tended to give it as it appeared to me at the time of writing, and the winter season I intended to make it appear full as bad as it was, so that if you should ever come here and then be dissatisfied, that you could not say that I did not tell you how bad it was. But this last winter was an exception, for the oldest setlers said then, and they say now that it was the hardest winter that they ever knew. In fact, I know if they were common, the people would prepare for them better than they do. I do not know of but two cellars in the teritory which shows very well that garden sauce is preserved without being shut up in an air tight cellar. Cabbages stood out in the gardens all winter without being hurt, for I pulled them in Feb. The ground did not freeze an inch deep, and potatoes that were not gathered last fall in my garden have come up all over it. But to take the whole time since the snow went off, and became some what settled, it has been far more pleasant than I expected to find it, so much so, that we have been perfectly delighted with it. We have set with the doors open amost all day through the month of March, and of course have since that time. The wind has never blown so as to bother us at any time for I do believe that if you could put all the wind that we have had since we have been here together and sent it a whizzing off in one gust, it would not compare with one of your N. W. blows. In fact, all the wind we have is just a gentle breeze and that we have a most every day, consequently we have no dust blowing about in our eyes and mouth and in every part of the house. The Oregon mud is not like Illinois mud, at least, it did not bother us or trouble us any last winter. To tell you the truth about Oregon, so far as we are concerned I would not, nor do I know of any one of the family that would go back to Illinois and live for the best fortune in the state. I am far better satisfied than I expected to be when we left Princeton. And if I can get well, an have the prospect that I had before I got hurt, I can make more money here in six months than I could make in Illinois in two years. The reasons why I have earned so little since we have been here are,—when we come here it was found out that I was a tailor so they wanted me to work, the merchant in town said he was to have a lot of goods on from San Francisco and that he would give me a job to make it up, so I held on & have done
