Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/479



THE CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF OREGON ;119

principal i)oiiil, aud an order on lliut i)oint enables the seller to procure goods, or cattle, or anything else for it.

"The population of this eounti'v consists of French, sailoi's, mountain traders, missionaries and emigrants from the states. The French population consists of old worn-out servants of the Hudson's Bay Company; they universally have In- dian wives, and many children, some of whom are very handsome ; this part of the population are Catholics. The sailors are those who deserted from vessels while lying on the coast, and have also intermarried with the Indians, and but few of them have embraced any religion — they are, however, generally good citizens. The mountain traders are similar to the sailors, except that they have nearly all embraced the Methodist or Catholic religion. ' '

Within a year after reaching Oregon, Peter H. Burnett, one of the leading men of the immigration of 1843, wrote a letter to the Washington City Globe, from which is taken the following extract :

"LiNNTON, Oregon, July 25, 1844.

"I am here in our new town, which we have named as above, in respect for Dr. Linn's services for this territory. Gen. il. M. McCarver and myself have laid out the tovm together. He is a gentleman from Iowa Territory, and laid out Burlington, the seat of Government. He is an enterprising man. Our place is ten miles from Vancouver, on the west bank of the Willamette river, at the head of navigation, and three or four miles above the mouth of the Willam- ette, and twenty-five miles below the Willamette Falls. I have no doubt but that this place will be the great commercial town in the territory. We are selling lots at $50 each, and sell them fast at that. At the falls there is quite a town already. I own two lots in Oregon City (the town at the falls). They are said to be worth $200 each. I got them of Doctor McLoughlin for two lots here in Linnton.

"It costs me less to live here than in Weston. ^lissouri. I paid for wood the last year I lived at Weston, $75 ; for coi-n and fodder $50. all of which is saved here. We use much less pork here than in Missouri. The salmon are running now aud will continue to run until October next. They generally commence running the last of February and end in October. I have had several messes of fresh salmon. At this point we purchase of the Indians ducks, geese, swans, salmon, potatoes, feathers, and venison, for little or nothing. Ducks, four loads; Feathers cost about twelve and a half cents a pound. There are more ducks, etc., here than you ever saw; also pheasants in great numbers. They remain here all the winter. I have hunted very little, being too busy. We find it very profitable to get of the Indians, to whom we trade old shirts, pantaloons, vests, and all sorts of clothing. They are more anxious to purchase clothes than any people you ever saw. You can sell anything here that ever was sold. Stocking Gary ploughs, $5 each. We had an excellent blacksmith living in our place who makes first rate Gary ploughs at thirty-one and a quarter cents a pound, he finding the iron."

These letters show how the people found things in Oregon sixty-eight years ago, and how they commenced life in Oregon. Burnett's prediction that Linn- ton would be the great city of this country did not come true, although it is now a busy little hunbering suliurl) of Portland.