Year: 1862

the constitution and the laws for be as
sured, hemmed in as we have been by snow
and cold, and ice and storm, for the past
seven weeks, and thereby shut out from all
the world and ''the rest of mankind" bat
ties innumerable may have been fought and
won, and nations born, and still others gone
20 decay, and we have been none the wiser
for it. Indeed, we had almost persuaded
ourselves that even Gabriels trump might
have sounded to the rest Of the world, and
we all unconscious of it, still plodding along
in g the even tenor of our way" If the
ancient Israelites thought it hardship ''too
grievous to be borne" to be compelled to
"make brick without straw" what shall
we say in excuse for the dryness, the dull
ness and the tameness of newspaper pub
ished in Walla Walla, amid this wintry
isolation? Our difficulties consist then III
this-that we are so shut out from the world
that we do not know what the world is do
ing, and per consequence, reader, we cannot
tell it you. We could indeed tell you more
about the weather-that fruitful theme for
everybody's tongue-but about that you
know as we'll as we ApropOs to the wealth
er, We would say that with us Mr.. Chinook
is "played out, and that reliable old gen
tleman dubbed the oldest inhabitant is un-
worthy of any credence. And the moon
whose changes, wise-acres say, control our
weather-has forgotten and neglected u.s..
We could record some local items, such as
exchange of shots among the boys, but as
communication mag be re-opened again, our
paper would convey to the world some items
it were better for the credit of our commu-
nifty were not known. Besides we would
be furnishing the Mountaineer man a better
argument for going around Walla Walla on
his way to Salmon than he has yet pub
lished.


Seriously, our difficulties in publishing a
readable paper without communication with
the bustling world, without exchanges to
copy from, without news to write about
are more considerable than persons at first
sight would readily imagine. Apologize
to our patrons, we would say then, that as
soon as communications are re-opened, we
will try and make up in news and interest
for what we lack now in our isolation.


GREAT SCARCITY OF GRAIN.-We re-
gret to record the alarming scarcity of grain
in the Walla Walla valley at the present
time-particularly oats and barley, and all
kinds of feed for animals. There is but a
limited quantity of wheat, and the stocks of
-four in the hands of dealers are becoming
low. We do not, however, apprehend any
serious liability that the amount of bread
stufFs in the valley will prove insufficient,
unless the severe weather should be pro
longed much beyond what anybody expects
at this time. The scarcity will doubtless
place the article Of -four even above the high
figure it now commands, more especially as
there is a tendency towards concentrating
it in the hands of but few dealers. But
there is, and has been for some time, most
ov3Jor+ ,ror+ Of food for oo;,ooI~ 81 =.
consequence of the scarcity of oats and bar
ley in the market, men have been obliged
to turn out valuable stock to provide for
itself, and in many instances suffer it to
die. What little grain there was in the
valley-scattered in pitiful dribs among the
farmers-has been mostly bought up at
high figures by men who have stock on their
hands, thus placing it out of the market.


MAP OF THE MINING REGIoNs.-We
are indebted to Mr. Charles NJ Foster, of
this city, for map of the Nez Perces and
Salmon river mining regions. This gentle
man was recently connected with the office
of the Indian Superintendency in Oregon,
and has from time TO time been furnished
with much reliable data regarding the coun-
try in which these mines are situated in
addition to the maps and surveys of the de-
partment. We regard this map as more
reliable and accurate than any which has
been published. 1t locates the Salmon
river diggings between the 46th and 47th
parallels of north latitude, and in longitude
116 and 115-which makes them about
$50 miles northeast from this place


The MA1L.-We shall probably not
have mail from the Dalles for two or three
weeks to come. Mr.. Blackmor informs
us that so soon as the road becomes pas
sable he will start down with the mails for
the Dalles.


LINE OF STAGES TO LEwIsToN.-We
are informed that responsible parties in
tend establishing line Of stages from this


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