Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-09-05
From san Francisco TO Salem, o. T.

may not be uninteresting 10 our readers We
take it from the Sacramento Daily Union, of Aug.
2Sth:
The traveller who leaves the wharves of San
Francisco for the Columbia river country, with
Bryants ideal of country,
Where rolls the Oregon.
And hears no sound but its own dashngn
Is certain TO have his conceptions dissipated on
arriving in the Oregon of to-day. The Columbia
though retaining much of the savage grandeur in
which it was clothed by the Divine Architect, is
no longer the solitary haunt Of the savage man
and the savage beast but is enlivened with the
busy hum OF ocean and river steamers, and the
whirr' OF the many numbering and grist mills
with which its banks are studded. What a busy
materialistic set We Of the Anglo-SaXon race are
In what short period o, history have we beltcd
the continent with the evidences Of our enterprise,
and carried the ensgns Of our civilization TO
where the last land to be subducd by our arms
look out upon the wide waste of waters that sepa-
rate us from the cradle OF humanity What shall
we do for the other continents when this is ours
But these are questions which the reader may
ponder upon and answer for himself.
Not only the banks of the Columbia. but the
sea coast from San Francisco, has its active and
busy population. The smoke of their fires was
gracefully visible we coaSted the bays and
headlands from San Francisco to Astoria. At
Crescent City we discharged one hundred and
sixty tons of freight. Crescent City is tic entire
pot Of flourisbng trade with Jacksonville and
Yreka. and the extensive mining country ada
cent. This accounts for the vast quantity of
goods unshippcd there, which the Captain told us
is seldom less than the amount this time. In
about seven hours after leaving Crescent City.
We passed Port Oxford. a few years ago it used
to be place OF considerable trade. but the recent
Indian war in Southern Oregon has driven most
OF the miners from the country. They are, how
ever rpturninr and prosDpC tinu thn RoVup Rivpr
country with good success and the country prom
scs, at no distant day. 10 Gil up with hardy
and enterprisng mining population. We never
pass Port Oxford without calling to mind some
particularly wild passages in Byron s Corsar.'
There is a wild, romantic look about the ragged,
bare white cliffs upon which the town stands,
which causes it invounarily to associate itself in
or mind with the retreat of tho Greek pirates.
Far be it from MS, however. to intimate that the
gallant Captain Tichcnor tthc Lord of Port Or
iord) pursucs the calling Of the robbers of Islam.
The Captain is gallant old fellow. aud in his
lie craft, The Nelly Tichnor' bae no doubt, had
quite as many adventures, and as exciting too,
as the father Of IIaidee.
Some time since the Federal Government ap.
pointed n Collector Of Customs for Port OrfoId
without consulting the Captain, at which he was
greatly displeascd. Since then he has been en-
pioycd in taking his revenge out OF Uuncle Sans
capacous pockets His knowledge Of the coast
which is perfect enables him to monopolize
the coast carrying trade Of supplying the Indians
on the various Reserves scattered along the coast.
In his little schooner he enters bays on the coast
with perfect safety, which would prove the de-
structOn OF less experienced navigators.
About n hundred miles from the mouth of the
Columbia it receives the waters Of the beautiful
willamette by two mouths and fourteen miles
from the mouth of the Wilmettc stands the
youthful and picturesque city of Portland-the
commercial capital of Oregon. Portland contains
about five thousand inhabitants, and the town has
more the appearance Of substantially than any
other town on the Pacific Here you find no dirty,
dilapidatod, deserted houses, tenantcss and likely
to continue so, but neat white cottages gre I you
on every hand-the permanent homes of the nc
chanics, who have made Portland what il is
Nearly every one of these mechanics are the own
crs Of their own houses and lots. and the evidences
OF their ownership arc to be seen in the trim, neat
appearance Of their dwellings. and the well cult
waited fruit gardens with which they are snrround-
ed. Ten years ago the site of Portland was an
uubroken forest so dense as to shut ont the suns
rays To day it has its churches and its school
houses, its newspapers, its public buildings aud
its water works in full proportion to its needs
1t has three weekly newspapers and one job print
ing Office, and viii be n good opening for The es
taGlishment Of n daily as soon rs the mail facli-
ties OF the country are little improved. Among
the many hand-om private residences in Port
land we cannot help mentioning that of Hon. 7.
/
paper in 1870, as a Whg journal, and notwith-
standing the Territory has been largely and over
Uhclmlngly Democratic, under his sklliul guild
ancc the Cre9onidH has attained an influence and
circulation far ahead of any other journal in
| Oregon. May its entcrpr'siug publisher have
cause to laugh and grow fat Tor many years to
come.
We left Portland in the steamer Express, and
steamed up the Willamette twelve miles to Ore
gon City The town has the appearance of pre-
mature decay-iudecd, an old resident told Us
that be feared the rats would soon take the town.
1t is situated in n deep canon, where the whole
body Of the Willamette River. rs large here as
the Sacramento at your city, rushes over per-
| pcndicular ledge some forty feet high, reminding
| one fOrcibly of u miniature Niagara. There is
water power enough here to whirl the planet Ju-
pter. if it could only be applied. There arc
several Touring and lumber mills established here,
| the largest Of which is owned by Dr. McLaughlin.
grayhatred veraH Of ninety years. who has
passed the greater portion Of his life on this coast
| in the capacity of Governor Of the Pacific branch
of the Hudson Bay Company. He is now at the
/ point Of death. lie married an Indian woman,
and raised family OF hafbreed children, whom
he sent to Europe to be educated. He has man
aged, by giving the female portion Of them large
fortunes, to provide most of them with white hus-
bands. The male portion, notwithstanding their
/ opportunities. are Indian enough still. The DR..
is said TO be worth half million Of pounds ster-
/ ling most OF which is invested in English stocks.
| lie was kind and humane man, and it speaks
volumes for his goodness that the Indians and
whites lived amicably together for the quarter Of
il century Of his administration.
From Oregon City TO Salem, the scat Of Gov
crnmcnt. distance Of about forty miles, there is
! no navigation on the river at this season of the
year. Semi-cccasonaly stages run to carry the
mails We did not happen to strike the stage,
aud had TO take passage in an applicant return.
/ ing to the interior for a load of that delicious
! fruit after having deposited one for the San
Francisco Markets at the head Of steamboat navi-
CATION. This gave us a better chance TO see sights
The agricultural country begins fewmiles above
Oregon City. 1t is harvest time, and we can see
the golden, waving grain in all its beautiful un-
dulations. But human hopes and expectation are
born to be diSaDpoutcd