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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1925)
PAG3 SIX TEE GRANDE EVENING 0B5EBVEH Monday, March" 2, 1925. Adventures of Black Sam, Oregon "Bull Puncher" This Story of Historical Interest to Eastern Oregon, An Installment to I!e Printed Weekly by The Evening Observer, Is Told by Sam Ayotte to Jack Hunter of The Park. (By Jack Hunter) (THIRD INSTA1XMKNT) "Wt'H sir, JmvliiK b'lonKtd to the Rung since 184!. and really one if the first to ope rain this effi cient 'unwritten law I was hore nt once ordered to Join this com mittee supposed to be at least 40, hut on this occasion, we found only fourteen that could be en entniHled with this most serious ' nffulr of trying and hanglne; in-n. And this time we had a womun in our bunch the girl from MlHHourl Kleanoro Wilson. "you see, a nmn can't say thnt the country wuk settled at thut time In the sense that we midbr ain ml a settiert country today; but, contrary to many younger pioneers whom I don't blame in trying to Dear the distinction of being first In the field, when they tell that thea Oregon couuiry wasn't much of ft country before 1 Slid, t-.Hpe-clslly referring to '(il and Hut let me te you that I myself brought a good many prospectors from rslifornln, slat-ting in 1 Sfio. And I found many old trappers and prospectors who had come long before that. You must under stand that this big country of Ore Ron was explored a long, long time before 1850. I have not much nf an education, but 1 have a good memory. For Inst a nee that Hud son Buy Fur company was fully fUlpped and in the fh-ld operat ing full blast on the coast at As toria in 1811, And there were mis sionaries long before that. A good sized mission was esiabllHlieii tit ViiMft.Wnlla ,y P, Marcus Whit man with n brunch at TItniitlllu, ami II. H. Spalding bad anol her rn the Clearwater in 1K3H-SK. It Is rertnln that all of the principal gold placer diggings hnvo been prospected for lis courses gold In Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana as early ns 184U, nt least starting in the loiter part of thnt year. Most of this was dono by discontented forty-niners who were on their way buck east, prospect ing along the trail, the various riv ers and streams. Home of them went back home. Many died on the way, and others remained In this count ry . Ho after tho rea 1 discovery of this gold, came the riiBh to the Oregon country for net- Hers along in the 'Cos. I know an old fellow who settled In Hllvcr How In 1852, old Hugh J. Turner, who later discovered the Iowa silver mine ot llustcrvllle, Montana. 1 J. Murray was in the Ooeur d'Alenes along' about that time. Asa Oldnntn, was on I he Rnake rlver In 1 8 B f, below Huntington,, near the moutU of Vine e.reelc. And Charles W. Hensel was Htt tied near l.u Grande, in Grande Rondo in isr.3. 1 bruuuht him a sack of llarnaby potatoes, -which I am almost sure was tho first seed potatoes brought to that 'place "Ro nt thnt time while there was not thnt real spirit of settling permanently, there were many camps along the old trail; but all ready to move on farther any day. And thnt way there not many white women In the country. I nin referring to this, so that you will not blame me too much when I tell you that I actuully for a time Went wild over that pretty M'lsHoiirl woman of only 25 years. "Well. sir. the case was this: Her father, Kphrlam Wilson, with another man named Ahrnjmnt Fruit, with their families had come from California, joining n bunch of prospectors. They were about forty wagons set at that place, south west or whero Baker City now Is. The wagons were lined up in a horse shoe rlrv. We railed this sometimes a 'Horse php.A, Wtt'v TI,tB tovnrlnbly took t fi)tW.or the lender ;who first Selected' the spot. KoniHhnt'S we culled It 'So nnd Sos fort, or 'Ho and Ho's' camp- This one w culled It 'Fort Item ley for Cap. Hentley had selected the place first. From this fort a great many were pros pecting the banks of Powder riv er and Rh nributarlH, "It was supposed that the, two men, Wilson and Fruit, were re turning with much gold, when their mutilated bodlert were found by George Wilson, Kphrlam's boy, enora'ri brother, "Old man Fruit's head was cut olenn oft his shoulders. Wilson had a gaping wound in the side made by one of those largo bored 'horse pistols' or that time. (Note There were no revolvers at that lime like so many wrltern nn wont to bring Into their fiction stories recently. ,T. 11.) V tins u Vigilante. 