by the popular St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway which connects St. Paul and Minneapolis with this beautiful lake.

The school facilities of this state are unsurpassed by any. There are public schools and colleges adequate for the rapidly increasing population, where a finished education may be had which vies with the great institutions of learning in the Eastern States. Society is of the very best and highly refined.

The principal cities are St. Paul, (the Capital), Minneapolis, Winona, Red Wing, Duluth and Fergus Falls. The state is well provided with railroad facilities, the principal lines being the St. P. M. & M., C. B. & Q., C. M. & St. P., C. & N. W., N. P. St. P. & D., and the C., St. P., M. & O. railways.

Minnesota is awakening to the importance of the movement for deep harbors on the Gulf coast. Gov. McGill, in his last biennial message to the Legislature of that state, recommended the appropriation of at least $1,000 dollars to aid in the agitation. As yet no representation of that state has been had on the permanent Standing Committee, known as the "Inter-State Deep Harbor Committee;" we are assured, however, that they are with us, and will ere long have their full quota of representation on the committee which is fast assuming the importance of a Western Commercial Congress.

CHAPTER IX.

OREGON 1592 TO 1889.

REGON at one time embraced all that portion of the United States north of California and west of the main range of the Rocky Mountains, including a portion of Idaho Territory, and all of the present State of Oregon, and the lately admitted State of Washington. The coast of Oregon was first discovered by De Fuca, a Greek navigator, no claim, however, was made to the country until the Spanish Admiral Fonte, in 1640, coasted along the west coast of America in the interests of Spain, which country she pretended to claim as Spanish territory until 1790, when she ceded to England, by treaty, any rights she might have to that portion of America. Notwithstanding several explorers had coasted along the entire west coast of America, the discovery of that noble stream, the Columbia River, was made by an American navigator, from Boston, Captain Robert Gray, who commanded the merchant ship "Columbia." Captain Gray had sailed past the mouth of the Columbia River twice on his trading voyages; the first time in 1789, without discovering the river, and the second time in June, 1791, at which time he marked the location of what he believed to be a large river; he did not sail in, however, owing to the surf which broke with violence across the mouth of the stream. Soon after he encountered Captain George Vancouver, of the English Navy, to whom he related his discovery. Vancouver, however, scouted the idea, as he had searched the whole coast, trying to find such a stream, and believed it was impossible that he could have missed it. Captain Gray soon parted with Vancouver and sailed south, hoping to effect an entrance to the river that he was certain he had discovered; he soon sighted the mouth of the river, (May, 1792), and with all sails set he steered the "Columbia" boldly for it, and safely ran in between the breakers into a basin where no other sail had ever been; he continued his course up the river some fifteen or twenty miles, followed by a swarm of canoes filled with curious natives.

The anchor being let go, Captain Gray found himself floating on the peaceful bosom of a fresh water river, which he named Columbia, after his noble ship. This river's existence had been surmised for some years previous, and the phantom river was called the Oregon, after the country through which it was supposed to flow.

Captain Gray made a report to the United States Government of the discovery he had made, and it was a basis upon which the Govern

ment claimed the valley of the river. France had likewise a shadowy claim to all that portion of North America west of the Mississippi River, and north of the Spanish possessions, under the name of Louisiana, all of which the United States acquired by purchase in 1803.

President Jefferson ordered a survey of the Columbia, and started out a continental exploring party in 1804, in charge of Captains Lewis and Clarke, who ascended the Missouri River to its source, crossed the grand continental divide, and encountered the Columbia River in about 49 degrees north latitude. They surveyed it to its mouth, including its tributaries, and thereby gave the United States a substantial title to the country. It was not, however, until 1846 that all dispute regarding the title was settled; it was then determined by treaty with Great Britain, fixing the 49th parallel north latitude as the boundary line between the United States and British America.

Oregon was sparsely settled with fur traders, principally English, who discouraged immigration and succeeded in keeping the country practically a wilderness up to the year 1833, when a few settlers found their way overland to this delightful and rich state.

In 1834 Dr. Marcus Whitman, a missionary, succeeded in planting a colony near Walla Walla, after which the country began to settle up gradually, but no considerable immigration took place until the excitement caused by the finding of gold in California in 1849, the overflow of disappointed gold seekers then found their way to Oregon.

The few settlers who were in the state succeeded in organizing a Territorial Government by the adoption by their votes of a Territorial Constitution in the year 1845. It was, however, not until August 14th, 1848, that Congress passed the act to organize the territory, the delay being caused by the open question between England and the United States as to the title, which was settled, as before stated, by treaty

in 1846.

