The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-01


Lieut. Col Backenstos, of the Oregon regiment
of mounted rifemen, writes to a friend in Spring
field, Ill,) from Oregon city, under date OF 10Th
October last
The recent strange history of California has in
vested all of the Rocky mountains with new inter
est, and we give portion of Col. BIS letter:
ga detailed account of our march would be too
voluminous to interest you. Beginning at Fort
Kearny to Fort Laramie, and from thence TO Fort
Hall, and thence to Grand Round, the country is
poor-much of it sterile waste; the distance be-
tween these points, covering some fifteen hundred
miles, should, by common consent, be awarded to
the redskins, bufaoes, grisly BEARS elk antelope,
deer, and other wild animals
''In western Oregon different aspect presents
itself. Many OF the valleys are fertile and produc
tive; and the hilsand mountains covered with the
finest fir and pine timber in the world. Many beau
tiful streams of the coolest mountain spring water
Astounding with fish, and affording the best water
power for machinery and mills, can be found in
these regions.
81 have often witnessed the smooth and fat con-
diion of the cattle in summer and fall on the Illinois
prairies, during residence in Illinois of nearly six
teen years. supposed that no grass could be more
nutritious than that found on those prairies. Let
you, them that the beef cattle brought to
this city from the Willamette valley and slaughter
ed, (having every assurance that these cattle had
never eaten any thing but grass which grows spon-
!aneously in the Willamette valley and on the adj
jacent hills) are much finer than ever killed
from the praires of Illinois,"
Col. b. not pleased with great deal of the
country he passed through; but he seems quite i'm
pressed with the prospects of Oregon city. He
says:
"Upon our arrival at the GALES, the command
descended the Columbia in small boats to the Cas-
cades, where schooner lay in waiting for us to
carry us to Fort Vancouver and from thence to
Oregon city, which last is situated the Villa
mette, twenty five miles from its mouth, where it
empties its waters into the Columbia, about five
miles below, or west of Fort Vancouver.
"Oregon city contains population of about 600
souls; five stores-three pretty good ones very few
mechanics; two saw and one grst mill; a natural
mill-d dam, falls; with water sufficient to turn SO
extensive mills. Our quarters here quite COM
Portable well for the troops officers, with am
pie quantity of supplies on hand; we expect to
spend pleasant winter
"On the whole, as far as l am concerned am free
to say that am rather pleased with the country,
and particularly with its prospects. Choice lots in
this city Water street. have positively been sold
for eleven thousand dollars cash, within thirty
days past. st. Louis can't beat this bad. What
ibe-nevertheless it is true. On entering the Will
amette river the 9Th instant, we were not a
little surprised to nine ships and schooners.
This naturally led us TO inquire what they wanted
In this part of the world. We were informed that
these vessels in the lumber trade between Ore
gon, California and the Sandwich Islands, and that
forty odd cargoes of lumber, within the last five
months, had been taken out of the Columbia, at a
PriSG fahS ing iroih Soo 70 200 per thousand Ieet.
"Two gentlemen, about four months since,
bought mill at the falls in full operation for
$4,000 10000 cash, $1,000 of which they Dor
rowed)-the balance to be paid in ninety days--at
the end of which time the mill had not only paid for
itself, but had surplus of funds The proprietors
of the mill sold their lumber at $S5 per one thou
sand feet. Their water-power is the very best, but
their mill only second rate. The timber as has
been often said, is the finest in the world. You
may cut six and eight saw-logs from tree,
twelve feet long, clear of limbs. Never in my life
have seen such a wide field for making fortunes,
nor 80 certain one. The facts ! have presented
will give you but faint idea of the lumber pros
poets here"