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TUESDAY. TUUKSDAY AND SATUHDAY
Monitor Building, Atorin, Oregon.
Si. C. ITJEIsAXJi proprietor
Sniascriptlon ICntcs:
Ono Copy one year. 5J M
Uno Copy ?ix month-? W)
One C)pv three month- 1 50
RS tingle X.imhcr, Ten Cents. "5tt
Ad v?r t is i n f? Itai cs :
One Insertion tersi"are, 10 lines or less...$2 50
Kach additional Insertion, per square 2 0M
Yearly udv'ts per month, per square- 1 o0
Agents-
L. V. Fisn::n, 20 and 21 New Merchants Ex
change, i,j a'ithori'od to act :is Agent for the
Astohkn in San Francisco.
Any friend who feels an interest in the pros
perity of this region, is authorised to act as
Agsnt for this paper, in procui nig subscriber..
GITT INTELLIGENCE.
I. W. Case received three tons of flour
from Wo-tpoit, on the lGth.
KIT For fresh Oysters, in every style, call nt
the Paukku JlorsK Kkstyueaxt.
The party at Port Stevens was highly
enjoyed by nil who attended it.
The 37th here was mild and spring
like, the J3th cold as blaze.-.
Monday next will he the anniversary
of the 350,000 lire in Portland.
Thirteen years ago to-dar South Caro
lina seceded horn the TJnioh.
Eben Parker started for Portland
with the letter mail at 10K a. m. Thurs
day. ttST Oysters in every style, at all hours of
day or night, at the Pauki.u I1els: Kkstau
uot, Main street, Astoria.
There are 50,G50 acres of agricultural
lands in this county, of an equalized
value of 239,751 CO.
Adams of Nchalem, reports a foot of
snow on that river, and from eight to
twelve feet on the route beyond, to Forest
Grove.
The Oriilamme reached St. Helens,
and discharged freight and passengers for 1
Portland, on the Ib'th. Pour days from
Astoria.
TA neat, clean, cosev place, for gentle
men and ladies to enjoy a dish of fresh Oysters
is ut tho 1aukj:k Iioitsk ji:sr.vui:.vNr.
In 1S70 Clatsop county cast 200 votes
for Slater and Wilson lor Congress in
1S72, 3S1 votes were ca-t for "Wilton and
Burnett, and last October 219 were cast for
Nesmith and Hi Smith.
The Yaruna's new propeller lost two
fans on the 16th. If they had Eugene
Spedden's patent hub, the cost would be
but a trifle compared to what it will be to
fix up the whole thing. It was sent to
Portland on the ISth.
Brick are imported to this county at a
cost of from 16 to 1S a thousand but
that business is about to be stopped by the
manufacture of the article at Astoria. As
good brick as can be made anywhere, can
be made here, for 8 a thousand,
Charley Dexter lias succeeded in put
ting up 2,000 pounds of superb fall salmon,
trout, etc, besides 150 gallons of duck oil,
at his Seaside fishery this fall. The duck
oil was all disposed of in Astoria, and the
iish are sent to California.
Oregon lias 257 miles of railroad with
in her boundaries but not a rail to the sea.
The very places for a railroad to pay, from
Astoria to the Wallamet valley, and up
the Columbia river to Walla "Walla, are
neglected for an offshoot to Puget Sound.
The Dixie Thomson left Portland on
the 8th inst., at 7 a. m. for Astoria u give
it up," went back, started again at 10 a.
ir. on the 17th, made it in 27 hours, arriv
ing here with the mail atl r. m. on the ISth.
After an hour at Astoria, started back
.again.
If the Spanish navigators did name
our lovely State, it was on account of its
marjoram (origanum), and the circum
stance does not entitle tha slaughterers of
the Virginius passengers, officers and crew
to any favorable comments from this
quarter. "We are with Lorraine this time.
Capt. Spedden of this city has thought
of a very simple device to save money on
propellers, by inventing a hub, to which
may be added a fan at pleasure, without
the.necessity of removing the hub. It at
once recomends itself to favor when seen
by practical za en.
isTOBiA, Oregon, Saturday Evening,
rurr.r.i 'i:" -'- ll!,:.i.1-' ' ' mJx.i .',;-.', vsjAaii;rr.:TwvYtt.jjaugrx
COajTJffTTTtflCATION OPEXED FROM
POStfri.AXiO, BY WAY OF
TheOccan Steamer four days Breaking ice.
