Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-10-08
+ rom the Chicago Journal.
THE OREGON COUNTRY.

The following letter from an intelligent
gentleman in Oregon, to his brother,
resident Of this city, who has kindly given
us the privilege of its publication, is the
best unbiased description of that region
we have met with:
WILLAHtrFE VALLEY, Feb. 81, lS47.
DEAR BRoTRER concluded, as had
an opportunity to send to the States, to
write to you, thinking that you would
/ like 10 hear from me,
I arrived in Oregon City, after jour-
ney of four months and week, over the
plains and mountains. My health has
been very good since l have been here,
and still continues SO, though one would
scarcely suppose it could be otherwise
| from the reports in circulation in the
States. The country answers my expect
ations in nearly every respect. 1t is
! little different from what expected to see,
| but no person could imagine correctly its
appearance. The Willamette Valley en-
braces the principal part Of the settled
! country at present, bat a great many of
those who made claims in it, are Prepa-
ring to GO to the Sound. The country
bordering on the river at the lower end of
the Valley, is principally heavily timber
ed. A small chain Of mountains run a.
! long the western side of the river below
the falls; l should judge they were "a
bout 1900 feet high, and they are also
heavily timbered; as you 60 up the val
ley, above the falls, the country becomes
more open. l have been up only as high
as the Sanity An, on the east side. not on
the west But have been informed that
the country on that side, resembles that
on the east. About the Sanity An the
face of the country resembles the Rock
River Country in Illinois, generally roll
ing prairie. The soil is Of red color,
and clayey, with occasional patches OF
small loose rock, running in veins on the
surface. The land generally is of clayey
! nature, and of various colors; where there
! Is not q thick heavy growth of timber on
the land in the lower end of the valley, ii
is covered with high fern bushes, very
1 thick and very difficult to Kill out. West
from the low mountains, on the river
lies the Quality Plain, high level strip
of land, principally take N up and improv-
ed. The rivers run in canoes or troughs
and are generally rapid. The Willamette
is navigable below the falls, but ABOVE is
of no account; small boats run in it, but
it cannot be called navigable. The CO.
lumbIa is handsome stream, full as niue h
water running ia it as in the Mississippi
4 at St. Louis. People living at the mouth
/ tell me there ere at the lowest tides five
4 tathons of water in the channel at the
mouth, and easier of entrance than the
I Mississippi. The weather has been I'm.
commonly severe this winter. A great
many cattle have been lost in consequence
of the scarcity of renge, and what little
4 there was being covered with snow. The
Columbia was frozen so hard that cattle
crossed on the ice opposite Van Couver.
1t rains while | am writing this, and pretty
hard too. We have had | suppose about
ten days Of pleasant weather since the
middle of last October. Consumptive peo-
pie have no business here at all. There
is no money of any account in circulation
IN the country. The currency is produce
and store pay, orders on solvent merch
ants, and good marketable wheat, at 8
per bushel, being legal tender. Wheat
could have been bought last fall for 35
cents in cash, on the Plain. The Hud-
sons Bay Company give so cents BUSH
ell, imperial measure, delivered at Linn
ton, 20 miles above the falls, and at Cham
poeg, above the falls. Flour sells at the
falls for 81 per 100, currency. Beef 6
cents, and Pork 10 per lb. Almost all
kinds of produce are al merely nominal
prices. No settled PRICE for anything
] Horses are plenty in the country, and low
| for cash. Men who work out by the
! month, can earn about enough to get
pair of shoes s. pair worth about 7
[ bis 10 s in the States = in a month
Coffee sells at % cents at the Fort, the
same as cash. There is none for sale by
the Americans, none having been brought
In by the bark Ioulon. Sugar is 10 cts.
at the Fort, l24 cts. currency. Salaratus
80 cts. currency. Brown Cotton % to
80 cts. currency worth in the States
. =