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diff --git a/old/52652-0.txt b/old/52652-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6b7664c..0000000 --- a/old/52652-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14657 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Busy Life of Eighty-Five Years of Ezra -Meeker, by Ezra Meeker - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Busy Life of Eighty-Five Years of Ezra Meeker - Ventures and adventures; sixty-three years of pioneer life - in the old Oregon country; an account of the author's trip - across the plains with an ox team - -Author: Ezra Meeker - -Release Date: July 26, 2016 [EBook #52652] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EZRA MEEKER *** - - - - -Produced by Rachael Schultz, Christian Boissonnas, Bryan -Ness and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive/American -Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: EZRA MEEKER - -WASHINGTON, D. C., JAN. 23, 1916. BORN DEC. 29, 1830] - - - - - THE BUSY LIFE - - OF - - EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS - - OF - - EZRA MEEKER - - - VENTURES AND ADVENTURES - - Sixty-three years of Pioneer Life in the Old Oregon Country; An - Account of the Author's Trip Across the Plains with an Ox Team, 1852; - Return Trip, 1906-7; His Cruise on Puget Sound, 1853; Trip Through - the Natchess Pass, 1854; Over the Chilcoot Pass; Flat-boating on the - Yukon, 1898. - - - THE OREGON TRAIL - - AUTHOR OF PIONEER "REMINISCENCES OF PUGET SOUND"—"THE TRAGEDY OF - LESCHI"—"HOP CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES"—"WASHINGTON TERRITORY WEST - OF THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS"—"THE OX TEAM"—"UNCLE EZRA'S SHORT STORIES - FOR THE CHILDREN." - - - PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR - - $1.50 Postpaid - - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - - - - - COPYRIGHT 1916 - BY - EZRA MEEKER - - - PRESS WM. B. BURFORD - - [Illustration] - - INDIANAPOLIS - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. - - Autobiography. - - Birth and Parentage—Boyhood Days—Aversion to School—Early - Ambitions—Farm Training—Life in a Printing Office—At Tippecanoe - as a Songster 7 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Time of My Youth. - - Our Ohio Home—A Period of Invention—The Printing Press—Our - Removal to Indiana—Habits Acquired on the Trip 15 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Early Days in Indiana. - - I'm Going to Be a Farmer—Off for Iowa—An Iowa Winter 18 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Off for Oregon. - - Preparation—Getting a Partner—First Day Out 23 - - - CHAPTER V. - - The Ferry Across the Missouri 26 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - Out on the Plains. - - Indian Country—The Cholera—Extent of Emigration—The Casualties 29 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Buffalo Chase and Stampede. - - Buffalo Trails—Chase on the Missouri—Stampede on the Platte 37 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Out on the Plains. - - The Law of Self-Preservation—Crossing the Snake River—Wagon Beds - as Boats—Down Snake River in Wagon Boxes—On to Portland 39 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Floating Down the River 51 - - - CHAPTER X. - - The Arrival. - - At Work—Moving to St. Helens—Building a Home 57 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - The First Cabin. - - Home Life—A Trip to Puget Sound 63 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Cruise on Puget Sound. - - Building a Boat—Afloat on Puget Sound—A Visit to the Indians 69 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Cruise on Puget Sound. - - At Steilacoom 77 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Cruise on Puget Sound. - - At Tacoma—On Puyallup Bay 84 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - Cruise on Puget Sound. - - At Alki Point—A Fish Story 91 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Cruise on Puget Sound. - - Port Townsend—Building the City—Colonel Ebey 96 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - From Columbia River to Puget Sound. - - Arrival Home—Preparations to Move—The Trip 101 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - The Second Cabin. - - The New Home—Brother Oliver Returns to the States 115 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Trip Through Natchess Pass. - - Cross the Streams 122 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont. - - Many Obstacles—Killing of Steers to Make Rope—A Brave Boy 128 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont. - - Fun