, 1863-12-19
Letter from La Grande.
LIE GRANDE, Dec. 10Th.

gA Letter from La Grande.
LIE GRANDE, Dec. 10TH
EDS. STATESMAN II have been for some
time acting upon Micawber's maxim, -
"waiting for something to turn up to give
you an item of interest but there is fear
full dearth of news at present, no cat-astro-
phe of any interest whatever.
We have had more than an ordinary share
of north winds, and cold stormy weather;
and on the 18th inst. the snow fell about
three inches in depth, when all hands pre-
pared to take advantage OF, the occasion be-
fore old Sol should peep from behind the
clouds and dispel their visions ef rides with
"Bells a ringing all the way, &c Every
conceivable style of Turnout made its adj
vent almost simultaneously, and after drag
ging them around for a short time,
through a compound of snow and mud, fear
full for "calico horse" to contemplate, the
drivers concluded to house their machines
for more propitious opening of the sleigh
ing season. In the meantime, | hope the
clerk of the weather has given you some
thing little more tropical on your side of
the Blue mountains aI vi w ~
Notwithstanding the severe weather, there
is but little abatement in the travel tC and
from the mines pack trains, and e ,er 8ag-
gons, are daily passing, and there sreat
probability of the Roads across tho an
tains being kept in a passable "a on,
through the winter season. ,.i 4
This little town is still improving, but the
forwarding to the mines has been overdone,
and our Merchants are now paying eight
and ten cents freight from Walla Walla and
the Landing. With the addition Of Steam
Saw Mill now in successful operation, we
hope to have plenty of lumber next season
to build store houses so that we can lay in
a sufficient supply of merchandise for the
winter season. 9.sa a ,9hagI5' o
1t is source of congratulation that ar
rangements have been perfected so that your
valuable little sheet reaches us regularly
again, and if anything of interest should
'turn up" will advise you of it.d While /
write the prospects are very favorable for a
sleigh ride. e asa CoNscRIPT.
A SLANDER.--7Someo one writing to the
Lewiston Gage" from this place, heaps all
manner of abuse upon the people of our
city. Among other things, the fellow says
81 know of no place in Christendom
where the sordid love of money has SO COM
pletely blunted all those finer sensibilties
and delicate susceptibilities which we fre-
quently find in most persons as it has done
in W ala Walla Charity, which Hdroppeth
like the gentle rain from Heaven courtesy,
love of refinement, education, religion, etc.,
they tell me here, are ~played out" i
The Ages Walla Walla Correspondent
is, evidently, a stranger in this place, and
we will lay small wager that be belongs
to that species Of the human kind termed
"bilks" and "bummers "1i He must certainly
be a stranger in our place, or he would know
that the people of whom he speaks are char
itably disposed-as much so as those of any
other locality on the Pacific coast Their
generous acts of the past show this to be 50.
No real object of charity ever come to this
city, that we are aware of, and asked for pc
cuniary aid, that did not receive it. We
are proud to say that the majority Of the
citizens haze fine sensibilties, and of such
delicate and discriminating nature that
they can invariably tell real objects Of char
ity from "bilks" and "bummers." The cor,
respondent alluded to, is perhaps, "re6ned
hummer" and has succeeded, in other less
sensible communities than ours, in making
dishonorable living, and hence attributes
his kind not being appreciated here, to the
grasping avarice of the populace. That our
people are energetic, enterprsing, and even
money making, is most true but SO far
from this being disreputable, it is altogether
commendable, and will make us prosperous
community. AS to Courtesy refinement,
education and religion" we are pretty well
advanced already and are making rapid
strides toward high degree of culture in
these respects with each succeeding year of
our age and prosperity. 1t cannot be ex-
pected that new place like Walla Walla
= b .
should be advanced in many respects to the
standard which many old towns in the East
ern States have attained, but that the in
habitants of this city are moderately sensi-
bic and refined, is evident from the utter
contempt with which they treat drones and
impostors. af qsrlr s.3. s.qt,.
We would not have noticed the Cages
correspondent, but for the injurious effects
such lying productions are likely to lave
abroad with strangers. Many persons, un-
acquainted with the real facts in the case,
on reading such slanderous stuff as the AgeS
correspondent indites, might think it truth
and forever shun Walla Walla as they would
a den Of thieves, and thus breed much mis-
chief. -,fs yei.,-,i..-l fa. .e....-.EI -adV
Cold AT CoLYILLE-A gentleman just
down from Colville, tells us that the weather
was very cold there when he left and that
considerable snow had already fallen in the
valley Between Spokane and Snake rivers
the snow in many places was from one to
two feet in depth, and was great impedi-
ment to travel. l9H hla85 ea,ait sa-nU1
The Da1les Mo3,ot1;neer of tba 1Btb ;nst