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VOL. XVIIL '
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
SKETCHES OP EARLY DAYS. MEM AMD
TIMES IK THE FORTIES
XDY 8. A CLARKE. f
Cop) right applied (or. All rlghti rewrrcJ.
NUMBER XLVIII. (j
-Joseph Watt's Experience Croeelng tne Plains
Some Early Episodes
Continuod from lost week.
A MORMON niERARCII.
When wo got to Fort Hall wo mot
Snm Brannan, who wna just from Call
fornia. Ho expected to moot Brigham
Young at Fort Hall, and wna going to
induco him by nil possible means to go
to California. Ho was loud in tho faith
of Mor monism, nnd speculation ran
high as to what ho would do. I thought
him tho most extravagant man I ovor
mot. Ho could build moro air castles
nnd mako moro monoy by his own say
so than any man I over saw. Tho dis
covery of tho gold mines onnblod him
to realizo many of his dreams, but his
Mormoulsm was only skin deop, which
old Briglmm readily saw through, nnd
so declined to go to California. Most
probably ho foresaw that in that stato
Sam Brannan had tho gnmo mado for
himself to bo chief priest of tho Latter
Day Saints, and did not wish to en
counter a rival.
Hero, ono Son Carlos 0. Shaw, as ho
styled himself, mado mo very favornblo
offers for tho accommodation of n loan
of $300, which I declined for a time,but
was finally over persuaded by tho other
to let him havo it, so at last I did so. I
was to mcot him in Boston, and got a
lot of goods for tho Oregon trado. Ho
bad bocn trusted by Oregon morchants
and others that ought to know responsi
ble men. Ho represented htmsolf ss
tho nophow of It. Q. Shaw of Boston,
and had letters to that effect, and camo
from tho Sandwich Islands tho provious
fall.
MEETING EMIGRANTS FOR OREOOK.
Nothing of special interest occurred
until wo reached below Fort Laramie.
There wo met emigrants on their way
to Oregon, and soma meetings wore ex
citing. But tho trains we mot wero so
large and so frequent that tho excito
incnt soon woro oft". It got to be an old
story. Wo kept meeting them from on
Sandy tho other sido. of Green river, to
tho south fork of tho Platto riven At
Ash Hollow we overtook our seven old
companions, who woro there waiting for
us. Evidently tboy thought it danger
ous to movo thoro in small numbers.
On tho South Platte we passed through
a largo village of Siour. - The old chief
of this band was very friendly and kind.
He told us by signs that before wo loft
tho South Flatte wo should meet the
Pawnees, and must look out for them,
or wo would certainly lose our hair.
They gavo us liberally of buffalo meat,
and with many hearty shakes of tho
hand, bid us go to tho white man's
land to tho eastward.
A TOUGH TIME WITH PIONEERS.
That night wo camped among hun
dreds of thousands of buffaloes. If
you would look in any direction tho
country was black with them. We
were in danger of being run over by
them ; we often, while traveling, had to
stop to let thorn pass. Tho next night
we had soma Pawnees to watch, and tho
morning after, about 10 A. M., we mot
the whole villago of them, camped on
our trail. Wo were in for it, and thoro
was no way but to push right through
their village. Miller and Sportsman led
tho train, and as they camo across In
dians in their way they ordered them to
leave the road and came xear riding
over some of them. Old man Kcithly
and myself asked them several times to
treat them differently. No, they said, it
was their day to lead the train, and they
were putting it through to suit them
selves, They came near ridisg over an
old man who was trying to step them.
The old Indian began rslftag to others,
"Here they cone " We were niat their
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
villago by this timo and in a very few
minutes wo woro surrounded, packed in
so closo wo could hardly stir. A couplo
of young chiefs rodo up and asked for
our head man. I pointed to a French
mountain-man wo had with us. Miller
and Sportsman woro too badly fright
ened to attend to anything. I told tho
Frenchman, who could talk with thorn,
ns ho had been long on tho plains
among them, to toll thorn wo woro an
oxprcss and wero in haste to get along ;
that wo had not much to givo them,
savo good wishes.
MATTERS REACHING A CRISIS.
They asked for n litllo tobacco nnd
sotno powdor and ball, nnd wanted to
know if wo had semi thoir cnomios, tho
Sioux. By tho timo wo had got tho
articles for thorn and had given tho do
sired information, tho old Indian camo
up. Of nil tho savages I had mot or
scon, I think ho was far tho maddost
ono I ovor know of. Ho stormod and
frothed at tho mouth; his gestures
woro florco and violont. Thoro was a
halt-brcod that could speak a littlo Eng
lish. Ho worked himself up closo to
mo, and whisporod that "Tho old man's
heart was bad ; ho says it is good to kill
you ; ho wants your guns ; your horses ;
Bays you aro moan ; you rodo ovor him ;
told him to got out of tho way ; him
very mad ; mo don't know." Miller and
Sportsman woro so scared thoy didn't
know what thoy woro doing or saying.
