Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1893 — A LETTER FROM THE GREAT WEST [ARTICLE]

A LETTER FROM THE GREAT WEST

Dear Republican:—A letter from, the great west may be of interest to your readers. Dr. Strong in “Our Country” says “the west is characterized by largen ss^—mountains rivers, railways, ranches, crops, ' business transactions, ideas, even men’s virtues and vices are cyclopean. All seem to have taken a touch qf yastness from the mighty horizon.” Even some of the stories that go east have •the same Herculean proportions. But as lam writing to- a community in which my reputation is well known “for truth and veracity,” and to a paper whose editor’s character in that line is fully established. I will venture to say a few things. But pleasantries aside, this is indeed a vast country. I had studied the maps of the west, but I really never had any just conception of the magnitude of this great Occidental Empire, until I came west. In crossing the continent, one is impressed and amazed at the wonderful possibilities held in the embrace of the future for this great country, west of the Rockies. The broad stretching plains of fertile land; the great forests of fine timber in the "mountain Tanges, the untold mineral treasure, held in the bosom of the great mountain ranges, all tell of the possibilities to be realized in the next quarter of a century.

Idaho, if laid down in the east would touch Toronto, Canada, on the north, and Raleigh, N. C. on the south, while the southern boundary line is long enough to stretch from Washington City to Columbus, O; Montana would reach from Boston to Gali f orniarwogldex tfcnd from Massachusetts to South Carolina; the greatest measurement of Texas is nearly equal to the distance from New Orleans to Chicago, Nevada, Washington and Oregon are on the same large scale. We do not see so much of the “vast” here in the Willamette Valley, but still there are counties here in western Oregon, that are vastly larger’in territory than any in Indiana. The largest county here in the Valley is only a garden spot in comparison to so me of the conn - ties in eastern Oregon. Harney county is - the largest in the state, its area being 12,000 square miles. It is ten tunes as large as the state of Rhode Island. Malheur is the second largest, having an area of 9,500 square miles. These two counties would make the District of Columbia Rhoade Island, Deleware, Connecticut and New Jersey, and have left 5,325 square miles for a “truck patch.” We have heretofore written to friends in Indiana, of the Italian climate of the Willamette Valley, but I can not say so many good things about Oregon weather now. The first and second winter we spent in Oregon were delightful. Up to about Christmas this winter, the weather was nice excepting the rain, but a few days before Christmas there came a great snow, and such snow that it was! Regular slush t It stuck to every thing, and broke down telegraph, telephone and electric light wires, so that we were left in . dark?. and were cutofffrom communication with the rest of the world for a few days, but only a few, for soon a gentle ram, for which Oregon is so noted in winter time, took the sndw all off. After that for four or five weeks, we had a “spell” of weather of all kinds to be dreaded, cold, .foggy_Jollier not cold enough to freeze the ground, but cold enough to almost freeze the vaporladen atmosphere. It was “awful” to be but in it. It was almost like breathing ice crystals to break the out-door air. I call that “cut throat” weather. The Oregonians would say, “this will continue but a few days and then we will get a nice rain.” But it did continue for nearly a month. It sounds odd to us, even yet to hear them wishing for “a good rain.” Think of it: after paddling in the mud, with their web-feet, since last fall—never one day without mud—to be wishing for rain! But we have grown to understand something of the meaning of rain here, and know it to be a necessity in order to, heal th. During the foggy time we often found ourselves wishing for rain, but it did not come, but instead that Oregon anomaly, a second snow storm for the winter. The last of January we had a snow storm, which for one night and day would have passed for a grand prairie blizzard in northwestern Indiana. One night the merenry registered 8 degrees above zero. That was very cold for Oregon. An old Oregonian preacher remarked in my presence: I have been in western Oregon for 40 years, and never saw a storm like this-” The snow laid on about ten days and went off with a balmy rain, and now we are all happy. We are now having showers and sunshine, such as you have in April. The material development of the state is gradual but sure. The largo farms are being sub-divided, and orchards are being planted out all the time. The orchards vary in size from a few acres up to a section, according to the inclination and ability of the men who plant them. I have seen one of 600 acres of Bartlett pears. There has been a recent rich find of gold in Southern Oregon. They

§ ■ -J . . I ‘ have s stamp mill in the city of Ashland. A few weeks ago they “cleaned up” a 26 days’ run, and had 16,700 to send to the mint. - People are coming here from all over the country. It is expected that after the Worlds Fair there will be a great influx. Since pre-historic times, populations have moved steadily westward, as De Toqueville said, “the course of empire,” which Bishop Berkley sang, “has westward taken its way.’V Tb» Worlds ynrnefl from Persia to Greece, and from Greece to Italy, and from Italy to Great Britain, and from Great Britain to America, and it is still passing on to our mighty west, here to remain, for to us there is no west, unless we reach out into the great Ocean, and embrace beautiful and helpless Hawaii. The star of empire, like the sacred Star of the East, has ever beckoned the wealth and power of the nations westward, and we expect that the march of the millions will still be this way. With the Great Northern Railroad practically completed to the Pacific, and with good prospect of the Burlington crossing the Cascades just east of Alba ny, soon, we are expecting great things here on the coast. Soon America is to have a few Cosmopolitan Universities scattered over the land. One of them is already established on the Pacific slope.

With our broad expanse of territory; unlimited material resources; such unsurpassed intellectual advantages; the greatest telescope in the world through which to search out the mysteries of the skies, why ■should we not expect things ?- Yours truly J. T. Abbott Albany Or., Feb. 15, ’93. Tho strongest recommendation that any article can , have is the endorsement of the mothers of the town. When the mothers reccomend it you may know that the article has more than ordinary merit. Herb is what the Centerville, South Dakota, Citizen says editorially of an article sold in their town: “From personal experience we can say that Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy has broken up bad colds for our children. .Wo arc acquainted with many mothers in Centerville who would not bo without it in the house for a good many times its cost, and are recommending it every day.” 50 cent bottles for safe by Moyers’ the-. Drug’ gist.