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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1956)
SUNDAY, OCEOBKR 14. 195t HfcKALA) AKJi iNavva. KLAMAl'H frAlXS. UKJMiON PAGE K1VK Klamath Museum Shows Old Guns Found By Scouts On Indian Reservation By CLAUDE E. SCHAEFFEB erably older than the name and Curator Klamath County Museum j was essentially the same as the The remains of an old, rusted ; earlier Hudson's Bay fuke or fusil, gun, together with some worn but- i EXAMPLES tons and glass beads, were re- Examples of the Northwest wea covered several years ago on the Pon which have survived to mod Klamath Indian Reservation bviern times, bear the makers' members of Boy Scout Troop No. 19, of Bly. This material was found' buried beneath a pile of rocks near the Sycan River, about 10 miles north of Beatty. The gun Paris, to which our interest is con fined, consisted of the hammer, the lockplate, the trigger, several parts of the firing mechanism, the brass counler-lockplate ornament and finally, four sections that once formed the barrel. Subse quently these finds were turned over to the Klamath County Mu- seum. when. thiv h .in ku. Placed on disDlav CERTAIN FEATURES Certain features of the gun parts as well as the - conditions under which they came to light, were sufficiently unusual to raise in quiries as to the original weapon and perhaps, its owner. The bar rel sections, for example, were crimped at the ' ends suggesting inai me Darrel had been forciblv wrenched or pounded into frag ments, possibly after first being softened in a fire. Again, accord ing to our information, there was no indiciation that the rock pile under which the remains lay, was intended to serve as a grave marker. The question arose as to what type of gun was represented here and what circumstances served to brine it to its present state of ruin. People who viewed the material speculated whether it might have once been the property of a Hud son's Bay trapper who had en. tored the Basin in quest of furs, and had been killed and his gun destroyed by Indians. Although it is not possible to answer this and other questions that come up, the gun itself can be dated and identi fied as to type, and something of its historical significance outlined. Examination of the metal parts reveals that the weapon repre sented here was an early, muz zle-loading, smooth-bore gun, de signed by, the English fur com panies tor the Indian trade, Further, the brass counter-lock-plate ornament serves to identify it as an old Northwest trade gun. other clues give additional in formation. The lockplate. for ex ample, bears the inscription "Wil son 1829" the name of the maker and date of manufacture. One section of the barrel also carries the. name "I. Clive" and in the way of proof marks, a crown above the letter "V", the letters "R W" below a star and another crown above the letter "P." The letters "R W" indicate that the Wilson in question was one Rich ard. Setting these clues aside, let us consider briefly the role played by the Northwest gun in the life of the Indian, and of the Klamath-Modoc, in particular. GUNS DESIRED Of all the articles introduced to the Indian by the white man, none, as J o h n C. Ewers has lately shown, was so keenly desired by the former as was the gun. In deed the old muzzle - loading smoothbore, the pioneer trade gun, enjoyed a popularity among na tive tribesmen that was out of all proportion to its effectiveness as a hunting or fighting weapon, Respect for the white man's gun was kindled in the minds of the Indians when they first saw and heard this strange weapon in ac tion. This curious, hollow rod which made such a frightening noise when the trigger was pulled, hurling such a small missile so swiftly that the eye could not fol low its flight and with such force as to kill or cripple wild game or an enemy at a distance, filled the Indian with wonder and admira tion. To the unsophisticated red man, this new thing which behaved so mysteriously was strong medicine, indeed. And of the different types of firearms supplied by the fur companies to the Indians, the most famous, un doubtedly, was the Northwest trade gun. This musket was originally an English product, made to .the spec- llicauons 01 Hie lui .u. r that country by several firms in London and Birmingham. Although the gun's name was derived from that of the Northwest company, a competitor of the Huson's Bay concern, the gun type was consid- tft.".'r" ... , uwM-y; ,:.J ' Whim iii.w i i '! y m. mil ;?i i if v ,. THESE PARTS of a NortnwtT irou --r,H " r war found by Boy Scouts of Bly. under roe lei near the Sycan River. The bras, dragon ornament and the Lmm.r identify the gun a. identical e- . gun now In a Montana mu ,.um Th. ornament and h.mm.r of the gu n her. ar. the , am. a. thos. .n the accom p.ng pictures. Th. gun w. probably