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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1878)
82 THE WEST SHORE. February, SISKIYOU IIEKMIT CAUGHT AT LAST, and rabbits were plentiful, also, moun- ... ,, , , , .. tain sheep, but the latter were so wild It is currently reported that our old , f. , friend, Andrew I. Walls, the "Hero of that we d,d not succeed ln kdlin ""' the Green .Siskiyou," whose u life hopes," we fancied, had long ago al most "faded out," has ceased to brood over an unsatisfactory past, and that he is again in full sympathy with the great throbbing, emotional world around him; that he has at last placed his neck in Hymen's yoke to work side by side with one who can appreci ate the kindliness of a heart still filled with generous impulses, though lacer ated and scarred by the disappointments of by-gone days: " Lot the old log caljin molder," Allll till! I" ii -ii qi tun to Hunt, PVn th" loin' KNtttatrf rtfln M in- upon iu dak and rust. loll ' II." Will our Andrew take his 11I1 whispering flr-trees llurying memories, sad, distressing, In the clamors of the chase. Let the screaming panthers tarry, 'Through the midnight," by the door i Uf the ragged Siskiyou hovel Where A. J. will come no more ; Undisturbed, may squirrels tmrrough, And the spiders spread their snares, And around the hermit's cahin Let the grey-wolves chase the hares. No more, at night, we'll hear the echo Of his u-wliiii or his shout Stand the ox-yoka in tho corner; Turn the raw-honed oxen out ; Let them huvo, at last, a respite From their lahor rough nod hard, Knr a brighter day is dawning Oil the cluwed anil battle-scarred. Athlttnd 1'tnhiqi. Most of ntir readers will remember the story of Andrew Walls, so ably re lated by Captain O. C, Applegate, in Tiik Wbst Shore for May, 1S77. NOTES AND REMINISCENCES. LAYINi; OCT ami ttTABLIIHINO THE OLD 1M HIOBANT XOAIUNloANliTUKnii.il siii 111. IKN OUOON IN TIIK YKAR 1846. BY IINIISAY AlTT.KHATK. (t'OHtimtril.) From the Little Bjxfftsf oil the Vemi to BMM nOM, On the morning of the loth of July we found an abundance of water in the basin we had craped out at the little spring early in the night so that we were able to start out on the desert much refreshed. Onr horses, however, lookeil very gaunt as there was a great scarcity of grass about the spring. The landscape before ns as we made our start this morning was anything but inviting. It was a vast sand plain. No trees or mountains were in sight. Far in the distance were some dark looking lidges. There was no vegetation ex cepting dwarf sage and grensewood growing in the sand anil gravel. At about 3 o'clock iu the afternoon we Ctma to a huge volcanic wall, varying iu height from twenty or thirty to sev eral hundred feet, extending north anil south as far as the eve could reach and apparently without any gap through it. We divided at the wall so as to explore S it both ways. The party going south ward, after proceeding a few miles, come to n little stream, forming a beautiful meadow at the base of the wall, and flowing through a narrow gateway Into the ridge. They imme diately dispatched one of their party in punult of ii- with the good news, and we returned In the meadow early in the afternoon ami decided to turn out our hortei ami give them a chance to teed and ret, w hile we explored the detile 011 foot. We found it a very re markable chasm, extending nearly due east. The gateway was about sixty yerdl in width and the canyon WM, at some places, a little widci pei haps, and at others was enough for a wagon road, bottom was grassy ami al and, indeed, a remarkable '""I. In many places, the dill's l ithei side towered to a height of eral Hundred leet, and, in actually oieihung the chasm. Th ...1, nangmg 1 nit, atiorde.1 excellent scarce, there being nothing in this line -..sin. oig pimcs inr tne simian, and , but dwarf sage-brush. tlie signs betokened that it was a great of them. After making quite an ex tended trip into the canyon, we returned to the little meadow and spent the night. On the morning of July n, we again entered the gorge and traveled ten or twelve miles to a place where the stream formed quite a pool, and nooned. At this season, the stream ran no farther than the pool. Here another canyon comes in from the north and at the junction there is quite an area of level ground perhaps two acres mostly meadow, forming an excellent camp ing place. After noon we proceeded on our way, following the dry bed of the stream, and, after a march o per haps ten miles, came out on the east side of the ridge. Here we found a lake basin of several acres in extent, where there was but a little water and a great deal of mud, hence strongly suggesting the name of Mud Lake, which it has since always borne. Ear lier in the season, when the little Itrei that feeds it Hows all the way through the canyon, this is doubtless quite lake. The country eastward had very forbidding appearance. Rising from a barren plain, perhaps fifteen miles away, was a high, rocky ridge, extending as far as the eye could reach towards the north, but apparently ter minating abruptly perhaps fifteen miles south of our course. Along the base of the ridge, towards its extremity, were seen green spots, indicating water. After considering the situation pretty thoroughly, we concluded that It would lie me surest plan to uepart lrom our usual