i
VOL. XVIII.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. MEN AN
TIMES IN THE FORTIES
BY S. A CLARKE.
Cjpjrrlj'it applied far. All right! reserved.
'
NUMBER XLI.
Sketchci of the Free Trappers and Mountain
Man of Early Tlmei.
Ono of tho most rcmarkablo csenpos
and terrific contests told by mountain
men occurred in tho hiitory of Wilkins
and Ebbcrt, and must havo happoncd
about 1835, in tho Malad country, south
of Boiso rivor, Idaho. A company of
ilvo men nnd Fannio Ebbort wont
trapping and hunting. Thoy purchased
$150 worth of goods for trading. Thoy
woro Ebbcrt, Wilkins, Ilichard Owens,
John Durris nnd Fannio. Whoa out
about a month thoy saw Indian tracks
nnd stood guard. Ebbort had a very
valuablo horso that cost him $175. Ho
was on tho last watch ono night wlion a
band of sixty or coven ty Blackfcot
rushed closo to camp to stampedo tho
horses. Snow lay six or soven inches
deep in tho bottoms at this tinio. Owens
and WilkinB fired nnd killed two men.
Ebbort was shot through tho foot whilo
trying to catch tho looso horses. Tho
boys called to him to lot tho horses go,
and ho did so. Thoy woro campod on
a small crcok. Tho Indians killed all
but two horses. Ebbcrt's was shot with
two arrows, six inches doop. Tho enemy
fired from tho hill and a bullot hit poor
Woodman in tho neck, killing him
instantly. Soma of tho Indians had
guns. Tho mon mado a breastwork of
saddles and other things nnd put Wood
man in tho pile. Tho Indians camo so
closo that their guns crossod ours (Eb
bcrt said) over this rampart. Thoy
mado a fort of our doad horsos, and tho
fight lasted four or fivo bourn boforo
daylight came. Owons know their
language Wilkins said ho saw tho
gleam of a powder horn. "Burst it!"
said Ebbcrt. Wilkins fired and n tcrriblo
yell went up. Owons said that ho
understood that a groat chiof was
killed, and knew that thoy would soon
draw off; nnd so thoy did. Thoy found
out afterwards that tho Blackfcot lost
ten men in this raid. Thoy buried
Woodman nn woll as thoy could, as it
was shallow to water.
AFTER THE IIATTLE.
Tho last thing thoy shot was Ebbcrt's
lino horso. Tho trappors found another
ono, badly tangled up, but alive. Thoy
got it on its feet and hobbled. It ran
up tho hill nnd tho Indians after him,
but it was saved. Thoy packed their
Toluablo furs on this nag. Tiio bravo
woman Fannio had dono her part woll.
Sho had a dress with $150 worth of
beads on it. Mountain men vied in fix
ing up their wives bravely, and Fannio
had tho best thero was. Sho walked
twenty miles and thon had a leg "four
sizos too largo." It was impossiblo for
her to walk, 60 sho Eaid for tho rest to
go on and sho would make her way to
Fort Hall or somewhere elw in a week
or so. Dick Owens owned the horse and
eaid: "Cache tho things and put tho
blankets and tho woman on tho horse."
This was done. Ebbort remembered n
cut-off that McKay discovered, though
water was ecarco on it. All said go
ahoadl It saved eighty miles. It was a
torriblo hot day and no water! Burris
gave out. Fannio went on a hill and
thero saw a band of forty or fifty In
dians, which inspired Burris and ho
went on again. They pushed forward
to a slimy lake, where antelope and
mountain sheep frequented, and when
they drank tho water it made them
vomit ; it was full of dung and very
filthy. They dug a well near tho lake
and that improved the water a little.
They pushed on ten miles farther to a
prickly pear region, and as it was night
bad to stop to avoid stepping on the
v
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
prickly things. Fannio callod thorn at
moonriso. Thoy found water at 10
o'clook tho next day in a rock-hole, and
soon after reached Snako river. Burris
staid behind, but Fannio carried him
back wator to drink and ho managed to
get down to tho rivor.
TIIEY REACH FORT HALL.
Wilkins killed an antelope, and thoy
woro in comfort again. Thoy had to
cross tho rivor to get to Fort Hall.
Thoy saw nn Indian among tho rocks,
nnd it proved to bo a poor Snako
siwnsb, who said in answer to Fannie,
who talked tho Snako language, that
Blackfcot had tho previous, day killed nil
hio family except n grown girl they
carried olH Wilkins killed a fat buffalo
cow noar horo, so thoy had abundance
of good moat. Thoy mado a raft of
drift logs nnd crossed tho rivor, nnd in
duo time reached tho fort, whero news
had already been hoard of tho fight
through tho Blackfcot. It sooins thero
was n villngo of this tribo in n mountain
vnlloy near thoro, nnd n trader from tho
Hudson Bay Company was with them.
