New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-14
OREGON.
Arrival OF the New Secretary OF the Territory
Condition and Prospects Of the Country
ImmiRrntion. &c.
Correspondence Of St. Louis Intelligence.
o. -. IL. n.t.t.. ~ feta

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Immigration, &c.
Correspondence Of St Louis Intelligence.
OREGON CITY. Sunday. October ., 1850
Since last wrote you nothing special OF very
interesting has occurred, in a public way, except
we note the arrival Of the new Secretary of the
Territory, Gen. Hamilton and family Judge Strong
and Dr.. Arson Dart, the Superintendent Of Indian
Affairs. The Doctor has been visiting the ooun-
try above he went up on one side ard down the
other OF the Willamette River, taking observa-
tons Of the country He intends them for publ
cation He is, at this time on visit to the Dial
les, about 100 miles from this, up tho Columbia
River. Negotiations will soon be entered into
with the Indians, for the purchase OF the entire
district west Of the Cascade mountains. This
will embrace a large portion Of the best farming
land in Oregon. There is some land Of excellent
quality east OF the Cascade mountains il IS well
adapted to both farming aud grazing That part
of Oregon occupied by tho Mes Perces, WSlla
Walla and Cayuse nations and which lies be-
tween the Falls or Chstes River which forms tho
western boundary and Powder River. lt 10 the
greatest grazing country ever saw. There are
at least 20, 900 horses belonging to these several
tribes, rearing upon it; the most OF these, how
ever, belong to the Cayuse nation, the principal
Chief owning alone 900 of this number. They
have some Of the best made horses; equal to any
picture | ever saw. They are not capable OF en-
during as much as American horses, as they ara
tanned in this country, and are much smaller
Situated ia the heart Of this last named district
were the stations of the Rev. Mr. Spalding and
DIR. Whitman, which, subsequent to the massacre
of the latter and bis family, was abandoned by the
Americans. Since that time Mr. Spalding has re-
sided in the valley Of the Upper Willamette. He
is Quite anxious to get back to his old station, il
Government will only throw It's protection over IT,
He ia quite anxious that that portion should bo
treated for too, as early as possible. says II Is
not only grazing and wheat country, but that
good corn can be raised there also. The seasons
are too cool for corn here, but wheat, am inform
ed by the farmers, can be grown, and good wheat,
too, il sown in any month Of the year Our TAR
mers here say they can raise fifty to seventy'nVe
bushels Of wheat to the acre and II the yield Is
not more than fifteen twenty bushels to the acre
/ it is not harvested at all The common professor
uniting in grain is 10 sow the wheat upon the
/ stubble and harrow it over but in most cases no
/ wheat is sown, there being enough left IN the
ground to seed it. Wheat has been worth, during
the past summer, 81 50 to g per bushel The
wheat grown here is equal in quality to that OF
any part of America Hay is worth $50 and 500
per ton. Oats from 81 80 to - per bushel. har-
vesting the season for It, is owing TO the time the
seed is sown wheat and oats, friend informed
me- were cut this fall late as the 10th OF Octo-
ber 1t was probably sown in June.
Oregon is in pretty much such fix as Illinois
was in 1896 and ls37-every eligible point on the
rivers Willamette and Columbia is surveyed and
stated of for towns. large amount of capital
/ is being invested in that way. Many OF them
leave out of view the advantages of natural To-
cation they think that a few thousand dollars Is
all that is necessary to make a town. / am not
much experienced in town building. but venture
an opinion that there are be only four towns 10
the Territory, west of the Cascade Mountains.
The metropolis of the Territory will be Astoria
there must be the port Of entry. It will bear the
same relation to the great Columbia valley that
New Orleans does to the Mississippi Another
important town will doubtless be built at the Cas-
cades. on the Columbia Oregon City will be the
Birmingham of the Territory. Here, on both sides
/ Of the Willamette river, may be derived sufficient
power, from the falls to drive over hundred run
( of stone. 1t has on it, now, two grist mills and
two saw mills, one Of the latter being double
one. One mile from the Willamette Falls, is the
/ Clackamas Creek, which has several saw mills
erected upon it, There is no difficulty to be APP
pretended from want of water power; wherever
there are streams there is plenty OF power-this
may be said of nearly all the streams in the Ter
ritory. The other principal town will doubtless be
at the head of navigation the Willamette river,
some twenty odd miles above this City, probably
/ La Fayette.
At the Dalles, Government is building post.
1t progresses slowly, there is great difficulty In
getting laborers and wages are so exorbltantly
! high, which, together with the stampede the sol
diers took last summer makes it necessary Tor
| them 10 winter in tents The officers have tenn
porary sbantees for themselves. The soldiers
nearly all deserted last summer, those only re-
naming whose time was about to expire--the
officers comprising the majority Of those left. The
location is pretty one, and will, when it is I'M
proved, make pleasant place. The high wages
In Oregon, and the prospect of gold being founds
are too strong temptations for the rank and hlei
the officers can bear these things more PHILOSOPHY
! icaly They can content themselves very well,
! drawing pay to the tune Of sl60 and $500 per
month The officers at several stations always
! manage to keep two or three OF their number IN
/ der arrest. One of them is now under arrest, Col.
Backentos, the gentleman Of Mormon notoriety,
| for horsewhippiDg soldier He, in consequence,
resides in this city. They are building and i'm
proving at Fort Vancouver; but number Of the
soldiers there will have to biyOuac ia tents this
winter. They have been compelled 70 pay - per
day for carpenters, and board them. The situa-
tion Of Vancouver is said to be the handsomest in
Oregon. 1t is not built Immediately on the river,
but about half mile back. There arc three sta
tions now in the Territory. The one near Fort
Hall was abandoned last Spring; they came near
starving last winter. 1t is too inconvenent TO OBJ
tain supplies, it being 500 miles to Oregon City.
There are, according to information received
yesterday, about fifty wagons and teams in the
Cascade Mountains destined for this place, and
the valley above. Many Of their cattle persisted
in the mountains in consequence OF the snow,
which fell TO the depth Of ten inches. Grass In
many places is scarce at best The weak condi-
tion Of cattle any other kind Of stock is such,
after travelling 1000 miles and upwards, that they
must be very highly favored to stand up under the
trials they are liable to meet WITH so late as this
in the season. Some whole teams persisted. Per
sons should start earlier from the States, at any
rate in time to reach Oregon by the last OF Sep
TENDER In that case they need apprehend no
difficulties of the kind have mentioned.
left the Missouri River, q few miles below old
Fort Kearney, on the 18th of May, 1850, and ar
rived in Oregon City the 18th Of August, making
the trip in about ninety days. travelled with
horses snd mules The latter part Of the trip, from
Fort Hall here is the most difficult part oil the
-orta The roads are heavv nothing but sand in