USA > Oregon > Pioneer days of Oregon history, Vol. I > Part 18
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The beauty of the Nez Perce women was a proverb among the free trappers and fur company men. There was great difference in the various tribes. The Nez Percés were brave and warlike, but they stood high in comparison with all others. The Flatheads were much like them, and had so intermarried that they were like one people. The Cœur d'Alenes were also akin and much resembled these tribes in
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superior semi-civilization. The Hudson's Bay Company's leaders generally chose wives from among the Nez Percés, and the preference seems justifiable. All the early travellers have written of the superior character of these people, and I have close at home a proof of their superiority. Mrs. Clarke crossed the plains in 1851 in the same company with E. N. Cooke, now deceased, so well known in public life. She was with her relatives, Hiram Smith, commonly known in early days as "Red Shirt Smith." All the Smiths had a sobriquet, and some of them had rather remarkable ones. Mr. Smith is deceased, but his widow, Mrs. Hannah M. Smith, was aunt by marriage to Miss Harriet T. Buck- ingham, who came to Oregon on a pleasure trip, and claims that the summer on the plains was among the pleasantest days of her life. There was a "goodly companie."
There was quite a band of cattle and horses, and force enough in the different sections of the main company to make all things pass agreeably, and it did pass like one great holiday. When they had reached the Columbia valley, and were off the Blue Mountains in the Umatilla valley, their camp was visited one day by a gay caval- cade of Nez Perce women, who rode their beautiful ponies with perfect abandon. They rode "straddle," as all Indian women do, and as their dress permitted. They had buckskin dresses, fringed at all the seams and beauti- fully ornamented with bead work. Their jet-black locks hung down in front of each shoulder in heavy braids. Their eyes were large and lustrous, and their features were almost classic in the beauty of contour. The Greek model was equalled, if not excelled, and the delicate tawny skin, that was susceptible to the keenest emotions, would blush
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with crimson, or dimple with mirthful smiles. Their dresses, leggings and moccasins were worn with the utmost grace of negligé, and they seemed entirely conscious of the charms they possessed.
This cavalcade of a dozen or twenty bright and laughing girls drew up before the tents of the immigrants, where there were several charming American girls of their own age, as well as more mature women. They wore little grass-woven caps, that closely fitted on the smooth combed hair. Their garb was unique and attractive, and painter never sketched a more charming scene than this camp of white women gave, surrounded by Nez Perce and Cayuse belles, on their beautiful spotted ponies. They had several comely dames for chaperones, who smiled good humoredly as their daughters fairly gushed over with fun and frolic. The American girls felt that every article they wore and their own good looks were subjects for criticism by the In- dian belles. One and another took up the theme and bandied and tossed about their merry banterings and criticisms until the white girls fairly blushed in turn. It was all in the best of humor and ended in exchange of tokens. Many a little memento changed hands, and when the sober dames- who in their way were as beautiful as their daughters- gave the word the flock of lovely Indian girls gave a last good word and went laughing and galloping "over the hills and far away."
ROBERT NEWELL
Newell bore the nickname of "doctor," bestowed by the mountain men. He also came to the Rocky Mountains in
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1829, the same year that Ebbert did, and they trapped to- gether many seasons. He was appointed afterwards Indian agent at Lapwai, and died at Lewiston, near there, many years ago. Newell had more influence and better presence than his companions, and was an important man in provis- ional times. He was in the legislature several times, and I think was once speaker of the house. While he was at Lap- wai, his old friends Ebbert and wife came to see him, and they had a delightful time together. The three, including Wilkins, formed a trio of good friends, who were among the best of all the mountain men, as they settled down into ex- cellent pioneer citizens. All three were men of remarkable coolness and personal bravery. They came as near not know- ing what fear is as mortals ever do. Ebbert, though small- est of the three, was equal to any emergency, and all of them passed through circumstances of the most trying na- ture and never quailed before danger.
