Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-07-04
WASHINGTON N 1853.

WASHINGTON N 1858.
Ia the letter following. written by
Mrs. NJ. r. Eells, at Walla Walla, Octo-
Der 1, 1893, the manner of life IN what
is low Washington Territory forty-four
years ago, is pretty plainly illustrated:
I'VE arrived here on the 18th of Au-
gust, almost six months after We LETT
home. We had long, hard horseback
| Journey. but suppose We are the better
| qualified to live Ia this country. as there
| IL no other mode of conveyance here.
| Instead OF finding everything necessary
| for livelihood. we find we are dependent
on the mission family for everything at
| present.
The country is large and there are
comparatively few inhabitants IN 1t.
| The Hudson's Bay company have a
number OF trading posts which are gen
| orally about go miles apart. Mir. spal-
! dirg and DR.. Whitman, each have sta
| ton about l25 miles apart. The Meth
| odist mission have two stations. one 10
miles and the other 4iJ miles from
| here. Besides these settlements there
are no other in this great territory. Of
| course, the people of each settlement
| must raise their own provisions, make
their own furniture. farming utensils.
honses and barns. If they have any.
There are few cattle at each mission
airy station, large number at Fancou-
yer, and some al most of the other forts.
Everything of cloth kind Is brought
from some foreign port. There Is moth
ing vet to make cloth of, and IL there
was, there are no means with which to
manufacture it. Had / known there
was not q tspinning) wheel In tins whole
country, ] should have been exceedingly
anxious 10 have had one sent with my
other things. There are very few sheep
here and more have been sent for to
California. DIR. Whitman has raised
little fax, though not much for want of
seed.
Had it not b9en for the bedding and
clothing and books that were kindly
furnished me Mt home must have been
in great want. The Hudson Bay COM
pany have furnished Mr.. Spalding and
DR.. Whitman with many of the necessa-
ries of life, which they consider as
great favor, but they only bring what
they want for their own use and to trade
with the Indians. There never have
been any white women here before the
missionaries. and there has been no call
for anything but Indian articles of
trade. The men of this country all
wear striped cotton or calico shirts.
sleep iii Indian blankets and buffalo
skins, and of course they have had no
want of white cotton cloth, and have
none. The Indians all wear mocasins,
so there has been 40 want of shoes. except
for their own use. What things they
have that are not III present use, are
kept Mt Vancouver and there is generally
a full supply for this country. Mes
danes Whitman and SpaldinC have OBJ
tanned some earthen dishes, but think it
is doubtful whether We can have any
others until we erder them of England or
the States. Perhaps you viii wonder
what we eat with. We have the dishes
we used on the way, which we have di-
vided SO that we shaileach have q tin dish |
and spoon, each a knife, fork and |
plate. l expect We can get tinware at
Vancouver. l believe there is a tin
maker there. We must be contented
with what books We have until ours
come (around the Horn. DIR. Whitman
has gone to Vancouver to get what he |
can for US, and make arrangements for |
them to send our things to US when |
they shall come. We do moi expect |
them before another season.
We're in the States and to prepare |
another outfit for this mission, it would |
be i'll some respects different from the |
one prepared without any experience |
of miss!onary's wants. Ii any one |
should want To know what is necessary |
for journey over the mountains. tell |
them III the first place to have leather |
trunk with no wood in it, or leather |
valise Trunks like ours are too heavy /
and bad to pack on animals backs. |
They should have comfortable outfit, |
sufficient to last a year after they reach |
here. They will want handsome clothes
while in the States; for the horseback
journey they ough. to have good, strong,
coarse. dark-colored clothes. A gentle |
man should have home made cloth for
his clothes: u strong, stout box-coat,
thick boots and shoes, a cap or broad |
brim felt hat. A lady should have a
good green nerino or pongee dress. a
strong cloth cloak, and n loose calico
dress to wear when she does not want
to Wear her cloak. Her underclothes,
as well as the gentleman's, should all
be colored. They ought to have three
changes to wear on the journey. and at
least four to wear III the states. and al
ter they arrive here she should have
Florence bonnet or variegated straw.
They should have a small, dark bel
quilt, two pairs of sheets, four pairs of
pillow cases and two pillows. Calico
cases are the best for the journey. A
lady should have pair of gentlemen's
boots, and be well supplied
with stockings and shoes. She should
mings for bonnets if she expects to
have any whom she gets here. She
should also take two or three yerace
wells. When she journeys it il always
IN the sun. Mine lasted mo here, but il
Is all worn out now. II she ever expects
10 want cap or caps, she must take her
laces and muslins with her. She ought
TO he well supplied with pins, needles,
SCISSORS, pen knives and silk, aud thread
OF all Kinds aud colors. She should
nave q large quantity of brown and col |
ored linen thread. Let her also take
raislns, hgs aud spices, for her own
comfort. She will many times feel great |
heed Of them IN travelling. She shoula /
nave an lndla rubber covering for her
bonnet, aud u cape made of the sama
Ii Is SO windy that she cannot often ear
~ an umbrella, besides it IA liable I,
get broken. believe that mine is the
only whole one that reached here. Let /
her take few choice books il they are
small. None of these things can be OBJ |
tanned at present. They are not in the |
country, and If they were. they are So |
Tar from us that II would be a long time |
before We could get them.
Tho collectious OF the Victoria Custom |
house amounted during the year end |
ing June 30, lSS2, TO S6ls, eea5, or S9e.
lao IN excess of collections the wear be- |
fore.