The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1906-06-14
LOTS ARE HIGHIN
NORTH BEND, ORE.
Independent Reporter Tells of the Big Boom
Which is On In the West--May Make
Great Harbor in Future

Friends Truax 4 Colcord:
In my last letter made a brief
mention OF North Bend, Oregon,
which is situated on theeas side
and near the point of a small
peninsula, about three miles
long and probably about the
same distance across at it's base
and projecting northwards into
Coos Bay which would make an
admirable harbor il it were deep
enough for large and deep going
vessels. This, they say, will ul-
timately be accomplished by fed
eral appropriation and when
that time comes and Coos Bay
is made the terminus of mother
transcontinental line Of railroad
built across the mountains, it
will, no doubt, make a city. The
only drawback is the time this
will take.
! The real estate boomers here
claim a population OF 1900
souls, which would probably be
nearer right when reduced by 33
per cent. Practically the whole
peninsula is now laid out in town
lots and they ask from $500 to
$1,000 for very small lots as far
as mile or more out in the
woods away from any human
abode. At the base OF the pen
insula, also on the east side or
at the head Of the bay lies
! Marshfeld, which is a town of
about twice the population OF
this. North Bend has quite a
few industrial enterprises and al
together employs perhaps 800 to
$50 men. Here are two good
sized saw mills, a veneer and box
factory (Which is also equipped
for making furniture but never
made any, a milk condensory, a
wooden mill with % looms,
which, however, has not been op-
Grated fol- something like two
years, a sash and door factory,
a shingle mill OF two machines, a
machine shop and iron foundry,
besides minor affairs. Half way
between here and MarshfieId is a
shipyard where they employ
about forty men and at The lat
ter place there are among other
things another new saw mill, two
crealneries, ice factory, a small
mattress factory and excelsior
mill, a boat building shop, etc.
Wages run from 50 to about 81
per day, the average being prob
ably but little above the first fig
ure. | am told that carpenters,
for instance, get $3.50 for a day
OF 8 hours. Man with team
about S.. What little farming
done is on little patches of bot.
tom land along the river and
creeks, ranging from two or
three acres up to so or 60. The
rest OF the quarter section will be
extremely rough and covered
with timber or stumps req uiring,
in the first place an immense
amount of work to clear and
when cleared, the hill sides would
not be then adapted for any
thing but pasture. 1t is there
fore almost exclusively confined
to dairy farming, which, how
ever, is said to be very profitable
the land being highly produc-
tive, some Of the sample yields
as reported being 40 tons OF
mangelwnrtz or 400 sacks Of po-
tatoes per acre; also 100 bu. of
barley. These, Of course, being
exceptions. Considerable fruit
is also raised a little ways in
from the coast; the cold winds in
the summer practically being a
barrier to fruit raising close to
the ocean, excepting the smaller
varieties; thus | had the pleasure
Of picking ripe Strawberries
about a week ago.
1t is, indeed, very pleasant to
watch the steam boats and gas
oline launches on the bay, but a ,
fellow gets somewhat lonesome /
for the great Iron Horse that I
one is used to see nearly every !
where else. The last week has
been cold and wet, they say that j
winter, ordinarily, seldom is any
worse than what we have had
the last few days. The most
used article here right now is the
and one is not safe ven O
turing as far as across the street I
without it as no matter how
brightly the sun shines. the next 3