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Washington Statesman
Walla Walla, Washington Territory
December 20, 1861
Vol. 1, No. 4
N. Northrop, R. B. Smith, R. R. Rees, Editors and Proprietors
p. 2, col. 2
Latest Mining Intelligence
Mr. I. V. Mossman, of Mossman & Miller's express, gives us the following intelligence from Salmon river:
Regarding the killing of James Harman by M. Bledsoe, Mr. Mossman has placed in our hands the proceedings of a meeting held by the citizens at the mouth of Slate creek, Dec. 8th, and also the evidence of witnesses taken upon the occasion, which in justice to the parties we withhold until after due examination of the case by the proper authorities. The difficulty arose at the card table the night before, and was renewed the next day; hard words passed between the parties, when Bledsoe drew a pistol and fired, the ball taking effect in Harman's forehead, and causing instant death. The citizens placed the offender in the hands of parties who are to bring him to this place for examination.
Mr. Mossman brought down thirty pounds of gold dust, and could have had much more if he had been able to bring it. From Slate creek to the diggings, the snow is on an average six inches deep, save on the summit of the mountain, where it is about six feet. There is no snow at the mouth of Slate creek, or foot of the mountains, but plenty of good grass for recruiting animals. From Robie's mill, near Col. Craig's, to the Camas prairie, there is some snow on the ground; the trail from this place to the foot of the mountain, with this exception, is dry and hard. In the diggings, the snow was about two feet deep. Some few miners were washing a little every day, but mining is generally obstructed by the snow and severe cold weather. All seemed satisfied with the prospects, and expressed confidence in the richness of the mines. At Florence city, provisions range from sixty cents to one dollar per lb., and according to present indications will soon be abundant. On the trip down, Mr. Mossman met about three hundred pack animals and two hundred or more men on their way to Salmon river.
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FROM FLORENCE CITY. — We extract the following from a letter written by Mr. J. W. Davis to a gentlemen in this city. Mr. Davis is well known here as a man of veracity and good judgment. He says:
The diggings are located on the divide between Clearwater and Salmon river, distance from Salmon river at the nearest point eight miles, and about thirty miles from Clearwater. I think the elevation is greater than that of Oro Fino. Most of the flats here are so very flat that one is obliged to hunt some time to see which way the water runs. I was in California in her palmiest days of mining — also in British Columbia, and lastly in Oro Fino — but these mines far excel them all. These diggings are from two to nine feet in depth, which is the deepest of which I have heard; and in many claims, where they cannot work more than four or five hours, they take out from nine to nineteen pounds per day with a small rocker. It is so cold that they are obliged to keep up large fires to thaw the ice out of their rockers. The gold is very fine; as to the quality, it seems rather inferior from the price it commands here. I think there is a great speculation made on this gold somewhere.
This country is not at all prospected as yet, as all came to late to do anything. But look out for next spring; you will hear of some big strikes.
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Some idea may be formed of the amount of business done in this city from the fact that between forth and fifty thousand dollars worth of goods have been sold to the Salmon river trade alone since Friday last. Of this amount, three houses alone have sold upwards of fifteen thousand dollars worth. All of these sales have been made for cash. Besides four large wagons, about one hundred and fifty pack animals, loaded with goods and provisions, have left for the mines during the week.
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Passengers who came up yesterday inform us that the late freshet extended to California, and that considerable damage was done there by high waters.
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p. 2, col. 3
The loss of property had been very considerable, and we much fear lives have been lost. The aggregate loss of property in this place cannot, we presume, fall short of $30,000. A dwelling home occupied by the ferryman, Mr. Priest, was washed away, and the flour room connected with the Crawford Mills, has been driven from its place, and is a total loss, besides much injury has doubtless occurred to the warehouses, still under water almost to their roofs. The amounts of wheat flour and apples, belonging to and in store with the different business companies, which will be totally or partially damaged may be given approximately, as follows:
Crawford Bros., 100 sacks of flour, 500 bushels wheat; D. Beach & Co., 2,800 boxes of apples, 9,000 bush. wheat; Foster & Co., 1,800 boxes apples, 12,000 bush. wheat; Ripperton & Fleischner, 7,200 bushels wheat; Altree, 2,000 bushels wheat.
Others have likewise been losers, in lumber, &c., but only to small amounts. On the Santiam river, we learn, the destruction has also been fearful, some families loosing nearly all they possessed — stock of nearly everything having been swept away by the irresistable flood. A saw mill, situated near this place, owned by Watson & Baldwin, is destroyed. A house which was standing just on the opposite side of the river from this place was carried away. Twenty-five head of sheep, belonging to the same person, were drowned on Sunday night. We understand that the bridge on the road to Corvallis is so much damaged as to be worthless in the future.
Such are some of the effects of the terrible high water and inundation in this immediate vicinity, and we can but dread to hear of the effects elsewhere.
FROM THE OREGON STATESMAN. — The bridge over the North Umpqua, at Winchester, is carried away.
Mrs. McGohen, an old lady sixty-three years of age, escaped with her daughter from their house near Lebanon, and took refuge on a tree, where they remained twenty-four hours. The old lady was provided with a side-saddle, fastened on a limb, as a seat.
The sawmills of Mr. T. A. Riggs and Mr. Ames, in Linn county, were destroyed; Key's flouring mill, near Lebanon, was not much injured.
