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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1875)
57 in Utah. Ttes to the New York Interest In Ilio Mountain Jure rccdU n curlouq Incident bocHme Involved about that tlmn. the particulars of which wore onlv uuilur- .stood liv three persons beMilo uiyelf. It was In thu summer of the name year, 18o7, that a pirtvof f-inigrantn from Mls-ou-ri penetrated tho Territory ot Utah, on their way to California. This company numbered precisely fifty irion, Riuonp; whom worn oltbtt'cn men, the rest being women and children. They weroamplv provided with ljaRKi;e'Waotis, xn and buret"), and were unusually forlunatH tn earning throuich Hip Indian country without tho loss of any of their number, and with no serious depriva tion of their hajtirfgo. It was my fortunn to be one of the loaders in that enterprise, and idv wife and child were with me. When wo had gone some hundreds of miles Into Utah wo wore approached bv n noted frontier character known as " J1I11 LieRgett " a grimly, shaggy follow who galloped over Irotu a neighboring camp upon a little mustang, never halting until the ani mal almost ran over us. This Lggett was a curious compound of tho desperado, min er and scout, a man capabio of tho most atrocious deeds, and yet at times showing feelings as tender as a woman's. As he reined up his horse and looked around he paid no attention to the numerous salutations he received, but as he drew up abruptly wanted to know "Where the deuce Is the leader of this perce8ion?" Several pointed to me, and he looked down from the back of bis horse, carefully scanning me from, head lo fool, "So you're the leader of this funeral, at' you ?" he asked, with a sly chuckle peculiar to himself, and when I nodded I expected to hoar some ubaracterNtiii slur upon my ap uearance. but the old borderer was disposed e gracious mat uay. "You iook nice a Itty decent sort of u chap, and I've got tnetbing to say to you so. If you're a Kind, Just walk out here beyond earshot and fo'll orate." We went on" together. Leggett. swinging ono of his Immense legs over the saddle of bis mustang, stepped down to the ground, and leaning with his hack against the horse, looked me keenly In the eye and asked me : "How many men have you golT" "Eighteen." "All armed, be they?" "All armed and ready to defend the com pany at any time. They've learned some thing of Indian ways while crossing the plains." "They have, eh! Wal, they're got to learn a thundering sight more aforo they reich Callforny. Do you know that the very dickens will he tn my afore you can strike the Sierra Nevada?" I replied that we apnrohended no unusual danger, RDd asked him CO be more explicit. He seemed to have a peculiar reluctance to explain the particulars of some important knowledge that he had gained within the last day or. two. He said that hn was In the neighborhood of Salt Lake City when he teamed that we had passed, and he iound out too that an Indian plan was arranging for destroying our entlro party. Beyond this he seemed uuwllling to communicate what he had learned, but he Anally ventur ed the opinion that If we were attacked at all it weuld be at a place known as Murderer's (iulch. If we could get beyond that with out disturbance, or If wo should prove our nelves able to repel any assault, we might consider all real danger passed. Having told me this much Leggett leaped Into the saddle, galloped up the ridge and vanished. The guide to our party was a MOar, who had crossed the plains, but whoso knowledge of the country was less thorough than we had a right to expect. Hn had led us astray several times, but when I came to speak of Murderer's Gulch be regognized the place at once and assured me that he had participa ted In the ceremony of its christening. He was one of a nartv of miners who encamped there a hair-dozen years before, there being a round dozen of them, when they got into a fight which resulted in the death and dan gerous wounding of eight of the number, most of whom were left upon the spot. Murderer's Gulch, as It was called from that day, was only five miles away, and it was now early in the afternoon, so that it conld be easily reached before night fall. So we set forward, and when we halted the sun was still an hour high. The gulch was sim ply a ravine, 100 feet wide, with sloping sides that were less