The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-05
EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS
Wealth of the Country Tributary to
the o. r.. & n. Lines.

Wealth of the Country Tributary to
the 0. r.. & N. Lines.
To the man in the east who is dis
satisfied with the conditions which sur
round him comes the natural inquiry for
that region where conditions may be
found that are more promising for his
success. The great desideratum should
be with every man, Where can produce
maximum of results with a reasonable
expenditure of effort?"- Nature herself,
when she founded Oregon, furnished the
answer to this query. 1t would be diff
cult indeed to find another section OF
country with larger or more varied re-
sources than Oregon. The truth OF this
statement is an axiom-a fact too simple
to require a demonstration the people
already residents of the state. 1t is to
the people of other communities the in
formation herein contained is directed.
They are needed in Oregon to Wrest from
forest field and mine those products
which shall serve to enrich the individual
as well as to develop the resources OF this
commonwealth.
There is no more potent agent for
state development than a railroad. The
Oregon Railroad & Navigation company
has been and will continue to be power
full factor in the advancement OF the IN
terests of this state. The companys
freight and passenger steamers operate
on the Willamette, Yamhill and Columbia
rivers. It's ocean steamers connect with
San Francisco, via Astoria; 1t also
operates trans-Pacific freight and pas
senger line of steamers linking Portland
with the orient. The rail lines OF this
company cover eastern Oregon, eastern
Washington and Idaho draining the traffic
of that region down the banks of the Co.
lumbia to Portland. While the company
has looked strictly after its own affairs.
it has also invariably pursued liberal
policy toward the fostering of all enter
prises tending toward the settlement and
DEVELOPMENT of the territory along its
lines.
The Columbia Southern railway is di-
rectly tributary to the Oregon Railway &
Navigation company. 1t traverses a
wheat belt thirty miles wide and sixty
miles deep, cutting through the center OF
| Sherman county in a southerly direction.
The country south of Shaniko is already
famous for it's stock raising and wool
growing and large mining interests are
| in process of development. Large tracts
of land now unproductive will soon be
u1ader irrigation. Present plans contem-
plate a number of extensions of this line
during 1902 into a country capable or
great agricultural development.
Hood River, Wasco county, on the line
of the Oregon Railway & Navigation COM
pany. is already we'll known for it's Won
derful yield of fruits. Its strawberry and
apple crops will become the envy OF the
world. Concerning the Hood River straw
berry yield, the Davidson Fruit company
and G. J. Gesling, secretary Of the Hood
River Fruit Growers Union, furnish soma
convincing figures of a single years crop.
The seasons product was 10000 crates.
They sent out fifty carloads under refrig-
Grafton and express, which yielded tha
growers $4,000, or net sum OF $4,000
above all expenses. There are about
$50 acres in the Hood River valley and
, on the White Salmon devoted to straw
, berry culture. This shows that the aver
!, age net profit to the farmer was mora
than $3.50 per acre
1t is of interest to note that seven years
ago two men from Ohio located in the
: vicinity of Hood river, purchasing thirty
> acres of timber land. This they have
partially cleared and have set with fruit
: trees. They now have seventeen acres
devoted to apple raising Last year
these yielded 5000 boxes. which, after
paying all expenses of picking, packing,
> etc, will leave the grower about 81 per
! box, or something like $1,000, or nearly
g $500 per acre. What these men have
= done others may accomplish. Not moro
: than third of the land in the Hood
4 river valley adapted to fruit culture Is
n now under cultivation.
G The fruit industry of Sherman and Was
4 co counties is comparatively undeveloped;
9 yet on their uplands. nearly every varl-
ETY. of fruit is grown abundantly and with
D out irrigation.
+ Prior to the construction of the Colum
bia Southern in 1897. single tWo-horse
stage line ,sufficed for the transfer OF all
U passengers, express and mail matter IN
z Sherman county. The railroad company
+ now runs two daily trains-one each way,
: In one year it carried 29,0S0 passengers
Ala tons of express matter and lis tons
a of mail.
+ Two years ago, Shaniko, the Columbia
Southern's terminus, was not on the ma p
y To-day it is a prosperous and growing
q community. 1t contains, besides the rail-
= road shops, the largest wool warehouse
= in the state from which 100000 pounds
have been marketed this year. The coun-
e try about Shaniko is a great cattle-ralslna
q | section, and 400 carloads were shipped
s out for this year, ending June 80, 1901.
No reference has be en- made herein to
f Oregon's mineral resources, yet they are
| enormous, and when fully developed viii
= cut immense figure in Oregon's wealth
4 The Baker City and Sumpter mining dis
s tricts contain large number of shipping
:. mines and are daily growing in import
d ance. About thirty miles south of Shan
r iko lie some very rich mining properties
v One mine has nearly 600 feet of~work'
t ings. Three others. near at hand, are
r equally rich. though not so fully devel'
Il oped. Two miles south of the first mine
:. referred to-, vein of pure copper un
r covered a few days ago at a depth o.
# only twenty feet. There, is undoubtedly
e gold, silver and copper in abundance il
# Oregon. Above the mineral wealth lie:
a fertile farming country. Extending
j. southwark, 10 the California state line
Y is an excellent grazing domain, rapidly
S developing into an agricultural country
e number, of irrigation companies are
rin IN E