Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-07-06
WILLAMETTE
VALLEY IS
UNEQUALLEO

UNtQUALLEU
As the seat of government of the
state of Oregon, by virtue of its
splendid location in the heart of the
great valley and on the banks of the
willamette, with its ideal site. Salem
is growing and is soon destined to be
a large city. 1t has every facility
for this growth. The country tribu-
tary is remarkable for its fertility
transportation by steam and electric
lines and by river afford the best OF
facilities for the marketing of all
products. The climate is mild and
equable, and there are advantages to
be had in Salem which are nowhere
to be surpassed and are equalled by
few cities on the continent.
No one can visit Salem and fail tC
be impressed with the beauty of its
locatioS. To the north and south
east and west, may be seen the gently
undulating hill and rolling land or
level plain, covered with tree or vine
or grain In the distance are the
Coast and Cascade ranges, from
which snow-capped peaks are seen tc
rise above the dark-hued forest
When the atmosphere is clear, five
great peaks are yisible-Mount JEFF
ferson, the Three Sisters" and
Mount Hood in Oregon, and Mount
Adams and Mount St Helens in
Washington.
The population of Salem is about
10000 1t is a city we'll laid out and
covering a large area. The men
who fashioned it had an eye to the
future, and the wide streets. lined
with shade trees, add greatly to the
appearance of the town. Many of its
principal streets have a width of 100
feet and there is no crowding any
where. The homes are set in ample
grounds, which are adorned with
shade trees, shrubbery and flowers
which grow and bloom almost per-
ennially on the well-kept lawns. The
charm of the residence section must
be seen to be fully appreciated. In
the suburbs, along the present street
car lines many pretty homes are
built and others are in course of con
struction. Here, as in the city prop
or, there is no evidence Of crowding
The value of grounds adjoining the
home such as are seen at Salem is
everywhere appreciated.
Handsome Public Buildings.
The public buildings are substan,
tial and attractive. The capitol
building cost about S1,000,000; the
Federal building, $4,000; the court
house. 1892 900; the city hall, $80,000
There are 80 church buildings one
of which cost $4,000. The high
school cost $4,000; one of the grad
ed school buildings represents an
outlay of $4,000; two others cost
$4,000 each, and three of the re-
naming schools $4,000 each. Will
lamette University has one of the fin
est modern college buildings on the
Pacific Coast. The Sacred Heart
Academy, a Catholic institution, is
conducted by the sisters. Pupils OF
all religious beliefs are enrolled as
students The teaching force in the
high and graded schools numbers 49,
There are 1880 children of school
age enumerated in the district. There
are also a normal training school
and a business college to be included
in Salems educational institutions.
By a law Of the commonw ealth. all
state charities, penal institutions
asylums, reform and training schools
are located at the seat of govern
ment. These are within the corpor-
ate limits of the city, or close there
to, and include the penitentiary
hospital for insane, reform school
institute for the blind, school for
deaf mutes, institub for the feeble
minded. and the government Indiar
training school The state has re.
Gently opened a tuberculosis sana
torium here, the first in the North
west.
The willamette Valley.
The Willamette valley is 100 miles
in length, and has an approximate
width of 60 miles Marion county, o
which Salem is the county seat, ha'
in it's western, or agricultural pOr
ton. some 100000 acres of land, EN-
bracing great diversity in characte
of soil. The rainfall, which is re
ferred to elsewhere, is an asset o
value. The hilly and rolling lands
may be plowed practically any tim,
during the winter and seeded befor'
the lower lying lands are sufficient,
dry to be plowed Later the bottom
lands are plowed and planted, ant
the harvest time may be thus extend
ed from July to October. The frs
settlers in the valley were impresset
with it's soil and its climate. The,
engaged in agricultural pursuits
They did not know of the value o
the land for fruit products. This be
came known in later years. 1t is on
of the most fertile sections into whic
men have yet gone. For more that
80 years the Willamette valley ha
been one of the best grain GROWN
sections of the continent. Fabulou
crops were raised in the early perio
of its settlement, and even now 1t
not unusual to hear of so bushels
wheat or Of 100 bushels of oats
the acre These yields are exceI
tions. though grain growing is sti
source Of profit in many sections
Hay is another crop of value, tn
yield being large.
The newcomer in the valley, II h
be farmer, will understand and ar
preciate the foregoing. He will ais
appreciate the fact that other an