Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-01-26


vallsy.-A Fruit CsaAtry-.Towns
and Citiss--SaleA. Oregon City.
Portla1a.
Correspondence ofBuchanan Co. Bulletin.
PORTLAND. Oregon, Dec. 81, 1871.
In my last letter, from Roseburg,
l said I would tell your readers
something about this web-foot land,
and will now fulfill my promise as
best / can. Taking the cars at San
Francisco, Dec. 18th, for Red Bluff,
about 100 miles north, we arrived
in time for supper At Marysville, on
the Sacramento river. During the
80 minutes halt of the cars, l made
a hurried call at the store Of Cooley
& Lewis, q few blocks away. Frank
Lewis will DO remembered by many
citizens Of Buchanan, especially in
the vicinity of Independence. l
found him looking hearty and 70.
bust. Seated in the cars again, on
We 60, up the valley Of tho Sacra-
mento to Red Bluff. Here we took
the stage At IL o'clock P. NJ, and
the next morning found ourselves
at the crossing of Pitt river, which
flows through one Of the most ro-
mantle valleys on the coast, cspec-
tally charming to eyes accustomed
to the level prairies Of the Hawk
eye State. Here we got frontier
breakfast. For tho next $50 miles,
the road passes over . succession
o: mountains and valleys. One
would think, in passing over the
Sierras, that nothing could exceed
the magniticence and grandeur of
the views there seen, but here, in
the valleys of the Pitt river, Rogue
river, North and South Umpqua,
Pass Greek and Elk Creek, is seen
scenery which can be beheld with
delight and awe even by one who
has come by the Pacific r. r.
Canyonville is situated at the
foot of the canyon, coming down to
South Umpqua, and affords splen-
did opportunity for an artist. In
the journey from San Francisco, we
crossed five ranges Of mountains,
the steep grades and curves in some
places being almost equal to those
at Cape Horn, near Colfax, on the
Sierras. After five days and four
nights of staging, two days of
which was through mud, snow, or
rain, and sometimes all mixed to-
gether, l began to realize the beau
ties of travel in this region. The
and baggage were put
into three lumber wagons, there to
hang on as best they could amid
the ups and downs and bumps and
joltings of the rough journey, at the
speed Of q miles an hour. On the
rear seat Of one of the wagons, were
a young couple, newly married,
who, by a sudden lurch of the wa
gon, were precipitated into the mud.
Imagine, if you can, the bride,
standing in little less than thirty
inches of Oregon mud, her drapery
all abroad over the unclean mass,
waiting to be rescued from her hor-
rible plight She was not greatly
discomposed, evidently being used
to the aeays Of the country, and was
extricated from her fix as soon as
possible.
Moving in this deliberate way,
we arrived at last at Eugene City,
in the Willamette Valley and 1913
miles from Portland, by rail. Along
down this valley are scattered a
Of towns and cities, of
which Salem, the capital of the
State, is the most important. 1thas
much the appearance of eastern
towns. 1t numbers about $500 in
habitants, and has one of the grand
est hotels on the coast. Oregon
City, Is miles from Portland, is
destined to be another Lowell. 1t
has an immense natural fall and
rapids, and locks are being con-
Everywhere we see evil
dences Of the capacities of this
country for fruit growing. l am
told, as a fact, that the trees pro-
duce such quantities of fruit as to
break down under the burden, ard
their appearance certainly confirms
the statement. The people here are
clever and liberal, but acknowledge
that they are lazy, and in excuse for
it, say that there is no need to work
in this bountiful country. l find
some who wish themselves back in
the eastern States. Iowa, with her
cold and long winters, has some ad-
vantages over this country; the
principal one is her rich and extern
sive arabic lands, of which Oregon
has but little in comparison. There
is one thing, however, Of which Or
sgon can vel boast, and that Is her
forests Of excellent timber.
The water is not as good as I ex-
pected, but passable.
Portland, the second city in point
Of Importance on the coast, contains
1000 or 1000 inhabitants, and does
q large wholesale trade with the in
terror. 1t is = port of entry, and
here may be seen the ships of ali