'
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stored. The contract term win expire wun
the royai ending on or about the 30th day
c?jXl8M.-fr. rSpfcfafor, Oct. 1845.
3Kg&
THE SPECTATOR,
OregH City, Febrauary 4, 1847.
OIO. U CCSSV, IDITOR N. W. COLWKLL, KLSTKR.
To CoasserosDurre We have received a com
mualcetlon from a youth of thirteen yean of age,
ever the signature " O. N. P." upon the currency and
commercial matter, which I really clew, taking
the circumstance of the caee into coneideration.
We would encourage our young friend to go on to
take pain to improve himeelf, and he will be an orna
ment to society.
A. A. M. is iaadMWhle. We cannot, and will
Mt miun inn finlimiiM In llm bittemeai of r!igiou con-tiuvemy
Chawoeo Coinmr TAx-Tbere haa been no tax
tat the year 1846, received by the Treaaurer, from
Champosg county. How it thiaT Who is to blame,
and where to the honorable County Court of Champo
H o"tyT ,
Ksdcczd Prick or Flocju We underatand that
the price of flour haa been reduced to three dollar per
hcadred pounds, currency, or two and a half dollar
each, by the Hudson'Bay Company, and maybe
piTrhatnd at that rate, at the establishment of thia
Kmv The Willamette river to rtoing rapid-
.and there are strong indication of
for a freahet, and should
tly be leaa damage re-
i glad to ttate that all
arrived aafely in the
He, who have eoaelu-
property until 8priaf , ia the
'the Bottbenfride of the Umpqua
tiaeVnnedby some eT the' immigrant
rbe) have reached hare, that account of their eoaeV
tjsB have bees exaggerated; al they ascribe mach of
'their detention to their own mtomanagement and de
lay. Of sleety wagon, which were all that were
t-M tfcs southern route, fifty are thU aide of the
Usspqua mountains, including twelve that had reach
ed the fiat settlement at the head of the valey.
7 On our fourth page will be found a calendar of
the day, weeks and months of the present year,
which no doubt many of our subscriber will find ex
tremelr useful and worth the preservation. It to the
handiwork of oar publisher and redounds to his credit
" Hab Tons." There is muck tab; about the hard-
Bess of the) tons, and possibly with some foundation
'in fact; yet we incline to the opinion that many who
are croaking against the times, are a good deal harder
than the times themselves. They talk themselves
and others into the belief of the existence of imagina.
ry evito, rather than endeavor to improve the condi
tion of things by honest action ana xeaious laoor.
They are follower of that school of philosophy, whose
principle of fsith it was to "talk If It to only for the
sake of talking "," hence they are deserving of the
appellation, "all talk and no cider," the highest
award of their philosophy, whoss mystic meaning ws
will sot undertake to explain. Molehills can be mag
nified into mountains the difficult amounts to the im
possibleall through the potency of talk.
These croaker, and they are to be found in any
I every place, are continually on the croak, proph-
; utter rain, yet doing nought to prevent it fan-
-things and achieving nothing'. Labor is the
I wealth ; and particularly in this country,
else the spirit of industry and the
consistent economy ia certain surety
I poverty, and afford great encourage-
nulatiou of wealth. Though circum-
propitious, they shall be modifi-
and untiring perseverance; "iu
re perpetual despair." The dark-
til to that which precedes tho
Ufe the darkest, most cheer-
precursor of a most brill-
pr croak, but believe we
nee in work," and
i obeying the great
.heart or head,
ily trueno-
A NEWSPAPER FOR OREGON.
Since the origin of newspapers, in the sixteenth
century, there have beea few. or aeae ho have ques
tioned their utility, or for si moment doubted the lessor
tent influence they exeitiss upon the destinies of hu
man life. Tbey have wielded a power .that has prov
ed aasubduabls in behalf of the right ef man, that
arbitrary law could not suppress, nor the mightiaees
of king decltoy. They are of the people, and with
the people, and constitute the voice of the people.
