, 1868-06-12
Items from ColvilIe Valley.

| 1tems from COlVllle talley.
Judge Wyche who with Messrs. Oaton and
Dugau has just returned from holding term of
Court at Colville, furnishes us the following
items Business of every kind is very dull in
Colville Valley, and but little money in circula-
tion. There are three stores now in Colville
Ferguson Co., L. Abrams L Co. and Cbas.
Montgomery, one saloon and a butcher shop.
Abrams of the firm of Abrams Co., has sold
out to his partners, Winans and Brown with the
intention of leaving the Valley within few days,
much to the regret of the few families there, as
Mrs. Abrams is one of the few white women in
the Valley. There is a large amount of wheat
and -four in the Valley, estimated at about 4OO,-
900 lbs, of which Ferguson Co. hold nearly
half Wheat is selling from so to IS cents per
bUshel -four from So to So so per 100 lbs. a
lot of -four of inferior quality sold as low as
81 75-scarcelya a cash market for 1t at any price.
Stock is increasing rapidly, number of
farmers having from 80 to IS head cattle can be
had on foot for from 6 to cents. The Valleyis
full of hogs; Ferguson Co. put up 25, 900 lbs,
one hog dressing some 545 lbs ; commands from
20 to rs cents per tb.
good gold field is supposed to exist on the
tributaries of the Pen dOreille, and a meeting
was called during Court to open a trail from COL
Vile to the Pen d'oreille, which would require
about 80 or 40 miles of work, and work was TO
commence Immediately. A party consisting OF
Ben. Welch, brother to Dan, Michael Sullivan,
Hornham, and Cookery, went out to this region
lost fall, and went out again this spring with
| grub, and the reports from them are very favor.
able, and other parties have gone out, and Col.
vile people are hoping with some confidence, for
a market soon 10 that direction. Judge Wyche
went down to McDonald's, the trading post of
the Hudson Bay Company, on the Colville river,
some 10 miles from Fort Colvlle where be spent
a very agreeable night being RECALLED by Nc
with his violin, and McKindry, his Clerk, With
the flute, and Christmas voice was a nice &C
compartment to the flute. On the borders of
civilization, by the falls of the Columbia with the
over hanging mountains, aud with q beautiful
moonlight night, music was almost a new sensa.
ton. But on the shady side of life, such scenes
must be dispatched with q dash. Christine,
McDonald's daughter, is an interesting young
lady. Her mother is Mohawk with some white
blood, but as she was absent on a visit to the
Blackfeet, we did not see her. Nc. Donald is a
| Scotchman, a man of variable moods, full of
eccentricities and one Of the characters of the
coast he has been in the employ of the Com,
pany on this coast since 1889; only two other
persons have been longer iu the employ of the
| Company on this coast-Dr. Tomlie and Fiulay>
son, OF Victoria. One hundred shares represent
the Company, of which the stockholders have
sixty, aud the remaining forty are subdivided
into eighty-6ve share, of which q chief trader,
| (which is McDonald's position) has for his coms
pensation the profits of one share, and chief
factor the profits Of two shares. A traders pay
averages about $4,000, varying, of course, with
the business. None of the furs of the Company
| are sold on the coast, but are packed aud ship
ped to London, where they are sold al auction
The business of the Company is declining but
little if any, but owing to the establishment
of the other forts and especially Fort Shepard,
the business at this post is not so good, particu
larly in Martin or other more valuable furs.
| Martin and other furs are more valuable, being
darker and finer farther north, far north the
martin feed on snow birds. Mcdonald gave us
many interesting facts in reference to the habits
of the martin and other fur animals. As show
ing the activity of the martin, Nc. gave Us an
interesting account of fight which occurred in
bis house between q martin and cat wherein the
martin was the victor the leaps, movements
and all the details of the battle were given
| with great Zest; Waterloo was a secondarv
battle to this in McDonald's estimation. Old
Pierne Satakrass died last year at the post. he
was of Mohawk descent and issupposed to have
been from los to Ito years old His memory
to this coast With the party that founded Astoria
Page, the Indian Agentsup there, gave us
some items about his tilicums be saws there
are about $500 Indians there, scattered over
about 1000 square miles the Government has
never made any treaty With them. For tbs a.,
time there was this year q general distribption
of goods to them about HOO have come in and
taken presents. Many Of them-especially the
Spokanes-deelined to accept goods, as thew in
some way bad the impression that these presents
were intended to pay for their lands this inn.
preston is being dispelled. Many of them are
engaged in farming, and they raise more produce
than all the other tribes in the Territory. Thev
are peaeeable, liquor causing the little disturb.
anees that exist Page is an efficient agent
Saw Captain White. AZ Big Bend has NOT been
a success, the steamer "49'' Is doing hut IitiIs
she wa: about making trip, and the Captain
out prospecting. -