USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, 1900-1901 > Part 34
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And amid all this wrestling, right on through the battle din, speeds a gallant vessel, shaking the furious spray from her gleaming billows, bending with a careless grace before the artillery of the blast, yet fearless and unscathed,
"She rides the plunging chargers of the deep,".
Bearing her freight of soul-life to its des- tined haven.
On this vessel's deck, his eye flashing back the spirit of the storm, his whole frame buoyant with the fiercest sympathy for the awful scene before him, stands Carrol Avory, after six years of wander- ing in almost every clime of earth, now straining his spray-clouded vision to catch a shadowy glimpse of his native shores, stretching, dim and dark, like the hither side of fabled Hades, iar along the horison.
Has he found the twin mysteries of his search? Perhaps not; but he has found two stars instead, whose constant lustre will lighten his pathway, even through the "valley of shadows"-Faith and Hope.
Three years since Edmond. Stanton died, and time, the soother, has mellowed the remembrance of sorrow in the breast of the widowed Kate.
On this balmy evening of spring, she sits, as of old, beneath the Spanish oaks on her uncle's lawn; and as the shad- ows grow longer and the stars come out, one by one, flickering like fire-flies through the waving foliage, she thinks of such evenings a few short years ago, when, beneath this olden shade, with a
light heart and a happy presage, she list- ened to an impassioned voice whispering bright hopes and love-illumined plans of future happiness. The silent tears drop, all unseen, upon the darkening turf at her feet; but they are no longer tears wrung from an agony of fresh sorrow, hot and bitter with the gall of a fresh re- morse. They are cooling, grateful, pearly tears, that spring from the gentle fount of the chastened spirit, a mellowed grief, and they fall as soothingly as fall the freshness of the evening dew upon the thirsty leaflet.
With these tears yet lingering upon her cheek, her thoughts are borne a little further back upon time's current, to a more shadowy past, and she hears light laughter and sparkling converse ringing under these old arches; she hears the gay jest and happy repartee, the un- thinking, foolish resolve of coquetish sev- enteen, and the grave-then absurdly grave-reproof of philosophic, serious twenty-four.
She is again Kate Edgely, and Carrol Avory sits beside her. "Poor Carrol! Where is he now? Oh, that he were here! oh, that he had never departed! and so suddenly, too! It has always seemed most strange. Why has he never written her. He knew she loved him so. Loved him? Why, was he not her best friend, the friend of her childhood? Did he not love her, too? But behold! He was so changed after Edmond came! He never liked poor Edmond. Yet why? And why go away so unkindly-almost suddenly-just when she was to-ah! could it be that he felt towards her other than as a brother, a dear friend? He never spoke other; he never seemed to. Oh, she could not be unfortunate! And yet-and yet, did she not love him with another love than sisterly? She had nev- er asked herself the question; someone comes swiftly down the shaded pathway. It is a man. Heavens, it is!"
"Kate!"
"Oh, Carrol!"
And they are clasped in a long, fer- vent embrace.
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. And Carrol had found his goal- though not where he sought it; but he was happy-so happy that his heart seem- ed to have put forth fresh fibres of life, his form expanded, his cheek bloomed, his eye kindled, and the promise of many years was renewed in him.
And Kate-was she not true to her re- pentance? Did she not "love and hon- or" with all her soul? And if she ever felt a shadow of the old weakness steal-
ing across her spirit, did she not seek a quiet corner of the old church-yard, and there, over a broken pillow, inscribed with a simple name (fit emblem of a life rudely shattered in its hasty snatching), and wreathed with dark, green ivy that clung around it as if it would lovingly hide the rugged wounds of the cold iron -there, upon the flowering sod, did she not register a fresh, a sacred vow. and seal it with her tears.
ELLA HENNEBERRY.
