June.
THE WEST SHORE.
lAUSG OUT AND UTAlUlHIXd THE OLD IM
.MICKAVr KOAD WTO AKO THIOOOH ,01 TIL
BUN OBEUON tM THE YEAR 1846.
It LINDSAY Al'l'LEGATE.
Conclusion.
Xo circumstance worthy of mention
occurred on the monotonous march
from Black Rock to the timbered re
gions of the Cascade chain; then our
labors became quite arduous. Every
day we kept a guard over the horses
while we worked the road, and at night
we dared not cease our vigilance, for
the Indians continually hovered about
us, seeking for advantage. By the
time we had worked our way through
the mountains to the Rogue river val
ley, and then through the Goose Creek
Hills and Umpqua chain, we were
pretty thoroughly worn out. Our stock
of provisions had grown very short
Jild we had to depend, to a great ex
tent, tor sustenance, upon game. Road
working, hunting, and guard dutv, had
taxed our strength greatly, and on our
arrival m the Umpqua valley, knowing
that the greatest difficulties in the way
01 tile immigrants had been removed,
we decided to proceed at once to our
homes in the Willamette. There we
arrived on the 31 day of October, lSjfi,
having been absent three months and
thirteen days. During all this time
our friends had beard nothing from
and realizing the dangerous character
of our expedition, many believed in the
news which had some time before
reached them, that we had all been
murdered by the Indians.
As soon as we could possibly make
the arrangement, we sent out a party,
with oxen and horses, to meet the im
migrants and aid them in reaching the
Willamette settlements. Tor this as
sistance, we made no demand ; nor did
we tax them for the use of the road, as
was alleged by parties inimical to our
enterprise. It had been the distinct
understanding, from the Ant inception
of the undertaking, that the road should
be free, ami that the consciousness of
having opened up a better means of ac
cess to the country than was afforded
by the expensive and dangerous route
down the Columbia, which we hail
tried to our sorrow, would be ample
compensation for all our labors and
hardships in opening the south road.
Of course our enterprise was opposed
by that mighty monopoly, the Hud
son's Bay Company, whose line of
lorts and trading posts on the Colunu
bia afforded them rare opportunities for
trade with the immigrants. Many of
the immigrants who followed us during
the fall of 1846, had a hard time, though
not as bard as they would likely have
experienced on the other route; ami
some of them not understanding the
situation fully, became infected with
the spirit of persecution, which had its
origin with' the Hudson's Bay Com
pany, and joined in charging us with
leading the travel away from the
northern route for purposes of personal
speculation. Certain members of the
party were singled out to bear the bur.
den of persecution, whereas, if any
member of the party WOI animated by
improper motives in seeking to open
the road, all were equally guilty, as the
party was governed in all it proceed
'ngs by a majority vote of its mem
Iters. The eflbrts of the Hudson's Hay
Company to put down the road, proved
an eminent failure. Its rtpnriof ad
vantages were letter ami tatter known
and appreciated every year. It never
ceased to be an important route of
travel, and a large portion of the iop
ulation of our State entered by this
cl a incl. It is a very significant fact
that the great thoroughfare of to-day,
SKETCIII.Va SOME OF THE BE
from the Willamette to the Siskivou
chain, and thence out through the Lake
country and on to Humboldt, departs
rarely from the route bulled out by the
road company, 32 years ago.
I hose who are conversant w ith the
facts, know that that portion of the
route, from the Humboldt to the Lake
country, presents no serious obstacles
in the way of the construction of a
railroad, and had the Central Pacific
company located their road on that
route, from Humboldt as far as Goose
Lake, and thence down l'itt river to the
Sacramento valley, they would doubt
less have saved millions of money in
the original cost of the road, as well as
keeping it in order, since the snow
fall would never have been seriously in
the way, even in the severest w in
ters. In conclusion, I will recall the names
of the road company, with a few facts
relative to their history. I regret that
it is not practicable to make this record
more ample, but the company was
made up, almost to a man, of active,
energetic characters, who were not sat
isfied with quiet, spiritless life, and
many of them, long ago, were lost to
the little community "over in l'olk,"
where they first settled, as they re
moved to other portions of the Stale or
went out into adjacent territories to
seek their fortunes. I'ndcr the circum
stances, it has been impracticable to
learn the whereabouts of muiic of them,
or to gather such facts relative to their
later history as would amplify and adil
interest to their biographies. Perhaps
few companies of men ever performed
such a campaign without repeated quar
AMBUi as QUAIL 01 TlfK
S; NtviSu lHW5ael""t 9IZJK aLaaaaaaaailaaL
pap 1 is.
rels and even serious altercations, but
the members of the Old South Road
Company bore together the trials and
privations of the expedition with a
" forgiving and forbearing " spirit, and
their mutual burdens and the dangers
to which they were alike exposed, con
tinually developed and strengthened
their friend-hip. A reunion of them,
were such a thing practicable, would
be a season of peculiar joy, one to be
remembered by the veteran survivors
with pleasure, until they, too, shall
pass away into the great unknown.
