Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887, April 15, 1887, Image 1

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VOL. XIX.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYD. MEN AMD
TIMES IS THE FORTIES
BY S. A CLARKR )( I
Copyright applied (or. All rlghti rontred.
Joseph Watt does to Washington and Inter
views Senator Banton.
CONCLUDED FIIOM LAST WEEK.
About tho first of May they started
with their shcop.-nnd had 150 lambs in
tho flock. It was a common remark
that ho was making a very foolish von
turo, and fow would boliovo thoy could
over got through Bafoly. Tho most not
ablo incident ot their journoy occurod
tho fourth day after thoy left St. Joseph
Missouri, which was tho point whero
thoir company gathorod, and was tholr
starting point. They had campod for
tho night, nnd at a rathor lato hour for
camping Jo Mock rodo up with a com
pany of horsomen, who, it seems, woro
riding express with important nows from
Orogon for tho govornmont. Ono of tho
company was 'Squiro Ebborts, whoso
story ns a mountaineer of early times
was told eomo whilo back. Mcok callod
loudly for tho captain, naming Jo Watt,
without getting off his horso. "Ilallol
Mock ; what's up now?" was asked of
him. 'Squiro Ebborts had got down,
and was quietly unpacking his nag, but
Sleek was trying to crcato a sensation
and alarm tho women and children. So
ho demanded a fresh horso, said ho must
push on for an emergency, otc. Watt
was well enough awaro of Mcek's sen
sational and mendacious yarns not to
givo way to him. Watt told him ho
couldn't havo any horso that night, but
if ho needed ono on tho morrow it could
bo furnished him. So tho oxpross escort
unsaddled, and tho Whitman massacro
was finally told, but as Jo Meek would
naturally toll it.
la answor to inquiries Mock was
finally roliovod ot a tromondous yarn.
Tho Cayuso Indians had broken out and
woro murdering far and near. Thoy had
murdorcd many, yes hundreds, and woro
ruvaging tho land and destroying every
thing that camo in thoir way. This story
was enough to sot tho women and chil
dren in a terror and Jo Meek was in his
glsry. Tho mora prudent Jo Watt
askod him again: "Who has been
killod, Jo?" "Woll, thoy murdcrod Dr.
Whitman and Mrs. Whitman, tho Sagor
children and a groat many moro." That
was bad enough to bo suro, but that was
not "hundreds," or ovon "many moro."
Watt quostionod him closely and Jo re
peated his yarn. 'Thoy killed Dr.
Whitman and Mrs. Whitman, tho Sagcr
children and many moro." And thero
ho broke down. Ho was compelled to
stay, of courso, and whilo ho was un
saddling Watt learned tho melancholy
story of tho massacro from tho moro re
liable Ebberts, who told them tho plain,
unvarnished talo of tho murder and tho
feeling prevalent in tho Willametto set
tlements. Of courso this sad news was
a damper on tho wholo company but it
was not vory difficult to show that tho
Indians would bo surprcsscd long boforo
mo arrival 01 tuis company, tor a
whilo women woro crying and mon
looked bluo and dojected. Ebborts made
it plain that tho volunteers could easily
subdue them, as thoy actually did, but
Meek asserted that overy Cayuso wm a
native born hero. Ho said the fighting
when he left was going on hand to hand.
Tho "boys" charged on tho Indians and
tho Siwashes charged back again, and
many were killod on tho battle field.
When asked to name the warriors slain
on part of the whites, the garrulous fel
low began to recito again. ' "Thoy killed
Dr. Whitman and Mrs. Whitman and
tho Sager children." Watt saw through
such shallow lying and Boon proved to
tho weepers and tremblers that Joe
Meek's phenomenal lying would not
hold together and remove their fears.
Meek remained with the company until
after a late breakfast and was not so
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SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
eagor to push on as ho protended to bo
tho night beforo.
Watt'B shoep swam all tho rivers and
got to Oregon in good season and fair
condition. Ho found it difficult to drive
shoep but posslblo, and it was his cus
tom to mako difficult things possible.
