Eleanor Ruth Rockwood

“ Without doubt the Oregon Historical Society is the most important of the new contributors, both from the number of items and their rarity. All the libraries previously co-operating have added much valuable material and have listed items in their collections which they had not had time to list for the earlier edition. Perhaps the most notable of these additions are those of the Provincial Library of British Columbia, only a small part of whose valuable collection of voyages of discovery to the Northwest Coast, and of material on British Columbia was listed before. ”

“ The streets in Portland are just mud and water, mixed up into a very good batter. Irving has got to be quite an Indian for he can talk their jargon about as well as they can. The Indian language here is nothing but a mess of stuf made up by the Hudson Bay Company out of the Chenook, French and a mess of other lingos put together, and is not fit to use any where. ”

“ There is a number of bays, south of the Columbia, where it is said good pleasant situations can be had, and a harbor about 20 miles south of Rogue River that is very large with no bar, and that any sized vessel can go in, and that there is a large amount of good land on two rivers that emty into the bay, and that there is Oister beds in the bay, has been lately discovered. The country is said to be large enough to support a very large town, and that they can get a good road to the mining country on Rogue River. ”

“ We know of no other place, or no place above Oregon Citty, or below Birneys [16] on the Columbia where they have the ague, and even one mile back. I suppose there has not been a single case, unless they got it on the river first. You need not be concerned about the health of the country, especially on the salt water. I had another mishap a few weeks ago, at a raising, a heavy stick of timber, about six feet long fell and struck me on the calf of my right leg, and almost tore the flesh off, but it is about well now, it is hard work to keep my boot on my foot yet. ”

“ Willamette.—The subscribers, proprietors of this Town, situated at the foot of the Clackamas Rapids, on the west side of the Willamette River, having just completed a survey and plan of the place, would call the attention of the public to this location, as one of importance, and possessing undoubted natural advantages as a point for business ... With the prospect of having a Plank Road, or a Rail Road to go by horses to the head of the Falls, they feel confident that persons wishing to take an interest will not be disappointed in its ultimate success. ”

“ I presume there is as much water runs over the falls at Oregon Citty, as goes down the falls at the Bellows falls on the Connecticut. There is a number of Tin shops in Portland and they are all doing the best kind of business. I wish Samuel could go to Olimpia, he could make a fortune in a short time if he would. And so can any boddy if they can once get a start. I know of no man in the country that has been any ways industrious and been here for two or three years, but what is in good circumstances. ”

“ A Carpet is a very good thing to bring acrost the country, to lay down in the tent to keep things out of the dirt, especially your victuals, if you have team enough to bring it, but unless you have you had better throw it into the river, or give it to some person that needs it, rather than to bring it half way and kill off your team, and then be obliged to throw it away, it is better to start with half a load, than to have ten pounds to much. ”

“ I have been told that small grain could not be raised there, but I saw as nice a patch of oats, as I ever saw in Illinois. A stalk of oats was brought up on the boat that was 7 feet long, and it is thought that wheat will grow equally well. The high land I think is good for wheat, or any kind of small grain, and I know of no reason why it should not do well, for wheat I know will grow there for I saw a little in a garden, which was sowed just to try it. The tide land is what they call prairai, but it has a considerable timber on it in places, and in some it is entierly open. ”

“ In consequence of the Teritory's being divided, Grays Harbour or Shoal Water will probably be the outlet for that territory, and the Columbia for Oregon, yet there is one thing that we think is certain to come about, and that is that there will be a railroad from the south point of Pugets Sound to run in a south west direction to the Chelalees River, or the upper point of Grays Harbour, and perhaps on to Shoal Water, it will save some over two hundred miles sailing besides a conciderable time in getting to the sound. ”

“ I have seen no water in the country yet but Salt, and Soft water, either river, spring or well water is all soft. There is 3 or 4 wells in town they are something like 20 or 25 feet deep. But people in the country generally build their houses near some spring, which they think is better than wells, and they generally find a plenty of them. I have alwais said that this was the greatest ague hole in Oregon and I suppose it is. I have seen some three or four with it, ... Corn grows here, though perhaps not as well as in Illinois. ”

“ The tide land is the best, on this end of the bay of any that I have seen yet, it is high, with but a very few ditches and as rich as it can be, for it is all made land. It overflows in the high tides in the winter, but it is said does not in the summer. The people have their gardens on it and some men build their houses on it. ”

“ The diarrhea and mountain fever is the two kinds of sickness to be watch, and to be feared, but if you will watch the first closely you need not fear the latter, but in order to avoid the diarrhea every one must use one kind of water all of the way, and by all means avoid water that comes from holes dug in the ground, it is not good and most alwais gives people the diarrhea, but the Platt water is healthy, if it is full of mud. ”

“ Claims can be had a most all of the way from Cape Disappointment to the mouth of Shoal Water bay, but there is any amount of water on them, with Cranberries marshes, &c on them. In the summer season the wind blows from the North all of the time which makes it foggy cold and very damp, but in the winter season it is much warmer than up this way. Bakers Bay faces the Ocean, yet the land all around the Bay is taken up and most of them are in full view of the Ocean, but they are some ten or fifteen miles from the Barr, and the Ocean winds does not effect them so very much. ”

“ The Cedar of this country is not like the eastern Cedar, but I believe is equally as good for lumber, or timber, and just about as good for fire wood. Fir is very much like pine only heavyer, and very coarse grained, the leaf is only about an inch long, the wood burns well, but cannot keep fire over night with it. ”

