Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-12-22
SALEM, OREGON, DC. 10.


| SALEM, OREGON, DC. Is.
am now at the Capital of the new State
of Oregon, having since 1 wrote you at ODDS
Ferry travelled across the State 70 Umatilla
and thence down the Columbia and I'D the
Willamette to this place From the Ferry
for about eighty miles the country is sandy,
barren waste. On reaching Powder river we
find valley bordering on that stream from
10 to 3 miles wide, afording excellent grass.
but of too high an altitude 10 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. Its pretty thickly settled.
and most everything bit corn and fruit is
grown in abundance. There is a fine little town
in the valley, called I" La Grande." In the
winter season itmust 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 a distance. We were two DAYS in
crossing and when near the summit, encoun
tered a severe snow storm, which loaded the
trees with snoge and made travelling quite
difficult Upon descending the mountains
we came directly, into very pleasant and
servation, being 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. 81
went into one Of clog houses built by
Uncle Sam for his red children, and found
the family seated around fire they had kind
led in the centre Of the house, (instead of i'm
the fire place. in true Indian style. [ 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-Indian build
small fire and get close to 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
tilla, situated on a sand ridge, without a tree
or shrub, or even spear of grass; but
place of business, being the point where most
of the supplies for the mining country is
landed. Here we took a 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 rapditv
as to forbid the idea of steamboat naviga-
| ton. The passengers were here put aboard
a train Of cars and taken over 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 Aoodwood and worthless stuff.
so this place seems to catch and retain ali
the worthless beings who travel up and down
the river. Every species of dissipation seem
ed to be in full blasts here, more open and
glaring than anything | had seen in the mines.
Here | saw the first Chinese merchants.
and coolies. The merchants were in their
Celestial rig, and were to me quite curl,
osty. 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
I'LL the lowest houses of prostitution.
At the DeIles 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
Deles down, in many respects, resembles the
hudson. After travelling some SO or 70
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,
|, -, III
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 wears the
fort houses viii 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 decayiug, 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.
J From the fort, we ran down the river a
I 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. 1t 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 the 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 same stream, about sixty miles from
Portland, and is 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 I 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 20 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
light headed are very active, and say gooC
deal on unimportant subjects, but have gene
rally good sense enough to leave the more
important work to those who have brains.
saw Gov. Glib, the Executive of the
State, this morning he is large, fine ap
pearing man, and does not seem to have for
gotten that being Governor does not make
him superior those who gave him position
That he is sound, have no doubt, as I heard
him tell a Senator that a certain bill proyid
ing for paying printers advertising fees wa
right, and the bill should pass, and he wante,
it looked after. A Wisconsin Goyerno
would have taken just the opposite course
This part of the Valley is called the web