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VOL. XIX.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY.
SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. MEN AMD
TIMES IN THE FORTIES
nY B. A CLAIIKE. i K v
Copright upplled (or. All rlgliti rexrvod
THE JOURNEY OF THE WALDOS AND THE
AFPLEOATES ACROSS THE PLAINS.
- So long as tho beautiful hills that
skirt tho foot of tho Cascado rango In
Marion county thnll stand, tho nnmo of
tho grand old pioneer, Dan Waldo, will
bo held in rcmombcranco, and bo long
as tho generation that know him shall
exist Ihero will bo a warm rogard, in
true, loving hearts for tho bluff and al
most rough mannorod, but really kind
hearted and gonorous settlor, who took
up tho first permanent homo in that hill
region. It is only right that history
should do juetico to ono who was so
prominent in our early tinos and gavo
cbaractor and impress to thorn.
Dan Waldo was born in Virginia, but
removed in his early manhood to Gas
conado county, Mo., whero his son Wil
liam Waldo, who so honorably bears tho
nnmo, and probably tho other living son,
Judge John D. Waldo, of tho Supromo
Court of Oregon, woro born. Tho older
Waldo manufactured lumber and rafted
down to St. Louis, and mot with so much
success in tho businoss that ho was ablo
to purchaso 2100 acres of good land in
St. Clair county Mo., whero ho rcsidod
and was reasonably prosperous at tho
timo of coming to Oregon. His family
was growing up there, consisting of
throo sons and four daughters, but tlioy
suffered greatly from malaria and wcro
often down with fovor and ague. This
was a groat drawback to tho rogion. So
much sickness was n great disadvantago
and mado them look with favor on any
proposition to rcmovo to a moro healthy
climate
At this timo 18-12 Denton and Linn
wcro making Orogon known through
tho Stato of Missouri, and advocating
settlement thore. What struck theso
Missouri families was tho promisoof im
munity from tho sicknoss that mado liv
ing in that Stato so distressing. Tho
near neighbor of tho Waldos was Jesso
Applognto, and not far away woro tho
two other Applognto brothers, Charles
and Lindsay. Thoy occasionally met,
and as thoy had much in common, oven
to being staunch supportors of Henry
Clay, thoy naturally sympathized nnd
harmonized. Their attontion been mo
directed to Oregon, and thoy found out
all thoy could from local sources j this
included tho roports mado by mountain
men who had been hero, or who had
learned from comrades who had visited
western Oregon. Denton told of this
country in his speeches, and all informa
tion was favorable Early in tho winter,
January 1853, Whitman reached tho
frontier on his return cast, by tho
famous winter journoy made with
Lovejoy.
Mr. Wm. Waldo was then a lad of ton
years and wall romembers tho many dis
cussions held around tho fireaido, as
well as clsowhere, with neighbor Apple
gate, and tho final determination arrived
at to emigrate after reading tho St.
Louis papors that Whitman had arrived
from Oregon and promised to pilot back
an emigration in tho spring and take
wagons through to tho Columbia river.
No person has a hotter momory than a
boy of ten years whoso mind is open to
impressions and to whom all, tho world
is new. Young Waldo had a clear recol
lection of tho circumstances that led up
to their departure for Oregon; of tho
news coming by the newspapers that
Whitman had returned and would pilot
a company back. This news was tho
turning point with tho Waldos and de
termined them to come was the fum
ing of sufficient inducement for their
coming to Oregon. From their neigh
borhood no one ventured but tho Waldo
family and the three Applegate brothers
and their families, and these talked on
the matter and encouraged each other
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
all winter. Desidos tho great induae
mont of a healthful climato thoy had a
promiso or almost that of receiving a
section of land for every family, and this
land donation rnado a great diffcrenco
with many who wont. Ah wo havo
shown, Dan Waldo ownod 2100 acres of
cxcollont land. Tho Applegatcs woro
also land ownors, and all four of tho
famillos that camo away from Missouri
loftbohind largo landed interests that
could not bo s6ld. 'They left their farms
and homes as valuablo as thoy could
expect to find, for tho hopo ef finding a
bettor and moro healthful climato and
boing near tho great ocean. It is moro
than possiblo that Whitman's appeal for
Americans to occupy tho country and
savo it to tho Union had some forco with
many who wont. Thoy rather encour
aged thcmBolvcfl by tho thought that
thoy might hear tho British lion growl
and help to filo off his claws. At any
rnto thoy camo, and by their coming
producod great results.
Wo must do justico as wo go along to
tho pioneer women, who often did their
part with no historian to rocord their
dcods. Very often all thoy did was tho
mero work of caring for tho family, but
that was dono under circumstances Hint
now sooni horoio. To havo well acted
tho part of mother and wifo on tho
plains nnd after arrival hero was enough
to desorvo honorablo mention. Mrs.
