USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, Vol. I > Part 46
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Mrs. Blumauer reared a family of five children. The eldest. Louis, is the senior member of the wholesale drug house of Blu- maner-Frank Drug Co. Sol. is also inter- ested in the same Orm and also has the honor of being Grand President of the Na- tive Sons of Oregon at the present time. Phil. and Moses are in business for them- selves, and the daughter. May, married Mr. Levy May. one of the leading merchants of Portland.
WILLAMETTE.
Theres a bank by the waves of the blue Willamette Where the zepher weaves many a song; Where the tall, waving pine shades the violet, And the little birds sing the daylong.
Where, up from the moss-beds through ferns into space, The vines reach the mystic forever; And the pale water-lilly iooks down on her face In the depths of that beautiful river.
When the angels of heaven draw this curtain of light, Anr reveal the dark regions of space, When we gaze on the marvelous splendor of night, And trace the great Infinite's face!
There's a harp in the air though its music be mute; There's a song in the silence unsung; There are forms, though loneliness reigns absolute That speak-yet no sound of a tongue.
And I've stood in the lilac's dark shadows alone, By the gleam of that star-fettered river, When the shades had a touch, and the stillness a tone. Whose music shall haunt me forever.
-Stephen Maybell.
Courtesy 'Yamhill County Reporter' THE OLD FORT YAMHILL STOCKADE
This stockade is still standing on the Grande Ronde Indian Reservation Many officers, high in the annals of the war of the Rebellion, were stationed here during pioneer days- See article next page
UNITED STATES SOLDIERS IN YAMHILL. AND THEIR STOCKADE.
The frontispiece in this number calls to mind some few incidents connected with the pioreer history of Yamhill county, in so far as it has been visited, or was the home of the soldiers of the government. The first United States soldier to step foot upon those "classic shades" was Lieut. Wm. A. Slacum, a naval officer sent to Oregon by the gov- ernment in 1836 for the purpose of in- vestigating the situation then existing here, which he was to report on his re- turn to the East. He came ostensibly as a private citizen, but the Hudson's Bay Company, as well as the missionar- ies, soon divined his purposes and look- ed upon him as he was, a secret agent of the government.
During the early part of 1837 he visit- ed a portion of what is now known as Yamhill county, and in his report speaks of the "Yam-still" Indians being the oc- cupants of a stream by a like name. This is believed by some to have been the origin of the name "Yamhill." A word, which until of recent years, was spelled as two separate words, or "Yam Hill."
In 1841 Lieut. Charles Wilkes, who was also a naval officer, visited Oregon. In his report to the secretary of the navy he devotes considerable space to the "Yam Hills." During his trip through them he was accompained by George K. Gay, conceeded to have been the richest private individual in Oregon at that time. The lieutenant, in his report, in part, says: "We started. for the Yam Hills which divide the Wallamet and Faulitz." Again in the narrative is found: "Having heard that the farm of the late Mr. Young was the most beauti- ful spot in this section of the country, I determined to visit it, and for this pur- pose crossed the Yam Hills again. When we reached the top, we again had a view of the Faulitz plains, which were highly picturesque. Ewing Young's claim was in the West Chehalem valley, but where the "Faulitz" valley or plains were lo- cated some of the earlier pioneers may
be able to explain. A native son of Yam- hill confesses his ignorance as to their whereabouts and would like to be in- formed as to their location.
In the 'e days there were no definitely drawn divisions, and boundaries were extended or contracted to suit the oc- cassion. It has been said that an un- known quantity of Yamhill county was at one time called "Selitz" by the trap- pers. There might be a possibility that Lieut. Wilkes heard this name and un- derstood it as he gives it, "Faulitz." The location of Mr. Young's claim and the view obtained from the hills in order to reach it. would rather lead one to be- lieve that the name he heard sounded more like "Twalits," a word the Indians used to designate what are now known as the Tualitan plains. Mr. Gay, who had an Indian wife, probably gave the lieutenant the name by which the local- ity was known by the Indians, speak- ing it the same as an Indian would. The language of the Wapato's, who lived in that locality, and all of the Northern Oregon Coast Indians, con- sisted of gutteral clucks and hisses which but very few whites could understand or learn to speak, writing it out so that let- ters would convey the proper sounds was an impossibility.
