USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, 1900-1901 > Part 40
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
Agricultural possibilities next demand a consideration, for they are an extreme- ly important factor in the wealth of the Philippines. Farms, the islands do not possess, for although the country is fine farm land, yet, owing to the impossibility of development under Spain's rule little or no attention has been paid to its cul- tivation, so the result is that there is not a farm on the island. Here is a ready field for the American cultivator. .
Entirely apart from the opportunities offered by this neglected occupation of farming, are the possibilities open to wealthy cultivators or planters to estab- lish large plantations of such product as coffee, rice, tobacco, sugar or hemp. Coffee grows in a semi-wild state in the islands, and is under no careful system of cultivation which will bring forth good results ; but slight even as the atten- tion given to coffee raising is, every en- terprising native nevertheless, grows his own coffee and his own garden. Be-
sides coffee, rice offers its possibilities to the American planter, for large tracts of country are suited to its cultivation, and the only reason that it is not more successfully grown is the fact that any- thing like extensive cultivation was im- possible under Spain's rule. Tobacco is one of the great products and it is grown extensively. The great tobacco fields of the Cayagan valley rival even the famous tobacco fields of Cuba. Cultivation of sugar is another large industry, and Philippine sugar, when placed under a proper process of refinement, has been found to be of the highest grade. Hemp, however, is the cheif island industry, and millions of dollars are already invested in its cultivation for Manila hemp, (as it is called) is in great demand the world over.
It is not only from a political stand- point that the Philippines are so valua- ble but they offer facilities, to the nation who posesses them, as a base for all na- val operations in the western seas. Not only do they have advantageous posi- tion being situated as they are at the en- trance to the Orient in the track of Ja- pan and Chinese trade, but their strength and resources are immense. They pos- sess timber of all sorts, iron, lead, and other mineral products, to say nothing of that most necessary of all necessities for an islands base,-coal. Their strength too is in no degree behind their resources for all the principle islands have mag- nificent harbors which can be fortified until they are well nigh impregnable. Then too, the islands are valuable as a commercial chain between the United States and the Orient. They are pickets as it were. at the trade entrances of China, Korea, French Indo-China, The Malay Peninsular, the islands of Indione- sia to the south, and even of Australia. more than this when once the Nicaraguan Canal has been completed, these is- land stations will draw a great porpor- tion of that American and European trade which reaches the Orient by way of the Suez Canal and Cape Horn. ,
Therefore, this disposes of one more important question. Whatever the polit- ical advantage which the United
.
298
OREGON NATIVE SON.
States will obtain through possessing these islands warrants retaining them, should be considered. Surely the United States is justified as far as politcal grounds go, for any islands which pos- sess, in addition to their natural value, such position as the Philippines possess, are worth keeping.
One last consideration now remains. We have now seen that the United States was justified in retaining these islands on legal and political ground, but the most important consideration still remains. Should the United States retain the is- lands on grounds of moral duty? If the United States can prove no moral right to the islands, all previous consid- ations go for naught, and we must ac- knowledge that the United States is in the wrong and that legal right and political advantage cannot outweigh the balance of justice.,As the case now stands it would seem that there are only four courses open to the United States.
First, she might return the islands to Spain, their original owner, which is not to be thought of, for by doing so the United States is only contradicting her own established policy. She is aban- doning the islands to a tyranny far worse than that which the Spaniards exercised in Cuba when that was at its worst. Be- sides, it was to free the down-trodden that she entered upon this war. So that it would be impossible to say to the Span- jards, "We cannot let you exercise your hated rule over Cuba for a moment. But there are the Philippines way out west take them, but be sure you rule kindly."
Then, apart from this . the natives themselves are a hindrance to this plan. The whole country would rise in revolt and break from Spain's power oncemore. Spain has already demonstrated her incapacity to cope with native revolts as shown by the state of her authority in the Philippines at the time of the Span- ish-American war.
The second course is equally impossible. It is to call other nations to aid her in a disposal of the islands. The very thought of such a thing is incompatible with self respect and pride, and besides it would be extremely detrimental to the good reputation of the United States as one of the first nations of the world. Then after all, it would only lead to fresh difficulties with European nations, from whose quarrels we have always striven to keep clear, and possibly involve us in other foreign wars.,
The third course, to leave the islanders to work out their own salvation, after having driven out Spain, is far from being thought of, because the islanders are totally unfit for government. The Negritos, who comprise the larger portion of the inhabitants, are mere children in intelligence, men of the lower type of the human race.