Thoy learned from him that this band
of trappers woro on tho Malad, nnd
mado n raid to rob them of horses, furs
and goods. This man LnDuko was
perhaps innocent of intention, nnd did
not think tho Blackfcot would attack
them, but thoy did do so, as n result of
his information, and thoir villago was
in mourning many days. This is n
samplo of tho hardships and dangers
that beset tho trapper's lifo, and shows
how bravely tho trappers' Noz l'crccs
wivos did their part, amid such dangers.
This fight with tho Blackfcot was
only ono of many escapes Ebbcrt and
Wilkins had from great danger. Tho
mountain man curried his lifo in his
hand. Onco tho Blackfect and Creeks
charged in at daylight. Two mon had
been setting traps aftor dark and saw
signs of them, so thoy placed n guard,
but tho Blackfcot rushed in with a tcrri
blo yell that stampeded tho horses. A
fight followod but no ono was killed.
Aflor tho fight was ovor tho Blackfect
wanted tho whitos to smoko with them,
but thoy would not. Tho Indians stolo
a groat number of traps nnd tho beaver
in them. It is rcmarkablo that tho
mountain men escaped with so few
losses of lifo. Tho Indians wcro not
olton as woll armed, and felt that tho
whitos woro tho best fightors, so woro
at a disadvantage. When they took tho
war path in groat numbers thoy would
attack small parties, but usually lost tho
day, as tho Blackfcet did in tho story
told above, ten to one. War with tho
Indians was not moro dangerous, somo-
times, than tho rivalries and contentions
between competing fur companies for
tho trado of tho mountain regions.
ACROSS THE PLAINS IN EARLY Bl'ItlNO.
In 1818 Ebbert went cast at tho re
quest of Governor Abornothy as an
escort for Joo Meek, who went as n
messenger from Oregon to carry nows
of tho outbreak of tho Indians and tho
massacro of tho Whitman family. The
oscort consisted of n numbor of men
who wished to return to thoir friends in
"tho states." Tho company was com
posed of Joo Meek, Squiro Ebbert,
Leabo, Williams, Miller (who went back
to Missouri), Nathan Bowman, John
Owons, David Young and a character
known as "Jack, tho Sailor." They got
started in March and accompanied tho
Oregon volunteer troops through tho
Umntilln country to whero AVhitman's
station used to bo. On tho way tho
Oregon volunteers had two battles with
tho Caynses and whipped them. At
Whitman's they killed a fat cow and
jerked tho meat and then went over tho
Blue mountains. Thoy had an escort
of volunteers part of tho way. They
went to Grand Rondo valley through
deep snows. John Owens took tho
measles on Snake river and had to bo
carried for a ways, but two days rest at
Fort Hall inndo him well. Meek had
an order on Captain Grant at Fort Hall
for provisions but ho was at Salt Lake
and Mrs. Grant rofusod to comply with
tho ordor. Thoy only got a fow things
thoro and pushed on. At Fort Ncuf, n
fow miles boyond Fort Hall, a horso
gavo out, so thoy killed it and took tho
meat along. Thoy tried to kill gcoso on
Boar river and failed. Ebbcrt thought
ho saw buffalo tracks and wanted to
follow thorn. Mcok said no, but finally
thoy all wont. As snow wouldn't boar
up animals, thoy loft their mulos and
went afoot. Across Bear river thoy
found a wagon train that proved to bo
Pcglcg Smith and two Frcnchmon and
their half-brcod families, with a band of
American cattle. Thoy lived in their
camp and traded for cattle. Thoy
cookod tho Oregon men a good meal
and mado nli fcol happy, l'eglcg Smith
tradod Meek a fat heifer, which wbb
killed and tho meat driod, and thoy
wont on thoir way noxt day. Ho was
to pay for it when ho camo back, but
back ho novnr camo, so n fat hcifor was
l'cglog Smith's contribution to tho
patriotic fund.
HARDSHIPS AND DANOER.
So thoy mado thoir way, amid dan
gers and hardships, through tho early
spring, soraotimcH hungorod nnd al
ways woariod. Mcok had his documents
tied around his body, and in crossing
Big Muddy, n branch of Bear rivor, his
mulo was washed down stream, and hn
and his personal belongings got wot, so
thoy had to stop and dry thorn, which
was difficult, as thoro was only brush to
burn. Thoy woro troatcd woll nt
Bridgcr's, who exchanged good mules
for thoir worn out onos, and gavo thorn
such meat as ho had, and sugnr and
coffbe. Tho other sido of Laramie thoy
found nsinglo buffalo bull, wandering
tho frozen plains. Thoy killed it and
had moat in abundance Yory noon
thoy found plenty of bison, and killed
all thoy necdod.
