Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-09-28


! am here in our new town, which we
have named as above, IN respect for DR..
Linn's services for this Territory. Gen.
M. Mc(arver and myself have laid out the
town together. He is gentleman from
Iowa Territory, and laid off Burlington, the
seat of government. He is an enterprise
ing man. Our place listen miles from VAN
coayer, onthe west bank Of the Willamette
river, at the head of ship navigation. and
three or four miles above the mouth Of Wall
lamette, and twenty-five miles below the
Willamette Falls. / have no doubt but
that this place will be the great commercial
town in the Territory. Weare 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,
(the town Of the Falls.) They arc said TO
be worth two hundred dollars each. | got
them of DR.. Mclaughlin, for two lots here
in Linnton. was six weeks at Vancouy-
er, where myself and family were most
Hospitality entertained by l'r. McLanghlin,
free of all charge. He hae teen great
friend to me, and has done much for this
emigration generally. l find provisions
high. pork ten cents, beef six cents, pota-
toes forty cents, -four four dollars per hun
dred. But find it costs me as little, even
less, to live here than in Weston. paid
for wood the last year lived in Weston.
eesenty-five dollars, for corn and fodder
fifty dollars, all Of which is saved here
We use much less pork here than in Mis-
souri,. 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 ofthe Indians, ducks,
geese, swans, salmon, potatoes, feathers,
and venison, for little or nothing. Ducks,
four loads; geese, eight loads; swans, ten
loads; salmon, four loads of powder ard
slot each. Feathers cost about twelve and
half cents per pound. There are more
ducks, &c. here than you ever saw; also,
pheasants in great numbers. They remain
here all the winter. have hunted very
little, being too busy. We find it more
profitable to get Of tie Indians, to whom
we trade old shirts, pantaloons, vests, and
sill sorts Of clothing. They are more any :
iaus to purchase clothes than any people
you ever saw. J on can sell anything here
that ever wassold. Stocking Cary ploughs,
five dollars each. We have an excellent
blacksmith living in our place, who makes
first rate Cary ploughs at thirty-one and a
quarter cents per pound, he finding all.
/ have seen enough Of the country to
give you fair description Of it. \ OH have
already some knowledge Of its geography.
The first and second regions differ most
materially in almost every thing. shall
only speak OF this, the first region, living
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 its 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 tire sum-
mer. You see many beautiful waterfalls,
some ofthem 400 feet perpendicular. Mill
privileges are plenty. When you get
about fifteen miles above Vancouver, the
mountains become lower on both sides, and
gently decline into wide vallies, covered
with fir timber, species Of pine. The
neck of land between che Willamette and
Colasxbia, about five miles across, is a rich
bottom, but overflows every summer BY
the rise in the Columbia, which rises Just
like the Missouri, highest in June and July.
The Willamette has high, but single ridge
OF mountains on the. west bank, and on the
east bank, for severai miles, this wide val
ley is covered with fir and cedar. When
you come along the rivers, you viii there
fore see nothing inviting except beautiful
streams and most splendid timber. When
you get to Linnton, ycu take through an
Immense body of lnost beautiful fir, cedar.
md other timber, len miles to the Fallaty
Plains, {prairies. } which arc certainly the
most beautiful you ever saw. They con-
sist Of succession Of small prairies about
three nilcs long, and from 80 10 two
miles vide. These plains, Is they are here
called, bear away to the southwest until
they cennect with The wide and beautiful
country upon the Yam Hill river, which
runs into ths Wsllamette abovs The falls
some twenty miiess and heads in toward,
the sea. This Yam Hin Waller, runs
within fifteen miles e the -. The Eal,
! LILY PLAINS ars slnnst surrounded by = ridge
| ~ momtAilA IN u shars e : hass shoe