, 1867-01-04
tetttr from Wallula.
WALLuLA. Dec. 81. 1859


EDIroR SrArEsxAx.-The last LINK IL about
broken that biD ds us to A. D. 1866. Still not
peck Of ice in the Columbia River, hhd there
/, still rnnuir.r good stage OF water. D.. t.
Atwood, M.. Starr and others, arrived at Wall
nlu su nt.ay noon yesterday l3Oth) from Lewis
on ia a small boat They fef Eewist on Fri
lay, 2stb INST. They report Snake ard Clear
at er 10 fair boating stage. Very rect ntly both
st rrams were quite high for the season; wealth
er quite pleasant at Lewiston.
Our ..Horse Atlas" has for the lat ten days
averaged about 4Oo this morning. it ranged as
low as 2o degrees above Zebra" aud during
tn. day was unable to get higher ths.n 2s light
breeze from the North all day. AG everybody
have prepared themselves for "spell Of wealth.
tr" about these days doa't see but what we
might a. well have it, and not be hanging on by
the eyelids in the way We are ow doing. It 10
true vs have the steamers arriving regularly.
but freight 10 dropping OF qnits rapidly, and bat
few people are travelling either way and then
le seamhoat men Il ok SO Wosbeg' nthepros-
pect Of a winters steauIhoating on the Colum'
bia River, that it ia anything hut refreshing t."
see the steamers arrive. The boys look as
though the cold un feeling charities OF an un'
friendly world had settled down upon them
having always heretofore spent the holidays at
home but as this is only the seventh winter
that has come TO pass since this portion OF the
Columbia River, from the DAllsS to Wallul")
has beeH navig;Atsd by steamer, perhaps it may
be considered % other 70 sdths. the turning
point, and GREATER We may expect more reg
ulariif.
As the weather now stands, our skates-ol
which we have bountifully supplied ourselves
are useless, and sleds and sleigh' are in 'fGfu
oao, and ice houses look a. dry as powder
house. We still require our animals to ''go tC
grass" but the cold chilling winds is beginning
10 tell on them. We murdered a young steel
to-day, imported from TOuchet Valley. AMI MI
back under he skin, from the shoulder blaze Il
his rump, showed plainly what our damp, we
weather had done for him his back, ahe
skinning. looked as though grnbbing hot
would have suited better than kIife in clean
ing him. The grubI had completely riddled hi
hide. 1t looked more like he had been sho
with n duuble-barrel shot gun, loaded will
buck.shot The animal was in excellent con
diuou, but could not have remained 81 Ver!
long in his irritated condition the gruo' "on''
have brought him down in flesh in very shor
Tim. and 50 they will any beef cattle. I'M
is Que OF the troubles OF wet fall in thl' Gil
mate. The erubs are always more plenty II
this region OF country during long wet Tall
and [ think We have had more rain this Ia
i, tbis valley, than was ever known belor, sine
the vali,J has beeu thrown open tor settlement
Nothing tut good shelter for caItle, aud THIS the
.huuld always have during the winter, will pre-
vent the gIuhs from doing cattle great injury
GJud feed will not keep them ia aesh the
will not partake Of food readily, and are NOR
inclined to roam, and they are not pr irula
which wry they go. Ny experience has nugh
me- that one-thFd tue Hm' 'uI' Ur rvvd "''l' 500
shelter, will keep animds in this region G
country better than all feed and no shelter.
tested this matter pretty thoroughly tue hnr
winter Of ls6l-2. | got in all my stock som
!
horses, mules, hogs aud sheep. The cattle pu
in an adobe crral the horses, mules, hogs an
sheep, put under sheds, and they did no
leave their inclosure until the 10th OF March
but came out in good condition. had hut littl
ired for SO many, so I put them down on ration
from the start. I cut willows on the Wall
, W lila River and hauled them on Sleds for tn
horses aud mules to gnAw or. even used th
hay out OF my under bed to feed them, but
never lost n hoof shelter is what saved them
All around me, good fat cattle were dieing b.
! scores. have even seen cattle during lha
winter, with their heads to 4 hay stack, dro
dead But | see must "choak" this of, o
Dyou fellows will begin to think that this ranch
situAtrd on the corner Of Sage and Brush streets
is the haven Of reSt for cattle, and will want m
to corral all your animals aud take care oil tn m
just 10 cUuNIGcr you that my theory is correct
| Aiu't going to do n, sO you chn 'StuO you
Uwu rU~, VI let the ''gruUs' eat you up.
CUNTUx.