H
f
VOL. XVIII.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. MEN AN
TIMES IN THE FORTIES
1IV S. A CLARKE.
Ospyrlg'it applloJ lor. All rights reserved.
N NUMBER XXXIX.
How Colonsl T.R. Cornelius and Party Crossed
the Plains.
COL.T. R. CORNELIUS.
"In 1815 tho family of Bon Cornolius
lived in Jaspor county, southwestern
Missouri. Mr. Cornolius was ndviscd
that his health required n ohnngo of
rosidenco, nnil, in dobating which way
to go, submitted tho question to his wifo
and oldor children. Texas was thon, as
now, a growing country, and ho was
half-way inclined to romovo thcro. But
tho chango of climato wns not sufllclont
to insuro hoalth, and tho family woro
impressed with stories that had reached
thorn from Cnlifornin, not moroly as to
climato and soil, but that tho Mexican
government wns making liberal land
grants to actual Bottlers. Ilnro, thon,
was tho chanco for tho boys to hecomo
land-owners, and no doubt they rolled
on tho certainty that somo day, not
distant, would sco tho American banner
float over that region if enough Amori
cnus over lived thoro. Tho wffo and
sons solvod his doubts, and doclnrcd for
tho shores of tho Pacific.
Sovoral families loft their neighbor
hood, and on tho 2d day of April started
for Indopondcnco, which wns to bo n
rendezvous for a Inrgo company intend
ing to cross tho plains for Oregon. Tho
grandfather, Thomns Adams, wns along,
ami accompanied thorn with his family
to Oregon ; but ho wns never satisfied
hero, and in tho spring of 1818 went
ovorland to California. Ho wns about
70 yoars of ago when thoy nil loft Mis
souri, and was nlmost 100 years old
whon ho died in California.
MAKINCl UP A WACON TRAIN.
At Indcpondcnco thoy mado a train
of thirty wagons and organized witli
groat care. Thoy had sixty men and a
company of nbout 250 persons. Their
captain was Lawrcnco Hall, who wns
nftorwnrd n captain in tho Cayueo wnr.
Ho was also n member of tho territorial
legislature As was common on tho
plains, after becoming mod to mutters,
compnnics divided up considerably.
During tho Inst of tho journoy Coptnin
Levin English had chnrgo. Ho after
ward was woll known as an oarly settler
on Howell prairio. Thoy mado safe
progress on tho plains nnd had no
troublo of any kind. Provious to Fort
Hall bull'ulo wcro abundant and thoy
had plenty of meat. Tho Indians mado
them no troublo and thoy got along
woll with each other. At Fort Hall
thoy would havo turned off to California,
but thoy wero fow in numbers and
could not got recruits from among tho
advanco guard. They had been in tho
load nil tho way. If thoy had known
it, a company tlint was destined for Cal
ifornia was onlyn few days behind. Not
knowing it, thoy gavo up that intention
as too hazardous and kopt on with tho
crowd for Oregon. By this time thoy
woro brokon up into small squads, fow
wagons together. Having been watch
ful they mot with no losses and all went
woll. Tins sido of Boiso they changed
their minds nnd undertook n most
hazardous diversion of route. "
STEPHEN MEEK MISLEADS THEM.
Stephen Meek, tho mountain man, n
brother of Joo Meek, who had hunted
and trappod from the Rocky mountains
to tho Pacific ocean, had followed them
in eomo other company, and now
pushed to tho front to speculate on the
credulity of people who had dared
much and would not bo afraid to daro
more. Tho first CoL Cornelius remem
bersho was then a boy of 17 was
that Btovo Moek was telling the older
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
men of tho company Hint there was n
"cut-off" from Fort Boiso by which
much timo nnd travel could bo savod.
This now routo ho said was located in n
beautiful country whero water nnd grass
abounded, whilo ho assorted that tho
old routo, bo ofton traveled, waa scant
of both. Ho drow such felicitous
pictures of this now routo, nnd wns
npparontly so familinr with it that thoy
took up his offor to pilot thorn by that
routo to Tho Dalles for .100. Part of
this sum was paid in advnnco and
satisfactory nrrnngoments woro mado
for tho remainder. Then tho companies
parted, eomo to go tho old emigrant
route, so woll known, and tho moro ad
vouturous to follow Mookand his young
wifo and Nathan Olnoy into tho wilder
ness. Meek had found a young girl
somowhoro on tho frontier, nnd wns
mnrricd to hor tit eomo post near tho
starting point. Ho did not seem to
havo much means, and was anxious to
turn eomo of his storo of knowlcdgo to
account Pnrtios in tho Hull and
Tothcrow companies took tho now
shoot and cheerfully struck off to tho
south of tho Bluo mountains, expecting
to reach Tho Dalles' by a much better
and nearer routo.
OOL1 FOUND INTHE 11LUE MOUNTAINS IN '15.
