Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887, October 22, 1886, Image 1

Willamette farmer., October 22, 1886, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextV VOL. XVIII. OREGON PIONEER HISTORY. SKETCHES OFJ EARLY DAYS. ---MEN AN TIMES IN THE FORTIES BY 8. A CLARKE. Copyright upplloJ (or. All (rlghti reicrvcJ. NUMBER XXXVIII. Thrilling Adventures or the First Fort Orford Settlers. THE SECOND INDIAN ASSAULT. On tho fourteenth morning they saw Indians in largo numbors. Tlioy np ponrod by daylight find nindo all sorts of insulting motions. They mado grcnt fires on tho mainland. Thoro wero moro of thoin than they hnd over scon boforo nnd would havo counted at loast flltocn to ono of tho Americans. For tunately, tho soa guarded their fortress nnd tho walls wero by nnturo inaccess ible, so tho bolcagucrcd party hnd tho Advantage. Tho Indians nindo falso at tacks nil day long. Their chiof waB haranguing his men with n loud voico, but whenovor ho would got their courago to tho sticking point, so that tlioy put in an nppenranco as if to rush up tho trail and storm that island fortress, somo ono on tho hill would scizo a brnn.il or wavo a match, as if to touch off tho four-poundor, nud their courage would ebb as fast ns it hnd mounted, nnd they nil dodgod boliind their rocks again. Tho gun was only fired ono timo nnd that was at tho outsat, when it did such deadly work. Arrows flow all dny long across tho chasm that separated their fortress from tho main. Tlioy soon got so they stood out and dared their foes to let them fly; thoy would stand, rnmrod in hnnd, nnd fend thorn off it thoy camo too near, an oasy thing for n man to do who understands fencing. So thoy amused thcmsolvcs whilo tho sav nges gavo vent to tholr hato by most insulting gestures and pantomime When nn nrrow has gono ovor fifty yards any ono with quick sight enn easily fend it off. Tho only wny to get eight of an Indinn was to stand out and daro them to firo. To do this tho Indian had to stop for a moment Into the open, nnd that was tho timu when tho boys got a chanco at thorn. Thoy soon got too wary to bo easily caught. ROMANCE Or WARRIOR EOAN. Ono of tho party was James II. Slater, our ex-senator, another was John II. Egan, tho painter, ono of tho old citizens of Portlnnd. It was Egan who bont his musket barrol in tho mcleo of tho first fight nnd laid low tho threo who got into camp on his side Tho Indian who survived hnd u mark on tho sido of his bond where tho musket barrel scalped him, nnd carried a baro spot thero to his grave. Though this hap pened on tho wild Oregon coast, tho Indian was n Piuto or Shoshone. Cnpt. Tichenor afterwards nindo his homo at Tort Orford, and recognizing this In dian as tho one who survived the battle on tho island, called him Egan, after tho man who gave him his almost fatal blow. Egan afterwards returnod to tho coun try ho belonged to, and wus engngod in tho Inst liannack raid ovor the Blno mountains. Ho was seduced by tho Umatillas to accept their hospitality and was then murdered. Ifo was a notablo Bavago and warrior of noto. When they stripped him, after tho murder, his body was found to bo literally covered with wounds. This was tho rather romnntio story of "Egan," tho horo Indian of tho Inland empire. THEY HUMHUG THE INDIANS AND GET AWAY. "When tho Sea Gull left tho nino men to found tho beginning of a metropolis at Orford, Capt. Tichenor promised to return in ten days, if possible, or cer tainly in fourteen. Bnt tbo steamer Sea Gull was libeled by due process of law, at "The Bay," and Tichonor could only come back when tho Columbia did, and make arrangement! for that SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, Bhip to Btop nt Orford to sco how mnttcrs progressed. Tho Columbia arrived on tho day after thoy had desortcd tho plncc, for unfortunately thoy had not waited hor coming. Tho situation wns almost dosporntc. Thoy had moro In diatiB around thorn every day, nnd it wns only n question of timo how soon thoy must lcavo tho plnco or loavo tholr bonos there. Their powder was scant, and thoy only had nn nvcrngo of fivo caps each. Thoro waB enough of can non powdor, but it was too coarso for riflo use, and if not thoy had but n fow caps. Matters had come to n crisis, tho latost day sot for tho return of tho Sen Gull wns now gono by. Thoy held a council, nnd it wns determined that thoy must go from thoro. Tho rctolvo wns to movo up tho const. All tho shoro in front of tliom wns lined with snvnges, nnd a largo Indian camp was mndo below tho island. To deccivo them tho men commenced to cut trees nnd lay them nlong tho rock wnll, as if for n moro