Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-01-02

pretend that Iowa is not one of the
garden spots Of America, but as the
western slope is undergoing a tremen-
dous expansion movement, and there
will be a larger immigration to Ore.
gon than for many years previous, /
thought some details about our indus
tries would interest homeseekers who
may be turning their faces westward.
The Iowa colonies already in Oregon
are very numerous. You can t say
Iowa in a crowd here without meeting
friendly glances, and to wear an Iowa
button in any large gathering means
a continuous ovation and handshak.
ing. So ! can say to Iowans, if you
stop off in Oregon, you are nearest
heaven of any place after leaving your
W home, Men holding state, county
and city Offices are former lowans.
Many Of our newspaper men hail from
your state, and l know of no two
states in the Union more intimately
related by immigration ties and con-
sanguinity than Iowa and Oregon.
The population Of Oregon is COM
priscd of the choicest immigration from
the eastern states, mostly Americans.
In the past decade we have received
a number Of communities of foreign
ers; this county has several towns that
are mostly Germans; another large set
Element of S~candinavians and a scat.
tering of other nationalitics. These
elements all blend together to make a
highly prosperous community. / could
take columns Of your paper to tell
you about our wonderful scenery, our
forests and mountain ranges. Large
portions of the state are being brought
under cultivation by irrigation enter
prises. Our state has grand and no
BILE rivers, finding their way from the
mountains to the sea. These rivers
are stocked with many varieties of
salmen, forming a large part of the
worlds supply of this royal fish. Our
500 miles of coast line is indented with
many good harbors, beautiful bays and
delightful beaches and summer resorts.
While in the eastern states it is prin-
cipally the millionaires who can af.
ford to spend their summers at the
ocean, in Oregon any family of mod
crate means can enjoy this luxury on
the beautiful beaches. Your readers
have all heard of our great timber
wealth and undeveloped mineral re-
sources. We are about second or third
as a gOld-producing state, and our
mountains are rich in attractions for
the prospector, 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
farming, 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.
What shall ! say of the glorious eli
mate, the wonderful soil, the products,
the excellent water, abundant forests
and the u~nexplored mineral wealth of
this region2 Your readers would call
many of my statements fairy tales,
and | could spin yarns by the column
based upon facts that would be classed
by the incredulous with the Arabian
Nights. L can best give you an idea
of our commonwealth by saying that
il is twice as big as Iowa, having
about one-seventh the population. Take
with me a bird 's-eye view of the Will
lamette valley, with which | happen to
be most familiar. There is not a finer
farming region lying out of doors.
The beautiful blue Willamette river,
rising in the mountains, flows north
into the Columbia, 10 miles below
Portland. The valley is from 10 to 60
miles wide, level and very fertile, ly-
ing between the coast range and the
Cascade mountains. We enjoy a mild
marine climate, this region falling un-
der 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 APP
Piles, pears, prunes and English wal
nuts. The finest varieties of plums
reach from two to five times the size
they do with you, although I must adj
nit that for high flavor and fine quail
ity preserves, give me the wild plums
of Iowa. All small fruits, from the
strawberry to the blackberry, grow in
such profusion that selling becomes a
problem. But canneries are being rap
idly established, and our good things
in this line are going to the ends Of