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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1963)
Marker F Mote Arrival Of Fur Ymder At Link iver k IS5: By RUTH KING The journey had been a long one for fur trader Martin Frain before he arrived on the west bank of Link River on that April 30 in 1837 with his train of five mules laden with trinkets and blankets to barter for furs. The mountain trails had been winding and narrow. The forests had been dense, and snow, deep as a man's hip bones, still lay with icy glaze in the hollows to torment unwary mules, ice rimmed streams and lakes still fretted at winter's bondage and it was with relief that Martin Frain led his animals through meadow grasses snowing hint of new growth beside the stream. The arrival of Martin Frain, first permanent fur trader, is to be commemorated by Klamath Chapter Daughters of the Ameri can Colonists with the dedication of a handsome marker on Oct. 12. It is to be placed near the spot where Frain reached the east side of the river in Veterans' Me morial Park across Main Street from Payne Alley and the his toric Baldwin Hotel. The ceremony at 10:30 a.m. will be open to the public. The mark er will be the first one placed nt fur trader in the Klamath by the DAC since the local chap ter was organized. Martin Frain's life from his birth on Dec. 17, 1832, in New York was a series of minor events leading up to his arrival in Cal ifornia in quest of gold as a young man, after a stormy sail ing trip around the Horn. v This interlude in his life' the History of Central Oregon said, was of fleeting concern. He left the city beside the bay where men tossed off strong whiskey and tinny tunes lured them to part with fortunes. So he bypassed the saloons be low Nob Hill, the gambling houses and the dance halls. On a day in spring when a morning fog lifted and disappeared over the 'Pacific. he left behind the horse-drawn trolleys, the Mission Dolores, the Tin How Temple and the salt marshes on the peninsula to mine gold for a time near Yreka. But stories trickled in from pas- sershy of the forfme to be had in furs further north, of the growing interest of women in furs for adornment and of men's pocket books that opened to pay for them. So he bought his mules and loaded them and 6et foot to the trail. It was a clear day when he ar rived in the Klamath country and smoke from his two tiny barter tires spiraled up with no resis tance from the wind. In the rari- fied air of the mountain country the signals carried far and since it was the time of the moon that promised a good fish run in the streams, the Indians came in numbers the Klamaths and the Cayuse, according to a story gleaned from an old newspaper. An Indian woman paddled his wares across the river and Frain swam his mules. He went to high er ground beneath a rocky ledge and there lie lay out the mer chandise he would trade for furs Later, the Maitin-Reames Store was built on the spot. His beads were bright and the blankets he unfolded to customer gaze were brilliant red. By night fall he possed 1.200 skins, a small fortune in fur, destined for a firm in San Francisco known as Liebes From that beginning he estab lished a trading post at the pres- COURTLY GENTLEMEN Martin Frain. first German country, bought five mules in Yreka and arrived on the banks of Link River April 30, 1857. It was in the afternoon, say historians, and Indians in the valley nao oeen alerted by "two smokes" that they could trade furs tor beads and blankets. Indian wQrpen on t'gtly woven mats paddled Frain's wares across the stream with their feet thrust through holes in the mat used as paddles. He set up shop under a rocky ledge. The Indians, gathered at the "right time of the moon," were ready to trade their skins for the trappings. By sundown they had diiposed of 1,200 furs, a fortuna in those days, and were ready for a night-long "odd or even" game using beads for money. By morn ing, most of the men and women had lost to a lucky few. Martin Frain, who lived to be 70, is buried in the Way Cemetery on the top of Topsy Grade. i : ; . & : ' WW "rJt,'r. miw, v:.: .. : v:.:- T ' III ini I in i" f i- cnt junction of Payne Alley and Main where he continued to trade for furs. A chapter in the "History of Central Oregon" relates that on barter days Indians brought for show, stuffed white deer. They rarely