The Oregon native son, Vol. I, Part 9

Author: Native Sons of Oregon; Oregon Pioneer Association. cn; Indian War Veterans and Historical Society
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Portland, Or. : Native Son Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1252

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In 1853 Mr. Allen returned from the East, and the firm of Allen & Lewis was established in Portland, since which time it has been one of the largest wholesale houses on the coast. During his entire life lie steadily refused to have anything to do with politics, although often importuned to permit the use of his name for this or that office. He was a prom- inent member of the Masonic order and an active member of Trinity church. In carly days he was a member of engine company No. 1. While it was always Mr. Lewis' aim

BIOGRAPHICAL.

to confine his attention entirely to his own private business, he was identified with nu- merous enterprises and institutions of the city, and was universally respected for his honesty of purpose and kindness of heart.

A history of Mr. Lewis' career, from the little grocery on the corner of Front and Burnside streets, in a village of 450 inhab- itants, to the princely house of Allen & Lewis in the metropolis of the great Northwest, is a pleasing one, especially as the foundation of such phenomenal success was his strict in- tegrity and close attention to business. The late Henry Failing, in speaking of him, said: "He was the soul of conscientiousness. His was a powerful personality; it dominated in the policy of his business life, the watchword of which was integrity. \ The name of his firm became many years ago and has been main- tained ever since a household word all over the Northwest for fair dealing in business." At first he was agent for the Adams Express Company and a line of steamships to San Francisco, so that nearly all the commerce between Oregon and C California passed through his hands. He was a man of keen perception, excellent judgment and tireless energy. Through his entire life he worked incessantly at his desk, and while directing the destinies of an enormous business he was the hardest and most persistent worker in the entire concern. In every phase of life he was plain, unassuming and sympathetic. The only public position he would ever accept was on the Portland water committee, in which ca- pacity his services were invaluable to the city.

On Saturday, January 2, 1897. while on his way to the store, he was stricken with paraly- sis, and although the best medical attention was at hand and everything possible was done for him, he gradually sank until the morning of the 5th, when he passed peacefully away.

In his death the Pacific coast, and especially Portland, lost one of its best citizens and most public-spirited men. His remains were followed to the tomb by one of the largest funeral processions which ever passed through the streets of the city.

In 1857 he married Miss Clementina F. Couch, a daughter of Captain J. H. Couch. A family of eleven children is the fruit of this union, one of whom, Allen, being now the recognized head of the extensive business in- terests his father left behind.

Mrs. Lewis came to Oregon with her moth- er in 1852, arriving, via the Panama route, in April of that year. She is one of the mothers of our state whoni Oregon by no means could have spared. She still survives and adorns the best society, and is beloved by all wlio know her.

GEORGE W. McBRIDE.

George W. McBride is a native son, having been born in Yamhill county, March 13, 1854. He is the son of Dr. James McBride, who was well known as one of the earliest and sturdiest pioneers of the state. The earlier hours of the future United State senator were passed in a log cabin; likewise his first school- ing. After arriving at an age when he could be sent away from home to school, we find him at Willamette university and at Christian college. In both of these institutions he was known as a bright and painstaking student. He subsequently studied law, but circum- stances led him into other fields, and the bar thereby lost a worthy advocate. In 1867 his parents removed from their Yamhill home, locating at St. Helens, which place he has indicated as home ever since. In June, 1882, he was elected a member of the house of rep- resentatives of the legislative assembly of Oregon, and was subsequently chosen speak- er of that body. In 1886 he was nominated for the office of secretary of state, and was elected by a large majority. So ably did he perform the duties of that responsible position that, at a meeting of the republican state con- vention in 1890, he was nominated for re- election by acclamation, and at the June elec- tion following was re-elected by one of the largest majorities that Oregon ever gave a candidate for a state office. During the latter part of his second term he was injured by a fall, which crippled him so that he has not been able to get around very well without the aid of crutches. In 1895 the republican ma- jority of the state legislature were divided upon their choice for United States senator, and they were only brought together by a compromise candidate, their selection being Mr. McBride. His term of office will expire March 3, 1901.

Whatever Senator McBride undertakes is administered with industry and fidelity. Al- ways attentive to duty, painstaking in his methods, uniformly courteous in his de- meanor, all in all a model as a citizen and a

OREGON NATIVE SON.

public servant. The high honors which have sought him are a testimonial to his official and private life and character.

MALCOLM A. MOODY.

