USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, 1900-1901 > Part 15
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In due course of time we reached the turning-off place, on Malheur river, and -"followed the crowd."
It was lucky for us, however, that we were a little behind the rush, for it saved us some unnecessary digressions from the direct route. No sooner had our would-be guide gotten himself thoroughi- ly launched upon his mission than the natural difficulties of the situation began to beset him. He hardly knew "where
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he was at." As a consequence, the front wagons took many experimental excur- sions through the sagebrush country and around the alkali lakes, only to come to the starting point and try again. All of this meant wasted energy and food for worn-out immigrants who had no sur- plus of either to squander. The country, though well supplied with grass, was fearfully short on water, and where there was water it was often of the alkali va- riety. Where some of the lakes were dried up their bottoms were white as the whitest of snow from deposits of sal soda. The route sometimes followed the old Meek trail in a general way. I don't know how many times we crossed that trail; for he showed considerable aber- ration of movement as well as ourselves, in his effort to do the same thing we were striving to do, i. e., find a new route to the head of the Willamette valley. The . hardships and privations of Meek's crowd were well known to our company, as were also the sufferings of the Donner party in 1846, and this information, it is needless to say, was not of a reassuring character. But what could we do but press blindly and wearily on?
Soon we brought up against an unu- sually dry part of the desert, where it would be fifty miles to the next water. Considering the jaded condition of our teams, this was a serious problem for us to face. Fresh oxen might make twenty miles a day, but in the condition our teams were in, ten miles corresponded better with their capabilities. Such sup- plies of fresh water as the trains could conveniently carry were laid in and a commencement of the journey was usu- ally made in the evening, so as to have the cool of the nights as much as possi- ble in our favor. By this method the crossing was made in safety, with the ex- ception of the loss of some loose stock. But we had, long ere this, become accus- tomed to this kind of sacrifice.
We managed next, in some mysterious manner, to cross the Blue mountain, or "out-flanked" then1. I'm not sure whichi. A circumstance overtook us now, how- ever, that is always remembered with
the readiest ease. The long-dreaded con- tingency of being wholly out of pro- visions came with crushing reality upon us. True, we had some very poor and tired-out cattle as a dernier resort; but people who have never tried living on such diet, cannot understand how un- satisfying it is in its results. We could eat it continuously, almost, without be- ing cured of the pangs of hunger, and all the time feel so weak that one could hardly drag one foot after the other.
We were now coming in sight of land- marks that should have pointed the way clearly to our destination. From a long distance we could see those tall, white spires of the Cascades, known as the Three Sisters. A little further south was Diamond Peak, which should have been our Mount Pisgah, from which to view the promised land. And soon, too, we came in sight of timber-a real sensation for people who had traveled thousands of miles of uninterrupted prairie stretch- es. When we did reach the timber belt -alas, for many of us-it was of the pitch species. In ignorance of its prop- er utility, many of the folk commenced using the sticky resin as food. For while it is perhaps true that none of us had a "heart for any fate," we all had appetites for any reasonable emergency. Since that time, in accordance with the established usages of the country, I have done my full share of chewing gum, but my first introduction to Oregon pitch is anything but a happy remembrance.
Instead of getting out of the wilder- ness, we were now getting into the more serious part of it. This saved us some trouble in the way of gathering fuel for campfires, for sagebrush and buffalo chips became things of the past, but our difficulties in the way of finding a route for the' wagons were preceptibly increas- ed. But what added to our other dis- comfitures almost the weight of despair, was the knowledge that another fifty- mile stretch without water lay between us and the DesChutes. That those wearied wanderers all withstood this try- ing test of supreme endurance, is still to my mind a marvel and a mystery. But
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our route was strewn with the swollen hulks of perished cattle. And now we had reached, at fearful cost, seemingly our last goal. The Cascade range rose up in rugged and precipitous grandeur, an almost impassable barrier to our fur- ther progress.
