Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-11-05


sonal observation, and whatever may saw of the
remainder Is from information The valley is abou
SUI miles long, and from to two hundred miles
wide, crossed by several pretty large rivers MANY
OF them hayigable to the foot of the mountain; and
from that'up, the water tumbles from rock TO rock
ahording neither navigation nor valleys for cultva-
tion On all the rivers from the mountain 10 the
mouth there are large bottoms, from one half to six
miles wide, mostly alluvium, and of the most fer
tile character, covered with grass of the richest
vegetation, with skirt of trees near the stream,
mostly oak; some buckeye, box, elder and willow.
me oaks grow very large, to u feet in diameter,
but the trunks are short, seldom more than or 10
feet, and then it branches into large limbs rood for
fire wood when seasoned, but poor timber for farm
ing or building purposes. We make no fences. but
use the ditch, which stands well, there beinsy no
rain from April to December to wash them.
The plains. which form about three-fourths Of
the valley, are ,cholty ,suscepbe of cultitation,
from the fact that they not only poor and
barren. but the dry ,ceathcr in Summer ,could
not permit a crop to be raised. They are now
covered with small flowers and some bunch grass,
which makes good pasture until the rainy season
sets IN though it is entirely dry by the first of Ju
". The population ,ciu toreUer be confined TO
the banks Of the rirers gentleman present
says, that the plains between here and the St.
| Wankine, are much more fertile; and that very
much of them may be watered and properly cult.
waited. He thinks the lower part of Upper Califor-
MA much superior to the valley, but the difficulty
OF securing land and the bad character of the In
dams, have induced many of us to stop here.-IHe
country, taken together, is greatly inferior to
the Western States, but those who get situations
on the rivers, where they can easily irrigate the
SOIL, can do 2OO per cent. better than in Missouri.
irrigated lands here will produce from 40 to GO BUSH
els OF Wheat to the ccr" every ycar.---TheTe is Ito
fly, no rust rot and the only trouble is to have
moisture enough to make it head well.
tobacco, Corn, Flax, Potatoes, Beans, Peas
nc, grow finely, but not scitiont qcatering-
While on this subject, will speak of the labor to
De performed. farmer who is fitted with sufii-
cient teams and farming utensils, may employ as
many Indians as he pleases, fer nothing but their
vlctuas, and that very cheap, and about two shirts
and pair OF pantalOons of the coarsest kind. He
may keep them while he wants them, which is on
~ at seed-tme and harvest, and then send them to
their villages again for the remainder of the year
They are about half as good as the negroes in Mis-
souri,, good looking after So that farmer, with a
capital OF $500 or $780, can raise and gather about
as much grain as the Mssourian with 40 negroes
The Indians know nothing of the use of the axe
but they are good dchers and bitches are the only
fences we have.
The timber is altogether in the mountains, which
are covered with the most beautiful pine fir and &C.
dar. very tall and straight, but in most places very
dllcult to get into the valley for use from the fact
that there Is generally Is or 20 miles of hills be-
tween the mountain and the valley which make
bad roads. Most of the houses here are built OF
ado6tes, or sticks set up endwise and daubed with
mud, sometimes covered with boards and at others
with tooty (bullrush.) So far we have not much
use for timber The country below is supplied
with timber from the red woods near the sea coast
which is very good and beautiful TIMBER much like
the red cedar. The trees grow very large and
strait, and split like cedar
SToCK.-Horses and cattle are raised here with
out any feeding; even when we ride horse at any
season. he gets no other food than what he can get
OF grass, staked out with long rope SO that it re-
qulres no other trouble about horses and CATTLE but
to mark and brand them, and to break the colts
when large enough TO ride. The older settlers in
this country, or some of them, have several thousand
head of cattle and horses. The prices of horses are
from $50 TO $50, mares from q to S25 cattle $50
TO Sl5; American cattle and horses generally are
about 20 per cent higher than the stock of Calfor-
MA. Everything else is very high. Flows, such
as we have in St. Louis at 81, are worth $35, and
even $50, and very hard to get at those prices axes
50; spades s. to So, SCARCE; cooking vessels
about 3O cents per ID; all sorts of iron tools or YES
sells very high; clothing of every description about
five or SIX times what they cost in ST. Louis COM
mon yarn socks 50 pair
Labor is also high common hands 81 so per
day mechanics 81 TO So; mill-wrights 81 per day.
30 that although pay high for clothing and all
we want for use, yet we get high prices for labor
and for what we raise. Wheat is worth row 40 so
per bushel, usually ST 80; beans 81 so; potatoes
gu cents per robe, (25 lbs)
The climate is pleasant, seldom any ce-occa-
sionally frost from December to April. Up to the
18th OF December, the time OF our arrival; there
had been rain, and but little FROST and the wealth
er was about as pleasant usual in the States I'M
September and October. The rain began Christ
mas day and there was some ice. The rain usual
y falls for two or three days, and then we have
pleasant weather.
| In a week two after the rain sets in the plains
or high lands become what we call TUsKY that is
a horse will sink in to his knees, and sometimes
deeper so that 1t is not practicable to travel horse
| back, except in the bottoms which remain firm all
winter But they are crossed by gulfs which we
must swim. Our travel is, therefore, confined to
| the bottoms-the high hills are impassabe during
the rain, except on foot. 1t may be truly said that
there are but two modes of travel here during the
winter, that Is, EITHER Fly SWIM. The game
is becoming scarce, but during the winter there are
great many water fowls.-They leave in the
spring for northern latitude and do not stop
to breed here, as has been reported-nor is it true
that you can feather bed in day on FEATHER
RIVER"
Mosquitoes, flies and insects Of every description
are here IN INNUMERABLE MYRIADs-fleas and
mice, but no cHINCHEs.
Lands have been obtained by persons who have
resided here some years and become citizens, In
gTaDs-some three, four, and sometimes thirty TO
my leagues. But the government has become "a
laTmcd and changed its policy. There arc but few
who can NOW obtain grants of any size-and those
who have lands not authorized by their title TO
sell-there being such a thing as fee simple IL
ties, except in few special instanccs-The grants
arc only loans from the government, which is the
main reason why the people live in TENTS or little
shantles, and at the same time own several thou
sand head Of stock. They will not improve the
lands until there is some security for the title
In fp 1...- A.