Tho Cornelius family nnd Grand
father Adams nil took tho now shoot.
It was not long before thoy discovered
that Meek wns not as familiar with tho
country ns ho had pretended. Whilo
this was apparent beforo tho end of
throo days timo, thoy still did not
bcllovo it possible for tho man to havo
uttorly decoivod thorn, and that ho had
no knowlcdgo at nil of tho country, hut
such wns tho fact. It could bo possible
that a hunter nnd trnppor wns ac
quainted intimately with general feat
ures and yot not know tho host routes
for travel, so thoy pushed on with ns
much faith in themselves as thoy had in
Stcphon Mcok. It wns eomo timo within
a fortnight of their leaving tho omigrnnt
road that they camped ono night on a
stream in tho foot hills of tho Bluo
mountains, nnd this wns tho sito of tho
famous Bluo Buckot diggings of which
so much has bocn said and written.
Col. Cornelius wns thon a moro lad and
wns hunting cnttlo and herding stock
too busy to bo nbout camp much. Ho
recollects that when, a fow years later,
thoy woro returning from tho California
minos his father told him ho was satis
fied that ho found gold on that creek, on
Mcok's cut-off, for ho picked up a nugget
or piece, half as big as n coffee grain,
pounded it flat on n wagon wheel tiro
and throw it nwny, wondering what it
could be. They had not tho least idea
it was gold then, but nftor they bad ox
perienco in tho mines of California
thoy felt no doubt whntevor ns to tho ox
istonco of gold in tho Bluo mountains.
Thnt-tho elder Ben Cornelius picked up
n piece of gold on tho exposed bedrock
of a mountain oreok Ecems beyond a
shadow of doubt.
TRAVELING A LOST ROUTE.
Their courso for nwhilo should havo
been west, gradually turning north as
they gained towards tho waters of
Crooked river and tho Deschutes ; but
they kopt on west nnd south, nnd in tho
conrso of n fortnight found themselves
as now seems npparont out in tho
midst of tho dry nnd inhospitablo
region that separates tho waters flowing
north to tho Columbia from those that
feed tho lakes of southern Oregon.
Their courso had boon over n very rough
and barren country. Thoro was no
sign of gamo save an occasional jack
rabbit, no deer in sight, and the buffalo
country far behind them. They began
to get short of provisions and some had
to deal out a shorter allowance. When
they loft the old road tney wero all well
and hearty, and thoeo that remained on
it staid so to the end ; but the souls lost in
tho wilderness wero become mere
shadows, whilo eicknees and death in
vaded many camps and reduced their
numbers. In spite of caro and nursing
many diod. For awhile thoy had
funorals at every camp.
MANY DYINU BY THE WAY!
"Few and short wcro tho words thoy said,"
They dug tho graves, mado fires over
thorn, nnd drovo their teams and
wagons over tho consecrated spot to do
ccivo tho Indians ns to tho places whero
their dead wcro laid. Mourning and
grief gavo way to painful approhonsions
that all woro to lay their bonos down to
otcrnal sleep among tho rugged hills or
on tho dreary dosert. Thoy wcro to
roach Tho Dallos in n short timo so
Mock had said but tho timo passed by,
nnd lengthonod, wook nftor week, with
no symptom of nllovintion. Thoy grow
moody and selfish. Cold-faced and
stony-cyed solfishnoss looked out of
faces that hnd boforo shone all alight
with human sympathy.. Almost in
eilonco tho days dopartcd and tho sick
died. Thoy killed young heifers thoy
hnd hoped to drivo through to bo
mothors of princely hords. They hated
to do it. It seemed murder. All tho
woreo becauso tho poor, weary, hnlf
starved creatures had lost nil fatness,
and becamo only moving skeletons. On
this unwholosomo diot women nnd chil
dren siokoncd nnd died. Thcro aro nt
least twenty hidden graves to mark that
portion of tho road grnvos that can
novor bo found. There had followed
Mook many wagons porhaps sixty in
all and sovcral hundred poisons. Tho
long detention gavo timo for thoso
bohind in tho long procession across tho
plains to roach Tho Dallos, whilo Meek
nnd his victims wcro yot uuhonrd of.
Thoy nil got through, well nnd hearty,
whilo Mcok's caravan woro Buffering by
hundreds and dying by tho ecoro. Thoy
only grow less selfish as death camo
noaror, and tho ond gavo rest and poaco.
It is astonishing how, in such times of
fear nnd suU'ering, human sympathy
will weaken.
ON THE DESERT All. ATIMRST.
