USA > Oregon > The Oregon native son, Vol. I > Part 63
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"Two things, and. it is true, those which were most important, were ac-
complished by my return to the States By means of the establishment of the wagon road, which is due to that effort alone, the emigration was secured and saved from disaster in the fall of 1843 Upon that event the present acquired rights of the United States by her citi- izens hung. And not less certain is it that upon the result of emigration to this country the present existence of this mis sion, and of Protestantism hung also."
Dr. Whitman was blamed by his home board both for going East. and also for devoting much time to the material in- terests of the whites and Indians. In de- fence of himself and his policy he wrote these letters, and others in a similar strain. It is tolerably certain that lie knew what he was writing about.
MYRON EELLS.
Union Wash .. Jan. 26, 1900.
A CORRECTION.
Editor Native Son :- In your issue of January is an article, "Reminiscences of the Yakima War," by C. H. Walker, which brings to my mind those old days when stockades were built around the old academy building and William Catch- ing's house at Forest Grove, while an- other was built around the court house at Hillsboro. It was not a fact, however, that Rev. Cushing Eells worked on Sun- day on the one at William Catching's, or any other one. He lived at that time near Hillsboro, six miles distant. I re- member plainly going with my father to William Catching's on the following Monday, as my father wished to see per- sons there on business. When there, as he had lived ten years among the In- dians, he was asked what he thought of the danger. His reply was that he did not think that there was any need of building any stockades or forts. Some
said that they thought that the Indians would come in by way of Scappoose and massacre the people. But while we lived so much nearer that point of danger than the people of Forest Grove, we felt no fear, because father said all the time that he thought there was none. While at Mr. Catching's there were a few wite soundly berated him for his opinion, and mentioned other things which he had done, with which they found much fanit. and after he had received quite a scold ing, we went home and he felt very sad As we rode away, he remarked to me. "There have been fires burning here for a long time about which I knew noth ing." In a day or two all felt as father did about the danger from Indians, and the work on the stockades ceased before any of them were finished.
MYRON EELLS.
.
IN A REMINISCENT VEIN.
Uncle Dan O'Neill. formerly captain of the Columbia, the first river steamer built in the Pacific Northwest. and who was the first purser of a steamer therein, has written the Native Son in relation to pioneer times, and of incidents in con- nection therewith, which are very inter- esting. He says:
"Navigation
in the days of
49, on the Co-
lumbia and Willamette
rivers, was not only a te- dious, but somewhat of a difficult and - dangerous un- dertaking. Steamboat s were not in fashion, and as roads were not yet opened up for heavy wagon trafic. the only means of transport- ing goods and heavier arti- cles from place to place on the rivers was by open boat and man power. For this purpose bateaux belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company were brought into service. They had a carry- ing capacity of about five tons, and their speed was regulated ac- cording to the way the wind blew and the strength of muscle their Indian crews put forth at the oars-each craft being supplied by a crew of six redskins. They were usually sent out in fleets of four or five, and on several occasions I was in charge of several of them. We would leave Vancouver in the afternoon, mak- ing our first landing and camp near
DANIEL O'NEILL, A Pioneer of 1849.
where St. Johns now stands. On the second night we would reach Milwaukie. and on the following afternoon arrive at Oregon City. Getting over the rapids below the latter place was very labori- - ous, and at the same time the exciting part of the journey, the Indians wading and towing through the swift current, patient and enduring, good -natured and willing as long as they. received their dollar a day and plenty of fresh beef. Oc- casionally one would lose his hold and foot- ing and go whirling down the rapids for some distance before he could recover himself. And several times, while poling on the head of the boat. I lost my bal- ance and took a spin in the rapid waters
"In 1850. the Columbia, the first steamer built in the Pacific North- west, was launched, making her trial trip on July 3, of that year. Soon after she began running I became captain of her .. Everything in connection with her was of the minature order excepting the rates of fare. For the luxury of a trip from Astoria to Portland the modest sum of $25 was asked and cheerfully paid, a considerable difference to the present 'cut rates' of 25 cents, by boat or railroad cars. During the time I was thus employed quite a number who sub- sequently became millionaires were pas-
474
OREGON NATIVE SON.
