USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, 1900-1901 > Part 37
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And while in misted camps they shine Garlands and chaplets may we twine Of wreathing smoke and rosied flame And deck Valhalla's hall divine -Sam L. Simpson.
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NEGLECTED GRAVE OF WHITMAN AND HIS ASSOCIATE DEAD IN 1882
MONUMENT HILL AND BLUE MOUNTAINS
THE WHITMAN MONUMENT
ch , 2
SCENE OF THE WHITMAN MASSACRE.
THE WHITMAN MASSACRE, NOVEMBER 1847.
TO THE SURVIVORS, JUNE 1897.
Out through the shades of a broad land, unknown, Across a path bridged o'er with human souls, A little band of immigrants had come And built a home where the Wahlula rolls Along in grandeur from the hills of snow, Then takes a changing course, now- north, now west, And dashes through the endless woods below -- A fleeting spirit, filled with vague unrest. Close by its banks the sly coyotes watched The camp fires of the dreaded Redmen gleam,
Photo by Moore. MISS MINNIE M. BODE.
'Round which were gathered in the dance of war, Their strange fantastic shapes, until it seemed The demons of another world had paused A moment in their rapid downward flight, Then whirled away in angry burst of flames, To vanish with the shadows of the night. And Indian ponies here by thousands grazed, Upon the slopes were antelope and deer ; Along the borders of the sage-brush plain Was heard the wild fowl's whistle, soft and clear.
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OREGON NATIVE SON
Alone in this vast wilderness they toiled, Brave men and women of a goodly mind. And often, through their weary struggle there, Their heavy hearts grew faint and sadly pined n secret, for their homes left far away. Yet, through the deepening shadows of the strife, Each bravely bore the part assigned to him, A burden cancelled only with his life.
The autumn time had come in Oregon, , And brought its change. In early afternoon The slanting sun fell on Waiilatpu's walls, And told of Winter days which came too soon.
Copyright Photo by Gifford.
A stillness seemed to settle on the land- Faint rumors, borne upon the humid air, Told of a discontent among the tribes ; And often through the shadows here and there Unfriendly faces peered. Time slowly passed Until a morning came. Each man had found His share of homely work awaiting him, And did not see the dark foe lurking round. When suddenly the air seemed rent in twain, The sound of war cry and the mighty yell Of dancing savages re-echoed there, Until it seemed the very gates of hell Had opened and its dwellers fled to earth. What pen can paint the scene which followed then- The butchery by ignorant brute strength ; The life blood of fair women and brave men That stained the dust. A mother's lonely flight Through forests, with a babe but newly born ; The rest made prisoners, not knowing how The end would come : and even these were torn Apart; some taken in captivity Far worse than death. New horrors followed fast ; Through saddened days and nights which knew no rest, And none could know which one might be his last.
Up through the wilderness a boatman came- Skeene Ogden, friend of every pioneer ; And met in council with the savage tribes, Whose chief gave back the answer written here : "Your words are weighty and your hair is grey, The journey here was not a pleasant one- I cannot, therefore, keep your families back ; I do for you what I had never done For one of younger years. Go forth in peace."
Oh! wondrous change! All saw as in a dream, From which they 'woke to find themselves In open boats, adrift upon a stream, With life and liberty their own again. The days which followed brought them safely o'er
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The river's depths. And from the shades of death, Their journey ended on a friendly shore. A stricken band of sad humanity- Men craven grown through days and weeks of fear ; And little children, old before their time, Bore on their faces, which should then be clear, The loss of childhood's innocence. Fair wives Had in an hour, to frenzied widows grown; And drooping heads grew grey beneath the weight, Of suffering, known to them and God alone.
Then separation came. New duties called To them and changed their lives, which with the years, Have drifted far apart. Many have gone To rest. Time crossed their path with hopes and fears, Until a century has half been told. Today, the first in fifty years, they meet Again. What words can picture all the thoughts
Which fiill the mind, when through their tears they greet, Their brave companions of those sadder days.
No more the Indian camp fires gleam at night ; The war cry has grown still. Their restless souls To happy hunting grounds have taken flight Forevermore. Fair mansions stand Where once their wigwams stood. And all the land Is bright with beauty of the tree and vine, 'Neath which go truth and honor, hand in hand. All this we owe to you, brave Pioneers- But now a remnant of the old-time train, Through shadows to a life beyond the end Some will soon pass. All will not meet again. Yet, in the unknown years which are to be, The light that you through darkness safely bore Ang gave to children of a newer age, Will shine with steady glow forevermore. -Minnie M. Bode.