Joseph Lane, the first Governor of the territory, arrived March 3d, 1849, when the government was inaugurated. The act of Congress creating the territory of Oregon, included within that territory all of the present states of Oregon and Washington; the latter was, however, created a territory in 1853, which left Oregon its present dimensions, which was admitted into the Union as a state February 14th, 1859.

The state contains 96,030 square miles. The principal rivers are the Columbia and branches, Williamette, Fall River, Snake River and the Owyhee.

The Columbia is the only navigable stream in the state, which is only navigable 96 miles, to the Cascade range of mountains, which has several extinct volcanos, ranging in height from 4,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level; here is found some gold, silver and platinum. Coal has also been discovered in limited quantities. The forests abound with game, including the grizzly and black bear, panther, wild cat, elk, deer and antelope. The feathered game is quite plentiful, and

vies with California for variety, etc. The rivers swarm with salmon, which has aided the state very materially in a great industry, that of canned salmon.

The chief cities are Salem, (the Capital), Portland and Oregon City. The climate of Oregon resembles California; it is believed, however, to be superior in some respects. The death rate is small, and the state is regarded a sanitarium to some extent, and is certainly beneficial to a large class of diseases.

The immense forests of pine form no inconsiderable portion of the state's resources. Oregon pine being considered superior in many respects to any other found on the American Continent.

The principal agricultural products of the state are wheat, oats, potatoes and fruit.

In 1886 the state produced 11,133,000 bushels of wheat, valued at $7,570,440, from 884,640 acres; 5,102,000 bushels of oats valued at $2,142,840, from 199,199 acres; other crops 431,371 acres, product valued at $5,467,030; total field products, $15,180,310.

January 1st, 1888, the state contained 180,947 head of horses and mules, valued at $9,090,543; milch cows, 78,997 head, valued at $2,338,311; oxen and other cattle, 598,218 head, valued at $12,172,122; sheep, 2,930,123 head, valued at $4,987,069; hogs, 220,723 head, valued at $664,819; total live stock, 4,009,008 head, valued at $29,252,864, which, added to the value of product field crops, 1886 gives a total of farm products amounting to $14,433,174, exclusive of fruits, which would increase the product, if statistics were obtainable, to nearly or quite $50,000,000; then add the fisheries' industries, and the state's annual product would be increased considerably.

As yet the state has not joined the progressive movement for deep harbor facilities on the Texas Gulf coast, owing to the prevailing opinion of its people that the proposed harbors are too far away to benefit Oregon. That, however, is a mistaken idea, as from practical demonstration an interchange of commodities has taken place between Texas Gulf ports and Oregon within the past year.

Oregon will, ere long, awaken to the importance of joining this grand western alliance which is formed to advance the interests of the Great West.

K

CHAPTER X.

KANSAS-1682 TO 1889.

ANSAS was included within the Louisiana Territory purchased from France by the United States in 1803, discovered by La Salle in 1682. It was successively a part of the District of Louisiana, of the Territory of Orleans, then of Missouri Territory, and after the admission of the State of Missouri, in 1821; it formed a part of the great unorganized portion of the Louisiana purchase until 1854, when a semblance of a Territorial Government was established under the famous Stephen A. Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska Bill. A fierce contest, however, raged between the slavery and anti-slavery inhabitants of the territory until 1859, the anti-slavery element gaining the ascendency, after a bitter strife and much loss of life to both sides. During this turbulent period the famous John Brown, of Osawatomie, figured quite prominently, and waged a relentless war upon the slave trade men. Afterwards he went east, and in 1859 attempted to seize the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, arm the negroes, and incite the slaves to rebel against their masters; he was captured after being wounded, and by the United States authorities executed very promptly. This one incident, probably, more than any other, started the Northern people to thinking seriously of the abolition of slavery.

Kansas Territory at this time comprised the limits of the present state, and a large portion of Colorado, including where Denver now stands, as far west as Leadville, and south to the southern boundary line of the state, and containing 114,793 square miles. In 1859 a constitution was adopted for the proposed state, prohibiting slavery. This settled the question; Congress passed an enabling act, and January 29th, 1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union as a free state. At the same time the seceding states went out. Kansas furnished her quota of men to preserve the Union, and did her part bravely. With the cessation of strife the state enjoyed an era of prosperity scarcely equalled in the history of the nation. Population doubled and quadrupled in an incredibly short space of time, and it soon ranked among the leading states of the Union.

The boundaries of the state defined by the admission act of Congress cut off nearly 40,000 square miles from the west of the territory, the western boundary being the 102nd degree of longitude.

The state is bounded on the east by Missouri, north by Nebraska, west by Colorado, and south by the Indian Territory. Contains 82,080 square miles.