The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-26

the lines and colors. The very precipi- tancy with which nature broke off some of it's work and left it standing on end adds to the attraction.
 I must not be understood, however. as meaning that Portland is an scenery. It has an air of business solid
 ity. Portland is old enough to know its own mind and to cut it's clothes to fit. It Is not afraid that the river will run away from it. and it sees all the railroads coming to it. It has a harbor of deep water, and the seas and commerce of the world lie beyond.
 The population is 265.0o0, and the city has 135 churches and l50 schools. Tn tn eexport of wheat Portland Is next to New York city, and in the shipment of big cargoes of flour 1t holds the record. One of these cargoes reached the big hguer of S5.z78 barrels, and it took 5s4.o00 bushels of wheat to make it. Portland also cuts and exports more lumber than any other port in 1 the world. Last year the wholesale business of the city reached a total of s2oo, 100000. The city is also soon to be a meat packing center, as Swift & Go. are completing a plant, at cost of $3,c0o,ooo. The growth of the city is seen in the fact that building permits increased from less than
 1000, 900 in 1900 to more than 31o,- 000,0 in 1906, and the real transfers last year totale dalmost s2,0o0,0U
 That the state developed somewhat slowly is to be admitted, but history cannot be forced. and the whole north
 west was compelled to wait for some great agencies to get into action. But now that the time for development has come, Oregon can be expected to grow more rapidwly. They are now writing 1t Oregon. the land of opportunity" And 1t Is no vain boast. It Is a state of wide territory-96, 900 square miles, and its Co., lurnbia river is next to the Mississippi in greatness, draining region of 250,000 square miles in extent. There are coun- ties in the state larger than Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware combined and the famous Willamette valley covers more territory than Massachusetts. Of the more than 6l 100000 acres of land in the state less than 100000 are cultivated at this time. There are 2.5O0,0o0 acres of government land in the state open to pur- chase or homestead rights. One-sixth of the standing timber of the United States is in Oregon, estimated at the enormous aggregate of 8o0. GOO, 100000 feet. and its forests contain the oldest and best trees, some of them from 100 to b0o years oio' and of gigantic size.
 Of course Oregon makes great claims as fruit state, and 1t has piles or gold medals to back up its claims. It's famous banana apple has brought as much as 25 and 70 cents apiece in the swell no- te,s of New York" while its celebrated Doyenne pear has sold for no per box The wehat yield is great, and the crop Of hops is something enormous. The salmon fisheries on the Columbia river have 2 worldwide fame. and furnish a world wide supply A ride along the panks or inc river on a sunny autumn day pre- sents one of the finest continuous views that a traveller ever sees from an on- servation car. Inasmuch as Thanksgiv- ing Day is approaching, 1t may also he mentioned that Oregon has stations along the Southern Pacinc aa'trUaa tnu "tua t,,r' Ievs per day through November and December.