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VOL. XIX.
SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1887.
NO. 24,
OREGON PIONEER HISTORY..
SKETCHES OF EARLY DAYS. ---MEN AND
TIMES IN THE FORTIES
K
BY 8,
Copyright applied tor,
THE FORTIEB
I. A CLARKE. Uff V
All lights reitrrad,
Pioneer Bteambeailnic Recollections of a
Man Who Ran on One of the Flrit Veiieli
(Concluded from Inst wcok.)
Tlio first cor track over tbo portage
was mndo in 1851. It was two feet
wido, with four-inch fir scantling for
rails. The enrs woro hauled by mules ;
had wooden wheels mndo of fir planks,
and with wooden axles. In fact, there
was no iron in the construction of cither
enrs or road, except tho nails used. The
steamer Bell ran from Portland to (ho
Lower Cascades, to connect with tho
portngo railroad, and tho sto'imcr Mary
ran nbovo Tho Dalles. A stniinch-built
schooner took tho freight from tho Doll
to tho middlo landing, when tho wind
was up stream, which was usually tho
caso for six month.", from Octohcr to
April. When tho wind wns down
Btrcnm tho Cascade Indians wcro em
ployed to tow tho schooner. Any num
ber of thorn wcro usually obtninablo at
short notice Tho railroad terminus
was below tho big eddy, whero tho Hud
son Hay mon had always hauled out
tboir bonts. Tho place was known to
old navigators ns Clcutchmiin's rock.
With a fair wind tho schooner would
sail up in n fow hours, but with wind
and weather unfavornblo one or two
days woro required to cordoll up to tho
landing, requiring tho services of thirty
to forty Indians. Thnt was why freight
was $80 a ton from Portland to Tho
Dalles in early dnys.
Somotimos tho Indians would bo
drunk, or mad, and could not bo had on
any terms for a wook at a timo. At
such limes freight had to lie- over until
a crow could bo procured. Passengers
usually walked tho fivo miles from tho
Lower to tho Upper Cascades ; at other
times thoy woro taken in wagons, at tho
rcasonablo charge of $2 for tho trip. A
fivo miles' walk was not much of an ef
fort in thoso days for men or womem.
When pnsongorn loft Portland they did
not know when thoy would get to Tho
Dalles. I havo known the stoamer Bell
to bo for dnys at Cottonwood Point,
afraid to pass by Capo Horn in bad
weather. Then one day, nnd often more,
would bo taken to mako tho portngo.
Another day took thorn through to Tho
Dalles, in most cases, but it might re
quire three if tho middle river was very
strong. Tho oxjkuiso of a trip to Tho
Dalles in thoo days was tcldoiii less
than 20. Passengers on thno tedious
trips generally pated their timo with
cards. All were on nn equality, nnd to
ruakoupngamo you would ofton find
nn army oflicer. a government employe,
merchant, mountaineer, prospector, day
laborer or deck-hand. Times were freo
and easy, and so were tho pooplo; all
tho Inanity of social equality was, illus
trated on the old-time journeys up nnd
down tbo Columbia. tonally games
wero played 'for fun." drinks or cigars
being paid for by the lo.-er. Hut in
tho.o time, when money wan eay got
and abundant, men often made eucli
travel intercMing with games that made
coin change hands and caused excite
ment to all on board. Grouped about
tho card tnble wonld Ik? an eager mass
of lookers-on, whoee interest and absorp
tion was equal to that of the principals
in the games themselves. There game
sters wonld pile up the "Mugs" or twen
ties nnd smoke their cigars with all im
aginable indiirereucu. Gaming was a
high art, and unless a man wan an artist
be batl no right to be in a game.
