Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-03-10

~ NfeSoH Oy He oOeTfohU hOutc,
Judieious onJft; timely hints; time
of starting, &c.
ALBANY; Linn Co., o. T.,}
Nov. %. 1852.
FRIEND WATERMAN: Dear Sir. Be
fore leaving Iowa in the month of April
last, promised several newspaper edit
ors that i would write them description
of Oregon, and the more important par
ticulars and incidents Of my journey
Perhaps an hundred persons earnestly
solicited the same favor at my hands,
And, inasmuch as ere this will reach the
States the time will arrive when all those
who contemplate coming TO Oregon the
ensuing season, will find il expedient to
set about preparation, will begin a.
bout that which most concerns them
now, and which i, of the very first i'm
portaIce.
First. then. as il respects an outfit for
the overland journey from the Missouri
river TO Oregon. And first, as to the
kind of team. Gen. Lane, the Hon.
Mr.. Thurston (now deceased) and other
gentlemen of much distinction, as well as
nine.ten,hs of those immigrants of for.
mer years, whose letters to their friends
in the United States, have found their
way into the newspapers, recommend
the use Of oxen. They have invariably
represented them as altogether the most
safe, sure and reliable, and, in the out
come, as quite as speedy. Now, what
ever may have been the experience Of
those gentlemen, or Of others who con-
cur with them, in crossing the plains IN
former years, my own, and / am sure,
thata very large majority of this years
immigration, is, that oxen are the very
last kind of team to be preferred -
They may. and doubtless have, done
much better in years past than they did
in the present. And it is unquestiona-
bly, tue that they might continue to per-
form the journey with certainty and sat.
isiaction in those years when the immi-
grafton is very small. And even then
either mules or horses are to be prefer
red. ! would thus classify-lst. mules;
I'd. horses; Sd. oxen. The presen,
season judge there were fifty thousand
persons on the road bound for Oregon
and California: About 10000 for The
latter place and the remaining 10000 Cor
Oregon. Independent of loose stock,
there were. probably, on the main route,
before the separation of the Oregon and
California roads; one hundred thousand
animals in the yoke and under the har.
ness. Of the whole number thus en-
ployed about six-seven,hs, probably,
were oxen and cows; the balance was
composed of horses and muies-the pro-
portion of horses to mules being. perhaps.
as Eve TO one; and yet, there were, OF
course, large number of mules. In.
deed, if my calculations are correct, there
were about 1000 mules on the road
Out OF this number, or whatever other
number there was, saw but one dead
mule on the entire route! Of the whole
of horses saw but jfps dead
ones. Though there must have been.
as already suggested, some Ia or l5
thousand on the road. Whilst of oxen
alone Isaw, as | should Judge, at leas,
,fUe thousand lying dead by the road
side And those who work oxen usual.
ly work cows also. This | would pro-
test against. A very interesting and
fattering theory has hitherto been pre-.
senied to the people of the western States
in relation to their mode Of getting here
the benefits they would derive from, and
that would accrue to them from the same
sources after their arrival here. One j.
tenn in this theory has been ,ha, they
could work their cows all the way whilst
they would afford them milk and butter
on the journey; that they were nearly
as serviceabie in the yoke as oxen. and
that on arriving here they would be
worth from $50 to 500. al of these
results are impossible. Work your
cows indeed you may. But if you do
two results will follow. nine cases in ten,
to-wil: ysur cows will be worth next to
nothing for milk, and what mi K they DO
give will hardly be fit to use; and. what
is worse than all, if you continue TO work
them, they will either die on the road.
or give out before reaching their Jour-
ney's end. aud SO compel you to leave
them upon the road. ! started with four
and worked them. | got through with
none. II had started with ten and
worked them all might now have one