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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 1887)
"& f TJ" VOL. XIX. OREGON PIONEER HISTORY. SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. MEN AND TIMES IN THE FORTIES IIY B. A CLARKE, w I Copyright applied lor. All right, rttcrrcd O, Million to California In 1848. In tbo winter of 1817-8 great appre hension was foil in tbo Willnmctto country becauso of tbo painful circum- . stancos tbat involved tbo ontiro region, tbo western settlements us woll as tbo country oast of tbo Ctncndos. Tbo Whitman tnnssacro blocked tbo high way for omigration and wostern Oregon was cut off from tbo world by tbat routo of travel. Tbat mussacro precipitated tbo Cayuso war tbat cnllod for all ablo bodied men to tako tbo Held and subduo tbo Bavagos. Tbo pioneers bad no ser ious fear but tbat tboy would succood, but tbo authorities felt this apprehen sion lcat Buch success as might bo at tained should cost too much and in volve many other massacres, which would certainly occur if tbo nntivo tribos should all combino to attempt tbo destruction of tbo whitos. Governor Abcrncthy and his council mot to delib erate and consider what should bo dono and what was tbo duty of tbo provision al government under thoso circum stances. Though it was winter, tbo American volunteers wcro enlisted and waiting for spring to open tbo way of tbo upper country. Our region was only supplied with such arms and am munation as tbo frontiersman and mountain man always bad at hand. Whon it carao to equipping oven a small force in a proper manner it could not bo done. Tbcro was no govern ment station of troops west of tbo llocky mountains, no forts, arsonal or garrison within livo hundred miles, ozcopt tbat tbo Mexican war bad left a small forco in California. Tbo only rccourso was then to equip a company to go to Cali fornia and Bocuro n loan of arms and ammunation from tbo olllcer in com mand there. Tbero was not even a na tional armed vossol in tbo Columbia river to apply to for tbo noodod roliof. It was cosy to sccuro a forco of picked men as Oregon voluntcora to attempt this winter mission. On tbo last of January 18-18, Copt Soott, as captain, and Jesse Applogatc, as commissioner, sixteen men in all, sot out from the Rickrcnl valley. They had succeeded in crossing tbo Calipooias and wcro crossing tbo main Cascado rango to Klamath, and bad neared tbo country when snow blocked their progress. Capt Scott and sovon men had turned back when snow was found to bo four foct deep and becoming deeper, but Apple gato and tbo rest of tbo party moved on, determined to accomplish thoir mission if it was a human possibility. Applegato said bo felt bis responsi bility and would spare no ofTort. Minto said bo camo along to do what bo could, and it "one man was enough to count him in." Walter Montcitb said : I am another." Tom Montcitb was with his brother. Five others volun teered, 8ol Tethrow, James Lemon, James Fields and A. K. Robinson, who was second in command. Host unfortunately tboy bad no knowledge- of snowshoos, aud if they bad they conld have split out slats from the trees around them and have gono anywhere. That was a branch of me chanics tbo Oregon Yoluntoers bad not been educated in. They bad seen tbo Indians wear snowshoea, not like tbo Norway ones, and attempted to make something like them out of the willow "hoops. In doing this they used up their buckskin gun covors and every thing they could spare. The next day tboy 6Urted with eight days' provisions and with Applegate's share divided among them. They soon found that the lightest men were the best in the snow. James Fields was tho heaviest man in the com pany, and proved too heavy to stay on SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18. 1887. top. Every stop Bank him dcop in tbo drifts. Ilia snowshocs gavo way and it was nlmdst impossible for him to travel. Tethrow, Lemon and Minto wore tbo lightest men and succccdod tho best. Tboy stayed by Fields to assist him through tbo drifts and took bis loading among them. Show was falling nil tho timo nnd it was very cold. Extra exer tion used up Fields and ho was hardly abloto mako progress. Justboforc night- Lieut. Ilobinson, in crossing tbo bod of Dear creek, wont down through tho snow and only saved himself from going through into tho crook that lowed un der tho snow, by sticking out bis elbows. It was bnrd work to get Ilobinson out of his hole, and when bo was oxtricatcd