The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-24


The country. II has never been our lot to travel
over more beautiful aud to all appearance, q
better agricultural country than can be fourd
between here aud Lafayette. The crops every
where appear remarkably good--wheat and
| oats are now " ripe for the SICKLE" and the
farmers busily engaged in harvesting. Pota-
| toes, onions, cabbages, &r., &c, present to the
eve conclusive evidence OF the richness of the
soil. We were glad to see so many new and
substantial frame houses erectng--exten
fields newly fenced--roads and bridges itn-
proved, all Of which show that the country Is
settled with an industrious and enterprising
people many OF whom are now Ell .yirg all
the comforts they enjoyed in the States.
Lafayette is beautifully located on the Yam
Hill river; a stresm supplying extensive water
power. and passing through the most fertile
| country we. have seen on the Pacific coasl.
This town Is new, bat il has the elements within
itself Of becoming u large and furnishing one
at no distant day. We found the people with
whom We became acquainted intelligent, affable
| and friendly, possessing large share Of hos
pitality, which makes journey pleasant and
agreeable TO the wayiarer and traveller. We
regretted that we could not visit Salem and
some other towns at the time, which were highly
| spoken of by these who have seen them.--
| O,sgonian.
INDIAN AFrAIns-The Portland Times OF
July "a, contains the following:
DIR. Dart, the superintendent of Indian Affairs,
who had gone 10 visit the distant Indian tribes
East Of the Cascades, has returned from his
| tour, and informs us that delegations from the
Walla Walas, Wescopans, Mes Perces Yoco-
maws, Spokans and Poloses, me. him at the
| Dalles--and after satisfying them it was not his
/ int ~ natta V.ll In1i
into their country, they were perfectly eo1tentsd
| He made treaties with the Cay uses and Mes
Perces, and got permission from the Cayuses to
establish an Indian agency in their nation, and
buildings for that purpose are now in course OF
construction. He succeeded also, in settling
the difficulties, for time, that existed between
the Snake and the Mes Perez tribes, who wish
to fight each other-by treating for peace one
year, at the end of which time, il government
cannot satisfactorily arrange affairs. the Mes
Perces have leave to 60 to war with them.
He is of opinion that there were upward OF
500 Indians gathered in council. He informs
us that the Mes Perces number 1900 souls,
the Wescopons over TOO, and that the Cayuses
number only ia, and are fast disappearing. The,
Cayuses, he says, were much pleased when he
informed them that the whites wished to be
friendly, for they had the idea that the whites
1
avenge the murder of Mr.. Whitman and family.
! The country which he visited, he speaks of in
the highest terms, and gives it as his opinion
that it contains moro land adapted to cultivation
than the whole of New England.
| The editor of the Oregon Spectator, writing
from "West Tualatin, July H." gives the fol-
lowing description of that portion Of the terri
| tory:
As farming country probably no part of
| Oregon surpasses this. The ease with which
farms are made on the plains, gives the claims
taken here a decided preference. There are
| some drawbacks to be sure-running water is
scarce, and, instead Of springs, wells have to be
dug in most places, though good wster can be
obtained almost anywhere by dgging-and the
inconvenience of getting to market, at this time,
il seriously felt; but the improvement of the
Tualatin river will greatly lessen the cost of
transportation; say to one. third OF what it now
! costs.
The plains are beautifully situated and inter
spersed with numerous groves, sufficiently large
to afford timber for ordinary purposes in farm.
ing, such as building, fencing and fuel The
distance over which have travelled since ! first
struck the plains is abogt Is niles. In that
distance have seen much good wheat and oats,
(the principal kinds of grain produced IN Ore
gon) and some good rye.
Though / have admired the plains very much
from the time first struck them, there is no
portion of them that has impressed me "a favor
ably as that denominated sWest hlatin
Plains" on the West side of which is located
the Tualatin academy. The location, for an
institution Of this kind Is one of The best that
could have been selected.
The Coal IS OREGoS-The rich veins OF
coal discovered some time since on a tributary
Of the Cowlitz river, which is being partially
worked, and The late discoveries that have been
made at Port Oxford, on the Pacific coast, warrant
the con fusion that there is an abundance Of coal
in Oregon. IL has not been discovered up to this
time in beds, as respects depth, that will at all
favorably compare with the immen.e coal beds
found about Pittsburgh and the other great
coal districts of Pennsylvania; but although il
is found here ofmuch less depth, IL will compare
we are told, very favorably with the Pennsylva.
mia coal, Of the same kind, as to quality. The
country about Pogets Sound 100 contains large
quantities Of coal None Of the mines have, n
yet been worked 10 any very great extent,
owing, no doubt, to the high price Of labor
Oregon Spectator.