Page:All Over Oregon and Washington.djvu/212

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OREGON AND WASHINGTON.

manages not only their financial, but their spiritual and material affairs, quite to the general satisfaction. This seems to be just such another colony as that one settled at Zoar, in Ohio—a place famous for peace, plenty, and cheerful industry. They have a common interest, a common religion, and a common political creed—republican.

Clackamas and Multnomah counties are not, to any great extent, grain-growing—both being covered with timber, except some prairie spots. Farms are yearly being cleared out of the timbered land, but oftener for fruits and vegetables thtm for grain. The quality of the land is excellent, and its neighborhood to manufactures and to commerce will always make it valuable. The timber, water-power, mineral deposits, and fisheries of Clackamas County, seem to point to its future commercial prominence. The woolen-mill at Oregon City, and the iron-works at Oswego, are but the indications of its adaptability to manufactures.

The agricultural portion of Multnomah is comprised in eight miles of level timbered land, between the Wallamet and Columbia rivers; Sauvie's Island, with several other small islands, in the Wallamet; and a strip of bottom-land extending along the river—in all amounting to perhaps fifty thousand acres. The remainder is mountainous and heavily timbered, with occasional meadows, or ancient beaver-dams. It is the richest county in the State, owing to having Portland for its county-seat. On the very northern boundary of the county, adjoining Columbia County, are some valuable salt-springs, from which have been manufactured the very finest quality of salt, but not in quantity to supply the demand for best dairy and meat-curing salt.