Ono afternoon it was nearly evening
they found themsolvos out on what is
called "tho desert," a grassy and rocky
wildorncss that stock haunt only in
winter, when thoy can cat tho snow and
drink its meltings. Thoy had gono all
day without water nnd n small squad
that had ridden on in advanco twenty
miles enmo bnck and repot tod no water
on ahead. Matters had eomo to n pass
whero ovcry man did ns ho liked, and
dUciplino, thoro was nono. Meek was
silonL Ho had only hecomo n passon
gor; tho timo hnd eomo for him whon
"silonco is goldon." Whilo ho claimed
nothing, to thoso in tho lend ho managed
to leavo written directions along tho
road that encouraged with falso descrip
tions of tho road in advanco thoso who
woro behind.
A Suggestion.
Another inquisitivo (5-yoaroId bobbed
up on a big-four train this morning as
a brakomnu, wcariug n pntent-leathor
cap and n brats-buttoned bluo suit,
rushed through tho cars in tho uncere
monious btylo peculiar to his class. "Sny,
pap, doos that man own tho railroad?"
"No, sonny, he's only tho hrakeman."
"Why does ho slam tho door so hard!"
"Mnybo so that he will break some
thing." "Is that tho reason thoy call
him tho hrakeman?" "Bo still, Johnny,
until wo got through tho tunnol." "I'll
hot if I had $100 I'd get a suit liko tho
hrakeman wears." "Then what would
you do?" asked papa, curiously. "I'd
woar it to Sunday sohoo! and tnko up
tho collection; I'll bet I would get lots
of money too, 'causo I'd scare tho pcoplo
just liko tho conductor and brakemnn
do." Cincinnati Times-Star.
Shears are an absoluto househo'd
necessity. A good pair coats 1 wo
give them away. See our offer.
Best drugs at lowest prices at Port's
drug storo, 100 State street.
OCTOBER 3S). 1886.
THE CODLINO MOTH.
Tho derivation of tho word "codling"
is ns follows: An unripo nnd under
grown npplo is called in Kngland it cod
lin, or codling, nnd ns this moth attacks
always tho uiulorgrown nnd unripo fruit,
it wns called in England tho codling, or
codlin moth, which nnmo it bears to
day. Tho meaning of it is, tho moth
that attacks codlings, or unripo apples.
It is proper to spell it with or without
tho final "g," but it seems to bo tho most
common to say "codling." It is not
often that n namo has so clear n signifi
cation as this. As wo aro to hear a donl
nbout it in tho years to eomo, vo givo
our renders tho moaning and history of
tho wholo word.
Tho wholo Stato is moro or less in
fested with tliiH post, and it-will soon go
whore not found as yet. California has
n State oflicor, with assistants nil
through tho Stato, whoso duty is to
havo tho law onforcod and all renson
ablo efforts mndo to extirpnto tho vari
ous posts that exist thcro ; nnd they aro
very numorous becnuso their climato
favors tho breeding of such insects. Ono
way to catch tho worm, alter it has
mndo its attack on tho fruit and is hunt
ing n qulot placo in which to spin its
cocoon and become a butterfly, is to put
coarso cloth or heavy paper in folds
around tho body-of tho troo. Tho worm
leaves tho npplo, or onr, drops to tho
earth, nnd then climbs tho troo in
search of some such retreat whoro it can
quietly mnko its will nnd undergo the
chango from craivling worm to floating
moth. Tho truo idea is to destroy this
moth, that olso will lny its quota of
oggs and destroy its full quota of cholco
fruit. A gentleman who was visiting
Oregon Inst mouth gavo Ids cxpcrloncc,
nnd scorned to bo successful in carrying
his oxporiment out and killing thou
sands of moths. Ho hns stakes, nil with
cans at tho top, nnd nt night lights
wnntovcr candle or lamp ho hns in tho
can, nnd cntchos from Mx to n hundred
moths. Thoy fly into tho enn nnd find
thcro n mixturo, or simply kcrosouo oil.
Tho moths fall in this nnd that cuds
them. To try both theso plant will bo
to mnko n thorough test of known pre
ventives. Our Legislature should pass an net to
provido a competent board of com
missioners for suoh a purpose, and im
prove on tho oxporionco of California.
Now that fruit has a prospoct of benr
ing a good prico, wo should cultivnto tho
orchards and do all that is ronsounhly
necessary to oncourugo tho planting of
moro. Somo legislation is absolutely
noedod, and our frult-growors aro en
titled to such protection. Tho dillluulty
is to provido protection without impos
ing too dlillcult conditions on tho tin
fortunato fruit-grower who is bought to
bo benefitted. Tho codling moth was
brought from Kuropo to our country
centuries ago, and thou from tho At
lantic States to our coast, from Cnlifor
nin to Oregon. It has been known in
tho Atlantic States for conturies.
A Horse's Hoof.