tboy camped and mado tiro on a rock. Supper b'oing over they talkod over matters and concluded not to let Fields go back alone, as bo insisted. They held a council nnd debated if tbo Kla math basin was passable, nnd tboy could got through it with provisions. It was determined that tho journey was impracticable and should bi abandoned, and tboy must hurry back to ovcrtnko their companions and tbo horses. They wcro now homeward bound and bad no doubts about the way they bad to travol. Tboy mado thoir woy out of tho mountains from near tbo Klamnth country in a single mnrcb. In lloguo river valley tboy met Indians who evi dently had evil designs for tboy avoid ed tbo Oregonians and wouldn't wait for thorn wbon tboy mado signs to do so. Tboy got out of tbo snow tbat night, camped, nnd kept enroful guard, and af ter supper mado a long night march. Tbo second camp they mado tboy found wlioro Indians bad crossed thoir trail. They folt unsafo, so changed their stylo of travel, making long night marchos. In tbo daytimo Ihoy would huddlo together in somo grease-wood patch. Montcitb and Minto cooked nnd ato while tbo others slept, and vice versa. Tho third day they marched un til past midnight. Then tboy crossed Roguo river on an improvised raft, mado a circuit round an Indian village tbat was on tho river sinco tboy enmo past. Next day they crossed tbo Gravo crook hills. Snow had fallen nnd mado it bad going. Horo tboy found thoir comrades' trail, as woll as the trail of numerous Indians on horse and afoot. Our con clusion was that tho saogcs wanted tho horses ami woro following to try to got them. After that, as tboy traveled hurriedly on, tboy found camp fires of Indian;, nnd a short way boy o ml camp fires of their whito frionds. At night fall, in Gravo crcok valley, they saw horses to tbo left of their lino march. Montcitb and Minto went to eo tbcm and tbo others went square up to tbo Indian enmp, wbero from tho bank they looked down on tbo crcok bottom, wlioro an Indian chief was whipping an Indian dog. Ho looked up in a nio'raent and, happening to see them, uttered a "Waugh!" at the same instant seizing a bow and placing an arrow, in position and bent on thorn as they btood on the bank. All the Indians ran but ono: tbo women and cbildron wero out of sign? in the twinkle of a star. It was a singu lar sceno for nightfall, Five whites stood on the crock bank and tbo old chief was drawing his arrow on them ; they in their turn wero looking down their riflo barrels. Walter Monteith said; "Mr. Apple gate may I fire?" Ho could hardly deny himself the pleasurcof making a "good shot" at the chief. Jesse Applozote stood a little back and merely shook bis head. Tbo future "Sago of Yoncalla" was appreciating this threat of war by nightfall and couldn't waste words. Tho Indian waited in position to wing bis arrow, but didn't wing it. Seeing tbat the whites did not shoot, but waved them away-a sort of aboriginal "mov0 on" -they mado friendly signs to him, and he beat his breast to show that his motives were rood. Hit men came back and as tboy talked Chinook jargon all wero soon in tho most friondly way togothor. Ho said their .companions wcro ono sleep in advanco of thoin. Ap plogato's company camped closo by tho Indians and did not evon stand guard. Applegato said as long as tho Indians wcro moro sccarcd than they thomsclvoa wcro, there wa no need to waste sloop watching them. Somojhlng in tbo way of criticism has been exponded on tbo condition of tho gravo of Miss Croly, who dlod in 1810, having been connected with tbo omi gration tbat took tbo southern routo that year. Gravo crock was named be causo her gravo was on its bank. In tbo wintor of 1818 a littlo moro than a year nftor bor doatb, Mr. Minto tolls mo that ho took especial notice of this grave. It appeared to havo beer disturbed by wolves. No bones woro exposed, but somn pieces of clothing woro econ whito cotton rags. Tbo ground was scratched to appearance Ho said tbat, as no man would pass such remains nnd lcavo them unburicd, tbcro was no oc casion for tho discussion that took place. Tho next morning tboy reached Cow creek, and found tbero n valuablo mulo belonging to James Campboll, that was dying ; their company lost two animals that wcro poisoned by oating buirol. That night they camped with thoir frionds on tbo north sido of tho Umpqua mountain thoso did who wcro anxious to reach them. When their guns wero replied to tbo fivo youngest men in tho Applegato