Paxo Fourteen
Sarst Orcgonlan Bound-Up Souvenir Edition
Pendleton, Oregon, Thursday, September 21, 1922.
LET 'ER BUCK
I
t
Old Oregon Trail Has Romantic History; Is Route Chosen by Ox
Team Tourists of Long Ago When They Sought Homes in West
(Continued from page 13.)
till! vocabulary of those people ami
through 1 He activities arid ilctcrinina
tlon of the progeny of these men ami
women the. Jircut Amcrcun leserl
lias been made to blossom us I he cose.
Old '-Trail" lllsiorioii:.
Tlio ")d Oregon Trail is the most,
remarkable highway of travel known
to history. The great idea of the trek
across what was then known a.s the
Great American iesevt came from a
common desire for homes unci for ail
venture and needed lint the appeal of
a colonization export to enlist rc-
crultH. The route was not laid out by
hlKhway engineers, no grades were
established and no streams were bridg
ed. No signs told of a dangerous curve
or a perilous cross hk, and none wen
needed. Only one mgn on Hie entire
road and that at the forks of the Santa
Fe and the Old Oregon Trail and that
one reading "Road to Oregon. " Hut
tho deep tracks the wagons left, was
all tho sign that was necessary. Su
gravel was spread over the roadway to
combat the dampness and dust. Dur
ing the freshets of spring, the streams
were olther forded or ferried, the wa
gon boxes being utilized as miniature
ferries. In the hent of the summer,
when tho verdure of tho hills and val
leys were withered and dead, the wild
game all departed to better feeding
grounds, the drinking water being
brackish and alkaline and a torrid
sun beating down with unabated in
tensity, the Trail became a nightmare
of suffering and desolation, bordered
with the skeletons of horses, mules
and oxen and the graves of fallen
homeseekcrs with crude headstones
which told the piteous story of hard
ships and suffering too great to be en
dured. And so, the Old Oregon Trail
was, in its winding course, the Trail
of romance, adventure, hope, faith and
achievement us well us the Trail of
misery, tragedy, hardship, despair and
death.
Hut lilstory so records that great
things tire accomplished only tlrrough
Buffering, sacrifice, devotion and death
and because by these things an cmi
pire was reclaimed by the intrepid pi
oneer of the Old Oregon Trail and a
great civilization founded along its
course, the Old Oregon Trail stands by
Itself, npurt from all others, the great
highway of highways, beckoning the
red blooded men and women of these
United Htates to the great northwest
Into whose lap a generous Creator had
poured With a lavish hand a wealth of
scenery, resources, health and content
ment. That the suffering, hardships and
death of that brave band i.hu'1 not go
unnoticed and unsung, it is the Inspir
ed duty of those enjoying the bless
ings of our modern uvi'lzaltou to are
that tho name of the, Oh1 Oregon
Trail go down in history as the great
est, road of all times and Its memory
made imperishable by a giatciul peo
ple. Discovery of tiolil.
In 1862 very rich got 1 discoveries
were made In .Southorn Idaho unit
Eastern Oregon which were populated
in a very short time bv a crowd of ad
venturers in search of thu precious
.metal. Towns and c '.mmunllies
sprung up over night ivlicio formerly
(lie savage beast ami tlr: still more
savage Indian held sway,
j This meant that a eommi-n:i a I -on
with Ihe outside u-uhl hi el i,c cs
: tablishod ami so came the ,oiiy ex
press w Hi Its agile, tlr-lr-ss riders a. id ,
hoiws v.liot in versed the unpeopled
places eniry'ng led i-s 'n 'w.i u liie va
rious forts and sett lenicnts.
Ilirn came the old t 'on. ol d roach
with Its four to eighL norsi'M en -r.vina j
na' seegers, mail an'd "Xoi ess. For
years this was the only mode if pas- :
singer traffic and a I.. 'en rivalry
sprang up between the vario'i-i fiii'-pnni'-s
operating in the froiill.tr cum-'
try as to which could maV; :Iio best
lime and which bad ilie. .".m.i.ri'si
c'luipnge and the siViftc-; horses. The;
rich cleanups from the placer prop-.
i'1'ties llien lu operation weie ceiiiid
in these coaches bound for 1 1 1 ' '(;. H. 1
in nt and many a hold-up was stage. i
ami many a. tragedy on-ieied with lne:
old rontonl coach as the tcmor i I' at
traction. Freight was haul 'I .n gnat
wagons drawn by from '.v.'clvi. to tivcn-
ly mules or horses, driven with -i .!ei In
line the driver riding one of the
wheel horses and managing his lot.g
learn with a single line running
through Hie biidP's of all of the ani
ma's in the near s'de. .Many of the
teams spoiled a semi-circle of im tai
which was filled on the collars and
en which were strung pells which lent
a softened and romantic air to the
rude outfit which 'traveled over roads
which today would seem impassable.
