CHRISTMAS IN THE MOUNTAINS.
837
with the whole Dorsch family peering he owed his preservers, and ho did not
oyer his shoulders. They saw nobody, feel just right when his father offered
but just outside there lay a splendid the toast of the day and they all stood
Christmas tree, with great bunches of up as if he was a hero. And how they
scarlet berries scattered all over it What laughed wheu old Gotlieb, the only Ger
a bright Christmas morning ! man on the canyon, gave the toast in
Good old Gotlieb did not rest till he this language
had followed the miners up the canyon " Shentlemens, dis vaa mine lectio
to their home, where he thanked them Heinrich, as vas swallowed cop mit do
for restoring his son, and also for the volfes, already again, but is here; who
kindly gift You may be sure he invit- dought him got some Grismus drees,
ed them to a grand party the next day, und den he don't got 'em, as dey cooms
to which they all came; an orderly one, valkcd in by his own self."
too, and joyous, for did not gentle and The Christmas tree shono and spark
kind Mrs. Dorsch preside ? And no par- led as though dressed in diamonds, and
ty could be noisy or rough where she joined in the merriment of tho ovening
presided. such a happy one, high up in tho
Heinrich entered into it all with a full Rockies, that Christmas day I
realization of what a debt of gratitude Will M. McConnell
NE of the most familiar names of mercial point, the Indians of various
the entire Columbia basin is Tho tribes congregating hero for trade and
Dalles, one of the four leading barter. Here was tho chief villngo of
cities of Oregon. It is situated on tho the Wascos, who lived on tho south sido
south bank of the river, ninety miles of tho stream, and who were ono of tho
from Portland, and just below that fa- most powerful tribes of Oregon. Tho
mous cascades of the same name, which name has been perpetuated in that of
forms that almost unsurmountable ob- tho county of which Tho Dalles is tho
stacle to continuons navigation of tho seat of justice. Hero congregated tho
great "River of the West" tribes from tho Willamette valley, tho
From the earliest settlement of this Klickitats, Yakiraas, Walla W'allas, Spo
country, the commercial importance of kancs, Cceur d'Alencs, and others of
The Dalles was recognized; first, by tho Washington and Idaho, and tho Uraa
fur companies, and then by the pioneers, tillas, Cayuses, and others of Extern
Owing to the obstructions to navigation, Oregon. Tho river was tho great high
it was necessary that a portage of all way, and canoes tho medium of convey,
goods going either up or down the river anco.
bo made here, and the importance of tho Ono thing has been noticablo in tho
point was only a question of how much settlement of the Wcst-that tho centers
traffic the river had. Even beforo tho of Indian traffic and population hnvo bo
advent of white men, this was a com- come the trado centers of ourownpeo-
THE DALLES AND WASCO COUNTY.
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