SV. Helen Reached at Last Passen
gers and Cargo Transferred to
River Boats, Reach Portland.
Two "Weeks' ice Blockade bursted on
ly as far up as St. Helens.
Sea Vessels in the "VJaUoxnot Canssot
Get out Twenty Ships, and 800,
OOO Bushels of Wheat Detained
fovi-woweolis, still unable to move
One Large Yhcat Firm Suspended
Willi the Shipping Ships Coming
from, the Sea all the time, but un-
'able to get more than twenty-eight
miles above Astoria.
Large fleet at Astoria awaiting the
Opening of the River.
The Corvallis Gazette, advocating the
building of the Yaqunia railroad, com
plains of the Poitland capitalists and press
being opposed to every thing that docs
not enter their door, and truthfully says:
" "Whatever tends to build up the State, j
develop il resources and invito population,
will correspondingly beneiit Poitland and
other commercial centres. The best in-tere-ts.
of the State will suffer so long a
we have but one outlet to the ocean, and
that subject to periodical ice-blockades."
The harbor at Astoria has been open
thus far and was never known to be closed.
But of what use is it to the State if the in
terior cannot reach it. If the grain had
been pushed down the river and stored at
Astoria in anticipation of an ice-blockade
vessels could have loaded and proceeded to
sea without delay during during the past
two weeks of suspended navigation. But
the vessels loading at Portland caught by
the cold weather could not have gotten
away. Again, the "Wallamet will some
times be low so that vessels cannot bring
down the grain until late, as is the case this
year, there not being yet enough water in
the upper "Wallamet for free navigation.
During such seasons the grain connot be
brought down for storage except by rail to
Portland, and thence by boat to Astoria.
With a road from Astoria to Junction
city, through the west-side counties, the
grain could be run down to the seaboard
at any and all times. When there is suffi
cient water in the rivcr,and that not frozen,
mo.-t of the wheat near its banks will
doubtless be carried by boats. But there
are large quantities of grain raised at a
distance from the rivers, requiring a rail
road for its transportation. Preezes and
droutks will occasion great need of the
railroad. Several million bushels are now
stored in the upper counties awaiting rains
and thaws, which would have been to the
sea side before this, if the iron track had
been extended to this point Astoria, the
sea port of Oregon; accessible at all times
to vessels of the largest class.
The Cornelius paper estimates the sav
ing to the west-side counties, by a railroad
to Astoiia, at 360,000 per annum. To
this should be added the benefits accruing
to the whole State from such a road. Ore
gon has reached a commercial importance
that will not admit of one day of blockade
without great losses. There have been dif
ficulties, expenses, and delays, by reason
of shoals and low water, ever since har
vest, culminating in a freeze-up of two
weeks, which is not fully open yet. Dur
ing these two weeks a large fleet of vessels
have arrived in the river, but have been
unable to approach nearer their destination
or, for the want of telegraphic commu
nication, to even report themselves; and
several of these were to be at Portland by
a certain day, or forfeit their charters. Is
not the whole State of Oregon concerned
in a matter of such moment? Is this not
of sufficient importance to interest every
inhabitant of the State? Other ships were
at Astoria, lightering the cargo from Port
land which they were unable to bring down
the river with them. To go to sea only
partially loaded would be expensive to the
shipper, who must pay freight on cargo
noton'board; and to detain the vessel after
her "lay days" were up, would cost the
charter party one hundred dollars or more
for every day so detained. Vessels were
at Portland, also, partially loaded when
the freczebegan, and have since completed
but have not been able to get out. "Ves
sels loaded, at tho beginning of the freeze,
started down, got into the ice and have not
been heard from since. The ice still fills
the river from St. Helens to the mouth of
the Wallamet, so that ocean vessels can
not get to or from Portland. A slough,
branching off from the Wallamet river, a
few miles above its mouth, runs along the
hills emptying into the Columbia river, at
St. Helens, about thirty miles below Port
land. This slough being sheltered, does
not alwa3Ts closewhen the Columbia river,
between the mouth of the slough and the
mouth (proper) of the Wallamet, a dis
tance of about twenty miles, docs close;
but it is shallow, narrow, and crooked,
and only river boats can pass through it.
