Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-11-25
From washington Territory:


To the Editor Of the Josrnal:
Tbs following letters from one of two
brothers who left this county last April
for Washington Territory, may interest
some Of your readers. The garrison alla-
ded is Fcrs Wailnh Wallah, and the w.
mentioned, nm elder brother who has been
in the Territory for several years, and last
winter commenced farming on contract
al five and half cents per pound for oats
and barley. He states he was able to
plow all WINTER and his oxen kept fat Oh
the grass of the Valley without any grain.
It will be seen they intend making their
apile" by agricultural operations, an exam
pie, which it would be well if more of our
young men would follow: @ g.
WH1rxAS's VALLEY. VT June 27, '5s.
DEAR FArHER:I embrace an epportu-
nifty to send youa line, to let you know
We have arrived safe and to give you what
information l can of the country. Of our
voyage / can say but little We landed
at Havana, AsPinwall, Acapulco, Men
zenville, San Francisco, Crescent City.
Umpqua aud Portland, but our stay was
so short, except at The last bamed place,
We had not much opportunity for observa-
ton. Portland is a very hourishing town.
twelve miles up the Willamette and one
hundred and twenty up the mouth of the
Columbia; it contains about two thousand
inhabitants and is growing very fast, and
being the head of steamship navigation,
will no doubt become the largest city Of
the Territory. 1t is surrounded by beau
tiful country and in the best valley in the
country. There are some beautiful farms
opposite the city, as fine as ! have ever
seen. Fruit of every kind grows very fine,
and there is one man about six miles from
Portland has 1000 bearing apple trees
Apples sell from Sc TO $40 per busbel.-
saw peaches, cherries, gooseberries and
strawberries growing, and they certaily
looked splendid 2al -iz fHf
The Willamette valley is suitable for all
kinds of grain except corn, and that will
grow, but the trouble is in saving it, it
keeps green till the wet season ZONES on
and then spoils. This makes pork very
high, and side pork sold for 81 cents per
fb. Indeed every kind of produce is very
high, and / can give you the reason, it is
simply this, the farmers are too lazy to
raise anything. The valley is mostly set
tied by Missourians, who took lands under
the donation act. They all have $40 acres
with little log hut on it, and get their
living by hunting. There are some excep-
tions, Of course, but are generally such as
l have described, and The country will
never become anything till they leave
Like all new countries it is rough place
yet, but now is the time to start, and if a
man will but attend TO his business he will
come out all right. After leaving Port
land We passed through very fine coun-
try to the Cascades, well adapted 10 farm
ing, and heavily timbered with fir and pine.
After crossing the Cascades the country
becomes very sandy, and barren, and
mountainous, and what call good for
nothing, until reaching the valley we are
now in region called Whitman's Valley,
situated at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
1t is delightful valley, well wateled and
plenty of timber, though of small extent,
and only a, portion adapted to farming;
the rest being ,alkali or stony, but what is.
suitable for cultivation cannot be beaten in
the world. The crops look very well, con-
sidering they are the first raised in the val
ley, Harvest now coming on, and wages
will be from 81 to SIS per day for harvest
hands. Carpenters wages range from 81
to S6 per day and board. H and my
self have commenced working on VS.
farm at 81 900 per year each, and he wants
us simply to oversee and keep things
straight. His farm is splendid one with
$50 acres in grain which looks very WELL
We shall each take claim along side of
W-'s and shall then have the three best
claims in the valley.
Every thing is quiet now, there having
been no difficulty with The Indians since
we arrived. Col Steptoe had a little
brush with the Spokans just before our ar,
rival who scared his soldiers so they all
run, losing nine men an three officers, with
eight or nine more wounded. We come
just in time to do wa good thing, as
the men he had hired to attend his farm,
when they heard of Col. Steptoe's whip
ping, become scared and left his Ranch, and
would not 90 back for love or money, and
are now lying around in the brush around
the garrison half frightened to death. H
and myself are staying on the farm, (which |
is seven miles from the garrison and six
miles from any white family living at
home and boarding ourselves.
l must give you my first experience in
pie making. Il went to work-first put
ting the peaches to stew, and then made
the crust, and thought 1 was getting along
finely, but Providence had ordained l |
should have trouble hefore.I got through.
After preparing my pans, took dough |
enough for the bottom crust, when just
imagine my surprise, that little piece of
wood called a rolling pin was not present,
nor bad the need of one entered my thot's
My first idea was to make one, rather
hard operation with nothing but an axe
and jack knife, and what to do 1 did not
know, but as the old saying is, sit is bet
Ter to be born lucky than rich," l had the
good fortune to find an oil bottle, thus end
ing all my trouble about the rolling pin.
As 1 said before, this valley is well wa
tered, and it is the best water have ever
seen. 1t runs through the valley in small
streams OF creeks which head in the noun
= 4 n \ !