Waldo, howovor, noted her part so well
that Oregon owes her much. Tho timo
camo when tho four fnmilics had to de
cide if thoy would go, or no. All tho
talk had been dono nnd it was only
necessary to dotcrmino what course to
take. If thoy wcro to stay no emergen
cy oxistod, and tho fnmilics wont on
their plodding ways. If Oregon was tho
goal thoy had much to do. Tho mak
ing ready was no trivial affair. Wagons
that would do at homo would not do for
atrip of two thousand miles; tho best
horses and cattlo for teams, tho best
cows for tho Oregon range all theso
mattord demanded attention. Harness
must bo mndo or mouded, ox bows and
yokes made.
Word enmo that Indians wcro hostilo
and tho way dangerous. Ono nnd an
other thought of discourugomonW and
uttorcd protests. It was n critical timet
when u feather's woight might turn tho
scalo, nud n great deal moro than that
turned it towards Oregon. Mrs. Waldo,
though n little woman, possessed firm
ness nnd rosolution of no common order.
All wintor sho hnd listened nnd silently
acquiescd with tho determination to go
west. All her plans had been shaped for
Oregon, and when in early spring thu
neighbors met to concludo what course
to tako, sho was full of interest. Stio
caught tho many objections urged for
the first timo and bow tho rapid cliango
effected in tho minds of all as the ques
tion of emigration was presontcd. It
was no trivial matter to loavo homes
and farms and tho thousand things ac
cumulated by hard toil, and outfit for
two thousand miles of desert travel, to
find unknown dangers on all the way
and no certainty as to the country thoy
sought to make thoir home. It is no
wonder that tho promises of Denton
faded and tho coming of Whitman
ceased to inspiro and that at tho
final moment all tho men as Btalwnrt
men as poineors aro mado of too wore
willing to drop tho question and stay in
Missouri.
There was a moment then when, un
less sorao interposing forco came to tho
rescue, Oregon would have loast her
Waldos and her Applegatcs. Tho inter
posing camo in tho person of a woman.
Just as tho question hung in the balance-
Mrs. Waldo took up the argument. As
for fearing tho Indians, there would bo
a largo forco of emigrants, and thoy
could go through any hostile country;
as for staying in Missouri, to endure
sickness and bo threatened with death,
she asserted that by comparison no
country bad terrors for her. She had
rather go live in an Indian country, and
from nil they heard of Oregon gavo her
voico for tho road across tho plains to
roach there. Thcro was. no combatting
such argument If n woman could
Bland tho journey nil tho men could ; if
sho was not afraid of tho Pawnees and
Sioux thoy wcro not. Thoy went home,
all, and wont to work to proparo tor tho
long journoy, and Oregon owes it to-day
to that ono pioneer wifo and mother
that tho familio named camo to Orogon.
Woman's voico may bo slow of utter
ance, but is very pointed when thus lit
torod. Mrs. Wnldo was of n southern family
nnd they met and married in Gasconade
county, whnro ho was lumbering. Sho
possossod natural rcfincmont of charac
ter and mnnncr, with dignified ways
that contrasted strnngoly in tho wilds of
Missouri or Oregon. Whilo of fow
words, sho expressed horsolf well nnd
possessed firmness, as was manifested in
hor determination to como to Oregon.
A woman of weak or even nvorngo will
nnd judgment could not hnvoimprosscd
tho minds of four rcmnrkablo men as
sho did, nnd havo inilucnccd them so
promptly. Mrs. Wnldo died in 1885,
not long aftot her husband. Sho was
greatly nillictcd with rheumatism for
many years. 'Uncle Dan," as ho was
universally called, nNo lived to old age,
but sufferod all that human flesh can
endure from a disoaso that mado life n
torriblo burden. Spartan-like, ho suf
fered in Bilonco and uttored no word of
suffering or complaint. Wondorful will
power alone sustained him. In his death,
ns in. lifo, ho proved "tho noblest Koman
of them nil."
In tho spring of 1813 sovoral compan
ies organized for tho plains, but only
mot after tho journoy was coraiuonced.
Tho Waldos nnd Applegatcs rendezvous
ed nt Indopendonco, nnd soon after took
tho dusty road up tho l'lntto. It wns
nftcr thoy wcro well on thoir way that
Whitman joined them and infused lifo
and activity into their movomonts. Ho
know tho need of onergy to nnko pro
gress, nud only for his influence nnd
exertions they would not hnvo mndo tho
journoy through as thoy did. Young
Waldo wns cognizant of all that occurr
ed, nnd took especial notice of Doctor
Whitman from tho timo ho joined thorn
nu tho Flatto until ho left thorn to go in
ndvanco to his stntinn, after reaching
Fort Hall. To his mind Whitman was
BOinetliing of n hero. This impression
wan mado when, nt Fort Laramie, thoy
hosltatod ns to getting thoir effects
across tho rivor. They wcro preparing
a wagon bod, by caulking it well to serve
as a boat to ferry their goods over, but
to do this thoy mint havo u ropo ferry
by which to haul tho unweildly craft
back nnd forth.
