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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 1886)
I tMm W till I I r Ica was rv it? VOL. XVIII. OREGON PIONEER HISTORY, SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. -MEM AN. TIMES IN THE FORTIES . BY S. A CLAIIKK. , Copyright applied (or. All right, reserved NUMBER XXXVII. Thrilling Adventures or tho First Fort Orford Bottlers. Tho earliest mention of Port Orford in tho procurable nowopapor files I find in tho first volumo of tho Statesman, July -1, 1851, whero n correspondent, who signs "J. C. F.," writes from tho T. M. S. B. Columbia, under dato of Juno 25, tho samo yoar, Hint tho Bhip had just touched l'ort Orford to loavo two surveyors, who camo prepared to loy out tho now town thoro, but to their surpriso tho nlno men, only lately left thcro by tho steamer Sea Gull, woro missing, mid from tho nppenranco of tho Indians, who Hod on tho approach of whites, thoy woro forced to boliovo all was not right. Ho says thoy found upon tho ground nn imporfoct mem orandum of an attack, in which sotno forty Indians woro ongagcd.nnd eighteen paid tho forfoit and thrco of tho whites wcro wounded. This was only u partial statement to tho happenings of tho Kirkpatrick company, that wo shall Boon proceed to givo. Thoy found tho journal of another man, who described a war daiico thoy witnessed. Thoy found only ono dead body, that of an Indian buried in tho eand. Tho In dians, who left as they approached, woro clothing, not in nccordanco with aboriginal habits, and tho visitors thought tho nine mon had been mur dered nnd thoir effocts appropriated. This mado it difficult to establish inter course with tho natives, but tho persons who woro interested in establishing a seaport and commercial point thcro wcro not so easily put off". Two wcoks later tho Statesman pub lished a communication from J. M. Kirk patrick, who says ho was captain of tho nino men who wero left at l'ort Orford by tho Sea Gull, and proceeds to givo a statement of their adventures thcro and in escaping from thoro. This wo shall givo in detail as gleaned from this com munication and from n personal inter view had yours ago with Mr. John II. Egan, of Portland, who was ono of tho party of tho nino adventurers whom Capt. Tichonor persuaded to go thoro in his interest and locate a town. VOLUNTEERS 00 THERE IN FORCE. Tho facts concerning tho eottlomont of Port Orford aro not published consec utively in that paper, but como in in stallment without regularity. Thoissuo of July 22 bus a letter datod "Steamer Sea Gull, ofT Klamath Itivor, July 13," from "J. C. F.," who says tho project is to commence a settlement near Capo Blanco, and that Capt. Tichenor, with F. M. Smith, employed eight or nino mon to commenco a pormanent eottlo mont, and that tho namo "Port Orford" was givon to tho placo eoloctod. That effort having fuilod, by either tho nino men being taken prisoners or massa cred, as thoy believed, another expedi tion was organized with sixty-five mon as volunteers and a number of specula tors or agonti, who wero all well urmed and provisioned. Thoy had six pieces of ordnance, and intended to build a fort. Tho voluntoers wero youns and toughened to hardships; several wero experienced in Indian warfare and somo wero fino marksmen. Fivo or six pro prietors mado up tho list, so tliero were sovonty-fivo men in all. "With this pro litninary information, to give an idea of tho situation, wo will now go bock to tho landing of Eirkpatrick's company of nine, employed by Capt Tichenor and F. M. Smith, and show what stirring times they had in the preliminary effort to build a city by tho sea, to accommo date the mining region of Southern SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, Orogon. Wo may as wo say horo that so far as this turning of commcrco to a port on tho Southorn Oregon coast was concerned, it was a failuro. Tho moun tains intervening mado it impossiblo to construct.roads that could bo traversed at nil seasons, and the mines of that region havo had no Oregon seaport. NINE MEN HAVE A MISSION. Soon after gold discoveries opened Southern Oregon to commcrco and trade, it was deomed important to locato a seaport adjacent to tho mines. Capt. Tichenor was commander of a steam propeller named tho Sea Gull, n vossol woll calculated for tho coasting trado. Tho Sea Gull was at Portland in Juno, 1851, and when it started early in that month for San Francisco Tichenor took down a small party of mon who woro to locato at Port Orford and establish a point for trado with tho northoru mines. The Sea Gull reached thoro and an chored on tho 9th of Juno, remaining long