Miller was begging iho young chief not
to lot ns bo hurt. Tho Fronchmnn was
also besido himsolf. I yollcd to him,
for then it took a yell to bo hoard. Ho
asked, "What shall I say!" I ropliod :
"Thoy'ro going to kill us. Tell tho
cbict that wo must go." iho cuioi ap
peared to understand mo, for ho at once
rodo or squeezed over to mo, and said in
brokon English : "Yes, it is good to go!"
Ho began giving ordors and crowding
on to us, motioning with his hands.
Tho momont wo began to movo, I
thought tho infernal regions had broken
Iooso. If I ever heard yolllng, it was
there. Tho Indians on horseback kept
closo around us and as soon as wo wero
cloar of tho main crowd wo wero on tho
full run. Onr Indian cavalry guard
nover chirped ; it was the follows on
foot that did the howling and yelling.
They had long spears and ran as fast as
they could, trying to spear us in tho
back, but our horso-guard was too closo
together for them'to get a single good
lick in on us. Thoy put us through on
the full run for about ton miles. Tho
last of tho footmen and spearsmon kopt
after us about threo miles. I thought
they nover would stop. Whon they
found tho chase useless thoy gavo it up.
Our guard stopped after a ten-mile rido
and then of course we had to unpack
and mako moro proaonts. It may bo
believed that no men ever paid for
dcliveranco more freely and cheerfully.
Wo swapped horses and shook' hands
and then parted tho best of friend.
Wo wero tho most completely scared
men anybody over saw on tho North
American plains. Wo packed up and
started and never lighted off our
"swapped" horses until near morning.
No matter of interest transpired during
tho rcmaindor of tho "journey." Wo
got to St. Jo, Missouri, about tho last of
July, and of course had a good time in
a city where all had friends.
A MISCREANT.
At St Jo we separated, all striking
out for our different homes. My brother
bought most of the Bheep I wanted,
thatlfall. I went to SL Louis, sold the
property theroj I had charge of, and
started on to Boston to hunt my man
Shaw, got the goods he owed me and
start them toward Oregon. I arrived at
Boston in October, and went to the
Fremont house, as it was tho place
designated for me to meet him. I in
quired for Mr. C, 0. Shaw. He was not
to be found there. Q. Q. Shaw, perhaps,
was meant, if to, he died in the Sand
wieh Islands a year or more ago. "No,
- m " '
sir," said I, "ho enmo out to Oregon, and
on here, across tho plains. I know,
because I was wi th him, and ho was to
moet mo hero." Said tho landlord, "You
ncod not look for him at this houso, or
this city, of any where clso in this country.
Ho ran away from hero for taking
money that did not bolong to him. In
short, tho Btato prison' is his portion if
ho comes this way." Ho wont on to Bay
that Shaw's father had originally Icon n
man of property, and had soonrod his
boy a placo in tho bank at Providonco.
Ho broke his fathor up boforo ho loft.
Tho old man Shnw was now blind, and
ns n blind fiddler wns picking up n living
in tho streets of Providouco. I found
this wns all truo, for I wont to boo tho
father and talked with him about his
scamp of n son. Tlint let mo out of
many speculations nnd air-castles. Not
only woro theso gono, vanished liko
smoko, but my honost 300, oamod by
hard work nnd fair trading of town-lots,
had gono to hunt up tho lost fortuno of
poor, blind old mnn Shaw. My visit to
tho Hub was not so interesting to mo
na a denso wildornoss or n mountain
cortro. Even n sago plain would havo
suited my stato of mind in proforonco.
RATnER DOWN IN TUB MOUTH.