On September 29, 1847, Dr. Marcus Whit- man, together with his wife and others, were foully murdered at Waiilatpu, Wash., by the Cayuse Indians. A history of the event is given in the June, 1899, number of this magazine, one of the survivors being the author. This massacre brought about the war of 1847-48 between the settlers and the Indians, the latter being defeated and those implicated in the murder hanged.
Miss Minnie M. Bode, the author of the above poem was born in Portland, Or., Aprl 9, 1874, her parents being pioneers of 1853. She received her education in the public schools of her native city, after which she made a tour of the United States and herself for literary work. Miss Bode is a Europe. She is at the present time fitting member of Eliza Warren-Spalding's Cabin, Native Daughters of Oregon.
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A TOUR OF THE WORLD.
JOHN J. VALENTINE, PRESIDENT OF WELLS-FARGO & CO., WRITES HIS FRIEND, AARON STEIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, AN ACCOUNT OF HIS TRAVELS.
1.
( Published by Special Permission of Mr. Valentine.)
DRESDEN AND MEISSEN.
Leipsic, January 3rd, 1900.
DEAR UNCLE AARON:
Dresden .- My last budget was dated here, December 26th, and told of a swing 'round an irregular circle from Berlin to Stettin, Posen, Breslau, Salz- brunn, Halbstadt (on the Austrian fron- tier), Prague, and Dresden.
The location of the last-named city is noticeably central in Europe, as a glance at the map will readily verify. Christi- ania and Stockholm lie almost due north of it; Moscow and St. Petersburg north- east, Odessa and Constantinople south- east, Venice and Rome almost due a little south of west-and all ap- proximately equi-distant from it. Dres- den folk lay stress upon this geographic- al situation, as being highly advantage- ous to tourists; and, added to its other attractions, the point is worth remember- ing. Traditions say that Dresden was a Lusatian (also known as Sorb or Wend- ish) village, as much as a thousand years ago; but it is reasonably certain that it did not become a town of importance until 500 years later, and was only nota- ble then for its medieval fortress, by no means as picturesque as that of Al- brechtsburg perched high above the little city of Meissen, twenty miles off on the Elbe. An historical novel need not be confined strictly to facts of history, but it should reflect the form and pressure of the times, and I repeat here. as intimated in my last, that Weyman's "My Lady Rotha" presents an interesting picture of Bohemia and Germany of two hundred and fifty and three hundred years ago.
However, it is not with ancient or me- dieval history that we have now to do, but rather with present conditions. Dresden is a handsome city, of possibly 400,000 inhabitants, including the su- burbs. It is the capital of Saxony and therefore the residence of its King. Al- bert. In addition to its native-born pop- ulation and German residents from other parts of Europe, it has an English-speak- ing colony (chiefly Americans) number- ing 6000 to 8000, who have come here for a variety of reasons. Whatever ideas Americans may entertain relative to monarchial governments, it is neverthe- less certain that in royal capitals there is that atmosphere of social refinement. the reflection of court life and the polished customis of so-called polite society, which constitutes a great attraction to many. The first impressions also of the visitor to Dresden are almost invariably favor- able, because of the admirable railroad station, centrally located, and the per- fection of its railroad system and service. All incoming trains enter the city depot on ground tracks, and all out-going leave on elevated tracks. The arched bridges supporting these elevated tracks at street crossings are of sandstone. handsomely finished and laid. The streets and adjacent open spaces beneath in every direction are paved with asphalt. thereby presenting a surface as even and neat as an ordinary house-floor. Like all its sister cities of like magnitude. it is possessed of the usual schloss. castle. or palace; which in this case comes more nearly being a castle than do some of the others going by that name mention- ed in previous budgets. The castle is
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not essentially different from others of it. kind. A somewhat distinguishing fea- ture of it is that seven or eight rooms, generally known as the "Green Vault," are occupied as a royal treasury, in which Crown jewels, plate, state treas- ures, etc., are kept for safety and for show. The collection is similar to those oi the "Museum of Arts and Industries" at Berlin, and "The Hermitage" at St. Petersburg, though not to be compared with the latter for extent, variety or rich- ness.