with the Pony—Immigrants 136 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont. - - Desert Lands—Lost—Crossing the River—Reunion 142 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont. - - Nearly Home—Trouble Over Titles—Parting 148 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont. - - Home Again—Visitors—Jay Cooke and My Pamphlet 154 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - First Immigrants Through Natchess Pass. - - Hard Trip—Letter from Geo. H. Himes 161 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - Building of the Natchess Pass Road. - - Many Obstacles—Lines from Winthrop—Receipts 169 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - Building of the Natchess Pass Road—Cont. - - Letter from A. J. Burge—Lawlessness—A Great Pioneer, George - Bush—The Fanning Mill—The First Cougar 178 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - About Indians. - - Massacre—Flight of Settlers 183 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - Fraser River Stampede. - - Excitement High—Off for Whatcom—The Arrival—Where's De Lacy? 186 - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - An Old Settlers' Meeting. - - Review of the Past—Lady Sheriff—Personal Anecdotes 195 - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - A Chapter on Names. - - Seattle—Puyallup and Amusing Incidents 201 - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - Pioneer Religious Experiences and Incidents. - - Aunt Ann—Mr. and Mrs. Wickser—John McLeod 206 - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - Wild Animals. - - Carrie Sees a Cougar—An Unfriendly Meeting 210 - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - The Morning School. - - The First Log School House—Going to Market—Fifty Years Ago 216 - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - An Early Survey. - - The Surveying Party—The Camp—Location—Value 221 - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - The Hop Business. - - My Hop Venture—The Curse on Hops 223 - - - CHAPTER XXXVII. - - The Beet Sugar Venture 230 - - - CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - The History of a History 231 - - - CHAPTER XXXIX. - - Banking. - - Bank President—The Run on the Bank 235 - - - CHAPTER XL. - - The Klondike Venture. - - Through White Horse Rapids—On the Yukon 238 - - - CHAPTER XLI. - - THE OREGON TRAIL MONUMENT EXPEDITION. - - The Ox. - - Ready for the Trip—Getting Notoriety 243 - - - CHAPTER XLII. - - The Start. - - Making Camps—Out on the Trail—Centralia, Wash.—Chehalis, - Wash.—Jackson's—Toledo, Wash.—Portland, Oregon 246 - - - CHAPTER XLIII. - - The Dalles, Oregon. - - Quotations from Journal—Shoeing the Oxen—Out from The - Dalles—Pendleton, Oregon—The Blue Mountains—Meacham, - Oregon—La Grande, Oregon—Ladd's Canyon—Camp No. 34—Baker City, - Oregon—Old Mt. Pleasant, Oregon—Durkee, Oregon—Huntington—Vale, - Oregon 255 - - - CHAPTER XLIV. - - Old Fort Boise—Parma, Idaho—Boise, Idaho—Twin Falls, - Idaho—American Falls, Idaho—Pocatello, Idaho—Soda Springs, - Idaho—Montpelier, Idaho—The Mad Bull—The Wounded - Buffalo—Cokeville, Wyoming 266 - - - CHAPTER XLV. - - Independence Rock. - - The Rocky Mountains. - - Pacific Springs—Sweetwater—Split Rock—The Devil's Gate 271 - - - CHAPTER XLVI. - - Fish Creek—North Platte—Casper, Wyoming—Glen Rock—Douglas, - Wyoming—Puyallup, Tacoma, Seattle—New Changes 280 - - - CHAPTER XLVII. - - Fort Laramie, Wyoming. - - Scott's Bluff—The Dead of the Plains—The Lone Grave—Chimney - Rock—North Platte 289 - - - CHAPTER XLVIII. - - Death of Twist. - - Gothenberg, Nebraska—Lexington 298 - - - CHAPTER XLIX. - - Kearney, Nebraska. - - Grand Island 303 - - - CHAPTER L. - - From Indianapolis to Washington—Events on the Way 306 - - - CHAPTER LI. - - Return Trip. - - Leaving Washington—Out West Again—From Portland to Seattle 320 - - - CHAPTER LII. - - The End 328 - - - CHAPTER LIII. - - The Interim and Second Trip. - - Good Road Movement—The Overland Outfit in the Interim—Yukon - Exposition—The Trip of 1910-'11—Hunting for the Trail—Dedication - of the Wagon and Team to Washington—A Bill for Surveying - "Pioneer Way"—The Author's Plea Before the House Committee on - Military Affairs 331 - - - CHAPTER LIV. - - Conquest of the Oregon Country. - - (1) Exploration, by Robert Gray, Lewis and Clark and Jonathan - Carver—Naming Oregon. (2) Exploitation, by John Jacob Astor, the - Hunt Party, Hudson Bay Co.