The Sunday Oregonian., July 22, 1906, Page 11, Image 11

THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, JPORTLAND, JTTIr 22, 1906.
11
PIONEER COUPLE
REDUCED TO INT
Frederick Nodine and Wife, of
Union, No Longer.
Wealthy.
HE SIGNED FRIENDS' NOTES
Remnant of Large Fortune Swept
Away by Trusteeship Eastern
Oregon Statebullder, Now Aged,
Blind and Helpless.
BT BURT HUFFMAN.
UNION, Or., July 20. (Special Corre
spondence of The Sunday Oregonian.)
Bitting in the shade of his ramshackle
cottage in Union this evening Is a deject
ed, -broken old man, past 80 years of age,
tstone blind, stripped of wealth, forsaken
by once-trusted friends and left to wear
out the last remaining days of a long and
active life In bitter regret at the ingrati
tude of the world.
His wife, now past 70, Is compelled to
work in the beet fields at 75 cents a day
as a sole means of support for herself and
husband.
For 20 years this man was the largest
property-holder, the largest taxpayer, the
largest employer of labor and the most
active and energetic farmer and stockman
in Union County. His wealth was esti
mated at Jl"00,000, for a number of years,
and his cattle ranged from the Blue
Mountains to Idaho.
Today he is penniless and blind, his aged
wife is his sole means of support, his vast
wealth having been consumed in paying
security debts, taken from him in litiga
tion and by the machinations of shrewd
manipulators who took advantage of his
confidence.
Volumes of Western history are
wrapped up in the life and experiences of
Frederick Nodine, this pioneer of Oregon.
Ths story of his eventful career and ac
tive business life would fill pages and his
mark has been left indelibly upon the
Ftate. Union, the town which has enjoyed
- Ihis generosity in the past, is peculiarly
indebted to him for many public benefits.
Fred Nodine was born in Spafford, N.
Y.( In 1826. When a mere boy he came
West. In his early life he drove cattle
from Texas to Missouri and Kansas, and
later was engaged in the border warfare
In Kansas.
In 1859 he went to Pike's Peak, and
later the same year, accompanied by his
young wife, started for California, the
lure of gold having touched his life.
Worked Beside an Ox.
He started across the plains with a
Rood outfit of oxen and wagons, and was
well supplied with everything that was
needed in the long journey. But as he
zieared the California border his oxen
sickened and died, and when the Truckee
River was reached he was stranded by
the death of the last but one. of his oxen.
His comrades in the train could not help
him, for their teams were reduced to the
last extremity. They could not wait for
him, for their supply of provisions was
running short and Winter was rapidly ap
proaching. So he hastily constructed a cart from
the remnants of his wagon, loaded a few
of the barest necessities in the cart, and,
picking up one end of the ox-yoke, he
worked beside his last remaining ox from
the Truckee River across the Sierras into
Dutch Flat.
Already the -early snows had covered the
peaks of the Sierras, and the pass over
the mountains was perilous and inhospita
ble, but the daring young Immigrant car
'ried the yoke and pulled the cart Into
tho Golden State, his brave wife helping
push the cart up hill and riding down hill
whenever possible.
To Oregon In 18&2.
After three years In Dutch Flat, Cal., he
came north to Oregon and located the
beautiful quarter section of land on Cath
arine Creek, on which the north part of
the town of Union is now situated. That
was in 1862, and he became the first white
settler on the eastern side of Grand Ronde
Valley. There was already a small settle
ment at La Grande.
He sold his homestead at Union in 1S65
and engaged In the cattle business. In
1868 he went to Texas and bought 1000
head of Texas cattle and started them
overland to Oregon. The Union Pa
cific was being built that year and beef
along the line of construction was high
priced and he sold off his herd until he
had but 400 left.
With this herd he came to Oregon in
the Fall of 1868, driving the first herd of
cattle that ever passed down Snake river.
This was the beginning of his immense
cattle industry, which In a few years
numbered several thousand head.
Bought Swamp Land.
