Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon free press. (Oregon City [Or.]) 1848-1848 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1848)
224 OREGON FREE PRE SS FOE THE VOL I.) WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1848. (NO. 3. OREGON FREE PRESS. Published evert Saturday. Geo. L. Cuery, Editor and Proprietor. TERMS (In advance.) dol. cts. One copy, per annum, ........ 3 50 do do six months, 2 Each square (12 lines or less,) first insertion, 2 Each subsequent insertion, 1 A reasonable deduction made on yearly advertise ments. Currency and produce taken at its cash value. HISTORICAL INCIDENTS ABOUT OREGON. NO. 3. Though the late N. W. Company, and their succes sors, the H. B. Company, had withheld liquor from the Indians in the interior of the country, still, at the entrance of the Columbia, the coasters had issued it so freely that tbe.Indians there had become much attached to it hut the officers of the II. B. Company, in 1827, stopped the issuing of liquor to Indians, and limited the sale of it to the Company's servants, and whites on the sea board, (as tin re was no liquor in the interior.) to half a pint two or three limes in the year but al lowed them the usual gratuitysay, one pint on leaving the depot, and the same on arriving from winter quar ters. Asjhis was a gratuity established by custom, the officers considered it was a right of which they could not deprive the servants; at the same lime they paid those who left their liquor the sale price, in any tiling else, which was paying high; as, to prevent its con sumption, the Company sold liquor 300 per cent, on prime cost, whereas all their other articles were sold to servants at SO per cent, on prime cost. But the to pers exclaimed against this limitation as an act of tyr any and oppression, and to refuse to sell them liquor, when they had money to pay for it, as an infringement of their liberty as freemen. But the officers obsened, it was true, freemen had a right to do with their money as they pleased, and purchase what they pleased, and also to sell what they pleased, and the officers only availed themselves of the latter right. But as the Indians, who had been allowed to indulge in liquor, had become attached to it, the officers had to use management in dealing with them, and though orders were issued, publicly, to slop issuing liquor to Indians, still the Indian trader was permitted to allow the principal chiefs a bottle of rum occasionally but be was to tell them they were indebted for it to his kindness and therefore they must he on their guard, t tat the officer in charge did not And it out, as it would expose ihe Indian traders to severe consequences. Of ten have the officers smiled at seeing an Indian leave the Indian shop, a little elevated with a bottle of the stuff under his arm, which he was most careful to hide fey wrapping his blanket about himself and en deavoring to conceal his state by affecting a more than ordinary dignity and gravity. But when the in ferior Indians were reconciled to the want of liquor, the officer in charge took measures to withhold the small quantity indulged to the chiefs,and prepare them for jit by telling any of them ho rnet coming from Jho Indian shop, ,1hatit seemed to him he wag drunk, and the officer would inquire of the trader if ho had given him liquorywho, of course, answered, 'no.' But when the proper time came, the officer in charge met the principal Indian chief coming out of the Indian shop, and told him he appeared drunk, when the chief denied having had any, liquor Attliesaroe time, he dropped the bottle of liquor tltat I he Indian trader had given him, which the offi cer took up, and while he was scolding the Indian tra der for giving Mum' to the Indians, the chief slunk off and ou the morrow, sent for the Indian trader and expressed his sorrow that be had been the cause of his getting a scolding. This gave him a good pretext for refusing to give Mum' to any other Indians in future and thus the issuing of liquor to Indians, was stopped at Vancouver without disturbance and the Indians laid the blame of it to the principal Indian chief, for allowing his bottle of 'lum to fall to the ground be fore the officer in charge. It also deprived the. Indian chief of the means of doing mischief, if so inclined, and, as he was the most influential man among them; this was an important consideration ; fur at (hat time, the Indians about Vancouver were at -least five times' as numerous as at present, and there were not above S00 white men on the Columbia and New Caledonia, and only about 00 in the establishment at Vancouver, and the Indians along the banks of the Columbia were so turbulent thai it required a" party qf 60 armed men to travel safely between Vancouver and Walla Wallai Even, Spring 1829, when Sir George Simpson went up the Columbia, the Indians at the Dalles were io turbulent that when the boats were loaded, and the. people about to embark, the Indians made a rush to seize the boats, and were only slopped' by Dr. Tod ta king aim at the chief, who immediately called to his pe pie to slop. It was afterwards found that every gun of the parly was wet except Dr. T.'s, (because he carried it) Ihough two men bad been left to guard them while the remainder of the men were carrying Ihe boats and baggage over the porlage. In the same neglectful manner, which, in such cases, js.crjminal, in 18:25, the H. B. Company sent a vessel, the William and Ann, Capt. Dauwell, to discover the mouth of ErazierJs river. She had a crew of about 40 men. Two sentries vvere kept constantly on each sido of the deck while'she was at anchor yet on examining their eight capnou, after leaving Frazier's river, they found every one qf them had been unloaded by the Indians which shows how difficult it is to gel people, unaccustomed to it. to keep a vigilant watch. Bui to return to our subject. By-taking every care to afford them no opportunity to pilfer by prudent and firm management the Indians were brought to have that regard and respect for the whites that, since 1832, any two whites could safely travel between Vancouver and Walla Walla, and since 1834, between Vancouver and Fort Hall and thus they did these poor people an immensity of good, and also facilitated the settling of L))Q whites, in the country, and consequently the introduction of civili zation. A. FOR THE FREE PRESS. Mn. Editor. I see by reference to the " Free Press" of April 15lh, a letter over the signature of H. J. G. Maxon,in which he refers to me, together vvilb others, as having left the army without leave. To use his own language, be says' We have ascertained that Jesse Gage, R. Jenkins, and V Villi am Simmons have Jeft here without leave send the boys back if you can, and save them from disgrace." It is only necessary for me to here slate, that 1 yvas on my way to the valley vvilb Col. Gilliam when the fatal accident ojf his death occurred. The ColoneL tended yjsiting .the vilify to stimulate the citizens ttf prosecuiijfijbe war with moro