In a comparatively open section near the Elbe and between two of the most important bridges crosing it-the Au- gustus bridge and the Marien (St. Mary's) Bridge-are located the most notable buildings of the city, and a mon- ument known as the Wettin Obelisk. Wettin was the family name of the Prince Consort of England, the deceased husband of Queen Victoria. In this vi- cinity are also the Royal Palace, the Royal Opera House, the Conservatory of Music, the Royal Gallery of Paintings, that of Sculpture, and various other mag- nificent structures-including the Court Church, in which Catholic service is held; for since the adoption of that faitlı by Augustus II, over one hundred and fifty years ago, the royal family of Saxony have been adherents of the Mother Church, though in the year 1539 Duke Henrich introduced the Lutheran faith into Dresden. Near the King Al- bert Bridge, is the "Schiller Beer Gard- (1." interesting to tourists as containing within its enclosure the cottage jointly occupied for three years by Goethe and Schiller. The relations of these two gifted men were very cordial and friend- ly. and I shall probably refer to them again in a subsequent budget.
The one thing in Dresden above all else worthy of study is the extensive col- lection of pictures in the Royal gallery. which is devoted to paintings alone. I do not know how it ranks artistically among connoiseurs with those of "The Ilermitage" or "The Louvre," but my own impression is that, both in quality and number, it fairly outrivals them.
The Albertinum is a museum of sculp- ture, containing little or no modern work, and so far as marble statues go, it is chiefly remarkable for the exhumed specimens from the ruins of Herculan- eum and Pompeii. These, however, are interesting only to the antiquarian and to the art-student. For the general ob- server the Historical Museum is of greater consequence, and to me the Museum of Natural History was more satisfactory and fascinating than any ex- hibition there, except the "Royal Gal- lery of Paintings," above mentioned.
The operas, varieties, etc., do not dif- fer from nor are more meritorious than similar entertainments seen in other Ger- man cities; but the Royal Opera House itself is deserving of special notice, as its prominent situation and its striking architectural appearance, outside and in- side, entitle it to greater commendation than any operatic playhouse in Northern Europe, except that at Stockholm. While in design these two structures are not alike, their positions, and the agree- able impression they give, are not unlike. The foyer of the Dresden Opera House is an ambitious, artistic effort, but highly creditable. The auditorium, which in- cludes five balconies, compares favorably in extent and seating capacity with the best heretofore alluded to in this corres- pondence. I attended four performances at this house-the first being "Mignon." the second Semtana's "Lost Bride," the third Wagner's "Tannhauser." and the fourth a Symphony Concert by the Dres- den Association. It is hardly necessary to say that at all these German opera houses the orchestration and stage accessories generally are good; but in the case of "Mignon" I am constrained to assert I have heard the Bostonians and Carlton's Company sing it more effectively than it was sung at the Dresden Opera House. In the presentation of "The Lost Bride.' also, nothing whatever was better than the Bohemian performance at Prague. and the singing inferior. For "Tann- hauser" the orchestration. accessories, etc., were all good, but, with the excep- tion of Frau Wittick in the role of Eliz-
HENRY W. PRETTYMAN, A Pioneer of 1847. ..
GEORGE F. M'CORKLE. A Pioneer of 1543.
MRS. ELIZABETH B. M'CORKLE. A Pioneer of 1843.
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abeth, there was not a first-class voice recognizable in the troupe. The last en- tertainment I attended at this place of amusement was the Symphony Concert of the Dresden Association, and after listening to it I was fully convinced that "there are symphonies and symphonies," and that the one furnished at the Royal Opera House at Dresden was by no means so satisfactory as that I recently attended in Berlin.
"Heldenleben," (or Knight-Errantry) by Richard Strauss, a brother, I believe, of the late Johann Strauss, of Vienna, of waltz music fame, held the stage for half the time of the whole concert- which, briefly stated, was a conglomerate arrangement of discord, a jumble of "motifs," themes, etc., a Wagnerian blare of sound and fury that at times was deafening, and in the main suggested what I have heard in San Francisco- namely, an orchestral parody of a Ger- man band and the music of a Chinese theatre. Fortunately for me and my radical resentment, German criticism along the same lines was not lacking. Immediately after the conclusion of "Heldenleben," stepping into the foyer I saw the meeting of some German ladies with a German Doctor Von - just arrived. Said he, "Is that first num- ber over?" "Yes," answered one of the ladies. "Then," he added, "I will go in; but otherwise not." Nor is this all. In coming from Moscow I made the ac- quaintance of a famous German musi- cian who happened to attend this Sym- phony Concert. Asked what he thought of "Heldenleben," his answer was a de- preciating shrug of the shoulders. My own discomfort in being compelled to listen to this composition at close range was lessened a little by observing three American ladies immediately in front of me, who were manifestly trying, with sonte difficulty, to make out what it was all about.