One of the most remarkable escapes and terrific contests told by mountain men occurred in the history of Wilkins and Ebbert, and must have happened about 1835, in the Malad country, south of Boisé river, Idaho. A company of five men and Fannie Ebbert went trapping and hunting. They purchased $150 worth of goods for trading. They were Ebbert, Wilkins, Richard Owens, John Burris and Fannie. When out about a month they saw Indian tracks and stood guard. Ebbert had a very valuable horse that cost him $175. He was on the last watch one night when a band of sixty or seventy Blackfeet rushed close to camp to stampede the horses. Snow lay six or seven inches deep in the bottoms at this time. Owens and Wilkins fired and killed two men. Ebbert was shot through the foot while
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trying to catch the loose horses. The boys called to him to let the horses go, and he did so. They were camped on a small creek. The Indians killed all but two horses. Ebbert's was shot with two arrows, six inches deep. The enemy fired from the hill and a bullet hit poor Woodman in the neck, killing him instantly. Some of the Indians had guns. The men made a breastwork of saddles and other things and put Woodman in the pile. The Indians came so near that their guns crossed ours (Ebbert said) over this rampart. They made a fort of our dead horses, and the fight lasted four or five hours before daylight came. Owens knew their language. Wilkins said he saw the gleam of a powder horn. "Burst it !" said Ebbert. Wilkins fired and a terrible yell went up. Owens said he understood that a great chief was, killed, and knew that they would soon draw off; and so they did. They found out afterwards that the Blackfeet lost ten men in this raid. They buried Woodman as well as they could, as it was shallow to water.
AFTER THE BATTLE
The last thing they shot was Ebbert's fine horse. The trappers found another one, badly tangled up, but alive. They got it on its feet and hobbled. It ran up the hill and the Indians after him, but it was saved. They packed their valuable furs on this nag. The brave woman Fannie had done her part well. She had a dress with $150 worth of beads on it. Mountain men vied in fixing up their wives bravely, and Fannie had the best there was. She walked twenty miles and then had a leg "four sizes too large." It was impossible for her to walk, so she said, for the rest to go
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on and she would make her way to Fort Hall or somewhere else in a week or so. Dick Owens owned the horse and said: "Cache the things and put the blankets and the woman on the horse." This was done. Ebbert remembered a cut-off that McKay discovered, though water was scarce on it. All said go ahead! It saved eighty miles. It was a terribly hot day and no water! Burris gave out. Fannie went on a hill and there saw a band of forty or fifty Indians, which inspired Burris and he went on again. They pushed for- ward to a slimy lake, where antelope and mountain sheep frequented and when they drank the water it made them vomit; it was full of dung and very filthy. They dug a well near the lake and that improved the water a little. They pushed on ten miles farther to a prickly pear region, and as it was night had to stop to avoid stepping on the prickly things. Fannie called them at moonrise. They found water at ten o'clock the next day in a rock-hole and soon after reached Snake River. Burris staid behind, but Fannie carried him back water to drink and he managed to get down to the river.
THEY REACH FORT HALL
Wilkins killed an antelope, and they were in comfort again. They had to cross the river to get to Fort Hall. They saw an Indian among the rocks, and it proved to be a poor Snake siwash, who said in answer to Fannie, who talked the Snake language, that Blackfeet had the previous day killed all his family except a grown girl they carried off. Wilkins killed a fat buffalo cow near here, so they had abundance of good meat. They made a raft of drift logs and crossed the river, and in due time reached the fort, where
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news had already been heard of the flight through the Black- feet. It seems there was a village of this tribe in a mountain valley near there, and a trader from the Hudson's Bay Company was with them. They learned from him that this band of trappers were on the Malad, and made a raid to rob them of horses, furs and goods. This man La Duke was perhaps innocent of intention, and did not think the Blackfeet would attack them, but they did so, as a result of his information, and their village was in mourning many days. This is a sample of the hardships and dangers that beset the trapper's life, and shows how bravely the trappers' Nez Perce wives did their part amid such dangers.
This fight with the Blackfeet was only one of many es- capes Ebbert and Wilkins had from great danger. The mountain man carried his life in his hand. Once the Black- feet and Crees charged in at daylight. Two men had been setting traps after dark and saw signs of them, so they placed a guard, but the Blackfeet rushed in with a terrible yell that stampeded the horses. A fight followed but no one was killed. After the fight was over the Blackfeet wanted the whites to smoke with them, but they would not. The Indians stole a great number of traps and the beaver in them. It is remarkable that the mountain men escaped with so few losses of life. The Indians were not often as well armed, and felt that the whites were the best fighters, so were at a disadvantage. When they took the war-path in great numbers they would attack small parties, but usually lost the day, as the Blackfeet did in the story told above, ten to one. War with the Indians was not more dangerous, sometimes, than the rivalries and contentions between com- peting fur companies for the trade of the mountain regions.