On his return from Texas he purchased
from Henry Owen, of Salem a release on
2000 acres of swamp and overflooded land
near Hot Lake in Union county. He also
purchased from James H. , Hendershott,
Fred Shoemaker and John Brattan their
filings on the tule lake in the same vi
cinity and thereby laid the foundation
for the largest farm and ' cattle, ranch
In Eastern Oregon.
The tule lake district and overflowed?
land thus acquired consisted of about
2500 acres, which was covered with over
flow water from Catherine creek for
several months of each year.
Into these immense tule fields he turned
his cattle to Winter pasture, the grass
and foliage being so plentiful that he
needed no hay. The high tules afforded
excellent shelter and for five months,
each year several head of cattle ranged
in the bottom lands surrounding Hot
Lake, coming out In the Spring sleek
and fat after their hibernation in the vast
tule beds.
With the foresight of a prophet he saw
that farming land was to be valuable in
herd for his own personal use. Nodine
was taking a Hulin stallion to Cheyenne
for a friend and the old chieftain selected
this horse and paid him $350 for it and
also bought a steer for peef, paying J30
cash for it. The chief told Nodine that he
had plenty of money and would take
nothing without pay.
Finest Farm in Union County.
While he was pursuing the cattle
raising industry he was in the -meantime
building up a fine farm. In the harvest
of 1S85 he threshed 50,000 bushels of bar
ley and oats, owned the largest barns,
the best equipped farm in the county.
He employed over 60 men and shipped
horses and cattle to every market in the
country.
At the height of his career In the cat
tle business he wintered 5000 head in
the tules n?ar Hot Lake. This was the.
largest number of cattle ever owned by
one man or firm in Union County.
Security Debts Ruined Him.
. Big-hearted, generous, convivial and
open-handed, the hard times of 1893-4
found Fred Nodine on numerous notes
as security. Neighbor after neighbor
failed and the burden fell upon Nodine.
Judgments began to accumulate. Law
suits were frequent. Litigation en
tangled his immense holdings . and in
1S94, feeling that something must be
done to save his remaining property from
the Inevitable wreck, he placed it in the
hands of trustees for sale and settle
ment. From that day to this he has lived in
abject poverty. His Immense property
dwindled away piece meal, yielding him
ONCE WEALTHY COUPLE REDUCED TO POVERTY
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MB. AND MB&. FREDERICK NODINE, FIRST SETTLERS IN UNION.
CHARM OF THE OAKS
Greatest Summer Amusement
Resort in the West.
MANY NOVELTIES PLANNED
Oregon. Railroads were directed toward
the West and immigrants were coming
in by the thousand and he undertook the
immense task of converting his tule lake
into a farm. With about 60 yoke of
oxen chosen from among his Texas
steers, he began ditching and building
levees to turn the channel of Catherine
creek away from his land.
About this time the state employed
him to build two state ditches to pro
tect farming lands in the lower end of
Grand Ronde Valley from floods, and
with his outfits he built two Immense
ditches across the entire length of the
valley. These old ditches are in ex
istence yet, although subsequent settle
ment and improvements have rendered
them practically useless.
But the reclamation of the tule swamp
was complete and the land which had
been covered with water each year was
seeded to wheat and barley and at once
became the most valuable farming land
in that part of the valley.
First Herd of Cattle Eastward. .
In 1875 Nodine drove the ' first herd of
cattle ever sent out of Oregon to Chey
enne, from where they were shipped on
the new railroad to Chicago. He had
accumulated several thousand head of
cattle and several hundred head of
horses and at this time, in 1875, he was
the wealthiest man and largest taxpayer
in Union County.
He drove cattle to Cheyenne each year
for a number of years and had many
thrilling experiences on the trail. In
the Summer of 1875, shortly after the
Custer massacre, he encountered Sitting
Bull and 500 warriors on their way into
the Unitah country in Utah. He had
met Sitting Bull before on the plains
and knew him.
Sitting Bull told him on this occasion
that he wanted the best horse in the
no Income, bringing him no support.
Debts, litigation, ingratitude all of these
evils have combined to strip him naked,
leaving him alone and penniless to spend
his last days in blindness and sorrow.
The last remaining vestige of his prop
erty is now being threshed over in the
Supreme Court of the state, and he hopes
to be able to rescue enough from the
wreck of a once magnificent estate to
last himself and wife through the re
mainder of their lives.