The Pagan Malays and Sulus who com- prise the remaining half, are most- ly pirates, bloodthirsty and treacher- ous, who are
impatient of all re- straint and will
not willingly submit to be governed. They could never be coerced by any Philippine gov- ernment, as even Spain with her armies and machine guns could not check their ravages and keep them in control. What the higher class of native is, is seen from the fact that Sandico, a minister of Aguinaldo's cabinet. voiced the feelings of his people when he called for a whole- sale massacre of all the foreign popula- tion of Manila.
Only one last course then is open to the United States,- that is to keep the islands herself and govern them to the best of her ability, to prove to the whole world that the great responsibility as- sumed before Spain and Europe will be carried on worthy shoulders, and that it it is possible for a free republic to govern her territory even to its farthest borders, justly and wisely.
.
CROSSING THE PLAINS.
Our train was known as the Miller's train. We crossed the Missouri River at Council Bluffs on the third day of May. A. D., 1853. We passed over the site of the present town of Omaha, there being no human habitations there at the time, but a few Indian tepees. Nothing of extraordinary interest transpired with us until we reached the Loup Fork of the Platte River, where we had our first ex- perience with ferrying a stream in our wagon boxes. We first drove our horses and cattle over, then a man swam the river, taking one end of a small line. to the other of which was attached one end
ISAAC V. MOSSMAN, A Pioneer of 1853.
----
of a large manila cable. The cable be- ing hauled across the stream and fast- ened one end to a tree on each side, the crossing began. First the women and children, then the camping outfit, then the running gear of the wagons were transported across. There was brandy in the train for medicinal purposes. This some of the men indulged too freely in, and on the last trip over upset the wagon box and were drowned, the swift water carrying their bodies beyond the pos- sibility of recovery. We traveled on without other incident worthy of men-
tion until reaching some sand hills, where phantom ships with sails set and masts we encountered a terrific sand storm. We were in whirling, drifting sand for over three hours. It cut our faces and hands like knives. Proceeding to the Platte River, we traveled up the northi bank of it, being in sight of Chimney Rock, the tall "Sentinel of the Plains," for eight or ten days. We were generally entertained at night with coyote con- certs (admission free), but as a usual thing we were so fatigued that we said our prayers backwards, turned over on the other side, and went to sleep, when the music began.
We passed myriads of graves of the emigrants of the year before, 1852, who had died of the cholera. The wolves had dug up their bodies, eaten the flesh from the bones, and their grinning skeletons were bleaching in the sun for hundreds of miles along our line. We were often compelled to halt our teams and form a circle with our wagons around our stock to keep it from being stampeded by the buffalo, which crossed our track at in- tervals in herds of thousands, sounding like distant thunder as they rushed on with tremendous speed.
We were often deluded bv mirage. sometimes seeing ahead of us the most beautiful lakes, upon whose bosom floated bending with the weight of a breeze which always seemed but a little pace ahead of us. We would hurry on, and when we imagined ourselves almost in reach of the water, the lake would dis- appear completely. This is no fairy tale, but too advanced a subject for me to attempt an explanation. The rarified air on the desert was another curious thing, a raven at a distance would look as tall as a man.
On our journey we passed by the cele- brated Indepence Rock on the Sweet- water, whereon thousands of emigrants had carved their names. Independence Rock is near the Devil's Gate, where the Sweetwater runs for many miles under a mountain. It took us two nights and
299
300
OREGON NATIVE SON.
a day to cross the Great American Des- ert, and when we came in sight of Green River we imagined we had reached Para- dise at last. When still a mile from the river we were compelled to unhitch our cattle from the wagons, lest they should haul them into the river, so fran- tic was our stock for lack of water.
We loitered at Green River two days to allow the washing to be done, and the stock to recuperate.
On the night of June 27, in the Bear River Valley, we experienced quite a storm, the snow falling to a depth of two inch'es, going off, however, by 10 o'clock the next day. One of the curiosities of our journey was the celebrated "Steam- boat Springs," near Bear River, one hot .enough to boil an egg in the allotted four minutes, and the other not a hundred feet away, with water of ice-cold tem- perature, each of them puffing and blow- ing like a steamboat.