Watt went after his sheep full of tho
idea that tho Faclfio region must grow
slowly and must produco nearly all
their clothing as well as provisions. Ho
wont to bring out his father's family,
that contained eight sisters, and ho
brought shcop becauso ho bolievcd thoy
woro needed to mako cloth both for
men's and women's wear. Ho left
Oregon in its promeval condition, of civ
ilization, with its provisional govern
ment in oporation and tho peculiarities
of frontior lifo exaggerated in their do
Yolopmont. As ho moandorod tho hills
and plains to tho westward, howovor,
thero was inauguratod horo tho now era
that was to astonish all earth and trans
form tho far Pacific shero by a meta
morphosis ns strongo and wild as tho
flctlono of Arabian story.
After Watt had bocomo eomo what im
proved in circumstances his company
was moro nccoptablo than whon his
clothing was rags and tatters. Ho bo
camo acquainted with good, old Dr. Mo
Loughlin, tho "Whito Head" of tho
nativo tribes, and many a long confab
thoy two had over Oregon prospects. It
was upon Dr. Mclaughlin's suggestion,
and to soma extent upon his advico, that
Watt, and two frionds of his, woro to
havo started cast with $1000 total capi
tal to invost in floeco-bearing sheep and
flccco-carding and spinning machinery.
Tho other two, and two thirds of tho
capital stock was well, withdrew from
thoschemo, but Jo Watt wan still loft
and "went it alono" as ho often has
sinco that day. It was during tho long
wintor ovonings of 1817-18 that Watt
engaged thoso pleasant talks with tho
good old doctor. Tho ono was a groy
beard and woro snowy locks that told of
almost four-score; tho other was scarco
moro than a boy, who had advonturcd
to this furthest west and was looming
wisdom from tho lips of tho patriarch
whoso ruin had been absoloto, almost,
over a scope of country as largo as
many modern omplrcs, sinco tho time
whon his youthful disciplo was a nurse
ling. Thoy counted on tho present us
it was, and coming timo was to bo its
natural outgrowth and offspring; but
tho shadow of impending futo was even
then approaching thorn. Destiny had
in storo for us groater fortuno and a
moro magniflcont fnturo than over this
world had soon proportioned out to any
of its most favorod regions. It was liko
shifting tho sconory of somo great play ;
tho curtain drops on tho plain work of
frontior lifo and backwoods existence, to
riso upon a world awakonod by tho glit
ter of gold and crazed and drunkon
with gilded vico and golden luxury.
Tho pioneer manufacturing enterprise
in Oregon was tho building of tho
Salem woolen mills, a work that reflected
honor on tho young stato that accom
plished it, and proved quite a succens,
especially during tho civil war, when
its stock rose to $3,000 a share and it
did a very largo as well oa prosperous
business. Mr. Watt was tho founder
and originator of this factory and his
account of tho hard work by which tho
pioneer woolen mills of tho Pacific
was set in motion, will bo a worthy and
interesting contribution to pioneer litora
turo and Oregon history.
To n man liko Watt tho miniature ex
citement of tho gold mining ora was a
wasted existence. With his practical
turn of mind there was not much satis
faction in an age that boro fow practical
results. So ho welcomed tho advent of
more peaceful, or at Ioast less exciting
times, when the people began to sober
down and attend to their home business
again. In timo a few prudont men
began to think of the permanent pros
perity of tho country abont 1854-5
'T -
Thoy Haw that wo were buying too
much and producing nothing to sell or
to save.. In tho oxcitomont of gold
hunting pooplo had sold thoir stock
without roplacing or waiting for it to in
crease So thoro woro but fow cattle in
tho country. Thero was no inducement
to grow wheat largely. Thoy saw that
it was necessary to do something to pro
vont tho constant outlay for foreign
goods to pay for tho mcrchandiso that
was so lavishly bought.
