The weekly union record., 1865-04-01
The Best Route to Idaho.

Allow me through your columDs 10 inform
all Beiseites or those who have never been 10
Boise, but are coming, 10 wait bit" and
come some other route than via the Columbia
river. have had three years travelling expe
rience in this upper country and its mining
regions aud should DO, have taken this round
about way Of getting to Idaho, but for some
business at this place. Leaving San Francisco
February 9th, on Holladay's steamer, the
Oregon, for Portland (the same old tub brought
me from Sau Diego TO San Francisco in 40.
sixteen wears agol, we had fair passage, but
we're near starving. Arriving in Portland. we
found very many returning ldahoites, awaiting
impateutly the breaking up Of the upper Col
umbia. Being anxious to get through as
expeditiously as possible, after few days We
determined to make the Dalles-one days
travel from Porilsnd-but arriving at that
place. no further progress was possible, unless
We chose TO buy horses at extravagant rates,
and not serviceable for this trip. A few days
more, however, and we were started by steamer
for this place, but the boat could not reach
Walula, and those who were determined to go
ahead took stage for that place. where they
hope to get through some how or other to
Boise, alias Idaho. They stand a first rate
chance for freezing to death, besides slow trav-
cling and heavy expenses thrown IN. Hoping
10 proceed on my own journey in short time,
| am again disappointed, as the Columbia river
is again frozen over, and we have had no
steamer for a week, nor do We expect one for
some time, and unless man wishes to undergo
the hardships of an Arctic exploration, there is
no good chance to get through 10 Idaho by
/ this route for at least SIX weeks time. There
/ FORE if there is any truth that Hill Beachy is
e f-,,, -.
or that there are saddle trains TO leave Red
Bluff for the same destination. by all means let
the travelling public know il in time to prevent
it taking this route; expense and detention,
suffering, etc, may thus be avoided, and Cali.
fornia itself reap the benefits of its migrating
or travelling population, instead of webfoot
capitalists. whose souls are smaller than their
smallest sized frozen rcd APPLES. There is no
reason whatever that Caifornians, who were
the first prospectors and discoveries of the so
far limited gold fields of this country, should
pay the heavy tribute 10 Oregonians that has
been assessed them the past three years. The
latter have made good thing so far, but it is
time that our own State. California, should see
that the trade is not driven from them to the
Missouri river as it surely will be, if they do
not adopt measures to ship goods and carry
passengers overland, instead OF allowing its
travelling and carrying trade to be monopolized
by coast and Columbia river steamers. Trans
portation of passengers and goods from North
ern California can be procured for at least
one third less rates than by this route, and in
better order and in less time. and | have no
doubt the coming season will establish the fact.
1t not of present rates, say an average OF four
hundred dollars per ton for goods from San
Francisco to Idaho, provisions and groceries,
as well as machinery, will come from st. Louis,
as was the case to some extent last summer.
The difference in currency, the low price OF
teams 10 the East, and the profit to be made
on the same, will divert in great measure the
California trade and send it across the plains,
if abe does not open road Of her own, and let
Oregonans take care of themselves. The
writer saw, last July over forty good four-mule
teams from Council Bluffs, Iowa. loaded with
every description of groceries and provisions,
can oysters coffee, sugars, syrups, candles, etc,
which were laid down at Idaho City at a
saving in freight of over one half than if the
goods had been bought in San Francisco.
Then, again, the route overland, from Red Bluff
or Star City, is much the shortest and easiest,
no high mountains to creep over, where the
snow is visible nearly the entire year. but q
good road aud better feed than exists on this
route through the mountain passes, and the
"alkali valleys of the Snake, Burnt, Payette
and Powder rivers. From this place TO the
general depot for goods shipped to Idaho, the
distance is full as great. if not greater, than if
started from Red Bluff and when it is taken
into consideration that these goods, bought 10
San Francisco, shipped 10 Portland sixteen
miles up the Willamette, landed and stored ard
drayed to the Columbia river boats, down the
Willamette sixteen miles again, then up the
Columbia to the Cascades, where there is q
portage, then to the Dalles, where there is an
other portage, aud then to this place, with
every accumulation of cost that it is possible
ior agents and shippers to charge; and then
from freqrent and careless handling of packages
the merchant is in luck if be can distinguish
his purchased wares by the damaged condition
in which they are received. Surely there is
enough of capital and enterprise in California
to start a road of its own and control its own
trade. Plenty of teams and pack mules, trans
porting goods at low rates, when here is a
chance to compete for four hundred dollars per
ton. Even the packers and teamsters of this
place, who are mostly old Californians. are
praying for merchants to adopt the California
route, and circumstances are such that it will
have TO be done. The 500 tons freight now at
this landing en- route TOT lddnO cdDuOl pos-ioll
be got into Idaho before next June, and it is
doubtful if machinery and heavy goods will
make it before July and August. Take it all
iu all. this route must be abandoned before long I
from sheer necessity, its delays, its costs its |
inconveniences. and even danger the travel |
and trade must seek the quickest safest aud
cheapest channel from California overland
direct As for the passenger travel this way, |
il ia the most absurd of all absurdities. No
one can start from San Francisco at this time
and get through in less than thirty days, and
at an expense Of between three and four
hundred dollars, whereas by starting overland
from California will save time and money, and
extreme suffering.
The prospects of Idaho this season to those I
holding interests will be better than the past
two seasons, as there has been a great deal |
more snow, and water will be more plentiful /
But there are no new placer discoveries. and
with its present population OF about $4,000,
there is 90 great inducement for more miners
to come, or merchants either. II they will
come. let them avoid this trail. The miners