By way of this sheltered channel the last
mail got through, and the passengers and
cargo of the Oriilamme from San Prancis
co, being transferred to river boats, were
taken to Portland.
When two weeks' blockade will break
old firms, engaged in exporting giain as
the Portland papers intimate iias been
done, by this stoppage the injury is great.
The losses occasioned by not having thro'
communication with the soa port for the
past fortnight, have been enough to pay a
year's interest on the cost of extending the
road from Portland to Astoria. But the
present losses to individuals, andthe State,
do not make up all the damage done to
Oregon. It is known abroad that this
State has no reliable highway to tide wa
ter. That however much the farmers may
be blest with bountiful harvest?, they may
be cursed with impassable highways, and
the groaning bins become a burden. The
producer and the manufacturer alike, who
arc depending on exporting and import
ing, also aro likely to be cramped every
year, until a railroad is extended to the
seaboard. Strangers will consider these
disadvantages, and hesitate before invest
ing their capital and time in a State subject
to such embarrassments. jSow is the time
for Oregonians to move, and emphatically
" set some things right."
OYER T1EE SKMJXTALST STo.2.
2STe2iale3ii Valley, Oregon.
On the road to Nehalem, five miles from
Astoria, is the bridge at Moffit's. A mile
and a half more brings the south Walisky.
Pour miles further on is the Klaskanine.
Here are some good productive land and
some very hospitable people. Travelers
to Nehalem stay hero over night, and
start early the next morning. A short
ride of three miles brings you to the South
Klaskanine; in two more you cross the up
per part of Young's river. Pive miles
from that j'ou 1 each the base of Saddle
mountain. The woods are dense on each
side of the narrow path; you ride in single
file; it is August,and ripe berries are abun
dant on your right and left. You seize
the bushes with your gloved hand, break
them off, and eat the berries as 3'ou ride.
Pive miles from Saddle mountain is
tho Humbug river. Two and a half
miles more brings you to Alder creek.
There are several good farms on Alder
creek but not more than two or three
settlers. Two and a half miles more, and
you reach the Nehalem at Anderson's.
Anderson's farm is twenty-five miles from
the sea, the tillable land is five miles wide.
At this point, it narrows in to the river
and, except a few small, scattered, inacces
sible places, there is no fertile land below;
but the roughest, most discouraging
countiy that ever c3tc ranged over. But
here, and above, are several good farms,
and room for more. Eight miles above,
at the Pish Hawk, the bottom land is not
more than a mile wide. Higher up the I
Pish Hawk, there is excellent bench land
and considerable bottom land. The same
may be said of the iNorfh and the South
Pish Hawk, Crow creek, Kline creek,
Rock creek, and Big Rock creek, all
tributaries of the Nehalem. On Aloore's
creek are foundprairies, live miles wide,
covered with wild rye nine feet long. The
land on the iN'ehaleui is very preductive:
five tons of hay to the acre, good Indian
corn, excellent and large crops of potatoes,
cabbages weighing sixty pounds, and
beets eighteen, tobacco-leaves, eighteen
inches wide, three foet long, of pleasant
flavor none of the disagreeable aroma of
California tobacco. Wheat, oats, barley,
rye, buckwheat, peas, onions, carrots,
andparsnipsj are produced in abundance,
and of unsurpassed excellence. The
woods supply black berries, also elder,
red and blue whortle, salmon, sallal, arid
goose berries, in abundance. Hazel nuts
in endless profusion. The iSehalem and
j its tributaries have untold numbers of
Dec. 20, 1873.
i-.ujiiL'uiyjTtB!
mountain, and salmon trout. Tho peo
ple catch them and put up a barrel or two
for each family thoy also dry consider
able numbers. The game consists mostly
of elk, deer, pheasants, bear and quails.
The hunters hardly ever fail to get a deer
or an elk in less than a day's hunt.