—Ashley, Bonneyville and Wythe—(3) - Missionary; "White Man's Book of Heaven," Lee, Parker, Whitman - and Spaulding as Missionaries—Tribute to Pioneers. (4) Home - builders; American Settlers Outnumber English—English give up - Joint Occupancy, Withdrawal and Ashburton's Treaty—Establishment - of the Oregon Trail 1843—Emigration of 1852—Conclusions 343 - - - CHAPTER LV. - - Pioneer Life in Puyallup. - - The Cabin—Stilly a Typical Pioneer—Stilly's Cabin Becomes The - Author's Home—The Ivy Vine—Dedication of the Cabin as "Pioneer - Park"—The Author's Phonographic Address 352 - - - CHAPTER LVI. - - Pioneer Life in Puyallup Valley. - - The Carson Family—The Walker Family—"Good Templars - Lodge"—Holiday Celebrations—First Postoffice—Mount Rainier - Glacier—Colony of 1853—Indian Massacre and Flight of the - Settlers—Discovery of Coal—Acquiring Title of Land—Publication - of "Washington Territory West of the Cascades"—Pioneer - Socialism—Religion and Schools—Allen's Letter—Early Settlers - Meet in Puyallup's Park—Great Public Dinner—Strong Program - Speech by Ezra Meeker 360 - - - CHAPTER LVII. - - Sketches of Western Life. - - "Occidental Transcontinental Oriental McDonald"—His Personal - Appearance—His Sloop—His Prophecies 375 - - - CHAPTER LVIII. - - Sketches of Western Life. - - "The Prairie Schooner"—Why Wagon Body was Boat Shape—Crossing - Snake River—Moving Pictures of Crossing Loop Fork of the Platte - River—How the Teams Crossed the River 377 - - - CHAPTER LIX. - - High Cost of Living. - - Cincinnati Market a Hundred Years Ago; No Middlemen—All Markets - Now, All Middlemen—Transportation, a Factor in the Cost of - Living—Causes, "High Living," Abandonment of Simple Life, Change - in Environments and Extravagant Wants 381 - - - CHAPTER LX. - - Cost of High Living. - - Fortieth Anniversary Celebration of the Completion of N. P. R. - R.—Extravagance and Waste at the Celebration—Supply and Demand - Regulates Prices—Consumer Too Far Removed from Producer, Demand - Too Much Service, Buys in Too Small Quantities—Too Much - Money—Remedy, Stop Extravagance and Waste, and Buy With Judgment 386 - - - CHAPTER LXI. - - Preparedness. - - Witness of Five Wars—Results, Advancement of Civilization—Wars - Cannot be Averted—Preparedness Gives Advantage—It Does Not Cause - War—The Monroe Doctrine and the "Open Door To China"—No Other - Nation Will Assert Our Rights—Preparedness Does Not Prevent - Wars, But Lessens the Danger 395 - - - CHAPTER LXII. - - How to Live to be a Hundred 399 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - The Old Ancestral Homestead, 1676 1 - Mt. Tacoma 86 - We Struck Rapid but Awkward Strokes 118 - Mt. Rainier 139 - Type of Blockhouse 185 - Old Settlers Meeting 195 - Group of Hop Houses 223 - The Klondike Team 239 - Ezra Meeker's Homestead 245 - The Ivy-covered Cabin 246 - Camp in Seattle 250 - Dedicating Monument at Tenino, Washington 253 - The First Boulder Marked 257 - Baker City Monument 264 - The Old Oregon Trail 270 - Summit Monument 273 - Devil's Gate 277 - An Old Scout 284 - Snap Shot on the Trail 290 - The Lone Grave 294 - Chimney Rock 295 - Twist 298 - Broad Street, New York 313 - Jim 317 - President Roosevelt on the Way to View the Team 317 - President Viewing the Team 320 - Addressing Colored School 323 - At the Yukon Exposition 333 - Pioneer Park, Puyallup 355 - The Prairie Schooner on the White House Grounds 377 - Dave and Dandy at the Panama Exposition 379 - - - - -PREFACE - - -Just why I should write a preface I know not, except that it is -fashionable to do so, and yet in the present case there would seem a -little explanation due the reader, who may cast his eye on the first -chapter of this work. - -Indeed, the chapter, "Early Days in Indiana," may properly be termed an -introduction, though quite intimately connected with the narrative that -follows, yet not necessary to make a completed story of the trip to -Oregon in the early fifties. - -The enlarged scope of this work, narrating incidents not connected -with the Oregon Trail or the Ox Team expedition, may call for this -explanation, that the author's thought has been to portray frontier -life in the Old Oregon Country, as well as pioneer life on the plains; -to live his experiences of eighty-five years over again, and tell them -in plain, homely language, to the end the later generation may know how -the "fathers" lived, what they did, and what they thought in the long -ago. - -An attempt has been made to teach the young lessons of industry, -frugality, upright and altruistic living as exemplified in the lives of -the pioneers. - -While acknowledging the imperfections of the work, yet to parents I can -sincerely say they may safely place this volume in the home without -fear that the adventures recited will arouse a morbid craving in the -minds of their children. The adventures are of real life, and incident -to a serious purpose in life, and not stories of fancy to make exciting -reading, although some of them may seem as such. - -"Truth is stranger than fiction," and the pioneers have no need to -borrow from their imagination. - -SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. - - - - - PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR - - Cloth $1.50 Postpaid - - Address: Ezra Meeker, 1120 38th Ave. N. - Seattle, Wash. - - - - -GREETINGS - - -Upon this, my 85th birthday with good health remaining with me and -strength to prompt the will to do, small wonder that I should arise -with thankfulness in my heart for the many, many blessings vouchsafed -to me. - -To my friends (and enemies, if I have any) I dedicate this volume, -to be known as "Eighty-five Years of a Busy Life," in the hope of -cementing closer companionship and mutual good will to the end, that -by looking back into earlier life, we may be guided to better ways in -the vista of years to come, to a more forgiving spirit, to a less stern -condemnation of the foibles of others and a more joyful contemplation -of life's duties. - -Having lived the simple life for so many years I could not now -change to the more modern ways of "High Living" and would not if I -could; nevertheless, the wonderful advance of art and science, the -great opportunity afforded for betterment of life in so many ways -to challenge our admiration, I would not record myself as against -innovation, as saying that all old ways were the best ways, but I will -say some of them were. The patient reader will notice this thought -developed in the pages to follow and while they may not be in full -accord of the teachings, yet, it is the hope of the author the lessons -may not fall upon deaf ears. - -Being profoundly grateful for so many expressions of good will that -have reached me from so many friends, I will reciprocate by wishing -that each and every one of you may live to be over a hundred years old, -coupled with the admonition to accomplish this you must be possessed -with patience, and that "you must keep working to keep young." - -Now, please read that grand inspired poem on next page, "Work", before -you read the book, to see if you have not there found the true elixir -of life and with it the author's hope to reach the goal beyond the -century mark. - -Greetings to all. - - -_The Outlook_, December 2, 1914 - -WORK. - -A SONG OF TRIUMPH. - -BY ANGELA MORGAN. - - Work! - Thank God for the might of it, - The ardor, the urge, the delight of it— - Work that springs from the heart's desire, - Setting the soul and the brain on fire. - Oh, what is so good as the heat of it, - And what is so glad as the beat of it, - And what is so kind as the stern command - Challenging brain and heart and hand? - - Work! - Thank God for the pride of it, - For the beautiful, conquering tide of it, - Sweeping the life in its furious flood, - Thrilling the arteries, cleansing the blood, - Mastering stupor and dull despair, - Moving the dreamer to do and dare. - Oh; what is so good as the urge of it, - And what is so glad as the surge of it, - And what is so strong as the summons deep - Rousing the torpid soul from sleep? - - Work! - Thank God for the pace of it, - For the terrible, keen, swift race of it; - Fiery steeds in full control, - Nostrils aquiver to greet the goal. - Work, the power that drives behind, - Guiding the purposes, taming the mind, - Holding the runaway wishes back, - Reining the will to one steady track, - Speeding the energies faster, faster, - Triumphing over disaster. - Oh! what is so good as the pain of it, - And what is so great as the gain of it, - And what is so kind as the cruel goad, - Forcing us on through the rugged road? - - Work! - Thank God for the swing of it, - For the clamoring, hammering ring of it, - Passion of labor daily hurled - On the mighty anvils of the world - Oh, what is so fierce as the flame of it, - And what is so huge as the aim of it, - Thundering on through dearth and doubt, - Calling the plan of the Maker out; - Work, the Titan, Work, the friend, - Shaping the earth to a glorious end; - Draining the swamps and blasting the hills, - Doing whatever the spirit wills, - Rending a continent apart - To answer the dream of the Master heart. - Thank God for a world where none may shirk, - Thank God for the splendor of work. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -AUTOBIOGRAPHY. - - -I was born near Huntsville, Butler County, Ohio, about ten miles east -of Hamilton, Ohio. This, to me, important event occurred on December -29, A. D. 1830, hence I am many years past the usual limit of three -score years and ten. - -My father's ancestors came from England in 1637 and in 1665 settled -near Elizabeth City, New Jersey, built a very substantial house which -is still preserved, furnished more than a score of hardy soldiers in -the War of Independence, and were noted for their stalwart strength, -steady habits, and patriotic ardor. My father had lost nothing of the -original sturdy instincts of the stock nor of the stalwart strength, -incident to his ancestral breeding. I remember that for three years, at -Carlyle's flouring mill in the then western suburbs of Indianapolis, -Ind., he worked 18 hours a day, as miller. He had to be on duty by 7 -o'clock a. m., and remained on duty until 1 o'clock the next morning, -and could not leave the mill for dinner;—all this for $20 per month, -and bran for the cow, and yet his health was good and strength seemed -the same as when he began the ordeal. My mother's maiden name was -Phoeba Baker. A strong English and Welch strain of blood ran in her -veins, but I know nothing farther back than my grandfather Baker, who -settled in Butler County, Ohio, in the year 1804, or thereabouts. My -mother, like my father, could and did endure continuous long hours of -severe labor without much discomfort, in her household duties. I have -known her frequently to patch and mend our clothing until 11 o'clock at -night and yet would invariably be up in the morning by 4:00 and resume -her labors. - -[Illustration: The Ancestral Old Homestead, Built 1676.] - -Both my parents were sincere, though not austere Christian people, my -mother in particular inclining to a liberal faith, but both were -in early days members of the "Disciples," or as sometimes known as -"Newlites," afterwards, I believe, merged with the "Christian" church, -popularly known as the "Campbellites" and were ardent admirers of -Love Jameson, who presided so long over the Christian organization at -Indianapolis, and whom I particularly remember as one of the sweetest -singers that I ever heard. - -Small wonder that with such parents and with such surroundings I -am able to say that for fifty-eight years of married life I have -never been sick in bed a single day, and that I can and have endured -long hours of labor during my whole life, and what is particularly -gratifying that I can truthfully say that I have always loved my work -and that I never watched for the sun to go down to relieve me from the -burden of labor. - -"Burden of labor?" Why should any man call labor a burden? It's the -sweetest pleasure of life, if we will but look aright. Give me nothing -of the "man with the hoe" sentiment, as depicted by Markham, but let me -see the man with a light heart; that labors; that fulfills a destiny -the good God has given him; that fills an honored place in life even -if in an humble station; that looks upon the bright side of life while -striving as best he may to do his duty. I am led into these thoughts -by what I see around about me, so changed from that of my boyhood days -where labor was held to be honorable, even though in humble stations. - -But, to return to my story. My earliest recollection, curiously enough, -is of my schoolboy days, of which I had so few. I was certainly not -five years old when a drunken, brutal school teacher undertook to -spank me while holding me on his knees because I did not speak a word -plainly. That is the first fight I have any recollection of, and would -hardly remember that but for the witnesses, one of them my oldest -brother, who saw the struggle, where my teeth did such excellent -work as to draw blood quite freely. What a spectacle that, of a -half-drunken teacher maltreating his scholars! But then that was a time -before a free school system, and when the parson would not hesitate to -take a "wee bit," and when, if the decanter was not on the sideboard, -the jug and gourd served well in the field or house. To harvest without -whisky in the field was not to be thought of; nobody ever heard of a -log-rolling or barn-raising without whisky. And so I will say to the -zealous temperance reformers, be of good cheer, for the world has moved -in these eighty-five years. Be it said, though, to the everlasting -honor of my father, that he set his head firmly against the practice, -and said his grain should rot in the field before he would supply -whisky to his harvest hands, and I have no recollections of ever but -once tasting any alcoholic liquors in my boyhood days. - -I did, however, learn to smoke when very young. It came