Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/332

 3io Documents. Wagons should be light but strongly made and drawn by two or more yoke of oxen or by four mules, cows are just as good to work and are worth four times the amount in Oregon that they are here. 2,000 lbs. should be a full load for a wagon, no furniture whatever should be taken, blankets and quilts should supply the place a feather beds, and tin ware that of crockery, a good part of the provision stores should be flour and pilot bread, at least 150 lbs. bacon, the same of flour — 20 lbs. salt, 40 lbs. sugar and 20 lb. coffee to each person, but it is well for every one to take a large supply of both sugar and coffee, as much more will be used on the prairie than here, and any overplus can be disposed of at an excellent price at the differ- ent trading posts which will be passed on the route. Strong and durable clothing should be provided, and some tools, such as axes, saws, augers, spades, hoes, &c, as well as a few ploughs. For further information of the emigrants and to save them the expense of high freight on the Missouri in the spring, I will connect with this letter a synopsis of the resources of our town and surrounding country, giving a correct list of the number of mercantile houses, the mechanic shops and other business houses, in our town as well as the state of agri- culture in Jackson county, — to commence. — We have in the town of Independence 18 Dry Goods establishments 9 Family Grocery and provision 3 Confectioners and Bakers a 3 Clothing store 2 Tin and sheet iron 2 Watch, Clock and Jewelry stores, 1 Boot and shoe 3 Drug 3 Harness and Saddler shops 5 Boot and Shoe-maker 5 Tailoring " 2 Gun-smith "