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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 1887)
K V- VOL. XIX. OREGON PIONEER HISTORY. BKETCHE8 OF EARLY DAYS. -MEN AMD TIMES IK THE TORTIES DY B. A CLARKE. -Copyright applied far. All rljhU reitrv J. THE JOURNEY OF THE WALDOS AMD THE APPRECIATES ACROSS THE PLAINS. Thoy readied tlio Columbia nnd passed Tho Dalles without trouble. Somo twonty milos below Tho Dalles tboy crossed thoir animals to tho north sido tho old Hudson bay route and drovo thorn down tho trail tp Vancouver. Their wagons thoy loft nt Tho Dallos, and thoir animals woro inado to swim tho Btroam. Near tho Cascades thoy met n singular accident with a knowing mnlo callod "Tho Qenoral." Tho old fellow was packed with a load and re sented it strangely, lying down occasion' ally to try and get his pack oil'. At a point whero a high bind overlooked tbo river tho trail wont along tho faco of tho bluff, somo huntlrods of yards above tho bank of tho Columbia. When thread ing this narrow path "Tho Goncral" con eluded to Ho down and roll tho pack off. Ho rolled so successfully that bo went liko a bull from tho track to tho river bank, catching on somo stones or brush at tho very brink. All hands raw tho mulo roll down tho hill and lio tlioro do void of motion. Ho was dead, of courso, and it only remained to savo tho goods ho carried. So thoy cliniod down tho steep tho mulo rollod down so easy, but they found somo sign of lifo, for "Tho General's" cars twitched, a suro sign of senbo and sensibility in a mulo. Somo ono gavo tho recumbent carcass a kick," tho old fellow struggled into position, flopped his cars as natural as lifo, and with somo boosting was got or. Ills fcot and went to browsing. Tho boast was sound as over, and went on his way ehowingno remembrance of tho acrobatic feat, oxcept by novor lying down again with his pack. Reaching Vancouver thoy interviewed Mr. Douglas, who was in chargo in tho absonco of Dr. McLaughlin, and woro thcro furnished at a reasonable chargo all tho Hupplics that thoy needed. Mr. Waldo loft bohind n largo property, and brought fifty cattlo, bosides horses and mules, across tho plains ; somo arrived in good order, and very few wero lost. Mr. Douglas was very considerate ; all they required thoy had, and afterwards Mr. Waldo sent to Vancouver for his winter supplios. Tho terms imposed wcro : grow wheat and wo wi 1 take t for pay at GO cents a bushel. Douglas lont them battoaux to carry their goods and ferry their stock. T. D. Koizur was thcro at tho some time. James P. Mai tin and Win. Martin, prcsont sherill' of Umatilla county, remained with them, having been with thorn all tho way, helping drive tho stock. Thoy had on tho road a hack and two wagons bring ing provisions, drawn by oxen. It rained as they came down tho Columbia, and all tho while thoy woro forrying tho Columbia river. It was u milo or moro wido here, 60 thoy could not Bwim ani mals, and the battcanx wero inconven ient to carry thorn in. Ono day ono of tho men said ho would liko a good drink of whisky to warm up with. Douglas said : "Como up to tho houso and get a bowl of warm soup ; that is tho best thing to work on." So all hands filled up at Wb houso with good soup. Thoy found him in every Way pleasant and accommodating. After crossing the Columbia they kopt on south to find thoopon country they had heard of. Tho country was new and the towns unheard of then. Only Oregon City was beginning to be a place. They kept up tho valley, and finally reached Alanson Beer's place, the old mission near Wheat land, where tho family remained a wcok, while Mr. Waldo went prospecting for a permanent home spot. Ho found two men, old mountain men and trappers, named Matt, a German, and Burroughs, SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, who had a font on tho placo oftcrward claimed by Jcroino B. Qrctr. Thcro thoy had somo horsos and did somo trap ping in tho Cascades. Thoy livod on game, as nll'mountaincors did, and whon sott'iors ennio thoy sold out and moved away. Thcso mon showed Waldo tho hill conntry, as thoy know whero good springs and good timber could bo found, and ho then selected tho spot ho mado his futuro homo and went back to Bccrs's after his family. By tho aid of tho Martins thoy put up in two weeks a comfortable log houso that tho family boliovcd tho host houso thoy ovor saw. Thoy had reached tho Columbia at Van couver in Novcmbor, and for n month thoy had boon travoling, forrying and building in tho rain. Tho cabin was twcnty-llvo fcot squaro and had no ac quaintance with a nail. Thoy split shakes for tho roof and tho various courses wcro hold