USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, Vol. I > Part 49
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The first formal horse race that oc- curred in the Pacific Northwest, which history makes mention of, took place on July 25. 1846, at Vancouver
MALISSA-A TALE OF THE PIONEERS.
Way back in the good times father · thought it the proper thing to do to hitch up the team, load the wagon, pile in we, women folks and travel to the mines, that were a long way off, over five hundred miles, for we were in the Willamette valley, in Oregon, where we had arrived two years before, staked off a mile square of Paradise where wild clover grew and great maples and an- cient oaks made a summer shade such as we never had an idea of back in Illinois.
We women folk had just got used to wearing moccasins -- when we didn't go barefoot-and at boiled wheat-if we couldn't get flour. We really didn't like to leave the log cabins, with mud floors and big fireplaces and the potatoes that were fresh planted and in bloom; but father said we could go as well as not, and he couldn't go without worry- ing about us, and he didn't like to cook "no how." So we fixed up and went.
It was easy enough to fix up, for we had calico gowns and sun-bonnets, and everything else to match. That was as good as anybody had, so we were in the fashion and joined the caravan of wag- ons going south and getting in line. Je- mima Johnson and Samanthy Smith were going with their folks and we girls allowed we could go as well as not; put in our spare time running a bakery, or, perhaps keep an out-of-doors boarding house in the mines.
Father had managed to have all his wheat ground into flour in a mill just started up on Soap Creek. so the wagon was loaded full; then the old hack we had all crossed the plains in was made fit and we piled our things in that, and ma and I rode while pa and Dan drove the teams.
We had been living very quiet and un- eventful lives and expected to keep on working in primitive style for goodness knows how many years, as we couldn't think of anything more exciting than some Indian trouble, and an earthquake would not have astonished us so much as did the discovery of gold.
It was an Oregonian who discovered it, so when a schooner was coming from San Francisco for all sorts of supplies. this man wrote to his friends and told them the news. It was in the fall that this schooner came and commenced buy- ing provisions and supplies and got them cheap for cash. When the ship was full he set the country wild by get- ting out the letters and so telling the news. Then the people all were aston- ished, and many started, but most wait- ed for spring, when some took their fam- ilies, as we did. The excitement increas- ed when the first men who went return- ed for their families with bags of gold to show. That summer there was scarce a man left in all Oregon, and the women had to shift for themselves.
We had an awful time going to the diggings-that is it was awful climbing some of the mountains that got in our way, and swimming some of the streams that wouldn't get out of our way, but that isn't here nor there. Sometime. if you wish, I will write it all out for you, but this time I'm going to tell how Sa- manthy Smith and Jemima Johnson- and Melissa Blinder-that was me those times-carried on business in the mines and made more money than the men did. We got there all right. just as they struck some good diggings on Trinity. and our men went to work right off.
Pa was going to sell his flour and bacon and some beef steers he brought along, but we three girls persuaded him not: then we girls turned in to take care of the three camps of workers. We got along the best we could: pitched tents. for each of us had the big tent that we used crossing the plains.
Pa was offered a thousand dollars for the wagon load of bacon, butter, and Hour. But we said "No." and all our company held on to see how matter- were going. The mines were rich and no mistake; there was lots of pay dirt. It wasn't much work to cook for six men, and our ma's helped us: the little boys-there were two-got up pint limbs to cook by and brought us water
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from the spring. There were just us and no more. How to get to business we couldn't exactly see, but we finally put in our spare time to build a great brush shanty in a cool, shady place; took the side boards of the wagon to make tables, cut forks and laid poles alongside, so soon had the dining table in shape. The next thing was about the cooking. We had frying pans and bread pans, and some kettles, and man- aged to trade off an old' scythe pa brought for a hundred dollars, then took the dust to buy tin plates, knives, forks, and spoons. Occasionally some miner woud sell his outfit and take it in board; so we managed and in a few diye got plenty of business.
Our ma's helped us do the cooking in another brush house. We had to bake as the miners do-in cakes set up before the fire-until one day we got hold of a big tin reflector, for fifty dollars. It had been jammed to death on a mule's back, but Dan straightened out the kinks with a hammer and it did pretty good work. Ma had to run it day and night to keep up the supply. It was really funny how we managed. The girls made me boss, and I did the trading. One nasty fellow made me pay ten dollars for his pint tin cup, one time when business growed, but I got even by charging him half a dollar for every cup of coffee he drank.