sold these albino prizes that then were worth from $75 to $150 a skin. They were tempted sometimes by Indian money "AI licochick," a shell that came from Queen Charlotte Island (still quot ing the History of Central Oregon!. A piece of shell reaching from a hand's palm to the middle joint of the . little finger was worth $5. The tribesmen had a scale of measurement marked on an arm from shoulder to elbow. Ten pieces ol shell that reached from end of a thumb to a given arm mark was valued at $100, the smaller and less valuable bits brought only $25 a fathom. This shell was so highly prized that gold in large amounts was traded for even minute pieces. .Martin rrain, through fairness and awareness of Indian ways, earned lasting friendships. He ex perienced no difficulties in hit trading and his word was known as "good." On those whites who took a redman's life, the redman had no mercy. Revenge started with the killing of the white man's family, one by one, until time ran out for the man who had taken a life, and he, too, was sent to join those who had helped pay the pen alty. The theory the transgressor suffered more seeing others die than he did when his own time for death came. Martin Frain, playing a "fair game," kept his scalp and his life. His comings and goings took him through the Shasta country and there he found his future wife and helpmate, "Bitsy," sometimes written Betsy, daughter of Ris ing Sun and cousin of Sitting Bull, who mothered his five sons. Frank, Frederick, Roderick, Wil liam (Wrcnl, still living in Klam ath Falls, now 90, Alfonso, and one daughter, Nettie. She had absorbed many of the ways of the white men and com bining this knowledge with her native ability, she taught her brood to live as upright citizens, to give a day's work for a day's pay, to share the gifts of nature, I to honor authority and be con scious of forces greater than man . . . wind and water, fire and lightning. Martin Frain lost Bitsy before the youngest of her children was grown and lived alone the re- (Contlnued on Page 2) KLAMATH FALI.S, OREGON, SUNDAY, OCTOBER , 1MJ BITSY FRAIN Mrs. Martin Frain of the Shasta Tribe became the wife of the fur trader and mother of hit five children. She remained with them while her husband traveled afar on business while they were young. She died before the last two children were grown. zzr --IS' --- mffkA A GREAT LAKE Martin Frain, fur trader, saw Klamath ITIamathl Lake just I I years after it was discovered by the explorer John C. Fremont on his second expedition into Oregon country in 1846. It is probable that many of the furs, coyote, raccoon, fox, bear, bobcat and oth er species he bought by barter from the Indians, were caught on the shores of this laka and in the surrounding forests and marshes. The picture was drawn by a man named Kerns who accompanied Fremont on this expedi- tion. The drawing was made from a point probably near Moore Park where the explorers were then gathered. Wocut Bay is to the left, the nigh promontory to the right is the present site of Shippington and Link River flows from the lake nearby. f I f I r U 11 WA V (mm i V.'-ri ri" hi - 7 . (T 'I mi a- i i '- - v- sr-.f 1 .- : jr or , m WARES FOR TRADING This picture was taken about 1 898 at Klamath Hot Springs in Northern California when that country and Southern Oregon were good hunt ing grounds for fur bearing animals. Look closely and determine the variety of pelts that Martin Frain, right, had purchased to be sold later in city markets. Large black skin at right is bear. Also note huge trap at lower left. Youth at left is Alphonso Frain, Martin's ion. Man in center is unidentified. Picture is from collection of Wren Frain, Martin's son who lives in Klamath Falls. MODERN DAY FURS Members of Klamath Chapter, Daughters of American Col onists, will dedicate a marker on Saturday, Oct. 1 2, in memory of Martin R. Frain, "Pioneer Fur Trader." The plaque will be set in Veterans Memorial Park near the site on Link River where Frain landed. Wearing modern furs, left to right, are Mrs. Arch G. Proctor, Oregon State regent and member of Klamath Chapter DAC; Mrs. Charles K. Wells, Klamath Chapter regent; Mrs. Charles J. Martin, marker committee member, wearing a silver fox fur from animals caught on shores of Upper Klamath Lake, and 'Mrs. Roland E. Wright, Klamath Chapter chairman of markers and