A10
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Gambler Displays Finger Dexterity
He was known to all the Can-
yon City boys and girls as “Old
Brigham” and many never knew
him by any other name. He was also
one of the stranded Argonauts. F.C.
Sels used to tell that Brigham liked
to gamble in the early 1860s. When
playing in the poker games, he had a
habit of fl ipping a chip with his lit-
tle fi nger into his pile of chips. This
was done when the chips were scat-
tered over the table and some gam-
bler had won a large “pot.”
In those days, the Spanish infl u-
ence was strong in Canyon City, and
everybody had a dagger, including
Phil Metschan, Sr. A gambler play-
ing with Brigham noticed his dex-
terity with his little fi nger, reached
out with his dagger when Brigham
with his little fi nger tried to snitch a
bean, stabbed at the fi nger and left
it laying there on the poker table.
People who knew Brigham in the
1880s believed the story as he was
then minus the little fi nger on his
right hand.
Brigham lived in a cabin on the
east side of Canyon creek. About
1884, when Phil Metschan, Sr.,
was county judge, he appointed
Brigham as janitor of the new
court house. It was there on Sun-
day afternoons that Brigham could
be seen, sitting on his front porch,
sunning himself. He was a very old
man then. One day the Rev. Mr.
Eads, pioneer Methodist minister,
when passing Brigham’s house,
said, “Brother Brigham, you have
reached the afternoon of life. Don’t
you think it would be wise to pre-
pare for the hereafter and mend
your ways?”
In reply, Brigham said, “I would
rather do what I am doing, and have
a good time with the boys, and go
to Hell with them, rather than go to
Heaven with a lot of ________ like
you.”
Whiskey Gulchers Sponsor Gala Centennial Program
Three words, “a decided success,”
best describe the Canyon City cen-
tennial celebration ceremony held
Friday and Saturday in commem-
oration of the discovery of gold in
1862. Sponsored by the Whiskey
Gulch gang of Canyon City and the
Grant County Pioneer association,
the event drew hundreds of peo-
ple from Grant county and outside
areas. The program was fast mov-
ing with no serious “hitches” and it
met with the approval of the cen-
tennial visitors.
Following are a few centennial
highlights gleaned by a representa-
tive of this newspaper:
Noticeable throughout the two
days was the royal manner in which
Queen Mary Grace Cozad reigned
as queen of the Grant County pio-
neers and the Canyon City centen-
nial. An Oregon pioneer, she right-
fully and graciously wore the crown
as queen of the two-day event.
Grant county people and
those from out-of-county points
described the parade as “one of the
best” ever staged in Oregon. Well
arranged and well organized, the
parade depicted early days in Can-
yon City — Indians, covered wag-
ons, miners and pioneers.
One of the highlights of the cel-
ebration was the buckaroo break-
fast Friday morning at the fi re hall
of the celebration was the appear-
ance of Abe Lincoln and his body
guard at the centennial. Two Port-
land men, both engaged in the busi-
ness world, play the roles, and they
devote considerable time each year
attending events in various parts of
Oregon and other areas.
Adding color to the parade Sat-
urday was the appearance of the
white oxen from Vale, C.L. “Buck”
Lieuallen’s old surrey in which
Queen Mary Grace rode, and the
Indians dressed in their beautiful garb.
Perhaps the most popular place in
Canyon City last weekend was the
Grant county museum. Hundreds
of people visited the museum and
inspected the many, many items of his-
torical interest and value. On hand to
greet them was the able curator, Charles
W, Brown, wearing his goatee and pio-
neer day toggery complete with a black
top hat.
Peace and order were maintained
by the Grant county sheriff ’s posse,
Steven Mitchell/Blue Mountain Eagle, File the Whiskey Gulch gang posse, the
The Whiskey Gulch Gang can-can girls perform their high-kick dance routine Saturday, June 11, 2022, during the ‘62 Oregon state police and the Grant
Days Parade, which commemorates the discovery of gold in Canyon City in 1862. The 1962 centennial celebration was county sheriff .
marked by the Blue Mountain Eagle with a special edition, excerpts of which appear on this page.