sengers, among them being .H. W. Cor- bett, John Green, Henry Leonard and others; and also, at one time, a party of school marms who had come out from the East to teach school in Oregon .*
"In the fifties I left Oregon and went to Australia, and in 1856 an American friend, by the name of Osborne, induced me. to join him in a little venture in stoves and tinware at a place called the 'Ovens,' about two hundred miles from Melbourne. To get our goods to that point, over a rough road, with ox teams, cost us £35 or $175 per ton. This place was quite a thriving one, and, like all new mining towns, consisted of a motely population and buildings of canvas. After getting our store tent erected we exerted ourselves to prove to our Eng- lish friends that the Yankee cooking. stove was the proper thing to use. This by way of preface to my story. Near our tent was the hotel or eating house where we took our meals, and a resort in the evening for the miners. After the last meal of the day was over, the larg : dining room was converted into a ball- room. The girls who waited on th : the table at meal time were socil on hand in neat dresses and brigh: ribbons, and for two or three hours every evening there was music and dancing, an enjoyment indulged in occasionally by myself. On one partic- ular evening, however. I was suffering somewhat from a lame knee, and amused myself by sitting in one corner with my disabled limb resting on an extra stool. Upon the starting up of the music the dancers soon appeared, and the seats were all occupied. One rough-loooking red-shirted chap, pretty well filled with 'tangle foot' came over to where I was sitting and took hold of the stool that J was using as a rest for my knee. I said. "You can't have that, my friend, I am using it." He straightened up a mo- ment, looked sharply at me and replied: "Well. I'm a beter man than you are," He was told that there was no doubt of that: He continued: "I'm a smarter man, better educated, can speak more languages than you can, opening out with "Parlez vous Francais?" "No,"
I said, "I don't 'parlez vous" He can» back with, "Sprechen sie Deutsche?" sook my head, when he followed with, "Hablar usted Espanol?" Of this I was also ignorant, and he seemed quite dis gusted over my lack of lingual abilities, the audience around were amused a well. He stood there hesitating as if in doubt about what he would try me with next, I concluded to try him with a language, not common in that part of the world, and said to him, "Nika cumtux Chinook?" whereupon he gave a startled look for a moment and then burst out with, "Now-witka six, nika cumtux Chinook, nika hyas close wawa," and more, and all rattled off lively. I said to him "Sit down old fellow, and we will have a talk." Upon his doing so inquiry was made as to where and how he learned Chinook, and he informed me that he lived in Oregon in the early forties and there learned it. He was employed a portion of the time while here on the Hudson's Bay Company's dairy farm located on Wapato (Sau vie's Island. I acknowledged that he was a smarter man and knew more languages than I did. We afterwards were good friends.
"At another time, while going from the Oven's to Beechworth, on passing a coach going in an opposite direction. [ called out 'kli-hium-six' to a friend therein. when a fine soldierly looking man sitting behind me said, You seem to have a knowledge of the Indian jar- gon or Chinook?' Upon my telling him that I lived in Oregon, he informed me that he had also lived here. That for several years he had been an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company at Van couver, and was there while Peter Skeen Ogden was the chief factor. From these circumstances, I came to the conclusion that it was difficult for me to get very far away from home.
"Soon after my arrival in Melbourne in 1854, I was one evening at a little party, when the subject of nationalities Was brought up. It finally came to me turn to state what part of the world I was born in. Upon giving America 36 my birth place, and stating that I was
FIRST FLOWERS .. . 475
recently from Oregon, an old lady sit- ting by remarked, 'Indeed, and how long have you been in Melbourne?' I said about three months, when she ex- plained, 'Well I declare, how quick you have learned our language.'
"I came across the plains in 1849, with the old Mounted Rifle Regiment, joining the regiment near Fort Leaven- worth, taking a position in the suttler's department. The regiment was under the command of Colonel Loring. Among those coming were a number of ladies, the wives and daughters of the officers. There was also a fine brass band of some twenty pieces. We left Camp Sumner, situated near Fort Leav- enworth, May 12, and arrived in Oregon City on October 12, just five months after starting. While on the Platte river a circumstance happened that was called
to mind some years afterwards during my stay in Australia. In 1864 or '65 I met a gentleman in Melbourne, who came up to me, called me by name and was very cordial in his greeting. I had no remembrance of him. His reply was, 'I presume not; I never forget a face seen nor a name heard by me. The first, last and only time I ever met you, was in 1849 on the Platte river. A party of us were out hunting buffalo, when your train came along and encamped near us. In the evening we went over to your wagon, and you gave us each a glass of whiskey, and while drinking a soldier came up and called you by name. I have never forgotten it, nor your face.' I could only say that the whiskey must have been powerful bad to have left such a lasting impression on him.