than a dozen feet high. The beauty of the place was that the bottom was overed with the Honest kind of grass, and in the center was a spring of dellciously cool and clear water, so that it possessed every requisite for a camping site, with the single .exception that in case of attack the advan tage was with the assaulting party. In view of the warning wa had received from Leggett the question was debated whether we should halt here or pass further on. The grass con tinued along the bottom for several miles further, but this ws the only spot where water could be obtained; and at every other place the banks were much higher. We bad seen Indians at a distance during the entire day, and we had exchanged shots more than onoe with some of their horsemen. There could be no doubt, therefore, that we were In a very dangerous section of the .country, and a careful review of the situa tion led us to adopt a rather novel defense, the success of which depended upon the .darkness of the night. Before dark three camp-fires were kindled and their smoke was clearly outlined against the sky. The teams were unhitched and set grazing the succulent grass while a number -of us took pains to show ourselves on the slope so that there could ba no doubt that the redskins were fully apprised of what we were doing. This continued until some time aiUr dark, the fires burning brightly, -while the confusion and bustle were greater than usual. An hour after sunset the entire caravan, with the exception of four men, started silently up the gulch and never halt ed until they had reached the open prairie, fully a half dozen miles away. When they set off they lea behind them two large baggage-wagons, and each of us four men had his own norse. There was every reason to believe that the .Indians Intended to stuck us at this place, aa Leggett had told us, And we adopted this not very original artifice in the nope of throwing them off the track. Favored by the darkness, we believed we could make them think the entire party waa In camp, and by making a gallant show hold them at bay until the women and children, with their escort, would have time to get beyond their reach. After the departure of our friends we permitted our ramp-fires to smol der, for if there were too much light a keen eyed Indian would be apt to detect the trick we were attempting to play upon him. All this being arranged us carefully as possible :two of us stationed ourselves upon one side the ravine and two upon the other, oar hor ses being tethered a abort distance below us, where they could be reached at a moment' warning. All of us were lying flat in the Krass near the top of the bill, so that we .could peer Into the gloom without the dan ger of being seen ourselves, whllo we were enabled to make better uso cf onr cars than our eyes, for by applying our ears to the ground wo were sure to detect the approach ofahorse.no inutor how carefully he was uulded. We had lain upon tho ground less than two hours wlitii I hiard tho faint but distinct sound of a horse's hoofs, to which wero instautly jiiltied those of sevoral others. I gnvo utterance to a low, soft, tremulous whi-tlo to apprise tbo others of what was coming, aud the replies instantly came back. Within five minutes I caught tho shadowy outlines of a horse, whose head was directly toward me. end who approached within twenty feet before I could make certain that he had a man upon his back. I took the best aim possible and fired. The horse wheeled and dashed away, but as he turned I saw the , nrius of his rider thrown up In the air. Al most at tho same momout the crack of a ritle was heard upon the opposite side of the I gulch, and immediately after the sound of a 'third gun directly up theraviueln the direc tion taken by the caravan. This lart shot caused us great uueasluexs, for it looked very much as if our ruse had beeu detected, tuougii it naa Been our oenei up to mat mo ment that the women and children were all of two miles away. After tbeR shots all remained quiet for an hour, when X began to give way to my draw blues, and assuredly Bbould have fallen asleep but for suother report up the ravine, evidently from the same rifle we bad heard bolore. Several times during the night we heard the sound of hoofn, and in several ca ses of men moving about, hut we could see nothing of them, and no further shot was fired