From Steamboat Springs we went to Port Nueff River, near old Fort Hall. arriving there July 4th. At this point the mosquitoes were so bad we were com- pelled to build smudges, or smothered fires, for our cattle. Otherwise they could not have withstood the torture of the little pests. Our way from this point lay past the American and Shoshone Falls of Snake River, on to Burnt River. and thence over into the Powder River Valley.
On the Powder River I came across two former school mates of mine in [1li- nois, Eli Moore and Cribb Landreth. They had come out from the Willam- ette Valley to purchase cattle from the emigrants. I concluded to remain with them until they returned to the valley. While staying at this point the Driver family came along and camped near us, and Mrs. Driver, mother of Rev. I D Driver, died, and we buried her on the banks of the Powder River. One day while camped at this point, being in pos session of a Hudson's Bav Company salmon hook, I rode about fifteen miles up the river to do some fishing. I soon caught three fine large salmon The fourth one I hooked feil off into the edge of the water, and I threw myself
after it. In the ensuing scuffle we both rolled into the river. I received a good ducking and my pistol got wet, but I saved my salmon. Just as the four salmon had been secured to thi- sa Idle bow, and I was on the eve of mounting, four Snake Indians rode up, and, with- out ceremony, compelled me, at the point of their arrows, to deliver up my piscator- ial catch to them. Badly chagrined at losing my fish. I mounted my mule and started off, when the Indians started after me; but I bluffed them off with my wet pistol, wandered on and reached home late, fully promising never to fish so far from home again.
About the first of October the cattle which my friends had purchased were started for the Willamette Valley. We crossed the Blue Mountains on the ol Lee encampment road, and camped nea . where the City of Pendleton now stands. While here the Indians diove off some of our cattle at night, and the next morn- ing came to us looking as innocent a; doves and asked: "Conchi chick-a-non mika potlatch spose nika iscura mika moos moos?" ( which liberally inter pre - ted means : How much money will vo give if I get your cattle?) Five dol- lars was the price agreed on, and the cattle were soon in our possession again .. It was an old trick of the Indians to steal horses and cattle and hold them in hiding until ransomed by the emigrants.
We crossed the Cascade Mountains on the old Barlow road. After we had ar- rived at Foster's, I bid my friends fare- well, and rode on ahead of them into Oregon City, arriving there on October 20th, and stopping at the Main-Street House. On calling for something to eat, they gave me some poor salmon. weak tea, and "Blue John bread," which weighed a pound to the square inch. I slept on a wet straw bed, and for break- fast had about the same fare as the nigh: before. and for two meals and the hed 1 was charged the modest sum of three dollars.
WORKING IN THE VALLEY.
From Oregon City I proceeded to Portland, and helped make a wagon road up the river as far as Oswego, and then
301
CROSSING THE PLAINS.
went to work in a sawmill at the mouth of the Tualatin River. In March, 1854, I purchased a pony and went to Tin Pot Valley, five miles below Yoncalla, and was employed to carry the United States mail from there to Scottsburg, thirty-five miles down the Umpqua River. Scotts- burg was at that time a lively little town. My route was down Elk Creek, passing by the old Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Umpqua, then owned by Colone! W. W. Chapman, and occupied by hin: and his family. On the other side of the river, passing on the way, Levin's, Cape Cod Butler's and Job Hatfield's places, and the bachelor ranch and shanty of S. F. Chadwick, afterwards Secretary of State.
I often met as many as a hundred pack- mules on the road, loaded with miners' supplies, and bound for Yreka, Jackson- ville, Crescent City and Althouse Creek.
Scottsburg had the following iner- chants at that time : Brown & Drumm, Ladd & Peters, Hinsdale. Jack Nickel- son and George T. Allen. Most of the old merchants have crossed the divide. John Drumm died in California, Peters in Jacksonville, L. P. Brown in Mount Idaho, Bob Ladd in Portland, George Haines in Roseburg, and George T. Allen (of Allen & Lewis), I think in Portland.