At that timo wool was almost worth
less, or at loast, valueless. There was
plonty of it in tho country to keep a
small mill going if wo could only get
tho mill. Saya Mr, Watt: "Doing eo
much interested in ehoop I was naturally
anxious to mako that branch of hus
bandry moro profitable. I figured that
wool could bo manufactured with profit
in this country ; that cheap wool would
ovcrbalnuco any difference in wagos to
bo paid hero, nnd labor was not much
higher than it is now. Watt had novor
soon a woolon mill and had no practical
knowlcdgo of tho subject, but ho found
two mon who woro mill wrights nnmod
Barber and Reynolds, who claimed to
know something about woolon manu
facture. Ono thing was evident, thoy
wanted jobs, and of courso oncouragod
any ono who bad tho ontcrprlso to
mako work for them. Mr. Thorp, of
Polk county, hud a fino water powor on
thoLuokiamutoand, ho nnd others thoro
offered to tako hold and uso their means
for putting up tho mills. In 1850
articles of agreement woro drawn up to
bo subscribed. Tho location was to bo
determined by tho stockholders after
organizing. Tho capital slock was put
up, $25,000 and whon $0,000 was sub
scribed, tho subscribers wero to meet.
This mooting wns called at Dallas.
Thero a cummittcoof fivowas crcatod
1). Stum, Itoynolds, Goo. I). Williams,
Mr. Thorn nnd Josoph Watt woro on it.
Judgo Williams, representing Salem
interests and subscribed for that purpose
Salom peoplo woro slow in taking hold
of it. Another meeting was held at
Salom. Territorial treasurer J. D.
Boon was anxious to havo tho mill
located in North Salom, whero it wus
finally built. So Salom pooplo offered
a $7,000 bonus to scouro tho mill thoro.
Thorp mado a groat effort to Becuro
proxios to uso in locating tho mill on
tho Polk county side, but Wutt whs too
enorgotto for him and commanded tho
most votes. A very oxciting timo was
had in securing tho subscription to tho
stock and location of the mill, but
Marion county peoplo took hold of tho
ontcrprlso and subscribed stock and
offered bonuses. Thoy secured, with
tho bonus monoy, $27,500 capital, actu
ally paid in, and S. !). Iioon, Daniel
Waldo, W. It Hector aud Josoph Hoi
mau wero tho largest stock owners in
Marion county, itoctor was appointed
agent and ordered to commence' work to
bring water from tho Suntiam. Ho
becarao discouraged, Watt says, but tho
board would not suspend work. Iteclor
was sont East to buy machinery and
employ u superintendent. Watt was
put in chargo of the work in tho ditch,
and to build what wan necessary in
Salem. My tho first of Novombor, 1887,
all was in readiness, and machinery was
arriving in San Francisco. A grand
ball was givon in tho now mill building,
that celebrated tho progress of tho
enterprise, and is remembered to this
day as ono of tho great festal occasions
in tho lifo of Salom. It was attended
by Lieut Phil. Sheridan, Capt David
Ilurtiell, Capt. ltufus Ingatls, as well hb
othor officers of tho array and digni
taries of tho territory.
By February, 1858, thread was spun
for tho first timo on this coast, by ma
chinery in a mill. Tho first pair of
blankets mado wore sold at auction to
Jo Watt for $110, wul othors went at
$75 to $25. IVopln were enthused at
seeing manufacturing actually com
menced in Oregon. After awhilo tho
ownership changed and stock was con
trolled by L. F. drover, J. F. Miller, J.
S. fc W. K. Smith and Josoph Watt.
Other mills followed and benefitted Ore
gon, but Mr. Watt dosorves credit for
being tho pioneer of such enterprises.
Tho burning of tho Salem mill, which
occurcd when it was owned and con
trolled by W. C. Griswold, was a calam
ity to the Stato and a great blow to tho
prosperity of Salem. During its first
years it was superintended by L. E, Pratt,
who came out unaor engagement witu
W. Hector.
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APRIL J.5, 1887.
4$0rrtg,p0tulttu:f.