In thtfrti days women wero scarce, and
men were rough ns a consequence. The
women who traveled were often ol a
class as freo and easy as the times, and
their presence was no restraint. Mon
played for money then who no doubt
now look back nnd wonder thnt they
did so. This a topic of interest, nnd it
is a pity that no historian in at hnud to
record tho many incidents of early
travel on tho great river of tho west, and
rolnto for futuro times tho story of ear
lior ones. There is romance nnd wild
intntcBt in this subject that n ready
writer could charmingly illustrate if ho
could properly possess tbo facts.
Another fenturo of thoso early times
wns tho provalcnco of gold nnd the littlo
fenr n traveler entertained of losing his
lucre. Tho miner would have bis dust
in a buckskin bag, and roll it up with
his blankets. Wlion lie came aboard
tho boat ono nnd nnothcr throw their
blankets in n pile, and wont about with
no fenr that somo marauding thiol
would got nwny with it. Skilled thiov
ory is a product of civilization, "an out
growth of society ," nnd had not found
enough of thojo inspiring causes on
tho Columbia river to induco its pres
ence hero early in tho fifties. That
othor prodnct of civilization, tho tramp,
was unknow licit) at thnt time. Thcro
is hardly nn instanco known wheio
losses occurred on tno littlo steamer
that carriod tho traffic of those days.
Travelers by land nnd by water handled
their gold dust or coin with n freedom
and confidence, in common honesty
that spoke well for the times nnd tho
human nnturo that was peculiar to
thorn.
At tho lower Cascades wo stopped
over night with Mr. Hamilton, a kind
hearted man of the pioneer era; bis
wifo boinc of tbo same matorial per
haps a littlo moro so. A Mr. GriswoTd
kopt a bouso nt tho middle landing.
Every man carriod n roll of blankets
for his bedding, nud overy woman ns
well. At tho upper lauding hotels wero
kopt by Bush nnd tho Bradfords. Their
tables woro supplied with "tho best tho
market nflbrdcd," which meant salt
pork that camo round ''tho Horn," nnd'
salmon that was trying to climb tho
swift water nt tho Cascades. Potatoes
grew thereabouts, nnd woro nlways
worth $1 to $2 n bushol. Tho land
from tho upper to tho lowor GVcndes
wns nil clnimod by the speculative set
tlers in 1850 and '51. Tho title of tho
upper Cascades claim was contested for
many years, and finally was won by the
Bradford side. Bush was defeated after
a long nnd angry strife, that cost each
side a great deal of money.
In tho winter of 1855 tho Bradfords
constructed another woodon railroad,
stronger and better than tho first, nnd
standard gauge. Cold has been dis
covered in tho Similkameon country
nnd on tho upper Columbia. Owing to
this discovery, and tho Indian war that
followed, travel nnd busincxs had in
creased beyond tho facilities of trans
portation at tho Cascades. That was
tho first gold discovery east of the Cns
cado range, nnd the first pioqiectors
were from Salom. Louis Wcstncott was
ono of tho first discovers. Tho first
soason after this chscocry the two men,
Jo Dailey and Giles, cleared $00,000
passing freight over the littlo two-foot
gauge road. About the time Col. Buck
les began a wngon road on tho Oregon
side, and when finished the little Wasco
moved its landing to that sido nud
worked in conjunction with tho steamer
Fashion. The-o two lines had all the
freight they could carry, and besides
had full ponenger lists.
Col. Buckles had no capital when ho
commenced work on bis portage enter
prise, but he afterwards enlisted a Mr.
Olmstean. In 1858 they commenced
the construction of a wooden track for a
t-amway on the Oregon side of tho Cas
cades. This thoy put through to tho
middlo lauding, and could hold the
other company level in work. Freight
had leen $80 per ton, and passage $10
to The Dalles, but il now decreased to
$40 and $5. Buckles it Co. completed
the first through track to the Lower
Cascades, now known n Bonneville
distauco five mile?, and in 1861 placed
the first iron horso on tho track, which
was tho first locomotivo in Oregon.