The law of libel has been satiated with iU victim;
impoverishment, imprisonment, and death have been
the lot of too many who have stood up for this free
dom of thought and expression. Yet haa the power
of the periodical pros gradually increased and moved
steadily onward opening greater, better and more
comprehensive views to a more extensive sphere of
operation and utility. 4 l
Will. k .nfr-.nrh!mnt of the United StatesN
and beloved country, the press received a
'ul impulse new life sad vigor ; for the strength
at people was enlisted in it aid. And now
we fuM it exerting lis au-coniroung innueoce in eve
ry city of the Union ; even in isolated and wilderness-
bounded Oregon, it hath a power and a voice, feeble
it may be, yet, full of rich and gratifying promise.
In the king-ridden and nobility supporting old world,
the press to doing much towards ameliorating the con
dition of man. Under the very noses of imperious
potentates, and amid the gilded pomp and perfumed
vanities of courts and aristocracies, it to. tossing it
daily bulletin of the world' progress, and giving .forth
dim abadow of the grand ultimate.
In view then of the power of the press, and its im
portance as a guardian of popular right, to it not
worth while to have a newspaper in Oregon T One
would suppose not, from the meager support which
the Spectator has received during its existence. Let
us see. The great majority of the citixen of this
country are American, who, we presume, love the
the country that gave them birth, and would desire to
perpetuate ka iastitations. Ia the present condition of
things, and the peculiar situation of Oregon, a news
psper can do great good by the dissemination of in
formation upon various topics, aflbrdiag a kind of gene
ral education for the people, and as ignorance, to the
only fee that need be fsarsd by the lovers of free in
stitutieas, whatever may have a tendency to impart
knowledge to the popular mind, shoold be gladly
received and heartily encouraged. The " Spectator"
has endeavored to supply a want that has beea felt in
this respect, and what baa beea the result I Werai
candidly answer, not satisfactory. It was supposed
that American la Oregon weald take a pride ia sup
porting a papsr devoted to their interest, and we still
hope that their apparent indifference is occasioned only
by their not having bestowed sufficient consideration
upon the subject, aad'tSilthey will yet come up
as one maa to the maintenance oYa free press in Ore
gon. Indeed, we think that every friend of repubii
can institutions, and particularly Americans, in this
Tarritnrv. nnvht Ia ha aharrirutPi td th firvmn
Spectator." If proper encouragement were given it, it
could then be enlarged and published more frequently,
and consequently be of more efficient service in the
diffusion of useful knowledge. An excellent opportu
nity to bow aflbrded for subscriptions, as this U the
first number of the second volume, therefore we urge
all who are favorable to the advancement of intelli
rence, morality, science and civil liberty, to send in
their names as subscriber to the " Spectator."
For the Oregon Spectator.
Me. Eoitok Tho snow has at last made
its disappearance from the prairies, and
once more our animals hfrve the privilege
of grazing, although many have died, and
mora will in all probability not live to feed
upon the new year's crass. Hits extraordi-
nary winter haa changed the minds of many
with regard to Oregon : but let us consider
how careless we have been with our stock
not a tingle farmer that I know of has any
hay, oats, or even straw in store for his an
imals when thetrfoter sets in, and conse
quently we hafa Iooi some cattle. In Cham
poeg county, IiHrn that some' have lost up
wards of 20 head of cattle, and others some
thing under that number ; and throughout
tho Territory, more or less have lost cattle,
horses and hogs. From the best information
I have, it is tho old cows and horses that in
all probability would have died soon, with
tho best of weather and food.. The hogs
have been obliged Jo teak welter in the
woods, and th six or strati days of cold
weather which w kavs had, took away ma
ny of them. Bert lor the future, let ua save
our straw to throw out to our stock, in case
another winter like this should happen, and
then tlioro will bo no danger of our stock
perishing. Lot us not magnify Oregon too
much, and we have nothing to fear.
For tho Oregon Spectator.
SONG OF THE FREE.
BV O. I C.
The Free! the Free! asoag forths Free,
Va. n.. mm of these sires who creased the dark sea,
Who started the spirit of freedom abroad,
And raised mid the wilderness altars to God.
The Free! the Free! a soar for the Free !
Our hearts givs aa answer In wild jubilee ;
Th murmur la kreskins afar it ia heard.