about in this -way: My mother always smoked, as long as I can remember. Women those -days smoked as well as men, and nothing was thought of it. - -Well, that was before the time of matches, or leastwise, it was a time -when it was thought necessary to economize in their use, and mother, -who was a corpulent woman, would send me to put a coal in her pipe, -and so I would take a whiff or two, just to get it started, you know, -which, however, soon developed into the habit of lingering to keep it -going. But let me be just to myself,—for more than thirty years ago I -threw away my pipe and have never smoked since, and never will, and -now to those smokers who say they "can't quit" I want to call their -attention to one case of a man who did. - -My next recollection of school-days was after father had moved to -Lockland, Ohio, then ten miles north of Cincinnati, now, I presume, -a suburb of that great city. I played "hookey" instead of going to -school, but one day while under the canal bridge the noise of passing -teams so frightened me that I ran home and betrayed himself. Did my -mother whip me? Why, God bless her dear old soul, no. Whipping of -children, though, both at home and in the school-room, was then about -as common as eating one's breakfast; but my parents did not think it -was necessary to rule by the rod, though then their family government -was exceptional. And so we see now a different rule prevailing, and see -that the world does move and is getting better. - -After my father's removal to Indiana times were "hard," as the common -expression goes, and all members of the household for a season were -called upon to contribute their mite. I drove four yoke of oxen for -twenty-five cents a day, and a part of that time boarded at home at -that. This was on the Wabash where oak grubs grew, as father often -said, "as thick as hair on a dog's back," but not so thick as that. -But we used to force the big plow through and cut grubs with the plow -shear, as big as my wrist; and when we saw a patch of them ahead, -then was when I learned how to halloo and rave at the poor oxen and -inconsiderately whip them, but father wouldn't let me swear at them. -Let me say parenthetically that I have long since discontinued such a -foolish practice, and that I now talk to my oxen in a conversational -tone of voice and use the whip sparingly. When father moved to -Indianapolis, I think in 1842, "times" seemed harder than ever, and I -was put to work wherever an opportunity for employment offered, and -encouraged by my mother to seek odd jobs and keep the money myself, -she, however, becoming my banker; and in three years I had actually -accumulated $37.00. My! but what a treasure that was to me, and what a -bond of confidence between my mother and myself, for no one else, as I -thought, knew about my treasure. I found out afterwards, though, that -father knew about it all the time. - -My ambition was to get some land. I had heard there was a forty-acre -tract in Hendricks County (Indiana) yet to be entered at $1.25 per -acre, and as soon as I could get $50.00 together I meant to hunt up -that land and secure it. I used to dream about that land day times -as well as at night. I sawed wood and cut each stick twice for -twenty-five cents a cord, and enjoyed the experience, for at night I -could add to my treasure. It was because my mind did not run on school -work and because of my restless disposition that my mother allowed me -to do this instead of compelling me to attend school, and which cut -down my real schoolboy days to less than six months. It was, to say the -least, a dangerous experiment and one which only a mother (who knows -her child better than all others) dare take, and I will not by any -means advise other mothers to adopt such a course. - -Then when did you get your education? the casual reader may ask. I will -tell you a story. When in 1870 I wrote my first book (long since out -of print), "Washington Territory West of the Cascade Mountains," and -submitted the work to the Eastern public, a copy fell into the hands -of Jay Cooke, who then had six power presses running advertising the -Northern Pacific railroad, and he at once took up my whole edition. Mr. -Cooke, whom I met, closely questioned me as to where I was educated. -After having answered his many queries about my life on the frontier -he would not listen to my disclaimer that I was not an educated man, -referring to the work in his hand. The fact then dawned on me that it -was the reading of the then current literature of the day that had -taught me. I answered that the New York Tribune