Dr. Elijah White, who was commis- sioned Indian agent of "the territory west of the Rockies" by the U. S. gov- ernment in 1842, seems to have had the idea that his commission created him czar of the Pacific Northwest, from the way in which he attempted to exercise authority. In 1844 the liquor traffic be- gan to assume such proportions that it became an interesting subject for all par- ties then in the Pacific Northwest. In January of that year complaints were made to him that a distillery was being operated at Oregon City, and he as- sumed that he had authority for interfer- ing because the laws of Iowa, which had been adopted by the provisional govern- ment, regulated the traffic in territory where there were Indians. Accordingly he seized and destroyed the distillery and placed the owner, James Conner, under bonds for three hundred dollars. Conner, with others, however, soon be- gan to operate another still. which was promptly suppressed. As the doctor had the moral support of the provisional gov- ernment, Conner was unable to get any satisfaction from that source, and to set- tle the matter, challenged the doctor to fight a duel. probably the first instance of the kind on the coast. The court took cognizance of this action and imposed a fine of five hundred dollars upon Conner
and also disfranchised him for life. The legislature which met later on in the year, however, passed an act restoring him to citizenship. While the doctor might have possessed some little author- ity for proceeding against those who sup- plied liquors to Indians, he certainly was without warrant to proceed otherwise, still his zeal which prompted him to bring others to account led him into sev- eral embarassing positions. On one oc- casion he boarded the Chenamus, be- longing to Capt. John H. Crouch, and attempted to search her for liquors sup- posed to be on board. The captain, knowing his rights, ranged his guns fore and aft along the deck, whereupon the doctor relinquished his search as quickly as it had been begun.
Private individuals also received the doctor's attention. F. W. Pettygrove, who was one of the then leading and most respected merchants, was put under one thousand dollar bonds for having in his house wine and brandy for his own use.
A Madam Cooper, who kept "wet goods" on a scow anchored in the Wil- lamette, had her premises invaded by the doctor, who expected to confiscate her store of liquors, but he thought it advis- able to desist when the amazon vigorous- ly protested "in the name of Great Brit- ain, Ireland and Scotland.
REMINISCENCES OF A NATIVE SON.
BY H. S. LYMAN.
..
Louis Labonte (or Le Bonte), son of Louis Labonte of the Astor expedition, who accompanied Hunt across the con- tinent in 1811-12, is still living at Saint Paul, Marion county, Oregon. He is now eighty-two years old, and is in good health. His remembrance of earlier ex- periences and life is still fresh and his inind seems very vigorous for one of his age. He says, however, that his recol- lection of the Indian languages that he once knew has now largely slipped away. These were the Clatsop or Chinook, the Tillamook, Tualatin and Calapooya. of which he says he knew a few words, and. the Spokane, which he understood al- most perfectly. Besides these, he talked fluently in the Indian jargon and in French and English.
He was born at Astoria in 1818, his mother being Ki-la-ko-tah, the eldest daughter of Kob-a-way, chief of the Clatsop Indians. At the time of her marriage with Mr. Labonte she was a widow. Her first husband was W. W. Mathews, a clerk of the Astor expedi- tion. He died in New York. Their daughter, Ellen, was the first child born in the Pacific Northwest with the blood of the white race in its veins, so far as known, the date of her birth being July 1, 1815. Mrs. Labonte had two sisters who married well known and honored pioneers. Celiast. became Mrs. Helen Smith, the wife of Solomon H. Smith, one of the Wyeth expedition of 1832, and Yaimast, married Joseph Gervais, who. like Mr. Labonte's father, was one of the Hunt party.
Three years of his early life, about 1824 to 1827. were spent in Spokane Falls, and the three years succeeding at Fort Colville. Then two years, prob- ably 1830 to 1833, were spent on French Prairie. His father had removed to that place and was engaged in raising wheat
on a piece of land owned by Joseph Ger- vais. From this place he accompanied the family to the farm of Thomas Mc- Kay, on Scappoose creek, near Sauvie's island, where he spent three years. In 1836 he removed with the family to a location on the Yamhill river near Day- ton. In 1849, being then a matured man, he accompanied a party headed by Wi !- liam McKay to the gold mines of Cali- fornia, returning the same year. During the Indian war of 1855-56, he was a member of the Oregon Volunteers in the company of Robert Newell, which was stationed at Fort Vancouver to hold in check the Cascade Indians and the Klickitats to the north.
