Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/167



OREGON BOUND 1853 157

and is now doing all the business of the valley in the line of his profession. The Dr. is now enjoying as much of wealth and the confidence of the people as any many in the valley. There are few perhaps ten or twelve families in the vil- lage. The first time I was here I saw but one woman and she kept a bowling saloon and drunkery. Since that we have found a good society of families. The mass of the men "keep batch" the merchants in their stores, and mechanics in their shops even the Justice of the Peace, with several miners, cooks, eats and sleeps in "the office," a circular mosque-like building, made of "shakes," I believe without a board or pane of glass about it. The houses, except one, the Robinson House, are all made of these things, and are generally lighted by the crevices or windows of cotton cloth. The first successful schools in the valley are just started by persons of our com- pany, are in Jacksonville to be the basis of an academy and one in the country. The first religious societies three Metho- dist are now being organized, with five clergymen, of the same denomination, all of our company, in the field. The most flourishing branches of business are those of the bowling sa- loon, the gambling den and the drunkery and yet there is less of gambling and drinking in the place than you would expect to see. Merchants and mechanics are doing well. There is no cooper, gunsmith, carriage maker nor shoemaker doing busi- ness in the place though by another year, they might all, save the latter succeed well. We have but one saw mill in the val- ley though three more, at least, are commenced, and a grist mill is to be ready for the next harvest.

We find it very difficult to become familiarized to the enor- mous prices in this country. Flour, this winter, ranges from 20c to 25c a pound, beef is 20c and 25c, bacon, mess 37c, prime 45c, potatoes 6c, squashes Sic., 4c a pound. Salt is 25c a pound, candles 75calOOc, coffee 37c, sugar 33c. butter $1.25, milk lOOc a gallon. While domestic staple products, it will be seen, bear from five to ten prices, labor bears but two to four as, per day, $2.00a$3.00; per month, $50.00a$75.00. This renders