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