, 1862-12-13
Communicated.


our whole northwest has undergone within that
time-and taking retrospective view of the
many marked changes that our own immediate
section of country has undergone, that few ref
erences thereto may serve as page of our own
history
The world stands ready to-day to admire and won
der at in amazement, the second grand parable of
the "sown teeth of the Dragon" whence sprung
armed soldiers; but instead offghting Trojan wars
ours are armed with the watch-word of Progress
battling mountains of forest and snow with
frmness and determination to brave all hazards,
and obstacles that are linea detrments to a career
of advancement; to explore every area and make
fOs ourselves, me- aftap. homes, tl ql e around
us seems to have been reclaimed to civilization ;
and to-day does the very heart of Washington
Territory sound her voice to the population of
every State, Eureka Eureka !" and her thirty
five thousand free, happy and prosperous people
invite yet to come thousands and hundreds of
thousands into her fields Of wealth and content
ment.
Eight years ago Washington Territory was not
only cried down in the halls of Congl ess, but look
ed upon even by some of her own population as
a vast unproductive wilderness. Yet there were
some who believed the contrary and with their
steadfast laborS contributed to her advancement
Among these it BELTS US proudly to mention Isaac
l. Stevens who has been, as it were, foster-father
to the Territory, and who, long before he met the
hand of relentless death, lived to see this "unpro-
ductive wilderness" dotted over with thousands of
cheerful and happy homes or great inland sea,
Puget Sound, supplying the navies of every ma
ton with timber and spars-sending her large
surplus of products into the New Caledonia of the
north, and already opening with the Asiatic pow
ers of the east commerce that in time, bids fair
to assume such magnihcence as the world has
never before seen.
| can but revert to four years ago when the
population of our valley was only about twenty
actual settlers, and solely depending upon military
pittance our means of transportation from the
Dalles limited and over tedious and dreary dis
tance of l75 miles of desert Then this was the
great centre of a large Indian country and popu-
aion, and just recovering from protracted Indian
war; mail system incomplete and a monthly
service the sluice box yet unknown and the vir-
tue of the miners pick and shovel yet untried !;
the farmer and stock-raiser was without market
for their productive wealth. The migrant then
dared not enter upon the road of the unfortunate
and eventful massacre at Boise, in 1854 The
present great mountain highway then being open
ed from Walla Walla to the headwaters of the
Missouri was talked of and looked upon as Wis
onary project, and its originators and inventors
ters of the Columbia from Cello TO Walua was
looked upon as chmerical, and our interior was
depending upon the markets of Oregon for thou
sands of dollars worth of products which the
Ceres of our own homes to-day yield in abund-
dance.
The lesson of the past has taught US that ''vis-
ionary projects" have been reduced to realities,
and that enthusiastic inventors" have demon
strated themselves only as men of sterling enter
prise and practial ideas. Our two unknown rivers
hav been stemed-sand-bars rapids and obsta-
cles to navigation have been skillfully surmounted
and the shrill piping, of escaping steam has
pierced the sleeping solitude of our rugged inte-
rior with its first joyous scream of civilization. The
forests have bended to the stroke of the ak
man, and mountains have been bowed to the
cleaver of the pick. A great overland highway
has been opened across our mountains and is
ready to apprehend an overland mail from ST.
Paul, Mimi, to this point. To-day our "wil-
demess" and rugged mountains yield productive
labor to thousands of people, and have already
filed many an empty Golfer.
The attentive mind of a long sojouTner cannot
but follow and mark with astonishment the rapid
changes that the entire country east of the Cas-
cades has undergone since the time of its first
settlement. Upon the abatement of the Frazer
river excitement in 1858. the country from the
Dalles to the British line had received large in
hux of returned miners and restless immigrants
from the Willamette. Then the wealth of the
mountains began to be unbosomed trade began
to be fostered and farms reclaimed from nature
Our Indian difficulties having been by the this
time adjusted, manifestations of improvement
were being made in every branch of business, and
thus begins the dawn of that grand era that gives
to this section of Washington Territory her histo-
tbo al If b,, 20
speak, so daily made, that she has already assumed
a position of eminence second to that Of no other
State or Territory.
To-day the eyes of the Pacific and eastern
slopes turned to what was yesterday the little
trading post of Walla Walla to contemplate it. as
from magic birth, the grand center of large
mining, agricultural and pastoral country, not at
all blushng at its own importance and ready to
rival California in what she eUer tCaS. future
day must vet reveal her untold tales of wealth
and prosperity.
The Walla Walla valley, the hunting ground of
Yesterdays aboriginal, has been converted into
fine farms, with substantial enclosures and tene-
ments and the Indian trail changed into wagon
roads, afording a passage for thousands of tons
of merchandise her few slab shanties have given
place to spacious brick buildings and fine frame
tenements: her public lands have heen surveyed;
saw-mills and builders her numerous fine water
powers giving life to griss mills, and upon the
whole at least fifteen hundred settlers occ;.sSving
comfortable homes upon the fertile lands that lie
along her meandering streams, with their church
es and shool-hOuses, the first true elements of civ
ilization and refinement. With Walla Walla as
the great nucleus, ten thriving towns have grown
up around her, having their population well or
ganized into social communities, and five of which
are situated in rich and productive valleys approx.
innate to mining localities, and already echoing
with the music of their grst and saw-mills
But few of our people are aware that an or
ganized company with means and capital are to-
day in St. Paul, st. Louis, and Washington City
urging upon the Department an overland service
from st. Paul to Walla Walla, and are prepared,
if such should be made, to establish between the
two points a stage line, via Forts Benton and I'm
ion. This being done, we shall see a large popu-
lation pouring into the valleys of the Prickley
Pear, Little and Big Blackioot, Deer Lodge
Beaver Head, Bitter Root, Cpur dAlene and St
Joseph8 valley, all of which are fine agricultural
bottoms well watered and timbered, and each
capable of sustaining population equal to our
own.
Recent gold discoveries in these sections of
country thave already brought in over one thou
sand people some from the old emigrant road
others from St. Paul and by the Missouri river,
most of whom have heen engaged during the past
season prospecting the entire country from the
Three forks of the Missouri to the head waters of
the American river, and from the Tetons to the
Calespault and predict, that, in coming spring,
we shall hear some glorious results of marvellous
deposits.
In trip through the mauvias terres of the
Missouri and the upper valleys, several years ago,
l could but think that in a few years an immense
trade and travel would be opened between St.