“ I should think it is about as high from the river as Peru, tho if either way it is less in hight. There is a second bluff back of this. ...
If you should come to this country by land, you ought to come with mules, and a plenty of them, and a plenty of light wagons, and then you ought to have men enough come with you to do all of your work, for it will be enough for you to come through without work, and you must have men that will stick to you all of the way, and that understands taking charge of teams, and that will use them well. Hundreds of cattle were killed with abuse last year. ”

“ There is an abundance of springs all over the country and good ones, with pure soft water and generally a plenty of it. I presume there is 20 real good springs on this section, there is one where Lot Whitcomb built his house, about half a mile from here, that furnishes water enough for a large tanery, to grind bark &c. The rock of this country is nearly all basaltic, though on Bear River there is a little stone, and a kind of bastard lime stone on long island in Shoal Water. ”

“ Another disadvantage, also unavoidable in a co-operative undertaking, is that one library lists a work in one way, another in a different way. The compiler has caught many of these but a few have escaped. ”

“ I intend to get me some prairia, and I have intended to select a place so that you need not be under the necessity of clearing up a farm, for it cannot be denied but it is hard clearing farms, unless we can get a place in what they call "openings" in that case the farm can be easily cleared. Large trees are burned down, not cut, and generally burned up. In case I find nothing to suit me on this trip, I shall look up the country, either south east of this, or south, and perhaps as far as the Umqua. ”

“ I think the land is the highest on the banks of the rivers, anyway, it is dryer land, and it is where they make all of their gardens. The high lands are covered with heavy timber but is not as broken as most of the land that I have seen about the cost. ”

“ While I have been laid up I have been helping to make some fish nets, to catch Salmon in. There is a plenty of people that is ready to furnish us with Salt and Barrels to put them in. It is said to be as good business as there is in Oregon. ”

“ Even though limited to printed items in these few libraries, it is quite a full bibliography of the important works dealing with this region and will prove especially valuable to libraries as a buying list. We find that individual collectors are referring to it also.
A defect inseparable from co-operative undertakings is that each library probably contains many items listed but not credited to that library. This difficulty arises in various ways. A library having a strong collection rates as unimportant items which are of a great deal of value in a smaller library. ”

“ I have got the Ague and must quit, and finish in the morning. The Sal-lal Berries is a large, dark blue berry, somewhat resembling the wherttleberries, but as large as four of the latter, grows in clusters like grapes, and are rather sweet in tast, very pleasant, the bush they grow on is an evergreen. They grow much larger on the coast than up here. ”

“ Levi must not think there is no prairias in this country, for I have seen a very little, and Frances has been up the country to live, and returned about a week since, she says there is beautiful prairias up where she has been, yet the most of the country is covered with heavy timber, and there is many a man here, that has been here for years that has not more than 10 or 15 acres under cultivation, that is in the timber. ”

“ Vessels generally come from San Francisco with goods, and return with lumber or timber. I suppose there is some 2 or 3 dozen vessels load here at this place in a year. Those that come here are of a small class, and generally carry from one hundred and twenty five thousand to two hundred thousand feet. There has 2 or 3 barks come from New York to Portland this season. The Santiam is a good sized stream flows into the Willamette about 20 miles above Salem. ”

“ The immigration got in, in good season, and in first rate condition, with the exception of about four hundred wagons that took the southern rout [21] from the Malheur River through to the falks of the Willamette. They got lost in the mountains but have finally got through. It is said there is a large number of cattle in the upper part of this valley, and that the price of stock is bound to come down. The money market is getting tight, goods are getting cheaper. Flour is worth $8.00 per hundred, Potatoes are worth from $1. ”

“ The buildings in towns are generally frame, built in the eastern style, some sealed up on the inside, some nail sheeting on the inside and then paper it on the cloth, but the houses in the country are many of them made of logs. ”

“ The Basaltic rock has the appearance of having been burnt, and very easy got, If you will get them from the bluffs where they mostly show themselves. I have thought it would be hard work to get stone enough from any peace of land that I have seen yet, to fence it with, as they do in New England. ”

“ When work of this sort is finished, one always finds omissions, and this is no exception to the rule. The greatest lack seems to be general works that libraries want for other purposes than simply local collections. For instance, Folk's Diary is not included, nor is the comparatively recent edition of Buchanan's Works, both of which must be in several of the libraries, and both of which are important for this country. ”

“ I can tell you one thing that you might do on the sound now if you were here, that is to set a small Steam Boat running on the sound. You can make more money at it in one year than you can make in Illinois in ten. ”

“ Montana State Library, Pacific University Library and State College of Washington have withdrawn, although unique items in these libraries have been retained from the old edition. The checklist has been greatly strengthened by the addition of five new libraries: University of British Columbia, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon State Library, and the public libraries of Boise and Tacoma. This makes a total of fifteen co-operating libraries. ”

“ It is the best business in the country, not hard, and will last for years. Mr. Lewelling I presume sold ten thousand Apple Trees or more last winter. They can be transplanted any time in the winter. He has every other kind of fruit that they rais in the states, and more, for he has Almonds and I think Figs. ”

“ She took the first cargo of lumber sent to Australia from the northwest; Lewis and Dryden, 48. ↑ These were W. S. Ladd's building on Front Street, between Washington and Stark, D. C. Coleman's on Front and Oak, and Lucien Snow's on Front, between Oak and Pine streets. ↑ Two hundred and seventy-five wagons of the 1853 immigration followed the route of Meek's cut-off and down the Middle Fork of Willamette River; Scott, Oregon Country, III, 230. ↑ "On the coast about Port Orford, some miners are doing exceedingly well, but a majority of them are not making anything;" ”