, 1862-02-22
masbin9ton Statesman.
SATURDAY MORNING, FEB. %, 1862
The Cold winter---Loss of Stock.

in and two months of severer and more
disagreeable weather it has never been our
lot to witness. When the white mantle
which enshrouds the earth and the icy
chains which fetter it will disappear, no one
can predict. 1t is to be hoped, however,
that the "gcod time" will soon come when
the eye will be gladdened by the sight of
~'mother earth" once more. Since the
settlement of this country no such winter
was ever known before In fact the Indians
have nevsr seen anything like it, if they cah
be credited The fact that they have inva-
riably wintered their horses here, while this
winter has swept them almost entirely of,
is good proof of their assertions.
Out of the thirty thousand head of cat
tie supposed to be in this valley last fall it
is doubtful whether five thousand head are
living, and the numerous bands of sheep
have almost disappeared. Out of one lot
of seventeen hundred head only three hun
dred are alive At a moderate estimate,
this valley alone has sustained, by loss of
stock, one million of dollars.
The horses and mules have Jared better,
because they were better cared for, and
this winters experience has proved them
much better calculated to endure the cold
If this weather should continue two weeks
longer there will be but few cattle Of any
kind left, as they cannot be fed but few
days longer; for feed, even at the unpre-
cedented high rates it is commanding, can
not be had. We know of no one who had
stock but what has lost large proportion,
and many have lost all they had. Many
man who, with his two or three hundred
head of cattle, thought himself well off in
the fall, has not one left now, and will
have to commence the world anew in the
spring, with nothing but hope for starter.
What the effect of this loss will be it is
hard to predict; but aside from the great
amount of suffering 1t has produced, 1t IS
certain that it will materially impede the
development of the country. With an
ordinary winter, during this month our
farmers would have been sowing grain,
with which to supply the various mining
regions next fall But how can our farm
ers raise grain without teams? 1t is true,
many have saved thus far portion Of their
work cattle but nearly all the seed wheat
has already been fed out-besides the pros
pect is that it will be month yet before
any blowing can be done, while the amount
sown last fall is very limited.
Owing to ;he scarcity of wheat, the mill,
we understand, will close until after the
next harvest. Flour is already scarce and
sells at S24 per barrel, and another month
will use up nearly all the supply on hand.
Oats and barley are selling at eight and
ten cents per pound. Hay is selling at
1925 per ton, in the stack; SO that those
who are compelled to purchase at these rates
are paying very dear for the stock they sue
ceed in wintering through The Large
number of work cattle owned in this val
ley, used for transporting goods to the
mines, have nearly all peri8hed, SO that
means of transportation to the mines will
be very limited until their places can be
supplied from elsewhere.
We cannot give our readers any news
from below, although our last dates from
Portland are JBty-three days ago. No ez-
press has arrived up to the time Of going
to press, and we cannot encourage readers
to believe that any will arrive for some
time to come.
Our dates from Salmon are up to Feb. 10,
and by reference to our correspondence
from Florence the reader will see that the
news is still encouraging.
FROM THE UMATILLA.-Mr John White,
of the Umatilla Reservation, called at our
office on Tuesday. He was three days in
making the trip from the Agency to this
place, and reports cold weather and plenty
of snow on the Umatilla Below that
point, in the direction of the Dalles, the
snow increases in depth, in some places,
being an average Of forty inches in depth |
1t is also much deeper at the mouth of the
Umatilla, on the Columbia, than at the
Agency. No news had been received from
below later than that received here. The
..1- =, ~ ,,;oi,,itv Of tho A Cpncv