The long list of famous men who have sojourned within the borders of Yam- lill county is remarkable for a county so young in history. The first troops stationed there were located at Fort Yamhill, situated on the Grand Ronde Indian reservation, and so came in April. 1856, under the command of Gen- eral W. B. Hazen, then a colonel. In September following, Captain A. J. Smith, afterwards a Federal general, came here with his company, one of the lieutenants of his command being Jos- eph Wheeler, who subsequently distin- guished himself as a calvary general in the Confederate army during the rebel- lion, and latterly at Santiago, Cuba, dur- ing the late war with Spain, and who
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ow wears the blue and fights under the ars and stripes in the Philippines. ighting Joe Hooker and David A. ussell were there for a time as lieuten- nts, both of whom commanded armies Uni .1 generals in the rebellion. The e. » of Winchester, Philip H. Sheridan, ent there in 1857 as a lieutenant and ft in 1861 for the war. When ready to ake the start "Little Phil" said to his ssociates standing by: "Boys, I am oing into this thing to win a captain's
spurs, and I'll do it or die with my boots on, you can bet high on that." And he did; he won the spurs and laurels of one of the greatest captains of all wars of history. He died a lieutenant-general.
Maj. Reynolds and Captains Ord and Auger, all afterwards famous as generals of the Union army, and Grant, the foremost soldi. : of the world, while never stationed there, visited the fort on sp cial duty.
THE NEW ERA.
A new era has dawned on the world today; The long night of oppression is passing away; The sunlight of freedom is shedding its beams O'er the fair isle of Cuba and far Philippines, While a nation renowned, though as yet but a youth, Like his mother of old, is spreading God's truth.
From out of the old this young nation has sprung; Tis a sturdy young giant, who speaks the same tongue; He reads the same books and studies the lore Of that goodly old dame who taught him of yore. He fell out with his mother in days that are gone, But the old blood is there, and his heart is as warm.
Yes, the old blood is there and he's doing his part In man's liberation from tyranny's smart. His humanity's large and his cause it is just; 'Tis for down-trodden man, and conquer he must. In peace law-abiding, yet he's dauntless in war, Ever true, gallant and brave as young Lochinvar. -
Let Nelson and Dewey the outer world teach That the blood is the same, and valorous each; The Stars and the Stripes and the Cross of St. George Will forever entwine in humanity's cause. "Yankee Doodle" and "Dixie" and "God Save the Queen," No longer discordant, henceforth be our theme.
Let these love songs be sung all over the earth, In our own mother tongue, in the tongue of our birth; Till all catch the strains, their meaning made plain, That these songs are but links in fair Liberty's chain. Let the singers join hands, and the watch-word e'er be, "For God and the right till mankind are all free."
-Geo. H. Chance.
·
ROBBERY OF THE GREAT ALASKAN EXPRESS COMPANY A TALE OF THE KLONDIKE.
(Concluded.)
Early in the morning the Islander ar- rived at Juneau after one e. the oughest trips she had ever experienced. The captain of the J. M. Coleman, an 01. salt on those waters, said it was the worst storm he had ever seen on the canal, and he brought a tale of ship- wreck and horror that exceeded any- thing that had happened since the mad Klondike rush began. The Clara Ne- vada had been either burned or blown up-in Berner's bay and every soul on board perished. The terrible news was the sole subject of discussion in Juneau, and the few passengers on the Islander were made acquainted with the details before the ship's lines were made fast. To no one on board did the information bring so much anguish and responsi- bility as to Unger. Once more his plans were disarranged, and he was called up- on quickly to decide between three im- portant courses of action. Every tie of love and friendship appealed to him to return to Berner's bay to help search for the remains of his lost friend and part- ner; (the steamer Rustler was being made ready and would soon leave with a searching party.) To do that he must abandon the Haines expedition ; and was not his duty to the public and to those who had intrusted large sums to the in- tegrity and responsibility of the com- pany paramount to the ties of friend- ship? Moreover, the all-important line of investigation was that upon which Laurens had started-the intercepting of all south-bound steamers-for in nine cases out of ten that was where the rob- bers, relying upon the impossiblity of overtaking them and the absence of tele- graphic communication, would start with their booty. The two latter alter- natives he pondered and weighed with , the clearness and rapidity which are characteristic of some minds in great emergencies. He learned that the City of Seattle had only four hours the start
of the Islander from Juneau. and it might be possible to intercept her at Victoria by wire from Nanaimo. At all events, he would try it.
