OREGON. 



553 





miles. Through this valley flows the Willa- 

 mette River, which is fed by several fine later- 

 al streams issuing from the mountains. There 

 are easy passes through the Coast Range of 

 mountains to the sea. The soil is deep and 

 very productive, and the valley is well timbered. 

 Immediately south lies the Umpqua Valley, 

 which is reached from the "Willamette by easy 

 passes through the Calapooya Mountains. The 

 Umpqua River flows through this rich valley, 

 and is fed by clear, swift tributaries from the 

 mountains on either side, similar to the Willa- 

 mette. The soil is not quite equal to that of 

 the Willamette Valley. 



The lands of Oregon yield as fine a wheat 

 crop as any country in the world, the grain 

 reaching a size and plumpness seldom seen 

 in other countries, and is a never-failing crop. 

 Oats, barley, and, in fact, all small grains grow 

 to the best advantage. It is unsurpassed for 

 fruit and garden vegetables. It is known all 

 over the Pacific slope as the land of "red 

 apples." The people have taken great pride in 

 planting large orchards of the best-selected 

 fruits, which bear heavily every year, and are 

 never known to fail. Peaches grow well, but 

 not so bountifully as apples. It is a great 

 country for pears, plums, cherries, currants, 

 blackberries, strawberries, and -many other 

 fine fruits and berries. Some parts of the 

 State cannot be surpassed for grapes, but 

 they do not ripen well in the Willamette 

 Valley. 



The people have built many school-houses. 

 There is a liberal system of common schools 

 for so new and weak a State. The poorest 

 cottage has its books and papers ; in general, 

 the people are fond of reading. 



Oregon is a good country for horses ; they 

 are generally fleet, hardy, and live to a very 

 great age. This is also a suitable country for 

 sheep, cattle, and hogs, and has a great many 

 fine breeds of each. Sheep are very healthy, 

 multiply rapidly, and produce very fine heavy 

 fleeces. 



The climate along the coast is mild and very 

 uniform ; in the Willamette, Umpqua, and 

 Rogue River Valleys it is very much the same. 

 In the summer a gentle breeze blows from the 

 mountains toward the sea in the forenoon, and 

 in the evening from the sea to the mountains. In 

 the winters the winds from the South Pacific 

 strike the coast at the western extremity of 

 the State, and, following the natural channel 

 between the Cascade and Coast Ranges, bring 

 up the clouds from the ocean, which give 

 Oregon her rainy season of from four to six 

 months' duration. When the winter winds 

 blow from the Isthmus of Darien or the Gulf of 

 Mexico, they have snow, which generally lies 

 but a short time in the valleys. In the valleys 

 east of the Cascade Mountains there is more 

 snow and frost in winter, and but little rain. 

 The summers all over the State are dry, clear, 

 and pleasant ; the heat of the sun being toned 

 down by the cool breezes, blowing in every 



direction, from the summits of Mounts Ilood, 

 Adams, Jefferson, and St. Helen's, rising to an 

 altitude of perpetual snow during the entire 

 year. The rainy season here mentioned is not 

 one continuous, monotonous rain during the 

 whole winter season, but falls for several days 

 at a time, perhaps for a week or more, with 

 intervals of pleasant weather for several days' 

 or weeks' duration. 



The following table of the number of rainy 

 and dry days in the year ending August 31, 

 1869, will give a better idea of the climate 

 than any description. It is from the registry 

 of Dr. George W. Gray, of Albany, Linn 

 County, Oregon: 



As will be seen by the above table, we had 

 250 dry days; 42 rainy days; 73 showery 

 days ; 262 dry nights, and 103 rainy nights, 

 during the year ending August 31, 1869. 

 This climate will bear comparison with any 

 in the northern latitude. 



The winter of 1868-'69 was among the mild- 

 est that Oregon has been favored with for 

 many years. Snow did not fall in sufficient 

 quantities, at any time, to cover the ground, 

 and ice was not formed thicker than one- 

 eighth of an inch during the coldest weather. 



The mountain-summits of Oregon and their 

 heights, according to the Coast Survey Reports, 

 are as follows : 



Feet. 



Mt. Constitution 2,395 



" Erie 1,250 



" Ellina 6,312 



The Brothers........ 6,897 



Mt. Hood 11,225 



There were no elections, either for members 

 of Congress, Legislature, or State officers, and 

 consequently no occasion for political conven- 

 tions. The State was very jmuch excited dur- 

 ing the year, in regard to the projected Rail- 

 roads of the State ; nearly 2,000 miles have 

 been surveyed and portions built from the 

 proceeds of the lands donated to them by the 

 Government; but when the companies had 

 sold the fertile lands granted to them, and 

 expended the money, they discontinued their 

 work and left the roads unfinished, and with- 

 out any facilities for travel over the portions 

 which were finished. These roads have, some 

 of them, during the year passed into other 

 hands, and there is a prospect that most of 

 them will be completed speedily. They will 



Feet. 



Mt. St. Helen's. 9,550 



" Ranier 12,330 



" Baker 10,780 



" Olympus 8,200 



" Constance 7,777 