Till ROAD COMPANY,
Capt Levi Scott, a native of Illinois,
came to Oregon in 1S1.1, from near
Burlington, Iowa. He was, in the
early days, quite a prominent man in
Or 6gon sflalrs. He was a member of
the Slate constitutional convention.
Capt Scott located Scottaburg, on the
Umpqua river. He is now over eighty
; years of age, ami, i believe, resides in
( Lane county.
j John Jones, usually known as "Jack "
Jones, the Wag of the south roail expe
dition, came to Oregon, from Missouri,
in 1843, Since then, he has been quite
a wanderer. For many years he re
sided in California, and, if living, is now
I in Idaho, I believe. Native Slate, Mis
souri, John Owens crossed the plain in
1843, from Missouri. He was, I think,
a native of that Stale. Have no know- '
ledge of his whereabouts.
Henry Boyguj came from Missouri
in 1845. He was a tine looking, jovial
and intelligent young man, and we
I were all much attached lo him. Was
K0RTI1WUT letaap let
UTIKS OF NATUU: St
probably murdered by Indians, near
Fort Hall, after he left us, in 1846, to
return to his home in Missouri. Native
State, Missouri.
William Sportsman crossed the plains
in 18451 ,rom Missouri, which was I
think, his native Slate. He left Oregon
in 1S47, and I have no knowledge of
his present whereabouts;
Samuel Goodhue, a native of New
York, came to Oregon in 184J. He
afterwards became ; aoniulaw of
Davidson, the old pioneer, and a num.
her of years resided about Salem.
When 1 last heard of htm, he was in
Ohio.
Robert Smith came to Oregon in
1843, from Missouri. Native State,
Virginia. He now resides at the head
of the Voncalla valley, in Douglas
county. Mr. Smith is a son-in-law of
Charles Applegate, and brother to Mrs,
Governor Chad wick.
Moses Harris, called Black Harris,"
came to Oregon in iS.j, from the
Rocky mountains, where he had been
a scout and trapper for many vears.
He spoke the Snake language llnenllv,
and was of great service to us on the
plains. He relumed to the States in
1847, as guide lo Dr. While, the Su
perintendent of Indian affairs in Ore
gon, and died at Independence, Mo.
John Scott, a son of Capt. Levi Scott,
came to Oregon with his father in 8j 1.
He now resides near Dallas, l'olk
county, Oregon.
William 0. Parker, a native of Mis
souri, came to Oregon in 1843. lie
resided many years in California, hut is
now a resident of Lake county, Oregon,
and kce, (he Half Way House, on the
1 ".itl turn Ashland to I.inkville. Mr.
ParkeiS a son-in-law of Capt. Sol
omon .Tethcison, the old mountain
man, jH a brother to Mil, Jesse Ap
plet.
I) atid (muT came to 0egmi, from
Missouri, in iX.,y"Ttc resided in Folk
comity, Oregon, until his death, winch
occurred, I believe, in 1874, and wan
universally respected. 1 le was the
father-in-law of Gen. J. W. NeMiiith.
Benjamin F. Burch came to Oregon,
from Ins native State, Missouri, in iSJ.
Mr. Mutch has long been it prominent
man in Oregon affair. He now re
sides at Salem, ami is Superintendent
of the State Penitentiary.
Jesse Applegate was born in Ken
tucky, and came to Oregon in 18431
He DOW resides on Mount Voncalla, in
Douglas county, Oregon.
Lindsay Applegate, also a native of
Kentucky, came to Oregon in (843.
Now a resident of Ashland, Jackson
county, Oregon.
With the consciousness that I have
endeavored faithfully and impartially,
though briefly, to relate the history of
the South Road Expedition, I close
tins narrative, hoping that my cllbrt to
preserve this much of the history of
the early days may inspire other "old
timers" to retule their experiences,
also. I am fully aware that memory it
uncertain, am! that a number of errors
may have occurred in my uarrutivc
from 1 1 lis reason, but I place it befoic
the people with confidence that it is, in
the main, correct. In doing so, I ask
no other reward for the labor of its
preparation, than that its perusal may
cause the people to think more kindly
f the old pioneers.
J. Pi I. Wkinki.b 8l Co., the pop
I ular dry goods merchants, whose neat
! establishment s located at the corner of
1 Fiist and Salmon, always keep up with
the times. Nearly every steamer brings
them something new', and being attent
. ive and accommodating, they naturally
enjoy a constantly increasing tra !c.
1