Malcolm A. Moody was born in Browns- ville, Linn county, Or., November 30, 1854, and is the eldest child of Hon. Zenas F. Moody, ex-governor of this state. He was educated in the public schools of Oregon and at the university of California. Upon leav- ing college he entered mercantile business at The Dalles with his father, who had resided there with his family since 1862. For years The Dalles was the distributing point for freight destined to Eastern Oregon and Washington, as well as a depot to which all roads led for the products of such section bound for market. It was the business of the firm to act as forwarders, and through this our subject became known to the stockraiser, the miner, the business houses and husband- man as a man of integrity, honor and capaci- ty for a wide field of work. In 1887 the mer- cantile business was merged into The Dalles National bank, of which he was elected cash- ier. From 1885 to 1889 he was a member of the city council of The Dalles, and in 1889 was elected mayor, serving two terms. He has been a member of the republican state central and congressional committees con- tinuously from 1808 to 1898. He has been Oregon's member of the executive committee of the Republican League of the United States since 1895, and also a member of the execu- tive committee of the republican league of this state. It was conceded in :898 that Ore- gon's member of congress from its second district should come from the eastern portion of the state. The delegates from this section to the republican state convention, held on April 13, 1898, submitted the name of Mr. Moody as the man of their choice, and he re- ceived the nomination by acclamation. He was not put forward as an orator, the pos- sessor of great legal knowledge or learned in other professions, but rather because of his abilities as a business man, a tried and true one, a man they knew would be a credit and benefit to the state both by his work and ac- tions. On the following 6th of June the elec- tion took place, and he received more votes than all liis competitors combined. His votes were 21,291, against 14,643 for Charles M.

Donaldson, fusion (people's, democratic and silver-republican parties); 2,273 votes for H. E. Courtney, regular people's party, and 1,120 votes for G. W. Ingalls, prohibition party. Mr. Moody is a bachelor, but the cares of commercial and political life have not pre- vented him from going into society, in which he is a favorite.

ROBERT SHARP BEAN.

Hon. R. S. Bean was born in Yamhill coun- ty, November 28, 1854. His father, O. S. Bean, a native of Missouri, came to Oregon in 1852, and settled in Yamhill county, where he married Miss Julia A. Sharp. In 1855 he moved to Lane county, near Eugene, where he died in March, 1890. Here the judge passed his boyhood on a farm during the summer and attending the district school in winter, until September, 1869, when he en- tered Christian college, now the state normal school, at Monmouth, where he graduated in June, 1873. He then worked at the carpen- ter's trade for about a year, when he entered the office of Hon. J. M. Tompson, in Eugene, as a law student. In December, 1876, he was admitted to the bar, and soon thereafter en- tered into a partnership with Mr. Tompson, with whom he was associated until that gen- tleman's death, in February, 1882. In Sep- tember, 1877, he entered .the state university, and graduated with the first class of that in- stitution in 1878. In June, 1882, he was elect- ed judge of the second judicial district, to fill the unexpired term of J. F. Watson, who resigned to accept the appointment of United States district attorney. In 1886 he was re- elected for the full term of six years, but be- fore the expiration of that time he was elected an associate justice of the supreme court. By the rotation in office provided by law, in 1894 he became chief justice. In September, 1880, he married Miss Ina E. Condon, daughter of Professor Thomas Condon, the eminent geol- ogist, who came to Oregon in 1853 as a Congregationalist missionary. Judge Bean is a man of industrious habits, fond of home and devoted to his profession; in no sense a poli- tician, but every inch a lawyer, a conscien- tious and a just judge, in whom the people of the state have great confidence. For many years he has been on the board of regents of the state university, and is now president of that body.

THE WHITE DOVE.

Written for the Oregon Native Son.

They marched thro' San Francisco's streets.

In the topaz flush of morn; Their feet left blood-prints on the stones, Their clothing was soiled and torn- And one brave lad among the rest

Bore a'white, white dove upon his breast.

The bombs went thundering to the skies. And echoed across the bay, Where rocking on the flowing tide The waiting transports lay-

And white as the dove upon his breast, One brave lad marched among the rest. We cheered the captain as he went by, We cheered the haggard men, We cheered the bugle, the fife. the drum, We cheered the flag-and then

The lad with the dove upon his breast

Came marching by among the rest. A silence ran along the street, And broken were our cheers, And something trembled in our hearts

That filled our eyes with tears- When the lad marched by among the rest

With the white, white dove upon his breast.

And thro' our springing tears we saw A mother, bowed and sad,

Who knelt in a far Atlantic home To thank her God for a lad Who was proud to bear among the rest A white, white dove upon his breast. -ELLA HIGGINSON.