enough to sco tho nino adventurers landed and making peaceful terms with tho natives. Tho Indians thcro wcro vory civil and agrecahlo so long as tho ship and her numerous passongors wcro in sight, but no longer. As soon as tho Son Gull got up steam and How away tho Indians commonced to do saucy things nnd bo vory impudont and offen sive. Fortunately tho steamer did not leavo until tho men woro well fixed and had a good defonsivo camp. At Orford a point puts out to soawnrd and tho harbor is mado by tho loa thus afforded. Tho bay or harbor is oxposcd to tho sea on tho south and west, and is sheltered by land on tho oast and north. In tho shelter of tho capo an island stands, closo by tho shore Tho mninlnud has a bluff, a hundred or so feet high, that overshadows tho sea beach. Thoro aro places whero crocks or ravines seek tho scashoro and break through tho bind', othorwiso tho sea wall extends around tho harbor. Tho island may bo eighty feet widoby thrco hundred feet long, nnd stands with its broadside- to tho shoro. Tho rock wall around it is porticndicular on all sides oxcopt at tho south, or southeast ern end, whero a well-worn trail ascends by a fair grado, somo rocks projecting and somo sharp turns affording protec tion. Tho surf pounds around tho island and on tho harbor boach, oxcopt whero tho island protects tho shoro lino. Un der tho loo of this island thoy first camped on tho beach, and nftorwardn on tho islnnd, when thoy found tho trail leading to tho summit. This summit proved to bo a plateau 80x300 foot, al most lovol, and inaccoBsihlo savo by tho trail that camo up at its southern point. Tho mainland had a level oqual to that of tho island plateau. Standing back from tho strait that lay between main nnd isle, it scorned as if it woro all mainland, as tho summit lords wcro tho samo. When thoy loft tho ship thoy persuaded Tichonor to let them tako asboro tho four-pound iron gun, or car ronado, on tho Sea Gull's dock. Tho night previous to tho steamer's loaving they took this gun to tho island and planted it at tho head of tho trail, whero it could sweep tho only approach to their refugo. This trail camo down from tho mainland whero tho strait was shal low and fordablo at any stago of water, whilo tho approach to tho island was baro when tho tides wcro lowest. This was tho situation. INDIANS ASSAIL THE FORTRESS. At first tho natives showed a desire to trado and bo friendly, When tho Sea Gull left thoy became Baucy and impudent and orderod tho whites to bo off. Thoy found their protected camp on tho island a great reliof from tho savages and experienced no trouble until tho morning of the sixth day, when tho Indians woro soon crowding down the bluff at sunriso and crossing the ford as it to come on tho island. Then Kirk patrick and some others went oat to meet them and tried to persuade them to keep back. Thoy wero ovidontly bent on a "scrlmmngo," for thoy had crowdod tho shoro at earliest daylight, built fires and had their war dance, which meant business on their part. It was ovidont, too, that they wcro hotter armed than ever before, as well as more numerous. Thoy wcro constantly being recruited by now parties that camo over tho hills to join them. A largo cunoo had mado its appcaranco with n chief and twclvo warriors. So, by early morn ing, thoy began to bo formidnblo as to numbor nnd character. Thoy gnvo no heed to tho orders nnd motions to re turn, but crowded across tho ford nnd commenced to climb tho trail. Kirk patrick nnd tho rest retired to their sum mit refuge, tho arrows whistling near them as thoy went At lemt forty In dians rushod after nnd ronchod tho top of tho trail beforo any stop was made. Tho savages then triod to pull tho men's lints oil', and to tear their clothing from thorn. Ono of thorn clinched with Jim Kerrigan and was about to tako his rillo from him, when somo white mon pounded his hands and mado him let go. Brush had been piled across tho head of tho trail nnd the ship's enrro nndo was a masked battery closo behind it. Tim tents of tho pnrty woro near by. Thrco of tho assailants hnd lonxxl over tho brush wall and wcro inside tho camp, when ono of tho men knocked them down, ono after another, ho being alono at that point Tho blows bent tho gun barrel and ruined co much ar tillery, but laid hora-du-combat thrco In diaus, two of whom wcro found to bo dead and tho other near it. This was all instnutnnoous and somo of tno men called to Kirkpatrick to firotho cannon. That was done as tho thrco Indians in sido tho camp woro receiving tho quietus already told of. A CANNON SHOT THAT TOLD. Tho situation was oxtremcly critical. Nino mon wero holding