Year: 1862

lOIIOu Ludu nave uedfu urged against lulS COM


pany. But so long as the Columbia river shall


remain an open sea- do heartily desire to see


competition seek here a channel of investment


and which it will always do so long as it is found


to pay. All phianlhropic ideas of parties "desi-


ring to serve the public, without being remunera-


ted" will find no believers among the merchants


and travellers of the Upper Columbia. The mer-


chant and traveller will take that line where the


rates are the lowest and accommodation the best,


irrespective of the owners of the line those who


pioneered them through to a success. At least


this is the history Of the commercial past, and l
see no reason why it should not be the history of


the commercial future. Just so soon as capital
lists find that putting steamers on the Upper Col


umbia is paying investment, steamers will be


put on; and, unless the capitalist is so convinced,
it will be a difficult task to cause him to turn his
capital into such channel.


This age IS, pre-emnently, an utititdrIGn one
in which facts and figures are, particularly, the


weapons with which theca apitalst wages ids Gnan-
cia war Armed with these, his victory is in his
own hards not so armed it is in those Of some
one elseS The portage of the Cascades. hereto
fore so great a bugbear in the trip from the Dales
to Portland, is now made in a brief hour on the
cars, without either detriment or danger. An ex-
ira dollar for riding on the cars is charged,
though if you prefer it, you can walk on the road
in nearly the same time, free of cost. No trav-
eler passes over this portage without awarding to
Col Ruckle every praise tor the bold prosecu-
tion of his bold project, and no one begrudges
him the ample reward which he is to-day deriy-
lug in token of his past labors. This portage is
on the Oregon side but it is to be hoped that
the difficulties on the Washington side, between
Bradford & Bush, will be speedily adjusted, so
that the steam cars, now running on portion of
the track already completed, shall connect the
two termini of the portage, and thus reduce the
time Of travel within the minimum limits. The
Post at Fort Cascades is new abandoned, nor
does II seem at present necessary to hold it under
garrison, so far as the Indians are concerned.-
The question of a foreign war, however, would
render it key-point of marked importance.


A run of seven hours brings us to Portland. l
fear, from the present appearance of Vancouver,
that all chances Of commercial rivalry with Port
Ind have been banished. Capital is certainly
not seeking it at present as point of investment
The freshe has left its marks of devastation along
the levee and lower portions Of the city, and it
will require much capital and energy to reinstate
Vancouver in the position It occupied two years
since and if the idea of making the Dalles a
large commercial emporium be ever consumma-
ted, cannot conceive that Vancouver will ever
occupy position of more than secondary I'M
portance, unless the western slopes Of the Cas-
caGes should open up gold-bearing region. In
such an event. Vancouver would necessarily be-
come point of fixed commercial importance
But so long as the permanency which now marks
Portland shall continue 10 be maintained, and
the question on the part Of the citizens of the
Dalles to make it a commercial depot. shall con
tinue 10 be agitated, so long will Vancouver
stand the chance of being kept in the back ground
On the lower river we travelled to Portland in
with quite number of emigrants des-
tined to Puget Sound, and they all regretted
that they could not have gone from Walla Wala
to the Sound, by land. This is matter in
which every citizen Of Washington Territory is
more or less interested. The road opened in
1853, by the Nachess Pass, has fallen into such
state, that unless repaired and kept so, it will be
useless for all practical purposes OF emgrants for
the Sound from the States. | understand that
the Packwood trail is deemed by many prefera-
bic to the Nachess route. But whether we shall
have route via the Nachcss, Snoqualme, Pack
wood, or any other pass, is a matter about which
those truly interested in seeing the Sound section
brought directly in communication with the inte-
rior, will not fall out The citizens of the Sound
need good road across the Cascades, direct from
Wallula The valley of the Yakima will doubt
less give us good line, and thence across to the
w enatchee via Packwood's pass either into
Olympia or Steilacoom. The long interval which
hes elapsed since the Nachess pass was Travelled
has naturally caused the line 10 fall out of re-
pair. The emigrants who desire to locate on the
Sound need line by which they can carry their
wagons, and over which drive their stock, and not
be driven to take the steamers down to Month
cello, thus increasing costs so heavy that it seems


This is a matter Of great import
ance, MT only for the emgrants, but in order to
bring the citizens of the Sound, by the most di
rect trade ard associations, with those resident


The eastern slopes of The Cascades, s,-and is one OF
such Importance hat it is to be hoped that the at


ention o. Congress will be duly called to it,
Military necessity calls for such line, and Nil


ary Road should he so located and constructed.


The large crowd that daily assemblies on the
wharf on the arrival of the steamer from the
Dalles is an unerring barometer of the interest


e.t in the development of the upper country;land
A conversation with leading merchant Of the
city, convinced me that the trade of the William
ette-where the returns to the merchant are in
lour gran hides and fruits small and of minor


Importance compared to that whence their returns
are by daily steamers and in gold dust. The lat


Ter is Immediately converted into coin and seeks
new channels of investments, and is turned over
a half dozen times a year; whereas, the former
must bide It's fortunate market, and sales thus de-


ayed from week to week, and from month to
month"; The establishment of a Branch Mint,
either at Portland or the Dalles is becoming
subject of daily commercial necessity, and should
such a Branch be established, ,\f the Treasurer
was allowed, as soon as the assays were made and
the value of the certificate Of deposit made known,
to pay outthe coin Immediately for these deposits
much time would be saved to the depstor, and
much gain and saving to the miner; whereas,
now, without Branch Mint, the miners are forced
10 sell their dust to spectators, who must be paid
for their time 'and this payment is kept up till it
reaches San Francisco-here from IA to 20 days
are consumed before the dust is coined-though
not more than two days before the value of the
deposit by the assayer is determined. The Treas
urer has always on hand an amount Of funds
which could be paid out for the deposits made,
which deposits, when coined, could replace that
paid out-thus benefting the miner by bringing
him directly in contact with the Government,
who has eventually to coin his DUST and save him
time and shaving" by the speculator, and to this
extent materially benefits the country by distrib-
uting and disbursng the money in the very same
region where it is dug from the earth. A Branch
Mint for Oregon and Washington and an author
ity for the Assistant Treasurer to pay out at once
the value of the deposit as soon as the assay is
determined, are two things whth, if effected
would materially tend to benefit the miner, and,
hence, the country ;Swhereas, now the time con-
sumed in sending the dust from the mines and
getting it back in coin must be paid for by some


body, and that somebody ever has been, and I'M
less these changes be made, will always be the
miners1 just as quick as the dust of the miner is
returned to him in coin in the minimum space of
time and with the minimum "shaye"-whch in
this case would be only the cost of Transporting it


to the Branch Mint and bsck-then will the cap


ital of the country be in the hands Of the greater


number, and that number class of people who


are interested in tie material interest and pros