172 PETER H. BURNETT. I said to her : ' ' Madam, that makes no difference. On a trip like that some one must be abused, and it is well to be some one who is not present. ' ' I made it a rule never to become irritated, and never to enter into any heated discussion with them in reference to the country or the journey to it. My usual plan was to listen kindly to their complaints. They often declared that the country was so poor they would return to their former homes. In such cases I would good humoredly reply that "misery loved company; that we found ourselves in a bad fix, and wanted our friends to come here to comfort us; that, as to their going back, it was out of the question ; that, if the coun- try was as poor as they supposed, they would never be able to get back; and, if it was not so bad as they believed, they would not wish to return; and that, anyhow, we had them just where we wanted them to be, and they had better make up their minds to stand it." At any public gathering it was easy to distinguish the new from the old settlers. They were lank, lean, hungry, and tough ; We were ruddy, ragged, and rough. They were dressed in broadcloth, and wore linen-bosomed shirts and black cravats, while we wore very coarse, patched clothes; for the art of patching was understood to perfec- tion in Oregon. But, while they dressed better than we did, we fed better than they. Of the two, we were rather the more independent. They wanted our provisions, while we wanted their materials for clothing. They, seeing our rag- ged condition, concluded that if they parted with their jeans, satinets, cottons, and calicoes, they would soon be as destitute MS we were; and therefore they desired to purchase our pro- visions on credit, and keep their materials for future use. This plan did not suit us precisely. We reasoned in this way, that if they wished to place themselves in our ruddy condi- tion, they should incur the risk of passing into our ragged state they should take the good and bad together. We therefore insisted upon an exchange. After much grumbling
