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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (July 17, 1885)
1 17 C- r' r via 6 ft h i 4 r 1 VOL. XVII. jorri$0nikni:$. r THE RECOLLECTIONS AMD IMPRESSIONS OF A YOUNG OREQOH FIONEER, NO. .XI. Cditor Willamotto Farmer : I mentioned in my,, last tho fnet (learned inoro than n your nftcr getting to Oregon) of Clmtnbor's Fdinburg Journal for Scptombor, 1811, calling tho attention of tho British publio to tho imporitivo necessity of n Bclf-dirccting, self-reliant class of emigrants from Britain, if Oregon was to bo saved to that nation. , Hut thia was too Into by moro tbnn ton years, as tho Oregoninn, published at Boston, Mass., in 1833-4, hail sounded tho sumo kind of a call on tho Eastern sea-board of tho United States, and Sen ator Bonton and others had been doing tho stimo thing b'iuco 1810. It was in largo part owing to these Hcparnto in iluoncos that in 1813-1 men from Maino, Massachusetts and Now York, liko Petty grove, Brooks, Holderncss, Holdcn, Hub bartl, Kllbourui Parrish, Smith, Gale, Woods, Couch, 'dishing nnd Wilson met in tho valloy of tho Oregon tho Applegntcs, Burnetts, Gilliams, Fords, Looneys and Waldos, supported and as sisted by men liko Olark, Crockott, Rcosc, Ncimitli, Owens and others. Tho occupation of Oregon, or so much of it as was occupied prior to tho settle ment of tho boundary question, was not a mcro accident, Tho men so gath ered hero from widoly ecpnrato portions of a common country, impelled by di verso viowa perhiipr, imd mostly somo previous knowledge of Oregon and tliu question of its povdblo destiny. And tho men who won in that grand racofor empire did so because thoy wero moro free from tho forms, special privileges and prerogatives of tho oldor govern mental powevn used for such purposos by Britain. Nor was it un accident which brought Commodore Wilko into tho Columbia river at tho timo f his arrival. That expedition was the result of tho long continued and eloquent appeals to tho U. S. Congress to do something becom ing to its public spirit towards donning and placing upon charts in aid of navi gation tho numorous islands and shoro lines of tho Pud fie Ocean (thou littlo known). Nor wa9 it an accident that a fow yoars later nnothor raco for empire was won when Commodore- Sloat of tho Amoricnn navy, upon information quiol ly received, sailed out of tho harbor of Mazatlan, leaving Commodore Seymour of tho British navy at anchor there, and starting out as though bound for tho Sandwich Islands. Ho suddenly tacked when out of sight of tho British fleet, and stood for tho California coast; ar riving thoro in timo to place tho Ameri can Hag over tho town of Monterey thus supporting Capt. Fremont, who, liko himself, was successfully extending tho dominion of the flog of his country, without tho formal orders of his govern ment, but simply in tho spirit and un der tho responsibility of American citi zenship. This spirit of citizenship, as I havo indicated, was now pushing its way up both sides of tho Willamette, had already began to speculate on tho growth of commercial towns on the Willometto and near tho mouth of tho Columbia as two or three points both on theso rivers and near tho ocean had already been looked at for such pur poses. Tho writer feeling himself still under obligations to Captain Morrison did not think his duty done till tho lat ter was sottled, and as ho now returned from Clatsop Plains below Astoria having leased tho milch cows and farm of Solomon Smith, who had como to Oregon in tho employ of Nathaniel Wyetb, we started immediately from Linton in a large Chinook canoo to tuko SALEM, tho Morrison family and their offects tho last hundred miles of their journey from thoir homo in Andrew county, Mo., to theiAiow location, washed by tho waves oftho Pacific as tho westorn boundary j)f their claim. It will bo un dcrstoodthnt this was over six years be fore stoaniboats wore seen on tho Colum bia river and when tho beautiful and graceful canoo used by tho Indians of this northwest coast was by far tho most commonly used craft. Capt. Mor rison, his wife and six children, K. V. Kvcrman and myself (with tho bedding, household effects, etc, brought across tho plains) mado n leisurely passage down. A. M. McCusic was also of tho party. Nin, as wo called Kvormnn for short, was already well up in tho uso of tho Chinook jargon and had also picked up a great deal of information relativo to tho Indians. Tho first landing wo mado after leaving Linton was on tho north sido of Sauvies' Island, two or threo miles bolow tho uppor mouth of tho Willamotto. Tho ploco scorned and up to a fow years previously I sub Boquontly learned had been a popu lous village Bite, there was at that timo no dwellings standing. It was