Fred Nodine donated the public school
house site to the town of Union. He
donated the present cemetery, one of the
most beautiful in the state, and in the
settlement of an. estate back in the sev
enties he -gave to every - man who would
build a house one lot of ground in East
Union free of charge.
CHOICE MUST BE RATIFIED
Bishop Scadding Will, Not Come
Until Church Authorities Consent.
Bishop Charles Scadding was elected at
the annual convention of the Oregon dio
cese last June, but it will be the latter
part of September before the routine pro
cedure of the Episcopalian Church has
been gone through with and he can be
permitted to come to his new field. After
the bishop gave his consent to accept the
honor tendered him by the Oregon dio
cese, the consent of the standing com
mittees throughout the country had to be
obtained, and after this must come the
consent of the majority of the bishops of
the Kpiscopal Church. All this takes time,
and while there is no possibility of any
objection to his acceptance of this bish
opric being made, the regular procedure
must be-gone through with.
Automobile Race With Fireworks
Accompaniment Is Announced.
Prince Karl Has Arrived.
Waltalng Contest.
If the drawing powers of the Summer
amusement resorts depend upon the num
ber and quality of attractions to be found
within the limits of the park, then the
Oaks should be the greatest success of
any park in America Outside of Coney
Island, there Is not another resort In
America (taking into consideration the
size of the city) that has so much to in
terest as the Oaks. The Oaks includes
those attractive powers which have been
provided by nature, and does not depend
solely upon those attractions resulting
from the ingenuity end skill possessed by
man. It is a gem of the forest, and an
ideal resort, which Dame Nature has
embosomed within her dimpled landscape
on the beautiful Willamette.
On reflection, it appears that the people
of this country are turning more and
more to outdoor attractions. This is de
cidedly a healthy symptom. Of course,
most of the theaters are closed during
the Summer season, and nothing Is more
natural than that the family should seek
shade and seclusion in parks and cooling
waters. Throughout - the United States
new parks have been' opened by the
score during the past year, and it Is safe
to prophecy that scores more like the
Oaks will be added each year. The high
grade and variety of performances of
fered at parks similar to the Oaks is
such as to make them appeal to all
classes of amusement-seekers. An East
ern paper lately stated that If It were
possible to arrive at statistics, the outlay
of the Summer parks with their build
ings and transportation lines of approach
would amount to hundreds of millions , of
dollars. Perhaps no one ever dreamt
when the Oaks was opened that It would
prove such a mecca for the hundreds of
thousands of visitors that It proved to be
thus far. Manager .Friedlander is plan
ning to present in connection with the
many interesting features and attractive
amusement device? now installed in the
Oaks resort a new and sensational open
air attraction which will be free to pa
trons. The first novelty will be an auto
mobile race in the park. The automobile
is handled by an expert chauffeur who
has been identified with one of the largest
manufacturing concerns of fireworks in
the country.
It is in the nature of a "set piece" of
gorgeous fireworks, displaying the most
magnificent fireworks exhibition ever seen
in the country.
It is the first time that a novelty of this
kind has been seen. The race will take
place on next Thursday night, when, in
addition to this racing, there will also be
an exhibition of other new and elaborate
fireworks.
There Is a new feature added to the
many attractions at tbe Oaks which can
be seen every afternoon and night in the
small theater - on the avenue. It is the
famous horse. Prince Karl, who Is called
the horse with the human brain, and
who counts, adds, subtracts, tells the
time of day, picks out. flags of nations,
picks out members and colors, picks out
the prettiest lady In the audience, and
also the color of dress and does pedestal
work., and numerous other attractions.
Prince Karl is the only horse In the
world that walks upstairs backward.
In addition to this attraction there is
Mile. Mozette's trained dogs, who are
among the quickest and liveliest of work
ers and do the most unique acts.
The prize waltz contest at the dancing
pavilion will be continued each Wednes
day night hereafter until further notice,
and beautiful prizes presented to the
best. lady and gentleman waltzer. The
last great balloon and parachute as
cension will be given today. Professor
Colman, by special request, will repeat
the great ascension act in which he leaps
from the cannon on the parachute and
makes a double ascension, one of the
most thrilling and daring acts of Its kind
In the world.
