Willamette farmer., January 28, 1887, Image 1

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VOL. XVIII.
x
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY
,. SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. ---MEN AND
TIMES IN THE FORTIES
UV S. A CLARKE. j ' n
Cop right appllod for. All light! reioircd.
Joseph Watt's Experience Crossing the Plains
Some Early Epliodes
Thcro was on tho boat Anron Cham
borlain and family. His wife a very
talkativo old lady was siok ; their dog
was sick ; T. M. Hoggs was Bick ; tho old
lady Boggs nnd tho dog had to have
tho ccntro of tho boat so as to liavo
room and rest easy. Tho thrco Bick
ones began quarreling and that in ado
fun for Jim Fruit; ho and others had
their put in, and Hint amused tho boat
mon bo that tho "Figuro Ilcnd," os thoy
cnllcd mo, was not askod for somo timo
to pay my fare. After a llttlo lull in tho
general fun-making I heard tho boat
mon call out: Sco hero, Figuro Head,
plpo up, pay faro or go nshoro. I gavo
them a song and thoy scorned to enjoy
it very much. That put Emit in tho
humor of singing and ho gavo ono or
two songs. Thon wo had another turn
with tho sick pen, as wo called it- Along
in tho afternoon Figuro Head had to
pay tributp ngain, and told thorn a yarn
with a song mixod up with it. So I gavo
them tho "Bob-tnilod Maro, or tho Man
thnt went to Heavon Horsobnck."
Thoy all shouted and screamed with
lnnghing. Thoy mado mo actually
hoarso repeating it, from that timo down.
Tho boatmen had mo to ont with thorn
nnd slcop with them. I lived frocly on
tho best thoy had. Tho Barno song pas
sed mo down on tho lower boat after
making tho portago of tho Cascades,
Tho bont below tho Cascades took us to
Linton on tho Willamctto slough, n
prominent placo thon.
Linton was laid out by Gon. McCarver
and named after Dr. Linn, sonator from
Missouri, who took n great interest in
Orogon matters. Ho thought his town
was destined to bo tho great city of tho
Pacific, but only converted ono man to
that belief ; ho had to loavo Linton tho
noxt year bccaiibo ho had no nolghbors.
v.Wowcio two days making tho portago.
Everything had to bo packed flvo miles
. 1 . 11.
on men's oacKS nnu mo pain was very
rough.Som pooplo were a week get
ting ovor-it. In two days moro wo got
to Fort Vancouver. I succooded ad
mirably in paying paEsago with my
song, though wo had a now crow and a
larger boat. 'Old Jo Ilosa had tho boat
in chargo nnd my song oven brought
mirth and charity from old HeBs, which
I wondered at after I becamo bettor
acquninted with him. Bed, board and
passage were tendered me freoly.
At Voncouvor wo mot Dr. Mclaugh
lin, chief factor of tho Hudson Bay Co.
Without exception every person, or I
should say emigrant, dreaded to meet
this old as they supposed barbarian,
but starvation, that threatened all,
caused them to do so. They had, of
course, interrogated the diflbront boat
men and woro surprised to lcmi that he
was a very kind old gentleman, but wo
had heard so much about Hudson Bay
company tyrany and that tho doctor
was working to keep the country for tho
English, so thero was scarco a eou!
among us but had more or less prejudico
against him. On arriving at tho fort
wo inquired of persons wo saw thero
whore we could get some provisions.
Thoy cited us to Dr. McLoughlin, point
ing to his door. I was among the last
to go. I was out of everything to eat.
Tho boatman would go soven or eight
miles on and land ns in tho woods, and
there was nothing to be got there. I
must have something to sustain life, so
on I went and knocked at tho door. I
heard a voice say : "Come in." It was
a small room I entered ; the old doctor
was a largo man with long eilvry hair,
with florid complexion. He was sitting
in one corner, a small table was before
him and writing material on it There
were sixteen persons all standing iu a
row, reaching almost round the room.
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 28 1887.
Tho doctor motioned mo to tako my
stand at ono end of tho row, with tho
rest. Ho commenced with tho first:
"Sir, your namoT" pen in hand writing
it down. "II ow many in family?"
"What do you want to gel?" After
comploting his questions an order was
mado out to tho clerk for tho articles,
just tho number of pounds callod for.
Ho signed it, handed it ovor, and told
tho man whero to go to And tho clerk,
who would wait on him. So on until
all woro suppliod. No notes wcro taken
and not n cent of cash, asked for. Whon
I told him I had no money, ho said :
'Tut, tut, sir; you can't stnrvc. You
can all pay at Oregon' City whon you
raiso crops." If ho had Bnid, "I nan
only sell for ensh," it would havo bcon
equal to n refusal, nnd much suffering
would havo rcsultod.