At Sweetwater thoy obtained moro
supplies, and Jack tho Sailor loft them
thero. Whon thoy reached tho 1'latto
forks it snowed and utorrncd ?ecrcly.
Tho mules suffered from hunger, and
all of them woro subjoct to great hind
ship. Somo of tho mules gavo out at
different times. On tho Blue rivers
they mot a train of emigrant hound
for Orogon. Thoy wero sufl'oi ing severely
for want of food, and whon tho emi
grants gavo them good food, thoy wero
happy. So woro tho omigrnnts, who
wcro anxious to hear from Oregon, ns
many of them had friends thero. Thoy
gathered round and asked for letters.
Word had been sent around Oregon that
an oxprcss was going "to tho states,"
and many had sent lcttors by thorn.
Tho escort had saddlo bags full, so thoy
got out thoir mail bag and called off
tho lcttors thoy found thoro, furnishing
mail for a great many of tho emigrants
present. When thoy reached tho Kaw
agency they expected to bo troatcd at
least humanoly, but tho agent rofused
thorn any hospitality whatever, though
Mook explainod his mission and his
purpose. Thoy wero turned away
hungry. They camo at last to St. Jo
and wont to a good hotel to get meals
and lodgings, but tho landlord rofuscd
thorn any accommodations. Ho had
moro rosjwet for appearances than for
purposes. Men of tho plains wcro too
hard looking to suit the fastidious tastes
of civilized lifo. Fortunately Miller's
father mot them horo, and soon found
for them a hostolrio whero thoy were
well cared for. They had completed a
journey through tho half winter months
of oarly spring that entailed great
hardbhip as well us danger.
Tho advertisement of tho California
Nursery Company, John Hock, man
ager, Niles, California, appears in this
issue. Their 6tock is comploto and re
liable. They havo an immenso nursery,
and from information received they are
alluded to as perfectly reliable. Send for
catalogue and mention you saw their
advertisement in the Farmer.
NOVEMBER 13, 1886.
1j) or licit IhtraL
U0T-UEDS FOR WINTER.
Now is tho best timo to get ready a
hot-bed for wiutor or spring work. Cliooso
n placo woll drained and sheltered from
tho north and west winds, nnd sloping
gontly to tho south or lovcl. Build a
tight board fonco six fcot high, running
noarlyoast nnd west, or southwest or
northeast, so ns to havo tho bed fnco
somowhoro botwoen southeast and south.
Lot tho fenco post lean back eight inchos
at tho top so thnt when tho mats from
tho bod nro lonnod against tho fonco
thoy will not readily fnll down with tho
gusts of wind. As an additional pro
caution it is well to run a small ropo
along tho fonco about four feet high,
securing it botwoen each second mat
and tho noxt ono to a clcot mado fast
to tho fenco ; this ropo will effectually
provont tho wind from blowing tho
mats down, a frcquout sourco of annoy
ance nnd brcakago of glass. Tho rope,
of courso, will havo to to bo coilod overy
day when tho mats goon tho bed.
According to a formula of tho Ameri
can Cultivator, tho ground in front of
tho fonco Bliould bo mado thoroughly
fino and rich for a distanco of eight or
ton fcot from tho fenco, throwing out nil
stones nnd sods, and working in n liberal
dressing of fino manure. Whon finish
ed tho bod should slope slightly from
tho fence. Now placo a row of 2x12
inch planks along tho bed two fcot from
tho fenco; squaro tho ends so thoy will
butt together without a largo cinck,
stretch a gardon lino two fcot from tho
fonco to guido tho driving of lxl inch
stakes, which aro to bo drivon at tho
points whero tho planks butt together,
and at a distanco of about six feet
between thoso points. Next hold tho
edgo against tho stakos and nail through
tho stakcH into tho planks with nine
ponuy nails, boing careful to kedp the
lino of tho planks parallel with tho sur
faco of tho ground, which may slopo a
littlo from ono ond to tho other if con
venient or may bo quito level. Tho
plank for tho other sido of tho bed
should bo 2x0 inches, and is net just six
feet outsido measuro from tho other by
using a gaugo and four inches bolow it
by n lovol on tho gaugo. This will givo
tho glass n proper slope toward tho
south. Tho height nt which tho planks
uro to bo placed ia a matter of somo con
sequence. Tho wide plank at tho north
sido of tho bed is usually placed an
inch or two abovo tho surfneo on beds
which aro to bo run with a strong heat ;
if for Itcxb to bo used with a mild heat
tho planks should bo sctthrco or four or
ovon six inches lower, in which caso
narrower planks will answor as well.
