Willamette farmer., June 24, 1887, Image 1

4
ST.
I
VOL. XIX.
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY..
SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. MEM AND
TIMES IN THE FORTIES.
)h DV S. A CLARKE LW
Copyrljht applied tor. AU rtjhti rrd.
Tbe Experience of J. W. Neimlth In Crossing
the Plains.
i. Tho Into J. W. Nesmith, who filled so
v important a part in tho pioneer history
of Oregon, and occupied tho highest
positions tho Territory and State could
confer upon him, dosorves n high plnco
also in tho nnnals of Oregon'B " Pioneer
Days." It is mattor for rcgrot that moro
particulars cannot bo had of his youth
but of hia manhood wo know, becauso it
was spont among us, and is part of tho
history of our Stato. His caroor illus
trates how nil tho paths of honor nro
open to American youth, and that Renins
enn, in our country, climb to tho high
est rounds of tho politicnl laddor.
Nc8mith'8 own account of himself is
as follows : " I havo often been asked,
hy refined and cultivated pcoplo in
Washington, tho reason of my coming
to Oregon in that oarly day, and I havo
found it a difllcult question to answer.
I was a poor, homoloss youth, destitute
alike of friends, monoyjaml education.
Actuated by a reckless spirit of ndven
turo, ono plnco was to mo tho fiumo ns
nnothor. Thinking my condition might
bo made better, and knowing it could
not bo mado worse, I took tho loap in
tho dark. Hut in tho emigration Mint
accompanied me, thcro wcro staid mon
of maturo years nnd cultivated Intel
loots mon who loft comparatively com
fortnblo homes nnd frionds, with their
wives nnd childron; gavo up tho advan
tages of civilization to cross a desert
continent beset with hostilo savages, to
go thoy know not whither, nnd with cor
tninty that in tho event of dofcat by
Indians or finding Oregon unhabitablo,
thcro could bo no possibility of return
ing. Tho chances wcro moro than oven
that if thoy escaped tho scalping knlfo
of savages it would only bo to perish by
starvation. So far as lands nt reasona
ble rates and fruitful soil wcro desirable,
thoy woro surrounded by these ir tho
homes thoy had abandoned. No mo
narchial or arbitrary government op
pressed them. No religious zealots per
secuted them. Thoy tied from no such
ovils ob brought oithor pilgrims or cav
aliers to tho now world. Nor was their
avarice tempted by the inducements
which sent Cortcz and bin companions
to Moxico, or Pfzarro to Peru,"
Tho foregoing shows in graphic words
tho conditions under which tho earliest
emigrants camo to Oregon. Ho goes on
to show how little, of veritablo fact there
was concerning this rogion, and that
even the information compiled and sub
mittcd to Congress was meager and un
satisfactory. Excepting Benton and
Linn, no members soemed to attach im
portance to our Pacific possessions.
Many members derided the idea of its
ever becoming a "portion of the Union,
and deprecated attempts at sottlement.
Mr. Nesmith overlooks tho fact that he
and his fellow-emigrants had the samo
conviction that Benton and Linn had,
and that tho people of the border, from
association with mon n tain men and fur
traders, woro to tsomo extent informed
as to tho value of "Western Orogon.
While it was n hazardous venture, it was
not so entirely a "leap in tho dark"fns it
seems.
Nesmith was of New Kugland birth,
and of a family that had some note in
tho pioneer history of New Hampshire.
Ife was n mechanic by trade, and fol
lowing the bent of the New England
mind, bad left the land of his nativity
for tho West. By 1840 he had drifted
to the very border, and when talk of Or
cgon came up, ho joined tho emigrants
who were gathering on the frontier to
make the to-called " leap in the dark.'
In the company there were 295 persons
over 16 years of age, capable of bear
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY,
ing arms, 111 wagons and other vehi
cles, but no pleasure convoyanrcs. Tho
teams wcro mostly oxen. Five poreons
and their familios turned back on tho
Plnttc. As tho toil, hardships nnd pri
vations of tho journey became appa
rent, nnd tho uncertainties of its termi
nation woro forced upon their minds,
thoy resolved to return.