Tho locomotivo only ran two and a half
miles, whero tho rond wa9 subtnntially
built Over tho other half of tho way
tho cars woro hauled by mules. In 'Gi
thoy kept ono hundred mon employed
to pass freight over this load. Tho
Bradford road had, meanwhile, becomo
so worn out that thoy hired Buckles k
Co. to pnss their freight over thnt rond
while thoy woro rebuilding their own
track and laying iron rails on it from
the l'p)cr to tbo Lower CaBcndes. It
was about tho this timo tho two com
panies consolidated.
In those years wo hud many social
gathering at Col. Buckle's whero wood
choppers wero tho elite. Freight now
went back to tbo north side, and the
south side or Oregon road went to
decay.
Weekly Crop Report.
Chic acio, .Inly 17. Tho following crop
summary will bo printed in this weeks
edition of tho Farmer's Boviow:
Drought throughout tho Northwestern
states is injured nil crops more or less.
Corn, although not materially damaged
so far, is commencing to show tho effects
oj tho dry season, nnd must Miller con
siderably if rain does not fall soon and
in sufficient quantity. As a result of the
drought tho ont crop is ripening too fast
and will hardly mnko three-quarters of
nn avorogo crop if thodroughbeontinucs.
Estimates of tho nvorngo yiold of winter
wheal in tho different states aro ns fol
lows . Sixteen counties in Illinois fifteen
bushels. This is a failing oil' of two
bushels as compared with our report of
last wcok. Morgan county reports a
yield as high as twonty-iivo bushols, nnd
1'opo as low as eight bushels. Twelve
counties in Indiana givo an nvorngo of
fifteen bushols nor acre. Four Kansas
counties report n yield of seventeon
bushel', but others report returns as
light to very poor. For tho whole state
the yield is undoubtedly poor. Four
counties in Kentucky givo eleven buil
ds. Tliroo Michigan counties givo thir
teen bushols. Eleven counties in Mis
souri report an average yield of nineteen
and ono-hnlf bushels. Our Ohio reports
indicato n fair to good yiold of wheat,
but figures nro not given. Bonorts from
Wisconsin placo tho yield from four
toon to twenty bushels jxir acre.
ItoporU on tho condition of spring
wheat are ns follows Nineteen conn
tios in Iowa placo tho nvcragu at 72 per
cont. Carroll, Cass, Clayton, Howard,
Iowa. Keokuk and Madison countios
cannot state an average, tho urop being
almost totally destroyed by Insects.
Eleven counties in Minnesota placo tho
condition at 71 jwr cont. Twelvo conn-
tie.s in Nebraska ronort nn avorago con
dition of 81 per cent, and sovcu counties
in Dakota 89 per cont.
Cbeap Faint and Good Whitewash
Eohcx In reply to your inquiry for
somo cheap matorial with which to
cover an old barn whoso boards nro so
wcathnrbeatcu as to bo unfit for paint,
wo recommended tho following: Skim
milk 2 qts, fresh slackened limo 8 oz,
linseed oil 0 oz, whito Buguudy pitch 2
oz, Spanish whito !J lbs. The lime is to
bo rluked in water ox posed to tho air
and then mixed with about one-fourth
of tho milk, the oil in which the pitch in
disM)lvcd to bo added a littlo at a time,
tbon tho rest of tho milk, and after
wards tho Spanish white. This will do
for 25 yurds of two coats nud will pro
duco whito. If deoirablo, color can bo
made with various substances.
Tho following recipo for whitewash is
excellent Add to ono peck of whito
stove lime while it is slaking, 1 lb of tal
low nnd 2 qts of strong rock salt brine.
Thin to a proper consistency and apply
with n whitewash brush. Tho t allow
repots moUture and tho salt bunions
tho lime. Cojors may bo produced by
adding common pigments. Again,
take ono part of " fine sand, two parte uf
wood ashes, three parts of slacked lime,
sift through a fine sievo or screen, mix
well nnd stir with linseed oil to the con
sistency of paint. Add a little lump
black to the color if wanted. This is
a vorv chcan and desirable paint and
equally good on wood or brick, being
lire proor. Appiy as oilier nanus are
applied
jarr$0tulcucf
About Fruit Evaporators.
