OREGON. 



619 



early private life, we neither apologize, pass judg- 

 ment upon, nor justify him, but express our unquali- 

 fied belief that by his many years of consistent, up- 

 right, and honorable conduct in this State he has 

 outlived any imputations cast upon him, and that 

 to-day not only the Republican party, but a large 

 majority of the people of this State, have entire con- 

 fidence in his integrity, ability, and patriotism, and 

 that he will faithfully and ably represent them in 

 the Unites States Senate. 



It appears that the charge azainst Mr. 

 Mitchell was that he at one time was of the 

 Mormon faith. 



The election held on October 3d resulted in 

 the choice of the Democratic candidate, J. W. 

 Nesmith, by a majority of 2,071, in a total 

 vote of 14,317. The present Legislature is 

 Democratic, and is composed as follows : 



The assessable property of the State for 

 1873 was returned at $57,682,691. Deducting 

 indebtedness and exemption amounting to 

 $16,982,032, the total taxable property amount- 

 ed to $40,700,159. The result of equalization 

 increases this sum to $45,688,924. The returns 

 of land, exclusive of grants to corporations, 

 show an aggregate o f 3,489,394 acres, of which 

 the assessed value was $19,010,508, and the 

 equalized value $22,220,381. There were 65,- 

 789 horses; assessed value, $2,589,617; equal- 

 ized value, $3,080,227; cattle, 232,132; as- 

 sessed value, $3,418,946; equalized value, $3,- 

 783,081 ; sheep, 388,241 , assessed value, $965,- 

 481; equalized value, $1,041,199; swine, 72,- 

 825 ; assessed value, $145,641 ; equalized value, 

 $212,3:U. 



Returns were made of the property of cor- 

 porations, showing the description of property 

 owned by each company, the assessed value 

 thereof, the percentage added or deducted, and 

 the equalized value. This exhibit gives 427J 

 miles of telegraph-line; assessed value, $27,- 

 950; equalized value, $42,750; 257} miles of 

 railroad, equalized at $5,803, 88.3J per mile, or 

 $1,494,500 ; 192,514 acres of land of Europe- 

 an and Oregon Land Company ; assessed value, 

 $146,698.93; equalized value, $268,121.49; 

 484,562 acres of lands of wagon-road com- 

 panies ; assessed value, $365,461 ; equalized 

 value, $477,925. 



Vo work has been done during the year in 

 the construction of railroads. The Oregon 

 & California and the Oregon Central Railroads 

 are both in good condition, and doing a fair 

 business; the former extending from Portland 

 to Rosebnrg, in Douglas County, and the lat- 

 ter from Portland to Saint-Joe, in Tamhill 

 County. Tke North Pacific road is soon to be 

 commenced at some point on the Columbia 

 River, and pushed eastward through Eastern 

 Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, to the Missouri 

 River, and is expected to be completed within 



two or three years. A charter has been 

 granted by Congress for a railroad from the 

 Columbia River to Salt Lake City, and a new 

 road is now in progress from Portland to the 

 California State line. Substantial locks for the 

 passage of boats around the falls of the Wil- 

 lamette River have been completed during the 

 year, thus greatly facilitating the navigation of 

 that river. 



These public improvements will have an im- 

 portant effect upon the development of the 

 great supplies of iron-ore in the northern and 

 western part of the State. At Oswego, sis 

 miles above Portland, on the left bank of the 

 Willamette, smelting-works have been erected 

 at great expense. It has been proved that 

 the ore is of superior quality, and can be prof- 

 itably worked. Extensive limestone-quarries 

 have also been opened during the past year, 

 in Douglas County, withiti a few miles of the 

 Oregon & California Railroad. 



The wool product of Oregon is fast growing 

 in importance. The extensive grass-plains of 

 Eastern Oregon are rapidly being settled upon 

 by sheep-raisers. It is asserted that the quali- 

 ty and quantity of wool grown is not surpassed 

 upon sheep of the same kind in the United 

 States. 



The trade in coal, lumber, and fish, is gradu- 

 ally increasing. The salmon-fisheries of Ore- 

 gon constitute one of the leading industries of 

 the State. Numerous large establishments are 

 in operation on the Columbia and Willamette 

 Rivers, and canned and pickled salmon of su- 

 perior quality are shipped to all parts of the 

 world. It is stated that one of the largest 

 fisheries on the Columbia River prepared dur- 

 ing the past season 32,000 cases of salmon, in- 

 cluding 21,000 one-pound, and 11,000 two- 

 'pound cans; besides which 200 barrels and 

 100 kits of salted salmon were put up. 



The construction of a new State House at 

 Salem, and the building of the State University 

 at Eugene City, in Lane County, have been be- 

 gun. Work on the former was discontinued 

 during the winter of 1873-'74, with the inten- 

 tion of being renewed in the spring. The 

 commissioners expect to erect during 1874 

 three of the wings, and have the roof on be- 

 fore the winter-rains begin. 



One of the most disastrous conflagrations 

 ever known on the Pacific coast occurred in 

 Portland on the 2d of August. About twenty 

 blocks, in one of the most crowded parts of the 

 city, were entirely destroyed, causing a total 

 loss of $1,345,400, OR which there was nn in- 

 surance of only $270,000, thus making the to- 

 tal loss, over insurance, upward of $1,000,000. 

 The city had hardly recovered from the effects 

 of the destructive fire of December, 1872, 

 which, though very disastrous, was of less 

 magnitude than that of this year. No little suf- 

 fering was caused by the great fire of August, 

 but prompt measures for relief were taken by 

 officials and citizens. (For an account of the 

 Modoc war, tee ABMT OF THE UNITED STATES.) 