I camo up to Oregon City with thrco
mon who had como out tho previous
year. Wo had n canoo at Linton. Tliolr
namos wcro Brown, Chnso and Shivcly.
Wo landed at tho Falls in tho morning,
nnd I went to tho Btorcs to soo what thoy
had for sale. Thcro was four so-called
stores. CnpL Couch hnd n smnll stock.
Abornethcy had a fow goods ; tho Hud
son Bay store was kept by Krmatingor,
nnd was tho only ono thnt kept clothing
thnt I wanted. Tho next thing was
how to got them? Dr. McLoughlin was
building n flouring mill thcro. I went
to tho boss nnd nnplicd for work. Ho
told mo to como dn nnd begin work tho
noxt Monday. I thon wont to tho store
to seo nbout clothes ; I oflored to pawn
my gun, told Mr. Ermatingcr I was go
ing to work on tho flouring mill, and
would work tho cost of tho clothes out
as fast as I could. Ho refused. I wont
to work and did all that was possiblo to
conceal my nakodnes, or what so nearly
approached it, ns I havo shown. I had
to work all tho wook, and soon found
that putting down n baso was too heavy
work for my old blanket coat. So I
took tho garment off, and whon stoop
ing to my task thero woro frcquont ox
clamations .from my fellow-work mon,
who laughed and joerod at my linked
ness and mado sport of my poverty.
Thero were two hotels ; ono was kept
by Gcorgo Brock nnd tho other by S. W.
Moss. Brock gavo mo viticuals until I
could cam them, but there was no beds
to bo had. I had no blankets and was
glad to sloop among tho shavings in
Dvvight's curnontor shop. My first job
was to put down tho baso on tho second
floor of tho mill. Saturday night I got
my order for $12 $2 a day. I wont to
tho store and got a striped hickory shirt
for 11.23 ; ono pair of corduroy pants $-1 j
a pair of Indian blankets, $0 ; 2.1 cents
for soap and 50 cents for tobacco. I
borrowed a tub thnt night, and made
soap nnd water dn good service. I don
ned my new shirt and pants and uprend
my blankots on tho shavings. Luxury
was onco more triumphant iu tho Watt
family.
When I look back at tho&o days I
wondor at what people v ont through and
kept up heart and spirit while thoy were
soven and eight months on the road.
Thoy had but little more than half tho
supplies they needed for a portion of
that time. All expected to be through
in four months from tho timo thoy left
tho Missouri river. They worked with
a will, remembering a crop had to bo
raised tho next year. Fanners wlio had
been hero n year or two had something
to sell in exchango for work. The only
town, Oregon City, was building up so
that tradesmen had more or less to do.
By spring all new coiners were moro or
less hopeful. Catholic missions were
building considerably in different parts
of tho country, employing many carpen
ters and day laborers, There was about
700 cubic feet of cornice to bo put on
the first church I finished. I intended
to make a bid to put up this cornice for
30 cents a foot. I asked tho builder,
who had the contract and was not com
petent to do tho work as it should bo
done : "How much do you calculate to
pay for that job being well done?"
"Well, we ought to get it done for $3 a
foot." I got the contract
forrt&jonileiwf.
now the Foor Man Pays Taxoi.
Junction City, Ok., Jan. 20, 1887.
Editor WHIamotto Farmer:
In tho Orcgonian of tho 7th, I boo n
tablo showing tho differonco between tho
amounts deducted' for indebtedness and
tho amount of money, notes and ac
counts returned for assessment. I sco
thnt in Multnomah county, for instanco,
in 1885 tho amount of deduction for in
debtedness excocdod tho amount of
money, notos nnd accounts by nearly
$5,000,000. Now, it Booms to mo that
this indicates n fonrful state of morality
on tho one hnnd nnd n culpahlo ncgUrt
of tho ofllecrs whoso duty it is tocnfoiro
tno laws, on tho other hand. It shows
plainly thnt somo porsons havo mado
fraudnlont returns nnd sworn falsely.
It scorns to mo, thnt with so great n dis-
croponcy.with duodiligoncoon tho part
of tho ofllecrs, Bomo of them should hnvo
been prosecuted and mado nn example
of to tho full extent of tho law. I think
tho law says, if I claim indebtedness, I
must say to whom I am indebted. Xow
if this law wcro strictly enforced, thero
would certainly bo much less discrop
oncy.
Again, if wo repeal tho lnw allowing
deduction, wo mint nlo rolenso money,
notes nnd accounts, whereas mnny of
our wealthy mon havo littlo other proj)-
orty, and would consequently esonpo
taxation almost entirely. This brings
mo to tho consideration of tho last par
agraph in tho articlo in question, viz.:
tho systomntic undervaluation of real es
tate Whilo there if, no dotibt, somo
cases of gross undervaluation, I am sat
isfied thntitdoosnot reach anything liko
tho proportion stated by tho Orcgonian.
