bills are brought in for dealing with the swamp lands, and a vast amount of "lobbying" goes on, which I suppose some people or other find a profit in. The great bulk of these lands are situated in Southeastern Oregon, in the vicinity of the lakes, such as Klamath Lake and Goose Lake; but a good many acres are scattered throughout Eastern and Southern Oregon. [Sidenote: _ACREAGES OWNED BY COMPANIES._] The largest land-owners in the State are the railroads and the military wagon-road companies. The great grant to the Oregon and California Railroad extends over the alternate sections within twenty miles on either side of the road, to the extent of 12,800 acres for each mile of railroad. The total estimated amount of this grant is 3,500,000 acres. The West-side Railroad, called properly the Oregon Central, has a grant estimated at 300,000 acres. The prices at which these companies sell these lands do not exceed seven dollars per acre; and the amount may he spread over ten years, carrying seven per cent. interest. The wagon-roads have grants the amounts of which are stated as follows: ACRES. Oregon Central Military Road Company 720,000 The Dalles Military Road Company 556,800 Corvallis and Yaquina Bay Wagon-Road Company 76,800 Coos Bay Military Road Company 50,000 The Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountains Military Wagon-Road Company 850,000 This last grant is attached to the road company described in a previous chapter. The Willamette Valley and Coast Railroad Company also has a grant of all the tide and overflowed lands in Benton County, the amount being estimated at about 100,000 acres of alluvial land. In many cases the companies were unable to obtain the full amount of acreage which their grants give them out of the odd-numbered sections within the belt covered by the grant. The alternative is for them to get what are called "lieu-lands," outside of their declared limits. So rapid is the tide of settlement, especially in Eastern Oregon, that the land-offices are thronged with applicants. A young Englishman who came out with me wrote from the Dalles to us last spring that on three successive Fridays he had come in from his range to file his homestead application, and after waiting the whole day he had been unable to get the business done, and had to return to his quarters disappointed. CHAPTER XIV. The "Web-foot State"--Average rainfall in various parts--The rainy days in 1879 and 1880--Temperature--Seasons--Accounts and figures from three points--Afternoon sea-breezes--A "cold snap"--Winter-- Floods--Damage to the river-side country--Rare thunder--Rarer wind-storms--The storm of January, 1880.