'I'lie tecmsler of those days hail a
varied personality. The life he led ,
far "interior where for many years the
wh's'le of the Iron horse was un
known. WTein the last few years
came the automobile and .the auto
truck: ami now the pony express, the
Concord Coach, and the jerk-line are
but memories of hhe vh id,' tragic, he
roic past. '
Willi lite coming of the auto good;
roads came as a neeess ty. Now where
once lumbered the hca vy coach drawn'
by sweating horse ' flesh, smoot.h'yj
glides the auto over well graded, well i
drii'ned and gravelled or paved high-1
ways with comlorfable tourist wimps.
was necessarily rough and laborious at all of the towns on tho route where
ml the care of handling and attend
ing to bis large team gave li m a vo
cabularly varied and pieturcs'iue and
at t iocs not fit for poiite society.
Hut In- and his team supplied the
needs of the communities and did
their part In building an empire and
dMolophig tliu resources of tho great
Xo.ri hwest.
In 1SSI came the railroad, and the
pioi express, the Concord Coach and
the freight team and nagon left the j
1 'inner ha ui its and took up t heir a bode
and continued their avocaliou In the
the traveller can make his camp, close i
to the center of a populous communi-t
ty with none of the discomforts which J
faced tile pioneer of old. All along'
the route, (dose to the main highway
are many points of interest for the
tourist to make a s'de trip and enjoy
f'shing and hunting in season i.nd rest
in some beautiful sequestered spot
from the tedium of the journey.
The great Xorthwert is indeed Na
ture's wonderful playground and mod
ern highways have brought it close to
all of America to eoilu mid enjoy.
BRAVE INDIAN WOMAN SAVED LIVES
OF TWO CHILDREN AND HERSELF WHEN
FACED BY TERRIFIC DIFFICULTIES
Wife of Pierre Dorion Had Adventure During Which EscaptTSeemed Impossible
I' Watch 'Mi
FliP yml
m Rm r - i i n
ii
...'ffitvlp''1.
whiles they played
Old Oregon us
a wilderness in
the early days of
the ninete e n t h
century promis
ed much, and it
was the lure of
wealth to be
made in the fur
game and the cull
of adv e n t t u r e
that drew th'.'
first few hardy
souls to Its Inst
il c s s e. s . T Ii e
il r c a m s t h a t
many of those
men d r e a m c d
came true in a
certain degree,
but the path they
trod 'was border
ed with plenty of
hardships.
Running thru
tho stern stories
that they wrote
us their contribu
tion to the devel
opment, of the
Northwest U; the
part played by
the native lied
men. !nili us
friends and cn
c m I e s of t h e j
a part, that lends
color
made.
Anion
to the achievements that were
these stories, that of I he
dian wife of IMerre Dorion stands out
in bold relief. Her courage, her en
durance and her persistency to save
the lives of her two half breed boys
in the race of a fight against the
hardships and rigors of u winter
which she spent in the snowbound j
l:inc .Mounlains is in Itself an epic. j
-Major f,ec Moorhouse has studied I
ihe story of the Dorion woman. She
was a Sioux and married Dorion. w ho
was n Frenchman. She always ac
companied him on all of the expedi
tions he made as a hunter and I nip
per. It was while they were on an ex
pedition with a Mr. Heed on the Snake,
river that the adventures recounted in
this story befell her.
Some of her descendents later were
among those who nopiired land on the. I
I'niiitilla reservation. They lived near
Adams at one time. Trace of them
now has been lost. The Hotel Dorion
ill I'endleton, formerly the St. George,
is named in honor of the courage and
memory of the Indian woman. The
story us it is recounted by Alexander
lioss and Gabriel Franchere, by the
former in greater detail, and by the
latter In a more fragmentary way, Is
as follows:
Searching For llceil
It will be remembered, says Alex
ander Itoss in his "Oregon Settlers"
that nc of the objects of the unfor
tunate expeditions of Messrs. Keith
and Stuart Was to proceed to the
Snake country in search of Mr. Heed
and his party, who were seiit thithi;r
last summer; but that expedition
having failed, It was now proposed
'.
Call for it at the Round-Up
or Happy Canyon.
II
V' X-r f 7
WESTERN
The drink wilh the KounMTs own 1Y in it Tho
foamy IWrajro that niakrs Ilappv Cam on llaipv.
SOTIIIM; MOKE TO SAY "
'MADE IN PENDLETON IJV
Wm. ROESCH & CO.
"FIRST FUR THIRST-
that Mr, Keith with a small party
should undertake the business, and
proceed to Spokane Fort.
Fronii the mouth of the Ltmatallow,
Air. Keith was to have taken his de
parture, and a guide was there engag
ed for the purpose; but when every
thing 'was arranged, and the party
reads- to start, the guide expressed a
wish to continue with the brigade as
far us the Walla Walla, and from
thence set out for the Snake country.
Mr. Keith ami his party accordingly
reeinbarked, and we reached the VVal
la Walla early the next day: here,
again, we were on the eve of starting,
when a few Indians arrived, and with
them the wile of IMerre Dorion the
interpreter. The timely arrival of this
poor unfortunate woman put an end
to the Snake e.vepiliiion; and we shall
relate her melancholy story in her own
words:
Where Heaver Wns Plentiful
"About the middle of August we
reached the Great Snake lliver, and
soon afterwards, following up a
brunch to the right hand, where there
were plenty of beaver, we camped;
und there .Mr. ftecd built a house to
winter in. After the house was built,
the people spent their time In trap
Ping beaver. About the latter end of
September,. Jloliuck, Robinson and
Itc.ner came to us; but they were very
poor, the Indians having robbed them
of everything they hud about 15 days
bcrorc.