in fact tho last habitation of tho unco powerful Multuomahs; and back from tho river a short distanco was a burial place, larger than any I havo over seen or heard of in connection with Indian lifo with tho exception of tho burial place then known as Mount Collin, below tho mouth of tho Cowlitz, on tho north sido of tho Columbia. But a fow months previous to tho timo of which I write during tho last days of tho vory dry season of 181!) a firo had spread from tho shore of tho river to tho canoes in which the Indian dead were placed on tho steep conical hill, and to tho horrid cation of tho living Indians, hundreds of memalooso canoes (canotw of the dead) wcic consumod almost in a (lash, overything being dry as tinder. For years nftoiwnrd tho Indians would not willingly go on shoro there. This city of the dead on Sauvics Island was a dif ferent a flair. Canoes wore not used, but largo slabs of split cedar were set in tho ground upright, nnd into them tho ends of similar slabs or planks were secured by a groove cut across tho in sido of tho upright pieces and fastened in their position by ropes, mado from tho inner bnrk of tho cedar, passed through holes in both tho upright and horizontal planks. On tho latter tho dead wero laid enraptod in cedar bark with Mich an amount of caro and labor as proved that tho burial of tho do.ul re ceived a great deal of attoution from tho Indians who had lived thcro. Tho cem etery was laid off in narrow streets about parallel with tho courso of tho river, east and west. Somo of tho verti cal planks had as many as three tier of dead, but mnny of them only ono. Somo of them wero or had been covered with cedar bark. From tho many usos tho Lower Columbia Indians mado of thorn at this timo the cedar trco and its bark must havo filled many uses to tho In dians before tho trade of tho whito man reached thorn, for as lato as 1811 it was used considerably for clothing and mats us well as ropes and net making. Of tho two kinds of material used for woman's wearing, still very common in 1811, ono was native or wild llax and the other tho inner bark of tho cedar. Tho garment mado of them may be called a petticoat. It was simply a broad, strong belt, fastened round tho waist, to which was fastened a mass of strings or cords thicker Bomewhat than netting-twino and of a length to reach to about tho knees, and when worn, not unlike tho kilts of tho Scotch Highland costume. I saw an old woman, tho mother of tho chief man of the Catha lamots, havo on a robo of badger skins once. It was a lino garment and gavo her a stately appearance. Tho llax gar ment of their mako was tho best and tho least common, tho material being tin -- OREGON, FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1885. articlo of trade botweon tho Indians of tho coast or lower river awl thoso cast of tho Cascades. Tho former, I presume, giving salmon in oxchango for it. It was of courso also better for seines and I havo seen nets of native flax, tho lines and floats of which wore of cedar bark and wood. On our war down on this trip wo pnsscd ono night at Hunt'H Mill. This was tho lin-t lumbering en terprise startod on J tho Columbia. Henry Harrison Hunt, of Indiana, Bcnj. Wood of Now York-, and A. 1!. Wilson of Massachusetts, wero tho Hint owners j joined subsequently by Junes Birnie, a retired 11. B. Co. man, who Bottled at Cathlnnict, I worked nt tho mill at in tervals in 18 15-0-7. It wiw a good day's work to cut 3,000 feet of lumber, and tho logs wero cut and rolled into tho mill yard by men only for moro than a year.. When gold was discovored in California, over 100,000 foot of lumber was on hand which suddenly roso in valuo from ?12 to S100 per M. Tho proceeds of thot lumber was invested in tho steamer Columbia, ami sho was tho first steamor brought into tho Columbia river. Wo also stopped at tho block houre of A. 13. Wilson, who had taken tho claim known as Upper Astoria;. I. M. Shivcly claiming next below him, nnd Col. John M. Cluro next below that, Tho O'Brion brothorH had located claims for a town on tho wost side of tho en trance to Young's Bay. homo 1 miles cast of tho present filto jf Fort Slovens. Tho plains was then "ijfuhod.by tho present route acioss Young's Boy anil up tho Skipnnon to whoro a half fin ished block homo had commenced tho town of Lexington, since becomo tho "Lunding." Clatsop Plains was then nearly all taken up, Solomon Smith and Tibbits ropiorcnting tho pioneer hottlori1. Both had come with Captain Wycth, and both had married Indian wives. Smith's wifo was a widow ot tho timo ho married, I mi first husband being n Canadian. Sho was "tyco chief' of a branch of tho Clatsop tribe, and a elavo ownor. Amongst hor property of that kind was a flat-headed- dwarf, who was gonorally called