within our healing during that watch. We remained on the alert until near morn ing, when we mounted our horses to ride away, certain that if the redskins found out how few we v ere they would make a rush for us; but when we came to mount we found ouriiumberwasreducedtothree. An examir.a 1 npro el that thefouithhadboen killed and lasenaway, while tbedead bodies of tho Indians themselves had boen stealthi ly removed during the darkness. Ualloplnga short distance up the gulch, whom whom should we meet but old Bill Legget,ou his mustang, riding toward u at an easy canterT Leading us up out of the gulch to the prairie above he pointed to two dead bodies in the grass. "You heerd my gun tn let in the night, didn't ye?" he asked. We replied that we did, and were afraid it boded 111 to the cara van. "They're all right," he added, with one of his terrific oaths; "the first shot pick ed off that loafer and the next that one. They was down in the gulch, and I hauled 'em up here where I couFd keep 'em till daylight." " What was that for?" "Ill show you." With that he loaned over one of the men and, with some water from his canteen, rub bed tho side of his face. Then he split the sleeve of the other's huntlngshlrt. The re sult iu both cases was the discovery that the skin was as white as our own. Both men were Caucasians, as no doubt were all the others concerned In this little incident, which took place less than three months previous to the massacre at Mountain Mead ows. Another Narrow Gauge. The Patrons, and farthers generally, of Vermont, are moving in earnest for the construction of a cheap railroad which shall be run in the interest of the pro ducers of that enterprising little State. It is proposed to construct the road throughout the entire length of the State, from North Troy, at its extreme northern limit, to Shelbume Falls, a nourishing manufacturing town, in Massachusetts, just below the southern line of tho State of Vermont. The road will be about 240 miles in length, and will skirt along the eastern decliv ity of the Green Mountain range. The northern end of the route has been al ready fully surveyed. The estimates of the engineers place the cost of the lower end at S12.500 per mile, while the upper end, which is less mountain ous, can bo constructed much cheaper. Farmers must do their own business over their own roads, constructed and managed in the most economical man ner, and in the special interest of the transportation business. The steam-ship Castalia, built for crossing the English Channel, promis es to be a success. For some unknown reason she is condetnned by people con nected with the railways and hotels, but a traveler on board of her, writing to the London Timex. says: " The sea was enough to try the regular steam ers, but on board the Castalia children were playing about her ample deck, everyone was perfectly comfortable, and I can safely state that it is the first time I ever crossed the Channel with out a sign of sickness. We arrived at Calais n good quarter of an hour before the regular steamer, and had plenty of time to arrange about tickets for the railway baggage, ac, before the de parture of the train." An Ohmging Tbamin The Massa chusetts papers record a new phase of tramp character. The best tramp story as yet comes from Brookfleld. A tramp stopped at Widow II. 's a few days since and asked for food. She replied she had none. Mr. Tramp went across the road to a neighbor's and asked if they were awaro the woman on the other side was starving. He then re quested the loan of a fishing-rod lying close by, which was granted. With it he went to a pond a short distance off, fished for several hour, catching a good string, returned to the Widow H., and made her a present of them. A German paper expresses uneasi ness at tho decreasing population of Prussia proper. Between 18U1 and 1804 there was an increase of 8,40ft, but be tween 18(J4 and 1807 there was a de crease of 12,722, and letween 1807 and 1871 one of 50,440. Allowing for the loss of life within the last two wars, and for the Prussian soldiers quartered in France at the time of the census, the loss of population in ten years amounts to 52,200. Walking horses are coming into us age at Western fairs. It is urged In favor of such contests that homes able to walk at the rate of four or Ave miles an hour are of more value to farmers