Litchfield enquirer., 1853-02-03

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Table Rock City. jackson CO.,
Oregon. Sept, 20, 1852. r
Dear Friend-YOur letter Of the cath
June arrived here By express on the 18th
inst, and will reply to your numerous
interrOgatories in regular oder. without
again repeating them. It seems there
are many persons on the Western Re-
serve. who contemplate emigrating TO
this fal famed country. and what infOr~
nation l may ccmmun icaIe is designed
for all. Do / like Oregon ? I
do, for the following reasons The in"
ducements for farmers are SO great. No
expense is necessary for wintering stock.
A farmer, with thirty cows running at
large, has the surest prospect Of for
tune. The increase Of stock will pay
heavy interest on the money invested
The trouble of raising stock is but lit
tie. there being plenty of grass both
summe: and winter. 1t is enc year
this day since my arrival in this
Rogue River Valley, sometimes mista-
ken for Shasta,) and the climate has,
been as follows-From September te
January. the climate much resombied
the fall weather in the S,a,es-occasion.
al showers of rain. but neither frost nor
snow. January aid February were dry F.;
snow fell twice, about one inch. and
fro e an half inch; but the sun disposed
of it in twenty four hours. In March,
April. and May, considerable rain fell,
which made the growth Of crops sure,
July, August. September, we've very
dry. The soil is exceedingly produce
tive. A neighbcring farmer can pick
from his garden one thousand onions.
which will weigh one thousand pounds.
and will sell at fifty cents per pound
Two yoke Of strong cattle will do all
the breaking. Wheat is considered
sure crop, for from thirty to fifty bushels
per acre. The nights are too cool for
corn; it does not do we'll. and is not
considered necessary crop. Potatoes
and oats grow very Justify. are sure. and.
exceedingly profitable.
Our market is in the mines, which
consume more than Oregon can supply.
The prices are as follows, and vary but
little during the year in this valley
Flour and potatoes from 90 to 80 cents
per pound onions. so; pumpkins 10;
turnip Is; melons, from so ceSts TO-
So a piece. Butter fron 90 cents to
81 SO per pound; cheese, 5: beef s
cents live weight, 10; dried fruit, 40.
These are the retail prices.
Grass supplies the place Of hay
Your poor stock just off the plains. a
little hay would not be ami-s during the
cold rains. They can do without. The
| mountains are covered with grass ard
timber. The buttes are covered with
Itch foliage of grass. The country
south of this river is principally prairie,
susceptible Of cultivation, and generally
we'll supplied withssspring water. There
are no swaps. The ST, eans are all
lined with timber, and generally rapid,
owing to the short distance from the
mountains to the ocean. Some streams
are filled With trout others with SAL
mon. At Puge: Sound there are plenty
Of oysters, and This undoubtedly will be
the point Of attraction eventually. The
rush Of emigration is at Pr esent TO- South.
ern Oregon, and the choicest claims are
generally taken, though a plenty Tor
sale.
The emigrants are generally we'll
pleased with Oregan on arriving. 1t is
here as in other parte, occasionally you
meet dissatisfied home sick man; but a
small regiment could not run me from
the country. This city is one year old,
and contains 1000 inhabitants; out Of
Ibis number, there have been three
deaths. Two were sick before coming,
and one died with dissipation. We have
! one mill in operation, another building.
A grist mill will be in operation next
summer.
Many kinds Of plows are used but the
cast. iron is the best. All kinds OF farm
ing utensils can be obtained cheaper than
10 bring them. Bricks are used for Chin
neys in some parts, but none used here
vet. Cooking stoves are 10 be had at
Salem and Oregon City for $50 and up>
ward. In this valley no schools have
been organized. There are some very
efficient schools, both high and low in
the Willamette valley. We are situated
near the mining region-cf course as
yet without The pale of law, which eau
ses gambling and driuking to exist to
some extent, though not TO interfere
with the pursuits of the inhabi tarts.
Agriculture and stock raising are the
principal employment. Many spend
part Of their time in the mines. Cattle
all run at large. and some good stock has
been introduced by emigrants. Good
hogs are common there is SOW and
pigs here, worth $500. Flies and mus
quitoes are not troublesome; few are
found lurking about water courses
There is but little varieties OF soil ana
production in the different valleys"
though this pleases me best, being near
er the best market. Some Of the MI
na.a asa Jo:~- .voN conno linn ma are