In connection with "Heldenleben" I "suppose I ought to mention an incident that fell in my way just before entering the Opera House. At Berlin I had the good fortune, as stated heretofore. of twice almost rubbing against royalty.
In Dresden I enjoyed two similar oppor- tunities for taking in King Albert of Saxony-first on Christmas Sunday, in the Court Church; and again at the Royal Opera House on the evening of the Symphony. Just before reaching the entrance, my driver suddenly stop- ped, and when asked what the trouble was, said the King's carriage was im- mediately behind us, and-well, had the right of way. American sovereignty don't count over here, and when in Rome we do as the Romans do. The king drove by in state, his outrider carrying a torch-light attached to a staff six or eight feet long. My driver joined in the pro- cession as quickly as possible, and I hoped to get a near view of the King as he alighted, but was disappointed, and could only console myself by leveling my opera-glass at him point-blank across the auditorium.
MEISSEN.
As supplementary to Dresden, I
will now refer to Meissen and Albrechtsburg Castle, I frankly admit I had always supposed that what in the United States is called "Dresden China" was made there, and doubtless others entertain the same idea. That is, how- ever, a case of rank delusion. "Dresden China" is all made at Meissen, a town twenty miles away, and is known all over Germany as Meissen-ware. The pottery is part of the royal estate, and employs about 750 men and women. It is not necessary for me to go into particulars regarding "Meissen-ware," because any- body who is likely to read this letter knows what "Dresden China" is. I merely allude to it to emphasize the fact that it is NOT Dresden China.
ALBRECHTS CASTLE.
My readers may be less generally familiar with Albrechtsburg Castle, on the heights immediately across the Elbe from Meissen ; and a famous old castle it is-the scene before now of many a bloody bout. It is an ancient landmark of feudal times, erected a thousand years ago by Henry I. As far back as 1015 it was attacked by the Poles; and about the middle of the 15th Century-that is to say, before America
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was discovered-it was put into its best estate by Albert the Brave. It was in this castle that a prisoner named Boet- tger, an alchemist. as such experimental scientists were called in those days, dis- covered, in his efforts to manufacture gold, the porcelain qualities of the clay that abounds in the neighborhood of Meissen. Albrechtsburg is altogether the best specimen of a Gothic Castle in Northern Europe, and is at present in what may be called a splendid state of restoration. Only a few years since there was held in it a sort of reunion of Saxon dignitaries, for which occasion every part and parcel of the castle was overhauled and put into excellent repair. and the walls were decorated by a series of mural paintings depicting some of the chief incidents connected with its history. The Castle walls enclose a cathedral or chapel, as well as other con- venient and necessary appurtenances of ancient castles.
Moralizings are tedious to a reader, but as I looked upward to the spire of the cathedral, and into the blue sky be- yond, I thought of the centuries gone and the vanished illusions once indulged in by dreamers for attaining liberty by the killing of kings-
"Forgetting how few men escape the yoke,
From this or that man's hand, and how most folk
Must needs be kings and slaves the while they live
And take from this man, and to that man give
Things hard enough."
An historical fact inadvertently over- looked in my last letter, when referring to the Thirty Years' War, suggests itself where I am now writing from-namely, that, preceding Wallenstein as com- mander of the Imperial (or Catholic) army, in its contest with the King of Sweden, was the equally renowned war- rior. Field Marshal Tilly, the hero of thirty-six battles, and a soldier of ex- traordinary ability, beclouded with a reputation for cruelty, and for certain shady eccentricities of character which have given both their names a wierd and romantic interest. It was at this city of Liepsic-the scene at a much later per-
iod, of Napoleon Bonaparte's first over- throw-that Tilly's star paled and sank before that of Gustavus Adolphus. The issue was joined September 7th. 1631, and after the usual alternations of for- tune attending a desperate contest, the tide of battle turned hopelessly against him, and he and his army were driven in disorder from the field with their own artillery. He never recovered from this staggering blow; and encountering the same adversary again the following Spring, at the river Lech, on the borders of Bavaria, was again defeated, and fell mortally wounded. He died soon after, and Wallenstein was recalled from en- forced retirement to grapple with the "Lion of the North."
THE CIRCLE COMPLETED. LEIPSIC.
HAMBURG, JANUARY 10, 1900.
