Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1863-03-25
Correspondence Of the Tribune.
Letter From Oregon.
PORTLAND, OREGON, FEB. 8 1868

PORTLAND, OREGON, FEB. 8 1868
1t has not been cold enough in Portland
yet to freeze water in an open room with
out fire. The ground is covered with
fleece of snow which is a day old, and has
stayed with US longer than at any time
during the winter. | have seen but little
of Oregon yet, and have exhausted all my
sources of information related In nv
previous letters We think of leaving for
the Boise River mining country in few
weeks, or as soon as the snow on the Blue
Mountains is sufficiently gone to warrant
a passage over them. Miners are leaving
Portland almost daily for the upper eoun-
try, but they have hard time crossing
the mountains Indeed, | am told many
OF them are at the foot of the mountains,
unable TO proceed further We prefer to
remain where we are until we can proceed
without interruption | have heard On
Directly that some Of the Mineral Point
boys are doing well at the Boise River
mines. There is already quite town in
| the vicinity Of the Boise r. mines, called
Placeryille, and as there i. an Express
| running there from Walla Walla, | pre-
sumo that is the place to which to direct
| letters for Boise River miners | receiv-
ed letter about week since from VIII
lie Predeaux, who is at Grass Valley, Cal
He complains Of hard times in that state,
and says all the Mineral Point boys in that
vicinity wish themselves at home They
Ike Mineral Point better than any place
| they have seen since leaving home Nv
opinion is that most of those who left Min
eral Point last Spring for the Gold mines
are of the same opinion. Well who can
blame them Their golden expectat ons
fn~ fro, hoi,
yet find a chance tie make their pile but
| at present most of them are barely making
living. That they could do at home,
and at the same time avoid many hard
ships they have been forced to endure
My advice to those who think of emigra-
ting to this coast in search Of gold, is still
/ Stay at Home The immense emigration
from the states east of the Rocky Noun
tain to the Pacific Coast has flooded Ore
gon with idlers, (and hear it is the same
IN California )-idiers not from will but
from necessity. As general thing emf
grants arrive here without means of sup
port, and are compelled to seek employ
ment by the day, week or month, as op
dortunity offers. Every trade is overstac
ked with jjourneymen. Farmers have more
applications than they have work for, or
can afford to hire. Consequently those
who do get work are forced to put up with
low wages. A man with capital can do
well here; but | have often heard it re-
marked, land truly too) that Oregon is
one of the hardest places in the world for
a man to get along without money or en-
ployment. Here, in Portland, where
board cannot be had for less than S. per
week, hundreds are seeking employment
at 81 day, and cannot find it at that
One year ago the same men could have
obtained work at from four to five dollars
q day.
The Printing bushes has fallen off very
largely since | have been here But about
half the hands find employment that were
at work six weeks ago And this branch
of bushes Is not the exception, but the
general rule. True, this arises in great
measure from the inactivity Of business
during the winter or rainy season, bit the
demand Tor labor IS not equal to the mum
Der OF iaborers for any season at present
The great rush TO the mines in the spring
viii undoubtedly make a change in many
| branches OF business, but ere the emf
grant can cross the plains, the demand
VIII be more than supplied by the rush
| back from tie mines in the fall
As to the mines, they make more men
! poor than rich. There will be but a poor
| chance for the new emigrants to procure
claims, for long before their arrival every
paying spot viii be taken up, and as there
| Is but little mining done in the winter,
| there will be but poor chance to get any
/ work. or the prodC rtiveness of the nor
thern mines, enough is not yet known to
warrant emigration from the East 1t is
| estimated that there are now in. or prepa
ring to start for the Oregon and Washing
ton mines not less than 20, 900 persons al
ready on the Pacific coast With this
vast army Of diggers, the gold regions
ought to be and probably will be, pretty
well prospected the present season.
| The Governor of Oregon has called for
| six companies of cavalry to protect the
emlgrants this year Frank Henry has
received q captain $ commission for a com.
/ pany in Washington Territory.
| After looking at the Boise r. mines,
viii give yen an account of the prospect
there for making money