As oarly as 1840 Nesmith heard of
Oregon, nnd during tho winter of 1811-2,
whilo in Jefferson county, Iowa, learn
ing that Dr. Elijah White, who had been
in Oregon, was wintering thoro as a sub
Indian agent, and would loavo Indepen
dence in tho spring of 1842, ho mounted
his horso and rodo across Western Iowa
to reach Independence sovonteen days
nftci White had left thoro. Ho would
hnvo followed nnd overtaken tho train,
but tho Pawnees woro on tho war path,
nnd were n dangerous tribe in ordinary
times, eo ho was obliged to forego tho
journey at that timo. During tho next
winter Dr. Marcus Whitman, missionary
to the Cnyuses on tho Walla Walla river,
"visited Washington to intercede in be
half of Amcricun interests on this const."
"Means for transmission of news at that
timo was slow and mcagor on tho fron
tier, but tho Oregon question, through
tho medium of Senators Bonton and
Linn nnd Dr. Whitman, did crcato some
commotion in Wnshington, nnd onough
of it found its wny to tho fnr.Wcst to
m nk o soma stir among the qvcr-rcstless
and adventurous frontiersmen. With
out any formal promulgation, it becamo
fairly understood, and wns so published
in tho few border newspapers then in
existence, that our emigration party
would rendezvous nt Independence, to
start for Oregon ns soon as tho grass
would Hubsist the stock. Without orders
from any quarter, nnd without procon
cort, promptly ns tho grans began to
start, tho emigrants began to assomblo
noar Independence, at u placo called
Fitzhugh's mill. On tho 17th day of
May, 18-18, notices wcro circulated
through tho difTorent camps that on tho
succcoding dny thoso contemplating
emigration to Oregon would meet to
organize. Promptly nt tho appointed
hour tho motloy groups assembled. Thoy
consisted of pcoplo from all tho States
and Tcriitoiios, and nearly all national
ities the most, however, from Arkan
sas, Illinois Missouri and Iowa all
strangers to each other, but impressed
with n crude idea that thoro existed an
imperative necessity for some kind of
organization for mutual protection
against the hostilo Indians inhabiting
the groat unknown wildorneis stretching
away to tho shores of tho Pacific, and
which thoy woio about to traverse with
their wives and children nnd all their
earthly iiossessions."
Many of tho emigrants woio from tho
western tior of counties of Missouri,
known as iho Platto purchate. Among
them was Peter II. Burnett, a former
merchant, who had abandoned tho yard
stick and bocomoa lawyer of somo celeb
rity. He subsequently went to Califor
nia was elected the first Governor of
tho (Joldon State, was afterward Chief
Justice, and long an honored resident.
Mr. Burnott or, as ho was familiarly
designated, "Pete" was called on for a
speech. Mounting a log, tho glib
tonguod orator delivered a glowing,
florid address.
t
He commenced by showing his au
dience tho then Western tier of States
and territories was overcrowded with a
redundant population, who had not
sufiicient elbow room for the expansion
of their enterprise and genius, and it
was a duty they owed to thomselvoi and
posterity to striko out in eoarch of a
more expanded field and moro genial
climate, where tho soil yielded tho rich
est return for the slightest amount of
cultivation, whero the trees were loaded
with perennial fruit and where a good
substitute for bread, called La Camash,
grew in the ground, salmon and other
fish crowded the streams, ami where tbe
principal labor of tho Bottlers would bo
confined to keeping their gardens frco
from tho inroads of buffalo, elk, dcorand
wild turkeys. Ho appealed to our patriot
ism by picturing forth tho glorious cm
pi ro wo would establish upon tho shores
of tho Pacific. How, with our trusty
rifles, wo would drivo out tho British
usurpers who claimed tho soil, nnd de
fend tho country from tho nvnrico nnd
pretentions of the British lion, and how
posterity would honor us for placing
tho fairest portion of our land under tho
dominion of tho stars and stripes. Ho
concluded with a slight allusion to tho
trials and hardships incident to tho
trip, and dangers to bo encountered
from hostilo Indians on tho route, and
thoso inhabiting tho country whither
wo wcro bound. Ho furthermore inti
mated n desiro to look upon tho tribe of
noblo"rcd men" thnt tho valiant and
well armed crowd around him could not
vanquish in a single encounter.
