The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-10
PROPOSED COLONY OF BALTIMOREANS IN
OR EG . ON-DESCRIPTION OF THE co
QUILLE VALLEY

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letter, which has been received from Dr. Herman of
the Committee that left this city during last summer for
Oregon It will no doubthe read with pleasure by all who
are friendly to coonzing the far West may prove
at the time of valuable information
who intend to join the enterprise is proper to state in
this connection, that Dr. Herman first carefully and mi
nuely explored the valleys best adapted to farming pur
poses in California and also other valleys in Oreson more
or less favorable to settlement before expressing his o
ion concerning the superior advantages presented by
valley of Coqule river The narrative of his journey
from San Francisco to Umqua valley Oregon Territory
embraces snguarly graphic description Of the country
through which he passed and only regret that its
extreme length precludes the possibility of spreading
the whole of it before readers The valley by
him for settleml mt is thus described.
The Coquille river heads with its three branches the
South Middle and North fork the highest mountains of
the Coast range and junction ohe three forks runs
in souhwesterly direction into the Pacific Ocean From
the junction of the south and middle forks the river is
navlgable through the winter season. and three
miles below the junction with the North fork Mt all the
seasons, down to its mouth, fifty miles distant is
beautiful clear stream, from 100 to 200 feet wide and II
to IA feet deep water In the dry the tide
up to the forks and during the rainy much higher
The mouth of the rvers obstructed by bar which for
bids the entrance oflarge vessels but small sailing
sells pass the bar has water low ebb
small steamer could ply up and down the river without
any obstruction To secure at all times outlet to the
sea, connection with the Coos Bay could be effected
at point on the lower part of the river, where it
it is separted from the Bay by a small low isthmus
4
quarter and at hig4 water only one quarter mile wide
The river has winding course through the valley, and
leaves irregular tracts of bottom sides
to mile wide, the whole valley with the banks and
slopes of the adjoining hills is from miles wide.
me mus Immediately sklrng the valley are from to
ooO ieet mg running back to the higher mountain
The bottom land, which is mostly ground,
rich loamy soil, which varies in parts to dark
black humus less clayey though parts it are
sandy; it is covered with Myrtle, Ash and Maple white
and black Oak, and the higher banks with live Oak
| Fir white Cedar and HcmOck. The underground and
smaller trees are Hazlenut, Poplar, red Alder Madaron
Willow, Crabapple the bushes of the Salmon tyellow
large) and red Raspberry black blue and red
Dew and Blackberry, Timbleberry Sal-teb berry etc
The higher hills and mountains contain chiefly the Fir
! Iemlock, white Cedar and some Pine Adjoining the
bottom land and running up the lower and higher hills
and between the mountains scattered here and there
some prairie of from 100 1000 large and covered
with the richest grasses and plants viz the huncigass
and other grasses the Timothy, wild Clover Oregon pea
various kinds of beans, the wild sunnower Cammas etc
The grasses and most of the plants continue fresh through
te Hry season. ana are growing most uXurany through
| the rainy season and winter These praires
namented during Spring, Summer and Fall with a great
variety OF flowers of the forest, making these wild mea
dows the most enchanting spots in these The
soil of these prares is mostly of black cay,
parts oi moudy nature The hills and highest noun
ains are covered every where with rich strong
the most part lOamy soil You may imagine richness
oi tcSe ParleS anu mountain pa lures when tell you
that horses cattle and hogs and also the elk and deer
tten on them even more so in the winter than in the dry
season tnouS the pasture never parches up like in the
valleys the Umqua and Rogue rivers yoke of
which is not worked enough becomes too fat these prai
res TO De ut Tor work IN course of year. The trees
the bottom andSthe myrtle, ash, and mape-arc from
one to three feet in diameter except occasional
cedar between, which will reach from four eight feet
on the hills and mountains the fir, cedar and hemock
grow 200 to 250 feet high and from II feet
diameter. The cedar. fir ash live oak and myrtle are
the best timber for domestic exportaton especial
| y the white cedar, live oak and myrtle. The myrtle
being considered by good many equal if not superior
for furniture. to mahogany, it exceeds the mahogany
! in hardness, toughness and polish.
