The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-01

Statistics recently COMPLIED By the
department OF commerce and labor
chow that during the nine months end
ing with March. 1906. more wheat was
exported from Portland. Ore. than from
any other city In the United States.
The statement has been made that
thare will be two expeditions In Oregon
this year--the Lewis and Clark expcsi-
ton at Portland. and the Oregon
Country. which 10 In itself an exposi-
ton greater than any that nan could
build. The Lewis ana Clark exposition
will represent. when liz gates are
thrown open 70 the public on June I.
IN expenditure OF ave million dollars.
and the value OF the exhibits VIII be
1t least ave times that amount. These
are large sums: yet. taken together.
they do not equal the value OF the
1894 wheat crop OF the Inland En-
Dire" which composes only q part OF
the territory that WAS added TO the do
main Of the United States by the Lewis
and Clark expedition. the centennial OF
which the Western Worlds fair In TO
commemorate. Reliable statistics place
the extent Of the wheat crop - the
Inland Empire" last season at ss.s00.-
80 bushels which. ut % cents bushel
60 the producer. means that the wheat
crop brought the farmers Of that won
derful section ssS.i9S.oeo last year.
The Inland Empire" which includes
tie eastern portions OF Oregon and
washington and the western part OF
l1aho-it has no definitely defined
boundaries- 10 but q small part OF
the Oregon country. which Lewis and
Clark secured for the United States by
embraced $4,000 square miles. and In
Guided the present states Of Oregon.
washington and Idaho. and parts Of
Montana and Wyoming. The value Of
the total agricultural yield Of that
country In any one year Tar exceeds
the cost and value Of exhibits Of any
opposition ever held. The virtue In
these figures lee In the fact that they
VIII bear investigation.
II was wheat that saved the Oregon
country TO the union. wheat and the
6og-heartedness OF DIR. John McIough-
1iE. and the story OF DIR. Mclaughlin
and his wheat forms romance worthy
of . book. DIR. Mclaughlin. sturdy En-
9iishman though he was, saved the
American settlers from starvation by
providing them with wheat. and his
timely succor enabled the United States
60 make good by settlement her claim
on the country by right OF discovery.
DR.. McLoughlin. who had been In
the employ OF the Hudson's Hay conf
pany for twenty-five years. was made
CUtet foctof. or heAd man. TOT the COn-
pany for the territory west OF the
Rocky mountains. In 1884. upon the
consolidation OF the Hudson's Hay COM
pany with the Northwest company.
Eleven years previous To this John
Jacob Astor's unfaithful followers had
betrayed Astoria TO the British. As
toria was built on the south bank OF
the Columbia river. near its mouth.
with heavily timbered hills behind u.
DIR. Mclaughlin moved the headQuar-
tiers Of his company to Vancouver. four
sniles north OF the present city OF
portland. where crops could be raised.
and In the fall OF 1884 he sent hack
east and secured two bushels OF wheat.
which he planted the next fall on the
site Of the present military post OF
Fort Vancouver. The wheat did well.
% well that I'm 1898 the importation OF
nour was stopped.
Thus was the beginning made. DR..
Mclaughlin was q wise man. and q
shrewd manager. His trappers and
hunters were men who had been In