The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-10-02
LETTER FROM OREGON.
LINNroN. Oregon, July 25, 1874.


am here in our new town, which we have named
as above in respect for Dr. Inns services for this
territory. Gen. M. McCalla and myself have laid
out the town together. He is a gentleman from
Iowa Territory and laid off Burlington, the seat OF
government He j. an enterprIsng man Our place
Is ten miles from Vancouver, on the west bank oil
the Willamette river, at the head Of ship naviga-
ton, and three or four miles above the mouth OF
Willamette, and twenty-five miles below the Wal
lamette falls. ! have doubt but that this
place will be the great commercial town in the terri
tory. We are selling lots at fifty dollars each, and
sell them fast at that At the falls there IS quite
town already. | own two lots in Oregon city, (he
town of the falls They said TO be worth two
hundred dollars each got them of Dr. McLaugh-
I'm for two lots here in LinnIon. | was six weeks
at Vancouver, where myself and family were most
Hospitality entertained by DR.. Mclaughlin, free OF
all charge lie has been great friend to me, and
has done much for this emigration generally. Ind
provisions high-pork ten cents, beef six cents po-
tatoes forty cents -four four dollars per hundred
But find IT costs little even less, live here
than IN Weston. | paid for wood, the last year
lived IN Weston, seyeny-hve dollars, for CON and
fodder fits dollar, all of which is saved here. We
use much less pork here than m Missouri. The
salm. are running now, and will continue TO run
unlil October next They generally commence run
| ming the last a February, and end 10 October |
have bad several messes Of fresh salmon. At this
| point purchase of The Indians ducks, geese
swans, salmons potatoes, feathers, and ,enson for
| little or nothing Ducks, four loads geese, eight
loads swans, ten loads salmon, fur loads OF pow
der aud shot each. Feathers cost about twelve and
| half cents per pound. There ducks, sc.
here than you ever saw also pheasans Ia great
/ numbers. icy remain here all the winter. hays
hunted very lltte being too busy We find II more
| profitable TO get of the Indians, to whom trade
old shirts, pantaoons, vests and all sorts of cloth
ing. They are more anxious 10 purchase clio hes
than any peop YOU ever saw You sol any
4 thing here that was ever sold. Stocking Cary
ploughs, five dollars each We have an excellent
blacksmith living IN our place, Who makes first rate
/ Cary plOughs at thry-one and quarter cents per
| pound, he finding all.
] have enough Of the country to give YOU
fair description OF IT, You have already some know
ledge OF 's geography. The hrst and second regions
! differ most materially in almost every thing / shall
only speak Of this. the first region lying along the sea
/ coast A. you come down the Columbia river rom
the Cascade, where the frs region terminates YOU
high mountains each side Of the view running
close 10 ts banks and covered TO their very SUBMITS
with heavy bodies Of pine and hr There are some
narrow bottoms along the river, which are covered
with grass, but which overfows the summer You
see many beautiful waterfalls, some Of item -four
hundred feet perpendicular. Mil privileges are
| plenty When you get about fifteen miles above
Vancouver, the mountains become lower on both
secs, and gently decline into wide valleys covered
\ with br timber, species OF pine. I he neck Of
| land between the Wallsmettee and Columbia about
0NfrtlOws
every summer by the rise In the Columbia, which
| rises just like the Missouri, highest in June and
July. The willamette has a high but singL, ridge
Of mountains on the west bank and on the east
| bank, for several miles, tins WIDE valley is GOV.
/ cred with FIR and cedar. When you come along the
| rivers you will, therefore, nothing inviting
except beautiful streams, and most splendid timber
When you get TO LinntOn you take through an i'm
mense body Of most beautiful fr cedar, and other
TIMBER, ten miles to the Fslaty Plains, (prsiries }
which are certainly the most beautiful you ever saw
| hey consist OF a succession Of small prairies
about three miles long and from one to two mile.
vide. These plains, a. they are here called bear
away TO the southwest until they connect With the
wide and beautiful country upon the Yam Hill river
which runs into the Willamette above the fall. some
twenty mics, and heads IN towards the sea. THIS
Yam Hill Valley runs within fifteen miles of the sea
The tsllaty Plans almost surrounded by ridge
OF mountains ~ the shape Of horse shoe the omen
end towards the Yam Hill country These rlans lie
as handsomely you would have them. iusi rolling
enough TO carry oh the water are rich snd have no
gravel or stone. The soil is black, on a clay founda.
ton he timber comes up 20 the very edge OF the
prairie, so that in five steps you can be out of The
prairie, and IN the thiokest, taIest most beautiful
timber you saw The trees are mostly &,
from very small sapngs 10 one and half feet d.
amettr a. the foot and about hundred 10 one hun
died and fifty feet high and straight - pine timber
generally ~. Along all the little branches that run
from the prsre Is plenty Of ash and white OAK tim
Der, which makes excellent hre.wood &c These
plains are covered with green grass as rich as blue
grass, which - green all winter You break mn
praIrie here with one yoke Of oxen or two horses
me Nus and mountains upon the borders Of the pra
RES IN THIS country are covered with grass as 6ne
range as could be imagined, and which can never he
exhausted The whoe Willamette valley. tbre,
hundred miles long, and from fifty to one hundred
vide, is about such country as have described TO
you, and most OF 1t IS yet unoccupied by any one
Farming IS, perhaps the most profitable OF ell bust.
mes. done IN this country II !. 40 easy 10 omen