Long 'ere this, it should be said, our confidence in our guide to lead us any- where but into difficulties was ex- tinguished; and there were persistent threats flitting through the various camps to extinguish the guide himself. Really he was not what you might call criminally to blame, for he did the best he knew, but people do not reason calm- ly and considerately under such circum- stances. But there were tired men in that earnest collection of homeseekers who would not give up the game without an earnest struggle worthy of the his- torical character of American pioneers. A systematic search, ranging up and down the turbulent DesChutes and far up the mountain's side, was instituted, to try and find the alleged pass and wagon road. Dr. Brooks and Capt. Keith rendered efficient aid in this endeavor.
Finally, on the eighth or tenth day of the search, word came drifting around among the camps that they had found the blazes. A few slight marks on the bushes up the river, evidently made with a knife, pointed the way to a future de- liverance, and opened up a world of hope to despairing pilgrims. Escape was yet possible 'ere the deep snows of winter, already seen to be whitening the higher ridges, had engulfed our starv- ing community. The next day witnessed the necessary bustle of a forward move- ment. Through arduous, toilsome marches we "treked" our way over the summit and painfully picked our desper- ate course down the rock and timber- lined water courses that ran into the "Beautiful Willamette." We were in the veritable "frozen gorges" so charmingly mentioned by Oregon's gifted poet; but we were not
"Leaping like a child at play."
However "Limpid, volatile and free" the rushing waters were found to be, for we were struggling against double chances of certain death-struggling as only human desperation will enable men in their rapidly-expiring energies to strug- gle.
But our cloud of despondency was vouch safed a sudden uplifting. Just about dusk, one evening, as we were wearily wending our way adown the can- yon, a couple of men on horseback and leading a pack animal hove in sight. They were the avant couriers of our de- liverance. They had supplies only for the sick and the feeble, but gave us the assurance that ample relief was close behind, and then pushed on through the darkness of the night to the relief of others. Never was "the word of prom- ise" more loyally kept both to the ear and "the hope," and this is the way suc- cor was secured: Some stragglers, who had left the trains long before we reached the Cascades, to try and work their way over the mountains afoot, had, by living on snails, decaying salmon and like dainties, found their way to the outposts of the settlements and announced our critical condition. The citizens of Lane county rose en masse and responded with a readiness and an alacrity worthy of the loftiest praise. It was the gospel of hu- man benevolence in its purest and most practical form. Day and night they rushed out into those mountain fastness- es with supplies for their fellow-creatures and with no thought of any reward, save the consciousness of a noble act of chari- ty generously discharged, thus giving. for once, a good, strong negative to the oft observed rule, that "self-interest is the only motive to human action."
Not only provisions, but fat, stout teams of lusty oxen were sent out to ex- pedite the rescue, and, by the end of Oc- tober, the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue river valleys had received an ac- cession to their population of from one to two thousand inhabitants as a conse- quence.
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COL. E. D. BAKER. One of Oregon's First U. S. Senators.
HENRY L. PITTOCK. A Pioneer of 1853.
MRS. GEORGIANA M. PITTOCK. A Pioneer of 1852.
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"OREGON"
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The older members of that ill-starred expedition over the new route have, long 'ere this, no doubt. taken the old route to the "final encampment," but their nu- merous descendants, scattered all over
the Pacific Northwest, may glean from this imperfect sketch a faint idea of some of the hardships endured by those who first laid the foundations of our prosper- ous state.
W. W. FIDDLER.
OREGON.
Where adown thy mountains glaciers Grinding. crashing, blend their flasning With the sunlit snows eternal, Pictured on the walls of dawn, Where thy crags and coves are hiding Mighty rivers dashing. gliding, Comes a praise unto thy grandeur. Oregon.
Where thy cliffsides meet the ocean's Surges, bounding, hoarsely sounding, Rolling through thy gates where ever Speed the stately vessels on, There a nation's wealth will enter, Trades increase and commerce center, Telling of thy fame and greatness, Oregon.
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Where the Inland rolls in billows, And the tinted hills are printed With the azure of the heavens, Purpling woods the slopes upon, Mines of gold. and fields as golden, Countless flocks and herds beholden, Voice the story of thy riches, Oregon.
Where Willamette flows and loiters, Never minding rock or winding, Babbling, roaming. gliding onward, Singing unto every one, Happy homes and groves and bowers, Meads and fields of fruits and flowers, Speak thy fair and lasting beauty, Oregon.