On one trip from Scottsburg, in De- cember, 1854, when I arrived at Elk Creek it was too high to cross, so I pro- ceeded over the mountains by what was known as Tom Folly's trail. When I came to Tom Folly's Creek I found it so swollen that I carried my mail bag across on a fallen tree, and then attempted to drive my horse across, but he refused to be driven, so I mounted and spurred him into the stream. As soon as we reached swimming water the current carried him down stream so rapidly that, in order to save my own life. I grabbed a bunch of willows overhanging from the bank and left the horse to his own resources. I never heard of horse. saddle or bridle. again. When satisfied that my horse had gone-the way of all good horses. I was abont to say, I shouldered my mail and made my way through mud and water knee deep to Yoncalla, getting there
late at night, very much fatigued, b:1! exceedingly glad to be alive. But this is only an incident of the many hardships to be endured in those days.
I continued carrying the mail until Oc -. tober, 1855, when I was employed by on : William Parker to drive a four-horse team to Dallas, Polk County, for a load of oats.
BECOMES A SOLDIER.
On arriving at Dallas, I found that the news had just been received that Agent Bolin, of the Yakima Indian Res- ervation had been murdered, and Gov- ernor Curry had called for volunteers to go to the Indian country. A company of one hundred and three men, known as Company G, First Regiment, Oregon Mounted Volunteers, was raised at Dal- las, and I joined it.
The following officers were elected : Captain, A. N. Armstrong, First Lieu- tenant, Ben Hayden ; Second Lieutenant. Dave Cosper; First Sergeant, W. L. Hayter ; Second Sergeant. A. S. Cum- agies : Third Sergeant, J. L. Martin : Fourth Sergeant, Samuel H. Tethron : First Corporal, Dick Smith: Sec- ond Corporal, Marcus Gilliam; Third Corporal, your humble servant. We left Dallas October 16th, marched to Port- land, crossed the river, and camped in an oak grove just above what is now the east end of the Morrison-Street Bridge.
While camped here I learned to bake bread on a stick, a trick that stood me in hand many a time afterwards. The dough is made up in the mouth of the flour sack, then rolled around a stick. which is stuck in the ground near the fire, and the bread is left to bake. the stick being turned as often as required.
Leaving this camp. we marched to Vancouver, and were transported t.om there by steamers Fashon and Belle to the Lower Cascades. Disembarking there we marched across the portage to the Upper Cascades, where we camped for several days, waiting for transportation to The Dalles. While waiting we at- tended a dance at the Griswold House. The Griswold family were afterwards all, or nearly all, killed by the Indians. While at the Cascades we killed a liog, at least
302
OREGON NATIVE SON.
it resembled a hog, but its flesh was the color of salmon, and so impregnated with a fishy taste from feeding on salmon we had to discard it as an article of diet. Finally transports were procured in the shape of two small steamers, the Mary and the Wasco.On arrival at The Dalies, the battalion held an election, and our Captain being elected Major, Ben Hay- den was chosen to succeed him as Captain of our company.
With little delay we left for the Yak- ima campaign. Our regiment was un- der the command of Colonel Nesmith. Major Armstrong being second in coin- mand.
We traveled through the Klickitat Valley, crossed the Simco Mountains, passed one of the battle-fields where Col- onel Steptoe had been defeated, arriv- ing in the evening at the Two Buttes near where the town of North Yakima now stands. Here we found the Indians massed on two bald hills between which the Yakima River runs. Within a short time they were driven from our side of the river, but they kept up such infernal yelling and screeching on the other side that Major Rains, who had arrived withi his company of regulars and a brass mounted howitzer, ordered his gunners to turn loose and shell the Indian strong- hold, across the river. The Indians be- came panic stricken at this unexpected attack, and retired from the hill, leaving three dead and two more wounded. WVe heard no more yelling that night.
The next morning we charged throughi the canyon up the Yakima River, where we found the Indians scattered all over the sage-brush plains. We had given them a good run for their money, and now chased them before us across the plains and into hiding in the Natchez Mountains. I was after a Yakima Int- dian, when our guide, old Cut Mouth John, over reached me and shot him with an old yager, putting a hole through hin as large as a tin cup. After the Indian fell Old John scalped him, and secured his horse and gun. There were several other Indians killed that day.