in pluco by long poles. Split puncheons woro also used for doors and thoro was a dirt iloor. A chimnoy was easily mado and with a good roof and a rousing firo thoy wcro comfortablo and happy, and realized all thoir hopes of Oregon. Wm. Waldo says ho novor hoard a single word of regret or re proach. Thoy loft tho prairies of tho west for snko of health, and found it in tho hills, and located thcro for groatcr security. Thoro Is no moro beautiful region anywhorn than tho Waldo hills. Thoy had tho wido rango to thomsclvci, as no other family was anywhoro near thorn. Thoy quickly mado n farm, brokn and foncod twonty acres to put in wheat, planted it early in tho spring, and had n really good crop to tiso and pay their ''ebt. to tho Hudson Day company. Tho noxt yoay thoy built another dwelling houso and wero very comfor tablo, and also built barns nnd mado needed improvements. Tho first wintor thoy wont to tho snwmill at or near Snlom and got lumber for a floor. In a year or -two Dan Waldo was a prosper ous settler. His cattlo increased, his crops yielded well, his homo in tho Mils realized all their wishes, and no sickness camo to mako them rogret their old homo in Missouri. Tho next year Je&o Loonoy, who wintered at Whitman's, camo to Wettern Oregon and located in tho Santiam val Joy, twolvo miles southwest of tho Wal do's. Tho families woro intima'o and as each had young people, thoy onjoyod lifo. On Sundays thoy exchanged visits and in all respects thoy wcro friends. At that timo tho hilU wcro literally abounding with wild gamo, and vcnieoti was abundant. This furnished a groat part of a living. Tho wants of a now region aro fow and n story told of othor pioneers illustrates how tho Waldo's prospered. Ono Goodmun lived in the hills awhile, then went to California. In 1841 Dclany settled on Battlo creek, E. E. Parrish at tho Gap in tho Red hills, towards Jefierson ; W. Hawk hurst lived on Mill creek ; Josoph Hoi man oast of Salem. Up to 1817 thoro wero no claims taken on Saloin prairie. Salem was only n mission station, with school, church and parsonage. Tho Mission mill, afterwards owned by Mc Clane, was built in 1845. Peoplo settled near tho hills and near tho timber, on tho cast of Salem pralrio, but loft tho center vacant In 1810 Towner Savage located near whero tho fairgrounds now is with his eons, John and Lewis. Also W. It. MuHkers located on tho prairiog, and William J, Hcrrcn took a claim four miles from Salem. John Hcrrcn, Sr., located on tho Swartz claim, paying Baptisto Gobat 11000 for his' crop and improvements, as ho had thirty or forty acres fenced and broken. South of him was old man Stringer, an Englishman. John Martin camo that year. Next to Stringor was Billy Hughes, a Kentuck ian, who went back in '48. Then all was vacancy Bouth until you reached Stanley, Genor and Rector, who settled along the foot of tho Waldo Hills, south of Salem, in '40. Thus was the county slowly settled south of French Traino' and very fow occupied land south of tho Santiam river until '48. Thoro wero a fow Bettlors who followed tho foothills south and chooso favorablo locations whoro wood and water wcro convenient. It is truo that thoso locations woro all In tho rogion that produces tho best buolity of wheat grown in western Oregon. Dan Waldo was gonial and hospltnblo as a man and kindly as a neighbor, and his houso becamo headquarters for all who livod in or noar tho hills. Tie namo of Waldo was synonymous for nl that was loyal in Americans and truo to humanity. Ho was plain, and mado no pretenso to loadorship. Tho influenco ho possessed was duo to his firm and ro liablo character. Ho owned consider nblo means hero and back in Missouri, and tho possession ot modcrato wealth was a means of influoncc. Waldo was not an cducatod man, but read and pon dered what rcaohod him, and possessed cotiBidorablo inforntution for n frontiers man. Ho had an imporativo senso ot Justico and no ono questioned his fair and honost intention. Ho despised cant and hypocracy and rospected an honest man wherever ho found him, and as sisted many n man with monoy aid who noedod it. Ho waB genorous enough and just enough and possessed means and wisdom to givo him prominencoand desorved all tho prominonco and popu larity ho received If incidents of Ills times conld bo preserved thoy would bo of interest, but it is not easy to gather from existing sources such items. His houso was tho gathering placo of tho country side whonovor any mattor of importanco arose. At tho timo when thoro woro no towns or villages, no county scats, no country Btorcs, as now, Waldo's was tho rendezvous nnd bond quartora for ovorything that