Pearl of all the golden Westland, Thou art peerless, like the fearless Pioneers, who from the mountains Gazed upon thy vales and sea; Pioneers of hardy yeomen, Helping friend, daring foemen, Fighting, toiling, knowing ever They were free.
Like a glowing sun at morning, Setting never, thou art ever Glorious, golden, land Edenic, Clad in plenty's fairest sheen; Like the pines which shade thy bowers Are thy sons-and like thy flowers Fair and graceful, are thy daughters- Each a queen.
Fairest of the states united, When the spangled banner tangled Its bright hues around thy breezes, Thou wert born a nation's pride; Nobly thou thy part obeyest When the war's alarum swayest Thy own sons, who 'neath that banner Fought and died. .
Like thy valleys, alway vernal, Is thy present, fair and pleasant, Like thy mountains sterling, stately, Will thy future be anon, When thy name is crowned with glory, And is heard in tale and story Thy abiding worth and grandeur, Oregon.
-Valentine Brown.
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LEGENDARY LORE OF THE INDIANS.
TOMB OF THE GOD COYOTE.
The consensus of opinion is that many startling phenomena, upheavals and wondrous changes have taken place in the Pacific Northwest since the earth's creation. The causes bringing such about, speculation, only, can conjecture. All beholders stand in awe in contem- plation of the numerous notable places where strange play has been made with the surface of the earth. None but the scientific have offered theories in rela- tion to the causes producing the pano- ramic view which was wrought by the mighty and unknown forces. While these seem plausible, they are but opin- ions.
In the traditions and legendary lore of the aboriginees one can find much food for thought. While their recitals of past events are crude and overdrawn, there can be extracted from them the fact that man has inhabited this section of the globe for ages, and that he was witness of the awful catastrophe which took place in its dim and distant past.
The Indian, like the Greek, the Nors- man, and they who builded the ancient cities of the world, deified phenomena, cataclysm, as well as the performers of deeds claiming more than passing no- tice. In their myths are found that in- herent desire in all mankind to account for the origin of things, coupling with such an endeavor to fathom futurity. Clouds of doubt and uncertainty, por- tentious of the dangerous, hung over their minds continually. In all nature they saw a spirit power. It in- habited the silent pools, tlie dash of the cascade, and in the flow of the many waterfalls its moan is heard. Things of evil were in the rustle of the branchies, danced in the vapory twilight and fre- quented lonesome places and darkness.
A spirit power was manifest in every- thing, the evening's quiet zephyr, the raging storm, mountain's peak, the riv- ulet, the rock, the dawn, the visible, in- visible, animate and inanimate. Where an individual took the name of anything believed to possess this power, and did anything worthy of note, succeeding generations lost sight of the performer and what was done was said to have been the work of the animal, the individual was named after. Through this, it is possible that the belief became prevalent that an animal race of people preceeded the present, and it is not surprising that with this fabled race, the elements grew into beings.
In this ancient period the sun was not only deified, but was a most eratic god. Its coming and going not being fixed by natural laws, or subject to anything save its own pleasures, for a long time. The rabbit god seems to have been the deity which corrected and established it in permanent action. The lightening was a creature which o'ershadowed all oth- ers for size then inhabiting space. It made frequent visitations to the earth, shooting its breath of fire in all direc- tions, and with the move of tail created havoc wherever it was turned. One could imagine such to have been a comet, and it is easy to belive that an untutored mind could conceive it to have been a god.
To the multiplicity of gods believed to exist, was accredited the powers of in- telligence, reasoning powers and speech. These attributes were, however, lost when they became degraded through the interference and will of a superior. Time magnified the size of tliese beings in keeping with their fabled deeds. The tick, mosquito, fly and other now insignificant insects, were in those days as large as an
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ox and the frog is said to have swallowed the moon.
Some of this traditional people are said to have possessed the form of the present animals, and when degraded re- tained such form, their magic power ex- isting somewhere else. Wherever their doom was sealed, was erected a monu- ment, perhaps imprisoned within the mountain, beneath the bed of river, in rock, waterfall, or other noticeable place. Wherever their place of entombment was believed to be, there went the Indian to supplicate its power, or avoided the locality in fear of evil coming upon him.
