Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-08-29


keep them while he wants them, which ic only
at seedtime and harvest, and then send them
TO their villages again for the remainder of the
year. They are about halfas good as the ne.
groes in Missouri, with good looking after So
that farmer, with a capital of 400 or 500 dol
lars, can raise and gather abou: as much grain
as the Missourian with 40 negroes. The Indi. |
ans know nothing ofthe use Of the Ak, but they |
are good dtchers, and bitches ere the only fen.
ces we have.
The timber is altogether in the mountains,
which are covered with the most beautiful pine,
fur and cedar, very tall and straight, but in
most places very difficult 10 get into the valley
Tor use, from the fact that there is generally Is
or 20 miles Of hills between the mountain and
the valley, which make bad roads. Most Of the
houses here built of adobtes, or sticks set up
endwise and daubed with mud, sometimes CO.
vcred with boards, and at others with fooIy
(bullrush). So far we have not had much use
for timber The country below is supplied with
timber from the red woods near the sea.coost,
which is very good and beautiful timber, mnch
like the red cedar.
Stock.-IIorses and cattle arc rnised here
without any feeding; even when we ride a
horse, at any season, he gets no other food than
what he can get Of grass, staked out with
long rope; 80 that it requires no other trouble
about horses and cntte, but to mark and brand
them, and to break the colts when large enough
to ride. The old settlers in this country some
of them, have several thousand head of cattle
and horses. The prices Of horses are from $40
to $50, mares from 81 to s25, cattle s3 soto
SIS; American cattle and horses generally are
about % per cent. higher than the stock ofCali.
fornia. Everything else is very high. Plows,
such as we have in st. Louis at 81, are worth
$35. and even $50, and very hard to &C. at
those prices; axes 50; spades IS to Sc. scarce;
cooking vessels about 80 cents per h.. all sorts
of iron tools or vessels very high; clothing Of
every description about five TO six times what
they cost in st. Louis; common yarn socks 81
pair.
| Labor is alec high: common hands 81 50 per
day; mechanics - to SO; ml.rights - per
day. So that although we pay high for cloth.
ing and all we want for nse, yet we get high
prices for labor and for what we raise. Wheat
is worth now 50 50 per bushel, usually 81 80;
beans 81 so; peas 81 so; potatoes 50 cents
per robe (25 lbs)
The climate is pleasant, seldom any ice-oc.
casional frost from December to April. Up to
the 25,h Of December. the time of our arrival,
there had been no rain. and hut little frost, and
the weather was about as pleasant usual in
the States in September and October The
rain began Christmas day, and there was some
ice. The rain usually falls for two or three
days, and then we have pleasant weather. In
n week or two after the rain set in, the plains
or high lands become what We call taSky; that
is, a horse will sink in TO his knees, and some
times deeper, iiut il is no, practicable to ira.
vel on horseback, except in the bottoms which
remain firm all winter. But they are crossed
by gulis, which we must swim. Our travel is
therefore, confined to the bo,toms The higl
hills are impossible during the rain, except OF
too. II may be truly said that there are bu
two modes Of travel here during the winter
that is, either .fy or s1im. The game is he
coming scarce. hut during the winter there arr
n great many wa,er.fowls. They leave in til,
spring for more northern latitude, aud do no
stop to breed here, as has been reported; nor il
il true that "you can gether feather bed in
day on Feather Riper."
Musketoes flies and insects of everv do 80 in
tion are here in iHnsmerabie myriads- flea
. and mice. but no chinches
Lands have been obtained by persons win
\ have resided here some years and become citi
zens, in grants; some three, TOUR, and sometime
!. thirty to finy leagues, But the Government ha
+ become slanned and changed its policy. Thes
v are but few can now obtain grants Of any size
: and those who have lands nre not authorized b
}. their t,les, to sell there being no such thin
q as fee simple titles except in few special il
. stances. The grants are only loans from III
Government which is the main reason why th
people live in tents or little shan,es, and at III
!. They will not improve the lands until there
!, some security for the title. would like
"a write you more at length, but my time and yor
>. patience admonish me 10 stop.
!; The people am but i'll qualified to give yo
N q description Of, from persona intercourse, Il
<, took charge Of the first plantation saw in III
ut valley, and have travelled only in that valley
4, and the ranches are generally from ten to fif