I haven't time to tell all the shifts we made to get along, but we soon had a fine business and took a dollar a meal from transients and fifteen dollars a week from regulars. The men folks were so busy mining that they did not pay much attention. When Saturday night came pa cleaned up and brought home a hundred dollars he had cleaned up of dust. Says he to me: "M'liss, do you take keer of this for me." So I took and poured it into one of my buckskin bags. He noticed another one that was full. "Whose dust is that?" says he. He thought he had made a powerful be- ginning to take out six ounces and was actually dazed when he saw that I had fourteen and a half ounces in mine.
There came near being trouble when he said we must have an understanding. Mother said so, too. I said we under-
stood it well enough, we girls did. We was just working like everything to do a little business on our own account. We were of age-we were-and had as good right to our earnings as anybody.
Says pa: "Whose bacon, and lard, and butter are you using?" Then says I: "Who boards you and ma and Dan?" Then says ma, "Who is it does the cook- ing, M'liss Blinder?" And Dan says: "Who pays me for bringing wood and water and milking old Blixen?" Sure enough everyone of us struck for wages right there. It beats all how mean peo- ple can be! Who'd a thought that of pa, and ma, and Dan?
There was a young fellow, a day boarder-the same as swindled me on that battered old tin reflector-he laugh- ed and laughed until I got mad-no I didn't get mad, neither, for he was too clever and good-natured, with all his meanness, and I hadn't the heart to really get angry at him. We all sat look- ing rather glum over the "business as- pect"-as this Jerome Reynolds put it- when he said if we would let him make a suggestion, he thought he could fix all up ship-shape.
· Jerome had been to a business college and was considerably educated besides, so he figured it up about this way: Pa he owned the outfit and the load; the way was to credit him up with all the provisions and then charge him for his board and ma's. "No," he saw ma's eyes snap about that time, and he says: "Your mother is the general manager of the kitchen, so her time should be worth twenty-five dollars a week, less cost of her grub-we will say charge her ten dollars a week." That made ma smile; she went right to work figuring what new clothes she could buy. I could read her like a book. Dan was to have five dollars a week, because he did cheap work and was such a great eater.
It beat all how easy and natural he fixed it up; then he turned to me and asked if I didn't want another partner? I asked, "Who?" Says he, "Jerome Reynolds." We all laughed at the idea. It seems that the Smith and the John- sons got into the same difficulty about business matters, so Jerome went around
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and fixed them up just as he did us. When Sunday came and breakfast was ready, Jerome looked around and asked if we had any idea of his working for nothing. Hadn't he used his business education, and wasn't he head boon- keeper, and was he to have no pay and pay for his board all the time, as the rest of the fellows? So it seemed as if we was in trouble again. But Jerome raid his board that time. He said he would make up his mind how he would do business and let us know how he would take his pay when he had his mind made up.
We had all the business we could handle. Men came to see us because there was no women in the mines save we women from Orgon. They called us "Web-feet" and some of them tried to be too funny-and some were a little bit impudent, but we managed them, for when one of us had a bad cough it was a sign; then all our ma's would come from the kitchen and look on-and that was more'n these fellows bargained for. At meal time Jerome was usually there, and "he was such a gentleman! He was so proud like, and brave, and clever, too, in his way-that he kept all straight when he was about.
Pa and ma and Jerome fixed it up how things were to be managed, especi- ally that we girls were to act kindly- and not too lively-so as to give no ex- cuse. So the summer went by and fall came and I hadn't an idea how much gold dust we had on hand-but there were bags full; as the flour, bacon and beef went, the buckskin bags grew heavy.
In spite of all the work we did we had a good time. All of us were full of hope, for when we had come to Oregon in the very early times and left schools and everything nice behind us to make a new home for ourselves so far away that we were out of reach of the old world. We had plenty of calico and cloth, but had so little finery that everything was plain. We had plenty of wild flowers and other growths, and depended on these for or- nament. While we brought some books and could exchange with neighbors, our education pretty much stopped : only that
we learned to live plainly, and led simple lives, valuing people according to their worth and not for their smartness or inoney.