Re-choed by mountains, and Uregons stirred
In greeting the tF-psngled banner unfurled,
Whose splendor k dauling the eye of the world.
That heart-worshipped banner waved high in the fight,
As those who were under it battled for right;
11a victory' banner it foernen went down
And see on it spearhead, the laurel-wreathed crown !
The Free ! the Free ! a song for the Free !
Oar hearts are exulting in psan to thee,
Thou biave bird of Freedom ! fit emblem thou art,
Our own mountain eagle ! to speak the free heart.
With a tireless wing, snd an unquailing eve,
Thou Mekesfthy sun-throne aloft in the sky ;
Our foes have been awed by thy terrible glance,
As thy talon have borne thenyhe olive and lance.
The Free ! the Free ! a song for tho Free !
For the lend ws love best Columbia for thee!
Where the heart, soul and mind are esfree as the air,
And man stands erect with the power to dare ;
Of the nation of earth, the most beautiful thou !
Thy roodnees and rreatnees the world shall allow,
And lbs wronged ef all nation thy power will bias,
For th fate of humanity' in thy success.
Then the Free ! the Free ! a song for ths Free !
For those who have strong hearts fair freedom, for thee !
From the shores of the East, to Pacificcalm wavs,
Let the pean go up for the Free and ths brave.
Smelling Boos. The Printing. Association's edi
tion of the " Elementary Spelling Book," was publish
ed according to announcement, on the first instant,
and may be obtained at any of the stores in this eity.
8titched copies, twenty -five cents, bound copies, thirty
seven and a half cents payment in cash.
Thia little volume reflects great credit upon it prin
ter, Mr. W. P. Hudson. Indeed, it is got up in good
ityle and strongly bound, and will be found really tr
tietMt in the cause for which it is intended.
For the Oregon Spectator.
ROAD TO OREGON No. 9.
From the Dalle, horse trails cross the
Cascade mountains on both sides of.Mount
Hood the northern route is the most direct,
but the southern is less difficult, and better
supplied with grass. Though these paths
run over very steep and rugged mountains,
i ....? ..in nA.. .i:a"...i. r jl- ..
U1U weie nun uruic uiukuii iiviii lira kic
quantity of fallen timber, and the thickness
of the undergrowth, yet emigrants arriving
before the snow was too deep on the moun-
tains, usually drqve their animals by one of
these trails in preference to twice crossing
tho Columbia river.
Toavoid the danger and heavy expense of
descending the Columbia by water, a party
of the emigrants of 1845, under the direc
tion of Samuel K. Barlow, undertook to open
a road for their wagons along the southern
trail.
They succeeded in penetrating the moun
tains to within a few miles of the main ridge,
but the increasing snow, and the scarcity of
pasturage and provisions forced them to leave
their wagons and hasten with their animals
to the valley. To encourage Mr. Barlow to
complete his road, as it would be of great
benefit to future emigrants, a considerable
sum was raised by subscription for hisjbene
fit, and tho privilege granted him by thVc
gislature to collect atoll of 95 on each wag.
on, and 10 cents a head for horses and cattle
that passed his road ; and to its completion
it is evident tho van of the emigrants of
1646, owe their early and less expensive ar
rival in the Willamette valley.
Some little improvements to Mr. Barlow's
road over the Cascade mountains will com
plete the northern route to Oregon, and no
material improvements upon the ground can
hereafter bo effected.
Some distance along tho wagon road from
the Malheur river to Oregon City, is by the
best judges allowed to bo about 600 miles.
As my limits do not permit a full description
of this part of the road, I shall merely point
out on the authority of Capt. Fremont, some
of the many natural and unavoidable ob
structionsand objections to this route. Pre
mising that Capt. Fremont, on this part of
the road trayeled in advance of his heavy
baggage, with pack animals, which enabled
him to travel over tho rougher parts of tho
road, in one day, a uistarjcowhich wagons
wcro several in accomplishlnc ; and as
Capt. Fremont is a known advdicsteJbr the
aettlcment of thia cowttnNhvjovcrland emi
grants, if oapable of departing from the Im
partial truth, (a charge which haa never
most distant manner been alleged
against him) would rather favor than dis
tiarago tho road. On the 12th Ootober, he
loft the Malheur river and traveled in part
a rough road S3 miles to tho first water.
