“Gold dust was like dirt. Many believed it would never have any value. I have seen the Hudson’s Bay store at Oregon City take in a four-quart pan of dust in one day. They allowed $16 an ounce; but much of it was the fine Yuba and American River dust, worth $22 to $22.50 an ounce in London. “But it was not the men who went to the mines, so much as those that stayed on their farms and raised produce, that got the dust. “I remember when I was in San Francisco in ’49, I went into a French restaurant. I was sick, and only called for tea and toast and an egg. For the tea and toast I paid $1.25, and for the egg $2. The egg had come around the Horn, packed in salt, and was a chunk of salt. I could not eat it. “But prices for Oregon stuff did not hold out many years. Great shipments were made from the East. Habits of living among the farmers were not much changed. We always had enough to live on, both before and after the mines broke out.” Mr. Matthieu was well acquainted with Governor Abernethy, the first Governor of the Provisional Government, succeeding the executive committee. He describes Abernethy as “a fine looking man, of medium size; easy in manner and ways, and very light complexion.” He built the first brick store in Oregon City, with mud for mortar. In the great flood of ’62 it collapsed. He kept a large stock of goods, trading by three vessels with San Francisco. He was in partnership with Clark, and for a time with Robb, who invested his gold mine profits in the store. The mason who built the store was——McAdam, who also built the brick Catholic church at Saint Paul. Mr. Matthieu was also acquainted with Joseph Lane, the first Territorial Governor. He describes the old general as “a very nice man;” quick in his movements, military in manner and bearing; not tall, and “dry and thin,” and all nerves. AS TO TOWNS. The flat at Oregon City was still, when he first saw it, thickly covered with tall timber. Waller’s house stood near the present site of the woolen mills. The Hudson’s Bay store was on the edge of the lowest bluff, over the water, about where the warehouse now stands. Portland was nowhere—a dense forest and a tangled shore; but there was a grassy place among the trees near the mouth of the big gulch at the south part of town, where the boating parties up the river sometimes stopped to lunch or camp. Etienne Lucier’s old place was on the bluff, on the east side, and Johnson’s place on the hill at the south end, west side. Salem was just starting, the people at the old mission moving up to start the institute, etc. ------- I have examined the above manuscript of Mr. Lyman’s, and find it correct. Nobody can contradict that; it could not be written more correctly. F. X. MATTHIEU. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DOCUMENTS.