THE FIRST FLOWERS.
The Vancouver gardens of the Hud- son's Bay Company, during a portion of the time Dr. McLoughlin was chief fac- tor, were in charge of a scientific gar- dener by the name of Bruce. It is said that, among other things, he cultivated a variety of ornamental trees and flow- ers. After his fostering care of them had ended it is presumed that they knew a speedy death, for no subsequent men- tion is made of them as being either at Vancouver or in gardens or lawns else- where. From the death of the plants cultivated by Bruce until 1853 the most of the flowers seen in Oregon were of the wild kind: In the spring of that year P. W. Gillette, a pioneer of 1852, received from his father by express, coming by way of Panama. quite an as- sortment ot garden beauties, among them being several varieties of dahlia and peony roots, one each of twenty-five different kinds of roses, three varieties of lilac , three of boxwood, two of spyria. mowballs, pyrus japonica, the evergreen hawthorn, the sweet-scented honey-
suckle, the calyanthus, flowering almond and others, not forgetting to mention the mahonia aquifolia. Of this latter a gen- tleman friend, upon examining the col- lection, said: "What are you going to do with that old Oregon grape here?" "Why," answered Mr. Gillette, "that's the mahonia aquifolia, a choice ever- green shrub." "Mahonia thunder!" said his friend, "that's an old Oregon grape, and there are millions of acres of it in Oregon." That night Mr. Gillette dug up that supposedly rare plant and threw it over the fence. He nourished the others however, and they rapidly flourished and multiplied. Their offsets have spread far and wide over the whole Pacific Northwest, and it is doubtful if there is a garden or lawn in all its wide expanse which does not contain some- thing that sprang from this, the first of pioneer flower beds. Aside from the wild variety there was at that time but one rose known to this section and that was the "Old Mission" rose brought here by the Hudson's Bay Company.
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FRIENDS OF OREGON.
In 1820 Dr. John Floyd, of Virginia, a member of the house of representa- tives, a man of ardent temperament, abil- ity, courage and persistent purpose, took up the Oregon question with a determi- nation to champion it in congress against whatever r indifference, opposi- tion or ridicule it might meet. He left nothing undone to bring about his object. and after four years of persistent effort. on December 23. 1824. he had the satis- faction of knowing that his bill had
THOMAS H. BENTON, U. S. S. Missouri.
passed the house by a vote of 113 to 57.
In one of his speeches, in reply to the remarks of the opposition, which con- tended that the Rocky mountains were the natural western boundary of the United States, he said: "As we reach the Rocky mountains, we should be un- wise did we not pass that narrow space which separates the mountains from the Ocean, to secure advantages far greater than the existing advantages of all the country between the Mississippi river and the mountains. Gentlemen are talk- ing of our natural boundaries. Sir, our natural boundary is the Pacific ocean. The swelling tide of our population must
and will roll on until that mighty ocean interposes its waters, and limits our ter- ritorial empire. Then, with two oceans washing our shores, the commercial wealth of the world is ours, and imagina- tion can hardly conceive the greatness. the grandeur, and the power that awaits us."
So far discussion had almost entirely been confined to the house. When the bill was taken up by the senate in Febru- ary, 1825, Senators Barbour, of Virginia, and Benton, of Missouri, advocated its passage, but in spite of their eloquence the majority in opposition laid the bill on the table, from which it was never taken to be voted upon by that branch of congress.
In December, 1848, Congressman Floyd returned to the contest, more con- vinced than ever before of the import- ance of the question. For over two weeks the subject occupied the time of the house before a vote was taken. Thit opposition being in the ascendancy, the passage of the bill was defeated by 24 votes.
At this session the term of Mr. Floyd ended and no successor was found to take up the subject where he left it. He had, however, succeeded in infusing into the minds of the American people an in terest in the matter, and above all a pat- riotic feeling to the reputed aggression- of Great Britain in this section. which eventually served the purpose for which he labored, the settlement of the country by citizens of the United States, and ex- ertion of jurisdiction over it by our gov- ernment.