The management has also decided to
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A BEACTUTL SCEK AMONG "THUS OAKS" AT "THE OAKS RESORT.
We sell them to you for less money than others caxe to do, on credit terms far more liberal than
others care to name. Not a single article of Furniture, not a yard of Carpeting or any other House
hold Furnishings but what you save money on when you buy it here. Our new Carpet Stock is
beginning to arrive. On Friday we unloaded a car of most beautiful specimens of the carpet weav
er's art. Don't fail to see these new patterns, sold at prices not to be duplicated in Portland.
Extra Rug Bargains
SO Smyrna Rugs, 9xl feet, in beautiful Oriental effects;
regular ' price 120.00. Special price (for cash fl Cfl
only) ftO.uU
Brusselette Art Squares, 9x7 foot size; great value;
reversible can be used on both sides. Special t J nc
price only d'riUJ
Rugs, BxS feet, Austrian Wilton Hall Rugs; reg- fC en
ular price $12. Special prices, S1.T.0 and qUiOU
100 Smyrna Rugs, 27x60 inches; regular J2.50. . 1Q
Special price 4 I Id
Rugs, S-9x7-9 feet size, made of the best Brussels Car
pets, with borders; regular price 16.00. Special J JQ QQ
Rugs, 8-3x10-6 feet size, made of the finest quality Kxtra
Axmlnster; regular price $35.00. Specia..oo qq
price $LttjQ
French B. Brussels, 6-8x8-6 feet in size; regular Q nfl
price J12.D0. Special price ddiUU
Inlaid Linoleum
We are prepared -o offer a great bargain In M. M. Inlaid
IJnoleum. .We guarantee it to wear as well as any
made in Scotland, and eoual to any J2.25 linoleuni on
the market. This we will sell for cash only Q
-at, per yard w I it3
Printed Linoleum, equal to any J1.25 grade sold Ofln
In the city, for only, per yard UUI
The very best Furniture at the lowest prices. Our '
showing this year far surpasses previous efforts. Our
stock was 'always large this season larger than ever
and the quality of the very highest. And prices you
have never been able to buv such Furniture at anywhere
near the Gevurtz prices. Our Mail Order Department is
prepared to h'mdle all countiy orders promptly. Re
member we prupay the freight on Oregon or Washington
orders.
.ier
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Be Filled
Buffet
Specials
Send for
Catalogue
-t wit rSistfW. friW.'r MiyrrTi $
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FreigTit
No. 3T8. This Buffet will appeal to every one,
both on account of its beautv and the low price
at which it is sold. The height is 54 inches, width
40 inches. It is topped by a French bevel-plate
oval mirror 12x34 Inches. Two drawers have locks
and keys and ornamental brass pulls. The cup
board has large door, fitted with leaded glass of
very -neat design. The illustration conveys a cor
rect idea of its general appearance. It is one of
our specials. Pay (O.M ch, 2JO month- One nfl
It.- Priced at QLJiUV
No. 377. Tour attention is called to the beautiful
. leaded glass front of this buffet. - It would make
a pleasing ornament to any dining-room. It has
a perfect polish finish., and the beautiful grain of
the qUarter-sawed oak is plainly visible in the cut.
The ijciRht Is 64 inches, width 40 Inches. Bevel
French plate mirror 12x24 inches. Note the ban 1
some French legs and deep hand carving. 007 flfl
Pay 95.00 ca.h. f2JSO monthly. Price OZliUU
Special Offer in
Eclipse Ranges
In addition to our liberal terms
of $1 down and Jl a week for
our "Belipse" Steel Range, we
will, during- July, allow with
each range sold FIVE DOLLARS'
worth of goods FREE from our
Granite or Tinware Department.
A 6-hole Eclipse on above terms
S40.00
$60 Sewing Machines $25
Only A DOLLAR will place one of -these
great machines in your home,
and thereafter you are asked to
make the small payment of FIFTY
CENTS per week. Tou earn the
cost of the machine twice over be
fore you are required to pay for it.