Looking the luXurant growth of all kinds of vege
tatOn both on the mountains well the bottom lands
of the streams and main river, find all the indications
OF the richest strongest and most productive soil for all
kinds of vegetables grains and fruits and better soil
could be desired for agri horti and pur
poses The soil of the bottom lands is over 30 deep
as the river bed sufficiently indicates, and will he mex
haustbY productive after like the bottom lands
of some of the rivers in the States for instance the She
nandoah and South Branch bottoms in Virginia which
valleys resemble the CoquilIc valley remarkably
The natural productions lrus are the Myrtle nut
of the white and black Oak which the swine fat
the bottoms besides the Cammas and other roots
they dig the prairieS The haZlenuts grow abundant
but more the Salmonberries Raspberries tel Dew
and Backberres, blue black and red Iockeberries Tim
bcberrieS Strawberries and the Pacific Creek between
Coast Bay and mqna the CranbcrrcS; also kinds
Gooseberres. The Salmon and Sal-te berries
passed regards favor ana deCacy and they grow in
' do,nuice III many laceS that one could gather
wagon loads of them from In fact this quantity
and variety Of berries, which grow from March ti Nov
eper with the addition of the Salmon and Trout in the
waters and the abundant supply of game the
tans, would be alone sufficient life
these fruits OF natural growth, the sod in the bottoms
and on the hills. produce excellent corn, better than
in any other part of Oregon. Wheat, Barley, oats,
roofs OF All descriptions especially beets and carrots Of the
largest size cabbages from twelve pounds head
o'aoea from +uO TO oOO bushels an acre; cantelOpeS,
musk nutmeg and water melons in any quantity of de
ltcious flavor Wheat is by many only every two
years 1t will bring volunteer crop the second wear
from the first years average wheat The oats some say
every five years brings volunteer crops four and
five successive years from the first year In fact have
seen the second crop from years seed headed and
pretty ripe Roots of all kind generally left over
winter in the ground there frost none sufficient
to affect them and families dig them they want them
The rult culture Is yet Infancy CUIuiilc al
ley Tor the settlement Is only two years old. Still have
seen ripe peaches two years old bush. have seen
many little ree-apple, pear and peac-aised from
twlg Just put in the ground, and grow luXUruty like
cutlong of willow. The grape vine have seen in few
places from last years growth and it do well
No doubt many Of the hill sides well adapt
ed for the production of wine but experience
must show what qualities and kind will thrive
best. When the prairics and natural open nas-
ture grounds the exclusive property Of the
settlers artificial pasture could be gained bv clear
ing the burnt down forests many Of the hills adjoining
the valley and Srewng seeds Of grasses or clover
over it, when IT will spring up without powin and
rowing it in. have often in the and on the
roadsdes of the valley, timothy voluntarily grow
height of six feet The of the gardens of the set
tiers, of an acre or more ground have spade yet
they burn the woods clear the ground and as it is mellow
enough throw The seed over ana raise carrots Of l6 inches
long Every seed to become easily nauralizcd to
te Srouho iof nave seen many growing voluntarily in
Pacs near the gardens IN short after viewing the pro-
ductveneSs of the soil in every light it
by any ever heard Of The climate great nnu-
ence to the extraordinary producvcness of the soil on
the Coquile The weather along the range of noun
tans is like other parts of Oregon and California Most
part OF the winter season it rains and swes all the
waters, and particularly the main stream Of the CO.
