The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1859-03-05
TIE OREGON WAR DEBT.

The Oregon claims amount to S4 ,449, ,949 /;
those''of Washington Territory to 81, ,48l ,475,
total S5,926.424. The war continued from
about the beginning of January, 1866, until
October, 1856
The report of the Commissioners has been
printed, and the following synopsis of it 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 ,845, and the average expease or charge
for each days service was $l1 81 per man.
Some men we're paid in three or four capaci-
ties, as officers, or privates, as mechanics and
teamsters, and even as physicians. One
private is reported as having due him
S., ,829 for personal service, and the Com
missioners allow him $1,000. Little steam
boats were hired at from $500 to So 1000
per day. Horses were shod for $l2 each.
Laborers we're hired at 81 per day, and clerks
at $40 per day. Forage for a horse or mule
is charged for at 50 per day. Horses we're
bought for $500, but many of them are
charged for at $400, and even as high as
$3.50. But when these chargers come to be
sold they bring the most moderate prices, as
$40 for $605, or $50 so each. The general
price is about $40 Mules were obtained
for 5000, $3.50 and S40O per head. Oxen
at about the same prices Per yoke. The
average price for horses and mules is about
$3.50, and for oxen about $500 per yoke
The price of hay varies from $50 to Sl50
per ton. Oats sometimes rise to $5 so per
bushel and wheat ST. Peas were procured
at 80 cents per pound. The pasturage of
animals cost 81 and sometimes So per day.
Blacksmiths charge $12 per day, but the
commissioners remorselessly cut them down
to Sc. The laborers and teamsters who
were themselves drawing four, six or eight
dollars per day, managed to exc out scanty
subsistence by hiring to the government
horses, mules, and oxen at four dollars per
day, half the pay of member of Congress
at that time. Some of these valuable AMI
mails brought their propretors in the tolera-
BILE income Of $1,000 year each.
The houses purchased or built for S3,016
we're sold for 266. Riding>saddles bought
at $40 each sold for So so; wagons bought
for $500 each sold for 33. Remarkable
cases are given of the difference between
cash prices and scrip prices, that is between
the prices at which things could be and were
bought for with money or with the Terrific
rial war scrip. Quartermaster Peters bought
oats by the pound, a process which brought
them up to 81 per bushel which the com.
missioners cruelty cut down to So 60 per
bushel. 1t is obvious that no Territory
could live in such prices. Mr.. 2. bought
wheat at 81 per busbcl, and the commits
sioners allowed 81 so. Hay also he pur.
chased by the pound, aggregating $l6O to
5000 per ton, cut down, this dry grass, BY
the scythc of the commissioners to $l20.
Mr.. Peters sold about 1000 bushels of this
81 wheat for about IS celts per buahel
Riding>saddles he sold from 33 cents to $29
One of Mr.. Peters transactions gives evil
dence of rapid advance towards the artificial
wants of polished society, without regard to
expense He bought $50 sheets drawing
paper at $3.50. lie sold IS sheets for Sll 25,
so that the IS sheets that were consumed in
public service S43S IS, or nearly Sc per
sheet, the stationers price being 2 cents per
sheet. Mr.. Peters deserves credit, however,
for crediting the sheets not used to the Fed
eral treasury. Had these sheets been miss.
ing, it might have thrown wet blanket over
the whole account.
Two scows purchased for 5000 sold for
$50.
Perhaps it is not at all remarkable that
JAS Tilton, Surveyor General of Washing
ton, at salary of So 1000 year, is reported
for pay as Adjutant- General of the Terrific
rial forces at over 81 900; that Major Rains,
U. S. A., is reported for pay at 81 81 per
day as gadier-General, in addition to
his pay as an officer of the army; that Chief
Justice f. Lander, under federal salary of
81, 500, is set down for liberal per diem as
aid to tho 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 Washington
Regiment $l67, ,457.
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