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ACROSS THE PLAINS IN EARLY SPRING
In 1848, Ebbert went East at the request of Governor Abernethy as an escort for Jo Meek, who went as a mes- senger from Oregon to carry news of the outbreak of the Indians and the massacre of the Whitman family. The es- cort consisted of a number of men who wished to return to their friends in "the States." The company was composed of Jo Meek, Squire Ebbert, Leabo, Williams, Miller (who went back to Missouri), Nathan Bowman, John Owens, Da- vid Young and a character known as "Jack, the Sailor." They got started in March and accompanied the Oregon volunteer troops through the Umatilla country to where Whitman's station used to be. On the way the Oregon volunteers had two battles with the Cayuses and whipped them. At Whitman's they killed a fat cow and jerked the meat and then went over the Blue Mountains. They had an escort of volunteers part of the way. They went to Grande Ronde valley through deep snows. John Owens took the measles on Snake River and had to be carried for a ways, but two days' rest at Fort Hall made him well. Meek had an order on Captain Grant at Fort Hall for pro- visions, but he was at Salt Lake and Mrs. Grant refused to comply with the order. They only got a few things there and pushed on. At Port Neuf, a few miles beyond Fort Hall, a horse gave out, so they killed it and took the meat along. They tried to kill geese on Bear River and failed. Ebbert thought he saw buffalo tracks and wanted to follow them. Meek said no, but finally they all went. As snow wouldn't bear up animals, they left their mules and went afoot. Across Bear River they found a wagon train that
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proved to be Pegleg Smith and two Frenchmen and their half-breed families, with a band of American cattle. They lived in their camp and traded for cattle. They cooked the Oregon men a good meal and made all feel happy. Peg- leg Smith traded Meek a fat heifer, which was killed and the meat dried, and they went on their way next day. He was to pay for it when he came back, but back he never came, so a fat heifer was Pegleg Smith's contribution to the patriotic fund.
HARDSHIPS AND DANGER
So they made their way, amid dangers and hardships, through the early spring, sometimes a-hungered and always wearied. Meek had his documents tied around his body, and in crossing Big Muddy, a branch of Bear River, his mule was washed down stream, and he and his personal be- longings got wet, so they had to stop and dry them, which was difficult, as there was only brush to burn. They were treated well at Bridger's, who exchanged good mules for their worn-out ones, and gave them such meat as he had, and sugar and coffee. The other side of Laramie they found a single buffalo bull, wandering the frozen plains. They killed it and had meat in abundance. Very soon they found plenty of bison, and killed all they needed.
At Sweetwater they obtained more supplies, and Jack the Sailor left them there. When they reached the Platte forks it snowed and stormed severely. The mules suffered from hunger, and all of them were subject to great hard- ship. Some of the mules gave out at different times. On the Blue River they met a train of emigrants bound for Ore-
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gon. They were suffering severely for want of food, and when the emigrants gave them good food, they were happy. So were the emigrants, who were anxious to hear from Oregon, as many of them had friends there. They gathered round and asked for letters. Word had been sent around Oregon that an express was going "to the States," and many had sent letters by them. The escort had saddle bags full, so they got out their mail bag and called off the letters they found there, furnishing mail for a great many of the emigrants present. When they reached the Kaw agency they expected to be treated at least humanely, but the agent refused them any hospitality whatever, though Meek explained his mission and his purpose. They were turned away hungry. They came at last to St. Jo and went to a good hotel to get meals and lodgings, but the landlord refused them any accommodations. He had more respect for appearances than for purposes. Men of the plains were too hard looking to suit the fastidious tastes of civilized life. Fortunately Miller's father met them here, and soon found for them a hostelry where they were well cared for. They had completed a journey through the half winter months of early spring that entailed great hard- ship as well as danger.
