Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-22
For the journal.
Letter frem Oreg0n.
FRENCH PRAIRIE, Marion Co., o. T., !


Mr.. EDITOR Allow me to give a very
brief sketch of my travels from Auscatine
to Oregon City. | left my home, one mile
and a. half above Muscatlne, April 90, 1858.
Came to Grandvicw, in Louisa county, and
on the 4th of May left Grandview to cross
the Rocky Mountains.
" May 2S.--Cross the Missouri river, now
in company with I. G.. Swafford & Co.
29.-Leave the west bank of the Missou-
ri river and strike the much thought about
Plains. We are now all in good spirits,
and much talk about the pleasure trip that
we have jnst started on. suppose that we
are now nearly in the rear end of the emf
grafton, though there arc great number
behind US yet. will not give deserip-
ton of the road, as it has already been
given by many others.
pass on: Gloss Elk Horn riyer-next
the Loupe Fork Of PIatte. The weather is
now very warm. Sickness and death set IN
now. There is some smallpox. countep
43O graves from Loupe Fork to Ft. Laramie.
June l7.-Remained in camp to-day.
Mrs. Parrel did of cholera; the first sick
ness in the train.
10. Asa Brown, of Louisa county, died
Of cholera. f8ht
20. Mary T.. Benefeld of the same.
29.- Pass Ft. Laramie. No more sick
ness of any notice in our train; still see
fresh graves every day, more or less.
August pass Ft. Hall. Travel down
Snake river, on the south side, to Salmon
Falls cross the river on the north side (;
cross Snake river again at Ft. Boise; travel
on the south side of Snake river till we
strike Burnt river. This is the last we see
OF Snake river, and glad of it. .g
September l5.-On Powder river. Now
| leave the teams and am bound for Oregon
City: Strike Columbia river ten miles
above the Dalles.
26.--Finds me at the Dalles of the Co.
lumbia river. Now ] take water; travel
by water to the mouth of Sandy. Now l
am in the long-looked-for place, the great
Valley of the !" Far West.' 9H 80
2S.-This night finds me entertained in
a house for the first time since left the
waters of the Mississippi; 20 miles to Ore
gon City. Here find some of the tall tim
Der that have heard so much talk about.
The timber about here is not very large,
but grows very thick on the ground and very
tall.
29.-In the evening, came into the long,
disappointed. did not find this place near
the bank of the Willamette river, immedl-
ately below the falls. Here is natural
dam across the river, which makes the very
best water power for machinery. There are
four saw mills, two -four mills, and room
for many more. b ffaA4 2At s9 he'
have not travelled over the country
enough to give description of it,
have settled on French Prairie, % miles
from Oregon City, 4 4miles from Salem, and
miles from the Willamette river. ss2s p
q he past winter itcUmmenced raining.
about the. 10th of November, and continued
nearly steady till the 2Oth of December
then 1t commenced showing and showed
every day or night for two weeks Thd
snow fell about 20 inches deep. Rain be-
gan to fall Sunday evening !; Monday even-j
ing left the; snow about four inches deep
Tuesday, snow all gone off Of the prairie !
this left the earth deluged with water,l
which caused the rivers to overflow theiri
banks. The Willamette river was FIVE or
six feet higher than it, has been since theI
country was settled by Americans. 0TheI
French say that tlin 1928 Ithesrivers was tenl
feet higher than it was last winter. 81 ID -
We had fne farming weather. through,
February some more rain and hail in
March fine growing weather through April
now 18th May the weather is beautiful and
warm. .af3v 8ntt uf $50 8Jaiq sasiskaAi n
Wheat is worth 81 25 per bushel, and,
has been as high as So since L have been in
the Valley. Oats 81 $50 to s. per- lbushel.
Flour Sl4 per ,cwt., at the country mills Il
not so high at the city mills. Beef. cattle
are worth fifteen cents per pound on foot:
milch cows Sl00 per head; work cattle
$500 per yoke, horses from 81 so to $500;
good mares $500 each hogs about 20 cents
per lb,; sheep, SlQ per head, &e. The.
scarcity Of the article makes the price in
Oregon. Lumber is worth from $40 to $50
per tn ousand feet.
Yours, &c. JESSE BENErIELp.
allas .xod Porthe Journal 5Isas : ,iiTEl
a.si yod Letter from Texas - !. so FL
&c - GALVESTON, May24 1858. :
EDITOR OF JOURNAL: arrived in this, the
largest town in Texas, this morning at day
light. after n short trim nf nina dovS from,