was Ameri can. Mr. Waldo's senso ot justico rulod his business matters. Ho would not soil any nrticlo for moro than ho thought it was honestly worth, and people some times triod to tako advantage of this trait, Ono instanco is Uld that illus trates his way of dealing. Waldo had a fino lot of boot cattlo and beef was very high priced, so ho could name almost any prico ho pleased. A man who know him woll rodo up ono day and asked: "What will you tako for your Iwef Hteors?" Wuldo named sixty dollars as his price, though ho know beef was soiling much higher. His theory was that sixty dollars was enough to pay him well. Tho cattlo dealer, from forco ot habit, said '-Isn't that rather high?" "You needn't tako them it you don't want them," said Waldo. Tho man rrdo off, but before long ho rodo tip again and said ho hud concluded to tako thoso cat tlo at sixty dollars. But "Uncle Dan" said : "It you want tho-io steers at sixty five dollars you can have them." Ho romonstrated. "You needn't tako them if you don't want them," was tho laconic roply. When ho camo back for them at sixty-fivo dollars, ho found they wcro worth sovonty, and was sharp enough to take them before thoy went higher. "Thoso steers wero worth sovonty dol lars" was all tho remark Waldo mado tho third timo. Tho old gentleman did it, too, with tho utmost indifferenco nnd mado no remarks as to tho whys and and wherefores of his conclusion. Ho was simply enforcing tho senso ot justico and making this particular individual know that ho know well what ho was about. Daniel Waldo was justice of tho peace under tho provisional government, and Mr. W. J. Herren, who furnishes these data, relates an instance of provis ional justico that illustrates tho charac ter of thoso times. In 1810 there was a case in his court, McKinley vs. John Durbin, wherein the plaintiff sued for trespass in jumping his land claim, land claims having been defined by the pro visional legislature. The plaintiff bad MAY 20, 1887. for his attornoy J. W. Ncsmith, nn ex Chief JiiBtlc of tho Supromo Court ot Orogon. Dcfondant secured tho services of Potor H. Burnett, tho existing Chief Justico. Bill Martin, now Sheriff of Umatilla county, was tho constable Ho had a long journny to mako to got a jury togothcr. W. J. Horrcn, ''Billy" Hughes, "Bill" Bealo, nnd ono of tho Dolanys woro on the jury. Ncsmith mado nn opening spocch, deprecating the great influenco thoy might attach to tho fact that tho defendant's counsel was a Chief Justico. Ho said thoy mustn't bo led away by tho distinguished coun hoVs high position as a jurist. Alter all, ho was only utuuti. Ho had filled tho samo ofllce himself, and know all about it. Nesmith raked up a story ot cross ing tho plains againBt tho othor sido, and attacked tho poor dofoudant furiously and won his case. It Is probablo tho financial results woro moro satisfactory than in tho mattor narrated in a recent papor whoro ho mado his maiden effort at Oregon City. Thcso incidents illu. trato tho oarly times, and possess valuo in that connection wo would not now attach to similar proceedings. Wm. Martin crossed the plains with Daniel Waldo, and resided somo years in his family. Ho was tho lint Shorlff ot Champoeg county, as what is now Marion county was callod in early years. Martin is now well advanced, but retains health nnd strength remarkably. Ho lives in Umatilla county, and has boon for many yoars sheriff thcro, being olduted on his moriU and personal pop ularity, though opposod in politics to tho ruling party, a caso without parallel in our Stato. Wasco County Letter. Tub Dalles, May 5, 1887. Editor WiUmette Farmer i This is a regular Wobfoot day, and it has been raining for sovoral days, and A I A.n nliAtiiAiHi n m a IiiiiI li n A A nil .IVft.ftft uivbu niiuwum utu jimt nuiii. mi uii mint, out in Kastorn Orogon. Tho farmers aro still plowiug up sod laud ; it is plon ty wot enough, and somo few aro plant ing corn. This crop seems to bo all tho go. It is ono that doos woll on our land. All tho early planting ot corn is up, at least what I havo scon. Thoro is ono man who has just finished a small field ot 150 odd acre?, all of which is corn. This Is Dr. Sloon, of Arlington. Tho farm is about six miles from this town. Then tlioro is ono of our Orogon boys, and n. neighbor, Mr. Samp. J. Jones, of Marion county, who aro put ting in quite an oxtonsive crop, nnd breaking u largo tract of now land his winter sown grain looks woll. So docs tho oarly sown. It looks liko ho meant business, for thoy havo fenced in about ono hundred acres, and aro still fencing. Stock looks well, here, cattlo and horses faro woll on tho bunch grass, which