Salem Or., July 20, 1887.
Rditor Willamette Farmer:
Having soon a good ninny references
lately to tho largo ovapomtor to bo con
structed in tho town. That it is to bo
of great benefit (o tho town, to employ
seventy-five, or eighty hands; givo n
market for nil tho surplus fruit etc., and
having heard tho systems spoken of, as
possessing unusual merit. I have taken
tho trouble lo invostigato to seo whether
wo nro likely to recoivo nil tho bonellt
from this concern that wo aro promised
(on paper). Now ono word in reference
to tho motive of this article. I havo
no fight to make on any legitimate en
terprise, no matter whero it hails from,
and wish all to succeed who aro en
titled to, and further belivvo in any en
terprise to cithor Hiicceed or fail upon
its merits. I havo been n resident of
this (own for upwards of two decades,
nnd I can truly say thnt I am desirous
for tho success of any enterprise that
will ndvnnco tlu host interests of tho
town. But to icturn to tho ovnporntor.
I find by n close porusal of Trcscottifc
Co.'s pamphlet taken togothcr with tho
cuts given of tho mnchino that it
very closoly loscmbles tho old Alden
process; in fact wcro it not bought
from under another iiamo any ono con
vorsant with tho Aldan Dryer would
say ut oncd tint it was tho Alden pro
cess. Now as tho Trcscott Co. havo
used tho main principles of tho Alden
Dryer let us seo what has been done in
Oregon with them. Tlinro has been es
tablishments put up at McMiunvillo,
Oregon City, Salem, Monmouth, Eugene
City, and ono I bcliovo over in Coos
county. I havo yet to loarn thai they
(nny of thoni) wero over n dollars profit
to their owners ; while to tnko tbo Salem
establishment, I havo it from the owner
direct that it cost him $0,000 to learn
that it cost him moro to dry fruit on tho
Alden dryer than beould all'ord to sell
it for. Now what assurance have we
that tho Trcscott Co. using tho same
principles in their machines will have
any hotter success. Tho troublo was
not with tho Alden fruit for it stands
high in tho markets oven now and they
made a No. 1 quality of fruit. But it
cost too much to opornto tho dryer.
I inn told this now concern pro
poses to bleach all their fruit and
put up nothing but a strictly first-class
article packed in goodshnpo; right here
I wish to say that I think the perni
cious practice of bleaching fruit has
done moro to injure tbo dried fruit bust
nos in Oregon than all other causes
combined. As it destroys tho natural
flavor of tho fruit; with unbleached
fruit ono can onnily tell tho variety
right along, while with tho b'eucbed
article, this is impossible, nud it also
enables tho Com nii-aion men to turn off
for No. 1 fruit, that which will not givo
satisfaction. I hold that it is impossible
to improve on the natural flavor, and
whenever you destroy that natural llvor
(ns is nlways done to a greater or less
extent by bleaching)- you injure tint
fruit just to that extent. Again. I am
told by the stockholders of this com
pany, that they have an extensivo ao
quaintaueeof the requirement of tin.
fruit markets of tho East, nnd will be
able to dispose of their goods to advai t
age. If this is the caste. I do not si e
why they devote so much space in their
pamphlet to advertising commission
houses. Tudor the bead of ".Sugges
tion," they got oil" tho following :
"Wo would suggest to those who con
template) shipping their own fruit to, I y
all menus, ship to a reliable commission
house, and not drown the market your
selves, for, by so doing, it has a tendency
to weaken trade. In tho long run, It is
bettor to select a reliable house nnd
stick to it."