guile, so that it rises sometimes twenty-five to
thirty feet and overfOws for one or two davs tIr
lower and back parts of the bottom land on the foot
of the hills but it don't last longer than one or two DAYS
and the river falls it rose The lowest botfo
of the rivers edge small strips of sandy bottom are the
best adapted for the raising potatoes and melons
they are perfectly secure from overflow in the dr
SON. The weather in the winter is open mild there
is seldom any frost; only lays some davs on
the higher hills December has the most rain January
is generally clear and mild May States The
rainy season seldom commences before the middle Noyem
ber and lasts less until the beginning of May In
he tlpV hgN gffar
rain, which they regularly have the time of the equi
noX in September, but mostly every other dav These
the breeze refresh the vegetation sufficiently to make
it grow aad keep green and fresh. This feature of the
climate on the Coqne and along the range secures
70 ht Co4ue country the growth and freshness Of
aton and especially of pasture all the year through bv
which it gains vast superiority the Wilamet Um
qua Rogue river and every other inland valley where
IN the dry season the ground cracked and the pasture
burnt.up,
There is another important advantage gained by the
climate of and along the coast range and also Co
guile valley that is the regular cold through
the season months every av in the after
noOn which coOs the air and especially the nights to
such degree that You sleep comfortable and re-
freshed the summer heat of the day Bn br keen
ness and roughness of the seabreeze generally North
west wind, becomes considerably ameorated in the val
ley on account of the surrounding high hills and the
Soutwestery direction of the valley. In the rainy sea
son the Wlhd Dows more regularly from the South west
and Southeast. when there is rain But the wet
season don't affect persons, it would in the
States AS there IS no predominant disease, people
generally we'll though they expose themselves by
camping out on damp wet grounds in cold nights and
wet 10 the SKIN by several days successive rain 1t has
been rare occurrence to in my travels, hear
sick person. If judge correctly my own case must
there is not healthier country in the word-for from
the day left San Francisco to this hour don't know
what sickness is and feel hardy as ever did in nv life
though have exposed myself to camping out and travel
o III wet clo'he days in succession wearing the
same suit of clothes almost torn pieces by going
the Indian trails, through woods, bushes &c Good
can be had anywhere in the valley the streams small
and big the wells dug from % to 35 deep afford
pure palatabe water useful for drinking cooking
and washing. There is only saw-mI in the lowest
part of the COquille, and flour mill
precious metal is found everywhere all the
the Coquille country but at present the main gold dig
gings chiefly worked the smaller Of the
higher mountansS H. l6 miles distance from the forks
Of the Coquille river and all along the Pacific
Coos Bay the mouth Of the Coqule down to Hum
boldt Bay in California. The verage yields in these
mines is from five twelve dollars day. though some
have made much 500 and 1000 dollars month
Everywhere else near the main stream man could work
out two dollars day and perhaps five dollars day if
lucky. The Oregon gold is Of a superior quality, coarSer
grained and purer than the California gold. These gold
mines at present the chief market the produce
the COque for there the settlers sell all they can raise for
| the highest prices. Beef Pork Elk Deer and Bear
meat for y to p cents per b Chickens, So
Eggs dollars doZen Butter 80 to IS cents b. Cheese
35 to 80 cents lb Cabbage, to ID: and so on
everything in proportion. Vegetables of every descrp
ton sell we'll woods are full of elk deer and
bear some settlers are making living exclusively by
killing them and selling the vensOn the miners.
know settler who sold this year already over $500
worth of venison to the miners. Besides there is any
amount of wild game, panthers, wolves. foxes, lynxs,
wild cats, sable, beaver offers whose
BILE for market In future when the valley becomes thick
y inhabited all the surplus produce has to be shipped
san Francisco, provided the gold diggngs shouldn't in
in the ratio the farming population The
great farmers stock and on this account
they settle and themselves all the prarics for
pasture, for all the praires have yet all taken
up. 1t is astonishing how fast horses, cattle and hogs
multiply, and how well and fat they look. 4 poor man.
who settle himself here begin with mare, cow
good SOW and few chickens would grow rich in