Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/293

REMINISCENCES OF SEVENTY YEARS 285 than thirty days, it went up to $9.00 a barrel in jobbing lots. So I sold off about 300 barrels and stopped jobbing it. Pretty soon it went up to $12.00 and I sold enough at that price to take up my note and had 800 barrels left. In thirty days there was no mail from California except when the old brig Henry would get back. So along in the fall, she came up to Astoria and it might take her a month to reach Portland. At this point the manuscript of William Barlow ended. Heard my father say, "Some one of the younger generation can now take up the history of the Barlow family, as it is known either by actual observation or by hearsay to many who can tell it better than I can." In regard to the above flour transaction, I have heard my father say that he took the remaining number of barrels to San Francisco on the brig Henry and cleared on the flour transaction $6,000.00. HISTORY OF THE FIRST BUSHEL OF AMERICAN BLACK WALNUTS EVER BROUGHT TO OREGON. I came to Oregon in 1845 and supposed we would find similar nut-bearing trees to those found all over the Atlantic and Middle West States. But when I arrived here, I found there were no nut-bearing trees of any kind, except some small hazel nuts, which were, of a very different kind from those which grew wild in Indiana. So I made up my mind that I would send back, the first good opportunity, and have a bushel of black and white, walnuts sent out. In 1858, Mr. John Dement, a good friend of mine, was going back by way of the Isthmus and he said he would send me a bushel by Adams Express. But remarked that it would cost considerable. I said, "Never mind the cost. I want to get them here by Winter, so I can prepare them for planting the next Spring." He did just as I told him, but had to pay in advance to San Francisco for expressage. But he had plenty of money of his own, besides he had some Indian war claims to collect for me. These he did not collect till later on. However, he hurried