Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-09-13
From the Indiana State Sentinel.
Oregon City, April 9, ls49.

i \
not comply by this mail, and must ask the
favor Of you to publish this letter, SO that
as many Of them may know my views of
Oregon and California and see it, for in
tend, il | can TO make the same impression
on those who read this letter, as looking
at the two countries make and have made
on my own mind. OF California, howev-
err, | have seen less than of Oregon, but
have heard more. What saw of Cali
tornia did not like; the country is too
poor, and cannot be farmed without irrisa-
ton. But if it were as rich as il has been
represented, the gold mines have stricken
it dead with most blighing curse, one
from which it will never recover. The
mines have drawn together in California
population Of gamblers, robbers and MUIR
derers, who have no parallel in the histo-
ry Of any country in the United States.
During the seasons when it is either TOO
sickly or too wet to dig gold, they are en-
gagged in gambling and robbing. Almost
every house of public character is filling
full Of tables for this purpose, and in dis
sipation Of this sort they excel any thing
l ever saw. do not believe it is posi-
BILE TO break it up, SO much is it the habit
ofthe people Of the South American States
and .Ierico, who form; think, near three
fourths of the population, that should
have very little expectation of seeing a
better population in California for many
years to come; and those of our people
who go there and dig and wash out gold
will go to the States 10 enjoy their lives,
as soon as they have obtained competen-
oy to support them. The gold mines, |
have no doubt are rich as represented. The
town Of San Francisco is the most disa-
greeable climate ever experienced any
where. Nearly every day exhibits the
extremes Of disagreeable heat, or SILVER
ing, chilling, piercing cold, and while
was there ten days, it rained every day,
and was SO muddy that it could be passed
over with great difficulty, even with boots
on, without getting over the tops in mud
and water in many places. The foreign
population must, as long as it remains in
California, make it a very disagreeable
place to live in. They are nuisance that
cannot be removed and believe cannot be
reformed. They are idle: lawless, disso-
lutte. extravagant, and would as leave part
with their lives as part with their passion
for gambling. An ordinary servant gets
from 500 to $3.50 per month mechanics
get from So 10 $40 per day; lumber, all
Of which is shipped 10 them from dis
lance, is worth from $500 TO $500 per
thousand feet; board, such as is entirely
unfitto set before gentleman, is $l5 per
week, and 10 bed or room furnished, and
no fire TO sit by in the coolest weather
SUCH as we rarely felt in March III the
States. O1egon, in respect TO her popu-
lation, is the reverse Of that Of California;;
her people are distinguished for their en-
terprise; they are industrious, frugal and
thrifty; many of the farmers have on hand
from 500 to $500 bushels Of wheat, and
from one hundred TO thousand head OF
cattle and bosses. 1t is not an uncommon
thing for a single farmer TO sow and ha,-
vest from 1000 to 800 acres of wheat;
there are thousands Of bushels of wheat
raise in Oregon, and very good crops are
raised two years in succession from once
sowing. The Country produces vegetables
and fruits Of every kind that we can raise
in the States and ingreater abundance than
in the States; our pastures sustain stock,
and as general thing, will keep them fat
enough for beef all winter without any
other kind ofteeding. Potatoes are quite
as fire in this country as in the States; and
cabbage, turnips, carrots, parsnips, bee,s,
in fact, every kind of roots, are left in the
ground until they are wanted either 10 cat
or sell, and keep well. Potatoes are not
dug and holed up or put in cellars TO save
them, but are kept by leaving them in the
ground all winter, and it is rarely the case
tina, the frost hurts them. Indian corn
does not do well west ofthe Cascade range
of mountains, but in the Walla Walla and
other portions Of the Territory east of the
Cascades, it does well. The frightful ac-
counts given by the early navigators ofthe
Columbia have made an impr ession on the
public mind that is quite injurious to the
Territory. The bar SO much dreaded
abroad, is navigated by our pilots with as
little danger as the mouth OF the Missis-
sippi; as we came across on the Valladora
heavy loaded there were two others going
out with full cargoes; Captain Crosby, in
command of Valladora, did not stop, and
never does, for pilot. The other ves-
sells took OH pilots to come in but as they
went out did not, although they were new
er in before, as understood. There is
some danger of being be- calmed in Baker's
Bay just alter crossing the bar, but this
would not apply TO steamers; we crossed
on the shallowest channels, and the shall
lowest water we found was eighteen feet;
where the other vessels that went out
crossed, they found no water under twen-
ty-four feet, as was informed; this place
being passed, the Columbia is the most
beautiful river, and the safest to navigate,
in the opinion of those who are accustom-
ed to navigate it, on the continent, up as
lar as the Cascade Falls, which are about
as bad as the Falls Of the Ohio for the We
locity Of the water, but the water is al
ways deep, SO that they are in reality
nothing like as dangerous. This is the
best country for a farmer to make money
in ever saw, the best for lumber men,
the numbering business on this coast is i'm
mense, andmechanics Of cverykind get the
most extravagent prices for what they do.
II 49, -