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About The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1903)
HOOD EIYER 50 YEARS AGO (Continued from 4th page.) out the long winter evenings in the dark. In the latter part of November a few inches of enow fell and a slight skum of ice covered the river, but this soon passed away mid our winter was done. New Year's day we accepted an invita tion to eat a chicken at Mr. Joslyn'u. Such a glorious day and such a glorious dinner! The mountains were covered with grass and the ground blooming with bluebells and buttercups. The month was spent in clearing up land, and one-half an acre of land was spaded up ready for garden. The first of February seeds were planted, which came up, and there was no frost to damage anything that spring. A trip was made to Portland, and work cattle, cows, farming implements, etc., procured. Those were busy days for us. Early and late were the watch words, and well were we repaid for out labors. The earth yielded bouulifully, and fall found both the barn and cellar full to overflowing with the results of our toil. So our first year passed. An orchard of peaches, plums, cher ries and a few apple trees had been started and grew nicely. Nature seem ed to smile on us as if to attone for its severity to our predecessors. I!ut with the fall came uncomfortable rumors of trouble with the Indians in various distant portions of the country, causing anxious tnnuKUts. uur ntiskv neiun bore, though professedly friendly, were as yet untried, and In numbers were fully able, had they so desired, to have exterminated our little colony without very much exertion or trouble. 80 the winter passed, and as the early spring came the rumors came to be racts. and we found ourselves face to face with the horrors of an Indian war. My pen can but faintly portray the incidents of that dreadful year. It seems as if but yesterday that I stood with little Woodhurn Hawks on the brow of the hill that now overlooks the town and watched with bated breath the little steamer Wasco, as with a handful of soldiers and a few settlers it crawled, snail like, up the river to do battle with the hordes of yelling savages that lined the opposite shore. I will here cony a letter written to the Glacier of Novemtier 7, 18t7, describing many incidents that occurred during those trying tunes: Midnight Flight From the Indians, The year 1856 was one of anxiety to the few and scattered inhabitants of Eastern Oregon and Washington. Hu mors of an impending Indian outbreak filled the air came with the winter's snows, but did not go with them. For a year the columns of the Weekly Ore- gonian had been tilled with accounts of the barbarous tortures inflicted upon helpless immigrants ho fell into the hands of the hostile hordes in the eat earn part of the territory. The question then with the wretched prisoners was not how Ions before a ransom or ex change would set them free, but how long before death would release them from the infernal tortures inflicted by their captors. Once in their clutches few escaped to tell the awful tale. The powerful Yakima nation, led by the noted Chief Kamiaken, were practi cally on the war path, and their emis saries were everywhere urging the Col umbia river tribes to join in war of extermination a?ainrt the whites. The Klickitats, an important branch of the Yskimas, withstood for time the im portunities of their inland brothers and gave up their arms to the authorities without a word ; but the mugotof unrest was industriously working in the "mili tary brain," and the arrest of three of the principal chiefs of the tribe was de cided upon. Mr. Joslyn, the pioneer settler of V lute Salmon, a warm-hearted Christian gentleman and an earnest friend of the Indians, protested In vain against the outrage. The unsuspecting chiefs were easily trapped, loaded with chains, sent to Vancouver and placed in charge of the regular armv. They soon found means to evade the vigilance of I their guards and returned to their tribe, who, with a few notable exceptions, at once joined the hostiles. This occurred during the latter part of February, 185(1. Mr. Joslyn, satisfied that trouble would follow the arrest of the chiefs, had removed with his family to Portland, leaving