Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/436

426 ship navigation for large vessels on the Wallamette. Next in order is Oregon City, laid out by Doctor McLoughlin, at the falls. At this place there are four stores, two sawmills, one gristmil], and there will soon be another built by the Doctor, to contain about three run of stones. There is quite a village here. The last town I shall mention is Champoe, on the Wallamette, at the head of navigation. I do not know that any lots have as yet been sold at that place. Business of all kinds done in the territory is very active, and times are flourishing. Lazy men have become industrious, as there is no drinking or gambling here among the whites; and labor meets with such ready employment and such ample reward, that men have more inducements to labor here than elsewhere. This is, as yet, no country for lawyers, and we have the most peaceable and quiet community in the world. Mechanics find ready employment, as well as ordinary laboring hands. Farming is considered the best business in this country. This may be seen at once from the prices of produce, and its easy production. The business of making and putting up butter, which is here never worth less than twenty cents, is very profitable. Good fresh butter, I am told, is never worth less than fifty cents, and often $1 per pound in the Pacific Islands. There are now in operation, or will be this summer, mills enough to supply the population with flour. There are several mills, both saw and grist, in operation up the Wallamette, above the falls. There is no scarcity of provisions at the prices I have stated; and I find that our emigrants who came out last year, live quite comfortably, and have certainly improved much in their appearance. When an individual here has any idle time he can make shingles, which are worth $4 for fir and $5 per thousand for cedar. Any quantity of them can be sold at those rates. We have the finest spar timber, perhaps, in the world, and vessels often take off a quantity of timber for spars. The sawmills at Wallamette Falls cut large quantities of plank, which they sell at $2 per hundred. Carpenters and other mechanics obtain $3 per day and found, and ordinary hands $1 per day and found. The fir timber of this country makes excellent coal for blacksmiths; and what is singular, neither the fir nor cedar, when burned, make any ashes. It has been supposed that the timbered land of this country will be hard to clear up, but I have come to a very different conclusion, from the fact that the fir timber has very little top, and is easily killed, and burns up readily. It also becomes seasoned very soon. It is the opinion of good farmers that the timbered land will be the best wheat land in this country.

P. H. B.