Concerning his father, he says that this member of the Astor expedition was born in Montreal, and was about eiglı- teen years old when he came out to St. Louis, and was there engaged as an em- ployee of the American Fur Company for four years; at the age of twenty-two he was engaged by Wilson P. Hunt of the Pacific Fur Company to come to Oregon, and arrived in the following winter. Upon the disruption of that company in 1814, Labonte took service with the Northwestern Fur Company. which was in 1818 absorbed into the Hudson's Bay Company. He had in the meantime become acquainted with and married Mrs. Matthews at Astoria, as stated, and it was in the year 1818 that the son was born. Labonte, Sr., took six years for the Hudson's Bay Com .- pany, and spent three years at Spokane and three at Colville. He then returned to Fort Vancouver and his service ter- minated some time near 1828, when he asked to be dismissed and allowed to remain in Oregon. This was directly against the policy of the Hudson's Bay Company, who wished none of their trappers to become settlers or free la-
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borers in their territory, and it was the rule that all of their servants must be dismissed at the place where they were enlisted. But Labonte was an astute Frenchman and contended that as he had enlisted in Oregon and was not brought here by the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, it was no infraction of this rule, but rather in compliance with it that he should be dismissed here. Notwith- standing, his request was refused and no dismission was allowed unless he re- turned to Montreal. Accordingly he made the trip to Canada, starting in March, and receiving his regular papers certifying to the ending of his term of service. But he immediately began the journey back and arrived here again in November in the same year-which may have been 1830.
After having terminated his service with the Hudson's Bay Company, La- bonte made up his mind to become a set- tler in Oregon. Several of his comrades who belonged to the old Hunt party were already contemplating this step, and some had actually begun settlement. Etienne Lucier had first taken a place at the site of East Portland. but, as La- bonte remembers, having been informed by McLoughlin that he himself wished to occupy this location. he removed to French Prairie. Joseph Gervais, how- ever, was already at French Prairie, hay- ing laid a claim at Chemaway, a point about two and one-half miles south from Fairfield at present. Labonte, Sr., moved to the place of Gervais and en- gaged in the raising of wheat, and, among other improvements. built a barn : but did not complete a location of his own.
Louis, the son, remembers more par- ticularly the boyish occupations of the region, of which hunting was the most important. He describes a method of hunting the deer (jargon. Mowich : Cal :- pooya. Ahawa-ai) which. perhaps, has never been placed in print. The deer were very abundant in primitive times, and during the breeding season the bucks were pugnacious. In order to come near to them the Indians would
take the head of a deer, including also the hide of the neck, properly prepared, which was placed over the head of the hunter; and he then, stooping over so as to keep the mouth of the deer head off the ground, as if grazing, would creep up on the lee side of the herd. He would also, so as to more closely imitate the action of the deer, occasionally jerk the head from side to side, as if nabbing flies.
Presently a buck from the herd. ob- serving a suspicious stranger, would be- gin to stamp and snuff, and bridle with anger; or, possibly, shaking with excite- ment, would edge nearer, challenging the supposed intruder for a fight, brows- ing and approaching, or maneuvering for a position. The hunter, in the mean- time, would keep up his own maneuvers until the victim was near, and then let fly the fatal arrow; though Labonte says that before the use of guns the Indian. himself, if he chanced to miss his mark, was sometimes so viciously attacked by the deer as to be badly gored or tram- pled, or possibly killed. Young La- bonte always used a gun at this sport.
He recalls also of seeing two grizzly bears on French Prairie, one of which was in connection with a hunting party one foggy morning. Grizzlies were not unknown in the Willamette valley. though they were not abundant. The Chinook jargon name for the grizzly was eshayum, quite distinct from the name of the common black bear, itch-hoot. Both these words were evidently primi- tive Indian terms and thus show that the grizzlies were a well recognized species in the Willamette valley during the per- iod of Indian occupation.
Labonte, Jr., has recollections of earli- est French prairie which are very valua- ble, and give a new, or at least a clearer understanding of settlement here, than ever seems to have been published, and shows Chemaway on the Willamette riv- er above Champoeg to have been the first nucleus of settlement. According to these recollections, which should. of course, be subjected to close examina- tion before being used as the basis of
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a final conclusion, it was Joseph Gervais and the remnants of the Astor company, or Hunt's part of it, who were the origi- nal pioneers of French prairie, and thus of Oregon. These were Joseph Gervais, Etienne Lucier, Louis Labonte, Wm. Cannon, Alexander Carson (Alex. Es- sen). and Dubruy. Whether the fact that they had been with an American company made them any more inde- pendent and more disposed to settle for themselves, may be questioned; but at any rate they formed a little company of comrades and became the first group of independent Oregon people.