memorials. The dedi cation will also honor Mrs. Proctor and Mrs. Wells during Patriotic Education Week, baainninn Oct. I 2. National Fire Prevention Week Starts Today; Human Carelessness Causes Most U.S. Fires ( ' - Ml -FT ( .:' fit fl tvu MORE FURS EXHIBITED Left to right art King Quadsworth, Martin Roderick Frain, in later years of hit life, Mike Haley, man by the name of Kettler, and George Frain. The picture wat taken by J. S. Wintemute, "Portrait and View Artist," probably in Yre ka. Skint of two raccoons hang among otksr tkint en the wall. Mounted heed in center holds Indian bow and arrow. Implements uied by Indians are alto in the picture. White men frequently found skulls of tribe members killed in battle or who had lott their livai by ether meant. By TOM NOLAN Newspaper Enterprise Assn. WASHINGTON NEA The United States faces Hs worst for est fire toll in many years. The U.S. Department of Agricul ture reports over 86.000 forest fires in the first six months ol l!3 22,900 more than the number re ported during the same period a year ago. The area burned Is al most double what it was a year ago up to 2 million acres. Pennsylvania reports its mosi severe drought in 24 years. In neighboring New Jersey, some residents are lorbidden to water their lawns more than once a week. A scries of dry lightning storms originating in northwest Wyoming and shooting off In the Canadians border have lelt behind a trail oi 200 forest fires in Idaho, another 100 in Washington and Orcgnn. In an effort to reduce the tre-! mendous destruction during the fall traditional danger time for the Western forests President Kennedy has proclaimed Oct. t 12 as National Fire Prevention Week. The basic aim is to make every citizen aware of elemen tary safeguards which could elimi nate most of the human careless ness causing over 90 per cent of America's fires. Despite the hope of reducing carelessness, the U.S. Forest Serv ice is leaving nothing to chance. In research centers around the country, new tools (or fighting and controlling fires are being de- j vcloped. Innovations now being tested on actual fire lines include an air conditioned helmet, a two-wheeled motor scooter and portable lookout towers. The helmets, weighing 50 pounds, liavs a refrigerating unit which keeps it 20 to 30 degrees cooler inside. A filter keeps out the smoke. They are used mainly by operators of heavy equipment such as bulldozers, enabling them to work fairly close to live flames The Los Angeles Fire Depart ment, using the helmets to fight brush fires, discovered one draw back. One bulldozer operator, cool and secure, backed his machine out of a fire with burning debris on the blades, promptly starting a second fire. The department now orders its helmet - wearers to remove their gloves from lime to time so they'll know when they're still in a danger zone. The two-wheeled scooter, now being used by the forest service in Montana, comes equipped with both front and rear wheel drive to help it climb logs and other ob stacles. Reserve fuel tanks in the wheels, when empty, give the scooter enough buoyancy for a man to lloat It across a small stream while wading beside it. Porlland'lookout towers are II- foot-high trailers equipped with eight-loot extensions which can be erected in 15 minutes, bach trailer can sleep three men. A realistic training aid is an electronic simulator system now being .tried out hy the forest serv ice at Iowa Slate University. In the 24-by-30-foot simulator en closure, five projectors flash pic tures of a raging forest fire onto a curved panoramic screen. A staff man broadcasts imaginary weather and wind conditions. The trainees, scaled at near by tables, give orders over tele phones and radios. As their com mands are . received, trucks, planes and other equipment ap pear on the screen. r b .'If ral SIMULATED FOREST FIRE Forestry trainees direct fight againtt a fir viewed on screen. With knowledge gained in classroom they will be better abl to cop with th real thing. With tha start of National Firs Prevention Week today, tha U.S. it faced with itt wortt forest fir toll In many yaan in many yaert. SMOKEY Symbol of for. est firs protection. pii .lii ii ; ,i in iiiht i viwmv i m ijinpj. I 1 t ' . ' ' f - I )l J- v- ' ' - i 1 ' B , " i FIRI TRAILER Portable lookout itation feature! tewr which can be raised In 15 minutes. ' i