back n furious hordo of savages who had been nerving themselves up to tho work in hand and had ovorpowoiing mi inborn to do it with. In an instant tho mon stood aside, and whilo tho three on tho left wcro being clubbed with an old musket, Kirkpatrick seized n brand from tho camp firo closo by and touched off tho cannon. Its chargn of iron slugs wont liko a thunderbolt through tho crowd of Ravages that wcro massed at tho gun's muzzle, but had no idea of its existence. Never was shot moro opportune, and scarco ever was ono moro ofl'ectivo in proportion to its calibre. Tho head of tho trail was strewn with corpses. Tho Indians had opened tho battlo with a volley of arrows, but thoy fired up hill and tho arrows nearly all went sky wards. Thoy had long knives, liko tho Moxican and Central American machlto, as if u stout pieco of hoop iron mado tho blado, and pieces of wood bolted over ono end mado tho bundle-. They relied chiefly on bows and arrows, and whilo somo wcro at closo quarters others would shoot across from the main land. Tho cannon strewed tho way with dead and dying and then laid low in camp. Terriblo demoralization seized them, but many remained and fought hand to hand for twenty minutes. Tho whites followed up their cannon shot by ujo of their guns nnd pistols at closo quarters. Thoy had four mon wounded, but nono daugorously; all recovered soon, as thoro was no poison on tho arrowheads. That afternoon two rillo shots wero fired at tho island from differ? ont spots on shore, and tho men thought tho siwash had somo way got tho guns, but did not have ammunition to mako them available. Whon thoy finally got to tho Umpqua, they wero told thoro that tho Indians lost twenty men killed, and had fifteen badly wounded. Egan, of Portland, told mo many years ago that eighteen wcro found dead about tho island and had to bo buried. Thosowho survived stood before rifles and revolvers a little whilo, then fled to tho rocks that OCTOBER 15, 188(5. crowded tho beach and paid their coin plimonts in tho shnpoof arrowsliots tho remainder of tho day. nunviNa the Indian dead. It was tho middlo of Juno by this time, and tho weather was very wnrm. Tho island hnd no nativo spring to sup ply water, nnd tho men found fiirhtliig to bo thirsty business. Tho dead lay in tho camp, nnd ono follow who got n doso thoro survivod for many a day. Even ho was a heart-rending subject, with his groans and blood-encrusted locks. It was almost unbearable, es pecially as four of their own nino wero wounded. Toward tho middlo of tho afternoon nn old chief was soon on tho rocky bluff making signs nnd holding up his hands to show that ho was un armed. Thoy gavo him permission to cotnu to tho camp and ho finally did so, moaning pitcously over tho dead bod i oh that woro strewn about thoro. Soon af terward canoes camo, nnd tho bodies of tho dead woro put into thorn and borno away. Tho whites assistod in removing tho bodios that lay inside thoir camp, and hclpod to move tho wounded man, who had revived and was moaning piti fully. Indian troachory was shown to tho last, for a hostilo arrow or may bo ono of tho rillo shots carried away Joo Ilussoy'ri thumb whilo ho was at this work of mercy. For sovoral days thoy saw but fow In dian, and wero encouraged to think thoy had nil gouo away, and themselves left in poaco. This emboldened thorn to prospect tho vicinity, and in explor ing near camp, thoy found tho aromatic whito codar and saw indications of coal. In tho crook that put into tho ocean near by thoy found speckled trout in abundance. Tho discovory of tho whito Port Orford cedar was mado then, and it existed in immonso forests. Thoro woro great flocks of pigeons; son otter worn scon in tho water near by, while signs of elk, dcor and bear were all around them. Wo forgot to say that for somo reason or other tho Indians re fused to bury or tako away ono of tho doad bodies that lay at tho odgo of tho water. Probably it wns tho body of a slave, nnd thoy would not waste tlmo on it Bo tho whites covorcd it up timo and again, with rooks and rubbish, but liko lianquo's ghost.it wouldn't "down," and ovory high tido throw it about again. This kept up so long as they ro- mninod thoro, nnd tho samo sight grcotod Cnpt. Tichenor when ho finally was ablo to reach Port Orford on tho Columbia. The Mechanics Flr. This Fair has boon held for a wcok past and hns nttrnctod many pcoplo from a distanco. Coming in Octobor, when tho farmer has as much leisuro as ho can command at any timo, many im provo tho bountiful weather and excur sion rates for travel to sco tho metropo lis, lay in winter supplies and hnvo n sight at tho exhibit, which