Othor speeches wcro mado, full of
glowing descriptions of tho fair land of
promise, the fnr nwny Oregon, which no
ono in the assemblage had over scon,
nnd of which not moro than half n dozen
had over rond any ncco'unt. After the
election of Mr. Burnett ns Captain, nnd
othor necessary oflicors, tho meeting, as
as motloy nnd primilivo a ono aB ever
nssomblcd, adjourned with throe choors
for Capt, Burnett nnd Oregon.
On tho 20th day of May, 1813, after n
pretty thorough military organizatibn,
wo took up our lino of march, with Capt.
John Oautt, an old nrmy ofllcor, who
combinod tho character of trapper and
mountaineer ns our guide, (inutt had
in his wanderings boon as far as tlrcon
river, and assured us of tho practica
bility of a wagon road thus far. Green
rivor, tho extent o' our guldo's knowl
edge in that direction, was not half wny
to tho Willamotto valley, tho then only
inhabited portion of Oregon. Boyond
that wo had not tho slightest conjecture
of tho condition of tho country. Wo
went forth trusting to tho future, and
would doubthvK havo encountered moro
difficulties than wo experienced had not
Dr. Whitmnn overtaken us beforo wo
reached the extent of our guide's knowl
edge. Ho wns familiar with tho whole
route, and was confident thnt wagons
could pass through tho canyons nnd
gorgos of Snako river and over tho Illuo
mountains, which tho mountnincors in
tho vicinity of Fort Hall declared to bo
a physical impossibility,
Capt. Grant then in charge of tho
Hudson Hay Company nt Fort Hall,
endeavored to dlssuado us from proceed
ing further with our wagons, mid show
ed ub tho wagon 8 that tho emigrants of
tho preceding year had nbundoncd, as
an evidence of the impracticability of
our determination.
Dr. Whitman was persistent in his as
sertions that wagons could proceed as
far as the Grand Dalles of tho Columbia
river, from which point lie asserted they
could be takon down by rafts or batteaux
to tho Willamette valley, while our
stock could be driven by an Indian trail
over tho Cascade mountains, near Mt.
Hood.
Happily Whitman's advice prevailed,
and u large number of the wagons with
a portion of the stock, did reach Walla
Walla and The Dalles, from which points
they were taken to the Willamette tho
following yenr.
Had wo followed Grunt's advice and
abandouded the rattle and wagons at
Fort Hall, much suffering must have
ensued, as a sufiicient number of horses
to carry tho women and children of the
party could not have bocn obtained, be
idos wagons and cattlo were indispensa
ble to men expecting to live by farming
in a country destitute of such articles,
At Fort Hall we fell in with some
Cayuso and Noz Perco Indians return
ing from the bulfalo country, and as it
was necessary for Dr. Whitman to pre
tele us to Walla Walla, he recommend
ed tn us a jtuido in tha person of an old
JUNE 24, 1887.
Cayuso Indian called "Sticcus." Ho
was n faithful old follow, perfectly
familiar with nil tho trails nnd topogra
phy of tho country from Fort Hall to
Tho Dulles, and although not speaking
a word of English, and no ono in our
party n word of Cayuso, ho succeeded
by pantomino in taking us over tho
roughest wngon route I evor sow. Stic
cus was a mombcr of Dr. Whitman's
church, and tho only Indian I ovor saw
that I thought had any conception of,
and practiced tho Christian religion. I
met him afterward in tho Cayuso war.