Then began the long flight to the Sound-days and nights full of anguish and misgivings, alluring hope alternat- ing with despair and gloom. What a horrible nightmare the last thirty- x hours had been! Marshon and Hub- bard robbed, probably murdered: Laur- ens' remains lying beneath the icy waters of Berner's bay, and the express com- pany $15,000 worse off than nothing, with no insurance or bondsman to pro- teet its unfortunate patrons. And then as the subject pressed deeper and deeper upon him the cold sweat stood upon his face as the thought occurred that per- haps the public would suspect the offi- cers themselves of the robbery. And, why not? Not one was left in Dyea; ap- parently he himself was the only one now living whose voice could ever be raised in defense of himself and his dead partners: and unless the real robbers could be apprehended, the gold dust found and returned to the rightful own- ers, and the mysterious disappearance of Marshon and Hubbard accounted for, what credence would be placed in his story against such danning evidence. All day and all the following night he thought and thought, and slept not; and in the morning when he looked in the little dingey mirrow in his stateroom U'nger was startled at his changed ap- pearance; trials beyond the lot of the average man had been laid upon him, and he gazed upon the features of a gray-haired man.
Arriving at Nanaimo Unger sent the following message to Victoria. Port Townsend and Seattle:
Chief of Police :---
This company robbed of seventy-five pounds of gold dust. two thousand dollars coin. Watch all incoming steamers for landing of suspicious characters, particular-
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OREGON NATIVE SON.
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MR.S. ROSETTA SHERLOCK. (And Grandchildren.) A Pioneer of 1850.
Photo by Browning. SAMUEL SHERLOCK, A Pioneer of 1550.
I hoto by Moore. WILLIAM SHERLOCK. A Pioneer of 1850.
ROBBERY GREAT ALASKAN EXPRESS COMPANY. . 355
ly City of Seattle, about to arrive. Five hundred dollars reward.
GREAT ALASKAN EXPRESS CO.,
Philip Unger, President. We now have to return to Dvea to see what became of Mashon and Hubbard They had a difficult trip across the bay, missing the first afternoon trip of the steamers, and did not reach Skagway till dark: but they landed the treasure safe- ly. Several steamers were in port (as we have already seen), but only one, the Pakshan, had finished discharging and was supposed-to be ready to leave. The City of Seattle had not yet been con- stituted a regular express steamer, and the purser refused to assume the respon- sibility for so large a sum, while the Pakshan was an English vessel and ran no farther than Victoria. Realizing the . great responsibility of the express com- pany, as well as his own. Marshon de- termined to take no unnecessary risk, but himself to act as express messenger through to Seattle. He therefore se- cured passage on the Pakshan, and leav- ing Hubbard temporarily in charge of the gold dust he went to the telephone office to communicate with the Dvea office. This was the message which, be- ing so misunderstood in transmission, created such consternation in the minds of Unger. and Laurens, and sent them on a needless search.
It was too late for Hubbard to return that night. and he missed the first trip of the Alert in the morning, and of course did not see Unger and Laurens at the Dvea dock whereby the whole misunder- standing might have been explained: but he took the Lady Lake an hour later. and passing them in mid-channel, arrived at the office about 1 o'clock. at least three hours before Unger's note to Miss Mer- ritt, up to which time they were both in ignorance of the whereabouts of the two men.
About 4 o'clock that afternoon a weary messenger forced his way into the crowded office, and asking for Miss Mer- ritt. handed a crumpled letter to the per- son designated. As it was marked "Im- portant" she tore it open, seemed to grasp its contents at a glance, turned deathly pale and clutched at the desk for
support. Hubbard, divining that some- thing unexpected had occurred, without asking any questions, assisted the girl in- to the rear office, out of the gaze of the curious throng, and was about to return to the counter when Miss Merritt handed him the paper.
"Quick! read it," she cried, "what can we do? Marshon-"
Her voice faltered. The letter was as follows :
Skagway, March -, 1898.
Dear Miss Merritt: It now appears beyond doubt that the express company has been robbed, and I fear murder has also been done, for I can find no trace of Marshon or Hubbard. Laurens, in pursuit of the most plausible theory, has gone south on the Clara Nevada. I shall try to reach Haines' Mission tonight, and failing in my object there I shall immediately return to take up another clue. It will be necessary for you to close the office for the present, and post a suitable notice. We shall spare no efforts to recover the money and gold dust and capture the robbers. PHILIP UNGER.
It was now Hubbard's turn to be sur- prised. for it is not often that a man has occasion to read of the supposed murder of himself; but in his quiet way he re- marked:
"Do not be distressed. Miss Merritt: I am sure there is some mistake about this."