cjmpmy camped wbero thoy wcro. Tbo four youngost mon of tho eight who tried to mako tho march on enow shoes woro tbo worst used up of all. Tlio Montcitb brothors wont to Call fornia aftor gold tho next fall, nnd paid tho lay of tbo country satisfied them that their livos woro saved by turning back, ns they never could havo mado tho journoy as matters wero that win ter. Tbo Applegato men folt that tliry did well to ovortako on foot, in four days, horses that had t.vo days start. Capt. Scott roported to Governor Al bornotby their failure. They wcro rec ognized and enrolled as Oregon volun teers, and got thoir land bounty as such. Thus terminated an incident of "l'io ncor lays" that could easily havo been tragical in its results hud they tried to push thoir way through. Tho Oregon ians managed to tight it out on that line, aud had no help from outsido of Oregon. Perhaps it is just as woll for tho unite of pioneer history that tboy did eo. Tret Culture vs. Rabbits. Experience is teaching the people of Eastern Oregon the necesity of timbor planting. "Tbcro is a goodly showing in arboriculturo around Heppncr," 6ays tho (iazette. Formorly box eldor wat dbout tho only timber thought of, but now ailantbus, whito asb, locust and otbor varieties aro being oxtensively planted, and tbo fact is becoming moro patent tbat our uplands will grow il most any kind oa forest trees adapted to tbo cold of onr wintor (tbo writer has planted several ncrosof black cherry and and sugar maple.) Hut thoso littta pests the rabbit, aro playing sad havoc with the locust trees. Tbo outcome is hard to predict". Ormlan. Black 'Ux A KittiUk subscriber gives the follow ing nreventatne for "black let" nmoui: cattle. Mix iwwdercd sulphur with salt until well colored and place where young stock can havo freo access to it. When the discaso appears tako equal parts of sulnbur. charcoal, saltpetre and pow dered ginger, mix woll and give a table- spoonful twico a day in half a pint of water. Give from a bottle. It the ani mal is down dose oftener. They havo been cured when down and tbo logs stiff and cold. orrcomlenc Farms, Fences, Etc AUM8VIM.K, On, Fob. 7, 1887. Editor WilUmotto Farmers Mr. J. W. Jory'B nrticlo in tbo Ore- goninn of tho 28th ult., ontitlcd "Farms and Fences," is timoly and to tho point, and your comments on tho samo subject in tbo Farmer of tho 4th, aro no less so. Tbat our Stato "is suffering from unjust nnd unstatcsmnnliko legislation" is patent to every obsorvor. Our fonco law is not only "unjust nnd unstatesmnn- like," but is unworthy of a. civilized peoplo j and as Mr. Jory truly and forci bly says, it is just as proper and consis tent that pooplo should bo compelled by law to bar out aud lock out human thioves as quadrapod tbioves. Tho leg islaturo should loso no timo in remedy ing, at least partially, this "unjust and unstatcsmanliko" condition of things. Among otbor thing's which the pres ent Legislaturo should by no means neg lect, I may montion, tho assessment nnd taxation question. Stops should bo taken to so amend our State constitution to tho cud tbat assessments be mndo on tangiblo property only. Tho law protecting "gamo" should bo repealed or greatly modified ns it is "un just nnd unstatcsmanliko" to compel tbo farmor to raiso gamo for tho city sportsman without duo compensation Hut wo should by all moans havo n law protecting tbo usoful birds. Wo should also havo a bettor trespass lnw ; ono which docs not rcquiro tho posting of notices. Our road laws need changing rndi cally. As tboy aio at prcsont not moro than ono-half tho road work is offectivo, nnd that is often woefully misapplied. A county supervisor, elected by tbo peoplo, and road taxes collected in colt:, with other taxes, would be a vast im provement. Hut tbo legislature bus been now n month in session and what is it doing? It has managed to give tbroo of its members a ploasuro trip to England at tho pcopto'a oxponso. Somo "unstatos manliko" follows)aro working up imprac tical schemes to "sinch" John China man ; otbors aro asking for $2.r00 for "making Josh" to tbo ponitontiary con victs. Wbilo still otbors appear to bo possossod of tbo idea tbaf thoy aro tbo peoplo'8 guardians, and that everybody outsido of tbo Logislaturu nro "idiots and infants and Indians not taxed," who nro incapablo of managing their own affairs. Thcroforo, wo havo lwside tho regular schemes of tbo prohibition cranks, ono Emmott, who appears to think it is tho duty of tho Legislaturo