Of my own knowlcdgo, I could cite tho
Orcgonian to four or live placos in this
neighborhood thnt havo bcon closed out
at figures below tho nsaosscd valuation ;
ono of which I will notico particularly.
A young married man feeling tho neces
sity of having n homo, bought 80 acres
of Innd, for which ho waH to pay $2300,
but not having tho money, ho borrowed
$1,000, giving a mortgngo; ho then built
a house and barn on tho land at n cost
of $500, making tho first cost to him
$3,000. This fall, tho very best ho could
dn with it, was to turn it ovor to tho
mortgngeo for 11 10, making a clenrloss
to the poor man of $1500. Thin land
was uniformly nseessed at $20 and sold
for $18. This is by no means an isola
ted case; thero nro unfortunatoly ninny
similar ones, and tho poor men that the
Orcgonian claims got rid of their just
sharu of taxes, really had nothing to tax.
This shows, to my mind, that there nro
too many of tho Oregonian's opinion
that real cstato should bo worth twico
what tho assessor thinks it in, but whon
thoy como to try it, they cannot mako it
workout that wav. I find that not ono
iu ten of those who loan money on real
estate would willingly tako it on their
debt at the aspepeor's valuntion. This
shows that this howling is not correct.
I think tho discrepencics lietwecn de-
(inctionH lot inuemeuness ana uoies nnu
accounts in largely owing to the lapxo of
time between thoastcsmentof ono man,
company or bank and tho assessment of
another man, company or bank) giving
them timo to shift their indebtedness
ono to another, with the view of escap
ing taxation. Xow, if every taxpayer
were, compelled by law to mako out a
sworn statement of all tho property,
money, notes and accounts in his pos
session on the first day of April at 12
o'clock of said day, together with a list
of tho indebtedness ho claims and to
whom it is due, on the same day and
hour. I am satisfied thcro would bo leas
growling about tho discrepenciea. As to
tho valuation of roal estate it bat not
beon the custom in any stato iu which I
have lived to assess land at more than
two-third of its supposed commercial.
vnluo and at that rata it is not gonorally
as remunerative as monoy at intcres'.
Now the seasons for this are obvious, tho
nocossity of hnvlng a homo for our fam
ilies, makes tho commercial value of
laud and lends men to givo more for
it than it is intrinsically worth. What
it is intrinsically worth should bo deter
mined by tho amount of interest, it will
yield judiciously maunged. Somo claim
thnt iu tho assessment of mortgages thero
should be a reduction on tho fnco vnluo
to correspond with tho undervaluation
of real estate, or in othor words, mort
gages should only bo assessed at from
half to two-thirds of their faco value
Whon they como to settle do they mako
any reductions or do thoy insist on tho
Inst dollar, oven if it BivallowK up tho
ontiro estate. Xow, if tho poor man
must bear nil the reduction when it
comes to sottlcmcnt, ho should bo en
titled to nil tho reduction whon it
comes to assessment. Tho great major
ity of the pcoplo will look upon nil nrgu
monts iu favor of releasing monoy, notes
nnd accountant) mora sophistry, whorcby
n favored class fscnpo taxation. Even
admitting that tho deductions for in
debtedness overbalance) tho notes and
accounts returned, who will bo benefited
by their release? Certainly not the poor
who hold iiono of thorn. Again, by
what system of justico should A pay
taxes on n farm assessed at $10,000,
whilo B who has $10,000 worth of notes
pays none -A (works hard on his farm
to mako jgiiiylng nnd adds continually to
mo mautBiU'Wcniiu ami resources oi me
couutryJtrhllo B lives at his oaso nnd
does nothing but collect his interest,
.never adding a dollar to tho resources
of tho country. Tho man who Joans
monoy uses tho law and public ofllecrs
much moro than any ono cho and should
not grumble, if ho pays moro for their
support. A l'oou Man.
Why Farmers Should Org&nlie Will They?
WAVT.IU.Y, W. T Jan. II, 1887.
Editor Willamctto Farmer:
I havo not Been any paper that allows
its columns to bo used more freely than
tho Fawner in aid of tho farming com
munity. I wish to say a fow words to
tho fnunors of this country in general.
Is it not timo that fnrmors would unite
nnd form themselves into u more solid
body, for their own benefit? Look how
othor laborers aro combining nnd work
ing together, for their own mutual bene
fit. I think that fanners havo n bottor
security to go on strikes than any other
class of people All other mantifuc
Hirers work togothor in unity. If thcro
is moro machinory mado than can lo
disposod of, at a fair profit, no Hoouer is
such tlieciifO, than thcro isn close down
of tho works nnd goods are held until
tho demand increases, so as to givo n
good profit. It is the same with shoo
manufacturers, woolen manufacturers,
and all othors. The farmer has a better
chance to do such things than any other
clrusof dealers or manufacturers. If wo
were united and would stand firmly to
gothor, wo could accomplish great ben
efits fur ourselves. Why do we, year
after year, work to mako ourselves poor,
when tho ciy of over-production is go
ing through tho nation!