'flo Klennore Wilson begged to Farmers Wo have bought A car of salt. You know bow Necessary that Is for yonr slock. It lias alo iHttt I'm ren that salt I sittv dentil to Monthfif (.l'ii1-( I'rmJdtiuf'" nn Spread It thick I'.uotigh. I't us make yon A prhr ttitoii stir Amount from Ur I'oii i uN Ut m Ion. Slnrk Sail, Sulphur HHk, I'lniti Ilrtrk lniry salt. La Grande Warehouse & Storage Co. be accepted one of the vigilantes committee seeking Justice for the murder of her father. And I W;i most ent huslast ic to let her in, und they let this rule aside and she was made a meinber of this special committee. This was t ho first und the last woman f ever knew of having been grunted that privilege.- - ''Wo had splendid evidences of their trail. They hud gone up tho river Into the HI no mountains. They Intended to make a detour coming down Hock creek Htrikhitf the old trail near l,a Grande. "I hit we caught up wit li tin-in the second day close to where Suinpter is now situated. We pro ceeded at once to try t h-m for their utrocloiiH crime. "The moment that Klennore saw the younger or Hn two bandits all her flit hiiHtnmn wi-mcd to drop, Ati'l the nearer I ime jipproaen-d for the liiinjfliifr, her couiileuaneo also became more despondent. Tin girl was simply Im miI bi-oken nml I Itm w It, lint why? It was u mystery to me, "yon Hte, her brother George was the mini that had taken the orders to me from Captain (iitit- I ley, a man I luu w w-ll sinee 1 S -J 0 . ueorge wimon and I at- once wui ed an invisible paet of friendship 1 can't tell yon how t his ha p pens, but I have met men just thnt way you can't hHp but like thein from tile first. V.ll, he lol, u fif his preriy slvli-r, and when I first saw her, she eclipsed ft li-e til ed at leasi for some time every thing else I had In my heart con cerning women. And I managed to be riding clone to her and Jut brother on our man bun! up 1'ow der river. "At once it seenier an though we knew each other for years. I called her 'l.enoru' and she to my pleasure called nn ltlack Ham from the very first. . Tom Hill, Rqunw Man. "Well, sir, one of the murderers was old Tom Hill. Cap. llentley recognized him nt once. Tom had given him and the vlgHaiites a long chase In California in 1850, for snitching a poke of gold left on u stump one night. He had got away clear out of the country. Tom Hill was on old Hudson Hay trapper and n squaw man. He not. only had a notorious reputation, but had left a trull behind hliu. For he had one or two Tom Hills In every tribe, of the Rocky Moun tain IndluilH. No doubt they were all offspring of old Tom GUI with him several squaws. Hill City, Ida ho, 1 believe was named ul'ti; JU"1.. At that time Tom Hill was badly wanted by the Vigilantes. killed by a quaw man near Flat ! head Inke, Montana. I I told uc 8 tor). I "Hut I have u different story to te of the younger man, Charley IJolduc later named Iluldoek. He was a young French Canadian of US well built and very handsome. And he und KP-anoro Wilson were etiguged in California, and were to be married an soon us tln-y reached Missouri, their old home. Ho the girl was completely reduced to an actual breakdown. George wuh really ns bad as his sister about It. And I felt mighty queer about the whole affair. "We made the boy Kpeak for himself. He bravely stated: " 'I have done nothing wrong. I was working for old Tom and he took me along with hltn. He had done this inuider two days before. I didn't know a thing about It un til tie tuid me. Then 1 w'as seared. because he told me that they would hung me any way. Ho I k-pt running away with him.' "We lift the whole thing with Captain IP titley. He asked George Wilson's opinion. " J le-lh-ve the boy is Innocent,' ho Id Gt urge. "Then Klcnnnr was (tilled to speak. Khe excitedly told her sen 'liiltents; " 'I can't believe that Charley is guilty. He s too tender a man to eummlL niiinl'T, let alone the kill ing of my lather. He was without wapoiiH of any kind whatever, and I believe IiIm own Hlory to be I rue, so I waul him Just as bud new as 1 ever did. f course f have to abide by the decision of Mi" committee. Sul if ClutrJey i,s limine, i. will be left all alone in this world. TIm-iv m only number miiri, whonr I would want to take ii ie iii k (o M ii'Hourl. And that man is i .hi 'k Ham here. And if lie rH'ii;;i-s 1 will die riMH here in tin-He mountains Willi Cluiriey, be fore ht miiii set,! again !' "Now I really thought that I was in love willi that pretty gti I, und slii- was more lovable in the pre dieuiiieiil Blie was in than before. There was surely a good chance for me to get n fine woman with some good property in M issouri. For