, 1867-05-10
waIIuIa Correspondence.


elapsed since last wrote you, for the simple
reason, that have not been ito hum"
During the last month have Travelled a
''few," seen great many. people, and many
thirgs, but the whole panorama Of life
improvements--and deadnings, which have
passed in review before me, have only still
more confirmed me in the opinion which l
have been continually expressing during the
last two years or more.
have been pained to notice in my visit
to Portland, Vancouver, Dalles, and Bnla>
tilla, the perfect pail that is being rapidly
spread over these places, by the action Of
the o. S. N. Co. / found, on enquiry, that
their course had even been more disastrous
than l had anticipated. Portland is, com.
paratively Speaking dead. Five hundred
busin,ss houses struggling for a trade that
half dozen could do, and yet not be kept
busy.
The drouth in business seems to have
tnrhed the attention Of the people to religion
and spiritualism, with spiritualism a le.t.le
ahead. The people seem determined to give
dull times their prayerful attention. The
Rev. Mr.. Spiritualist Todd preached twice
on Sunday-I understand, to a crowded
house went to hear him the next eve>
ming (Morday, and speaking within bounds,
| should say there we're not less than seven
hundred people in the Hall The stories be
told Vi, about the doings Of mediums and
spiritualists generally, threw entirely in the
shade all the miracles performed-by our
Saviour while on earth; and at the end of
almost every "whopper," he would say: "Do
you call that the work OF the devil? If you
do, then give me the devil in preference to
any one else | have a very decided
opinion of all spirituaIsis, but do not deem
it necessary to write it now; but can ass
sure them, it is not at all complimentary to
| the sect
must hurry on, l cannot even stop to
give description of Vancouver, the "love>
liest village OF the Columbia plain" the
prettiest town site on the Columbia river.
l could write a volume on her struggles for
an honorable existence against adverse titles,
but notwithstanding all her adversely, she
is steadily improving. Nor can l pause
long at the Dalles to hear her moans her
crying evil-stagnation Of trade At Uma>
lilla | was forced to remain six hours, not
that we had any particular business there,
but we had to wait for The rising of that glo>
riUus orb, the nocturnal luminary, that
gilds the eastern horizon, to light US on our
dreary way. Umatilla is like all the rest Of
the country, fiat, stale, and improbable
The unearthly means of its quiet Inhabitants
we're truly heart rending. 'Tis said that
misery loves company, couldn't see it. |
was truly glad to leave the "iuueral pile, -
AMI hasten on to my own deadniDg
1 will not have the time nor space in this
letter to give you the reasons why the O. S.
n. Co have uctrd, and continue TO act, in
the manner and style they do, but will
give their versions, or reasons, together with
my own, in my next. My observations on
the condition Of the country, and intercourse
with merchants and business men generally,
have brought me tD the conclusion. that the
time is near at hand when there will be but
one town on the Columbia river above the
Da|les, and that is Wallula; and one town
on Snake river within reach of the o. S. N
Co, and that is Lewiston. The Dalles has
a large scope Of country to supply, and one
that is rapidly growing into Importance. Ii
is a section Of country that cannot, for some
time TO come, be interfered with by any
rival town or railroad.
Umatilla depends for its life blood upon
the Buise trnde-the Bose and Owyhee
| trade built Umstilla-but it is rapidly slip.
J ping from her grasp, Uiu railroads ih Cali
iurnia, and by next December any one will
be abla to rent the town of Umatilla cheap,
for the railroad will have reached nearer
Boise city than Umatlla now is-with far
better road to travel on, from the momentary
terminus Of the road into Boise city than
that from Unatila
Wallul4 occupirs t same position to the
WalIa Wala, Touchet, and Dry Greek val>
eys that Portland does to tie Willamette
valley. All the supplies for these valleys
| (when freight is put to proper 6gure} }, and
all the products Of the same, such as wheat,
oats, barley, beans, wool, -four, ETC., etc
required to be shipped below, will naturally
come to Wslulu (Aour and wool are being
shipped from Wallua every day.) Then,
for at least one-third Of the season, goods for
Western Montana. Nez Perce mines, Koot,
enai, Big Bend, Colvil and in fact for the
whole north tern p riion of our mining
county. will 60 from Wallula Wallula and
mining country tn back them, but the best
agricultural aud grazing country in Wash>
ingt"n Territory.
Lewiston. now has better future before
her than she has ever had, and will undoubt>
! edly take at least two.thirds of the fu>
ture trade that comes up the Columbia
liver above the Dalles, Chat is, twothirds
Of the trade outside the Wala Walla trade J
She can have no successful rival for years to
cprne. Her Orc Fino, Florence, Elk City,
and Warren's diggings, quartz and copper
ludes, are unmistakubly rich and extensive,
and are b ing rapidly developed No rails
roads nor rival towns can for years interfere
with the Advancement of Lewiston, whereas
the course Of the o. s. n Co is fOrcing for
ward all railroads pointing towards the
Owyhee, Boise, and Eastern Montana coun>
try. The policy Of the o. s. N. Co. is act
ing upon Umatilla like the devil'6sh on the
body of poor, unfortunate man, from whom
it is slowly but surely sucking his life blood,
wifhnuk anv hopa of ralioF aava daafh Rnf