for farm work, than those that can trot a mile in two-twenty. Forests and Rainfall. Somo ex periments recently made in Franco to determine tho effect of forests on tho amount of rain-fall, led to the following conclusion.' The experiments were con ducted In and near a largo forest. One set of instruments for gathering rain and recording the temperature, satura tion of the nir, etc., was put at a height of twenty feet above a group of oaks thirty feet high, in tho heart or tho forest. Another set of instruments was put in the open air at a distance of .'J2." yards from the forest, and at the same height above tho ground as the first. At the end of six months the records showed that during the first six months of 1871 more rain fell in tho forest dur ing each month than in the open field. Tho total rainfall in the forest wassoven and a half inches; the total rainfall in the open field was a fraction less than seven inches. Tho difference in degree of saturation of the air was in favor of the forest during each month, and the mean difference for the six months was one one-hundreth in favor of the forest. The experiments arc to be continued. They indicate that forests constitute vast condensing apparatuses, and the conclusion is one which has already been generally accepted, viz., thatmoro rain falls on wooded land than on bare and cultivated soil. Philadelphia Led ger. Setii Wright's Sheep. In the year 1731 there was n farmer of the name of Seth Wricht in Massachusetts Who had a flock of sheep consisting of a ram ana some twelve or thirteen ewes. Of this flock of ewes, one at the breeding time bore a lamb which was vere singularly formed: it had a very long body with very short legs, and those legs were bowed. If this pe culiar build had presented no practical utility, it would probably have disap peared in time; some of the offspring of the iamb in question would have in herited their parent's structure, but successive admixtures with the normal type would have gradually effaced tho exception. It so happened, however, that in that part of Massachusetts whero Seth Wright was living, the fields were separated by fences, and as the sheep were active and robust, they often overleaped these fences to stray into the neighboring farms, causing thereby much bickering and quarrel. It occurred, therefore, to Seth Wright who was, like his successor, more or less cute, that if ho could get a stock of sheep like those with tho bandy legs they would not bo able to jump over tho fences so readily, and ho acted upon this idea. He killed his old rain, and as soon as the yonng ono arrived at maturity ho bred altogether from it. The offspring, we are told, were always either pure Ancons (the bow-legged type) or pure ordinary sheep. Four Hundred and Fifty Liv ing Descendants. A Nashville dis patch to the Louisville Courier-Journal, dated the 27th, tells of a remark able woman: "The one hundredth birthday of Mrs. Mary Vaughan was celebrated at her homo in Williamsom County to-day. She was born In Not toway County. Va.. Auer. 27. 1775. She is the mother of seven boys and eight gins, iouneen oi wnom are married. The family is notonly large in numbers, but giants in size, but few men coming under six feet, even down to the fourth generation. Five hundred persons as sembled amund tho stand, garlanded with flowers, to do honor to her ono hundredth birthday. Short addresses were made, and thero were songs and prayers. After the religious services the assembly formed a procession, in which was 100 of her descendants, and, headed by Iter, marched to a grove, and partook of a sumptuous dinner. Her faculties are unimpaired. She hears well, uses no spectacles, and fre quently walks a mile. She attributes her long life to habits of uninterrupted industry and uniform obedience to her husband. She wove the cloth which uniformed Iter grandsons anil great grandsons, soldiers in the Confederacy. She has now 450 living descendants." Kentucky has 100,000 Patrons. An affecting sight barrels In tiers. Dependence is a poor trade to follow. Deeds are fruits; words are but leaves. Better go around than fall into a ditch. In these days no lady appears perfect ly unruffled. Papers that ought to be red The Auburn papers. All boys' beds are spring beds on Fourth of July mornings. Considerably pulled down The boy that was caught up a neighbor's applo