Tho wutorH very high at that time and
how to get tho lino over w.ib tho ques
tion. Whilo they po'wlerod it Whitman
camo up on horse back. Ho was n
heavy-set man, but very strong nnd vig
orous. Without any words ho tied tho
ropo round his wnist and plunging into
tho river with his horeo swam it across
and entnblished a ferry. Tho prompt
ness nnd onergy that he showed there,
was evident from that time onward to
tho end of his stay, with them. Ho was
tho lifo and soul of tho company, and
never obtruded his roligious views whero
not desired. Tho elder Waldo was not
orthodox, but howml Whitman sustain
ed tho most frioii'lly and intimato rela
tions. During hi life ho ulways spoke
of Dr. Whitman with tho utmost confidence-
and respect. To somo of the train
Whitman was comparatively n strangor,
for thero wero hundreds of wagons nnd
nearly a thousand persons in it. As
pilot Whitman was usually near tho lead
and may havo hardly known those in
the rear. To tho train at largo he was a
special providence, for he was not only
pilot across mountain and plains, but
often officiated as phytician and spirit
ual guide, as well as physical. How
ever many may tay they never knew
MAY 13, 1887.
him on tho plains, and doubt that ho
wan in Washington and on tho border
boforo ha went cast, after reaching tho
frontier with Gen. Lovojoy in January,
thoro is abundant evidonce, liko this
from tho Waldos, to provo nil that his
friends hnvo reasonably clalmod. Mr.
William Waldo says Whitman vns very
thorough, nnd infused lifo into tho com
pany. Evcrywhoro ho led and ventur
ed, as nt Laramie, nnd thus scoured nil
possiblo progress. It wns his efforts nnd
ndvico that mndo it possiblo to get n
wagon road through, ns ho promised,
though tho agents of tho Hudson's Day
company pronounced it an impossibility.
That wns tho critical fact upon which
tho fntu of Orogon in a grcnt mensuro
hung. A wagon road ovor tho mount
ains meant everything for Oregon, nnd
ho inspired tho emigration with that
viow of it, Tho greatest victory over
achiovod on tho Pacific was accomplish
cd whon emigrant wagons rolled into
tho valley of tho Columbia in 181!).
Whon they reached Fort Hall thoy
found Captain Grant, of tho II. D. Co.,
in commnnd thcro, who told thorn it
was impracticnblo to got through with
wagons. Whitman proved tho contrnry.
Whilo thoro n numbor, inoluding Dan
Waldo woro invited to tho fort to dinner
nnd Win. Wnldo romembers well tho
hearty laugh thoy had after thoy return
ovor a dish for tho dessort. This con
sisted of dried and pounded grasshop
pers mado into n Hort of pudding. No
doubt 'Grant loarned to liko this raro
delicacy by association with Indians.
Whitman was tho only Amorican who
tnslod it ns tho others hnd not boon long
enough away from civilization to hnvo
Indian appetites.
(Concluded next wcok.)
OLANDBR8.
Ham:m, May -1.
Kdltor Wlllamotto Fsrmeri
CIIIIONIO I'AIK'Y.
In chronic farcy local symptoms gen
erally procodo nny apparent febrile dis
turbance; but if tho thormomotor bo
employed for tho examination of all
horses in n stud whero glandors exist,
somo elevation of tho tomporaturo of tho
body may bo appnrrcnt in tho infeetod,
prior to tho development of any local
symptoms.
Theso local symptoms consist of cir
cumscribed inflamatory swellings run
ning in tho principlo vessels, which gun
pcrato nnd burst, without much ongorg
mont of tho surrounding nreolar tissuo.
Tho circumscribed elevations or buds
'nro connected together by corded lym
phatic vosboIs, nnd whorovor n vnlvo is
situated in a lymphatic duet, thero a
swelling will nppoar, nnd n bud will form.
Tho buds aro ranged in groups nbout
tho inner nnd outor aspects of tho thigh,
fore-arm, flank, neck, and head. From
tho circumstance that thu enlarged cords
and buds run in tho snmo direction ns
tho veins, tho old furriers concluded that
farcy was a diseaso of tho veins. Dis
sections, howovor, soon oxpellod this da
lusion, nnd tho roason why the disenso
accompanies the vessels is explained by
tho fact thnt tho lymphatics and blood
vessels run in company.