is plenty hero in Gilliam county, at this timo. This country is filling up quito faHt with sottlcrs; this is just what wo want to si 3. Tho bauds and and slnow of the willing firmer taj hold of tho plow, work liko a man wl:o meant it, and not ono who only wants to hold his land till somo ono comes alonj; and would buy him out, then get an other piece of It. It., and do likewise Thoro is plenty of what I call good land, to bo had, but tho great drawback is water. Thcso lands aro good for gruin, and vegetables, they do well hero in this county. Well, this is a thriving little town, of about 1 MX) inhabitants; thcrotaro now buildings going up overy day, This is on tho Bouth bauk of tho Columbia, with ono main street filled up or crowded with teams, both firmer and freighters. Then thoro is Front stroot, whero it is a crowd of teams all tho timo, at this timo of year. Wool is coming in at a lively rate, also pelts ; there is somo fine Herofords hero in tho stock yards, fifteen in num ber, Some people think thoy aro all and all. Others take the Short Horn. NO. 15. As for my part, givo mo tho Short Horns and tho Holstoln Frissian cattlo ; then you havo beef and fino dairy cattlo What havo you of thoso white Hereford cattlo? When in flesh thoy aro fino look ing fellows, but oh, what poor looking creatures thoy aro, when poor, fudging from what wo can bcc. Como up and boo our country, and givo us a call out on our farm. I hnvo a pleasant llttlo farm on tho south bank ot tho grand old Columbia river, and tho II. It. is on tho farm, and both front my houso. Xoithcr aro to exceed 2,000 feet from tho house. I have in a good orchard. All applo and some fow penr trees. I havo a good garden in, potatoes beets, onions, cabbage, carrots, and about two acrog ot molonst all aro up and looking woll. All within ono milo and thrco-fouths of a milo ot town. Como and help mo eat. Somo of thoso fino mollons you can sco, when riding along on tho train, for tho track runs through tho molon patch, or noar by. This is what payB hero, for I con soil them at Portland nnd at homo for a good prico. I havo about as early varieties as grows, in tho U. 8., nnd I wish you could bo horo about tho 1st ot July, and see. David D. Gauiiibok. lettw trom Dayton, W.T. Dayton-, W. T., April 25, 1887. Editor Wlllimctto Firmer! Wo liko tho Farmeii, ond appreciate it for tho many good things which it contains. I havo boon quito intorostod in reading tbo Pionoor History of somo of your first settlors. What toils and dangers and difllcultlcs somo of thorn had to pass through I ' This brings baok to my mind events that transpirod in tho early sottlomont of Kansas. I wont to Kansas whon it was a Territory, and holpcd to mnko it a froo Stato. Tlioro wo had tho pro-slavory element to faco, while you plonoers hod Indians to fight. My, what changes havo takon placo Blncol Your Stato ot Orogon is looming up grandly nnd becoming tho homo of many good citizens. This Territory Is filling up vory fast ; quite a number from Kansas havo ar rived alroady, and moro are on tho way. I was up In tho Palouso country last fall and observed that a great numbor of peoplo woro planting out orchards. Ono nursery in Kastorn Oregon filled ordors to the amount ot $1,000, mid thoro woro sovoral counties represented, A good deal ot your fruit, raised in tho valloy, would find a market hero, if freights wcro only reasonable Yours, very respectfully, ItmiiAiii) Hill. How to Preserve Eih. Halhy, Or. Kdltor Willamette Fanner i As you bolong to tho public, I writo for a recipo for preserving eggs. You published ono somo timo ago tho liming process ; you did not stato fully how to procood, nnd I havo lost tho numbor of tho Farmer containing what you did publish of It. If you will sond mo tho process, you will much obligo a sub hcriber. I want to inquire through tho Faumeii it any one has ferrots in this Stato, and whether thoy would not bo an excellent thing for ridding tho country of rats. If you hnvoopportunityor think proper, answer by mail or through tho Faumeii. Yours, respectfully, 8. ',. Taylou. Siuco tho Colfax County Commission on) renewed tho bquirrcl bounty at thoir Fobruary term, 100,050 scalps woro ro coipted fur at tho Auditor's office up to tho presont time, making an amount of $5,332.50. Eighty-seven cayoto scalp i wero also received, at $1 each. Tho following process has been made in tho Stampede tunnel up to May 12th : East end, heading 2270 feci, breast 2248 feet; went ond, heading 2271 feet, breast 2247 feet mmjiJ iUIIUUd .11" ' I 'i ..u'lURi ki i, .. ....V"""" ' ' l ' '1' K-U.VKL.L. 5RHS5S?v 'WW " j.ni ij ii.miinKyHHTOjW-t;')'-l''lU.. WHjf