At Corvallis, six persons are reported drowned, four of the children of Mr. Abel George, living on the island. The other two were men — names not learned.
Mr. Moore, of Orleans, lost his safe. The stage company lost a coach and one horse.
At Lancaster, all but two houses are reported gone, and those about to go.
We learn that the whole of the level country in the forks of the Willamette was flooded. The fences and stock are mostly destroyed. The houses were not generally washed away.
Mr. Maxwell, the ferryman, living below the forks, lost his house and most of his effects.
At Harrisburg, no houses were swept off, but considerable damage occured. The dam of the mill was destroyed. The water came out about half a mile in the prairie.
At Brownsville, the Calapooia came around the houses. The apron of the bridge was carried away, and two mills above there are destroyed.
At Eugene City, the water ran through town, but we have learned few particulars. The highest water in that neighborhood was on Sunday night. The water is said to have extended from the Willamette to Long Tom in great depth. No loss of live heard of above Corvallis.
The prairie at Mr. Ford's, below Salem, is a perfect scene of wreck. houses, furniture, clothing, and all descriptions of utensils, horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens, lumber and fencing, are piled in heaps and scattered everywhere. It will be fortunate if their decay does not breed pestilence.
FROM THE UPPER WILLAMETTE. — We copy the following from the Corvallis Union:
"The country between Irwin's Butte and Eugene City, a distance of thirty or forty miles, up and down the river, has been one vast ocean of water, except here and there where a knoll, a butte, or a patch of timber stood out of the water like an oasis in a desert. The Willamette, Long Tom, and Muddy (in Benton county) were commingled in one, and presented the appearance of a vast lake ten miles in width — extending far over into Linn county on the east, and clear back to the foot hills on the west. Several bridges in Benton county have been carried away; the fine new bridge across Mary's river at this place sharing in the general disaster. It was carried down the current on Monday with Mr. Dodge upon it, attempting to save it by effecting a landing below town; but he failed and was taken off by a party who went to his relief with a skiff. We have heard of farms between the Long Tom and the Willamette having been swept as clean of improvements as they were before a blow of an ax had been struck on them. The drowning of stock, the carrying away of improvements, the loss of wheat and pork in storehouses and in barns along the river's course, have been immense. Hundreds of sheep, hogs, and valuable horses have been lost. Dead stock are found everywhere south of this city jammed in among the drifts.
A Mr. Garner, a saloon keeper of this town, was dro3wned by the upsetting of a boat, while attempting to save others lives.
From Linn County we understand that Harrisburg and Brownsville have been under water. Eugene City was, we understand, partially covered, but we believe the damage to property was not great. Peoria, in Linn county, was high and dry above the water.
The Democrat says the loss of property at Albany was equal to $30,000.
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Letter from Portland.
PORTLAND, Dec. 15, 1861
MESSRS. EDITORS — Through the kindness of a friend, I have been able to get hold of a copy of your paper. How you came to miss sending me a copy directly, considering that it circulates so extensively about town, is more than I can imagine. However, I suppose you did not wish to be put in the list of "bummers" for newspapers, by adopting impertinent means for its circulation, and I will excuse you provided you place my name on your books and send the paper to my address hereafter. I like the appearance of the Statesman very much, and if its auspicious commencement is a fair criterion by which to correctly judge its future, I am satisfied you will be enabled to make a good paper — such an one as will be read with interest at least by all your subscribers at this place,. You may permit an old friend to express the hope, in common with that of many friends in this city, that you may meet with the best of success in the newspaper business. The people of your section will certainly stand by you, inasmuch as by contributing to your efforts to make a good paper, they will do something to benefit themselves also.We have had severe times here of late, and indeed have not been able as yet to estimate the extent of the damage done by the great flood. It is thought by the old residents that the water has never been so high before, and it is certain that it has never before been the cause of so great loss of property and life. From as high up the river as we have been able to learn anything, the facilities of communication having been cut off by the high water, the flood has done its devastating work. Towns, situated on the river side, the mills on the river and small streams, residences in too close proximity to the stream, or situated on low grounds, have been lifted irresistably from their foundations, and swept away by the swelling waters. Portland has suffered immense damages, but I suppose nothing in comparison to places situated higher up on the river. Most of the splendid wharves which had just been completed, and others in progress, will have to be rebuilt; and I fear it will require a long time to repair the damages done even here. I notice by the reports of a committee appointed to estimate the damage done to Oregon City, not including the loss caused by the removal of goods, etc., that the sum has been set down at $170,000, which is a very great loss to a town of that size, but I think the figures are not too high. You will no doubt get the full particulars through the papers, and I will not trespass by repeating them in detail. The losses sustained will be confined mostly to business firms, and will not affect the farmers materially, excepting those situated on the river. Just at the time of our seeming prosperity, an unforeseen cloud darkens the picture and temporarily suspends the hour of our general rejoicing. This will be nearly as great a hindrance to our progress as the non-payment of our war debt.
Aside from the engrossing topic of the flood, there is not much news in town. The water is falling, and we expect that the mails will soon be regular again. The first mail we have had for twelve days from the South, came down yesterday. The steamer Cortes is in, but brings no very important news.
Yours truly, P. B. S.
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