Joseph Gervais was the first, and when the Labontes arrived in about 1831, he had been upon his place at Chemaway at least about three years, and had made considerable improvements. Chemaway is situated on the bank of the Willamette river at a somewhat abrupt point over the water, and became afterwards the location of Jason Lee, and the Methodist mission. It is not to be confounded with Chemawa, the location of the United States Indian Training School on the line of the Southern Pacific railroad- though this is a mispronunciation of the old name, in which both a's are long, with a strong tendency toward long e, making the name Chemaewae.
Gervais had substantial buildings, and Labonte's description of his house and barn are very interesting. The house was about 18x24. on the ground, and was constructed of square-hewed logs, of rather large size. There were two floors, one below and one above, both of which were laid with log planks or puncheons of white fir, and. probably adzed off to a proper level. The roof was made of poles as rafters, and the shingling was carefully-laid strips or sheets ot ash bark, imbricated. Upon these were cross planks to hold them in place. There were three windows on the lower floor of about 30x36 inches in dimensions, and for lights were covered with fine, thinly dressed deer skins. There was also a large fireplace, built of sticks tied together with buckskin thongs, and covered with a stiff plaster
made of clay and grass. The barn was of good size, being about 40x50 feet on the ground, and was of the peculiar con- struction of a number of buildings on early French prairie. There were posts set up at the corners and at the requisite intervals between, in which tendon grooves had been run by use of an augur and chisel, and into these were let white fir split planks about three inches thick to compose the walls. The roof was shingled in the same manner as the house, with pieces of ash bark. There was a young orchard upon the place of small apple trees obtained from Fort Vancouver.
At the time that the Labontes came to Chemaway, Etienne Lucier had not vet taken his own place, about three miles above Champoeg, at Chewewa, but was living or camping, upon the place of Gervais, probably looking around the country and making arrangements for a permanent home. Lucier, therefore, was not the first settler upon French prairie, but this honor belongs to Joseph Ger- vais, who must have gone there, accord- ing to Labonte's recollections, about 1828. -
William Cannon, a native of Pennsyl- vania, and the first American to settle in the Pacific Northwest, was a millwright. and at the time the Labonte's came to French prairie, was at Vancouver, build- ing the gristmill. He afterwards built the Champoeg gristmill.
Dubruy settled subsequently about two and one-half miles south of Cham- poeg.
Alexander Carson (Alex. Essen, as pronounced by Labonte), was a trapper, and spent much of his time in the Yam- hill country. He seems to have been a very independent man, but finally lost his life at a certain butte on the North Yamhill river (still called Alec's butte) by the Twhatie (Tualatin) Indians, prob- ably with the simple object of possessing themselves of his rifle and trappings.
As to Champoeg, the historic point in Oregon history. this was originally a camping and council ground of the In- dians. It was near the north boundary
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OREGON NATIVE SON.
of the Calapooyas, and here various tribes came to trade, to play games of chance and skill, and not infrequently to intermarry.
One great sport was diving. The water of the Willamette river off the bluff was very deep, and it became a great contest for the young men to see who could dive deepest and remain un- der water longest. Some of the bolder ones even not rising until the blood began to burst from their noses or mouths.
Labonte recalls with great vividness the wedding ceremonies which he often witnessed, and that were frequently cele- brated here between contracting parties of the different tribes. It was quite an intricate ceremony. The tribe of the groom would assemble on one side and that of the bride on the other. The groom, placed in the forefront of his peo- ple, was dressed in his best, and seated upon the ground. He was then ap- proached by members of his own tribe, who began removing his outer gar- ments, article by article. After this was done, members of the bride's tribe came and reclothed him with different gar- ments and placed him in readiness to re- ceive his wife. The bride, in the mean- time, was placed in the forefront of her people, but was covered entirely, face and all, with a blanket. When ready to be presented she was carried by women of her tribe, and brought within a short distance of the groom, but here her bear- ers halted to rest. Then, probably indi- cating the desire of both peoples that the ceremony should proceed, and that all were friendly, a shout or hallo was raised by all parties, which is given as follows: "Awatch-a-he-lay-ee. Awatch-a-he-lay- ee." After which she was taken the rest of the way and presented. while the same cry of applause and approbation was again raised.
