Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-12
The Oregon War Debt.


The Oregon claims amount To II, 40. $40;
total 1926, 424 The war continued from
about the beginning of January, 1870, until
October, 1876.
The report Of the Commissioners has been
printed, and the following synopsis Of 1t we
find in the New York Courier and Enquirer:
The highest number of men in the service
of Oregon Territory at any one time was l.
SD. and the average expense or charge Tor
each days service was Sll p per man.
Some men were paid in three or four capacl-
ties. n officers, or prvates, "a mechanics ana
teamstors. and even as physicians. One pri-
Nate. is reported as having due him $3.50
for personal service and the Commissioners
allow him 5000 Little steamboats, were
hired at from $500 t. $1,000 per day
Horses were shod for SD each. LaborerS
hired at 81 per day, and clerks, at $40 per day.
Forage for Il horse or mule is charged for at
- per day. Horses We're bought for 500,
but many of them are charged for al S4oO,
and even as high as 500.
But when these chargers come to lie sold,
they bring the most moderate prices a. So
for sos. or 500 30 each The general
price is about $40. Mules were obtained for
5000. $3.50, and $500 per head. Oxen AT
about the same prices per yoke. The aver
are price for horses and mules is about S3JO,
and for oxen about $500 per yoke. The
price of hay varies from $50 to SljOpcr ton.
Oats sometimes rise to $50 and wheat to
81. Peas were procured at 80 cents per
pound. The pasturagc OF animals cost -
and sometimes s., per lav.
Blacksmiths charge SD per day, but the
commissioners rcmor>clcss Y cut them down
to Sc. The laborers and teamsters who were
themselves drawing four, six, or eight dol
lars per duv, managed to exc out a Scanty
subsistence by hiring to the government hor-
scs, mules and oxen, at four dollars per day,
half the pay Of u member Of Congress at
that time. Some Of these valuable animals
thus brought their proprietors i'll the tolera-
bic income of 81 600 Il year
The houses purchased or built for 5000
were sold for SCOT. Riding-saddlcs bought
at $40 each sold for IS 30; wagons bought for
500 each sold for $333 Remarkable cases
are giycu--though the whole account is one
of the most remarkable of the cdH$Sc c'icbrrs
on record-ofthc difference between cash prices
and scrip prices. that i. between til" prices at
which things could be and were bought for
with money or with the Territorial war
scrip.
Quartermastcr Peters bought oats by the
pound, process which brought them up t"
81 per bushel, which the commissioners cruel
IL cut down to $500 per bushel. Ii Is "bvi-
Gus that no Territory could live i'll such prices
MIR. p. bought wheat at 81 per bushcl and
the commissioners allowed 81 30. Hay he al
50 purchased by the pound, aggresatlnSSl6o
10 5000 per ton, cut down. tins dry grass by
the sry,he Of the commissioners to sl2o.-
Mr.. Peters sold about 900 Of this s. wheat
for about % cents per hushcl. RldnS-SaddicN
he sold from 3533 cts. ~ S.29. One oil Mr. Peter ;
transactions gives evidence Of rapid advance
towards the artificial wants ofpolished society
without regard to expense. He bought 10
sheets drawing-papcr at $50. He sold -
sheets for Il % SO that the - sheets, that
were consumed in public service cost Si3S.
IS, or nearly Sc per sheet, the statloner ;
price being , cents per sheet. Mr. Peter
deserves credit, however, for credItlng the
sheets not used to the Federal treasury
Had these sheets been missing, 1t might have
thrown wet blanket over the whole account
Two scows purchased for 5000 sold for S6O.
PERHAPS it is not at all remarkable that
Jas Tilton, Surveyor-Gcncral OF Washing
ton, at salary of $1,000 year is reported
for pay as AiJutant-Gencral OF the Terrific
rial forces at over 81 900; that Major Rams
l.. S. A., is reported for pay at - 81 per
day as Brigadicr General, in addition t" his
pay as an officer of the army; that Chief
Justice f.. Lander, under a federal sal
arv of $500, is set down for liberal
per- dicm as aid to the governor; nor, finally
that this system of double salaries running
through the field and staff and the rank and
file, summed up. as due to the one Wash
ington Regiment SlGI 49,.