We marched thence up the Wenatchee River, where we surprised and secured
a band of three or four hundred Indian horses. After Arthur Chapman and Sam Fletcher, of my company, by order of the Colonel, had lassoed and secured some of the best, in order to prevent the Indians from securing fresh horses to carry on the war the remaining ones were shot. It seemed a frightful slaugl !- ter but they were all wild ponies, and we had little time to break them. Two days after killing the horses we had an- other little brush with the Indians, where- in Steve Waymire, of our company, was slightly wounded by a gunshot in the leg. After scouting around for several days we made our way by easy marches back to The Dalles, and the command went into camp on Three-Mile Creek, back of that point. Being rainy weather and the command without covering of any kind, one can imagine that our ex- periences were anything but pleasant ones.
One day Arthur Chapman and myself were detailed to take twenty-five or thirty horses into The Dalles and have them shod. When the shoer had com- pleted the work and we were on the point of starting back for camp, we ob- served a large tent forty or fifty feet long, standing near by and belonging to the United States garrison, and we con- cluded to appropriate it in the name of the State of Oregon, and Ben Hayden, Captain. While Chapman watched the sentinel, I severed the "guy" ropes and "struck" the tent. Then, rolling it up, we each took an end on his horse and started for camp, where we arrived wirli our acqusition in good condition. When pitched it was found capacious enough to shelter our entire company. To say thit it was appreciated by the men is putting it very mildly.
After. a few days' recuperation, we went on a scouting expedition, passei the Warm Springs, to the headwaters of the Des Chutes, and thence over to Lost River. There were few Indians to Le seen on that expedition; in one little skirmish1, however, we killed two It :- dians. Returning to The Dalles we moved camp to Ten Mile Creek, where we re. mained two weeks, watching Old Stock
303
CROSSING THE PLAINS.
Whittley, who. at the time was giving the wttlers considerable trouble ; but he would never meet us with his braves. Hc was a sharp old "tilicum," and always managed to elude our efforts to "corral" !!!! 11.
One night there was an alarm at the mouth of the Des Chutes River, and our horses being on the range under guard we were compelled to "hoof" it fifteen miles only to find that the Indians had vanished. Then, like Mr. Riley's con- mand. "we marched down again," each one of us so darned mad he would have fought an acre of wild cats with his hands tied behind him.
When camp had been moved up the Columbia, near the mouth of John Day River, the news reached us that a four days' battle had been fought at Wal'a Walla between Colonel Kelly's command and the Indians. We moved camp to Fort Henrietta, on the Umatilla River. While there the thermometer registered 30 degrees below zero, some of our mules were frozen to death, and the men suf- fered, very much. After the cold spell of weather we proceedd over to Walla Walla Valley, and thence to Red Wolf's Landing, on the Snake River, where we procured some fresh horses. While at the present site of Walla Walla we hung four Indians that were implicated in the murder of Indian Agent Bolin at the Y'akima Reservation. We scouted the country from place to place until Feb- ruary 1, 1856, and then returned to The Dalles, where our company was mustered out of the service. I then joined Com- pany B, Second Regiment, Oregon Mounted Volunteers, then in command of Captain B. F. Burch. Colonel Tom Cornelius being in command of the regi- ment.
The last of February we again start- ed from The Dalles for the Palouse country. We scouted our way pretty thoroughly, and had a few skirmishes with the Indians. In the latter part of March, while encamped at Palouse Falls, we ran out of provisions, and for twenty-four days subsisted on poor horse meat, without salt or bread. Our bill of fare, day after day, was stewed horse
meat and wild onions. It was slim eat- ing, but we were "out of meat."
From Palouse Falls we went to Snake River, taking with us two boats, which had been hauled to us with ox teams from The Dalles. Arriving at Snake River, the Indians were found encamped on the other side, but as soon as discov- ered they packed up their tepees and struck out. Swimming our horses across, two companies formed and gave chase, overtaking a few at White Bluffs on the Columbia, where three were killed, the others escaping across the river. Returning to Snake River, we found an Indian at least a hundred years old, in a little "dug-out," where he had been left to die. After giving him something to eat, we left him to his fate.
Crossing the Snake River we scouted through the Big Bend country, finding water very scarce. At one camp we found three dead horses in the Spring, and, after dragging them out, it took us until after midnight to water our horses and secure enough water to make some coffee.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.