us.d by Indians of thu r.gion many y.art ago. names "Barnett" or "Wilson" on the lockplate. The London gun smith Barnett must have been a prolific maker of Northwest guns in the early years of the 19th Cen- jtury. The gun shown in the accom panying photos, for example, is a Barnett of 1876 and is in the col lection of the museum of the Plains Indian, Browning, Montana. Members of the Wilson family, on the other hand, manufactured guns for the Hudson's Bay Com- Pany almost continuously from !1731 lo 1833- So far as is known they did not make guns for any other fur company.' Enterprising Pennsylvania gun smiths learned to duplicate the English-made Northwest - gun at least as early as 1828. And as late of 1875, when America was entering the repeating rifle era, Parker, Field and Company was ill manufacturing flintlocks for the Hudson's Bay Company to trade for furs. Nevertheless, pri vate trading firms in the United States continued to order the bulk of their Northwest guns for many years from English and European maKers because of their lower Costs. ,. : The Northwest gun was a full- stocked flintlock of five-eighths inch smoothbore. It was supplied in barrel lengths ranging from two and a half feet to three and a half feet. Among the .horse-using Indian of the plains, it was. not uncom mon to file off a section of the barrel, converting the gun into a makeshift carbine. Peculiarities were the large trigger guard de signed to facilitate pull of the trigger by a mittened finger in the cold, winter season and the brass, counter-lockplate ornament in the form of a conventionalized dragon or sea monster. The Northwest smoothbore had neither the range nor the accuracy of the better known Pennsylvania or Kentucky rifle. Yet this gun did answer the Indian's demand for a firearm that was deadly at close range, light in weight, fairly sturdy and inexpensive. SOUND WEAPON We have just stated that the Northwest weapon was of reason ably sound construction. Yet it ap pears the contrary was true at cer tain times and in certain places, either through the maker's efforts to shave manufacturing costs or as a deliberate attempt by some organized traders or pioneers to keep the Indian poorly armed. Rather than stop the traffic in firearms entirely, these indivi duals preferred to trade in inferior weapons. The Hudson's Bay Com pany throughout its history, is said to have maintained a distinc tion in quality between "trade goods" designed for the Indian and those articles intended for use by Europeans. In this con nection. Sir George Simpson, gov ernor of the . Hudson's Bay Com pany, wrote to his associates in 1821, "The trading guns (marked Wilson) are not be compared with those of "Barnetts" make which the Northwest companies import: the locks are badly finished, soft in the hammer, the tumbler and shear not properly tempered and the pan loses the powder. . . . Our iron work is the most important article of trade in this country, the utmost care and attention should therefore be paid to have it of good quality." We may turn now to a consid eration of firearms among the In dians of the Klamath Basin. Guns and ammunition, as Stern has re cently demonstrated, were not only introduced into this region fairly late but also, at least until after the 18S0's, in relatively small numbers. There were several rea sons to account for this. For one. the Klamath habitat, situated at the eastern base of the Cascades, was remote from the waterways mainly frequented as avenues of 1 I L.. .U.. frnn, 18th Century on. Kor ,,u ,h. ..rlv IrorW. another, as the early traders found beaver scanty in the Klamath country, they had little induce ment to traverse it. Ogden learned from the Klam ath in 1826 that they had no guns. 9 ''7 Nv vTU!f . - - - ' - FUNCTION Or THE FLINT ignite the priming, which in hole. This pact of the old gun THE BRASS DRAGON or Sea Monster ornament on the obverse of this weapon in a Mon tana museum is identical to the ornament found on remains of a gun that had lain many years under rocks near the Sycan River; The ornament served as a trademark. A decade later direct contact of these Indians with trading posts on the Columbia was first opened up when some French-Canadians took several of the natives north with them. Thereafter for some years the Klamath were obliged to make their way with difficulty to trade centers at The Dalles or in the Willamette Valley. Even as late as 1850 Chiloquin, a Klamath chief, remarked of a joint raid by western tribes, that the in vaders captured the only gun then owned by them. After 1852, how ever, trading facilities were opened close at hand with the set tlement of Yrcka and firearms became more plentiful. Summarizing the inferences to be gathered from the foregoing information, we can identify our find as the remains of a Northwest trade musket made in 1829 