upon to perform a fccrics of songs nnd war dances for tho enter tainment of visitors. Smith himself was an intelligent man, and was tho first school teacher at Fort Vancouver, and, consequently, the first on tho northwost coast. Ho was living Hurrounucu uy a rough plenty, and I think likely a pic ture of his establishment would give a fair sample of F.uropcun lifo during what is called tho Dark Ages, and a littlo of tho lifo of tho "Dark Continent" thrown in. What would tho reader think of two families inhabiting (ono at either end) a treble log house, built without nails or iron in any form. In ono end is a family of tho pure whito raco; in tho other is ono half and half, and tho middlo is occupied by Indian slaves and tho poor relatives, or tillicum (peoplo), of tho slave owner. In a cor ner of this room is a section of a treo about four feet long and nearly threo feet in diamotor, with a holo burnt down into tho end of it in ordor to form a largo woodon mortar. Tho postlo to uso in this is a section of a smaller treo attached to a spring pole. Now imagino ono or two stalwart Indians standing on the edgo of that mortar and working that pcstlo up and down and you havo tho best substituto for a grist mill thcro was within 100 miles of Astoria in 1811. I am not going to test tho reader's at tention by telling how tho Indians who furnished tho power to work tho mill wero dressed ; ho or slm may lot tho imagination havo perfect liberty as to that. The amount of clothing, had it fallen into tho hopper, would not havo stopped tho grinding. On tho floor might froquently bo seen as many as n doon Indians wjuatted around largo pans of milk. Returning to Hunt's Mill about tho middlo of January, 18 IS, I worked there till about tho fiit of March when W. II. Itcese, who had been down to Clatsop Plains, brought up with him a. small understriking rillo and a flvo dollar pieco in gold, with the word that cither ho or I was to go up to Tho Dalles and bring tho cnttlo from thoro to tho mouth of tho Washougal. As tho reader may bo interested in tho cost of trnvol and living in thoso days, I will givo what I remember of this trip. I dnu't recollect what it cost mo to get to Vancouver from Hunt's Mill, somo sixty miles. I do remember gelling to tho Fort in tho early morning, a littlo before tho gates wero opened. A group of men wero engaged in pistol practice, amongst whom, 1 think, wore Mr. Gra ham, a clerk, and Mr. Boborts, who I think had oversight of tho cattle, and David Mclaughlin. Tho latter camo to nit tho others going insido as tho gales wore opened and began a con versation alnrnt Alderman, who wuh making an attempt to jump Dr. Mc Loughlin's claim at Oregon City at that timo. I did not tnko any stock in Al derman's courso and did not lcnw of anv American settler who did, and so told David McLoughliu at tho timo ; ho soon loft mc, but not with tho opinion that tho pistol practico was a prepara tion for war with Alderman, if to give mo that was David's design in speaking of him. Letter Inn the Bound. WooiKXVii.u:,W.T., Juno 22, 1885, Kditor WilUmetto Farmer: I.liko to load your paper; it is a wor- thyoho. 1 liko to road of tho success and management of your orchard. It is Hear ing pudding timo and I would liko to ask for information, that if tho growth of coedling apples, cherries, pears, loaches and plums are all vigorous and similarly alike if tho proper budding season of each are at samo time. I bud apples well, and was a good success, but at samo timo inserted cherry buds in sc'dling cherries and in liko good condition, and all failed ; it is something I do not un derstand. Please givo us a good articlo on bud ding of different varieties, and oblige, C. W. ICsrAiiiionk. Immigration is rattling in fast and of a nice selection i people, ami many more of everybody friends are antici pating coming. Your advico to mo to got east of Seat tle, and somo streams running into Lnko Washington as near hh I could, 1 fol lowed, and shall over be grateful; it suits better ai I got moro acquainted. Wo are near enough civilization to attend Halt bath school each Sabbath and havo preaching nnco a mouth ; it is handy to school, and postoflico ono and a half miles away. 0. W. 13. From tho Orange Droves of California. A friend and old Orcgonian, who is now settled near Is Angeles, Culifoi nin, wiites on Juno 20th, and though not intended for publication, still thcro mo ideas and conclusions that havo interest. "If peoplo could only live on climato California would lo tho Utopia of tho most extravagant dreamer, but alas, Alack, men and women havo to earn thoir bread and butter horo as elsewhere, and I think five dollars ran lio moro easily mado i airing cattle in Fastem Oregon than ono dollar in fruit raising hero. It takes a