WITH JO MEEK IN WASHINGTON
A few days before reaching civilization, as they trudged along on empty stomachs and tired as they were hungry, Miller had accosted one of his comrades in jocose way and received a surly rejoinder. "Never mind, Owens," said Miller, "it won't be long before we shall all have apple pie
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with loaf sugar all over it." The landlady at St. Jo was amazed at seeing her rudely attired guests pass around her pie and laugh heartily at the sight of it. Miller explained that she had furnished the prophesied pie, crusted with loaf sugar, and her face was wreathed in smiles again.
Ebbert remained two days at St. Jo to fix up a little and then went on to Washington. He stayed there three weeks, and as his means were rather short he called on Benton, who said he was certain to get his money ; so he went to the West to visit among his relatives. He was in Iowa all winter and returned to Oregon in the spring. He sold his valuable animals to get money to use ; his nephew gave him a good mare and he hired out for $72 to pilot a train to Oregon.
HOMEWARD BOUND
He had a pleasant trip back, as he ate with the different camps. Some days he had "more curses than a horse could pack." The greatest trouble was with the women, who wanted to stop and wash up regularly, but Ebbert was look- ing out for good grass and water. The men were angry when they made long marches, but such troubles were tran- sient and generally all were good friends.
From Fort Hall they needed no guide, so he and three others went ahead. On Powder River Indians fairly . swarmed. When told that men and troops were coming they felt alarm for the safety of their chiefs, who had gone up the road a day or so before. Fortunately for the safety of the whites the chiefs came into camp while they talked. Ebbert was absent from home from March, 1848, until the fall of the following year. He used up what money he could
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command and sold three valuable animals and spent the pro- ceeds. Besides nearly eighteen months of time he was out of pocket fully $500 actual means expended, and that was far less than the actual expense incurred.
EBBERT AND JO MEEK COMPARED
Ebbert made this journey of hardship from motives of the purest patriotism, and on the direct, personal appeal of Governor Abernethy. Meek was selected to carry back the news of the Cayuse outbreak and the Whitman murders. He knew that Ebbert thoroughly understood the route across the continent, and knew further that Ebbert was as courageous as man could be. He induced Governor Aber- nethy to write to Squire Ebbert and ask him to make the journey. He came himself to Ebbert's home on the Tuala- tin, bringing this letter and urging Ebbert to accompany him as escort, pledging himself, unasked, with hand up- lifted, swearing by the honor of a mountain man, to Fannie, Ebbert's wife, that one-half of all that ever should come to him for the journey should go to G. W. Ebbert. No doubt Benton and others would have seen to it that his ex- penses were paid had he remained in Washington, but when he was absent the matter was forgotten by them. Money enough was appropriated by Congress, but because Meek was in some way related by a brother's marriage with the Polk family, he was given $7250 to squander as he pleased. Squire Ebbert suffered great loss of time and means when he could ill afford it. A thousand dollars would not have compensated him then for the actual expense incurred, but he seems never to have made any claim. Jo Meek, on Tuala-
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tin plain, venting his worthless promises "to divide all he should receive with G. W. Ebbert," corresponds but illy with the spendthrift who afterward assured Ebbert at Washington that all the appropriation made was barely sufficient to pay the expenses of Thornton and himself. The two men's lives stand out in relief, the bold and vapid ut- terances of the one comparing but poorly with the modest courage that knew no fear and the patriotic endeavor that did not wait to count the cost of the other.
JOSEPH MEEK
Jo Meek, so familiarly called, was from Virginia ; found his way at an early age to the frontier, and in the spring of 1829, when eighteen years of age, enlisted with William Sublette to go to the Rocky Mountains. There he had as wild and varied experience of hunting, trapping and Indian fighting as often falls to the lot of any mortal. Once his life was saved by a beautiful Shoshone girl, who afterwards became his wife, or was so called until a Bannock arrow ended her life. The picture of this "Mountain Lamb" is a romantic feature of the trapper's life, and gives variety to a rather wild and desperate career. The trips Meek took ranged from trapping among the Blackfeet of Montana to expeditions in the Comanche country, a battle with dead mules for a redoubt, against terrible odds, and a journey to lower California, before Monterey had become United States territory. He had a wide range of travel and experience.
