Page8 Portland Observer, August 12, 1987
Black Saul
Held Off the
British at
Cape D
by Roger T. Tetlow, Seaview Observer
Reprinted by Permission
Most folks living on the Peninsula have never heard much about a black
man who singlehandedly thwarted England's plans for fortifying Cape Dis
appointment, but you cannot really blame them too much. James D.
Saules, or Black Saul as he was known to the Oregon settlers of the 1840s,
was a solitary free soul, content to live out his life in the wilderness without
leaving behind any record of his place in history.
Saul was just a common old man, somewhat below average height, with
sloping shoulders and a full, black face. He had only one outfit of clothing
as far as anyone knew: a miner's gray woolen shirt, a pair of bell-bottomed
navy dungarees and a wide-brimmed slouch hat. No shoes, of course, be
cause shoes were mightly scarce back in the days before Oregon and
Washington became states.
And how did he stop England from fortifying the cape? Well, Peter
Skene Ogden of the Hudson's Bay Co. had been ordered to make a hurry-
up trip down to the mouth of the Columbia River to take possession of Cape
Disappointment before an American expedition under the command of Lt.
John Fremont could do the same thing tor the United States. He had been
admonished, however, to do nothing if the cape was already occupied by
the United States government or by any of its citizens.
When Ogden arrived at the cape, he found to his dismay a cabin in a
small clearing, and a vegetable garden with a few hens poking around in the
dirt. A man was dozing in the sun on a rickety chair propped against the
cabin wall.
No historian was present to record the ensuing conversation, but it pro
bably went something like this:
''W ho are you," Ogden asked, "and what are you doing here?"
Saul looked at him calmly. "I am James D. Saules and I live here "
"A nd your nationality?"
Saul smiled gently. "I am an American, sir."
As the defeated Ogden turned and went back down the steep stope to
his boat, Saul pulled his hat down over his eyes and went back to sleep.
But that was not the end of the matter. Ogden knew that possession and
fortification of the cape was a must and so in September 1845, he bought
Saul's claim for $200 Then, to his dismay, he found that the black man did
not own the cape at all but was simply holding it for the owners.
When asked about the deal, Black Saul merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Mr. Ogden did not ask me if I owned the cape. He just offered me $200 for
my rights to the land and he got all the rights I had."
The British never did get around to fortifying the cape, mostly because of
the delay caused by Saul's residence on it. It was finally sold back to the
United States
There is no doubt at all about how Black Saul happened to be in the Ore
gon country. He came tumbling over the Columbia River bar in the wreck
of the Peacock, an 18 gun sloop for the U.S. Navy.
On July 18, 1841, the Peacock attempted to cross the bar and hit the
sands on the spit which now bears its name. It broke up and was aban
doned, and the crew made its way to shore in the ship's launch. Later, the
survivors were taken aboard the U.S.S. Porpoise —all except James D.
Saules, ship's cook
While the crew was waiting for help, Saul met an Indian woman he liked
and the two of them went up to the cape to stay until the rescue ship had
picked up the crew and left. Saul liked the Peninsula country better than
he like navy life and decided to stay. He built his cabin on borrowed land
and settled down to a life as a Peninsula pioneer.
Saul had a brief fling as a car pilot but the venture ended in near disaster.
When the U.S. Navy's survey schooner Shark came to the bar and sent for
a pilot, Saul offered his services, citing his naval experience, and was hired
to take in the Shark
I He used] smaller boats and tried to take the Shark across a shallow spot
and grounded her solid. A few minutes later, Saul was seen paddling his
canoe toward his home on the cape while the Shark, now being piloted
by John Lattie, an experienced pilot, moved her off the sand and proceeded
up the river.
Black Saul had better luck as the captain of an odd craft, a 35-ton sloop
called the Calapooia, which moved up and down the river from Astoria to
Linnton carrying freight and passengers. He also made occasional trips
to other localities as the demand warranted.
The Calapooia was certainly a queer-looking boat but it was a staunch
craft, built with more wood than most other boats twice its size.
Saul could not find an iron anchor so he got a big old crotch of a tree,
fastened an ablong-shaped boulder in the croth and held it in place with
some tough saplings
It was odd-looking but it worked A few years ago, a fisherman at Asto
ria pulled up a similar anchor in his net and turned it over to the Columbia
River Maritime Museum where it is displayed today. Some people think this
is Saul's anchor.
Saul and the Calapooia were welcomed in every community along the
river. Whenever the outlandish craft came in sight, creaking and groaning
its way along the river bank, the women would set out a big supper, the
men would hide a jug of "blue ruin" in a handy place, and they would all go
down to meet Saul and his passengers for they knew that there would be
dancing, singing and storytelling that night.
Black Saul wasn't any great shakes as a musician but the settlers didn't
care. He could murder three tunes on his battered old fiddle and that was
enough for them. He would play these ancient wheezes over and over
again, stopping only long enough for a swig of "blue ruin" or a jaw full of
chewin' tobacco and then he’d go back to sawing music again.