comploto defense They put in n good day's work in this way nnd wntched for developments. As work progro'sed thoy could bco tho bonds of inquisitlvo Indinns peering ovor tho rocky bight of tho main shore, and in this way learned tho disposition of their enemy's force. If tlioy could bo nindo boliovo that tho whites woro forting up for n permanent stay, it might and did, lead to good results. Through tho dny thoy snw Indinns leave their stations nlong tho wnll opposlto and go down to tho villngo boy o ml ; later in tbo day tho Indinn enmp broko up nnd thoy nil moved nwny. WOODS AND REACH TRAVEL. In this way thoy by strategy imposod on their enemy nnd had n clear field. Thoy could only expect this to last n fow days, until their enomy could renow tho attack in stronger force. Later in tho day thoy camo down from their island camp, only carrying wbnt thoy must bnvo for food, clothing nnd arms, nnd keeping ns much as possiblo out of sight in cuso that any Indians woro near. They struck across tho capo that juts seaward nbovo Tort Orford, and when thoy camo down on tho sea bench kept right nlong on it northward. To wards evening thoy camo plump upon a wnr party of thirty natives, who wero ovidontly making thoir way down to rcinforco tho besiogors nt Tort Orford. Audncity was their only safety ; so thoy dashed forward nniong tho coming war riors, who woro taken by surprise nnd rushed poll moll into tho woods that lined tho shore. Ten miles up tho beach thoy camo to enpo Blanco, around which thero was surf instead of beach. Crossing the capo through tho woods thoy camo upon nn Indian trail, and by signs in it discovered that whilo thoy had been in tho woods a largo band of Indians had passed them on this trail. Not seeing any signs of white men's tracks they had turned back tho way thoy came This wns fortuniito, though it scoinod si range that thoy had not been moro correctly followed. Thero was n good providenco on thoir side. Tho woeds woro full of sal-al lierrics that wero refreshing if not very strengthening. Whilo in tho woods they had heard tho Indians, who wero in search of them, nnd now had tho satisfaction to know thoy had given up tho search. THEY REACH CIVILIZATION. They camo in duo time to tho mouth of tho Coquello river, where thero woro two largo villages on tho north sido that could muster 200 warriors. As soon as thoy saw whito men they began to get ready for a fight ; so tho travelers took to tho woods again, and oight miles up stream found timber suitable for a raft, which thoy lashed together with small ropes they had with them, and so crossed tho stream. They remained in tbo mountains two days, living on salraonberries four days of their time. Thoy bad no matches, so could only use gun-caps to Btriko n light, Mr. Egan says when thoy crossed thoy loft tho rnft to go down tho rivor, to find tlioy wero on nn island, and woro after n whilo re lieved of this quandary by Indians who camo with n largo canoo and earned shirts off their backs by helping thorn to tho north shore. About two months after tho timo that this pnrty got nwny from tho Indinna who had their villages noar tbo mouth of Itoguo rivor, T'Vault's pnrty, Hint wns going down for tbo samo purposo Kirkpntrick's party went, woro'attacked and twenty mon killed by tnom. Tlioso Indians wero novor othorwiso than hostilo to whilo men. Si Ileddcn, who wns with Kirkpntrick, was nlso with T'Vnult, nnd managed to oscnpo tho second lime. At tho Coquello river friondly Indinna gavo tho wnndcrors food nnd nlso ferried tho nine over Hint stream, earning somo of tho clothes olT their backs by so doing. Thoy never had heard of tho Coquello, supposing they bad reached tho Umpqua, but after going up tbo river ten miles saw tbo error of their ways nnd turned back. Thoy know of settlements on tho Ump qua. They found none, so waded swamps and reached tho beach again. Tho next day they got to Gardner nud Umpqun City, where citizens gavo thoin warm greetings and good food. At Scottsburg tbo friondly hospitality was repeated. They know nothing of Coos bay or tho Coquollo,nnd woro fortunate in finding tho Indians friendly. When thoy found Coos bay entrance thoy got somo.Indlniis to ferry them across to the main shoro, nnd from thero to tho Ump qun was easy, comparatively speaking. Tho men who composed tho nino who went through all tlioso adventures wero: J. M. Kirkpntrick, who wns tho lender, a rcmnrknbla man in many respects, whoso life has been full of adventures; John If. Egan, now and boforo that timo n citizon of Portlnnd, painter by trndoj J. D. Palmer, who afterwards lived for ninny years in Salem, just across tho bridge