Over these demi-gods there was a greater power, a supreme something without form. This Great Spirit they were unable to understand and the more ma- terial demi-gods were looked upon as the authors and directors of ordinary events, and to them they made their supplica- tions and sought to gain their good will.
Among these demi-gods was Speelia, sometimes called Tallapus and other names, pre-eminently the superior of them all. The meaning of the names giv- en him signified coyote or wolf. Like the others, he was pure and simple, a neces- sity of thought, but once conceived, be- came the dominant deity of Indian myth- ology. In his age the sound of vio- lence impregnated every wind that swept the earth; the strong oppressed and preyed upon the weak, hesitating not to trample upon decency and honor. In this awful hour Coyote began a refor- mation, and strange to say, at such time created the present race of Indians. His undertaking was finished. only, after the death or debasement of all his associate demi-gods. So many were there to pun- ish for transgression and defiance of his will, that there is hardly an object of in- terest in the great Pacific Northwest but what was once a living being.
While he suppressed wrong, he was not guiltless of personal transgression. and through such was obliged to suffer the wage of sin himself. At the last he endeavored to get into heaven before making atonement for his misdeeds, but fell like Lucifer. Some accounts say
that he ascended by a rope hanging from thence to earth. Others say that he shot an arrow into the sky, into the lower end of which he shot another, and so on until a continuous string of arrows hung between. Up this he climbed until he reached the hole in the sky through which spirits pass when he was dis- covered and adjudged unworthy of admission. Not being used to have his wishes thwarted, the refusal to allow him to pass angered him. He began to strike right and left to clear the way. His blows, however, had no effect, save to cause the barb holding his arrow to the sky to loosen and slip out of the shaft. This left him nothing to do but
to fall-down, down he came for ten snows, and on reaching the earth was flattened out like a mat. His animal part became debased into the skulking coyote of today, and as a vagabond wanders about howling for his sins. His spirit part was so chagrined over the change of affairs, that it sought oblivion beneath the waters of the Columbia. But no sooner had it embraced them before a rocky island pushed forth beneath, and once more placed him in sight. Before it could make a second attempt at hid- ing it was transformed into a rock which should endure until his sins of the past had been expiated.
It is said that this rock is situated on a small island about four miles above Celilo. Upon this rock stands a rugged basaltic ridge some five hundred feet in length, and rising high into the air. The forces of nature have chisseled many curious forms in its rocky walls, the most prominent of which is a perfect profile of an Indian face. This has been worshipped for ages by the Indians of that region as the "Spirit Power" of Coyote, or "Great Spirit in the Colum- bia." At certain seasons of the year the Indians go there for the purpose of worshiping this rock. None will, how- ever. make the island their dwelling- place, being deterred by a superstitious fear.
One of the older Indians living at the Cascades some years ago, in relating
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the achievements of Coyote, told a very curious story concerning him. It was probably borrowed from the religion of the white man, as the Indian, though be --
soon to go beyond the skies, and if they were faithful in the observance of the laws he had given them, he would re- turn again. He told them not to fear
COYOTE'S TOMB, COLUMBIA RIVER.
lieving in futurity, has no traditions rela- tive to a Redeemer. He stated that Coy- ote gave them a grand "potlach" and during its course told them that he was
death, for in the future state they would be far happier than in this. To illustrate the thought, he made a crawling, loath- some, catapillar, "a poor worm of the
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dust-to rise and fly away," caused it to enwrap itself within its cocoon, and then burst out again as a beautiful but- terfly. When the season arrives for the appearing of these lovely creatures, the Indians seek the island where Coyote lies entombed and importune him to come again.
ANOTHER VERSION OF COYOTE'S FALL.
