The silver state., 1880-10-22
A TRIP TO WASHINGTON TERRITORY
What Humboldter Saw on the Way to
COlfax.

What Humb0ldter Saw on the Way to
Colfax.
William Graves, wlro left here last
August for Washington Territory,
writes as follows fuem Crab Creek, near
Colfax in that Territory:
"Qn oar trip from Winnemucca to
this place the FIRST settlement of any
consequence that we saw was Burnt
River on Mormon Basin in Oregon. 1t
Is quite a lively mining camp and has
five or six paying mines in the vicinity.
There are several comfortable looking
ranches along the river. After crossing
the Malheur we struck Willow Creek,
along which there are many nice homes
and occasional patches of cosn and fine
looking orchards. Baker City is situa-
ted in a beautiful valley some thirty
miles long and twelve or fifteen miles
wide. The town is about as large as
Winnemucca, and is surrounded with
beautiful farms.
The next place of note as we pro-
ceed north is Grand Ronde Valley,
some twenty miles long by fifteen miles
in width. 1t is surrounded by heavy
timbered mountains with springs of pure
water bubbling at intervals along the
foot hills. All kinds of fruits and vege-
tables grow in the valley, where there
are many ranches as fine as | ever saw.
Orchards are numerous, and the set
tiers told as that there are three other
valleys almost as large, some thirty
miles east where they drive stock to
winter. These valleys are not settled,
as there RS no market for produce.
From Grand Ronde we crossed the
Blue Mountains, which ore as heavily
timbered as the Sierra Nevada, and ar
rived at the Uaatilia observation. The
country is the incest ever saw, and the
climateeis delightful. The Indians cul-
tivate considerable land, and they have
plenty of horses and cattle. The coun-
try between the Reservation and Walla
Walla is pretty shiekly settled.
Walla Walla is quite large and
thriving town, and is this supply depot
for a great extent of farming country.
North Of it we passed over a rolling
prairie, with good soil, but not very
well watered, to Snake River, beyond
which the country is broker and hilly
but better supplied with water 1t is a
splendid grazing country, the native
grasses furnishing excelleat feed for
stock. am of the opinion that it is
one OF best wheat countries in the
United States Vegetables also do we'll
there, and we noticed one patch OF corn
which looked welL Many settlers have
set out orchards, but they are not yet
old enough to bear fruit. There is quite
an immigration to this country, and it
is settling np fast. Wheat sells at from
35 to 30 cents per bushel; potatoes one
cent per pound, and other products of
the farm in proportion. There is DO
great change in the country for hun
dred miles or more, timber being gener
ally scarce and the soil rich, but it is
surrounded by mountains which are
covered by the finest forests, and lum-
Der will be much cheaper as soon as the
Northern Racifc Railroad is built.
They are pushing this road ahead rap
idly. The-emigration overland is large,
many trains from the States, consisting
of thirty or forty wagons, arriving
almost daily.
Anybody with means to make home
could do well here, as there is plenty Of
Government land, but persons who have,
to work for wages can do as well or bet
ter anywhere We are located cn Crab
Creek, and Colfax is our nearest town
1t is as large as Winnemucca, and is
quite lively and growing place.. When
| see more and learn more of the coun-
try, will write again.
Winnemucca Library