Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-12-24

ngatlon ana decency.
SALEM, OREGON, DC. 10. b
am now at the Capital of the new State
of Oregon, having since wrote you at ODDS
Ferry travelled across the State to Umatilla,
and thence down the Columbia and up the
Willamette to this place. From the Ferry
for about eighty miles, the country is sandy,
barren waste. On reaching Powder river we
find a valley bordering on that stream from
10 to Is miles wide, affording excellent grass,
but of too high an altitude to be free from
frosts during the summer months. Just be-
yond and at the base of the Blue Mountains.
is Grand Ronde"-a basin, or valley among
the hills, of from Is to 20 miles across, and
quite productive. tits pretty thickly settled,
and most everything but corn and fruit is
grown in abundance. There is fine little town
in the valley, called La Grande." In the
winter season it must be quite isolated.
From this valley we assembled the Blue
Mountains. They take their name from the
blue aspect which the fir trees and other ev-
ergreens, with which they are covered, give
them from distance. We we're two days in
crossing, and when near the summit, encoun-
tered a severe snow storm, which loaded the
trees with snow and made travelling quite
difficult Upon descending the mountains,
we came directly into very pleasant and
productive valley, known as the Kiyuse Re-
servatiOn, being a tract of country set apart
for that tribe of Indians. The Government
has an Agency here and an effort has been
made to make farmers of the Indians,
but to little purpose.
/ went into one of the log houses built by
Uncle Sam for his red children, and found
the family seated around a fire they had kind
led in the centre of the house, (instead of in
the FIRE place. in true Indian style. I asked
the Indian why he didn't use the fire place
like white men. His reply was Characters
tic, if not philosOphie: "White man build
big FIRE and get away from it-Indisn build
small fire and get close 20 it."
From this Reservation to the Columbia is
another desert of sand, more barren and des
olate, if possible, than encountered east of
the mountains. We struck the river at Una
tills, situated on a sand ridge, without tree
or shrub, or even a spear of grass; but a
place of business, being the point where most
of the supplies for the mining country is
landed. Here we took steamboat for down
the river. For over one hundred miles we
travelled between barren sand hills and ba-
saltic rock, until we reached what are known
as the Delles, being narrow, rapid, rock.
bound channel, through which the waters of
the Columbia pass with such fearful rapidity
as TO forbid the idea of steamboat naviga-
tiOn. The passengers were here put aboard
a train of cars and taken over a portage of
some fifteen miles to a village called bellies,
a place of three thousand inhabitants, and
doing considerable business as a place of
transhipment. 1t is a rough place, in more
respects than one. As the rapids in the river
catch all the floodwood and worthless stuff,
so this place seems to catch and retain all
the worthless beings who travel up and down
the river. Every species of dissipation seem
ed TO be in full blast here, more open and
glaring than anything had seen in the mines.
Here ! saw the first Chinese merchants,
and coolies. The merchants we're in their
celestial rig, and were to me quite curl.
osity. The Cinnamon are a despised race
here. The Indians look upon them with con-
tempt-the negroes make servants of them,
and the whites enslave them. The men do
the lowest mental service, and the women
fll the lowest houses of prostitution.
At the Delles we stopped over night, and
next morning took boat for the Cascades.
The river runs in nearly a straight line for
about hundred miles through the Cascade
mountains, they forming high, abrupt walls
on either side. The scenery is grand beyond
description. The Hudson highlands are tame
in comparison, though the river from the
Delles down, in many respects, resembles the
Hudson. After travelling some 90 or 20
miles we came to another portage of about
five miles, called the Cascades" across
which we were conveyed by another railroad
The falls here are grand, and resemble the
rapids of st. Lawrence, above Cornwall,
though of less magnitude. After passing
this portage, we took another steamboat
which soon landed us at old Fort Vancouver,
which is so well known to every reader of
Western history Like all frontier military
posts, it is beautifully situated on a level
plateau fronting the river Quite village is
growing up here, and before many years the
fort houses will disappear entirely, giving
way to places of business. The fort Is sim
ply camp, or garrison quarters, consisting
of offices or store-house, and soldiers quar-
tiers, and everything about the Government
property looks as if decaying, or struck with
dry rot 1t is impossible to keep up these
establishments after the necessity for their
use ceases. 1t was built to guard against In
dians, but the Indians are no longer feared,
and the fort no longer wanted. The two are
fading out together.
From the fort, we ran down the river a
few miles, and up the Willamette eight
miles to the city of Portland, the metropolis
of the State. Portland is fine city of 1000
or 5000 inhabitants. Il has many fine build
ings, and is place of business. The ocean
steamers make this port, giving it quite a
seaport air, and the business and trade of
the State is regulated and controlled through
its capital and enterprise. About twenty
miles further up the Willamette is Oregon
CITY. which might have been tie city, had its
early settlers been more active and liberal,
and relied less on their +" natural position"
Salem, the Capital of the State, is situated
on the sane stream, about sixty miles from
Portland, and is a beautiful town of about
5000 inhabitants. The Legislature is in ses-
sion, and am now writing you from the
desk of one of its honorable members, whose
acquaintance / made en- route The State
House is yet to be erected-the building
now occupied being simply the upper
part of a commercial block. The
two houses are small in numbers--the Senate
not having over 30 members, and the house
not more than twice that number. The rep.
resentatives look and act very much like the
representatives of other States-a few of the
Iight headed are very active, and say a good
deal on unimportant subjects, but have gene
rally good sense enough to leave the more
important work to those who have brains.
1 saw Gov. Glib, the Executive Of the
State, this morning. He is large, fine APP
pearing man, and does not seem to have for
gotten that being Governor does not make
him superior to those who gave him position
That he is sound, have no doubt, as heard
him tell Senator that certain bill prorid-
ing for paying printers advertising fees was
right, and the bill should pass, and he wanted
il looked after. A Wisconsin Governor
would have taken lust the opposite course