is lit up with olectria glare and crowded with curious human beings To bo sure much of what is thoro displayed comes from tho stores nnd is nrrnnged to pleuso tho oyo nnd fill up tho building, 200x200 feet in size. Tho galleries, too, aro crowdod with tho various etceteras that adorn our persons and beautify our homes, not forgetting tho picturo gallery that comes as borrowed art from many elegant homes. Near tho door is a sparo devoted to work mudo from Portland comont, and if it works us well as thoy say, and as appearances indicate this cement will equal in valuo its famous namesake that was named in generations gono by from a placo in England that gavo it to tho world. It is Portland ccmont again, on tho far-off shores of tho new and cntcrpriiing Occident. "West ward tho star of tho empiro takes its way," and this is tho shoro from which navigators point to "Furthest Inds." Tho various work mado from this cement NO. 36, showo its great valuo for many purposes. Such work as this strikes tho attention of a practical man, who realizes tho need ofmatoiial for building, nnd for many ornamental uses. Ho sees that our ro gion has natural rosourcos that aro oasi ly dovolopod as soon lis transportation makes thorn available Wo already havo rail and water communication to a largo extent and other enterprises nro planned that will open nil parts of tho Pacific Northwest to capital and enter prise. Among tho machinery wo sco Hint tho old timo pntrons of this journal nro woll roprosontcd. A great cngiuo rocolvos power from a boilor nnd koops ovory thing in motion. One of tho entries is tho "Stutcsmau steam generator," that was invented in our Stato by our fellow citiron (leorgo Stutcsman. David Colo & Co. havo nu interest in it, nnd Mr. Colo is determined to mako it known with nil its advantages for saving fuol and furnishing safe and economical power. It is mentioned in his advorliso niont and scomn to deserve all that is elnimed lor it. Tho floral garden, or parterre, is a very beautiful placo whore young nnd old can wander at ease, or occupy rut tic cnts nnd douches. Fountains nnd cat aracts ; cascados and springs from many small jots, waterfalls nnd rock work in different forms, with moss nnd lichens ; ivy nnd vines twining round a inlnia turo log cabin Hint a perchodon a rocky summit nil these nro lit by olectrio glaro that shines by night as brilliant ns if sunshiiio waked tho world. Tho horticultural exhibit ocaupics that snmo southwost corner nnd is perhaps moro nttrnctivo than over. Mr. Settlo miro bus u largo selection of green fruits; Mr. Soth Luelling has many beautiful grapes nnd other fruits. 11. W. Pretlymnn has a vory good exhibit, not so oxtonsivo in variety but not to bn excelled in excellence. Ho shows n fine lot of fruit trees, of wonderful sizo for thoir age. Mo has Japancso persim mons. (Somcono shows fig's), oxcollcut poaches from his own seedling trees, and intonds to introduce hero varieties of pouches that havo originated in our region, thoreforo should bo uccllmatod and do woll horo. Wo do not pretend to describo tho Fair ami do justice to exhibitors, only to givo a transient look as wo pass along. This Fair belongs to Portland mid its cituous hnvo a good support for it from tho country. It is worth much to young pcoplo to catch n sight of n city ; boo street cars and tho Irailto that throngs its streets ; soo river and ocean steamers, constors and dcop son ships, and watch tho buBtlo and rush of trado in tho bus iness eonsoii. A. F. Millor has chargoof tho agricul tural exhibit, and ho can show it with satisfaction. Thoro aro many visitors from abroad in our Slate at this timo and thoy all visit tho Fair, Thoro is much thoro that redounds to tho honor of our State, showing its vast but hiddon resources and their development. linker county has a mineral exhibit undor tho chargo of our old-timo friend J. W. Vir tuo, who was thcro in 1803-1 when wo lived thoro. He has charge of u vory exlonsivo and interesting cubiuet of rich specimens. Tho timo is near at hand whon that district will yiold troaiuro from its mines that will overshadow tho finest bonanzas on the Pacific slopo, not including Montana, for tho sumo range of minora) penetrates Idaho and Mon tana and Eastern Oregon. Tho American Fruit Drier is in opera tion thoro, for which Messrs. Stuver & Wulkcr tiro agents. It is handled by Mr. Winston, of Douglas county, who has much oxporionco in drying fruits and says this excols in its prefect work and oaso and economy of operating it any drier ho over saw. Ho turns out dried apples in two hours timo. Ui.ue Vitriol. Cheanest nt Port Drue Co., 100 Statu street.