Oct- 13th, ho says
" Wo ascended a long and somowhat steep
hill ; and crossing tho dividing ridge, camo
down into tho valley of Burnt rivor, which'
hero looks like aholoamong tho hills.
Wo traveled through a very mountainous
country ; tho stroam running rather in a
ravino than a valley, and tho road is decided
ly bad and dangerous for single wagons, fro
quently crossing tho stream whoro the water
in sometimes dcop; and all tho day the ani
mats wore fatigued in climbing up and de
scending a succession of steep axc-cnts to
avoid the precipitous hill sides; and the
common trail, which loads along the moun
tain side, at places where tho river strikes the
ha.to, is sometimes bad even for a horseman."
Oct. 14th. " 1 havo never seen a wagon
road equally bad in the same space, as this
of yesterday and to-day. I noticed where
one wagon had been overturned twice, in a
very short distance ; and it was surprising
to inc that those wagons which were in the
rear, and couldnot have had much assist,
ancc, got through at all."
By a reference to his table of distance, it
will be seen that these remarks apply to 42
miles of the road : and he further remarks
on the 15th October, that
' The trail did not much improve until we
had crowd the dividing ground between the
Brulo (Burnt) and Powder rivers."
Oct. 17th, he says" Probably with the
view of avoiding a circuit, the wagons had
directly descended into the Bond by tho face
of a hill, so very rocky and continuously sleep
as to be apparently impracticable.'
Oct. 16th. ' " At this place the emigrants
appeared to have hold some consultation as
to their further route, and finally turned di
rectly off to the left ; reaching the foot of
the mountain in about three miles, which
they ascended by a hill as steep and difficult
as that by which ice had yesterday descended
to the Kond. Quitting there this road, which,
after a very rough crossing, issues from the
mountains by the heads of the Umatilalt
river, we continued, Ate."
It is to be regretted that Capt. Ffemom
did not continue on the wagotrroaTlsWJII
the Blue mountains, as his faithful a;
in the
graphic descriptions would sivo to futu
emigrants a correct idea of "the very rough
crossing to the Umatillah river, together
with the number of days they are ascending
and descending hills of the worst description
in a heavily timbered region, without an ad
equate supply of grass lor thoir cattle.
After visiting Dr. Whitman's r. tat ion and
Fort Wallawalla, Capt. Fremont again comes
upon the wagon road (which reaches the Co
lumbia near the mouth of the Umatilah
river,) he describes the traveling along
the Columbia river, as being bad, "through
deep loose sand and fragments of volcanio
rock :" his first encampment below the
mouth of the Umatilah river, (Oct. 29th) he
describes as being " similar to that of yes.
terday, there was very little grass and wood."
Oct. .'list, he says, " Our road was a bad
one, of very loose deep sand." "We
made a late encampment on the rivor, and
used to-night pursha trideniata for firewood."
Nov. 2. " At noon, we crossed John
Day's river, a clear and beautiful stream
with a swift current and a bed of oiled
stones. It is sunk in a deep valley, which
is characteristic of all the streams in this
region ; and the hill we descended to reach
it, well deserves the name of mountain;
some of the emigrants had encamped on the
river, and others at the summit of the far
ther hill, the ascent of which had probably
cost their wagons a day's labor ; and other
again had halted for the night a few mile
beyond, wrjerc they had slept without water.
We also encamped in a grassy hollow with
out water."
Of tho dangerous ford of the DeChutes,
he says, " during the crossing, the howitzer
was occasionally several feet under water,
and a number of men appeared to bo more
often below than above."
(Pago 111,) "Our land journey found
hern (tho Dalles) its western .termination.
The dclav involved in eettintr. our camp t
tho rieht (north) bank of tho Columbia, a
in opening a road through the continuoi
forest to Vancouver, rendered a journe;
along tho river impracticable ; and on tb
aide, the usual road across tho mountain
rod strong aatresh animals, then ecfaf
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