a hired man named Galentine and a boy named Hawks to look out for the place. An attack was at once planned by the angry chiefs, but the friendly Indians notified them of the plot and they left the place and crossed to Hood River, after being chased all night by the hostiles. For this act of friendship to the whites the friendly Indians were compelled to leave their homes and with their wives and little ones also came to Hood River. There were at that time but two familiee living here William Jenkins and wife and two brotlit rs-in law, making with our family and the man named Galen tine seven men, two women and two boys, composing the entire white popu lation between the Cascades and The Dalles. Our farm work thus far had been done very much as the Jews had rebuilded Jerusalem, with implements of war in one hand and a trowel in another. Many a day have I urged on the tardy oxen with a goad in one hand and a rifle in the other. These were troublous times. The hostile Klickitats made themselves very conspicuous along the bluffs on the Washington shore above White Salmon. For days the war drums had heat contin uously, filling our hearts with forebod ings of trouble. HOWLINO INDIANS GATHER OS TUB BIXFKS. The Hood River Indians had been, so far, very pronounced in their friendship toward us, and in conjunction with the friendly Klickitats, had raptured and brought to the Oregon side every canoe or bunt that could be found which was in reach of the hostiles. 80 far so good; but the 1 Via hi Illahe (sand land) Indians under old Chief Wallacliiti, living on what was afterward the llaynes ranch, about two miles west of Hood River, were known to have a very decided leaning toward the hostiles. We at once appealed to the military authorities at The Dalles for protection, and Lieu tenant Davidson was sent dow.a with a company of cavalry. How well I re member them coming! The hostiles had been unusually active that morning, and the boy Woodimrn Haw ks and my seh' bad been fent out to gather up the cattle and drive them home. We did not much like the job, but could not help it; but before we the found the cattle we saw the smoke from Joslyn! house and barn and hur ried home as fast as our feet could carry us. We found the cavalry had ar rived, and their coming was the signal for the burning. The valorous lieuten ant marshaled his forces on the sandbar, and hailing the steamer Wasco on her way to The Dalles, started for the seat of war. My two brothers and the two liensont had gone with the troops, also Amos I'nderwood, who was on his way to the Cascades, was one of thepartv. How the Indians did yell! The cliff The Real Estate Man, AND LIST YOUR PROPERTY With him before April 5. This space will be used by him to advertise places listed for sale. Descriptions will be sent to all parts of the country. List-your property in time to get it in next week's issue of the Glacier. were alive with them, and their war whoops echoed and re-echoed across the river. The valient lieutenant, ere he reached the landing, suddenly remum kered that he had orders not to molest the Indians in Washington, but merely to protect the settlers and their proper ty at Hood River, and ordered the boat to land hinj again 011 the Oregon shore. Discretion in this case was certainly the better part of valor, for it undoubtedly saved him his scalp and that of every member of his party Unit was to have landed on the hostile shore. 1I0MTII.ES ATTACK FHIKNUMKH CAMP. That night, by some lnuuns a hand of hostiles crossed the river and attacked the camp of friendly Klickitats. near where the section house now stands, and after a sharp exchange of shots, in which one of the invaders was seriously wounded, the friendlies left their camp and came trooping up to the house. Koon after the hostiles tamo across some of the cavalry picket guard and opened fire on them, which sent them scurrying to camp. These men were posted 011 the brow of the hill near where my house now stands, so that evi dently the Indians were reoonnoitreiug and unexpectedly ran across the guards. Everybody was of course up and under arms, but nothing else occurred during the night. The next day all was quiet across the river. The Indians had gone; not a squaw, papoose nor puppy