My oxponsos cast wero no small
figuro and I hardly got my monoy'a
worth. I know no ono nnd did not
oven know what places of interest to
visit. I bad to contont mysolf with
looking into Bhop windows, admiring
pretty womon. But I enjoyed myself
riding on the beautiful steamboats I
found navigating Boston bay and ad
joining waters. Also, I mado railroad
excursions, always wondoring if tho
Pacific country would over seo tho liko
in my lifotimo. Evon then I folt suro
that n railroad would bo built across tho
plains, but I wondorod if our rivers
would in my timo hear tho shrill whlatlo
of competing steamboats. I thought
"What an improvement that would bo
ovor Hudson bay company batteaux
and Indian canoes." Tho contrast was
great, but I livo to see four lines of
railroads in this valloy and two trans
continental lines como into Portland, a
eity that wns denso woods woods while
wo wrestled with tho Fawnoos on tho
South Platto, and I wished for a chance
to wrestle with Don Carlos Shaw any
where about Boston. Steamboats climb
tho Willamotto and Columbia, and
thoro aro solid looks at Die falls and
there will soon bo moro solid ones at
tho Cascades. Just then wo woro on
tho ove of tho discovery that has mado
tho wholo Pacific coast a hotbed of
riches gold and silvor and has made
tho valleys and plains and hills of Ore
gon, Washington and California produco
wheat enough to disturb tho price of
bread in all tho world. I expootod to
witnosa much growth but tho Puclllo
world has astonished roe.
Beet seed all tone.
Wo givo notico that tho beet seod
mentioned in last week's issuo is all dis
posed of but wo etill have several bun
dred packages of tobacco loft that will bo
mailed to all who apply as long as it
lasts.
Orecon Padllo Railroad Co.
"About January 1st, 1887, tho fine
Steamship "Santa Maria" will sail from
San Francisco for Yaquina and there
after will altcrnato with tho Steamship
"Yaquina City." Sailings about every
five days. For exact dates seo subse
quent advertisements.
Farmers who havo sown gypsum on
strawberry plants to promote their vigor
havo met some disappointing results.
Tho gypsum produced such a large
growth of clover that it becano almost
impossible to keep the rows clean, and
in some instances the bed had to be
abandoned. Boston Post.
First Farmer
corn in the ear?
in the mouth.
-Do you feed your hogs
oeconu farmer .No;
-T'
DECEMBER 31, 1886.
forreonilent
Soma Bound Logic
Junction, Dec, 27, 1880.
Editor Willamette Farmer
As tho subject of assessment and tax
ation is just now a portinont ono I
thought I would add n few thoughts. I
boliovo that everything of valuo should
bear its just proportion of tho taxos
with an exemption of $500 to tho bonds
of families. This would, of courso,
necessitate tho assessment of monoy,
notes nnd accounts nnd allow no deduc
tions for indobtednoss, but wo find thnt
tho surplus wealth of tho country is
hold by tho rich almost exclusively for
tho purposo of loaning it for intorest, as
almost ovory ono knows that interest is
hotter than any othor legitimato ontor-
prlso in tho country. Now why Uioho
rich mon should bo oxompt from tax
ation whllo tho poor men who aro com
pelled to borrow must pay tho taxos for
both is something I cannot understand,
as for instanco : A owns a farm worth
710,000 ho pays taxes on that nmount,
thon ho soils that farm to B who pays
him $5,000 down and glvos his notes
proporly secured for tho balanco, thon
A loans tho $5,000 B payed him to O
on annothor farm, now A has nothing
but notes which pay no taxes and B and
O must pay his taxes and thoir own too
though ho is worth as much in dollars
and conts as both and has valid Hon on
all their proporty to pay his notes, which
wo will say aro ironclad, thon A goes in
to tho courts paid for by tho taxpayors
of which numbers ho is not ono, to
collect thoso notos and makos tho poor
mon pay his nttornoy foes. Now whoro
is tho Justico nnd oqnality? does A think
ho is worth any loss when his monoy is
all safoly loanod out under such circum
stances j noithor aro B and O worth moro
though thoy must pay tho taxes for
both. Monoy is the unit of vaiuo and
tho moans by which we dotermino what
all othor property is worth therefore any
thing wo havo that will bring monoy is
property a good $1,000 dollar note will
bring (1,000 iu monoy as quick as a
good $1,000 farm and vica versa, thon
why should tho farm bo taxed and the
monoy not taxed. If I buy a $100 dollar
horso from a noighbor for $100 wo aro
neither of us worth moro or less, I $100
more in horses and ho a $100 mora in
cash, thon why should I pay moro taxes
and him less. As a reason for not tax
ing monoy, notes and accounts the "Or
egonian" says that four out of flvo rich
mon do not pay thoir honost taxes. This
is n sad commentary on wealthy mon
but will it mako taxes lighter on honest
mon to let tho fifth man out. I think
not. What wo want is u moro riged en
forcement of the laws all laws bo thoy
over so just will bo evaded or trans
grossed sometimes, even the laws againbt
murder do not prevent porsons from be
ing killed occasionally, but as this com'
munication is long enough I will close
for this timo. J. O. Jennings.