tree. People with gardens say the hen crop promises to be as largo as over this season. "Putting a pull-back necktie on to him," is what the western lynchers now call It. "This," thought a boy, while being trounced by his food papa, " Is very like a whale." It appears that coining copper is not profitable. Tito government has not made a half cent since 1857. A darkey called at Owonslwro', Ky., the other day, and wanted to know, "Does this postorfls keep4tamped an telopes." The third husband of a fascinating woman spent his lost breath in implor ing her not to marry again till after tho funeral. State Meeting of Grange Agents Return of tho JEra of Good feeling. Tho General State Grange Agent of Illinois has called a meeting of County Agents to assemble at the State Fair to bo held at Ottawa, III., during the pres ent month. The object of tho meet ing Is to bring together, for mutual counsel and advice, all the local agents, to the end that a general and systemat ic plan of operations' may bo devised and put inaction, whereby the co-operative work of tho Order may bo more economically and more completely car ried out in that State. Manufacturers and others with whom the agents deal are also requested to be present, and meet with them as occasion may re quire, to tho end that all may unite their wisdom in planning the great work which they tiro respectively call ed upon to look after for their mutual interests, and the good or tho great public, whose welfare should be guard ed as carefully as possible, amid tho conflict of interests which naturally exist between tho producer and the consumer. It is confidently expected that this meeting will be more fruitful of good than any which hns heretofore been held to advanco tho business arm of the Order. Tho benefits expected will not bo confined altogether to the matter of dollars and cents; but will undoubtedly do much to restore onco more tho era of good feeling which has been temporarily suspended by a mis understanding on tho part of those who are without tho gates of our Order in regard to its aims and objects. If a few such mectings-ns the ono proposed should be held in other States it would largely servo to disabuse the public mind of many of tho erroneous ideas with regard to tho Patrons of Husbandry the chief of which is that a natural warfare exists botween them and tho middlemen of the country. This impression was obtained in part in consequence' of tho injudicious re marks and writings of some not well advised members of tho Ordor itself, but more largely by reason of tho mis representations of those without tho gates, who havo vainly sought to make political capital out of this great farm er's movement. The mistake of this latter class, we opine, will not soon bo repeated. For if there is any hotly of tho American people which is dead set against being used as tools of political demagogues, it will bo found in the ranks of the Patrons of Husbandry. Tho progress of reform in agriculturo in Mississippi under Grango Influence, says the Southern Rural Gentleman, within tho past twelve months, is per fectly splendid, and if another advanco step is taken this fall and winter, the result will bo such as to creato a perfect blaze Of enthusiasm among farmers and change a bare and forlorn hope into living reality. Herulttauces. Money duo the Fakvkr can be paid to tho State Agent at Portland, Mr, A. Warner, if more convenient than vending the fame to this offlcc. How to Obtain Patents. Any person desiring Information as to the mod ol taking oat patents, can send a request to the Fanm; office, accompanied by a one-cent stamp, and will, cclre by mall a copy of the revised Patent laws and pamphlet containing full Information as to how Invai tlons can be patented. 