
Pacific railway company We passad three
days and two nights looking over the
Willamette and Rogue river valleys,
travelling straight south from Portland
distance OF 81 miles, or nearly to the
California line. The journey was so
arranged that the towns and country
passed through in the night while going
down were made during the day coming
back. Everywhere we were greeted with
the utmost kindness and attention,
breakfasted aud dined, showered with
flowers and stuffed with fruit beyond
r9pletion. 1t was one constant ovation
after the true western style-of which
there is nothing like it on ear,ll-and a
picnic and three ringed circus combined
Wherever it was not pspedient for the
excursionists to be entertained, the Port
land committee Of arrangements saw
that our money would not pass, and as a
matter Of fact all the time we were
travelling in Oregon we were looked
after in this respect. All that was asked
was that we wouldn't wink at the girls.
This was matter That didn't in any
way concern me, of course. but inciden-
tally, it was the general commen; that
Oregon was literally running over with
pretty girls; the station platforms were
actually packed with them-so we were
told. once heard an old and observing
traveller remark that whenever he found
country filled with pretty girls aud
Jersey COWS it was mighty good country
to live in. OF these two adjuncts to
higher civilization the valleys OF Oregon
have plenty, a sort OF a mingling OF
milk and honey, as it were. c. R. I.
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