The dance floor was bare sod and stumps served the intermission
minded. If Saul didn't get too much "blue ruin," daylight would find him
still entertaining the folks along the river.
"B ut good things always come to an end, and the Calapooia and Black
Saul finally ended up on a pebbly beach near Astoria during a storm. It was
the end of things for both of them. Saul tried to make a living in other ways
along the river but was never the same man again. He finally disappeared
forever in the wilds near Cathlamet Bay
Nothing along the river is named directly for James D. Saules, but Jim
Crow Sands and Jim Crow Point were both named for the well-known
Lower Columbia black man.
An Indian’s account of the death of Black Saul was printed in the Over
land Monthly in 1875: "Narwit-ka, nicka cumtux Saul. Yaka Halo Halo;
yaka memiluce Kathlamet il-lihe" — meaning that "Saul was gone, gone; he
had died and was buried somewhere about the shores of Cathlamet Bay."
It may not be engraved on a tombstone, but it is as good an epitaph as
any for Black Saul of the cape.______ ___
__ _____________ __
Roger T Tetlow is a Peninsula historian and writer
Koch Breaks Ground for Clean Water. Safe Seweis
City Commissioner Bob Koch turned on the water and helped dig
ground for sewer pipes at the Portland Mobile Home Park, 9000 N.E. Union
Ave., on Thursday, August 6 .
The 18.5 acre park was annexed to the city in 1973 with a "health
hazard" designation because of contamination between the ground water
wells and the cesspools used by residents. For years these residents have
protested to city and county officials to help clean the water, which has
been tested and found to contain unacceptable levels of fecal matter.
Koch had jars of the contaminated water to show the progress made.
He says his commitment to help the approximately 250 residents stems
from "values that I hold that we have a social responsibility to provide clean
water and safe sewers."
Koch is the commissioner in charge of the bureaus of Water Works and
Environmental Services; the latter manages the city's sewer system.
The park is owned by an out-of-state partnership managed by
Commwealth Property Management Services Co. Brad Fudge, president
of Commonwealth, spoke at the ground-breaking.
Commonwealth has signed a three-phase contract estimated to be
more than a half-million dollars to bring the park into the city's sewer and
water system and to do other improvements.
General contractor for the phase of construction is Interstate Mecha
nical of Portland.
Other speakers at the ground-breaking included LuVerna Lee, chair of
the environment and land use committee for the Piedmont Neighborhood
Association; Yvonne Haresf, park resident and activist in getting the area
cleaned up; Fudge, and Commissioner Koch.
City Commissioner Bob Koch and Commonwealth Property
Management Co President Brad Fudge hold examples of the con
taminated well watei and clean city water.
Representatives from the bureaus of Water, Environmental Services
and Buildings were also available for questions.
Girl Scout
Reunion to be a
"Campy Picnic
Party"
To celebrate the 75th anniversary
of the Girl Scouts, The Columbia
River Girl Scout Council is inviting
all former Girl Scouts and their
families to a special reunion. The
"Campy Picnic Party" will be held
Sunday, August 16. from noon to
4:00 p m at Portland's Oaks Park
Special featuies include classic
camp fo o d
hot dogs, ice cream
and. of cou.se, "Some-mores",
those gooey marshmallow, choco
late and Graham cracker concoi
lions made over a campfire.
Music, entertainment and merry-
go round rides are all part of the
day's events. In addition, a special
awaid will be made to forme' Girl
Scouts selected as "Women of Dis
tinction" from their communities
Prizes will also be awarded for
the best " amp uniform"
Call the Columbia River Girl Scout
Council, (503) 620-4567 for an invi
tation.
Co sponsors of this historic event
are Pacific Northwest Bell, U.S
Bank and Standard Insurance Co.
All former Girl Scouts and their
families are invited!
The Columbia River Girl Scout
Council, comprised of 13 counties in
Northwest Oregon and Southwest
Washington has a membership of
more than 10,000 girls and adult
volunteeis.
Dr. Jessica Bailey, Portland Community College
Sylvania and Don McInnis, Portland Community
College Cascade, met with community members
and the Black Leadership Conference at a reception
held at Columbia Edgewater country club. (L-R)
George Richardson, McInnis, Bailey and Carl Tai
ton
Photo by Richard J. Brown
New Walnut Park Liquor Agent Named
The Oregon Liquor Control Com
missioners have appointed Ronald
Taylor as the agent to operate the
Walnut Park liquor store. His ap
pointment is effective Sept. 1. He
will replace Bruce Stickney, who re
tired after serving as agent for six
years.
Taylor studied business admini
stration at Portland State Umve'
sity, Portland Community College
and Perata Junior College.
He
worked in retailing for several years
and served as a loan specialist foi
HUD before his appointment.
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