course and travel southward to the extremity of the ridge, as, by so doing, we would probably keep clear of the rocks and be more certain to find water. So we followed the dry outlet of the lake, in a southwestcrlyJ direc tion, for a distance of three ! or four miles and we camped at a little spring. In this vicinity quite a tragedy oc curred while Capt. Levi Scott, accom panied by a detachment of regular troops, was en route to meet the immi gration of 1S47. It was his intention to make an effort to hunt out a direct route from Mud Lake to Humboldt, thus saving the distance lost by our change of direction in 1S46. It ap pears that Mr. Scott and 11 man named Qairiton, leaving the train encamped at Mud Lake, started out in a due east erly direction towards the black ridge to ascertain the practicability of find ing a way across it. When out about ten miles they came across two Indians. Not being able to talk with them, they undertook, through signs, to learn something about the country. The Indians appeared to be friendly, but, taking advantage of Scott and Garri son while they were oir their guard, strung their bows and commenced shooting with great rapidity. Garri son w as mortally wounded, and Scott, while in the act of firing, was shot through the arm with an arrow, which passing through, entered his side, pin. ning his arm to his body. Scott fired, however, killing his Indian and the other took to flight Scott's were, fi umns of smoke or steam rising at the extremity of the black ridge. Reach ing the ridge a few miles north of its extremity, we traveled along its base, passing a number of springs, some cold and others boiling hot. At the end of the ridge we found an immense boiling spring from whence the steam was rising like smoke from a furnace. A large volume of water issued from the spring which irrigated several hundred acres of meadow. Although the water was strongly impregnated with alkali, it was fit for use when cooled, and the spot was, on the whole, a very good camping place for the desert. The cliffs, at the extremity of the ridge, were formed of immense masses of black volcanic rock and all about were vast piles of cinders, resembling those from a blacksmith's forge. This place has ever since been known as Black Rock, and is one of the most noted landmarks on the Humboldt desert. At this place we rested a day and con suited as to the best course to pursue it order to reach Humboldt, or, as it was then called, Ogdcn's river. The result of the council was that we agreed to separate, one party tq travel eastward and the other to pursue a more south erly direction. ( To be continued.) Editor The West Shore: In your issue of The West Shore for January last is an engraving of the old block house located on the Middle Cascades. The engraving is correct, but the statement that it was com manded by Captain McPheely at the time of the Indian outbreak in the Spring of 1S56, is not true. The block house was at that time com manded by Sergeant Kelly, of Co. II., 4th U. S. Infantry and eight men of said company. McPheely was at that time a Lieutenant and with his com pany, G,of the 4th Infantry, in Rogue Riyer. One of Sere't Kelly's com- mdnd, private Rooncv, was killed in the woods a short distance from the blockhouse where he was engaged in cutting firewood. The wood was piled around him and his body was burnt. Two more of Kelly's command were wounded, one of whom died of his wounds in four or five months after at Vancouver. FANCY POULTRY. The question is often asked, "Does it pay t0 keep poultry f To this we can give but one an", answer-that with proper care, such aa providia, food, shelter, Ac, it certainly doea pay to ket poultry. Of course, when chickens an compelled to forage for their food and rooet out in th, W(, all night, no great resulta in the egg line 0Md expected. We append a record furnished to u, hv Luther Myora, Esq., of Salem, to show what a tew chickens did during the month of January 1 Nil Hens. Golden Spangled Hambures . tiolden Spangled Poliah I Silver Spangled Polish Plymouth Rocks 2 Aylesbury Ducks 4 Total.. .15 No' No. Pullets, Egg, I is 8 86 33 1 0 2t 17 on. Set one hen Jan. 8tli on 13 egg, and akaaaa. oft Jan. with .3 chicken.. "let one M LtUT.tWA.i, On page 83 of this- issuo we give an euirravj,,,, ni H.rpn kiMiHhil ,.,;.,:. , . iowib, namely; The "Dark Brahmaa," " Houdans," and "Spm. gled Hamburge." Iu our advertising columns will be found the cards of the mist reliable breeder! in thin State, and from personal examination, wa can say that their fowls will compare favorably with any breeder on tho Coast. Dark Brahmaa " are remarkable for their large size, compact form and beauty of feather, the rich glossy black of the breast, contracting with the light hacklo and back of the cock and tha fK. grey penciling of the hens throughout, which makes them so beautiful. Excellent as a table fowl -iudeed, tho flesh of a well-fed Dark Brahma cockerel will Batiafy tho most fastidious epicure. They are good layers in both Summer and Winter equaling any other variety for sue and weight of eggs-are the most economical. When place,: in comparison with other breeds, thoy are extremely hardy and arc eaBy to raise, and when allowed to range at large are far better foragers and will hunt their own living hotter than any the Asi atic varieties, and if confined, bear it at well as