A bride was purchased, and the pres- ents were numerous and valuable. In case the groom and bride were descend- ants of chiefs, presents were made be- tween the whole tribes. These presents were of all sorts, and consisted of horses
(cuiton), blankets (passissie), guns (mos- ket), slaves (eliatie), haiqua shells, or, as the small haiqua shells were called, cope- cope, which is a kind of a turritella. kettles (moos-moos). tobacco (ekainoos), powder (poolallie), bullets (kah-lai-ton). knives (eop-taths), or other articles.
The name Champoeg, says Labonte, is not derived from Le Campment Sa- ble,* the French name, but is purely In- dian. "Cham," the hard ch, not sh, is of the same character as the universal Che prefix of the Callapooyas; as Che- halem, Chewewa, Chemaway, Chamho- kuc, or Chemeketa; and the latter part, "poeg," or poek, was for a certain plant or root found there by the Indians, and called po-wet-sie. That this is the true derivation, and it is not from the French term, meaning the sandy camp, is evi- denced by its similarity to the other In- dian names just given above.
When young Labonte was about six- teen, the family was employed by Thom- as Mckay to take charge of his farm on Scappoose plains, across the Willamette Slough, or Multnomah, from Sauvie's island-McKay being one of the most energetic and intrepid captains of the Hudson's Bay Company, and being at that time detailed for special service in the Snake river country, where compe- tition with American companies was set- ting in with much vigor. On this farm the Labontes raised wheat, oats, peas, potatoes and various garden products, and had cattle and hogs, but no sheep. On the farm with the Labontes there was a Frenchman named Antoine Pla- sier.
It was during this period that Wyeth -whom Labonte recalls as White, from a mixture of the English aspirate and the French non-aspiration of th-made his second visit to the Columbia. It was, however, more with the trim brig May Dacre that the lad had to do. He remembers that he was at that time just as tall as a musket, which he indicates would reach about to his chin as a man.
* A corruption of the French term. Champ- ment Sable-the camp of the sands .- Remi- niscences of F. X. Matthieu.
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On this craft, which lay anchored in the ·tream not far from the farm, he was viten invited to go visiting, particularly Sundays, and was well treated by the sailors and Captain Lambert. He re- members once being asked by the cap- tain whether he could climb a mast, and he inimediately proceeded to show that he could, and ascended to the topmast on the bare pole, climbing hand over hand. It happened to be a windy day, and the brig was rolling somewhat in the swell, and when the boy looked down from his lofty elevation, he was made almost dizzy by observing how small the vessel below him looked in the wide stream. But upon reaching deck again, he was complimented by both sailors and cap- tain as being made of stuff fit for a sailor.
Indeed, Lambert seems to have been very well pleased with him, and offered him passage on his ship to Boston, and a return, either by land or sea, and to this his parents were almost persuaded to giv · their consent, but at the last mo- mient could not bring themselves to do this. Sometimes he was invited by the captain to take dinner, and amused the officers by his sturdy refusal to take any- thing to drink-perhaps as much from suspicion as from set conviction- though the better class of men on the Columbia at that time greatly deprecated the use of intoxicants and were largely temperate, and the boy very likely had imbibed these ideas.
He remembers Lambert as large and powerful, and full bodied; of dark hair and complexion, and "a good man."
Nathaniel Wyeth, whom he also saw, was florid, light-haired and blue-eyed, but also large, and perhaps even finer looking than Lambert.
Game at Scappoose and on the ponds of Sauvie's island was very abundant. . consisting of deer, elk and bear, and panthers and wildcats; and beaver were still plentiful; but the waterfowl of the most magnificent kind, at their, season of passage, and, indeed, during much of the year, almost forbade the hunter to sleep. Labonte remembers one winter season in particular when there was a snowfall of about sixteen inches, and in the early morning he went forth to hunt swan. These splendid birds of the white spe- cies, like the innumerable ducks and geese, assembled at the island ponds to feast upon the abundant wapatoes. On this particular morning the youth soon discovered his flock of swans upon the surface of a shallow lake, eating the roots, and being such an immense flock that they were not to be disturbed even by the immediate presence of a hunter. Then, disrobing to his shoulders-for the water was too deep to reach the flock otherwise-he simply waded in, bring- ing down two or three birds to a shot, until he soon had as many as he could carry. Indeed, the lake was so covered by the flock as to almost conceal the water. However, upon reaching home he was rather chided for his performance by his father, who told him that by such cold bathing he would be likely to get the "rheumatism," which was his first ac- quaintance with that term.
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