The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-09
A PUFF" FOR PORTLAND.
Interesting Facts Relating to Oregon's
Capital City.

Capital City.
CGrapho," in Chicago Advance.)
But Portland has other attractions |
besides the witchery of it's blooming !
beauty. The street car ride up the
edge Of the hill surpasses anything OF
the kind that l have seen elsewhere.
AS I have already said in these arti-
cles, Tacoma and Seattle are great on
views. But this Portland ride, up and
up and around and around the hills
until all the city lies before you, is
marvellous. To resort again to the Ian
guage of the coast, it is the greatest
on earth. Along the way are the pal
aces of the rich, the ample yards OF
matchless beauty, and below is the
splendid city, filling the valley, reach
ing up over the hills beyond, or fol-
lowing along the, silver line of the
river until lost in the haze. The
scene produces in the visitors mind
the same thought that often comes
when passing through the different
places of the Northwest, that the land
was framed for great pictures when
the enterprising hand of man got ready
to fill in the lines and color. The very
precipitancy with which Nature broke
off some of it's work and left it stand
ing on end adds to the attraction.
must not be understood, however.
as meaning that Portland is all seem
cry. 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 up to it. 1t has a
harbor of deep water, and the seas
and commerce of the world lie beyond.
The population is 265,OOO, and the
city has 1876 churches and $50 schools.
In the export of wheat Portland is
next to New York city, and in the
shipment of big cargoes of flour it
holds the record. One of these car
goes reached the big figure Of S5,276
barrels, and it took $4,000 bushels OF
wheat to make it. Portland also cuts
and exports more lumber than any
other port in the world. Last year, the
wholesale business of the city reached
a total of $200,000,000. The city is
also soon to be a meat-packing center.
as Swift & Co. are completing a plant,
at a cost Of 100000. The growth OF
the city is seen in the fact that build
ing permits increased from less than
81 100000 in 1900 to more than $780,
100000 in 1908, and the realty trans
fers last year totaled almost $20,0OO.-
900.
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 rapidly. They are now writing
it, Oregon, the land Of opportunity"
And it is no vain boast. 1t is state
of wide territory-96,00 900 square miles,
and its Columbia river is next to the
Mississippi in greatness, draining a
region Of 250000 square miles in ex-
tent. There are counties in the state
larger than Connecticut, Rhode Island
and Delaware combined, and the IA
nous Willamette valley covers more
territory than Massachusetts. OF the
more than 81 100000 acres of land in
the state, less than 100000 are cult.
waited at this time. There are $780,
900 acres of government land in the
state open to purchase or homestead
rights. One-sixth of the standing tim
Der of the United States is in Oregon,
estimated at the enormous aggregate
of 100000, 100000 feet, and its forests
contain the oldest and best trees.
some of them from 100 to 500 years
DID, and of gigantic size.
OF course. Oregon makes great
claims as fruit state, and it has piles
Of gold medals to back up its claims.
It's famous banana apple has brought
- $1,000