in gcuoral, and himself In particular, to tako chargo of tbo education of other poople's children, and forco them to school whether tbo parents will or no. It appears to lo tho ambition of soma men to compel somobody olso to do something which is nono of thoir busi ness. Tbon ho havo unothor "statesman," who is accused of blackgnarding some girls and tbo rost are hauling him over tho coals for it. (It don't appear that tbo girls havo any "big brothers.") And still another "cow county states man" has been twitting other "states npii" of somo foolishness that was dono 'i tbo extra session, and tbero Is all ot. jr "tempest in u teapot." Will thoso things not bring our legislature into contempt? Surely, better things aro expected of them. Ah usual, it appears that tbero are many Interested parties bringing for ward their schemes, and tbo lobby is filled with oily-tongued persuader en gineering them. Every interest appears to be represented, except tho farmer. Ho cannot well -afford to leave his busi ness to attend at tbo Stato Honso to work up what be asks for. Therefore, little attention is paid to his interests. NO. 2, What bo asks for costs no monoy to tbo Stato and usually has littlo or no politi cal bearing, yot It is advantageous to tbo wbolo Stato gone rally, nnd ought to bo granted unhesitatingly by tbo Legis lature, Hut I know of no better way for tbo farmers than for them to tako a moro nctivo interest in politics, nnd re member thoso wborcmombcr thorn, and also thoso who neglect thorn, wbon thoy again nro asking for positions within tho gift of tbo peoplo. Evory porson in Oregon should road John W. Jory's nrticlo in tho Orogonian and then controvert it who can. A. F. Armkr. Monmouth Correipondtnee. Monmouth, Or., Fob. 11, 1887. Kdltor Willamette Farmor: Tho Sunday school concert which was hold in tbo church Jan. ISO was a complolo Buccoss. Tbo proceeds which was $ 9.70, will bo used to buy books for tbo sobool. Mrs. Margrot Mason pied at bor homo in this placo Jan. .'10. Sho leaves a hus band and many relatives and frionds to mourn her loss. Somo of our Btudeuts havo gono homo but expect to join our ranks noxt year. On Sunday tbo 0, Mr. A. Xolms and Hay Johnson wcro united in tho boly bonds of matrimony, by l'rcsldont Stanloy. We havo beard of matches mndo in heaven but this ono was mado nt school. Tbo next morning tbo hap py oouplo took their doparturo for Portland. Their many frionds join in wishing tbcm n long nnd happy lifo.J All who nttoudod tho party nt Judgo Diwson's roport having had a good timo. Tho Vcsbertino and Hesperian socio tics accepted tho Invitation given thorn by tbo Utopian and visited them last Friday. Tbo societies nro in a flourish ing condition nnd each meeting proves moro Interesting nnd shows advance mont, Tho athletic concert that was held in tho chapel on tho 12th was a vory pious ant affair. Tho principal features of tho ovoning woro collogo songs and chorus. Misses llrodie and Wade and Mr. Em mitt's declamations woro well spokon, Tbo proceeds will bo uicd to help build a gymnasium. Mr. Wm. McFaddin nnd Miss Mary Hallack, woro married on tho 12th, at tho homo of tho brldo. Their many frionds wish tbcm a lony and happy life. Tho Christians Mill hold a series of meetings hero, beginning on tbo Mill. C. A. H. Comet Visible. A long-tnilcd comet lias mado its ap poarnnco in tho horizon, nnd may be scon every morning aftor I o'clock, tin til tho dawn causes it to sink into obscu rity, Tho location of tbo travclor through the corulean dome is at tho cast northeast, and though not vory brilliant has a tail visible to the naked eyo for two or thrco degrees, and with an opera glass may bo traced a much greater distance. Tho celestial visitor is known as tbo "Unrnard comet of Oct. 4th," and derives its namo from tho dis coverer and date of discovery, How end to see ono gifted with youth and ben my, a pleasant homo, surround ed by loving friend, and every thing that inal.c-4 life desirable and enjoyable, fading away day by day, with no hope of rolea save death. It was only a slight cn'd at first. A singlo dose of Frese's Hamburg Tea would havo re moved tbo obstruction, restored tho cir culation, and given back to society ono of it brightest ornaments. Mr. 1). Kauffmau, of Needy, Oregon, Bonds us his illustrated circular and prico list of aparian supples. He bus for salo Italian bees and Queen's, and various kinds of hives. Send for a copy which will be rent free to all who apply.