In somo instances farcy is found con
fined to tho curvicnl lymphatics. An
examination of tho nock, ulong the
course of tho jugular veins will enable
tho veterinarian to detect tho lymphatic
(hint, swollen, hard, and presenting ir
regular knots along its course Supin
ation seldom occurs, but tho animal
sooner or later presents sigrs of glanders
or of farcy in somo other part of tho
body.
Chronic farcy differs from thu ncuto
only in intensity and duration, and the
only form of equina which is at all
amenable to treatment.
Thu contagious diseaso laws of Ore
gon ennnot bo too stringent in regard
to such diseases as glanders and farcy,
but under our present laws one can do
about as he pleases as to using hones
at any and at all times on our public
highways, and hitching them at the pub
NO. 14.
lic hitching posts in our towns. Thoro
should bo nn net to prohibit tho uso of
all such animals. Thoy should bo killed
and burned, or buried deep in tho
ground. I think nn exception might bo
rondo with regard to tho milder forms of
chronic farcy, provided always that tho
nnininl bo nsolntcd nnd proporly attend
od,to, medically and othorwiso. I en
tirely disapprove of tho practico of
working such nn animal, whilst so dis
eased with glandors or fnrcy, nnd would
recommend tho strictest survcilnnco by
proporly qualified inspectors. Wo havo
hero in our midst both forms of tho dis
easo; hero in our midst ono farmer in
Denton county, lost eovontcon, another
twenty head of horses ; ono farmor in
Linn county, lost sovon head of lino
horses by its ravages. Marion, Polk,
Yamhill, Washington, nnd Lano coun
ties are slightly nffeotcd with tho dis
ease, most furmors think it to bo
"Nassal Gloot."
As thoro is no euro known for tho
malady, I will rccommond no troatmont
but tho Antisoptio Provontntivo troat
mont. Whon ginndors appears in a stablo of
horscn, in addition to tho romovnl of all
nd'ectcd horses, it is most essential to
nttond carefully to tho ventilation,
drainago, food nnd wntor, nnd to the
cleansing of tho disinfection of tho sta
bles, fittings, harness, nnd other appur
tnnnucos ; tho romovnl of contaminated
woodwork, tho painting of all fixtures,
limn washing, or even scraping, and
thon timo limo washing. Tho wash to
contain n pint of crudo carbolic ncid to
ovcry throe gallons of wash nnd to the
prevention of ovor crowding, exhaust
ing work, nnd nil dobilitntiug influences.
It has beon found Borvicoablo to givo
for snvcral wcoks ,to nil horses in tho
stud, with ovnry men!, two ouncos of
tho hyposulphito of soda, or two
drachms of chlorato of potash.
C. W. J., V. 8.
Crop In Multnomah County, Etc.
, 1'i.kahantHomk Or., May 2, 1887.
Kditor WiUmttto Farmer i
Tho last rains that foil, provontcd
farmers getting all thoir seeding dono.
Had tho rains dolnycd a fow days later,
all tho grain in this section would havo
been planted. During tho fow days of
pleasant weather, tho timo was improv
ed. Tho meadows look woll ; nover did
tho protect for hay both timothy nnd
clover, look bettor nt tho timo of year.
FarmnrB mado a sicok on potntoos this
year, the prices wero unusually good,
and the crop wns quite largo, yot not so
largo as tho year before Many in our
Hcctionn had several hundred busholB
which thoy took to tho Portland markot.
Vegetables of all kinds do exceedingly
well In this ncction; hay grows to per
fection, u failure is unknown hero, ovon
though nt times wo complain of so much
ruin, yet thoro is nono too much to in
sure good crops. So why should wo
grumblo.
Tho advent of our church bell caused
a sensation in our villugo Saturduy
30th, It wait hung in tho spiro at 10 a.
in. Many of our citizons wero present,
and wltmwed. with prido what has been
in contemplation for months past. At
intervals till day long up to Into hour in
tho night, it peeled forth its Joyous
tonos of ui"lody. Our Hand boys joined
tho strain by giving us somo popular
airs wh'ch made thu occasion n very en
joyablo one.
At the. wea hours of tho night the bell
Bounded forth its pealing tones so
strongly that it caused old time residents
to comn rushing breathless to thu sceno,
with an exclamation of what this all
meant 1 Was thero fire anywhere?
Whon tho waggish youths innocontly
said thoy wcro just swinging tho bell to
hear it tinglo as nover boforo in thoir life
wcro thoy so highly favored, and tbey
knew it would not last long. Thu vea
erablo citizen informed the wags that
the safest place at that hour of the night
was at homo with thoir mothors.
Pijiiv Jvaua.