fortuno, almost, to mako a Ijcgiwiing, and thou poojilo must wait so long for returns, especially in tho citrous fruits. Docidioiu fruit roHpond somewhat quicker. Many Mart out with high hopes, go on for a while, got dis couraged, cull out and go elsewhere. Cal'fornia peoplo uro migratory fiom one end of tho State to tho other. Of courso thcro are exceptions which compriso largely of tho pioneers and who are iden tified with its groat nnd grand improve ment!1. You see "For Sale" posted on many pretty nomes, itotn in ortueru and Southern California, posted on the front gatoor un tho trunk of some shade trco. Tho monotony of tho climato proves irksomo to these reared in tho Fast, and are accustomed to tho sharp extremes of NO. 23 Now England winters and summors. Timo passes so slowly hero. Why, had I always lived hero I should now bo ono hundred years old. Tho past winter wan very dry ; no rain foil between Christ mas and the last of March ; tho mercury went up somo days to DO degrees. Tho weather for tho last three mouths has been charming, ripo poaches, blackber ries and raspberries arc in market. Oranges nro very abundant, selling from wagoim at 15 to 85 cents per 100, as per quality; lemons onn cent each. Grasshoppers aro appearing; thoy mako havoc with overything that grows, they eat tho leaves and fruit, then girdlo tho trunks and limbs, all over tho State, and threaten a Kansas plague ; Some cover orange trees with mmquito bars. Babbits aro troublesome) and havo to bo fenced out. Gophers porfointu tho ground and often kill trees. Wo had three largo orango trees destroyed by them. Cayotos catch chickens in day time and como into tho chicken house at night if not woll closed. This is in the ouskirts of tho settlement, I never saw trees grow as rapidly as horo; our apricots, two years old, havo great spreading tops, and prunes also. Tho eucalyptus along tho main avoiiuo of the town of Ontario nro twenty feet high and only two years old. Wo went to a plcnio at Etlwnnda canyon, n raviuo in tho Sierra Nevada mountains, whero a stream comos loop ing down irrigating this tract of land. Bivcrs and streams aro not allowed to go at random, but tho sparkling stud i'h llumcd and made to fertilize the other wise wasto places and multiply our orango groves. The Ontario Laud Com pany nro tunnoling under tho bed of San Autonla creek, which furnishes our water, and aro developing water which seeps through tho soil and is loit. When thoy reach uou rock thoy oxjcct to se cure enough water to irrigato several thousand moro aero, and tho land is waiting for it, Thoy will comont tho tunnel and save it all." The abovo communication has value, coming from ono who was long identi fied with Oregon, and who left for the lienollt of a mildor climato. Our friend has Knight several ten aero lots of tho Ontario Laud Company, planting in oranges, lemons, grapes for raisins, olc. i God's Acre. We fear wo havo hesitated too lonr in expressing an opinion about tho im provements now lieiug mado ut our hoau tiftil cemetery. Wo had hoped that hoiiiu other lovers of uaturo would peak of the rather too full destruction of thoso picturesquo young oaks that were scat tered through the ground. It is a com fort to many to go and sit there these summer days, and now thoro is scarce one shade treo loft to mako such a stay comfortable. Of courso tho ax has been laid by older, yet o think it lias bcon used to indiscriminately. There were angles and corners in the plan of laying out tho grounds, whoro trees might have Ix-on loft. Our oaks grow ho slowly that wo may vonturo to leave it to tho noxt two generations to thin out the foliage. Threo growths of generations cannot re place those taken nway this summer. A Hai.km Pioxr.Kii. The Walla Walla 1'air. The tenth annual exhibition of the Walla Walla agricultural society will be held on tho society's ground near Walla Walla, W. T., beginning September 8th and continuing llvo days. Thoy ofl'er liberal purses for speed and agricultural products. Writoto Mr. Lo. V, A. Shuw, secretary, for a premium list. Chas. J. Dean, of Walla Walla, W. T., sends us his catalogue of Pecherou horses for 1885. It contains 18pagoB, illustrated. It contains a history of the 1'ercheron race together with extracts by known uuthors, and a list of horses now owned by him, Mr. S. A. Itaudall, of Dallas, Oregon, honds us the pros)cctus of a monthly journal to be called tho Willamette Valley Kducator, and, as its namo indi cates, it i to be dovoted to hohool mat ters Tonus tl a year. Saiuplo copy ireo to an uppiying. Wo want specimens of grain, hay, etc., and will see that they are proporly labeled and sent whero thoy will help advertise Oregon. Bring them along, and that, too, nt once. Port A Son, the diuggit. 4 ( I rii-fcr