by the gunsmith Richard Wilson. Since this manufacturing family seems to have worked entirely for the Hudson's Bay Company, it was undoubtedly through the channels of that trade outfit that the weap on was brought to some post in the Willamelte Valley or on the Columbia. Being of Wilson and not of Barnett make, it probably was traded to an Indian in ex change for furs. Unquestionably it became a prized possession of its2i may apply for the NROTC apti- new owner. The gun was taken to the Klamath country, either by a Klamath or by another tribesman. Here it was employed for warfare rather than the chase, and with powder and ball scarce locally, perhaps reserved exclusively foribC(,in tneir Nava, carccrs ncxt puri"":- Possibly it aided Hie Klamath in i resisting their hereditary foes on the east and west or in making) raids upon the Pitt River tribes j to the south. The trail now comes ODscure. nnai event lea io its final destruction and abandon- ment? Was the gun "killed," per- haps, at the funeral pyre of its owner to become a "spirit weap- in the Klamath hereafter? Only the ancient deities of the Klamath can reply. ..- bearing hammer which which is striking turn communicates its (ire to the found at Sycan is on display Naval Reserve Plans Exams Vice Admiral James A. Hollo- way Jr., chief of Naval Personnel, announced toaay inai me inn an - nual national competitive exami nations for the Navy's Reserve Officer Training Corps will be given interested high school sen iors on December 8. Application forms are now available and must be received before November 17, he added. Designed to supplement the of ficer output of the Naval academy, the NROTC program makes it possible for a young man to earn a commission while studying at the civilian college of his choice which has an NROTC unit. All tuition, fees and books are fur nished by the Navy, and the stu dent receives an annual retainer of $600 for four years. During the summers the student goes on fas cinating training cruises as a mid shipman. After completing the usual four year college course, he is commissioned in the Regular Navy or Marine Corps and goes on active duty with the Navy's far flung fleets. For those who apply and qualify, immediate ossicn ment to flight training will open new careers in naval aviation. High school seniors and grad uates between the ages of 17 and tilde test. Those who make quali fying scores will he given a rigid physical exam early in 1957. From the pool of qualified young men remaining in competition, aproxi matcly 2.000 will be selected to September. Application forms arc available at all high schools, colleses, Navy recruiting stations or from the chief of Naval Personnel. Wash- bc-jington 25, D.C. .v hn r.ii v ih .i-. u,h-,i users o( classified Ads are savinc about the speed with which they dispose of things they're not using. Dial TU 4-8111. YOUNG FEED LOT BEEF 'For Your Locker- Whole or Half 35 C lb. Front Quarters 30c lb. Hind Quarter. 39c lb. CUT ond WRAPPED FREE! Spttiel attention to custom butchtring ond cutting. SUPER PACKING CO. on Bristol Avo. 1 block off Summers Lont Phone TU 4-5323 3 I t J the le cover of the pan, is to charge through the touch- at the museum. Potato Festival Display Planned MERRILL Each community of the Klamath Basin mav enter one display at the Merrill High School gym to tie shown during the 20th "lluul "w"10"1 "wu tival. The major theme of the display should be any type of farm or ag riculture produce. A prize of $15 or a cup will be awarded to the winning community display. Sec ond winning display will receive $10. Notification of the intent to en ter should be given fb John Thomp son, potato festival secretary. SOME PEOPLE ARE LUCKY ... They Have A Certain Something Which Enables Them To Enioy Creating Music. For Them A HAMMOND SPINET ORGAN Can Be A Tremendous And Lasting Experience A Joy Forever. $30 First Month $23 Monthly Storts You With A HAMMOND SPINET ORGAN And Cooable' Instruction. MAKE THE NEXT YEARS THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE! LOUIS R. MANN 120 N.7th Ph. TU 4-7 1 82 Merrill Plans Full Round Of Events For Festival MERRILL A full schedule of events is being planned for the three big days of the 20th an nual Klamath Basin Potato Festi val to be held in Merrill on Fri day, Saturday and Suday, Octo ber 19. 