Tho foot of tho horse is ono ot tho
most ingenious and unoxainplcd pieces
of mechanism in animal structure. Tho
hoof contains a series of vertical thin
lamimo of horn, amounting to about
5,000, and forming a completo lining to
it. In this aro fitted as many laminiu
Ixdonging to tho coflin-bono, while both
sets aro clastic and adherent. Tho edgo
of a quiro of paper insort! leuf by loaf
into another will convoy an idea of tho
arraugemonl. Thus tho weight of tho
animal is Bupjwrtod by us many elastic
springs as thoro aro laminiu in all tho
foot, ninonnting to about 1,000, distribu
ted in tho most secure manner, siuco
every spring is acted on in an ohliquo
direction.
Wo ndviso you to havo nil prescrip
tions filled nt Port's drug store, 100
Statu street.
Vitrol, fifteen pounds for a dollar
r-- - f
NO. 38,
Fruit Troos with Wot root.
Every ono has noticed how much
moro rank tho growth of almost any
sort of vegetation when tho supply of
moisture is abundant. Mr. A. N. Colo
of Now York Slnto, who has been rank
ing considerable stir over what ho calls
tho "Now Agrlculluro, or Tho Waters
Led Coptivo," has availed himself of a
Bystcm of undordrainlug to supply tho
roots of trees and plants with abundant
moisturo and produced vory rcmarkablo
results. Prof. B. F. Johnson, tho cor
respondent of tho Country Gentleman,
writes of whnt ho saw in Colorado as
follows :
Kvory render of your paper has eomo
to know how persistently nnd strenu
ously I hnvo urged tho nocossity of
moro moisturo than tho avorngo Missis
sippi vnlloy npplo nnd pear gets, nnd
this bnscd on tho conviction that tho
disasters which havo fallen on fruit
orchards in tho section named, woro
chiefly duo to starvation following n de
ficient wntor supply.
It is not without a largo mensuro ot
satisfaction that I saw this viow en
dorsed and confirmed by tho irrigntcd
npplo orchards I saw at Fort Collins, on
tho lands and in tho neighborhood of
tho Colorado Agricultural College At
tho grounds of tho latter I saw Duchess
of Oldenburg and crabs in vaticty,
loaded with fruit, at Mr. McClolland's
uoar by tho Wealthy nnd lien Davis,
equally fruitful, but tho fruit ot ovcry
bearing troo moro stung by tho curculio
or tho codling moth. But near Donvor,
on whnt is known as Wheat Hidgo, tho
fruit wns fair, lnrgo, untouched nnd
uustung the foliage perfect, tho growth
rank, and fiftccu-ycnr-old Bon Dnvis,
Wealthy nnd Duchoss of Oldenburg
bearing largor, fuller nnd heavier crops
than I over saw in Illinois, oven on tho
upplo-hcaring clays of Clay and Marion
counties. Tho onbontlal olemont of
succoss horo was water an nhundanco
of water and wot feet from April to
October. Alongsldo tho handsomest
show of Bon Davis apples I over Haw,
I observed n generous flow of water
coursing down not suflurcd to flow
constantly, but as often as tho soil
seemed to need it. Tho saino wns truo
of tho Miiall fruits, and tho result wns
Kiltulluy, Law ton and Wilson black
bnrieH, averaging in sizo well-grown
Siberian crabs, and black and rod rasp
berries (of tho liner kinds) rivaling
stravvbeuiiH in solidity and form.
When, hereafter, thoso who oppoBO as
destructive my recommendations ns to
apples and tho small fruits in prairio
Illinois and elsewhere, stato thoir enso,
I will ndviso them to take n trip to tho
irrigated orchards of Colorndo and seo
what I havo teen, and correct their
notion, if thoy are not too old to lcnrn.
Jluir Money fur Ynur Woik
if you improve good opportunities.
Hnllett it Oo., Portland, Maine, will
mail, free, full information showing how
you can mnko from 5 to $25 nnd
upwards a day and livo nt homo whor-
ovor you aro locniou. uoiior wruo;
somo havo mndo over $50 in n day;
all new. No cupitnl required; started
frco. Both boxo-i; all ages. Success
for every worker. Send address and
sco for yonrsolf.
"Tho Ainoricau Cow-boy" is tho tub
jeet of a timely nnd instructive article
by Joseph Nimmo, Jun., in tho Novem
ber 1 Inrjier's. Tho public services which
tho cattlo rangers hnvo performed as
pioneers of civilisation, represses of
Indian outbreaks, punishorH of injustice,
and leaders in a great industry, uro well
shown. Special attention is givou to
tho recent northern movements of cattlo
raising through Montana, Dakota, Col
orado, nnd Kansas. Some valuable in
formation is given concerning tho
methods, tho extent, and tho proceeds ot
ranching in that section.
It Depends Upon How You Look at It.
"My dear," said n sentimental wife,
"homo, you know, is tho doarcst spot on
earth." "Well, yes," said tho practical
husband, "it doos cost nbout twico ns
much as uny othor spot." Chicago
Tribune.