SEVEN SURVIVORS OF THE WHITMAN MASSACRE.

MRS. REBECCA HOPKINS (noe Hall).

MRS. SUSAN M. WIRT (her Kimball).

MRS. ELIZA WARREN (nee Spalding). MRS. LORINDA CHAPMAN (nee Bewley).

MRS. NANCY A. JACOBS (nee Osborne).

MRS. GERTRUDE DENNY

(nee !all).

MRS. MINA A. MEGLER (nee Kimball).

OREGON NATIVE SON.

VOL. I.

JUNE, 1899. No. 2.

AN INTERVIEW

With a Survivor of the Whitman Massacre.

Mrs. Owen N. Denny, of Portland, is a survivor of the Whitnian massacre, at which time she was quite a small child; but the terrible scenes of that day are indellibly impressed upen her mind. In the following interview she trusts whol- ly to memory, and gives incidents as they are recollected :

For many days preceding the massa- cre, rumors of an outbreak prevailed. which were substantiated by an apparent insolence on the part of the Indians. In 1847 I was one of the youngest children attending school in Dr. Whitman's house, with a Mr. Saunders for teacher. who, as well as our own family, was an immigrant, having arrived that year from the States. On November. 29 prepara- tions were made for killing a beef. be- cause of which the men of the mission were all expected to be present and as- sist .. This was an oportunity desired by the Indians, who expected to annihilate the attaches of the mission. One man, who was expected to be present, failed to arrive on time, in consequence of which the work was de- laved until late in the day. The result was that when night came the Indians had not finished the massacre. and delayed a por- tion of it until next morning. Thus did it happen that there were survivors. During the afternoon recess we children were in the kitchen, where we found John Sager, busy untangling a large lot

of twine. He loved children, and often played with us, whereas we thought a great deal of him. On this occasion, however, he was so downcast and gloomy that we could not attract his at- tention or make him smile. We tried every possible way to get him to look up and smile upon us, but all to no purpose. He was so deeply engrossed in his own sorrow, as to make a great impression on all of us. Just after recess we heard the reports of firearms, and at first sup- posed our friends had commenced their work. The continued firing, however, excited Mr. Saunders' suspicion, and he started out to see what was the matter. As the door opened I caught a glimpse of an Indian making a dive at him. Mr. Saunders closed the door quickly and started for the immigrant house, a few rods distant, where his family was stop- ping. It was necessary for him to climb a fence on the way. and when doing so was shot. As the door closed I turned to the opposite window, and saw Mr. Kimball running toward the house and holding his left arm, which was bleed- ing. Soon after the firing commenced mother and Mrs. Hayse came running from the immigrant house, and arrived barely in time to get in, as Mrs. Whit- man was barring the doors to keep the Indians out. Mother told me that on the way she saw Chief Teloukite trying to hit Dr. Whitman on the head, but the latter kept dodging from side to side

Мой этуТАЙ уборао

OREGON NATIVE SON.

and missing the blows, although he had already been shot and was bleeding. The chief was on horseback, and the doctor on foot, near the house, which he reached before mother and Mrs. Hayse. As mother entered, she saw him lying on the floor, and Mrs. Whitman asked her to help lift him. In taking his head in her hands, it was bloody and felt squeshy. He told them, however, to let him alone and look out for themselves, as he would die anyhow. Mrs. Whitman was first shot in the wrist, after which she was still active in her efforts to look out for the welfare of others, during which time Joe Lewis, a halfbreed whom she said was the ringleader of the trouble, kept slipping and dodging. around the out- side, trying to get a shot at her through the pantry window, which he finally did,

. wounding her in the breast. After be- ing thus shot twice, Mrs. Whitman went upstairs, where Mr. Kimball had gone. At the first alarm the large boys knew the threatened massacre had commenced, so hurried the small children into a sort of loft in the schoolroom, then climbed up . themselves, telling us to keep perfectly quiet under all circumstances. Here we remained what seemed to me a very long time. When the Indians had killed all the Americans outside, they called to those in the house to come out, as they were going to fire the buildings. The Bridger boys, who were part Indian, and Frank Sager, who were also attending school, were with us in the loft. After the shooting stopped Joe Lewis came in and called to us to come down. The large boys told us not to answer or make a noise. Lewis then went out. and the boys told us if he came back we had bet- ter go down, but under no circumstances were we to speak of their being in the loft. After a short interval Lewis re- turned and again called for us to come down, which the children did. As we

