From the St. Louis Republican

St. Louis, Nov. 23rd, 1845.

Sir: I received with pleasure your polite note of inquiry, regarding Oregon, from the consideration of the warm interest you have manifested in favor of that new, distant and interesting part of our wide domain, and am most happy to assure you, and through you, the good citizens of St. Louis and Missouri generally, who have said and done so much to advance our interests, that aside from some inconvenience for the want of a circulating medium, or the establishment of proper commercial regulations, our little colony of eight thousand, are going forward most vigorously and prosperously, and, so far as the accumulation of property is concerned, I know of no people so rapidly advancing as those who have planted themselves in the valley of the Willamette, nor do I know of any like population so uniformly pleased with the country of their adoption-none, sir, of the sober, industrious an intelligent part of our cheerful little colony, but are greatly pleased with Oregon, and its prospects, uniformly extolling the climate, soil, scenery, &c., &c. And, sir, of this you need not be surprised, as from a residence of nine years in that delightful valley, I assure you I know of no country possessing so mild, equable, salubrious and agreeable climate, nor a country of such varied and beautiful scenery, no one of such certainty or uniformity of all kinds of crops peculiar to such latitude, save Indian corn, which, though more certain from the uniformity of cool nights, does not in growth yield more than an average New England crop. Nor do I know of a country, every where possessing such purity of water, or considering its extent, more valuable water privileges. Of its natural and commercial advantages, I need not speak, as from its contiguity to the Sandwich Islands, China, Peru and all the western world, it will be seen at a glance that these are very great.

I do not deny that, at the first glance, a great portion of the eastern and interior of that territory appears of little worth, nor would otherwise say than that in the Willamette Valley, the garden of the world, possessing more strength and depth of soil, and less waste land than any country of like extent; that three months out of twelve, arising from the continuous rains, are disagreeable; but, sir, the time is coming, and rapidly advancing, when

domestic herds will take the place of immense herds of buffaloes and prove a rich source of revenue. Experiments at Fort Hall, Basea Wallawalla and other parts, demonstrate this clearly.

My time is up, more upon this and other subjects relating to Oregon very soon.

Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

ELIJAH WHITE.