THE GAME IS UP
We will not go over his mountain life, his trapping now for one company and then for another, his spendthrift ways
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and his hairbreadth escapes from Crows and Blackfeet, Shoshones and Comanches. At twenty-eight he found him- self almost alone in the mountains. He wandered to one and another place where brigades had met and the old fur companies had rendezvoused, and found them deserted. The beaver were gone and so were those that hunted them. He some way got word from "Doc Newell" to meet him at Fort Hall, and went there, glad to know that any human being had need and use for him. He was but twenty-eight, yet was old in experience. He had a Nez Percé wife and a child, and was yet young and vigorous. Newell proposed that they go down to the Willamette and become American settlers, doing their share toward redeeming Oregon from British rule. Meek acquiesced and they fitted up two of Whitman's wagons, left there several years before, bought horses and started for the Columbia River.
BOUND FOR WILLAMETTE ON A NEW DEAL
Meek and Newell had Nez Perce wives, who were sisters, which accounts for their being partners in misfortune, and this journey together to the Willamette. Newell owned the train of two wagons and four animals to each. They were driven by Meek and Nicholas. The way was difficult, but they made progress to the Columbia River with all their personal effects piled on the wagons, and their Indian women and half-breed families on top of all. They reached Dr. Whitman's, and he killed for them the best porker in his pens. Whitman had then been three years among the Cay- uses, and the tribe had made progress toward civilized ways. Meek's first child was by a Nez Perce woman, who
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left him with a daughter that he named "Helen Mar." He engaged Dr. Whitman to educate this child, and then they proceeded on their way to the Willamette valley. From Waiilatpu they packed their goods, Newell bringing the wagons to Tualatin plains the next year. It is claimed that they were the first vehicles of the kind ever seen and used west of the Cascades.
In the Willamette valley the three mountain men met with Ebbert, Wilkins and Doughty, their old-time com- panions who had abandoned the mountain life before them. There were six of them, and on Christmas, 1840, they went over to the west side of the Willamette and located claims together in the Tualatin country. Meek could not work, nor did he wish to starve, so he had a hard time of it making a living. Commodore Wilkes and the exploring expedition came in 1841, and Meek was employed as guide and in other various ways, so that he lived through that winter. He was also legally married to the Nez Percé woman, Virginia, who was already mother of two children and lived to bear seven in all. Meek finally overcame his distaste for labor and com- menced to make a farm in earnest and raise wheat.
IS LUCKY IN GETTING OFFICE
When the provisional government was organized Meek was given office as sheriff or marshal under it, and did good service by keeping Indians and unruly whites in order. So the years moved on ; Meek became well known in the Wil- lamette and was as lucky as usual. When the Whitman massacre occurred he was deputed to carry dispatches to Washington and made the dangerous and fatiguing jour-
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ney we have described in the preceding sketch of Squire Ebbert. When he reached "the States" he was a curiosity to the civilized world, where his singular garb and his uncivil- ized ways unfailingly commanded attention. In the city of Washington he was especially favored because his family was intermarried with that of President Polk, and he had the free-and-easy entrance to the White House as probably no such man ever has had before or since. During several months he played the part of the mountain man to the satis- faction of a host of admiring friends. His natural bon- hommie served a good purpose to make him passable and at- tractive. His own account of his eccentricities and popu- larity has been written up, and no doubt was glossed over by his habitual "freedom of speech." He no doubt bore at heart the cause of Oregon and did what was possible to ad- vance Oregon interests. It is hardly possible that he had the influence to control events that a sedate character would possess, but such as he was no doubt he worked for the best interest of the State. It is possible that he supplemented the more serious efforts of Judge Thornton and did what he could to favor the coming State. His own account of his reception at the White House and treatment by senators and others is strongly flavored by hyperbole, but must be taken cum grano salis. He wore at first his buckskin suit and mountain rig, because he had no money to buy others. In this garb he calls at the White House, where he an- nounces himself to Knox Walker, the President's factotum -who was his private secretary and near relative also-and tragically exclaims, "Why, Uncle Jo." He had thence- forth the free run of the Presidential mansion and saw the world for a while through rose-colored glasses. Everywhere
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