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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1916)
Pendtetem, Orefon, Thursday, STtembr 21, 1916 Nir A STORY OF EARLY DAY STAGING ... .. . Pave Horn, Pioneer Pendleton Resident, Had Varied Career. (Read before Umatilla County Pioneer Society.) Eat Oregonian Rouixi-Up Souvenir Edition the year I860, with a freight teas loaded for Wulker Uros. Dry Uooda Co. of Bait Lake, David Horn, on at Umatilla county's most re spected pioneers, left Atchison, Kan sas, hi first trip In the great wild aid sparsely settled west. Beventy sevea days were consumed in cover ing the entire-distance of twelve hun dred miles, an excellent record for that time. During the six years following, staging took Mr, Horn Into a still more rugged country Carson City, Nevada, and Sacramento, California; the Piute war was on In Nevada, and the Overland stage experienced any thing but smooth sailing while han dling the mail. Five hundred sixty miles of desert was a part of the Overland route between Carson Cits and Halt Lake, und this particular run, as well as one from Dry Creek to Sulphur Springs, found the Veter an driver handling the reins. Many men, ufterwards of state and na tional prominence makers of history so to apeak were then taking their chances with hundreds of others In the gold fields of Nevada and Cali fornia, and frequently were passen gers of Mr. Horn, among them being Mark Twain, then secretary to James Nye, governor of Nevada. The ex perience gained during those day3 by Murk Twain later constituted his interesting volume, "Houghing It." From this section of the country Mr. Horn Journeyed to Montana, where from 1806 to 1874 he drove ths Overland stage on various runs, one of them being from Deer Dodge to Helena. Mines were Dooming in that locality also, und a common shipment of gold dust overland, sev en days of the week, was from 2100 to 2200 pounds. It was tuken to the San Francisco mint, there converted into coin and placed In circulation. So large were many of these ship ments that the middle seat stage coach would be removed and a large trunk placed therein which would accommodate from one to two gold dust boxes one box being ai, two men could handle. One of the coins much used In 'Montunu durin& this period was a two-and-a-hall piece f gold, about the size of a nlckle; also there was then in circu lation a three dollar gold piece, as well as a fifty dollar piece, the latter aa unusually ' pretty coin octagon In shape. Officers of the army and government officials were often sent west on various commissions and fre quently were hauled from one post or town to another by Mr. Horn General tlarfleld, shortly after the tUme of the civil war, was one of such passengers, going from Helena to Deer Lodge. Among others, Horn recallB to memory Colfax, one time vice president, an" a reporter for Horace Greeley's Tri bune, named Hlchurdson, who was commissioned to look for a suitable route for the railroad both in Mon tana and Nevada. The autumn of 1874 concluded Montana staging days for Mr. Horn, and On the 15th day of September that year he came to Pendleton, via where now stands the Peoples Ware-, was the man to officially turn over-liou-e and Alexanders Store. j the first mall pouch to the railroad j To return to staging the run on completion it took over the from I'matilla to Cayuse was given i contract tfor hauling mall and ex- Mr. Horn; boats from Portland un loaded freight at Umatilla to be dis tributed many hundreds of miles In land, und shipments of ore, wool hides, etc., were carried by teams to Umatilla, there loaded on boats and Walla Walla; the town was fairly j started down the Columbia for their young, very prosperous and Is report-1 respective destinations, k was in the ed as far surpassing Carson City, Vlr-1 year 1877 that David Horn, expert glnla City, or any of the other wlldienced and efficient stage coach drlv west towns, as being wide open and er, turned over the reins to other f I ... ... Trry-f- V. .A A very rough. Pendleton was a di tributlng point for cattlemen cattle raising being one of the chief Indus- tries ut that time mining prospec-1 tors going into the Baker country, as well as sheep growers. Kunge' was free and except for buying salt, , and hiring men to herd the bands ot of the sheep and bunches of cattle, little ex-. peri e was attached to either business. I For many years wool brought a splendid price und Mr. Horn recalls; that one of the first brick buildings ever erected In Pendleton was built with money obtained from selling wool at 4 5c. This was an extraor dinary price, to be sure, but one sea son from 28c to 45c was the price paid; an average price was from 15c to 18c. Among some of the town's) merchants and business men then holding forth on Main street were:j Frank Cray, harness shop man; Un cle Ueorge Webb, hardware store; Marshall and Son, blacksmiths; thei Hendricks Restaurant,, Jerry De- pain's butcher shop; Uncle Dave Wright and John llowman conduct-1 in the livery stable, and last hut i Mr. inot least the court house and Jail. Schuyler which occupied the entire blocks hands and decided to enter the hotel business, conducting the hotel at Umatilla us his first venture. It was In 1 877 that .Mr. Horn also married. In 1882 Umatilla was abandoned for Pendleton, then a thriving place, the Vlllard Hotel being the next es tablishment of which Mr, Horn wa proprietor, until 1SH7. Although ac tive staging was given up In 1878. Mr. Horn was for many year local agent for the overland Route, and press, it la a fact worthy of note that a robbery or hoid-up was never Dave Horn's while staging. In staging days Meacham Station, named for Harvey Meacham, was a tod gate conducted by Mr. Meacham himself for many years. An amusing story is related of two irishmen trav eling afoot, and upon reaching Mea cham discovered 25c per