The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-06-13
LETTER FROM OREGON.

~@'S
Through the kindness Of DR.. J. CAMILLE,
Of lie Claire, we have been furnished with
a letter, dated Oregon City, Feb 25,h,
1850, and received by him from Mr.. G. B
Goupy, formerly editor Of the Temperance
"Organ," Springfield, Ills, from which let
ter We make the following lengthy extract,
81 am still employed in printing the specia-
tor. have now been q, work here five months
II will be year tho 22d of next month since
left Springfield. II seems to me TO be very
short one. The time was on the road is per-
feet blank. ! cannot appreciate the fact tha,
Taylor has been President one year, because 1
have jus. commenced hearing of his acts. lam
just six months behind the times. Since left
home, have travelled some three thousand
miles, and have made $685. consider this as
doing ,olerably well for '.poor inrahd'' as you
call me.
ssSince wrote you last, the Willamette has
been very high. Several Of the principal houses
on Water Street were swept away. When il is
up the current is very swift I, lis impossible TO
cross it. For two or three days the drift wood
came down in one continued string-sometimcs
in piles several acres large and containing trees
several hundred feet long. A great many mills
were swep, away. The damage, counting the
time tina, i, will take 20 replace the mills, is i'm
mense-probably as much as million OF dollars
We have had some beautiful weather When
il does no, rain here in the winter, the weather
is exceedingly beautiful. tits just like some OF
the pret.est spring days in Illinois when the
birds commence singing. The main part Of the
rain has passed, and the winter may be said to
be over. l have not seen ice quarter Of an
inch thick this winter. The fact that | have
been sleeping in the office on the bare table with
one blanket under and one over me, will give
you as good an idea, as anything else | could
name, Of how cold it had been here. You prob.
ably will think this is poor comfort in the way
Of sleeping; but il there was feather bed in the
other corner Of the office, would not sleep or
il. When first came in from the mountains,
tried TO sleep on feather bed, bur it was no go
could sleep better on the ground. On The rond
had feather bed in the wagon and slept very
com mfor,ably. Our wagon never let drop o.
rain in, and there were someterrible hard storms
on the Platte. After the rains ceased and the
ground became dry and parched, got tred
sleeping in the wagon, and would sleep in III,
tent, and afterwards in the open air; which wa'
the mos, pleasant of all, and if you should eyel
try it you will say SO too.
ssI was never more deceived in whatI expect
ed to find, than was in the Soda Springs. They
are on Bear river, about so miles from Ft. Hall
7 I had two or three bottles Of Lemon Syrup, ant
with the syrupit was really first rate soda water
These springs are great curiosity. They hoi
up out Of the ground for the distance Of a mile
up and down the river 1t has formed little
mounds and boils up in the Top and sinks bacl
again. There are others in pools. These als'
boil up and sink again or evaporaic, don't know
which. youcensee them boiling in the middle Q
the river. Some are much stronger than others
The steamboat sp'iEg is the strongest. Th
country bears unmi stakable evidence Of havinl
been volcanic at SOME period
"Your idea Of Oregon City is tolerably correct
In, is l25 miles from the mouth Of the Colnmbi
and 30 from the mouth Of the Willamette.
believe / wrote you something Of descriptio