PL ANDERS.
Salkm, April 10.
Editor Willametto Farmer!
ACUTE atJVNDEnS SYMPTOMS.
As I said in my last articlo that tho
dlscaso has boon laid down as ,VTubor
cular." And so oloso ia tho relationship
between (dburclo and glandors that tho
editor of tho British and Foreign Modico
Ohirurjlcal llovlow says: "It is in
glandors that Villcmsls thinks ho has
found tho closest marks ot anology with
tuburclo, not only in its anatomy,
but also in its symptoms and causation."
Ho teems to havo been conducted from
tho study ot glanders direct to tho in
oculation ot tuburclo. Tho characteris
tic Icssionsof glandors is a small tubur
clo, which is'strownolthorin tho mucous
mambranoof tho nassal passages, or in
tho lungs, or, moro rarely, in tho liver
aud spleen. At first a grayish white firm
grnnulatlons, composed of colls and
nuclori, npparontly dovelopod by hyper
plasia of connective tissuo, it soon tends
to Bofton contrally and form ulcers on
tho mucous mombrano, cavitios in tho
lungs. Liko mllary tuburclo.it ocours
isolated or in clusters, togothcr with
theso littlo granulations, streaks and
bands ot fibrous tissuo, as woll as patch
es of chcosy infiltcratlon, nro unfroquont-
ly mot with in tho lungs of glandorcd
horses. Ic is interesting, too, that tho
samo doubts havo boon raised concern
ing tho real naturo of theso "Inflltcra
lions" in glandors as in tuburclo. Thoy
nro regarded by Villomln as ono form
of glandors; Justus In man they aro
ono form of tuburclo. As to which is
tho part primarily affected in glandors
tho nassal mombrano or tho lungs-
thoro is somo difToronco of opinion
.Virchow maintaining that tho dopoiits
in tho lungs nro always soaoudary and
by metastasis from tho nassal membrunos
Phillippo and Bouloy being convinced
by repeated post mortem examinations
that tno primary JossionB aro always in
tho viscera, moro particularly tho lungs,
and that tho formations in tho nassal
mombrano nro invariably socondary. It
mattors but littlo whioh part of tho
body is first affected. In cither caso
tho anology with n tuburcular outbreak
romalns as strong as can bo. Tho intes
tinal ulcortions ot tuberculosis In
which wo sco tho counterpart of tho
nassal ulcorutlou in glandors is moro
often secondary to tho pulmonary dls
caso, but occasionally shows itself be
foro any ovidenco of mlschiof can lo
de toe ted in tho lungs. Again glandular
enlargement of a eevoro nnd persistent
kind constitutes an important part of
glandors, as it does of tuburclo. Tho
modo of invasion is likowiso identical in
tho two diseases ; now acute, foudraynt,
destroying Ufa in a fow days as by an
overwhelming blood poison; now
chronic, so as to last for years. Further
in the chronic form, tho samo recur
rence of acuto nttucks complicating and
adding to tho chronic mischief is 'ob
served in glandors as in tuborculosls.
To read a description ot chronic glan
ders is "mutatis mutandis" to read an
account of chronic pHthises. It is
thoroforo, not surprising that Dupuy
goes so far as to say that glanders is a
tuburcular discaso in tho horso.
In speaking of tho supposed causes
of tuburclo, wo propose presently lo fol
low out still further this remarkablo
thread of resombluncoi but for tho pros-
out it will suffer to say that glandors is
tranBmissable by inoculation, and con
tagious from horso to horso, and that it
is also unmistakably communicable
from horso to maro. Can wo hositato
to believe, says Villemiss, that the
parallel between tuburclo and glandors
must find its completion? To conclude,
glanders and tuburclo are so closely
akin that they must bo looked upon as
nearly related species of tho same
genus."