the Wilsons had much money with them and still owned lln-fr home. "Hut, I positively knew in my own neart that young liolduc was entirely innocent. Ami this work ed hard In my mind. "Not so with the rest of the bunch. They all clamored for a hanging. They believed that the man was lleing. Ho they t began pre pa rat Ions. '"Nleanore started to cry. Si lently standing erect, Ihe tears we rii pouring down her cheeks. "I turned my back on the gang, walked a few steps away und there I began praying, pulling my holy scapular, mother's girt. In the scapular I had encased mot her's minll tinlypo picture on one side: and I also had my sweetheart's on the other side. As I fell tose pictures I at once knew what to lo. I was sure that Cap. llentley was on my side. No. I took Klen nore by tho hand, leading here to where my horse was tied. I couldn't speak, '"'t J motioned her what, lo do. . "She untied the horse, led It to Back on Lot fawner Hill (Major Gordon Lilliel, former partner of liuffalo Ulll, who rflired from the show business In 11'IH, Is organizing a wild ' west show at his l'awnee tOkla.) I much whk-h will go to London in j May. Though tli, Pawia-L j;ill is ! actively dlreeting bis new jihow. ! eight of ua. Four of them were passengers of mine. My bulls were ail sick from feeding on poison ous weeds the night before. My oldest pair died that morning. We had absolutely to stop and make a stay there. We chose a good cam ping place on the east side of this warm iHke. This fs not very far from Old Ijx Grande. "Our talk was mostly of the activities of the Indians, who were not yet reconciled since the Whit man massacre and the war with the Cay use tribe in 1849. They had done u few depravities we had been told ulong the trail recently. So we were all on the lookout for them. Ho, on the Bcrond evening our fear was realized, for we saw several hundred of 'them all ap parently 'dressed to kill' coming over the bald hills back of the lake. "I tell you, that this was one night when 1 couldn't sleep at all, ;for they hail camped directly on A the opposite side of the lake and (we could hear them all night dnnc W. ing and reveling like war mad In- dions. "Hut we had all agreed not to show any resilience, for It wus of no use, '('he next morning we were all on the alert before sunrise. And as I gazed on my partners, I im- well to my mother and sweetheart far away. revealed tracks of the animal, Unbroken forest extends from 'They were near now coming on jthe etiy to the Mount Hood nation- east of the vajley. and hunters witb dogs today searched the woods near .own In vain, though the cougar had returned to the highlands. a trot. We could hear them mur mur to one another their lingo. I advanced towards them and gave them my 'countersign' and yelled my mystic Indian words. "Ttiey stopped and looked Bt one u not her, then laughed. One of them answered: - "'Huh-hughh Nlcomstock shenook wah-wah. "They didn't . understand my charm' at all! 1 turned to my partners and said: 'Boys, . resign yourselves to the fates, we are lost!'" (To be Continued.) COKiAR'S CUIUS HEARD King I'M ward will be the patron of thy entei prise- In Ku, ehief ( ;i.iad. Fort filler licvei 1 wa li.ntleV ptillid freight not 'thai, I wu.'i told; and 1 have heard of l.ennra since, V.ul, led. I lli.-.t Hohlock family Here was a man who had had her own, then with the two horses a great chance or being n hero In tho old, old pioneer days. Hut in stead turned crooked, and I have heard many tales of his cold blooded murders. He originally came from Canada It is told, long before the Hudson Hay company. Tim name Hill is a translation and contraction nf the French 'Ie Uicote,' (of the Hill). We finish ed his career along In August lNf.fi when he was about 8a years old. Wo left him dangling from tho limb of a tree somewhere near where Sampler Is now in the Hluo mountains; and not as someone tells today, that Tom Hill vns went over to Charley. He mounted Into the saddle and soon lhcydis appeared In the pines along Pow der river. "Not n word was spoken by my comrades. I turned and address ed tlieni thus; " 'Hoys, If you want to hnng and must hang Homeonc, you just go ahead and hang me! "Captain llentley spoke then: " 'Hoys, let's go home.' "George Wilson, her brother, shared his horse with me, which we rode alternately until we reach ed the camp. The next day my horse was brought back. And bad setn-'ii along Ihe I'bwder nver in is;a i;:i. j , i v.