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

| mrke no doubt but that should now
possess four cows. Bring cows with
you by ali means, but do not yoke them.
Cows are indeed worth from fifty TO one
hundred dollars here in Oregon. The
possession of ten good cows here may
make man rich. Remember, then.
advise the driving of cows; but protest
against their being yoked. l will not
quarrel with the doctrines of the Wo-
mans Rights Convention, but / must
demur to the yoking up "crying heifers"
with "cow brutes" of the sterner sort.
The foregoing are not the only rea-
sons why mules or horses are preferable
to oxen for This journey. Mules and
horses, if permitted 10 travel no faster
than oxen, will grow fat whilst the oxen
will grow poor. But there is no neces-
sity of driving them as slow as you do
oxen. The pace of an OK you cannot,
ordinarily, hurry. At best YOU cannot
average more than from twenty to TWEEN.
ty-five miles per day with oxen upon the
first part of the route, and from ten to
fifteen OH The latter part, with horses or
mules you make an average of 25 miles
all the way, and that without iniuring
them; if you take good care of them.-
And thus with horses or mules, you may
not only arrive in Oregon from one to
two months in advance of OK teams, but
passing and preceding all such, you are
constantly favored with an abundance
of good, sweet, virgin grass, and finally
cross the Cascade mountains and descend
into the valleys of Oregon before the
season of wet or cold begins. And,
what is equally valuable. you ou,.travel
and escape from the epidemics-conta,
gious diseases which usually seize upon
and follow the in. migration from and af.
ter crossing the Missouri river.
Many have been induced to start with
oxen because of their great value and
utility here. II is true, oxen are both
valuable and useful in Oregon, bu, SO are
horses and mules. Oxen are worth one
hundred and one hundred and fifty dol
lars per yoke. whilst good mule readi-
ly commands 500 and upwards; and
good American mares are worth from
Sl50 to $500. And whilst yokes and
chains are not worth much more than
they are in the States, good two horse
harness, worth S20in the western States,
will readily command SIS here.
But one other point remains to be con-
sitered upon this subject. Many per-
sons. contemplating the peculiar noun.
famous character of this journey, con-
clude that for families, oxen, though slow
er, are safer. This, too, is an error.-
| never heard of horse or mule team
running away on the road! Such events
amongs the OK teams were of daily oc-
currence. And many were the instan.
ces. the present season, where persons
were killed or had their bones broken or
received other bodily injury from these
casualties. ......
l have been thus particular upon this
part of my subject as, viewed ia all rcla-
tions and consequences, it is a matter of
vast importance to hundreds who are to
follow US TO the Pacific. Hundreds, |
am now pursuaded, who now lie buried
along the way, might ard would have
been now alive and well in the valleys
of Oregon, had they started with horse
or mule teams, and started early and with
light loads. But, independent of the
question OF life and death, the journey,
at the very best, is, and must continue to
be. rot only long, but tedious and per-
plexingly evere,--wearing upon mind
and body. Whatever clogs or weights
there be they should be, Topped of and
thrown aside; and whatever can facili-
tate our march should be eagerly coul,ed
and applied. II, therefore, the wealthy
farmer or other persons is desirous of
bringing oxen let them do so. His EN-.
ploying mules or horses for his family
need not prevent his driving any number
of loose cattle. Then and In tha. case
he can employ at his option-suffer his
family 10 proceed or accompanying the
stock.
Of course il will be understood that
the foregoing and following directions are
addressed to AL those who sviU cross the
plains. IL men and women are deter
mined on coming to Oregon, and can
command the means to do SO, | would
advise them to come by water, as being
decidedly the preferable way. II being,
in the end, all things considered, not
much il any more expensive; not any
more hazardous. and not consuming, in
lis execution, but about one-third of the
time.
The next thing to be considered is the
kind of wagon. Whether you start with
oxen, mules or horses, you need no 9TH
er, and should not, on any account. start
with none other than light, strong wag-
ons. Forty nine fillieihs. of wagons en-
ployed upon the plains, by this year s
migration, were TOO heavy. Very light,
strong. well-made wagons are the best
And if my advice is followed. and mules
or horses are employed, | would recon-
mended the building of the very ligh,
swo-horse wagons.o .on purpose for the trip.
with elliptical springs, light covers, &c.
Be sure and keep off and away from
your wagon all surplus weight, whether
wood or iron.
The next thing in order is the loading.