, 1868-12-25

inquisitiveness as a Vermont nutmeg vender,
after you have read the above, but an very
anxious to emigrate to your Valley next summer,
and know much less about it than should. |
do not wish to trouble you too much, bat am
ANXIOUS 10 know more of the country before letN
ting all bolts go here. will thank you to give
me An early reply. Yours, E. E. EDWARDS.
REPLY.
We have recently received quite number
of letters asking information in relation to
Walla Walla Valley. We have not the time
to answer each an all these letters, aud so
we reply through. the columns of the STATES
MAN. We take up the questions in the
order in which they are put:
l. Wslla Walla Valley can best be de-
scribed as of a semi-circular form with ra>
dius of fifty miles 1t is one of the best
watered valleys on the Pacific coast, aud in
this respect is all that can be desired. The
streams take their rise in the Blue Noun
tains. aud being fed by the melting suow
keep up nearly their full volume throughout
the year. The water of these streams is free
from all alkaline matter, and having their
beds nearly on top of the ground, can readily
be diverted to irrigating purposes. These
streams are skirled by narrow belts Of tim.
Der, of the varieties known as cottonwood,
birch, and alder. The land on the water
courses is for the most part taken up, but
there yet remains thousands of acres of ex>
ceIlent lands open to pre-emption.
2. Walla Walla county proper has pop
ulation which may be stated in round mum.
bers at five thousand. Outside the county
lines, but within the limits Of the Valley.
there is at least two thousand inhabitants,
giving the Valley total population of seven
thousand.
3. The population of the town, estimating
at the rate Of five persons to each building,
is about sixteen hundred.
4. After haviog travelled extensively and
visited all the more important settlements in
the United States, we have 20 hesitation in
saying that we know of no locality more de.
siruble in point of climate than Walla Walla
Valley. In evidence of this we have the
fact thai our stock owners provide no shelter
for their cattle, and yet they pass through
the winter and come out in the spring 10 ex-
cellent condition. During the winter they
live principally on the long red bunch grass,
which gives pasturage to numberless herds
OF horses and Aocks Of sheep and horn stock
Our coldest weather is say from the 2Oth of
December to the last of January, and during
this time, although we have frequent snow,
falls, the snow rarely lays on the ground over
a week at a time. During this period, say
Of six weeks, is all that we have OF what the
settler from Illinois, Iowa, or Missouri, would
call real winter.
With an excellent climate and the finest
water, it would be strange indeed if our peo.
pie failed to enjoy goUd health. In the
early settlement of the country it was a com
mon saying that no man "died natural
death, and whilst this expression is scarcely
correct as applied to the country now, still it
serves to give an idea of the general good
health that prevails. As a matter of course,
we cannot promise consumptives restora>
tion Of their health, but this we can say that
We have never known any person TO contract
the disease in this Valley.
6. For about ten months out of twelve
there is steamboat communication to Wallu-
la, point ueAr the junction of the Snake
River with the North Fork of the Columbia.
During the interruption of navigation we
communicate with the Dalles by means of a
daily line OF stages, aud thence to Portland,
the emporium of the whole Northern coun
try. Lines of railroad that are now being
agitated and sure to be built within a year or
two, will greatly improve our means of COM
municatiou.
z. The experiment of raising fruit on an
extensive scale has been fairly tried in this
Valley, aud uniformly with favorable results.
The Willamette Valley has long been famous
as the paradise of fruit growers, but expert
ence has shown that the apples grown in
this Valley are of finer favor aud in every
way superior to the "web foot apples" Tie
peach is found to do better here than auy>
where else on the coast, and we have known
one of our enterDrising settlers to realize
$1,000 in single season from his peach crop
Pears, plums, grapes, and all the fruits that
flourish in the temperate zone do well in
this Valley.
8. The principal markets for our surplus
products are found in the mining districts,
aud with these we have Communication by
means Of freight teams at all seasons.
9. Improved lands can be had in quarter
sections al figures ranging frem $1,000 tc
$4,000, owing to location, fertility, and
character Of improvements. These figures
represent the choice lands. As already stated
thousands Of acres of excellent land yet re-
main Open>io settlers under the pre-euptiOr
and homestead laws.