On the bottom lands, the timber is mostly
alder, ash, hazel, cherry, vine-maple,
crab-apple ; on the high lands, white and
yellow jTew, cedar, dog-wood and yellow
wood. There is, besides, a beautiful tree
which grows almost as large as the fir it
is found in groves, is free from low branch
es, and has a fine top. The settlers
call it larch, but one of the best naturalists
in the State Prof. Collier does not so
consider it. Specimens of silver and cop
per quartz are to be found at almcst every
house, but nobody has made it profitable
to mine. Coal was found near the mouth
of the .Nehalem, and worked for a short
time, but the cost of transportation made
the project fail. But every Summer finds
two or three men going through the
mountains, in hopes of finding gold
or silver in paying quantities. The hope
is not altogether a baseless vision, and if
it be ever realized the fools and the wise
ones will change places. "
There are twenty-six houses in the valley.
Most of them are log houses ; but some
arc frame. There are some good
frame barns in the valley. There is no
saw mill in the valley; hut, two men, in a
dajT, can saw out two hundred feet of nice
lumber. Groceties, flour, clothes, farming
and household utensils, have to be packed
in on the banks of horses and mules. The
settlers raise most all they need. They dress
more for comfort than for show. As a
matter of course, blue woolen shirts are
more common thati polished white ones.
Calico is the height of fashion , ,
Alost of the settlers have plenty of beef
and pork and elk meat. In the Pall each
rancher secures an elk or two for Winter
supplies. The distance from market
makes the largest crops useless, unless the
farmer has hogs, horses and cattle enough
to consume it. Last year men threw away
hundreds of bushels of potatoes. Oats and
wheat, and barley, and rye. are useless.
There is no temptation to raise more so long
as it is plain that there is already more
than is needed. One advantage has been
overleoked: the valley seems well adapted
to fruit ; and the few apple and cherry
trees that have been set out are very healthy
looking. There has not been much effort
made to raise apples, cherries, plums pears
etc. The trouble of getting tress into the
valley; the improbability of getting mon
ey without a market for what is produced,
and the necessity of supplying immediate
wants; aro good reasons why none have
large orchards, and most have none at all.
The climate is healthy, in Winter it is a
little colder than at Astoria, in Summer a
little warmer. This, perhaps, accounts
for 3Ir. Anderson's success in laising Indi
an corn.
The great drawback of the valley is want
of communication. A civilized man does
not like to live where he cannot get a letter
or paper more than twice or three times a
month, or once in two or three months, as
the case may be. Tuulah.
A handsome pair of Australian birds
have been secured by Charles S. Wright
from the Tongoy.
Excklli:nt Those Sugar Cured Hams, and
that Fresh ItolL Butter, Fresh Buckwheat,
(this year's crop), Corn Meal, Cracked Wheat,
iioininy, etc., at Cask's. liltf
Married. At the house of Judge
Coffinbury, on Clatsop plains, Dec. 14th,
1873, by Rev. W. J. Franklin, Thomas B.
Bridwell, and Miss Sarah J. Coffinbury;
all of Clatsop county Oregon.
Teacher Wanted, 'A. Teacher,
Male or Female, to teach in the District
School, in District No. 3, Clatsop plains,
Clatsop county, Oregon. Commuuicato
to the undersigned.
J.A.PACKARD,
d5 2v Skipanon, Oregon.
School Rooks. I have latelyre
ceived all the different kinds of New School
Books required to be used in this State, that
can now be found in San Francisco. Also,
Slate pencils, Blotting pads, a good as
sortment of Stationery, Drawing paper,
CARD BOARD, Perforated board, Ink,
(Carmine, Purple and Black). Likewise a
new stock of Crockery, Clocks and a large
assortment of Lamp Chimneys, all of
which will be sold cheap for cash.
I. W. CASE,
oltf Chenumus st, Astoria, .
No. 20.
NEWSY ITTEUig.
Gail Hamilton has had her life insured
for 25,000.
Brigham Young expects to marry acain
Christnias-ove.
Refined kerosene is offered at ten cents
per gallon at Oil City, Pa.
A church at Mt. Carmel, Illiniois, has
been rented for a butcher shop.