at the bond of Com mercial street; Joseph Hussoy, James Kerrigan, Cy. Ileddcn, Georgo Itidcout, n man nnmod Summers, and James II. Sinter, who Intoly was in tho U. S. Son ato from Oregon. TICHENOR'S GOOD INDIAN. Thero wero n few sottlors in tho Ump qua valloy by that time, and a road wns mndo thoro from tho Willamette, so tho wandorera pushed on townrds civiliza tion and in good timo reached thodonser settlements. Orford wns not easily tamed and mndo a city of trado nnd commorce, ns tbo world planned to bnvo it, but in duo timo Tichenor lived to mnko his homo thoro and tho Indinns been mo friendly. An amusing story is told of tho nrrivnl thoro of tho Indies of tho bravo captain's family. Tichenor had erected a neat homo and furnished it nicely nnd when thoy camo it was all ready for them. Tho tablonu, u wo heard it, was that mother and daughter, just arrived, woro tented in tho parlor on a brand now sofa, when thoir nerves woro shocked by tho appcuranco of ono of old Tichenor's "good Indians," who camo in with all the aboriginal dignity imaginable but drccsod only in n breach clout of scant dimensions and seated himself betwoen tho two ladies. Of Tichenor himself it is not related that his nerves received any shock. It is said that ho took tho situation in with a benignant smile. PORT ORFORD .MAKES A START. Tho steamer Sea Gull made another trip early in August nnd left moro men. Tho Umpqua river settlement bad mndo such progress that she lauded n collector for tho port. Under dato of August 0, "J. 0. F." writes that tho Indians con tinuo friondly. Gold and stono coal had been found in that vicinity. IIo refers to tho 8an Francisco papors as giving tho latost news from there, so tho lettor is unsatisfactory. An editorial of August 20, 1851, sums up Port Orford as having OCTOBER 22 1880. for proprietors Cnpt. Tichonor, of the Sea Gull, T. Unttu King, collector of Snn Francisco, Jnmos Gamble, Fred crick M. Smith, Isnno M. Hubbard nnd Col" T'Vnult. Thero wns n stockado fort, two Inrgo block bouses, sovcrnl pieces of artillery nud numerous rides nnd rovolvors. Thoy woro looking out wagon roads to tho Umpqua valloy, "Chnsto" mines, etc., but thoy novor got thorn in good running order. It was ''also thought thnt this point will ulti mately bo tho principal inlet nnd outlet of n Inrgo portion of California," which shows that pcoplo wero ignorant of geography, or nt least of locnl fact?, in that dny, and had very vnguo nnd spec ulative idoas ns to whoro commercial points should bo built up. T'VAULT HUNTS LOST INDIANS. Port Orford matters woro qulot, so far nt least ns nowspnpera woro concerned, until early in Octobor, when tho States man fairly overilowod with its troubles, or at least thoso of tho party that wns journeying thoro by land. Tho snnio issuo has an editorial notico that Mr. Dart, supcrintendaut of Indian nfl'airs, and two of his subordinates, had boon ongaged in treating with tho Port Orford Indians for lands. They hnd collected fivo hundred, big and little, nud hnd purchased tho country along tho coast from tho California lino to the Coquillo river, and fifty miles in tho interior. It was said to include somo of tho finest lauds in Oregon, which shows how littlo editors knew of son coast lands. This issuo contains thrco various accounts of tho T'Vnult cntnstiopho, ono being by that individual himself, from which I gather that immediately aftor arriving from Portland, on August 21, with n company of eightoon men startod to ox ploro n routo to upper lloguo river. For threo days thoy wont down tho const to near tbo mouth of that river; thoy met innny Indians and told thorn all to bo nt Port Orford in fifteen to twonty-fivo days to receive prcsonts and mnko a treaty for their lands, and small presents woro mndo to thoso tlioy met. Only in ono instnuco wns (hero any manifesta tion of hostility. T'VAULT FINDS HIS IjOST ONES. Then thoy boro northeast n fow dnys, nnd on August 31 nine of tho pnrty started to return. Tho other nino kopt up Itoguo river until Hcptombor 7. They lnid by a dny to euro elk meat, ns their provisions wero running short. Thoy wont over n vory brushy country nnd only trnvclod threo to eight miles u dny. Wnon about thirty miles from tho Oregon and California trail thoy followed n plain trail to the north to reach somo plnco whero supplies woro procurnblo, ns thoy woro running vory short. On tho 12th of Septombor thoy camo to tho south branch of tbo Co quillo river. On tho 1.1th, boing out of provisions, thoy abandoned their ani mals so as to mnko better progress through tho wild mountain rogion. Thoy engaged Indians nnd ennoos to tnko thorn down