The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1845-11-14
From oregon.
Extract Of letter to the editor of the
Hannep Herald and Advertiser, dated

| Extract Of letter to the editor Of the
Ham epn Herald and Advertiser, dated
JuLy IL, 1s45.
AT the entrance ofthe pass Of Sweet Wa
ter, 955 miles IRON fndepenpenee, $50
from Fort Laramie, so miles from the
summit of the Rocky Mountains, and $40
miles from Fort Hall.
DEAR SIR: We expect to meet COM
pany Of sixteen men and two ladies', in
the morning, returning from Oregon to
the States; and this is to let you know
that we are among the land of the living,
(yes, and living on Buffalo meat.) Our
company, consisting Of I35 wagons, divi.
ded into three divisions, on account OF
feed, has been divided in small companies
Of from eighteen to twenty wagons. l am
i'll company Of Col. Taylor, Rice, Risley,
and families from Ohio. We are all ell.
No doubt, sir, you have often heard of
crossing the Rocky Mountains; but let me
assure you, the manner in which II is rep
resented is 4 humbng. We are now with>
in two days. drive Of Oregon, and the sum.
NIT Of the mountains, and SIX since we
struck the first spur of the noun aims, a
distance of $50 miles, we have not asccn-
de hill as bad as the one between Hen
nepin and Granville; they are very long.
AS 10 wood and water, we have always
found them in abundance This day, for
the first time, we saw the snow clad hills
in the distance. We l.ase had several
frosty nights of late. 1t is VERY dry and
dusty on the roads--all sand or soft clay.
All the difficulty as 10 roads is over as
soon as you leave the state Of Missouri
Emigrants to Oregon need a pilot TO- In.
dependence or St. Joseph. Emigrants
should leave Independe nee by the 10Th of
April, or 81. Joseph by the 18th. st. 10.
seph is the best starting point, as il is
eighty miles nearer; and then you avoid
the worst Indians east Of the mount ms
the Caws>-and save ferrying the Cav and
Kansas rivers, swift {, and, when high, very
dsfficult streams. From :he time you
leave the Cav villages, there is no place
that will admit Of white man settling,
as there is but little or no timber, and
none but on the streams; and that, with
the exception of a little blue, is all cot.
ton wood. There is no timber ,growing
on the banks of the Platte, Wehaye seen
no Indians since we left Fort LARAMIE
We are now on the battle ground OF The
Sioux, Grows, aud Cheyennes. Every
summer they come on the Sweet waterto
look for scalps. They hunt no Buffalo,
and consequently they are very plent, -
We see them daily, in gangs of from 100
TO 700. There is not day passes but our
hunters kill two or three, take little OF
the meat, and leave the balance for the
wolves, which are very numerous. There
are plenty of mountain sheep aud grizzly
bears in the mountains. MIR. Thompson
Is with Rammage and Henry. This com.
pany consists of eight Wagons, all from
Putnam aud Marshall counties. The 6rst
company that went TO Oregon this season
consisted Of three wagons aud nine men.
There is no danger TO be apprehended
from lndians-,hat is, the Indians of the
plains. There have been but few deaths
among the emigrants this season, and the
few have been children and aged people
Why, sir, it is almost an impossibility for
a man TO get sick in this mountainous
country. There are neither dews or rains
occasionally shove s, but not sufficient
to lay the dust.
E. Fl. SKINNER.