entered the kitchen, the first thing that greeted our eyes was the dead body of John Sager, lying across the door, over which we had to step to enter the dining- room. In our fright we children remain- ed together, and seemed not to be no- ticed. Nowhere was there anyone visi- ble except Indians, some of whom tried to go upstairs, but Mr. Rogers threatened to shoot the first head that appeared. They then called out that they would fire the house, and for everybody to come out, saying they would not get hurt, and making many promises of good treatment. After what seemed a long time, Mrs. Whitman was induced to come down, Mr. Rogers helping her, my mother Mrs. Hall, and Mrs. Hayse coming down at the same time. Mrs. Whitman, being unable to walk, was placed on a settee. The Indians said they would take her to the immigrant house, so they picked up the settee and started, mother, Mrs. Hayse and Mr. Rogers following. Before getting across the room they put the settee down and engaged in animated conversation, which mother could not understand, but Mrs. Whitman and Mr. Rogers could. They then carried her into the middle of the kitchen and again put the settee down, when another pow-wow was held. In the meantime a friendly Indian urged mother and Mrs. Hayse to go on ahead, faster. The Indians at last picked up the settee again, and moved a few feet out- side the door, when the friendly Indian again urged-almost pushing-mother and Mrs. Hayse, to go on ahead, which they finally did. At this point I joined mother. It was now getting twilight, when the same friendly Indian who urged mother and Mrs. Hayse to go on ahead, took off his own blanket and held it before the children, who remained behind, that they might not see the hor- rible tragedy being enacted. However,

OUR EMBLEM FLOWER.

they informed me that about the time very deliberately began preparations for we got to the immigrant house, the In- killing the survivors. As Lewis had not dians shot Mrs. Whitman in the face, struck her several times on the head with a heavily loaded whip handle, then rolled her off the settee into the mud. At the same time they shot Mr. Rogers and Frank Sager, who had come down from the loft where we left him. . We did not see the part-Indian boys any gone away, they demanded to know why, which gave him an opportunity to plead for us, which he did with all the elo- quence of desperation, claiming that Mrs. Hayse was his wife and he would not leave her. but if she was killed they would also have to kill him. He told them that we were all inoffensive, had never harmed the Indians and were not dis- posed to: that they had killed Dr. and Mrs. Whitman, and all those whom they considered enemies, and should spare the women and children, who were merely passing through their country. After a time the chief, Teloukite, granted his re- quest, but some of the Indians became very angry and wanted to finish the work of slaughter at once. It is a mistake to suppose that the entire tribe was engaged in this massacre, as it was a conspiracy among a few only, said to be twenty-five to thirty, while others stood around help- less, and some of them weeping. The In- dians supposed the food to be poisoned. and permitted us to retain all of it. Con- sidering their nature they treated us with marked courtesy in many ways during our stay among them.

more, but they were not injured. Of course we were all terror-stricken in the immigrant house that night, and none of the adults were able to sleep. Before leaving, the Indians told Joe Lewis, a Frenchman, to leave tluring the night, as they would return in the morning and kill all the survivors. This Frenchman was in love with Mrs. Hayse, and want- ed to marry her, claiming that the In- dians would save her, and probably all the others, if she was his wife. This she refused to do, but at the request of the other women, consented to have him report to the Indians that they were mar- ried, and said if she could reconcile her- self to it she might marry him later.

Very early in the morning the Indians returned, came into the house, helped themselves to whatever they wanted, and

OUR EMBLEM FLOWER.

Wild flow'r of Oregon, Loved by each native son, Of thee we sing. Emblem of hope and pride, Along the mountain-side, Down to the ocean's tide. We praises bring.

From morn to setting sun, We sing of thec.

From Hood's prophetic crest, Throughout the golden West, In ev'ry bower. Columbia's breeze has blown, Sweet yellow petals grown,

From cascades to dell. Where birds in echo swell, Their songs so free, Where rolls the Oregon, By love's sweet labor won,

"Wild grape of Oregon." Our emblem flower.

ENA M. WHITE

*The Oregon grape is the Oregon state flower. The marguerite is the emblem of the Oregon Native Sons.

OREGON NATIVE SON.

MRS. MYRA F. EELLS, A Pioneer of 1838.

MRS. MARY R. WALKER. A Pioneer of DAS

Photo by Browning.

MRS. MARY AUGUSTA GRAY. A Pioneer of 1538.

OREGON PIONEERS.

MOUNTAIN LORE.

MOUNT HOOD.