WHEK TO CUT TIMBER.
Editor WlUmetto Farmer i
It is important to know when to cut
timber to proscrvo it to tho best advan
tages. Just as wo cut and harvest our
crops when thoy are ripe, bo wo should
cut timber that 'is intended for perma
nent uso whon it has thoroughly ma
tured and tho juices havo all hardened
and mado tho wood solid by filling tho
pores and scams. Wood cut in spring,
or after tho sup has begun to riso, will
not last so well. Tho wood ripens when
tho leaves have made their growth;
when tho limbs havo dono growing, and
whon the buds have all perfected their
growth for another year and have rip
ened so that they can endure the cold
of winter.
In Oregon wood should be cut earlier
than east of the Rocky roounUlaa, be
cause the sap, ia this climate, oommeno-
- T'isjitj,"'p "irvyj" t?MxJfr ""
NO. 47.
os to riso laio in January. Thon wood
that is intended for building or fonccs
should bo cut in tho fall. Any timo
from tho last of Soptombcr to tho first
of December will answer. If you can
not work up tho troos into saw logs, or
timbor, or rails, you should out thorn
down and so proscrvo tho conditions ex
isting nt tho timo tho wood has per
fected itsolf by thoroughly ripening. If
tho trees aro foiled it will do to work
thorn up at your convonlonco, not, how
ovor, permitting thorn to lio too long
with tho bark on and absorbing damp
noss from tho ground. C.
Letter from Wasco County.
Wabco, On., Dec. 20, 1880.
Editor Willamotto Ftrmon
Wo havo had copious rains Binco my
last letter to you, and ovory f armor has
been plowing for tho past ton days, nnd
all tho fall sown wheat is now well up
and in flno condition to stand tho win-
tor. Thoro aro not many places that
boat Oregon for Dccombor plowing.
Somo aro yot sowing grain, and only flvo
days to Christmas.
Wo havo bocn visitod by a mnn from
Portland who proposes to rccovor from
tho govornmont tho excess wo had to
pay for our pro-omptlons on account of
tho N. P. 11. 11. claim on tho odd sections
of land, and ho proposos to go to con
gross and endeavor to havo a elauso in
tho forfoitnro bill ponding to forfeit Bald
odd sections, to pay back ono-half of
our monoy, and in caso ho fails in this
ho proposos to go boforo tho Land do
pnrtmont, nnd thoro press onr claims
for us until thoy succeed, and he pro
posos to do all tills at his own espouse,
and in caso ho tails doos not ask any
thing from tho pooplo, but if ho is suc
cessful proposos to charga fiftoon por
cont, of tho amount oollocted as his
fees, which seems to bo very proper and
just, for wo think that without someone
to proas our claims wo would not get it
back for a long period of timo. If said
claims wero paid off it would help tho
the poor farmor beyond estimation.
Thoro has boon quite a demad for
young cattto hero this fall, and at a good
price about $12 for spring calves. One
of our neighbors raisod 300 acres of
corn this season and he is feeding now
100 hood of steers, for which ho paid
$35 por head, and ho is also feeding a
largo drovo of hogs. Wo wish him suc
cess, for wo can grow corn on our fallow
ground if wo can find uso for it We
much need a better grade of stock, so
wo can find a bettor markot and higher
prices. A good Clydo stallion would bo
valuablo property hero.
Wm. M. Baitnett.
Frult-arowers' Mwiloi.
PoRTiJiNiyOr., Dec, 20, 188C.
Editor Willamette Farmers
Tho next regular mooting of tho
North Pacifio Fruit Q rowers' Associa
tion will bo hold at tho Council Cham
ber, Portland, on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 1887,
at 10 A. M. and 1 P. M. At this meet
ing ofllccrs will be elected to servo tho
onsuing year. You aro earnestly re
quested to bo present.
A. F. MiLLKit, Secrotary.
staffed Buds.
Thoro ia quite a btisinoes dono boro in
shipping the skins of Oregon birds to
tho East, where ourgrouso and quail
aro considered as very handsorao birds.
Captain T. Douglas, tho woll known
taxidermist, has just received an order
for 100 quail skins and a fat grouse skins.
Ho loft yesterday for Southern Oregon
to secure tho birds to fill tho order. Cap
tain Douglas has lately mounted some '
canvas back and other species of ducks
for members of .the Bod and Gun club.
A canvas back in his best clothes makes
a very handsomo specimen, to say noth
ing of the meat furnished by his carcass.
-Oregonian.
Bum Vitriol Cheapest at Port Drug
Co., 100 State street.
d&fo?& j&fttA.
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