In the mines we met many bright pco- ple, and got books and magazines to read from them. Of an evening, after all work was over it came to be a regu- lar thing to read and talk in the arbor under the trees. Jerome and John and others came and one would read-Je- rome oftenest, because he was a good reader, and had fine appreciation. Sa- mantha and Jemima, ma and all of us enjoyed these evenings, and we made it pleasant for the boys-men are all boys in the mines-as well as they for us. Jerome used to say-in his sleepy way -- that if it wasn't for us there would be no pleasure in such a life. We told them that their good nature to us was worth ever so much. Certainly it helped us to know and appreciate the world-the beauty of poetry was greatly in being well read.
All the time changes were going on. new men coming, old ones going, but these few boys stayed on, and we didn't care for new diggings or quartz pros- pects, and were steady and did well. That was so pleasant a time that I won- der how it could be, but our fathers and mothers were hoping to make some- thing to live easier by, and. thank God, they succeeded. Come to think it over. I don't believe that any of us were ever happier than when we lived so hard. dressed so plain, and were so full oi hope. Those were times the world will scarcely ever see again, and those who saw them never can forget.
After a while there came a camp of rough people-gamblers-who put up their big tent only a little way from our place. In this time we were getting ready for winter. Instead of brush houses we had clap-board cabins, all sided up and covered in good shape. Then we could get along during the rainy season. There came a day when the sun was clear and October was as beautiful as it ever gets to be-and it is more beautiful in that farthest west than anywhere, especially in Northern Cali- fornia, that is tempered with so many
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influences of sea and mountains. The strange camp was across the little prairie on the edge of which our little camp was placed, and we often could hear the laugh go round, in a way that good-humored miners. The people of the strange camp were often excited by drink as well as by gambling. They treated their customers and Jerome said they got more for their liquor than if they sold it for a quarter a drink. Oc- casionally they came over the level, grassy valley to get to meal with us, but they had no regular hours and were more particular than honest workers often are. They came over to talk with us girls-and some of them could talk very cleverly-had been well educated, you see, but had made poor use of it.
I shall remember that Sunday I am telling of as long as I live and breathe, for the scare it gave us. We had been and settled up our cash matters over night, and Jemima Johnson and Jerome Reynolds had a sparring match that was full of fun. Jerome had a claim on the creek close by-so that he shouldn't have too far to go to meals, he said. Whenever, on an off time, between meals, any stranger drove up, perhaps there wouldn't be all of us there. Some- times both Samantha and Jemima would be away and ma and I alone. Then, if anybody came, Jerome would drop in for something he wanted, as natural and unconcerned as could be, and take a good look at the strangers or chat with the new-comers. One time they rather got the advantage, for a man asked him if he was the man of the house? Says Jerome-as he winked one eye at me- "Well, sorter, and sorter not; but I wouldn't mind being considered so." When he saw that all was right, and "got his mind rested," as he said-off he went and we could hear him sing as he held the great hydraulic pipe.
That Saturday night he and Jemima had talked about his bill for work, but he paid up finally and said, "Never you mind, I'll get even!" "How?" says she. "I'll levy on some property, if I find any subject to attachment," says he. "Mov- able property?" says she. "Yes," said he. Then she asked what he would call
movable property, giving her head a toss as independent as could be. He was fill- ing a pipe with tobacco for father, extra nice to smoke. He handed back the pipe to pa, then looked coolly at 'Man- thy and said, as natural as could be, "You are a sort of a movable property." Father liked his dry fun. He laughed and Samanthy colored up to her eyes- so sorter mad and sorter not-and we all laughed. I guess I laughed loudest of any, because I coudn't see what else to do, and he looked at mne and asked, "What are you laughing at?" Then I colored up. I did begin to believe that Samanthy rather liked him-and I knew that Jemima Johnson did.