35". .A.. Bmltli, -A-rtltst, Salem, Oregon, dealer In Stereoscopo and Stereo scopic Views, ana Scenes of Salem and the surround ing country. Llfe.slze Photographs, In India Ink, Oil or Water Color. mil Agents for tho Willamette Farmer. Albnsy ,115 tlannnn Amtty GKOetrhcll Antelope F A Cook Astoria SD Adair Bethel LRFraier Uuena Vista Wm Wells, Alt Brown Bull e Disappointment S Handsaker Brownsville W Jl Kirk Outtevltle J W Ilocheldcr Can j on City -...DBRhlnchart Canjomllle O W Cnlvlg Cole's Valley W B Clarke Coie F Shoemaker, B F Kendall Corvallls E Woodward Crcswell Koscoe Knox Clackamas W A Mills Camp Creek G R llammcrslcy Dallas J D Leo, D M Guthrie Damascus R Forbes Dayton KC Hodaway Dalles HL Brooks East Portland v Jacob Johnson Empire City TI) Winchester Euirene City KB Dunn Elkton D W Steams Vox Valley A D Gardner Palrrlekl J J Blevant Forest drove 8 Hughes, W I, Curtis Goshen J Handsaker Gcnals Sheppard ft Gaines Greenville J F Price llalscy TJ Black Hood River WP Watson Harrlsburg Ulram Smith Illllslioro A Y Boyce Junction Smith. BrasUeld fc Co., W L Lemon Jefferson W F West Kellogg' All Kellogg Lenlnlllt- JM Dewier LaGiande , ,...8 Ellsworth, Lafayette Mr Popplcton Lebanon S II Claughton Meadowtille UK Lassdale Mitchell AHBreyman Monmouth W Watcrhouse Newellsvllle l'V Castlcman North Yamhill DC Stewart Oakland J It Ellison Oswego AH Shipley Ott J II Hchroeder Oregon City J M Bacon Ochoco J II Douthlt Pendleton W A Whitman Peoria SD Haley Portland A Warner, Agent State Grange Prinesvllle OMPiingle Perrydalc McOrew'a Store Klckreal FA Patterson Knsebarg Thos Smith SU Irvine 4 Morris, Thus Munker Bllvertou Jas A Wright Hodalllo , WISGllsMi BhedrTs WM Powers Springfield AG Hovey Sublimity lohn Downing Sweet Home Ben Marks Sheridan J B Morris Ten Mile KM Ourney Turner HAWIUcl Vancouver... HW Brown, BBDenure Wheatland LC Forrest Willamette Fork M Wllklus Walla Walla J F Brewer Woodburn Matthlot Bros Waldo JO Elder Willow Forks A O Pettey Youcalla RH ApDicgate Zena.. D 1 Cooper BOOTHBY & STAPLET0N, Manufacturers and Dealers In Sash, Doors, Blinds, and :DLclcI:o.3, ETC.. ETC. BRACKETS. And all Kinds of Scroll-Sawing. HAVING THE BEST FACILITIES AND TH latest Improved wood-working machinery to manufacture the abovo articles, will oiler Inducements to tnstouvn.. Also, V O OJL-'rXTK,IVIVGr, Iu all Us varieties. Orders from tho Country Promptly attended to. Office and Manufactory, cor. of Front and State street Hindi RALKM. dawtf PUHE BRED SPANISH MERINO Slieep, DIRECT PROM TnR CELEBRATED FLOCK OT GEORGE n.iirilUOND. Esq.. of Vermont. Bucks, from $50 to $250. Kwes, from $50 to $150. For sale by JESSE X. OABX, alOt. Oavilan P. O.. Monterey co., Cal. WOOL BAGS ....AND.... AT THE SALEM BAG FACTORY AND T. Cunningham & Co.'s, AT SAN FRANCISCO PRICES. Salem ' Mat 14. 1874. d A wtf NORTH SALEM STORE. W. To. WAT, A T THE BRICK STORE, HAS JUST RECKIV UL. cd a lull assortment of General Merchandise, Dry Goods, Groceries, Boots fil Shoes, Hardware, Clothing, Calculated for the City and Country Trade Bought aa tow, and will be sold at aa SMALL A PROFIT, a Jioso who SELL AT COST. pf-Qoods delivered to vnv nart ot tbo citv free of chArue. NovUr ATTENTION Sheep Growers!? A SURE CURE FOR Scab, Screw Worm. Foot Rot, AND ALL Parasites that infest Sheep. TT IS SAFER, BETTER, AND VASTLY CnBAP TBAN ANY OTIIEJi EFFECTUAL REMEDY FOB THE TREATMENT OF SHEEP. IT Improves the Health OF TUB ANIMAL, AND TUB QUALITY OF THE WOOL. W One gallon la enough for one hundred to two hnnlrod Sheep, according totholr age, strength, and condition. ' It it put np la FIVE-GALLON CANS-Prlce, (IS per can. Bend for circular, to T. A. DAVI8 & Co., PORTLAND, OREGON, Wholesale Agents for he Ntate. Or to your nearest Retail Druggist. iny$ To Farmers and Others. IMMIGRANTS ARK ARRIVING IN THE BTATK by every steamer In search of employment, and the Board find difficulty In getting vacancies for them Wa therefore earnestly request Farmers and others who require Farm Hands or labor of any kind, to Im medlatelr communicate with ns and we will gladly supply them with such labor free of charge on our part. Please state the wage offered, the class ot men yon want, and for how long employment will be given. The Assistant Secretary Is In dally attendance at the Board Rooms. Ankeny's Building. Portland, from 10 to a p. m each day, to whom all letters bonld beaddtesaod. W. H. LADD, B. OOLDfcMlTII. II. W. OORBETT, O. LEINENWBBBR, WILLIAM REID, State Commissioners of Immigration. SALEM FOUNDRY. & Slaolilno 81ioj, SALEM OREGON. B. F. DRAKE, Frop'r. -TEAM ENGINES, SAW MILLS, GRIST HILLS, 9 Reapers, Pumps, and all kinds asd styles of Ma chinery bum to order. Machinery repaired at a short notice. Pattern-making done In all Its various forms, an all kind of Bras and Iron Casting furnished at short notice. Also, manufacturer of ENTERPHISB PLANER and MATCHER, and STICKERS and DRAPERS. MaHwtl Oil Jif, tW tH MANUrACTURCoV sa&ljypjiLUNCKRODTflKa '-We'V? i" 1 ST.tOUIS.Moii M