20 and 21. On Friday and Saturday, com mercial, agriculture and com munity exhibits will be on display at the Merrill High School gym. A football same at 2 p.m. Fri day will be staged with the Mer rill Huskies playing against the bacred Heart Trojans. Highlights of Friday evening will be the Potato Festival banquet held at the Merrill Elementary School gym. The coronation and introduction of the queen and her court will be held at 6:45 p.m. followed by the banquet prepared and served by the Ladies Aid of the Presbyterian Church. A speak er will be featured, presentation of awards will be made and various acts made up of Klamath Basin's talent will provide the entertain ment. Tickets for the banquet may oe purchased at the gym door. Saturday, October 20, will begin with a parade starting at 11 a.m sharp. All floats should congregate at the Merrill Elementary School grounds before 10 a.m. for pre judging. Saturday noon, a free barbecue lunch will be served at the Mer rill Community Hall. -, lhe 2 p.m. football game on Sat urday will be between Malin and Chiloquin. The annual Harvest Ball will be held Saturday evening at the community hall. The queen and her court will be presented at this dance. The final day of the Potato Fes tival, Sunday, October 21, will in clude a Jackpot Rodeo at the Hill Brothers ranch in Merrill at 1:30 p.m. The program will include calf roping, team roping and sad dle cow roping events, A new sport feature added this SAVE UP TO $120 SAVE $80 on Average Installation FERN LEAF Pattern by Lees Reg. 9.95 all wool, 9 foot width. Beige and rote Fern Leaf Pattern. Save $2 a yard tq. yd Enjoy the warmth and comfort of wa-to-wa rugs this vinter! Choose from the largest selec tion in the Klamath Basinl A Reg. 64.50 9x12 RUGS LUCA year to the festival sports events a special hardton race to be held at the Klamath Speedway in Klamath Falls. Time trials will start at 12:01 p.m. and will feature 230 laps of racing with the final A-.Main running 100 laps. Drivers from Alturas. Lakeview. Medford and Northern California will com pete with local hardtop drivers. The queen and court will make an official appearance and present the A and B trophies to the win ning drivers. The Klamath Racing Association with the Merrill Lions Club and Klamath Basin Potato Festival is presenting tins special race, Merrill Legion Group Meets MERRILL A regular meeting of the Merrill Legion Auxiliary was held at the home of Mrs. Paul Lewis on Tuesday evening, October 9. Two comforters were made ready to send to the Child Wel fare center in Roseburg. The auxiliary made arrange ments to send tools, lacing and leather to their "adopted" vet eran at Camp White. Christmas gift suggestions for the veteran were also discussed. A Camp Fire report was made to the auxiliary by Anne Fruits. Announced by President Anne Fruits was a district conference which will be held at Malin, Oc tober 28, beginning with a pot luck luncheon at 1 p.m. All mem bers were urged to attend. HOLIDAY MARKED NEW DELHI 11 - India Friday began a three-day holiday mark ing one of the most important festivals of the Hindu calendar Dussera. 3 IJAjFOJ?.TAJ5'i- JrO-"-ij.vj.ij ' (Averaqe home figure. Approx. 40 795 100 Wool - Multi-Tone. 5 Color, to Chooi from Youths Mn ; U.S. Navy Chief Earl A. Carlson of the local Navy Recruiting Office re ported Saturday that on October 11 four more area youths enlisted in the Navy. They are, Gayle L. Gueck, son of Mr. and Mrs. El wood Gueck, P.O. Box 614, Jack It. Gathwright, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd It. Gathwright of 2523 Patterson Street, both of Klam ath Falls; Ralph W. Welch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Welch of Route 1. Bonanza and James L. Weathers of Lakeview. - All four men in addition to an enlistment in the Navy, as a way to further completion of their mili tary obligation, enlisted for train ing in the Navy's high school grad-' uate training program, which as sures enlistees a school in one of the Navy's four career fields. It was also reported that Gayle Gueck attained a perfect score on the Armed Forces qualification test, he is the second man from the area to make a perfect score in recent months, Cecil Bennett, a 1956 graduate of KUHS achieved a perfect score in June. According to the officer in charge of the Armed Forces Examining Center in Portland, the: chances of attaining a perfect score on the test are one and one-half in a thousand. . . . GUERRILLA KILLED KUALA LUMPUR, Malaya (fl . Malayan security forces today an nounced the killing of a top-ranking Communist guerrilla they said directed the slaying of European rubber planters in Negri Scmbilan state over the past eight years. The government said a special operation took the life of Ah. Ho, state committee member of the Malayan Communist party known, as the "Terror of Bahau." 'ft ) if? f & if J: on the average Home Installation! yds-) SAVE $80 on ' AVERAGE INSTALLATION, . RIPPLE TEXTURE By Mailand 100 wool, deep qreen, 12 ft. width. Reg. 9.95 SALE 95 Sq. Yd. U Sq. Yd. San Juan TWEED by Masland In beige or , charcoal brown tones. SAVE $120 on averaqe home. 9 and 12 ft. width.. Reg. 7.95 SALE Carpet, pad and com plete installation for only $7.20 a yard! Leu than you'd expect to pay for the carpet alonel No Money Down on Wall-to-Wall! up to 36 Months to Pay! S5 54w FURNITURE 195 E. MAIN