Mount Hood, as seen from Portland, appears to terminate at the summit in a sharp point. Such, however, is not the case, as the present summit is the irreg- ular north rim of a crater that once ex- isted in a complete circle to the south, making a mountain of form similar to St. Helens. In the course of time the south, east and west portions of this rim dis- appeared. leaving a long, irregular, jagged portion to the north, at right angles to Portland. After the southerly walls of the crater disappeared, a rock several hundred feet in height was left near the center of the old crater, now known as Crater Rock, As the volcanic heat decreased, snow accumulated above this rock, formed glaciers and moved slowly down the mountain to the right and left, thus forming a sharp ridge. now called the Devil's Backbone, the Hog's Back, or the Big Backbone. As these glaciers moved down, they left the north wall of the original crater, thus forming the Great Crevasse, over which it is sometimes impossible to pass.

Hood is located in latitude 45 degrees 22 minutes and 24.3 seconds; longitude 121 degrees, 42 minutes and 49.6 sec- onds, and is one of the very few snow- capped peaks in the world that stands alone, rising directly from sca-level. and is visible from a city of nearly 100.000 population. It was known among the Indians as Pat-to (accent on the last syl- lable), a general term, signifying very high. On October 29, 1792, Lieutenant Broughton, of Vancouver's exploring expedition, discovered it, and named it in honor of Lord Hood, of England, a per- sonal friend of Captain Vancouver. Dur- ing the '4os there was an effort made

among Americans to fix the names of presidents on the various high peaks of the Cascades, and to permanently desig- nate them all as the Presidents' Range. At this time Hood was known as Mount Washington. On several occasions since the whites occupied the country it is said to have been in eruption; especially in 1846 and 1865. At the present time it constantly emits steam, and at times black, sulphurous smoke, in limited quantities. On the south side numerous caves are formed under . the glaciers, caused by the heat from the sides of the mountain, which melts away the ice.

. On Friday morning, August 4, 1854, the following party left Portland, with the published determination to "make a scientific examination of this hitherto un- explored mountain, to measure and get the relative height, location, etc., of this and all the other snow peaks. For that purpose the necessary instruments have been procured and will be taken with the party": T. J. Dryer, Wells Lake, Cap- tain Travaillot and Captain Barlow. Gen- eral Joel Palmer was to have joined them, but failed to materialize at the last moment. Judge Olney went by way of The Dalles, where he was joined by Ma- jor Haller and an Indian guide, and to- gether they came in from the east, join- ing Dryer at the timber line. . Several days were spent examining the mountain, and on Thursday, August 8, they crossed White River canyon and ascended from the southeast, along the dark ridge, so plainly seen from the south, and which leads, not to the summit of the moun- tain, but to the top of Steel's Cliff. As it is impossible to reach the summit from this point, it is unnecessary to say Dryer never reached the summit of the moun-

OREGON NATIVE SON.

tain. Of the entire party, Dryer, Lake and the Indian only, succeeded in scaling Steel's Cliff. While returning from the climb, a novel measurement of the moun- tain was made by the scientists of the party. It is described by Dryer as fol- lows: "When descending we found Cap- tain Travaillot, Major Haller and Judge Olney making observations, triangula- tions and distances for the purpose of as- certaining the height of the mountain.

It being impossible to use the barometer, calculations were made by taking the table of the line of perpetual snow on the principal mountains of the globe, as laid down by Baron de Humboldt. By keep- ing a rigorous account of both the lati- tude (44 degrees 30 minutes), the tem- perature given by the thermometer and the exposition of the side by which we made the ascent, we took as the height of our encampment, 11,250 feet; the snow at the edge of the snow-fields being 28 inches within 30 feet of our camp, and the meltage only three hours in the af- ternoon. From that basis Captain Trav- aillot and Mr. Lake took several dis- tances, and obtained by calculation * 15,442 feet, or two miles and a half to ascend under an angle of 35 degrees to reach the pinnacle; which distance gave the height of 7. III feet. which, added to the basis, makes a total of 18.361 feet as the height of the mountain." To stu- dents of modern science this may seem somewhat complicated. as. Mr. Dryer neglected to say just how deep the snow was 31 feet from camp in the dark of the moon.

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The Oregon native son, Vol. I, Part 9

Author: Native Sons of Oregon; Oregon Pioneer Association. cn; Indian War Veterans and Historical Society Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Portland, Or. : Native Son Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1252

Author: Native Sons of Oregon; Oregon Pioneer Association. cn; Indian War Veterans and Historical Society
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Portland, Or. : Native Son Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1252