Gov. and Mrs. Mark Hatfi eld
greeted many Eastern Oregon peo-
in Canyon City. Preparation and and Betty Lowary of Canyon City. nized Grant County Sheriff ’s posse ple Friday when they appeared at the
serving of food to the large crowd The words, “simply delicious,” best presented a snappy appearance in celebration. Governor Hatfi eld deliv-
was a smooth operation, carefully describe the food served during the their uniforms. And, they did an out- ered an inspiring address when he
handled by the workers under the early morning hours.
appeared that afternoon at the annual
standing job during the two days.
able supervision of L.M. “Buck”
Members of the recently orga-
Adding to the historical interest pioneer day program.
Francis Clemens Sels Fails To Tack Interest To Loans
Francis Clemens Sels,
one of the lovable characters
of Canyon City in the good
old pioneer days, was called
“Uncle” by all of the people
— not the type of uncle who
loaned money and took usuri-
ous interest. He loaned money,
however, to his friends and he
never worried about repay-
ment of the principal, let alone
the interest payments. Some
people took advantage of his
generosity, it is said, but they
were few in number.
When Phil Metschan, Sr.,
was married in 1865, he struck
his boyhood friend, “F.C.”
Sels, for a loan to establish
himself in the butcher busi-
ness. Sels loaned the money to
him on the one condition that
he keep out of the gambling
halls. Metschan liked to take a
chance once in a while, which
is not foreign to the nature of
a miner.
Metschan and Sels were
close friends during all of their
lives. Sels was born in West-
phalia, Germany in 1837, and
Metschan was born in Hesse
Cassel in 1840. They were
partners in many enterprises.
Phil Metschan, Jr., went on
his fi rst hunting and fi shing
Swing your trouble away!
Green Fees:
Green Fees:
18 holes:
$32
18 Holes $22
9 holes:
$27
9 Holes $12
Cart: Cart:
$20
$10 for
for 9 9
$20 for
for 18
18
$25
JOHN DAY
GOLF COURSE
Opened in 1953
Golf Club Rd on County Rd 81
1 mile west of John Day
541.575.0170
trip with the two men. They
went to a point in Bear Valley,
about six miles east of Sen-
eca, in 1886. Sels had fi led his
preemption claim on the spot,
through which a little creek
wended its way.
The three arrived at the
chosen place at dusk. Before
the supper hours, Sels, an
expert fi sherman, had fi lled
his basket. The sportsmen had
fi sh for supper. They reported
the little virgin stream was
simply “lousy with trout.”
During the fall of 1947,
Mary Gray Vancil of Klamath
Falls presented to the Oregon
Historical society the daffl e
bags which Sels carried on his
saddle from Ureka, Califor-
nia to Canyon City where he
arrived in 1862 with the gold
discovery party. Sels attended
the miners’ meeting on July
4, 1862 on Whiskey Flat in
Canyon City. Five thousand
miners cast their votes at this
meeting.
The saddle bags used by
Sels were hand made, largely
of boot tops. The outer fl aps
were made of elk hides. They
were hung over the horn of his
saddle during his dangerous
journey from Yreka to Can-
yon City. “Uncle” must have
considered it dangerous for on
the left side of his saddle bags
is a scabbard for his dirk, and
on the right-hand side, like-
wise, protected by a fl ap, is a
holster in which he placed his
long-barreled pistol. It was so
arranged that the handle of his
pistol was under his right arm
at all times.
In later years, Sels never
carried either pistol or dag-
ger. In addition to provisions
for the pistol and dagger
there are two compartments
in the saddle bags — one no
doubt for a flask of whis-
key, the other … maybe for
a handkerchief, a few cans
of sardines or something
else that would last him for
a trek over the desert.
Mary Gray Vancil used
Sels saddle bags for more
than 40 years. The daugh-
ter of William P. Gray, one
of Grant county’s pioneer
sheriffs, she was an expert
horsewoman. William P.
Gray succeeded Phil Met-
schan, Sr., in the butcher
business in Canyon City
when the latter went into the
general merchandising and
banking business.
Give us a call for a list of availabilities
Lori Hickerson, Principal Broker, GRI
541-575-2617 •
ljh@ortelco.net
Sally Knowles, Broker, GRI
541-932-4493 •
sknowles@ortelco.net
Babette Larson, Broker, GRI
541-987-2363 •
John Day NAPA LLC.
ddwr@ortelco.net
dukewarnerrealtyofeasternoregon.com
Licensed in the State of Oregon
Your Professional Real Estate Choice
in Grant County
Gardner Enterprises
195 NE 2nd Ave. • John Day • 541-575-1410