In 1838 Senators Lewis F. Linn and Thomas H. Benton, of Missouri, took up the question in the senate. The former introduced a bill for the occupa- tion of the Columbia river, the establish ment of a territory north of latitude 42. and west of the Rocky mountains. to be called the Oregon territory; thie erection of a fort on the Columbia, and occupation of the country by a military
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477
FRIENDS OF OREGON.
force; the establishment of a port of entry, and the requiring of the country to be held subject to the revenue laws of the United States. The bill carried an appropriation of $50,000, in order to carry into effect its provisions. While they were moving in the senate, Caleb Cushing, of Massachusetts, was no less active in the house.
On January 28, of that year. Senator Linn presented the first petition from American settlers in Oregon, signed by J. L. Whitcom and 35 others residing south of the Columbia river, praying congress to extend protection to their settlements and embrace Oregon in fed- eral jurisdiction. In the advocacy of the passage of his bill, Senator Linn pointed out that the occupation by the United States of Oregon would secure the sources of vast wealth in the fur trade, the fisheries, the trade with California. the Hawaiian Islands, China and Japan and the Orient in general. He prophe- sied many thing that have since come to pass, dwelt upon the magnificent scenery of Oregon. its fertility of soil, and the mildness of its climate. concluding with a statement that its possession was im- portant and delay in occupation danger- O11s.
Although ardently labored for, the bill failed to pass. Notwithstanding this the champions would not admit of final defeat. but kept introducing resolutions and bills at each succeeding session until the end for which they labored was ac- complished. Through their oft-repeated and determined efforts they had brought to a general knowledge of the American people a question in which they were deeply interested, and during the session of 1844-45 memorials, petitions and reso- lutions of state legislatures and popular assemblages in all parts of the Union flooded in upon congress.
At the session of 1842-43 Senator Linn introduced a resolution providing not only. for the occupancy and jurisdic- tion, but that emigrants should be grant- ed a land claim. He urged the passing of this bill with greatest ardor, enlisting
Among the utterances of Senator Benton in its advocacy, were: "I now go for vindicating our rights on the Columbia, and as the first step towards it, passing this bill, and making these grants of land, which will soon place thirty thous- and rifles beyond the Rocky mountains." After a very heated discussion the bill passed on February 6, 1843, by a vote of 24 ayes to 22 nays. Reported to the house it was referred to the committee
1.
Photo by Moore. LEWIS F. LINN, U. S. S. Missouri.
on foreign affairs. Ex-President John Quincy Adams, chairman of that com- mittee, reported adversely to the passage of the bill. on the ground that the gov- ernment had precluded itself from tak- ing steps toward the occupancy of the territory until the twelve month's notice had been given to Great Britain, as pro- vided in the convention of 1827. That report disposed of the bill in the house for that session. Thus, like Floyd, after a struggle for years, he had the satisfac- tion of getting his measure through the branch of congress of which he was a member, though it failed to become a law. «It was Floyd's last effort in con- gress: it was the last effort of Dr. Linn in the senate. He died October 3d, of that year at his home in St. Genevieve,
478
OREGON NATIVE SON.
Those who dwell with interest upon the history of the Pacific Northwest, who linger with pride as they recall the ef- forts of our nation's statesmen to de- velop the Union and extend the bless- ings of free institutions, constitutional liberty and the rights of mankind, will read with satisfaction the merited tribute to the memory of this father of Oregon by his illustrious colleague, Senator Ben- ton. He said: "But how can I omit the last great act, as yet unfinished, in which his whole soul was engaged at the time of his death. The bill for the occu- pation and settlement of Oregon was his; andhe carried it through the senate when his colleague, who now addresses you, could not have done it. There is another historical truth fit to be made known on this occasion, and which it is declared to this large and respectable assembly un- der all the circumstances which impart solemnity to the declaration. He carried that bill through the senate; and it was the measure of a statesman. Just to the settler, it was wise to the government. Alas! that he should not have been spared to put the finishing hand to a.
