The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1865-11-10
9ailp Wonntaineer.
FRIDAY MORNING, NOV. 10, 1865.
MIR. BOwLEs' LETTERS ON OREGON.


came with Mr.. Colfax to visit this part OF
the country, has written an account of his
experiences to the Springfield (Mass.) Repub.
hcan, which, while too lengthy for re-pnbli-
cation, is of sufficient local interest to Justify
passing notice. Mr.. Bowles' style is de-
void Of the egotism which characterized Mr..
Ludlow's magazine article. on Oregon, and
Of that assumption of metropolitan superb,
ority which is so marked feature of Mr..
Richardson's letters on the same subject. He
also deserves the thanks of Four people for omit
ting those impertinent reflections about per-
sons and things, which form, too often, the
principal staple Of the letters of itinerant
newspaper men. Mr.. Bowles' particular fault
is that he appears to feel under special OBJ
legation to say something very grand about
the mountain scenery of our country, and in
SO doing, sh often rather obscure, if not I'M
ineligible and incoherent.
In speaking of the waters Of the Colum-
bia, after they have broken through the Cas-.
eades range, he says that the river is "foam-
ing with hot sweat" Now, if Mr.. Bowles
had bathed in the river at the Lower Cas-
cades, he would have not written anything
of the kind, On the contrary, if he had said
anything about the sweat on the foam, it
would nave been to speak of it as particular
Iy "cold sweat" Mr.. Bowles is in general
very happy in his estimate of the resources
of the country, and his manner of present
ing them to the people at the East, except
ing the fact that he sees no use in building
Mint on the Columbia, where three times
as mucp gpld and silver would be offered for
coinage as at Philadelphia. We must also
protest against his attempt to strike off sew.
eral thousand feet from the hight of Mount
Hood. If we are to have any choice about
the manner in which we are to be treated,
let the eastern people take the Mint away,
but do not underrate our scenery, or cut the
crests of our mountains down with one sweep
of o trenchaut pen. We must also put in q
slight protest against Mr.. Bowles interfer-
cuce in the, rivalry between the Canyon City
road and those running from Umatilla to
Boise and Owyhee, as it will be seen by the
subjuined extract, that his representations
on that point are probably due to those
o" influences !" which are sometimes referred
to by our cotemporary at the g 'tlanding,'
We are very sorry that we cannot spare space
10 give Mr.. Bowles' letter a more extended
review. We copy paragraph which is Of
local interests
The navigation of the Columbia is now in
the hands of strong and energetic company,
who not only have the capacity to improve
all its present opportunities, but the fore.
sight to seek out and create new ones. They
are indeed making new paths in the wilder
ness, and show more comprehension of the
situation and purpose'to develop it than any
set of men + have yet met on the Pacific
coast. Organized in 1861, with property
worth $l75, 900, they have now, with eigh-
teen or twenty frst-class steamboats, the
two railroads around the Cascades and the
Dalles, and their appointments, warehouse,
at all the principal towns on the river, in
cluding one 935 feet long at Cello, and real
estate in preparation for future growth, a
total property Of rising two millions dollars,
an earned from their business. Besides this
great increase of wealth from their own en-
,terprise, they have paid to themselves in
dividends $332,75O. By wagon roads from
the Dalles, from Umatila and from Wallula,
tile river and their boats have formed and
still form the quickest and cheapest route
for travel or freight to the rich mines OF
Boise and Owyhee in idaho, as well as to
those in eastern Oregon, Boise City is 26C
iapiles from Umatilla, aud 0wyhee 29J miles
Tie roads from the other points are longer ana
poorer So large have been the trade and
travel in this direction in the last few years
that the Oregon steam navigation has carried
to the upper Columbia .60,32o tons in the las,
four years, beginning with 5000 tons in
1862 aud rising to nearly 20, ,OJ0 tons in | S64