Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/333

Documents. 1 Hatter Shops 2 Ox Yoke Maker " 3 Extensive livery stables, 2 Hotels, the most extensive this side of St. Louis, 47 Blacksmith forges, with between some four and five hun- dred hands employed, directly and indirectly in the manufac- ture of wagons. I give merely the establishments in which the emigrants will feel interested. In the neighborhood of the town are four good steam mills doing an extensive business. Provision of every kind is low here owing to the large crop of last year. Wagons, mules, oxen, provisions, and all necessary outfit for emigrants can be obtained here at much less price than elsewhere when you add cost and carriage. I am enabled to state candidly the facts from the information gathered of dif- ferent emigrants in the last four years who had made their purchases before arriving at this point. This is the great starting point for all the westward bound, whether their destination be Santa Fe, Chihuahua, the Rocky Mountains, Oregon or California, and may justly be termed the "Great Emporium" of the West. Our farmers, merchants and merchanics are industrious in their zeal to vie with each other in furnishing at the lowest rate the best articles wanted by the emigrant or trader, and although like all other com- munities there are some who are guilty of dereliction from the path of rectitude, yet our community will compare with any in point of morals and probity. I see that you have given notice through your paper that an Oregon meeting will be held here on the first Monday in March next. I know it would be useless to recommend that meeting to pass a resolution that all emigrants while they sojourned with us should be treated kindly ; for the hospitality of our citizens is proverbial, but I would suggest that suitable persons be appointed to await upon all emigrants and give them information as to outfit even in the minutest particular before they launch out on the broad road to the Pacific.