Year: 1869




Editors Democrat:


| have been informed that sTr. 3Iur-
ply, who recently crossed the Leba-
non Wagon Road with drove Of cat
tie from Yakima valley with the inten-
ton Of driving them to Rouge River,
reports through The Salem Salesman
that he lost quite number Of Lis cat
tie, several Of his horses and also tore
from his person and those Of his hands
ntar all OF their clothing, and hed n
hard time generally in making the
trip across the mountains.


Now. Messrs. Editors, let as have
tie trie facts OF this marvellous Jour
ney Of said Murphy. We VIII give
tho facts Of the case during his
travel rerbafim as he told 3Ir. y. Nil
Ter, who is an honest and truthful man
and at whose house Murphy stopped
10 rest about ten days. Murphy
stated to Miller that he started from
Yakima valley with 100 head OF cattle.
intending to drive them to Rogue Riv-
er valley and was aiming to cross the
mountains far south of the Lebanon
Wagon Road. some where near the
head of Rogue river. After getting
to the mountains east OF Rogue river
he found that they were too deeply
covered with SNOW for him 10 succeed IN
crossing, Notwithstanding they spent
some SIR areeks- trying to do so. Dur
ing their six weeks labor in trying to
effect q passage across the mountains,
which was lar south of the Lebanon
Wagon Road, their store of provisions
run out and they were compelled to
kill 4 head OF their cattle for food
Their horses became poor and lean
through fatigue and want of grass and
one contracted sickness which eyentu-
ally resulted in his death in the noun
tains, of which 1 viii speak hereafter.
Their clothing wore out and was torn
mostly off of them by brush.


After fruitless attempt to cross
they Withdrew from the mountains and
began their return north towards the
Lebanon road which they reached at
Camp Polk, where they encamped.-
Camp Polk is a point on the road, sit
uated 20 miles east of the Cascade
mountains in an open country. Here
he reported that they had lost % head
of cattle. They tarTied but few days
at this point, commencing their Jour-
ney for the Willamette valley by way
of the Lebanon Wagon Road. They
had no difficulty in crossing the noun
tains making the trip in three days from
the time they started west. In the
mountains one Of their horses, which
had been sick and was bled by ene OF
the hands who was unskilled in the
business, died, also 4 head Of cattle
were lost at or near Hensely's Ranch.
but have since been found oil right.
Mr.. Murphy also stated that thei,
travel was not hindered of any conse-
quence; that a few trees had fallen
across the road but did not impede
their journey. He spoke il high
terms of the road that it possessed
one of the lowest gaps in the Cascade
mountains for its route he had yet
seen, and that he was well pleased
with the road SO far as he had travelled
it. Now, Mr.. Editors, let us count ul
the number of cattle lost, as he re.
ported in the Statesman, on the Leba-
mon Wagon Road, and see if his two
statements corroborate. He told Mr.
w. Miller that he started from Yaki
ma valley with 100 head. He butch
cred 4 head far south of Camp Poll
for food at Camp Polk, in a countr,
that is open prairie for 20 miles west