Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-10-12
FROM OREGON.
LNNroN, Oregon, July 25lh, 1914.

LiNNroN, Oregon, July 18th, 1914. Ell.
|. am here in our new town, which we
have named as above, in respect for DIR.
Inns services for this territory. Gen.
NJ. McCarvcr and myself have laid out the
town together. lie is gentleman from
Iowa Territory, and laid off Burlington the
seat Of government. He is an enierpri.
sing man. Our place is ten miles from Van
couver, on the west bank Of the Wallamei.
te river, a, the head of the ship navigation,
and three OF four miles above the mouth Of
Willamette Falls. have no doubt bul
that this place will be the greu, commercial
town in the territory. We are selling lots
at fifty dollars each, and sell them fast at
that. AT the falls there is quite town al
ready. | own Two lots in Oregon city,
the town of the fas.) They are said 10
be worth two hundred dollars each. go,
them Of DR.. Mclaughlin, for two lots here
in Linnton. | was SIX weeks at Vancou
yer, where myself and family were most
Hospitality entertained by DIR. Mclaughlin
free Of all charge. He has been a grea,
friend to me, and has done much for this
emigration generally. find provisions
high, pork ten cents, beef six cents, pola.
tVIo WY ICllNos Itul IOuI hOlItiS pei nun
drcd. But find it costsme as little, even less
TO live here than in Weston. | paid 70,
wood the last year lived in Weston sew.
enty-five dollars, for corn and fodder fifty
dollars, all Of which is saved here. We use
much less pork here than in Missouri. The
salmon are running now, and will continue
to run until October next. They generally
commence running the last OF February
and end in October. have had several
messes Of fresh salmon. AT this point we
purchase Of The Indians ducks, geese, swan,
salmon, potatoes, feathers, and venison, for
little or nothing. Ducks, four loads; geese,
eight loads; swans, ten loads; salmon, four
loads of powder and shot each. Feathers
cost about twelve and half cents per
pound. There are more ducks, &c. here
than ever you saw; also, pheasants in great
numbers. They remain here all winter
| have hunted very little, being too busy
We find it more profitable to get Of the In
dams, 10 whom we trade old shirts, panta.
looms, vests, and all sorts of clothing.-
They are more anxious 10 purchase clothes
than any people you ever saw. You can
sell any thing here that ever was sold. Stoc.
king Gary ploughs, five dollars each. We
have an excellent blacksmith living in our
place, who makes firsrate Cary pIoughs al
thirty.one and quarter cents per pound he
finding all.
| have seen enough Of the country to
give you a fair description OF il. You
have already some knowledge Of its geog
raphy. The first and second regions differ
most materially in almos! every thing.
shall only speak Of this, the first region, ~
ing along the sea cost. As you come down
the Columbia river, from the Cascade.
where the first region terminates, you see
high mountains on each side Of the view
running close to the banks, and covered 10
their very SUBMITS, with heavy bodies OF
pine and fir. There are some narrow bot
toms along the river, which are covered
with grass, but which overflow in the sum.
mer. You see many beautiful waterfalls.
some Of them 400 feet perpendicular. Mill
privileges are plenty. When you get about
fifteen miles above Vancouver, the noun.
tains become lower on both sides, and gen.
,ly decline into wide valleys, covered with
fir timber, species Of pine. The neck OF
land between the Willamette and Colum-
bia, about five miles across, is rich bottom
but oveIilows every summer by the rise in
the Columbia, which rises just like the Mis-.
souri,, highest in June and July. The Wal
lamette has high, but single ridge Of noun.
tains on the west bank, and on the east
bank, for several miles, this wide valley is
covered with fir and cedar. When YOU
come along the rivers, you will therefore
see nothing inviting excep, beautiful streams
and most splendid timber. When YOU get
10 Lnnton, YOU take through an immense
body Of fir, cedar, and other timber, ten
miles to the Fallaty Plains, (praries, ;,
which are certsinly the most beautiful YOU
ever saw. They consis. OF succession
Of small praires obout three miles long
and fro one TO Two miles wide. These
plains, as they are here called, bear away
to the southwest, until they connect witt
the wide and beautiful country upon the
Yam Hill river, which runs into the Walla.
mette above the falls some twentv miles
and heads in towards the sea. This Yam
Hill valley runs within fifteen miles of the
sea. The FaIlaty plains are almost sur
rounded by ridge of mountains, in the
shape Of horse shoe, the open end towards
the Yam Hill country. These plains lie
as handsomely as you would have them
just rolling enough 10 carry off The water
are rich and have ne gravel or stone. The
soil is black, on a clay foundation. The
timber comes up 10 the very edge Of the
prairie, so that in five steps you can be GU
Of the prairie and in the thickest, ,aest
most beautiful timber you ever saw. The
trees are mostly fir, from very small sap
| lings TO one and hall feet in diameter a.