As the roiumi'sion men hate the
fruit growers of Oregon, in thoir clutches,
I think it far better for thorn to run a
lioueo of tboir own whore tho fruit can
bo sola on its morits, eo that thoso who
havo good fruit enn sell it for its true
vnluc. I think tho possibilities of tho
fruit buisness in Oregon can scarcely bo
realized, but it must bo worked up on
solid principles. The day is past in
Oregon, wlion tbo Alden Fruit Dryer or
nny othor operating, on tho snmo prin
ciple, can bo madoa success financially.
I romomber having seen some of tbo
so-called choico bleached Alden fruit, in
a Portland commission house, in Juno
1880, which wcro sold nt four nnd n halt
or fivo cents per pound, nnd it was nil
boxed up nnd rated No. 1. Wo hnvo
had two seasons with such prices ruling,
and I nttributo tho siuno mostly to tho
blenched fruit and tho commission mon.
Hoping to seo the time in Oregon, when
DrjciH and fruit can bo sold on their
merits. I urn respectfully yours,
Ht'STICU8.
The Year's Production ot Cold.
Xkw York, Jii y 18. Tho World, in
nn cditor'nl t.-day. fnys: "Tho report
of tl o director of tho mint will bo about
tho most interesting nnd Instructive doc
ument to bo issued fiom tho govern
ment printing office this year. It shows
that tho total production of gold in tho
United States Inst year wns $ J 1,8(19,000,
an increase of $!I,(II58,000 over thnt of
tho previous year, so thnt instead of ex
hausting our mines, as somu experts
predicted would be tho ease soon, wo
are actually increasing our production
of pieclous mctnk California, tho pio
neer, not content with having come to
the fiont as a grower of grain and fruit,
still leads all Slates in her yield of gold,
being credited last year with $111,720,
(KM). Colonido furnishes $ 1,150,000
Moniana. 11,125.000; Nevada, $:i,0!)0,
00(1 Dakota, $2, 700.000 Idaho, $1,800,
(XX), and Arizona $1,1 10,000, Alaska
produced $110,000 last year, against
$1100.000 in 1885, so that if sho kcops
adding to her gold product at this nuo
she will toon have paid for horself.
(leorgin, Now Moxico, tho Cnrolinau,
Oregon, Utiih nud Washington nggro
gnlcdSl 1,227,500.
American Maiailne for 1887.
Tliis worthy publication is again with
us and and wo nro moro pleased than
boforo with it. Tho character of tho
matter it contains and (he excellence of
its illustrations are much improved over
the first number Tho following authors
contribute to the August numbort Dr.
W. F. Hutchinson, an article on Vcnz
uohi, H. Edgar Knwcett'w, serial story
is continued; Julian Hawthorne, in
"Villago Types," contributes sketches of
typical character, such ns almost any
American villago can produce, Mr. J.
Hawthorn does good service by sombnl
lug them before they go away. An In
teresting sketch of the .lust ices of the
Superior Court, by '.. L. While, accom
panied by engravings is'nu entertaining
feature. Together with many other
well known authors.
Jeannle Winston Coming,
We understand that the l'yke Opera
Company will bo in Salem on Thursday
and Friday , July 28th and 211th. Tho
rro'l-knowu nnd popular Jeunnio
Winston is the leading singer in thin
company, hiio nns never porlormou lit
haleiu. imt many of our towns pooplo
hau hocus) anxious to hear her that
tliey have taken the tioublo to go Port
land to hi-ar her. So wo shall expect to
s'o a crowded houo at the Opera House
on Ihnsedays named. 'I hoy will placo
two popular operas upon the1 stage, ono
each night. Further announcement
will 1st made next week. Prices as
usiia .
State Agricultural Cslleje,
This we.l known institution of learn
ing has just ihsiied its 22d annual cata
logue of tho olllcers nud students, and
general ru'es and lobulation- During
the lat year there was 110 rtudents on
rolled. Thcr were two graduates tho
last year. Tim ohol mi r in divided
into three term", and the first in in will
begin September 7lh. For further in
formation, address II, I.. Ariw'd, Presi
dent, Corvalhs, Oregon.
II
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