That Sunday was as beautiful as could be. In the middle of the valley were a few pine trees, and under one very broad tree the gamblers had put up an open tent and had some game going on. The miners, playing and drinking in a very quiet way. The dealer sat with a cigar in his mouth, smoking, like a picture. The game was running easy like. One fellow who used to come to us once in a while, had been betting nuggets and dust, and had gone broke. Jerome had many a time told him that he ought not to play; that there was no good in it. Jerome was there looking on, waiting for someone. I saw that he was wor- ried that Jackson was playing; he knew that Jackson was meaning to send those nuggets home to his mother-who wasn't very well, and wasn't very rich- and he hated to see the young fellow do so much worse than throw his money away.
A Mexican pack train, of some forty inules, had come and unloaded the even- ing before, then had anchored. like, un- der those pine trees, with its crew added to the assortment of humanity. It was a pretty thing to see a mule train come to its rest; to see the mules stand in line and the saddles and fixtures taken off. to be placed in a single, long row, with the blankets and riata on each saddle. If on the march the cargo would be alongside, piled in another row, but these mules had unloaded at trading posts along the road, so there was only a
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long line of harness and saddles, and the animals were feeding on the prairie round about. The greasers were mixed in the crowd about the gambling table, save one, who was standing by the rig- ging of his own riding animal on which was a long riata, or lasso rope, that laid coiled on the saddle.
The two girls-my partners-were dressed in clean Sunday clothes, walk- ing across the valley with their mothers and some of the boys they knew. When passing the pine grove Jemima saw Jerome there and also John Hughes, our "Puritan boarder," as we had always called him, because he was from the state of Maine and so conscientious. John was at work at wages with Jerome, · and was to be partner in his deep dig- gings on the creek. They had quartz claims, too. Jerome liked the young man because he was so straight and truthful. The two were watching Jack- son, from Carolina, a young fellow who was playing off his earnings. Jack, as we called him, paid no attention to their talk and would bet, and lost and lost- so they told us when it was all over- and a pretty thing came of it!
Jack was wild, harrum-scarum and good-natured. There he sat at the faro table, holding in his hand a dollar in silver-all he had left; for his buckskin purse lay there empty. He looked around then finally said, "Is there any man here who never played a card?" Then they all laughed and one man pointed at John and said, "Yes, he nev- er!" And, no more he had. He was right behind Jack who caught hold of him and said, "Here, old chap; you just take my last dollar and lay it on the table!"
Now, the table was all laid off in squares and marks. John shook his head. He didn't want to; besides, he didn't know how. But Jack said that was all the better. Finally-against Jerome's begging him not-John Hughes reluctantly took the money, put it down without looking and turned to go away, but Jack caught him and said, "See there! It's a winner! Now, John, you just try it again!"
By this time a crowd had gathered to
see what was the matter. Of a Sunday. in the mines, everybody was looking on or walking about. The sight of John Hughes, the Puritan, handling the chips called a crowd. Just in good nature John took the little pile of money and put it on another spot-and it won again. He kept trying to get away, but the boys held him; all urged him to try once more.
You see, John Hughes was known to the miners generally, and they all had an idea that he was the most honest and truthful boy in the camp. Many and many a time they tried to induce hin to try to play cards, just for fun, but he shook his head and it was no go. Of an evening when we were having a social game-for pa didn't object to a game of whist-we asked John, and he said he didn't want to learn cards at all.
Now, John was as kind, and clever, and accommodating as could be, but he had promised his folks to be steady and "avoid the appearance of evil." That was the text he gave us, and it was fun to see him brave it out and shake his head and not care when we laughed at him. But this was a little different. Jack held him and begged him, and all the rest said "Stay with it, old boy!" The fact was they wanted to see if there was anything in Jack's idea of luck com- ing to a man who had never touched a card. John would have walked away. but the crowd was so he couldn't. Jer- ome-even he was rather carried away with the idea; felt curious, and didn't say no. He laughed a little and the fun of it all took John too. He said, "Here goes, then, for one more show!" Then he pushed the heap of silver to the next square and the dealer gave another play then piled up a lot of chips on that square.
Then it won again and doubled up ever so much. The dealer didn't care. for he thought Jack would blow it all in before he got through. This sort of thing made a variety; drew a Sunday crowd, and was good for "The Game." As he hadn't coin to make change, the dealer piled up the blue, white and red chips, because they meant so much money.