"Are you?' she asked, eagerly; "sure- ly that is Mr. Unger's letter.'
"Oh, ves, there is no doubt about that; but I will explain to you all I know as . soon as I can wait npon those men in the office.'
Quickly dispatching the business he returned to Miss Merritt.
"I confess," he said, "there is some- thing very strange about this note. It must have been writen since I saw Mar- shon on board the Pakshan, but the steamer had already gone south when I left Skagway this morning, and I heard nothing at all of any robbery."
"And he mentions you, too; how can that be?" inquired Miss Merritt, seeing in that a hope for Marshon's safety.
"That is hard to explain, not knowing the foundation for this letter. Did they recieve any message yesterday, or show
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any evidence of anxiety before hearing from Marshon?"
"Not a word that I know of, and not the least concern up to the time I left; but at that time they had : ot heard from you.
"Well, undoubedly they have heard something which they thought was trust- worthy. Of course, not having seen me, Unger would naturally include me in any accident to Marshon.
"Can't you go to Skagway and find
er, who desired an interview in regard to the express robbery.
"I do not know that any robbery has occurred. Where did you get any in- formation, and what is it that brought vou here to interview us?" asked Hub- bard.
"I was informed by a man from Skag- way, who says it is common talk over there, and that two of the officers of the company have been made way with."
"I don't think it is true," persisted
Photo. by A. S. Pattullo.
"The Oregon was stopped on a sand bank in Juneau bay."
out the truth of it? The suspense is ter- rible."
"The only way I can get there is over the trail. The captain of the Lady Lake told me he should not make another trip until the wind abated. You have no idea how dangerous it is; it took us an hour to make the landing at the dock. 'We don't feel the force of the wind here."
Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the Dyea Trail report-
Hubbard. "I left Marshon on board the Pakshan with the nioney and gold dust, and the steamer cleared for Skagway before I left this morning. It is true there is such a report, and it apparently has the sanction of Mr. Unger. How it originated is a mystery to me. for Unger and Laurens were in Dyea when the Pakshan left, and I was then in Skag- way, and at that time no such report was current."
In less time than it can be told the
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ROBBERY GREAT ALASKAN EXPRESS COMPANY.
news spread over Dyea that the Great Alaskan Express Company had been robbed of $20,000 or $30,000, and two of the officers killed, while the office was the centre of excited groups that dis- cussed the situation, the possibilities 0) capture. and recovery of the treasure.
Just at this juncture another figure ap- peared upon the scene. Mr. Bigler. one of the consignors of the gold dust, after making an ineffectual attempt to reach Pyramid harbor in the face of the pre- vailing gale, returned to Dyea. arriving just in time to hear of the reported rob- bery. He needed to link together but a few of the disjointed rumors that were flying about to conclude that he and his partner were the real sufferers by the robbery, and hurrying to the office of the company, he was placed in possession of all information Hubbard had, including the note from Unger. From his point of view he put much more credence in Un- ger's report than Hubbard did. and he instantly formed a plan of action. What this will appear later.
Marshon arrived in Victoria an hour before the chief received the following telegram:
Arrest suspicious characters expected to arrive on Alaskan steamers, having posses- sion of seventy-five pounds of gold dust, two thousand dollars in coin, stolen from under- signed at Skagway. Liberal reward.
GREAT ALASKAN EXPRESS CO.
And immediately, without suspicion. took passage to Seattle on the local steamer: but it was very easy for the de- tectives to secure from the officers and subordinates on the Pakshan facts enough concerning Marshon's baggage and actions to create a suspicion: and accordingly he repeated the message to the Seattle chief. adding his belief that the party wanted was on the incoming City of Kingston. Hence. on its arrival at Seattle, as Marshon was about to leave his stateroom with a large valise. two officers siezed him.
"You are arrested in the name of the law. Resistance is useless. Have you any weapons?"
Marshon handed his revolver to the officer.
"Now. I will relieve you of your grip. which I see is quite heavy. Suspiciously
so," he added, as he felt the weight of the gold dust. "Will you go with us quietly?"
Marshon, who ip to this time, had not spoken, replied, "Certainly. I don't see what else i can do.'
As quickly as possible they made their way off the steamer through the noisy throng to a carriage that was waiting. As they were driven to the city jail Mar- shon inquired:
"Will you be kind enough to tell me by what authority I am . arrested?"
"It is enough to say that we have ample authority," answered the detec- tive.