- oi (en wonder ed lr thai couldn't be- Charley mid l.enoru. "That fail I wan on my way to California. . "tin another trip to What was generally called "'he Snake liver eountry' I had quite an advent uiv. Hut h i me e.l you of Ibis river. I Many called H th- l.on?: river. I j gave, it lh' lin me 'Crooked ri because yon eouid eroas that river I t times m a ' n mile run str.ii;,hi ! line as l lie crow flies, while it would tah'- about two ami u half; days by following the river. At one place II made a .regular j crooked line like a huge yoke ami the two bows, old timers called : that place ox How. I "Well, sir. I hail just got down the worst grade on that old trail from Fort Hall to The Hallen. Tills,' was between I .add creek und Warm I lake. fflof lake.) There were i ined (hut 1 was In company of lot of denizens from ghost, land. They were all so sickly white. And F am ran-e 1 must have looked the same to them, ftr one hail the im podeoee "to tell me afterwards, '.aiii, 1 never t hough t t hat your ;dtin could blench. I hat. white over niirlit.' We had just spied four rinlwarl. bucks straddled of fine pinto cay uses. Their feathers i railing behind their hnckH made I them look at once, suspicious and I dangerous. They kept corning j closer. And as they .approached I was thinking hard. Hut. I was I' eerta in that India tut on the war pat h would not listen lo my 'charm' words. Ho f I hough t ajtahi f prayers. And I bid fare- fyherever they sell good candy EVERYBIT'$ A DELIGHT: SPECIAL! Sec Ihe Kitchen Set Special S1.15 F. L. LILLY Hardware Phono M&in 88 !. I. Itownmn In Klamath. KLAMATH FALLS. Ore. Inter ested tn establishing a woolen re tail store in this city, J. L. Bow man of the Itrownsville Woolen mills of Portland, spent the past throe day in Klamath Falls auak in a location for Ills prospective nusiness house. s ASTHMA Views V Va po Ru s Oor 17 Million Jar Ud Yearly , No cure for it but welcome relief is often brought by HOOI) HIVE Ft. Ore. Those who mulntaln that a cougar cries might nave found backers among resi dents of the east side just otitsldo the city. Mrs. John H. Koberg, wife of" a truck former, whose place is on the Columbia river bot toms, and otherB reported thut they heard the scream of a big cnt. Search around a slaughter house Exide Batteries SI HO.MIli;iU; CAIiltrKKTOHK 8. & M. Spotlights Vackard Win1 all fdet (icnerulpr & Ntnriej llruslics Idght (lobes all sizes Iimp Sockets (icnuinc Itemy ami IMo ( nils, 1'olnls, etc. Klaxon Horns Stop Light Itols-rt liosch and f'linmplnn Sfutrk rings Ciippxr Tiihlng (.arbrh-I Suubbers FRED T. BURGESS MAIH Hi 1I0H Jerfmoa Aa. HAL BOHNENKAMP funeral Director The Test oi Real . Service Financial consideration is never placed first in the arrangement of funeral services by this in stitution. The same careful attention is assured the needs of every fam ily regardless of their ability to pay. FIFTH AT SPRING STREET 5 42 Fixtures House Wiring-- ATWATEK - KENT AND OTHEIt RADIO SETS We Install Radios Free Benham Electric Co. MAIN 101 NEW FOLEY DLDG. i i " ' 1 By Usind -The Best When you invest your hard earned money in a buildinjr, you want soincthinjr (here many years later to show for il. N'c believe that we can f;ivc you What You Want For Your Money Quality and Service Our jrrcat stock contains every grade of lumber, and every size from lxl to 12x12. We can supply your lumber needs from start to finish. The trade-mark on our lumber shows confidence in our product. ' We arc always i;lad to show you our stock and figure your luiildinir estimates. SASH AND DOORS AND SIHXfiLES. PHONE MAIN S BOWMAN-HICKS LUMBER COMPANY J. L. HirMIAI.L CHAIN AND 150X WOOD lMIONE MAIN 517 Names YOU meet Mr. Howard and Mr. Walters in a gather, ing. Their names are to you but two of manj yoir hear. I 1 1 A few days later you meet Mr. Howard again. And again. He becomes a friend, perhaps an intimate in your social as well as business life. Mr. Howard's name grows to mean a lot to you. Mr. Walters is rarely seen again and soon forgotten. In this newspaper are other names names of "adver tised products. Day after day you see them. They are like old friends to he trusted. Their names mean econ omy, full value and integrity. ; " The unadvertised products perhaps you see one in a store, or a friend's home. Soon the name is forgot tena stranger about whom you know little. Fill your medicine closet, your pantry, your wardrobe with products whose names are guarantees of their in tegrity advertised products. Like intimate friends you know what they are and will do. Read the advertisements to know the names that arc worth knowing in the market place. I I EH fc3 1 LI I'lwmp Alnlo Wx,-.?,'-,x::iZ.-.-,l .X.sw.-.