person was the amount required at the toll gate. One of the sons of Erin inquired it any extra charge would be made if a man had a load on his back, and upon learning the price would be the same turned to his partner and said, "(ilt on my back, Mike, and I'll car ry you through." So amused was Mr. Meacham by the trick that he refused to charge even the twenty five cent. In speaking of early days in Pen dleton, and business niethods em ployed, Mr. Horn narrates that mer chants were called . upon to stake prospectors with enough grub to last them several weeks, without so much as un "I. O. V," and if the miner struck it rich the money was forth coming, otherwise it was charged ott the books. At "some stage of the gnine," to use a common expression, everyone borrowed or loaned; a prac tical stranger might ask you to loan him money, and if you had It, it was customary always to extend the cour tesy whether you ever saw the bor rower again or not. It was one ol the chances one took out west. From 1891 to 1898 cattle raising engaged Mr. Horn's time and from IS Is until now farming has been his chief occupation, today finding him very active and awake to the affairs of the day, with ever a good boon for not only the Umatilla county and Pendleton in the times when he first knew them, but as he finds them to day. , ITVTTlT1- """"" IviJJJMNf J 3 " ? -" f 1 f r - " i ri KM fi ' If . ' R x rqr -aM? stA J If? arethepick of 100X)00 tiremafeers tasmm The Feed Store of Pendleton Carrying a full Stock of HAY, GRAIN, STOCK and POULTRY SUPPLIES Rolled Barley, Shell Bone, Grit, Laying Tonics and Remedies if!! C. F. COLESWORTHY 1 i ane i-j ?4 J wmfwi 1 built this Army Tire Specialists? It is the achievement of sixteen years of selection and sifting. Men are en rolled only on their showing of exceptional qualifications and training. Success is the great magnet Men of unuvial abilities are drawn to the standard that calls for the best that is in them. There is no success like the success of Quality. In the case of the Fire stone it has rallied the pick of the 100,000 men the backbone of the tire building industry. Only such an organization could cre ate the Firestone Inbuilt Extras Most Miles per Dollar Quality, Serv ice and Riding Luxury, And these men know how to practice and com bine the Firestone's Extraordinary val ues at the price of the ordinary. Yours is the gain. fnfnr fillnfl Jiffly Co. V. N. Matlock, Pres. Vm. Dunn, Manager. P303 E t'ourt St- Phone 133 Makers of the First TruckTires Leaden Tbea attd Leaden Now In Quality and Volume LEGEND OF THE CHIPMUNK !.-- ------ - -: ." Long years ago, runs one of the i old legends of the Umatilla Indians., I there dwelt at the mouth of the Vina ; tllla river an Indian woman who had but one child, a boy of the age of seven. The boy was bright and full i of fun and the- spirit of adventure. but he was much inclined to disobey b'j mother In matters which seemed to him of no special Importance. The foolish boy thought he knew bette: at once took to his heels. The witch gave chase. In a moment her hot breath was on the boy's neck and he felt that all was Inst. Still he strove with ail his might to get beyond her clutches and at last managed to get beyond her reach by climbing a pine' Then the lad threw a cone far outjthe boy. She was told that he had tree. j Into the brush, the witch gave chaselnot come home. Then the witch nce in the treetop he felt secure and while she was gone, he slid down ; searched the tepee and. eventually and glanced down at the witch. She the tree and within a few minutes was finding the boy, seized him. Aa the was standing at the foot of the tree.jsafe in his mothei-s tepee. He boy tried to squirm out of her grasp, gna-shing her teeth and vainly trying; thought he was safe but circumstan-1 she caught him with all her clawa by to ascend. Then the boy thought he ces proved otherwise. Scarcely had the forehead and left the marks of her would have tome fun, so he plucked he arrived in the tepee than the talons on his face and body. Then a huge pine cone and threw it at the: witch reached it also, wild with an- she changed him from a boy to an old hag. striking; her on the head. ger. His mother, in alarm, hid him animal which she called the chip Again and again he hit her, laughing j in a corner and covered his head munk. And that is why that cheer with glee at his success, but the witch j with a buffalo horn spoon. i ful little animal frequents the pin still remained at the foot of the tree. The witch came in and demanded trees and wears stripes. Don't think of send ing elsewhere for your stock and poultry sup plies when wou can save time and freight by buying in Pendle ton, the central dis tributing point east of the Cascades. 129 E. Alta Street, Opposite City Hall Tricimono 134. ivmllr-ton, Winm than his mother whut he should and should not do. One day the mother heard there was a sorceress in the woods back of the tepee, a witch doctor who could do anything she wished with people In her power. Therefore, she told her son to remain within the tepee until the witch had gone away. The boy, who was railed Cherr-l-l-e-e, said. "All right mother," and then slipped out the back door, thinking he would go to the woods, see the witch und return In safety. There Is where he made a mistake. He had scarcely reached the weods before he saw a dreadful figure with dis heveled hair, long shiirp claws and malign aspect peering through the brush as If In search of someone. The boy was badly frightened and I I Known for Its Strength r : 1 THE First Eaffosia PENDLETON, OREGON I Bank 0E30I IOE30 Oldest and Largest National Bank in the State Outside of Portland ocaoi XOE30 Resources over $3,000,000.00 Security .1 1 c.l',,lli!!lliillll!llll!llli!ll!l!l!llllilllllliy lh:.li!.i: nlhv.r.l1! ,. i!,.!..!. h.J'lt!,... U.S.'.. I '. ; I - : i! :,! fflngMaa3m?aa...uau.:,;.UM.u;.f..