East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-12-28
HOFER's PRIZE ARTICLE ON OREGON


Following are extracts from the
prize article on Oregon. written by E.
Hofer. of the Capital Journal of Sa-
lem.
The article was entered in the con-
test started by the Commercial Club
of Portland. several months ago. II
was printed in Clayton county,
Iowa, paper, and won the first prize
of $50 offered by the Portland Com
mercial Club. The article, in part, is
as follows:
The population of Oregon is COM
prised of the choicest immigration
from the Eastern states, mostly Amer
leans. In the past decade we have re-
ceived a number of communities of
foreigners: this county has several
towns that are mostly German; an
other large settlement of Scandinavia
ans and a scattering of other nation
alities. These elements all blend to-
gether to make a highly prosperous
community. I could take columns of
your paper to tell you about our won
derful scenery, our forests and noun
tain ranges. Large portions of the
state are being brought under culti-
vation by irrigation enterprises. Our
state has grand and noble rivers,
finding their way from the mountains
to the sea. These rivers are stocked
with many varieties of salmon, form
ing large part of the worlds supply
of this royal fish.
Our 500 miles of coast line is in
dented with many good harbors, beau
tiful bays and delightful beaches, and
summer resorts. While in the East
'ern states 1t is principally the mil
lionaires who can afford to spend
their summers at the ocean. in Oregon
any family of moderate means can
beaches Your readers have all
heard of our great timber wealth and
undeveloped mineral resources We
are about second or third as a gold
producing state, and our mountains
are rich in attractions for the pros
pector, and our country is overrun
with timber land locators. Western
Oregon has just as fine a dairy region
as any part of your state, with this
difference, we have no freezing in
winter. and require no ice in sum-
mer. In addition to general farm
ing. cattle and swine raising, we have
in Oregon many big money crops that
produce annually more wealth per
capita from the soil than probably
any state in the Union.
There is not a finer farming region
lying out of doors. The beautiful blue
river. rising in the noun
tains, flows north into the Columbia,
10 miles above Portland. The valley
is from 10 to 60 miles wide, level and
very fertile, lying between the Coast
range and the Cascade mountains. We
enjoy a mild marine climate, this re-
gion falling under the influence of
the Pacific ocean. Our streams are
full of salmon from the sea, and trout
from the mountains. Our orchards
are famous for their apples, pears,
prunes and English walnuts. The fin
est varieties of plums reach from two
to five times the size they do with
~ dAtAApuEN HiuHN lildl IOI
high flavor and fine quality for pre-
serves, give me the wild plums of
Iowa. All small fruits. from the
to the blackberry, grow
In such profusion that selling becomes
a problem. But canneries are being
rapidly established. and our good
things in this line are going to the
ends of the world.
We grow all the grain crops that
flourish in Iowa on large scale, ex-
cepting corn. But corn is becoming
rapidly acclimated. just as it was In
Northern Iowa and Minnesota. Twen-
ty-acre fields are not uncommon of
early white and yellow dent. Corn
is the great ensilage crop, being fed
out of the silos 1s months in the
year, owing to the absence of freezing