Native American Documents Project

M. to Editor, Weekly Corvallis Gazette (Corvallis, Oregon), 9 November 1877, 2, NADP Document D173.

[Page 2]

FROM ALSEA VALLEY.
–––

      ED. GAZETTE: As we live in the "backwoods" and there is seldom anything new occurring, you will not expect much from this "hole in the ground." The health of the valley is good, except the old man McCormack and his daughter – they have been in poor health for several weeks. No death in the valley for ten months. A friend informed me a few days since, that the health on the Alsea Bay was very good, and that the people were generally well prepared for the winter. About 25 of the Alsea Indians have returned from Salmon river, to their old homes on the Alsea Bay. They say they had nothing to eat at the reservation, and are very destitute at present.
      Elder Pruett, while visiting the valley, united M. K. Boatman and Miss Irena Wood in the holy banns of matrimony. The Elder's report of our loss in grain and flax was about correct, but he failed, signally, in describing the miserable condition of our road through the mountain.
      We have some fall wheat sown, but it commenced raining last night, and work with barrow and plow is indefinitely suspended.

[signed] M.
Alsea, Nov. 2, 1877.