The basement of a church at Dixon,
Kentucky, is used as a pig pen.
Tho most foolish thing a fool can do is to
marry a highly-gifted woman.
Half the women that appear on thestreets
of Nashville, and probably at Memphis
also, arc dressed in mourning.
Canal boats were towed from Albany
to New York City for 2 a piece. There
was an opposition war on the Hudson.
Constantino Corti, the celebrated Ital
ian sculptor, is dead. A colossal statue of
Lucifer was one of his most admired works.
A man at Dallas, Texas, succeeded in
getting a whole apple in his mouth, but it.
had to be cut to pieces before it could bo
got out.
A Virginia City, Montana, lunch-Gend
has bet 150 that he can eat 1,000 eggs in
1,000 hours. He is at it now in one of the
restaurants of that place.
A Louisville gallant sat up with his gal
until three o'clock in the morning, and the
father swore out a wan ant for trespass and
had him fined 20.
Captain Jacks widows have shaken off
their mourning, and now stand out array
ed in 'sixteen yards of red and orange flan
nel and No. nine cavalry boots.
Tho authorities at Sing Sing, finding
that the lightning rods on the prison con
vey more prisoners than lightning to the
ground, have decided to remove them.
"Our fellow townman, John Knox,
went galloping out of Centerville on a palo
howe last night," is tho gist of a feeling
obituary notice in a Louisiana paper.
Alphonso used to call his adorable An
gelina his turtle dove. He now drops tho
" dove" and calls her " turtle" "becauso
she wears such a huge shell on her belt.
There are six saving banks in Lowell.
Their aggregate deposits amount to ten
millions of dollars of which at least three
quarters are owned by the operatives.
Mr. Davis, of California, found a box
containing 40,000 in gold, and he became
so excited over it that he dropped dead.
People should beware how they find 40,
000. Mrs. Ellen Tupper, who is called the
Beo Queen of Iowa, is considered the best
living authority on ever3'thing relating to
breeding and hiving bees, their habits and
diseases.
A Western editor met a well-educated
farmer recently and informed him that
he would like to havo something fiom his
pen. The farmer sent him a pig, and
charged him 9.75 for it.
The other day a young Pittsburg bride
was presented with a policy of msii-anco
on her husband's life for 20,000. A terri
ble temptation to a girl with a taint of
emotional insanity.
Dio Lewis denies the statement attribut
ed to him that beans were good for the
complexion. He says he would not eat
beans if he was black as a black cat, or a
yellow as a sunflower.
The Boston Post, noticing the fact that
10,000 cubic yards of obstructions had been
removed at " Hell Gate, near New York,--
says " They will get it open pretfy soon,
so they can get in !"
A.new way of preserving autumn leaves
is to iron them with a warm (not hot) iron,,
on which some spermaceti has been lightly
rubbed. This preserves all the tints to
perfection.
About two million more of the ordinary,
postage stamps were issued to postmasters
during the month of October, than during
any previous month in the history of tho
postoffice department.
Gerritt Smith has published a letter in
which he takes strong ground! against
granting State or Government aid to publ 'o
schools. He urges that the school be leit,
like the church, in the hands-of the people.
The Nestors of the press may just take
off" their hats to Mrs. Sarah J. llale, tho,
editor of " Godey's Lady's Book," who i
eighty-five years old, and is still vigorous
in bodv and mind. She has been a widow
since 1S22.
Deserters are said to be returning to tho
Newport, Ky., banaeks at the rate of four
per day, taking advantage of the pardon
held out by the President io his proclama
tion to all who return by the first of Janu
ary. A clergyman in Dundee, Scotland ha
announced to his congregation that in
consequence of his inability to afford coal
for his study fire,he has discontinue! study
ing and will preach his old sermons until
coal can be procured.
We are sorry to part with Capt. Clark
Crandall, from the field of journalism in
Oregon A man with so ready a pen,
clear ideas, and jovial view of thought on
most topics U rarely found, and ws shall
hops to see him, ngain in some sanctum
soon, where his abilities will b properly
appreciated. If this field was only larcro
enough for two, we should speedily offer
Capt. C.andall a beat here, i-iAstor.a,
with us.
v n.
u. 5r