$1.00 Down, 50c a Week
Q ev u rt z &Sons
"GEVURTZ SELLS IT FOR LESS"
173-175 First Street 219-221 Yarohm Street
give a beautiful door prize to a lady and
gentleman each Saturday night hereafter
during the season.
GIRLS GROW SWEET PEAS
Many Entries Expected for Contest
at Grcbhaiu Next Friday.
GRESHAM, Or.. July 21. (Special.)
The sweet-pea contest, organized in the
public schools last Spring by County
School Superintendent K. F. Robinson,
will be inaugurated next Friday after
noon and continue over Saturday. This
contest is for girls only, and promises
to be very Interesting. Superintendent
Robinson has' placed the management
of Eastern Multnomah County in this
contest in the hands of Miss Birdlne
Merrill, Mrs. Clara Anderson and Mrs.
Ida M. Thorp, who will attend to hav
ing the flowers arranged for exhibi
tion in the City Hall, Portland, by next
Friday noon.
In speaking of the contest yesterday
Superintendent Robinson said:
'We want all the pupils who care
to enter for the prizes to send in their
prize bouquet and" also one or two ad
ditional bouquets for decorative pur
poses. We want. also, as many other
bouquets for decorating as we can get
from others wqo may not wish to com
pete. Those who arrange them may
put green foliage with them if they so
desire, but no other flowers."
A large numbep of girls of the coun
try schools have been growing sweet
peas for this contest, which will be
given under auspices of the Oregon
Mothers' Congress.
of switches will be put in and ware
houses will be built. together with a
power station, depot buildings, car
barn and other necessary buildings for
the needs of the road. The tract is
fill in cultivation and level. It Is lo
cated near the 11-mile post where the
new railway crosses the Base Line.
BUYS LAND FOR STATIONS
O. W. P. Purchases Tract on Right
of Way of New Branch.
GRESHAM. Or., July 21. (Special.)
G. W. Andrews yesterday sold 20 acres
of land on the Base Line road to tbe
Oregon Water Power & Railway Com
pany for $4000. The new branch road
now under construction from Cedar
vllle to Troutdale runs along one side
of the property, which has a frontage
on the Base Line of about 50 rods, and
it is reported that the railway com
pany Intends to make that point its
most important station on the branch
road.
It Is said that an extensive system
HE HAS AN EYE TO BUSINESS
Bootblack Who Catches the Trade of
, the Godly and Ungodly.
A bootblack stand in the downtown
district of Portland gets its custom
ers "a-coming and a-going." In the
first place it has chairs for both men
and women, the latter being behind
curtains. Secondly the stand is In
front of a saloon, which gets the trade
of the men, and on one side is the
store of a florist, which atracta the
fairer sex to that neighborhood.
But this is not all. The ingenious
bootblack proprietor has his place dec
orated with pictures to suit the tastes
of his pious as well as his sporty cus
tomers. On one side of the wall hangs
a likeness of Martin Luther, with sev
eral smaller, illustrations. Beside this
is a picture of 8t. Cecelia. Just oppo
ite the religious views are several pic
tures of prize fighters, a score card
for the races and other attractions for
the happy-go-lucky fellows. It is
needless to state that the chairs of
the bootblack are nearly always oc
cupied, the good and the noc-so-good
having their shoes shined by the same
hands, as they sit and admire ie
bootblack's picture gallery.
Dry Sunday in St. Louis.
EAST ST. LOUIS, I1L, July 21. At the
instance of Mayor Cook, an order was
issued today by Chief of Police Purdy
that saloons must be closed tomorrow.
Chief Purdy said the instructions must
be obeyed to the letter, and gave warn
ing than 'any dram shop keeper who was
caught selling or giving away a drink
on Sunday would be arrested and his sa
loon license revoked.
Jury Upholds Unwritten Law.
FULTON, Mo., July 21. The jury In
the case of Edmund Bailey, a coal miner,
charged with murdering Jau Lauder, his
employer, a wealthy coal operator, re
turned a verdict of not guilty, and Bailey
was discharged. Bailey shot Lauder be
cause of the tatter's relations with Mrs.
Bailey. Mrs. Bailey's trial, charged with
being an accessory to her husiind, began
yesterday.
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