was Iclt. They had disappeared as completely as 11 tne eartn had swallowed them up. Kven the friendly Klickitats were at a loss to account for their absence. Ah, but the Cascade massacre was the dread ful sequel of their vanishing. A few days later the cavalry returned to The Dalies, and the daily routine of farm work was resumed, undisturbed, un til the awful horror of the 2(ith d:y of March. What a bright beautiful day it was! The broad bosom of the Columbia was like mirrored glass. My two yoke of oxen were yoked to the wagon, and brother Charles was deputized as special guard for the day's trip to Uail gulch or a loau 01 raus. J 11st as we were ready to start a faint helloa was heard from over tlie river, near the mouth of White Salmon. Again and again it came. Finally, two figures were made out, waving their blanket. The In dians collected at the house, hesitating, fearing a trap, but finally, fully armed, a party started over to investigate. Be- urc ineir return we nau gone lor our day's work. About two o'clock, w lien on our way home, my brother Eugene came riding up on horseback with the new! that the Cascades had been at tacked and that the battle was then raging, and told us to hurry home as fast as possible, 'fire appalling news fell like a thunderbolt from the clear skies. The battle going on, or possibly over, and an elder brother there, per haps dead. irontlnued next week.) Milk for Sale. At thet-oIUiTflon Para llse h'srm. Milk de livered. Apply by plKine to lr. Attains' House. I. J. 1 HK.i H Kit. Early Rose Potatoes For mil ( Ml ll.no prr Km f, nt my (Lire, or will tlf liver In Iowa. Als, Mills' Kurly For. tnne i-otatoes. H. A. HAl'KKTT. Strawberry Plants. KIU.OIIU ttrnl-cluwi smtHiHTrv lJln!s wautod by IKE M. All-HoS, m2T H001I liivor. Or. Wanted. Hinllhy, clean, In.iiKriout, trotwitnhT buy un.l.T IS Ui mi 11 light work. Home or KrulMjr to Mtis. MKHi KK. rortiieriy in now place. Spring Has Gome, ed 111 10I her piece. ornnueH. lemons HOOD RIVER Fruit Growers' Union. Incorporated 1803. Always in the Lead. Ship your strawberries with them and get the beat results. at Savages The Spot Cash Grocery DEALS IN Groceries, Flour, Feed, Hay, Grain, Buckwheat Flour, Vegetables, Butter, And all Country Produce J. E. Stages to Cloud Cap Inn. Ticket office for the Regulator Line of Steamer Telephone and have a hack carry yon to and from the boat landing If you want. a firpt-claes turnout call on the HOOD RIVER TRANSFER AND LIVERY CO. AND Geo. F. Coe & Son On and after April 1 will rioeupv the bliek store room in the Masonic Temple annex, opposite the post of fice, with our general line of goods. JUST RECEIVED, crate of plain white Crockery, fancy shapes, UP 2 DATE. Aldon Chocolates, the best on the ' market. A customer snid they left bud taste. Why? Because he want- and Bananas, the BEST. Phone 531. Salt Salmon, Lard, Bacon, I lams, Dry Herring;, Hominy, Fruit, " Mm taken in exchange for goods. HANNA. Geo. D. Culbertson & Co., DEALERS IN The largest list of Fruit and Berry Lands in Hood River valley and White Salmon to select from. Honest treatment will award you by plac ing your property in our hands. Loans nego tiated. Insurance. HOOD RIVER, --- OREGON. Williams Pharmacy, Otten Building, G. E. WILLIAMS, Prop'r. - Headquarters for Pure Drugs, Toilet Articles, - PATENT MEDICINES, SPRAYING MATERIALS. Prescriptions my Specialty. - GET n the CLARKE'S ! When in need of J4rnth ' "I mmfJ Drugs, Patent Medicines, Paints and Oils Get it at Opposite Bargains in Real Estate. 8 acres, 3 miles from town; fine strawberry land; good house and barn. . 10 acres, 2 miles from town, all in strawberries; a good bargain. 10 acres, 2 miles from town; 2 acres in straw lorries, balance in apple and prune orchard in full bearing; free water. 7 acres, 3 miles from town; 3 in berries; bal ance in cultivation. Flumes ready for irrigating. 80 acres, 9 miles from town; 30 in cultivation; good improvements, good farm and apple land. All can le irrigated. 20 acres, G miles from town; all in apple trees 2 years old. 40 acres, 4 miles from town; 33 in cultivation; goxl apple and clover land; can all le irrigated. For prices and terms call on or address H. F. JOCHIMSEN, Hood River, Or. state IT AT ing line' of CLARKE'S Post Office.