The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-02-10

through them, and some back out.
Within the past week we have known
of a score of persons starting out and
turning back. The blockade through
the country is almost as complete as
that of the Columbia.
The Dalles Mountaineer says reports
from the country south of us indicate
but little loss of stock, while along the
Columbia and Yakima country the
losses have been quite severe. The
last snow fall may have caused more
loss, but news we have received dated
before it show much more favorable
state of affairs than we had expected.
The Yakima Record of January odd
said: eve learn from private sources
that j. p. Sharp, of Kittitas valley, is
offering 200 head of cattle at $500
with no takers. Having run out of
feed, and not wishing to see the cattle
starve to death, Mr.. Sharp offered them
at the above figures. Hay is scarce,
and not to be had for love or money in
the valley. If thaw does. not soon
come losses in stock will be fearful in
this locality"
Later Walla Walla dispatches say:
After the hardest winter on record, a
warm rain with Chinook came Tues
day, February 1st. The. rain con-
tinued Thursday, melting snow rapidly
and raising streams, causing some
damage throughout the country. On
Wednesday, p. NJ, at camp twenty
one on the o. r. & n. Co.'s railway
near Grange City,.a small creek raised
and washed away cook house with
two men named Sheppard and Boyle.
Both were drowned. Sheppard's body
| was found half mile below. BOyle's
has not been found. Thaw and rain
is general throughout the upper coun-
try. Stages are all water bound. At
Pendleton, Umatilla county, the river
is eighteen inches higher than the last
rise. Some houses have been washed
away. Bridges are all gone. There is
three feet of water in the Bon Ton 40
tel On the principal street. Wild
Horse creek is higher than ever before
known. The stage cannot cross the
streams, and had to lay over at Wes-
ton. No eastern mail has been re-
ceived for twenty days. No Oregon
news later than Jan. 2lst.
Cattle hides and sheep pelts are COM
ing into town by the sleigh load. The
leading merchants are all engaged in
| Cne niue business.
We understand that hides are going
to the merchants of Columbus by the
wagon road.
| The railroad between Cello and
Blalock's is in about the following
condition: There are two wash-outs
| between Cello and the Deschutes
river, and the bridge over the latter is
not safe to cross. 1t cannot be re-
paired until after the water falls so
that it can be ascertained what is ne
cessary to be done. A mile and a half
east of the Deschutes' siding heavy
wash-out occurred, letting down en-
CINE No. and four fiat cars. No one
was hurt and force of men are at
work raising the engine and the cars.
This wash-out extends $50 feet, and
several other smaller ones have been
temporarily repaired. 1t will be a
week before the trestle will be all
right for the passage of trains. On
| the line between Umatilla and Wal
! lula junction there are several wash
outs, which will take week to repair.
At Wallula the bridge is gone, leaving
| two engines on that end of the road.
| Two bridges between Wallula and
Walla Walla are also gone and week
or ten days will be required to repair
| them. East of Fordyce is another
wash-out $50 feet long and in places
eight feet deep. No damage has been
| done to machinery, locomotives or
cars, and the floating stock is all right