tho Coquillo. Ono of their party was Oy Ileddcn, who had been with Kirkpntrick's party in Juno. Ho rocognized that thoy woro on the Coquillo whoro tho Indians hnd been hostilo nt that time, nnd warned T'Vnult to bo on his guard. They believed thoy were on tho Umpqua and going down to Scottsburg, nud woro much put out when thoy found their mistnko. On the 11th of September thoy passed near somo Indian vitiligo, intending to laud, when naked Indians in largo numbers rushed into tho water, grappled with them, and climbed into their ennoos. Thoy tried to i ush for tho shore. As ho tried to draw n revolvor, T'Vnnlt was knocked down and found himself float ing down tho river. On tho shoro ho saw a fierco struggle, hoard shouts nnd screams of agony and groans of tho dying. Ho saw n canoo near by and an Indinn lad in It Tho boy helped him in hclpod Brush in, whoso bead bad been pounded with an Indian paddle NO. 37, thon pointed to tho south side, put n pnddlo into his hand nnd jumped over board. Thoy renchod tho south sido, stripped on" their clothing nnd crnwlod up tho bank. THE TRAIL TOWARDS HOME. Thoy traveled south In their naked condition, following tho bench nt night nud in nnd through tbo woods by dny. At Capo Blanco, ten miles from Orford, friondly Indians took euro of them nnd carried thorn in canoes to Port Orford tho next day. Mr. Brush had sovcrnl inches of his scalp cut oil". It is not plain why thoy loft their clothes, unloss to decolvo tho savages, but thoy could not hido their trail from thorn. Thoro is somo iiicohcroncy in this statement, but that of othors confirms tho T'Vnult story. A lollor from Gardlnor, Umpqua rivor, says that Cyrus Hcddon nud L. L. Williams renchod that plnco nftor eight dnys' journoy in tho wilderness. Anothor ono escaped with them, but thoy lost sight of him nftorwnrds. lied don was unhurt, but Williams was thought to bo mortally wounded, as two nrrows entered him nnd ho was fearfully biuiscd. Thoy hnd lived nil tho timo oh wild berrios nnd soa hiubsoIh. Tho regular corrospondont, J. C. F., writes on tho sumo topio from Orford. His story is similar, but oven mora voluminous. Superintendent Dart wns thou nt Port Orford nnd sent ono of his ngonts with nn Indian chief to hold n talk with tho villninoiw Coquillcs. In tho issuo of November ! tho Statesman says nnnthor expedition failed to And n good routo to tho mines. This expedi tion hud to loavo ono of thoir men n full week's travel in tho wildorncss, as ho hnd sprained an anklo. Thoy gavo him all tho food thoy had nnd promised to return for him with n horso, but bo met friondly natives who took him homo sooner. Thoy had to hunt food, ns thoy hnd none, but hnd tho good luck to find ganio. 1 fo snys : "Somo fow dnys since I wont up tho const, in compnny with thirteen othors, for tbo purposo of recovering a riflo. It was taken by iiiombcrs of n trlbo near there. Thoy got the riflo nnd tho re volver taken from T'Vnult by tho Co quolles who hud become vory obediont, probably by means of blankets thoy had recoivod. Tho steamer Columbia had arrived with two companies of dragoons, that wero to punish tho In dians who had committed tho hostil itics. THE REGULARS MEET THE COQUELLES. A correspondent writing from tho Umpqua, date November 10, says that Mr. Williams was still at Gardiuor and suffering from his wounds, hoping that Tichonor would come along with his Sea Gull nnd tnko him to Snn Francisco, whore ho could havo proper treatment. Wo suppose this h. L. Williams to bo identical witli tho gentleman so well known in Umpqun, who was for bo many years clerk of Douglas county, nnd a captain of Oregon voluntcora during tho civil war. One Hundred and Thirteen titles of Organs. In numbering the organs of thoir manufacture, Mason ic Hamlin havo reached No. 1(10,000. Arranged in a lino thero would i each one hundred and thirteen miles, or would fence tho rail road on ono side from the Grand Cen tral Station in New York, to within twontv miles of Springfield, Mat. Not only does this show tho great popularity of American organs, but it illustrates what wns declined by James Partou to bo a general fact, that ho who makes tho best article in his line always makes tho greatest success. We understand that the Mason & Hamlin Company's now Upright Piano is now commanding a lurgo sale, and is, in every way, up to tho standard of thoir unrivaled organs, Wo predict a largo success for this piano which is con structed on a new system, said to bo a decided advanco over tho prevailing wrostpin systom. Boston Journal. Shears are nn nbsoluto household necessity. A good pair costs $1 wo givo them away. Soo our ofl'er.