If we would givo moro attention to
one-half of our acreage, wo could mako
more money, and better grains than wo
now do. If we woro united and try ono
year for experiment, that is grow no
moro grain than is necessary for our
own consumption. Some may say, such
a system would not work. Let us look
at it iu all its different phases, examine
every part and bo sure it would work.
The first object to bo accomplished is to
unite, and stand shoulder to shoulder.
Make laws, rules and regulations and
stick to them like men. I know the
United States are largo and contain a
great number of farmors, some in good
circumstances and others are compara
tively (oor. You say tho wealthy ones
could stand it to diminish their pro
NO. 51,
ductions, but whnt nbout tho ones of
limited means. Wa must provido for
such ensos, mako inquiries' into each
membors flnanoinl nflairs, and sco how
ho could stand Biich n thing, nnd in
cases where it was ronlly ncccssnry,
mako nn allowance. And thoso who
could diminish their ncrcngo would bo
oxpectod to do so. Somo may say thnt
tho gmngo nnd farmers' nllinnco moot
tho case, but I cannot say thnt thoy do.
Tho grango or farmers' nllinnco docs not
limit tho produce of their mombors.
Unlil'thoy do such a tiling, thoy will bo
a (niluro in making .thomsolvcs felt in
tho laud. Farmors need not expect to
g?in any grcnt benoflt through legisla
tion, until thoy aro united in ono solid
community. Thoro is no mnn of intel
ligence but will ndmlt thnt tho fnrmors
aro the bono and bIuow of tho nation.
If they should closo down on their pro
ductions for ono year, there would go up
a cry in tho laud ns was novcr heard
before.
If tho farmer should grow no more
than is nccossnry for his own consump
tion for ouo year, whnt would tho man
ufacturer do! Could thoy omploy their
hands or sell tliolr goods? Could thoy
form rings to speculate in wheat nnd
other grains, nnd do all to tho detriment
of tho farmer?
Wo could then havo something to say
about tho prices wo should got for tho
rinl necessaries of life. Wo aro al
ready in n fnlr way to accomplish such
an object. It could bo done by a slight
remodelling of our grango and other
agricultural societies. I would liko to
hnvo the editor nnd tomo moro of your
contributors pass their opinion on such
a movement. I fcol assured that such
a movement could bo acoomplishcd and
is necessary beforn wo can expect nny
protection whatever, nnd tho sooner it
Is made tho better for oursolvcs.
WiMJAM Graham.
Information of Pioneer Soldiers Wanted.
Hamky, Or., Jnn. 17, 1887.
Kili tor Willamette Farmer!
I would liko to inquire through tho
Farmed if thore is nny ono of tho old
pioneer soldiers that was stationed at Tho
D.illos during tho wintor of 1817-18? If
to who are they and whoro are they? I
would like to correspond with thorn.
I havo been wonderfully interested in
the Pioneer History iu your pnpor. As
I ceo thcro is none in tho last isauo, I
hope you nro not through with thcim I
am mi Old Piouoorof 1817 nnd had tho
pleasure of seeing tho Dr. Whitman on
tho Columbia river, camped with us nnd
ate supper with us, rcmomber most of
tho conversation between father and tho
Doctor. Thon tho llov. H. II. .Spalding
was near neighbor and wont to school to
him in 1810; have heard he and Mrs.
Spalding tell tho story of tho massacre,
his flight and cscapo from tho Cayusos
and of their trip across tho plains and
how tho raft of bull-rushos was taken
across Bunko river and how they crossed
tho next timo ; then a great deal about
their oloven years of missionary work.
This is why tho Faiimku has been ho in
teresting to mo. J'leaso accept my best
wishes, J. It. 'iKMi'U.-ro.v,
Aagora Ooats
Lkiianon, Or., Jan. 17, 1887.
fclitor Willamette Farmer;
I would liko to hear something in tho
Far'Kii about the caro, profit, uto. of
Angora coat and who has them for sale.
I low many rails high a fenco should bo
to turn them? Also, whether a polo on
top helps or hinders them? Whethsr
they injure tho grass range for cattlo as
sheep does. Ihiuki. Caiu.kton.
Black Spanish Wanted.
Te.vino, W. T, Dec. 27, 1880.
Kditor Willamette Farmer)
Can you inform me whero I can get
somo Black Spanish and Brown Leg
horn chickens and oblige,
Yours truly, J. J.
Ott a. bottle of Keck' OUrrh Cur. sad
U eared 4 tfcst ttrritl JUt. .