There is a legend among the Indians living around Klamath lake differing from the foregoing version of his deg- radation. They attribute his fall to his becoming proud and puffed up over his achievements, and had become imbued with the idea that he was of such im- portance that he was the equal of the stars, and especially the evening star, with whom he had become enamored. As the time would approach for the ap- pearance of this luminary, Coyote would seek the mountain's crest and from its topmost peak endeavor to converse with it. At first the star paid no attention to him ,only winking and laughing at his presumption. He kept on soliciting its favors until, tired of his whining and howling, the star told him that the heav- ens were no place for him and that if hie were sensible he would remain where he was. Coyote, however, persisted in his demands, and the star, weary of his im- portunities, told him to cease his noise and it would come close to his place of waiting on the next evening. At the time promised the star came quite close to him and quickly leaping out, Coyote succeeded in grasping hold with his paws. Away they danced through space. Fine sport it was for a while. but the muscles of even a god grow tired and benumbed with cold. It was bitter cold, so high, for a Coyote of the earth, and it was an awful sight for one to look down-down to the lakes below looking like arrow heads, and mountain range and winding rivers like slacked bow- strings. Woe for the presumptious Coyote! His paws grew so numb that they would no longer firmly grasp his bright companion; dark is the partner
with whom he dances now, for death takes the place of the shining star. From upper ether, for ten long snows, he fell, and when the earth was reached again he came in contact with it with such violence, that he flatened out like a sheet of pasteboard. From that hour he was doomed to be ever afterwards a common Coyote.
THUNDER STORMS.
Among some of the Indians east of the Rockies, thunder storms are not be- lieved to be due to natural causes, but rather to the actions of their deities. In the ancient animal period, the blackbird was the spouse of the thunder god, who was very jealous of his bride. When- ever she desired to bathe he would get out her bath tub, which was a cloud, and then begin to command in thunder tones that no one should come near, twirling his war-club of fire here and there to strike possible intruders. As the black- bird would throw the waters over her- self, they would fall outside of the rim of the bath tub and come down upon the earth, thus causing rainfall at such times.
THE RATTLESNAKE.
Nearly all nations believe that the snake is associated with or indicative of evil, and the Indians are no exceptions to the rule. Wah-ka-poose, the rattle- snake, was a sort of Goliah in ages past, possessing three heads and three sets of rattlers. He was an incessant talker, putting in the most of his time boasting of his power and challenging all comers to fight him. He was also believed to be a great conjuror as well as a hypno- tist. His ability to perform the wonder- ful things he was credited with having done, and also the means by which he could cast a fatal spell over other peo- ple, lay in his rattles. Their sound caused hcarers to become crazy, en- abling him to rivet his eyes upon them, paralyzing them into inability to resist his wishes to overcome and devour them.
The only related instances where ne came out second best in an encounter,
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are said to have been when he swallowed an old maid, and again, when the god Speelia (Coyote), gave him battle. The task of bewitching the lady of uncertain age was an easy matter, following it by making a meal of her. The diet did not. however, agree with him. Hardly had he swallowed her before he grew deathly sick, and in his endeavor to rid himself of the sour load upon his stomach, he wiggled himself out of his skin, at the same time vomiting up the old party, who took refuge in the discarded cover- ing. She began at once to make over- tures for a better understanding; among other things proposing that he take her to wife. Remembering his ex- perience of the preceeding moments, he turned away in disgust. This caused her to become angered, and as a parting salute, told him that he should never for- get her, that once each year thereafter he should feel her presence, and in that hour would shed his skin. Since then this has regularly been done by him as she foretold.
His meeting with Coyote brought to him great disaster. That god made it
his business to roam the earth, putting down oppression and stamping out wrong wherever found. In his rounds, he encountered his snakeship. After some little strategy and cunning, he suc- ceeded in cutting off the rattlers of the monster, enabling him to conquer and bring about its debasement. Its size was greatly reduced, but one head and one set of rattlers were left, and power to charm was nearly all taken away from it. Its spirit part was cast out and thrown into the Clearwater river and condemn- ed to remain there. This place is known among steamboat men as the "Big Eddy," and is considered by them to be a very dangerous place, steering their steamers as far away from its vortex as possible. The force of this eddy causes a rise and fall of the waters some fifteen feet every few minutes.
The Indians, true to their traditions. say that this whirlpool is the devil-part of the ancient snake, whirling, seathing boiling, seeking whom it may devour -- and they are afraid to approach any- where near it.
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