Whilst admitting tho close rvsem
NO. 10.
bianco botwocn glandors and tubercul
osis, wo must hesitate to admit thoir
idontity, for tho broad fabt that inocu
lation with glanders producos glandors,
whilst inoculation with tho casoous mat
tor of sulascd tuburclo is followed by tho
development of nodules, which rapidly
undorgo a caacous change Tho form
of pneumonia scon in glanders is char
aotoristlo, tho imflamcd part rcsombllng
an infiltoration with thombiin tho blood
vcsBols, gangrenous onphysenatous ot a
greenish black color, and rapidly decom
posing after death. Tho lino of termi
nation or demarcation betweon tho
hoatthy and inflamod lung is often ab
rupt and very distinct Tho tracheal
and bronchial mucous mombrano is
moro or loss highly inflamed ; in somo
instances covered with potichial spots or
dioply ti'icoratod and thiokly covorcd
with an unhealthy dischargo, which ex
hales a gangrenous color. Tho changes
which occur in tho lymphatic glands in
glandors aro characteristic Tho glands,
irritated by tho specific poison, boconio
congostcd and enlarged ; thoir cellular
olomonts prolilorato mpro or less rapid
ly, and aro mixed with a citron-colorod
exudate, which Invades tho surrounding
connective tissue In a fow days tho
glands becomo donso and hard to tho
touch, moro or loss lumpy on tholr sur
face, and thoso in tho submaxillary space
fixed to the jaw by tho inflamod and
induratod vossols, which enter tholr
dooper seated partB. Noxt weok I will
glvo tho symptoms ot chronic glanders.
O. W. J., V. S.
Ohio Coyeipondenee.
I,Ko.vAitiHuuito, O., April 5, 1887.
Editor Wilimetta Farmer t
Tho year 1887 to tho avcrago Buckoyo,
has boon fraught with mishaps, disap
pointments and winds. Tis not tho
gontlo zophyrs that fan us now, but
fiorco, howling, sweeping winds, yea
devastating winds. For instance March
30th was calm and "not a loaf had loavo
to stir" in tho forenoon. But alas I
About ono o'clock tho princo of tho
powor ot tho nir got mad, and aorosa tho
country sont tho ovidoncos ot his fury,
ouo of which was tho blowing down of
sixty-iivo rods of nino rail fenco, whioh
had boon blown down four timos before,
nnd which now lies prono, awaiting a
rebuilding. Whoat lookadoad and up
rooted. Clover is universally upheaved,
and ground fast bocomiug too hard to
plow. February put in flvo high water
marks, and tho damage to crops, roads,
and along streams cannot woll bo esti
mated, whilst wo all regretted wading
knoo dcop in mud, and scoing our lands
Hooded and our crops dostroyod. Yot I
boliovo it was more tolorablo. than tho
drought, frosts, aud spanking and
almost incessant winds that havo pro
vailed through March nnd on. Cereal
crops planted on Holds which havo been
tortured for half n century, promise a
meager return for labor and outlay. Wo
do not ncod war for a market this year,
and you would ihink mo heartloss woro
I to closo as tho old letter writers used
to by saying, I take my pen in hand to
tell you how wo aro, and hoping to find
you in tho samo condition. Do you re
member? John Watkiib.
The Brooklyn Mat nine.
Mr. Bccchor's lost contribution to
periodical literature opous tho April
Brooklyn Magazino, and proves to bo a
most vigorous articlo, giving tho groat
preacher's opinions of dancing, social
amuseiueul8, stimulants and tobacco, in
a gouerul consideration of "Youthful
Excesses nnd Old Ago." Tho dead
preacher's four last sermons aro also
printed in tho number, and a most deli
cate tribute is paid to his momory by
tho editor. Tho balanco of the number
breathes of spring-time, flowors, and
Eustor. Mrs. Beecher has her usual
'Monthly Talk," and a scorn or moro of
other writers, assist in making this a
most oxcellent and tho best number yot
IsHued of tho Brooklyn. With tho noxt
issuo tho magazino changes its numo
for that ot tho American Magoztuo,
when it will bo fully illustrated, and its
e
irice incioased, 130-132 1'oarl street,
tow i oric.