"Well, I beg to inform you, then, that your pretended authority is based upon a misaprehension," said Marshon; "and all I have to ask you now is that you keep the matter out of the newspapers until I have an opportunity to identify myself. I ask this as a matter of justice to the company."
"We can grant you that only until the hour of arraignment; after that it is pub- lic property and you must fight it out with the reporters."
They had now reached the jail, and Marshon found himself hastily thrust through a side door and into a cell be- fore the usual police court habitues were aware of what was going on.
The above telegram, as we have seen, bore fruit. having lodged Marshon in jail in Seattle, and following so quickly upon the heels of the other, but served to increase the zeal of the detectives, showing that the company's officers were in hot pursuit of their quarry. A doubt that they had arrested the perpetrator of a genuine robbery had never entered their exulting minds. no more than did such doubt enter the minds of Laurens and U'niger that a robbery had been com- mitted. The City of Seattle had met with severe storms and adverse winds from the time she reached Juneau, which, causing her to miss the tides in Wrangel Narrows, delaved her several hours. so that it was not until the fol- lowing Tuesday that she steamed into Seattle half an hour ahead of the local steamer which was carrying Unger from Victoria. the home port of the Islander.
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As soon as Unger landed he hastened to the office of the chief of police and started to lay the details before him, when the latter interrupted him.
"We have already captured the thief and recovered the treasure."
"Thank Heaven!" exclaimed Unger, while a weight as of the burdens of a lifetime seemed-to roll from his should- ers, as he sank into a chair. almost over- come from long anxiety and exhaustion. As soon as he could find his voice again he said:
"You say you have arrested the rob- ber, and the money and gold dust are safe?"
He had to be reassured: he had suf- fered so much during the last few days that the joy of victory seemed impossible of belief.
"Yes," answered the chief. "the treas- ure is in my vault and I will take you to see the robbe :. He plays a cool game; but we believe he is the head of he most dangerous gang that ever operated on the Pacific Coast."
He led the way to the cell. Marshon sat at a small stand writing by the dim light. At the chief's word he rose and turned just as Unger approached the narrow doorway. Speechless amaze- ment was depicted on the faces of both men. Unger was the first to speak:
"Marshon! You here?"
"Not half so strange as that you should be here," replied Marshon, with the utmost nonchalance.
They clasped hands a moment in s1- lence, and then words came in quick question and explanation ; but there was an indefinable foreboding in Unger's rejoicing that caused Marshon to look more carefully at his careworn face.
"Why, Unger! is there anything back of this? You look ten years older than when I saw you last."
"Yes, Clyde; said Unger, through stress of feeling lapsing into the use of a familiar nickname of his friend; "Lau- rens ... Laurens has ... gone down on the Clara Nevada."
"What about the Clara Nevada? I don't understand,'
"Of course: I forgot: you havn't heard; our steamer was the first to bring
the news. He started for the Sound-I did not expect to come here-in pursuit of the supposed robbers, and the steam- er was blown up in Berner's Bay.'
"And Laurens is among the injured?"
"Not a soul was saved."
"My God!" moaned Marshon.
To this strange interview the chief had listened with intense interest, but at this moment a subordinate summoned him to the office, whither he went, leaving the former with the two men, who were still unravelling the mysterious web of events that had reunited them in such unaccustomed quarters. Presently the chief returned with a gentleman, who, he explained, desired to see the prisoner. On turning to see who the newcomer was they beheld-an apparition? No, Laurens! Laurens, who, as Unger firm- ly believed, had been lost on the ill-fated vessel. The two friends siezed him in their arms, and hugged him, and they danced and all talked at once, asking a hundred questions that nobody answer- ed. nor wanted answered, for they were all three together, and the treasure that had wrought so much trouble, was safe. And then, like sunrise struggling through mists . ,the lingering sorrow went out of Unger's eyes, the wrinkles of care changed in to smiles; only the gray hair remained to tell of the days and nights of anguish.
The dramatic scenes of the last hour had given the chief a new sense of the dignity of his position, and the skill and ability it demanded of one who would protect the public and do no injustice. Were those men, as he suspected of Mar- shon, shrewd, wiley conspirators, or, as his non-professional judgment of human nature contended, were they the vietims of circumstances set all awry by the ma- chinations of fate? While he was thus cogitating a telegram was handed him which he read, and then he read it again. It seemed to have come in answer to his thought, and it condemned the trust his better nature had been nourishing into being. Directing his subordinants to re- tire, he said:
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