After tho planks aro in placo plough
tho bed botweon them, and after freezing
a littlo plough again, so as to mako tho
soil fino and mellow. Then hank up
tho planks on tho outsido with loam
half way up, and cover tho whole bod
with litter enough to keep out frost till
you want to uso it, having first braced
tho plank apart ovory ten feet, so ns to
kcop them just six fcot outsido measuro.
Whon you nro ready to uso tho bed you
havo only to begin at ono cud and cart
out tho loam from tho first six foot bo
twoen tho planks and put it near the
other ond of tho bed. Thon put in tho
hole whatever manure your srop do
uinnds. If for lettuco in severe weather
thon supply ten or twelvo inches of
strong heat, or if for radishes or lottuco
later in tho soason, six or eight inches
will bo enough. Then throw tho loam
from tho noxt six feet on this manure,
and repeat this operation till tho loam
carted out in beginning is placed back
at tho last end of tho bed. Two men
with a cart can put down a bed fifty
sashes long in a day in this way whoro
tho ''heat is handy and tho men under-
derstand their work.
If tho weather is severo after tho bod
NO. 40,
is mado up it will bo necessary to bank
.up outsido tho planks with coarso man
uro or other litter quito to tho glass, but
in spring this will not bo needed. Somo
timos a newly mado bed will boat too
Btrongly. In this caso it will nocd air
ing judiciously, both by day nnd night,
nnd for this purposs bits of lath placed
flatwise by night under ovory second or
third sash will answer. A good doal of
judgmont and oxperionco aro needed
to mako beds run well in winter, nnd it
would bo quito impracticablo to run
them at all boforo spring by tho direc
tions often givon, and ovon thon tho
labor would bo moro than double whnt
is needed.
Tho best heating material for hot-beds
is fresh horso manure from n stablo
whoro at loast six horses aro kept, so
that it will not tako too long to accum
ulate n load. Whoro tho supply of this
material is short it may bo extended to
good advantago by mixing with forest
leaves nbout half nnd half, moistening
tho loaves woll whilo mixing. Another
good material is spent hops from tho
browories, which, being very wot can bo
mixed with dry horso manure or with
forest leaves. Whon it is desired to ac
cumulate n considornblo quantity of
heat beforo putting down a bod tho ma
torial should bo turned ovor ovory fivo
days to provont oxcessivo heating nnd
to mix tho materials woll. Ono or two
turnings nro n decided advantago, but
wo often throw tho mnnuro frosh from
tho stablo directly into tho bed whon iu
n hurry. A two-horso load of mnnuro
will put down from ton to twonty-fivo
sashes, according to tho timo of year
and amount of heat required by tho
crop. Ono heat is often enough to grow
two cropB upon it, especially if tho sec
ond ono is n crop that 1ocb not demand
a high tcmporatuio, such ns radishes.
But whero two crops of lettuco aro grown
in tho snmo bed it is usual to renew tho
heat beforo planting tho second crop.
This is dono by throwing out tho old
manuro nnd mixing about half of it
with froth" manuro for a now heat. A
good boat of twelve inches deep will
run a bed in sovero woathor for about
six weeks. Of courso tho wcnlhcr and
tho quality of tho materials used havo
much to do with this point and ono
can never toll beforehand exactly how
n bed will run upon manure heat in
fiovoro wcathor, though in mild weather
of spring thero is loss trouble in this
direction.
Weather Report for October, 1880.
Kola, Nov. 2, 1880.
Editor Willamette Farmer i
During October, 1880, thero wore 11
days during which rain fell, and an
aggregate of 3.12 inches of wator; thoro
wcro 7 clear, 5 fair and 5 cloudy days,
other than which rain fell.
Tho moan temperature for tho mouth
was '19.00 deg.
Highest daily mean tcmiwraturo fot
tho month, 02 deg. on tho 3d.
Low cut daily mean temperature for tho
mouth, 50 deg. on tho 30th.
Mean tcmitoraturo for tho month at
2 o'clock i m., 53.03 deg.
Highest temperature for tho month, 71
at 2 r. M. on tho 1st.
owcst tcmiM-raturo for tho mouth, .11
dog. at 7 A. it. on tho 30th.
Frosts occurred on tho 10th, 10th, 20th,
22d, 2:id and 30th.
Tho prevailing winds for the month
wcro from tho north during 15 days,
south 11 days, southwest 5 days.
During October, 1885, thero wcro 7
rainy days and 1.12 iu. water; tbeio
woro 1 1 clear, 1 fair, 0 cloudy days.
Mean tomicraturo for tho month
65.02 deg.
Highest daily mean temporuturo for
tho mouth, 68 deg., on tho 5th.
Lowest daily mean temperature for
tho month 60 deg. ou 30th.
T. Pearck.
All leading natont modiclnrs at Port
Drug Co., 100 Stato stroet.
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