Ho did not participate in tho murdor of
Dr. Whinian and his family, nnd ro
mnlnod noutral during tho war bolween
his tribo and tho whites, which grow
out of tho massacre. I onco dined with
Sticcus, in his camp, upon what I sup
(x8cd to bo elk incut. I hud nrrived nt
thnt conclusion becnuso looking nt tho
cooked meat, and thon at tho old Indian
interrogatively, ho held up his hands in
u manner that indicated oik horns; but,
after dinner, seeing tho cars, tall and
hoofs of n mule near camp, I becamo
Hatisficd that what ho meant to convoy
by his pantomino was "oars," not "horns,"
but digestion waited upon appotite, nnd
after dinner wns over it did not mnko
much difference about tho appendages
of tho nnimnl that furnished it.
How to Make Horn Attractive.
Keep tho house clean. Clcanliuoss is
noxt to godliness. A clean homo makes
its inmates clean. Outward cloanlincss
is tho symbol of inward purfty. Mako
your rooms bright and cheery and not
too nico for tho boys and girls to enjoy.
If you cannot afford cxpensivo pictures,
buy cheap ones that aro bright, pretty
and in good taste. Beautify tho homo
and thus beautify tho childhood of your
sons nnd daughters. Train them to
holp you in your tasks. Divido with
them the toil, nnd thoy will double tho
plcnsuros of your homo. If n child
shows nbility or talent in any direction,
allow him to cultivate it, Encourago
and praiso his efforts. Lot him know
ho is appreciated, and that his plnns and
Enrposos nro matters of vital interest to
is parents. Toooh your childron to
control their tempers by controlling
your own. Lastly, don't fret.
When to Out Clover.
A piece of especially uniform clover
nt tho Pennsylvania agricultural collego
was cut in Juno 21, when tho clover
hoads were in bloom. A similar area
on thn same piece was cut July .'I, when
sonio of the heads wore dead, and tho
balance was cut July 10, when all tho
clover heads were dead. The hoy was
ro-woighed after boing in tho burn live
or six months, when it was found that
tho two earlier cuttings had shrunk
about 43 nor cent, in weight, whilo tho
last cutting hnd shrunk only 25 per
cont. Tho weight of the "dry" hay per
ncro was 4110 lbs on tho onrly cut, 4111
on tho noxt lot nnd 3015 lbs on that cut
when tho heads wero all dead. The
contents of the crop aro givon in thn
following figures, wlncli snow tlmt tuo
youngest grass furnished tho largest
quantities of ttio most valuable ingredi
ieiitH or rattio loou
JunorJ. Julyil. July It
I.U. .U. lie
VU1J of tin auUUiicr
Pr ftcrt, S6o 31 Ju smi
Ath, !G0 tlo VM
Mtroitnoui nutter, 63U 400 421
Woody DUr, 1034 1)18 M'O
SUnli, lujfir, U, 1031 17JU 1J7S
rn, m ioo si
Tho composition of the clover hay
from each period of growth indicates a
constant decrease in Its actual nutritive
value, after tho grass has passed tho
p.riod of full bloom. Tho dcreuso in
the nitrogenous part of tho fodder, which
is the most valuable portion, U very
marked. Tho much less valuable woody
liber increased in tho late cut, at the ex
pense of tho starch and sugar. Begin
to cut clover just as the heads ore
blooming, so that you will get through
with the harvest beforo the heads nro
doad. Tho bulk of tho crop will thus
bo secured in tho best possible state.
Bismarck's condition has become
worse. He is afflicted with rheumatic
pains, which prevent slwp. His doctors
advise rest and change of climate. His
illness, however, pievt-ut traveling at
present.
NO. 20.
fjarrt0nt!eiuf.
Commencement at the Orecon 8Ute Normal ,
This young school has much to recom
mend it to tho pcoplo of Orogon. First,
it's healthful location ; second, tho town
of Monmouth is quiot nnd highly moral,
no saloons or low places of resort being
within its charter limits. Third, tho
Normal has n most ofllciont corps of
touchers. Prosidonl Stanloy, of tho Mis
souri Stnto Normal, is widely known for
his nffublo qunlltics socially, and good
mnnaging skill. Professor Powell is ono
of tho Normals own graduates, and is a
gcnoral favorite with all hia studonts;
his efficient skill in imisio tolls in tho
dovotionnl oxorclsos as well ns public
cntortninmonts. Professor P. L. Camp
bell is nnothor Normal graduate, but
took his B. A. nt Harvard. This young
man has also tho lovo, respect and con
fidence of tho studonts. Miss Millio
Doughty, also of tho Normal, is loved
and respected by all who know hor, and
with Miss Kate Bristow, completes tho
faculty.