After a ten weeks' roundabout touring on the Continent, I
have re- turned to Hamburg, my nominal base, where this is dated from. My last budget was made up at Leipsic, January 3, and I now offer a few observations on that famous city. The country from Dresden to Leipsic is without any spe- cial characteristics to chronicle : nor are there any in the immediate vicinity of the city, except as connected with Na- poleon Bonaparte's first overwhelming defeat, October 16, 18 and 19, 1813. The field of this most sanguinary three days' struggle-the Battle of the Nations. as it is called in Germany-all under cultiva- tion now, is comparatively level, with here and there a little knoll or rolling stretch of ground, and right upon the spot is a museum or memorial hall, marked "Napoleon-Stein." containing many suggestive and interesting relics of the great battle, including an autograplı letter of Blucher, the Prussian Field Marshal (to whom the credit of the vic- tory is largely ascribed, and whose time- ly arrival at Waterloo, on a subsequent- ly critical occasion, sealed forever the fate of Napoleon.) in which he character- izes Bernadotte as "that dog of a gypsy." Our estimate of men and things depends
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on the point of view. The sadly romantic incident of the last day of the battle was the death of Napoleon's favorite Polish allv, Prince Poniatowsky, upon whom he had just bestowed a Marshal's baton When the imperative necessity of retreat was realized and acted upon, the only" avenue of escape for the vanquished arniy was across the Elster River on a single bridge, and that having been pre- maturely blown up by a distracted en- gineer, though ordered done eventually to prevent pursuit, a portion of the army was cut off and the retreat became a horrible scene of unequal carnage. Po- niatowsky cut his way through all op- position to the river and boldly leaped the bank, but his horse, being wounded, was carried away by the current, and the gallant rider perished in the waters of the Elster.
The city, claiming a population of 500,- 000, is situated near the confluence of the Elster, Pleisse and Parde Rivers, six- ty-one miles northwest of Dresden. It has neither a king nor a "palace" to boast of - the old regulation schloss having been torn down to make room for a new city hall; consequently it is wanting the atmosphere of royalty, which in more favored cities acts as a magnet to tour- ists, and bases its claims to consideration upon its achievements as an educational, a commercial, and manufacturing center. It is the seat, also, of the Supreme Court of Germany, composed of eleven justices and eighty-one associate justices. The court building, quite new and built of the yellowish-grey sandstone common in this section of Europe. is in every respect ad- mirable, inside and out. It is about 500 feet in length, and probably 250 feet in width, and has three lofty stories, with a well proportioned dome overtopping the center. The famous University of Leip- sie, founded in 1400, the Conservatory of Music, etc., are among its chief attrac- tions.
In referring to the prominent buildings, churches, and institutions of learning in cities visited. I have generally had oc- casion to mention "The University" as among the foremost. The phrase is not to be taken in the sense of one building
merely; on the contrary, it not infre- quently implies a number of them de- voted to various needful auxiliary pur- poses. In Leipsic, for instance, there are probably a dozen buildings connected with the university, as there are with that of some other cities reported on. A case in point is the Library connected with the Leipsic University, which is a most spacious and noteworthy structure, containing several hundred thousand volumes, and thousands of priceless manu- scripts, to which I may refer in a later budget. In addition to its educational facilities, Leipsic possesses a peculiar pre-eminence in the matter of printing, publishing, book binding, etc. In that particular it probably leads every other German city. The great Tauchnitz pub- lishing house is located here.
In the musical line it has a fine Con- servatory of Music; also the Gewandt Concert House. The latter is one of the most becoming structures-classic or Ro- manesque-yet met with in my travels. I have referred to Professor Weingart- ner of the Imperial Orchestra, as direc- tor of the Berlin symphony concerts, and here add the name of the Leipsic director, Professor Arthur Nikisch, who once lived in the United States, and was for a time leader of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
I took especial precaution to obtain a seat for the symphony concert that came off at the "Gewandthaus" Monday even- ing, January I, and it cost me 12 marks, or $3. The performance was more sat- isfactory than that at Dresden, but was not as enjoyable as that of Berlin under Professor Weingartner. The main num- ber failed to arouse any special interest in me, and I do not deem myself at fault, as the day after the concert the musical critic of the leading Leipsic paper, with other disparaging remarks, characterized that number as the emanation of a sick brain, and commented unfavorably on the arrangement of the programune. I do not again refer to these concerts for the purpose of criticising the music or instrumentation, but to call attention to some facts in connection therewith usu- ally overlooked. I have repeatedly
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