[or-roots] Newpaper clipping from Benjamin Cleaver 1850

[Robert Gust]

Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review (Alton, Illinois), 26 July 1850, page 
1:

OREGON CITY, O.T., March 4, '50.

DEAR SIR:--I embrace a few leisure moments to give you some information of 
the "Western world." Many things have occurred, and many opportunities have 
offered since I last wrote to you, which are calculated to give me a 
knowledge of certain portions of Oregon and also of California.

Some time in last April, myself, one son, and two sons-in-law, were sized 
with the yellow or gold fever, the effect which carried us all off toward 
California. We took the land route with wagon and team, and traveled up the 
Willamette valley, over a fine farming country, for a distance of about 150 
miles. Here we ascend the Calapooia mountains, so called. These mountains 
are very fertile in many places, and are not of great elevation; having fine 
springs, good timber, &c. In one day's drive from the head of the Willamette 
valley, we reach the Umpqua valley. Here we see mounds of various sizes, 
covering from 10 acres to 500 acres of land. The valleys between those 
mounds are various widths; say from a quarter of a mile to ten miles wide. 
The soil is generally of excellent quality, and the valleys are especially 
fertile. These mounds are generally covered with a fine coat of grass, and 
various kinds of timber--some white and black oak, some pine, and a large 
species of laurel, &c.--some of which are three feet in diameter. The timber 
that grows on these mounds is generally of a short scrubby nature. There are 
also many fine springs bursting from the sides of these mounds. Much 
excellent timber is found in many parts of this valley, though in several 
places it is not convenient to the prairie.

I am not prepared at this moment to state the width of this valley of 
mounds, but I judge it to be about 59 miles. In about the centre of this 
valley, we cross the north fork of Umpqua and at the south side we cross the 
south fork of Umpqua. These forks are pretty much the same size--each of 
them about 125 paces wide. There are several families residing in this 
valley, and a ferry-boat is kept on the north Umpqua . . . After crossing 
the south Umpqua, we enter the Umpqua mountains, and pass through into what 
is called a "canyan." [sic] We enter this canyan at the mouth of a small 
river, and travel up this mountainbound stream, crossing it some 25 times, 
and lastly traveling in its bed a short distance, when we fall in upon the 
head of another small river leading south. Following this stream down a few 
miles, brings us into a handsome little valley. It is a hard day's drive 
through this canyan. From this little valley it is a hard day's drive over a 
hilly section of country to the Rogue river valley. Here we find some good 
little prairies, and for 20 or 30 miles up the river we occasionally find 
good little valleys. But here at once the valley becomes large--say some 30 
miles in width, and probably 40 in length. Some parts of this Rogue river 
valley are very fertile; but much of it is not good, having too much gravel 
in the soil, which injures a great many valleys in this Western world.

I should have stated, that, whilst we were traveling through the Umpqua and 
Rogue river valleys, we made it strictly our business to look for gold in 
every likely looking place. This gave us a chance also to examine other 
qualities of this country; and in our investigations we found considerable 
gold, both on the Umpqua and Rogue rivers. I should also state that, from 
the prospects of gold above mentioned, the people of Oregon are at this time 
all on tiptoe, and making great preparations to open those mines this 
spring. The climate of the Umpqua and Rogue river valleys is like that of 
the Willamette valley; being mild and pleasant, both in winter and summer.