"Air. Jteed gave them some clothing
and truiis, and they went to hunt with
my husband. I.andrie got a fall from
his horse, lingered a while and died
of it. Dclaunay was killed, while
trapping; my husband told inc he saw
ins scalp with the Indians and knew
It from the color of the hair. The
Indians about the place were very
friendly to us; but when strange
mues visited us, they were trouble
some and always asked Mr. Reed for
guns and ammunition. On one occa
sion they drove an nrrow into one of
our horses and took a capot from La
Chapelle. Mr. Reed not liking the
place where we first built, we left it
ind built farther up the river on the
other side. After the second housi
was built, the people went to trap
'I. mi, sometimes coming home every
night, suniel lines sleeping out for
scleral nights together at a time. Mr.
Itced and one man generally stayed
at the house.
I.ate one evening, about the loth
of January, a friendly Indian came
mining to imr house m a great
fright ami told Mr. Reed that a band
of the bail Snakes, called the Dog
no irii.e. mid burnt the first house
"c una mini, una that they were
roming on whooping and singing the
wai-song. Alter communicating this
Intelligence, the Indian went oil' im
mediately, und I took up my two chil
ureu. got upon a horse, and set off
to 'Where in.' loiul,..,..! i l
hut the llicht uaH dai-k llo. r.e.a l,.,.l
I ami lost my way. Tho next ilav be.
oil; i"ni ami s'nrmy, I did not stir.
I'll ttie second day. however. I set nut
again: lull seeing a larae smoke in
the direction I had to go. and think
nig ii might proceed from Indians. I
Sot into the bushes again and hid
myself.
News Of The Murders
ine mini iay, lale in the even-
'llg. got in Sight of the hill i-h..r
niy husband and other men were!
liuniiog; but just as I was approach
ing ihc place, i observed a man coin
ing tloni the opposite side, and sta
ering us if unwell. I stopped where
i was nil be came t. m -. .e Clere
wo nob ,1 and faini from sS
blood, was Hie man He t.il.I m.. in,.i
Ui Chapelle. INvm-r and mv husband
had been robbed ami lull rdei ...1 tl, .1
ornin, j
' t did not go into Ihe hut: bet pilt-
tuu l.a Cb rc and one of my children
on the hois, I had with m... 1 turned
round inime,!i uei . took to the mi nis
id 1 rt'i raced mv mi ps l ack ac.un to
.I-. .'.'i S. 1 I'lel-e Ikiu 1. ...,.,.!.
' "ear in, jo.nng or tiic h..ie. and
c it !I .-nee or twice, so that we had
!o ivtoi'n rial tv a i!a n ,,l,-,.-
Ill the lll;lll he died, and 1 cov. re.i
h-.iu I'lvr with btu.-huoo.l and sn.iw.
I "iv children on the horse. I my-
clf H.iiki'- and leJ:ng the animal
J I b ih,- h ltcr.
"The -..ond day I st back as-.in
to ihc ho; s-. Mt .i,i wis th. sicht:
M. tid aa.l ;h,. m-;: w , re all mur-
(d. ',.1 s.-.t-..ed. and c it i pus. fe-
t'-'tva a-.! horror sta; id me in the
.';.. 1 fini.l rem the shix-king
J "'-: in asiltv a: . I .i. :..nr: took t.-
tc w,h.;s will. m children and horse.
A Delicious Breakfast-
"Hot Cakes of the West
then the Rodeo and
a day "chock full" of
pleasure.
Your Grocer Sells,
ii
Albers Flap jack Flour
"Hot Cakes of the West"
ALBERS BROS. MILLING CO.
and we hud nothing to eat. To under- I
take a long journey under such cir- !
moment u sad alternative crossed niy
mind: Should I venture to the house
cumstances was inevitable death, among the dead to seek lood for the
Had 1 been alone. I would have run ; living? i I
all risks anil proceeded, ,, but ,'thc.j. '.'I knew there was a good stock ofj
thought of my children perishing j ftsh there; but it might have been:
with hunger distracted inc. At this destroyed or curled off by the mur
derers; and besides they might be
still lurking about and see inc. Yet I
thought of my children.
"Next niorntng, after a sleepless
night, I wrapped my children in my
(Continued on page 15.)
JAMES JOHNS, Pres.
C. II. MARSH, Secy.
Capital $25,000.00
. . t 'i
!
1 1
ABSTRACT CO.
INCORPORATED . .
Loans
Insurance Bonds
Real Estate
Tlie Only Set of Al?tra t Uook? in Umatilla County
Main and Ccurt Stols
PENDLETON, OREGON
Ii"'l I'.is-. d th.- re -I and b nely
- v r'a. it f.vH! or fire.
I l t Of 11m- l-utur,-?
1 as now a! a l.s what to do
The snow was d j, wi.ith.r col l.