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John was more than ever bound to get away, but he couldn't move. All shouted to him to "stay with it." He tar- ried a little and kept shoving the money and chips around on the table, not know- ing or caring what it all meant. As fast as the dealer dealt John gave the things another poke and every time the move proved to be a winner, until, finally, the dealer put on all the chips he had left and lay back in his chair as pale as a ghost. Mad-oh so mad! Then all knew the game was up and the bank- as the boys put it-was "busted."
That is, everybody knew it but John Hughes. Jack was thunderstruck at his luck, and John, not understanding it- when, all of a sudden, that gambler sprang to his feet, and, quick as a flash, before anybody could see or know, he drew a long dirk knife, and leaning across the table, swore an awful oath that no man with such infernal luck as that could live-then he stabbed John right in the neck. The blood flowed; poor John fell dead over the table, and there was the worst turmoil that was ever heard. We could see most of it. Samanthy and Jemima saw it and Jer- ome was right in the midst of it-so I can vouch for it that the story is as true as can be.
Just for an instant everybody was paralyzed. There went up such a yell as you don't often hear: "Hang him!" they all velled. Then the gamblers, five or six of them, crowded about to stand by the murderer, but they had no show. Forty revolvers were pointed at them. What would have happened, and how many men killed, I don't know, only that the Mexican who stood by his sad- dle reached down quickly-he had just rolled and lighted a cigarette-took up his long · lasso rope that he had coiled round the horn of his saddle, and, just as cool as if he was on regular business- with the main coil in his left hand, and the loop and a few coils in his right hand -took a good aim. The second swing he sent the loop flying through the air, the rope unwinding and curling like a long snake, after it, and never missed his regular puff at his cigarette. I watched him all the time.
There was Jerome looking at poor John and holding that gambler by the arm, while the crowd was raging and the rest of the gamblers were pale and mad. If they were afraid, it was of Jer- ome, with his set face and threatening eye. Events pass quickly in such a time. Just at this moment there came a whiz through hte air, and the loop of that lariat fell over the gambler's head and shoulders. Quick and cool Jerome Reynolds fixed it round the fellow's neck; before anybody could say a word, some others had thrown the rope over a limb of that great pine, and the boys hauled the gambler up so that he swung above the crowd.
My, how they yelled! Jerome was as cool as anybody. He thought a sight of John, and when he finally saw the man swing clear, he turned down to where John lay-and was glad, as you can imagine, to see him open his eyes and gasp for breath again. Then it struck him that they couldn't hardly af- ford to hang that gambler, if John was not dead. Then he jumped on the table, waved his hand, and in a moment all was as still as could be. Then he said, as quiet as you please, "John ain't dead, boys; so perhaps you had as well let that fellow down again!" They all laughed and some shouted, but down he came and his friends took him and car- ried him to their camp. John was brought to our house. The doctor was in the crowd and helped bring him. The blow hadn't cut an artery, he said, so John would soon be well. Jerome brought his blankets and things, and ma and I took care of him. Jemima and Samanthy they helped us what time they could spare from the hotel business. John was well in a month. We got to think a great deal of John, for he seemed to appreciate all we did.
The gambler's friends brought him to life after a great deal of rubbing. They paid Jack the money -- a whole lot of gold dust-and Jack paid all of John's expenses and offered him a big bag of dust.
Finally Jack concluded he didn't want any of it either, so he took out what he had in the beginning, then took it back
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to the gambler and offered it to him- but he didn't want it, neither. By this time he was well and strong and had a mining claim he took up when the mines were new. It was curious how that gold went begging and how much good that affair did. Finally, there came a mis- sionary and Jack gave him the money. He built a log church with it and his wife kept school there week days as 'soon as there were children to teach.
The gambler gave up cards to follow mining and was one of the most prosper- ous men on Trinity river. He was a smart fellow, well read, understood bus- iness, went into trade, made money and finally took up land and was proprietor of a town down in California. You'll laugh when I tell you that he married Samantha. He got led off and run wild awhile, and feels badly about it yet. . 1 had to laugh when he said that the best thing for him was being "brought up with a round turn." It was very much like it, wasn't it?
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