Rev. Jason Lee preached the first ser- mon delivered in the Pacific Northwest, the date being Sunday, September, 28, 1834. He was at Vancouver at the time and, being there over Sunday, he was re- quested by Dr. McLoughlin to hold re- ligious services, which he did, preaching twice on that day. The various nation- alities attending the sermons were: American, English, Scotch, Irish, French, Japanese, Kanakas, half-natives and full-blood Indians. On the 14th day of December following, relig- ious services were again held at the same place. when four adults and seventeen children were baptized, all of whom were half-breeds or full- blooded Indians. The occasion not only marks the first performance of the ordi- nance of baptism in the Pacific North- west, but also is historic from the fact that the hat was passed during the ser- vices for the first time on this coast. The
measure which was to reward the em grant, to protect his country, to curi, England, and to connect his own name with the foundation of an empire. Bu. it is done. The unfinished work will go on; it will be completed, and the name of Linn will not be forgotten. The nam. will live and be connected with Oregon: while its banks bear a plant, or its water- roll a wave."
The unfinished work did go on, Sena- tor Benton kept hammering away at congress until the battle for Oregon was won. It was erected into a territoria! government by act of congress, approved August 14, 1848. In the latter hours of the discussion of the question, Senator Benton rallied around him such eminent senators as Stephen A. Douglas and Daniel Webster. President Polk was also a warm advocate of the measure. Of those who championed Oregon's cause an appreciative people have named the counties of Linn, Benton, Douglas and. Polk after them. It is to be regreted that Congressman Floyd was not re- membered likewise.
contribution is said to have amounted to twenty dollars.
The Wishkah is a stream which In - gins its career in the Olympic range of mountains, and running almost south empties into the waters of Gray's Har- bor. None of the Indians of the region round about the country through which: it flows can be persuaded to fish in this river nor hunt near its banks, or for any cause navigate its waters. They say tha: in the hyas ancutty-long ago, a mighty bird of ill-omen carried its prey to the head waters of the stream, poluted it- source, and gave it the name which :' bears at the present ttime, which, in th. Indian tongue, means "stinking water All of the Indians except one living along its shores drank of its waters after- wards, causing their death. The surviv or told the tale to neighboring tribe> and since then this tale has been shun ned as something pestilential.
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479
A TEST OF COURAGE. A TRUE STORY OF EARLY DAYS IN SOUTHERN OREGON. Copyright 1900, by G. A. Waggoner.
The sun had gone down behind the fir-topped hills on a November evening early in the fifties, and the elements were gathering their forces about the head- waters of the Coquille river for a stormy night, as a pioneer, carrying a deer on . his back, reached his lonely cabin. Only half an hour before he had gone out in search of game. His return after so short an absence would indicate what was true, that Southern Oregon was, at that time a hunter's paradise. This man's name was Williams.
About a year before our story opens. he had built his cabin and commenced his solitary life, full ten miles from his nearest neighbor. Those who knew him called him Captain Williams. Whether this was a complimentary title, received somewhere in the Southern states in ac- cordance with a custom among those hospitable Southerners. or whether he had been baptized Captain in some battle with the natives of Oregon. was not known.
As he was hanging his load on one of the logs which had been left protrud- ing from the corner of the cabin for such purposes, he was surprised to see ap- proaching an Indian, one of the Digger tribe, known throughout the Northwest as the most treacherous and cunning of all the Indian bands.
Instantly the pioneer's rifle was brought into a position for ready use.
"Nika close tilicum, nika ticky mitilite copa myka house okook polikelee hiyou snash chako."
"All right," said Williams, answering in the Digger's own language. "It is going to be a bad night. You can come in if you are a friend; my house is always open to my friends."
It was surprising that this Indian sought shelter, even in a storm, in a white man's dwelling. There had been some bad blood between the two races for some time and they generally com-
municated with each other with the rifle . and bow and arrow. If the Indians were successful the transaction was closed with the tomahawk and scalping-knife; if not, he lay where he fell.
Williams treated the Indian as if he believed his professions of friendship were sincere, but watched every move he made. After supper and the inevitable smoke was over, the Indian showed some gold nuggets which he said he found in the Sixes river, about sixty miles from there, and wanted Williams to bring sonie white men down to the mines, promising to show them where the gold was found and treat them as friends. The next morning, after the Indian, with many professions of friendship, had gone, Williams sat to thinkong about his strange visitor. If there had been no other reason to doubt him, his looks were sufficient to condemn him, for "vil- lain" was written all over him, from head to heel. His face was disfigured by a deep scar across the right cheek as though a bullet had plowed a burrow there and his eyes shone with a peculiar stealthy expression so disagreeable in man and beast.
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