any of their class. Their color is desirable for raising in towns and cities where room is limited aa they do not soil so easily as the white or light colored fowls. By those who love tine poultry, they aro much admired, and to a real fancier, what is more pleasant to look -upon than a pen of flue bred Dark Brahmaa ? "Houdans" are considered the most hardy of any of the three French varieties that have been introduced into this country, and have not gained as much popularity aa they aw entitled to. Like any of tho crested varieties, when exposed to ths wet weather, the creat becomes saturated with water and present a dirty appearance and alio maxes them more liable to colds than the no- created breeds. They are good layers, both in Summer and Winter, and lay aa large an egg, if not the largest, of any variety, forming a combination of the excellent qualities which should make them pop ular with the farmer and those who keep a few fowla for their own use. They are classed as non- aotters. Their eggs hatch with unusual certainty. The chickens are very lively and hardy and ma ture with wonderful rapidity. The wing feathera atart out at once after thev are hatch ed, and at the end of a week are quite long. than that tunHicIy, only flesh wounds, but Gar- only wide The little most level, rbon hail been pierced by two arrows and died soon alter being conveyed to camp. Thus the effort to make the track lor a , cut-olf tailed, and to this dav it has never been made. The little spring, where we encamn- tome places ed, furnished an abundance of water; the grass was good but fuel extremely place of resort for them, 8 ige hen At the Hfffl of iiiin mnnth thov ..-,.11 When the news of the outbreak feathered, the creata are coming out, and tha reached Vancouver, Second Lt. 1. II. como"of the cockerels are turning red, but those Shnri.l'ii. mi T . . n ' .' tb pullets arc scarcely visible. When four Sheridan, our present L.eut. General, Lontha old they are fit te broiling, weighing was dispatched with thirty men to the from three to fourpouud. the plumage ia black and white, aa eveal; broken as possible with good creata aud beards the breast deep and the body rather long, carntd well up, giving the bird a bulky look. The toes are five in number, the fifth being detached from the othera and curving upwards. Aa a table fowl, thay are not to be excelled, and thoy ahrink Icbs in dressing than any fowl wa have. " Spangled Hamburgs." This sprightly and beautiful variety of fowl are now raised in Amer ican yarda to great perfection. They are good layers and are easily kept, being small eaten and always in a thrifty condition, with fair iua They are classed aa non-settera. A Spangled Ham burg flock of fowls, in good plumage, can scarcely be excelled for their beautiful appearance and car riage when at liberty upon a bright, clean lawn; aud their many tine qualities highly commend them to the fancier who is content with a small but a very prolific fowl. We will add a comma uication from Thomaa J. Wier, Del., aa publuhad in the Poultry World : " My Oolden Spangled hen, ' Little Nell,' I her tint egg January 10th, 1876 -continued to lay without an iatermiaaion of two successive days till January 3d, and laid 263 eggs in 349 day. Othera of her age atopped and moulted and com menced laying again befora she stopped. She now appears to have left her measure for a new suit, and what is left of the old one look the worse for wear. She distanced the field laat ysai but will have-a wretched sand-off this time, ana cannot hope for much, unless it is to outlive a competitors and come in ahead at tha doss. Now, this is an exception, and it ould have beam better if she bad only laid half th amount and beet m a better fix fur another fresh start in January." In conclusion, we will add-if you deeip raiw poultry at a profit, do not overcrowd yotf varus. Uive them plenty of food and water, Cascades where he fought the Indians one entire day and niirht. The news again arrived that reinforcements were necessary to support Sheridan, when all the available force, about forty, at Ft. Vancouver, started for the seat of war. On their arrival, it was found that the war was over as three com panies of thcyth Infantry and Co. L. of the 3d Artillery had come from the Dalles and had captured, killed or dis persed all the savages. Seven of the principal duels were hung near the blockhouse in a day or two after the hght. Sergt. Kelly was complimented for his heroic defense of the block house from the repeated attacks of the savages. The blockhouse was armed with a 2-b. field gun. I remain, sir, very respectfully, Yours, &c., JAMES COFFEY. Sallm, Or., Feb. ia ,ss, A VALVABLI Invention. A Washington county genius by the name of S. M. Harris, and who resides at gUUaborOj has invented and patented what is called "The Victor Sulky, Stubble Cover, Cutter and Cleaning Attachment," which is destined before long to revolutionize the plow business of the country; in fact once seen, no i plow will be considered complete with fans "i uui u. n can te bought for io, and ' On starting out on the the i -Mh of July, we observed vast CO.. attached to any plow. some gravel, a nice, dry and cleanly kept roost," dry place to dual in, a email patch of grass, and you will hava eggs when your neighbors' chick who hunt their living and roost in the trees er taking a rest.