The students reunion on Monday
evening, was a vory cnjoyablo affair.
After a short nnd well selected literary
ontertulnnient, tho evening was spent in
social intercourse. On Tuesday even
ing tho Athlotio Association ontertainod
u vory largo uudienco in tho Nonnnl
chapol. Tho principal features of tho
entertainment, wcro ns follows: Reci
tations by Mr. G. E. Houok, Miss V.
Goodwin, of Portland, and II. J, Li'toh
fiold, solo vocal, by Miss Kowoll, of
Dallas; (lute solo by Wm. Carpenter,
and n whistling solo by Miss Stono, of
Dallas, which rcceivod great applause.
Tho monibcrtt of tho Association acquitt
ed tlieiiisolvoB very creditably indeed,
nnd thoir collogo songs and chorus was
highly npprcolntcd by nil. Wodnosday
a vory largo crowd assembled in tho
chapol to witnoss tho graduating exer
cises, which began nt 10 A. M., with
music by tho Choir. Invocation by
llov, B. Wolvorton 5 Salutatory, "School
Days," by Minnie Wado; "Poarls nnd
Pcbblos," by H. C. Harris; "Higher
Education of Womon," by Ida Wado ;
Music, by tho Choir; "Afibctatlou," by
Wm. Sellers; "Hiddou Dangors, by
Slovens; 'Tho Relation of Labor and
Capitnl," by Frailly Lucas; Musiii, by
tho Bueua Vista Band; "The Saloon in
Politics and Society," by A. E. Dunn ;
"Dnwn of tho Drama," by L. It. Lewis;
"Educntion," by Aggie Winnull. After
nn adjournment of ono hour, the exor
cises were ngain opened by rauslo by
tho Bund. "Power of Association," by
Anna Stevens; "Eclipsed," by I C.
Powell; "Workors," by Sara E. Cavitt;
"Man Class Poem," by J. A. Ittichunon;
Music, by tho Hand; "Focalizo," by
Viola Itublo; "Porsonal Independence,"
by B. F. Mulkoy; "Echoes," by Knto
Crocs, "Valedictory Armundu," by L.
B. Header; song by tho class. Prcson
tation of Diplomas. Annual address by
Prof. It. K. Warren, of Portland. It
would ill become your correspondent to
make personal criticisms or commouts ;
let it Htiflico that each ditl well his part.
0. A. II.
Trouble Ahead.
When tli appetite fail, and sleep grow
rettlei unit unrefreihing, there it trouble
ahead. Trin itigeitlve organ, wheu healthy,
crave food, the nervou ytem, when vigor
ous and trniuil, ivei iti poueor no un
eulni t night. A toiiio, to be effective,
should nut be a mere appetizer, nor aro the
nerve to he strengthen and toothed by the
unaided action of a sedative or a narcotic.
What U required l a medicine which invig.
orate thu utomach, aad promote assimila
tion of food hy the tyttcm, by which mean
tbe nervouii tyitern, a well a other part of
the phytic! organism, are itrengthened.
Thee are the effect of HoatetUr'i Stomach '
Hitters, a medicine whoe reputation it
founded firmly in public confidence, and
which pbydctau commend for it tonic, aoti
bilious and other propvrtiei, It i ued witn
the beat rtxult In fever and ague, rheum,
tlim, kidney and uterllne wtaknei, ami
other rrudadie.
Lubricating oils for every 11 , warrant
cd tho purest and best, at the Port Drug
Company, .Salem.
a,TTTTMr
& 5T..r ,n. r4
at JWUMaWtou! Mtt?