had educated me, as I -had then been a close reader of that paper for eighteen years, and it -was there I got my pure English diction, if I possessed it. We received -mails only twice a month for a long time, and sometimes only once a -month, and it is needless to say that all the matter in the paper was -read and much of it re-read and studied in the cabin and practiced -in the field. However, I do not set my face against school training, -but can better express my meaning by the quaint saying that "too much -of a good thing is more than enough," a phrase in a way senseless, -which yet conveys a deeper meaning than the literal words express. The -context will show the lack of a common school education, after all, -was not entirely for want of an opportunity, but from my aversion to -confinement and preference for work to study. - -In those days apprenticeship was quite common, and it was not thought -to be a disgrace for a child to be "bound out" until he was twenty-one, -the more especially if this involved learning a trade. Father took -a notion he would "bind me out" to a Mr. Arthens, the mill owner at -Lockland, who was childless, and took me with him one day to talk it -over. Finally, when asked how I would like the change, I promptly -replied that it would be all right if Mrs. Arthens would "do up my sore -toes", whereupon there was such an outburst of merriment that I always -remembered it. We must remember that boys in those days did not wear -shoes in summer and quite often not in winter either. But mother put a -quietus on the whole business and said the family must not be divided, -and it was not, and in that she was right. Give me the humble home for -a child, that is a home in fact, rather than the grandest palace where -home life is but a sham. - -I come now to an important event of my life, when father moved from -Lockland, Ohio, to near Covington, Indiana. I was not yet seven years -old, but walked all the way behind the wagon and began building -"castles in the air," which is the first (but by no means the last) -that I remember. We were going out to Indiana to be farmers, and it was -here, near the banks of the Wabash, that I learned the art of driving -four yoke of oxen to a breaking plow, without swearing. - -That reminds me of an after-experience, the summer I was nineteen. -Uncle John Kinworthy (good old soul he was), an ardent Quaker, who -lived a mile or so out from Bridgeport, Indiana, asked me one day while -I was passing his place with three yoke of oxen to haul a heavy cider -press beam in place. This led the oxen through the front dooryard and -in full sight and hearing of three buxom Quaker girls, who either stood -in the door or poked their heads out of the window, in company with -their good mother. Go through the front yard past those girls the -cattle would not, and kept doubling back, first on one side and then on -the other. Uncle Johnny, noticing I did not swear at the cattle, and -attributing the absence of oaths to the presence of ladies, or maybe, -like a good many others, he thought oxen could not be driven without -swearing at them, sought an opportunity, when the mistress of the house -could not hear him, and said in a low tone, "If thee can do any better, -thee had better let out the word." Poor, good old soul, he doubtless -justified himself in his own mind that it was no more sin to swear all -the time than part of the time; and why is it? I leave the answer to -that person, if he can be found, that never swears. - -Yes, I say again, give me the humble home for a child, that is a home -in fact, rather than the grandest palace where home life is but a -sham. And right here is where this generation has a grave problem to -solve, if it's not the gravest of the age, the severance of child life -from the real home and the real home influences, by the factory child -labor, the boarding schools, the rush for city life, and so many others -of like influences at work, that one can only take time to mention -examples. - -And now the reader will ask, What do you mean by the home life? and to -answer that I will relate some features of my early home life, though -by no means would say that I would want to return to all the ways of -"ye olden times." - -My mother always expected each child to have a duty to perform, as -well as time to play. Light labor, to be sure, but labor; something -of service. Our diet was so simple, the mere mention of it may create -a smile with the casual reader. The mush pot was a great factor in -our home life; a great heavy iron pot that hung on the crane in the -chimney corner where the mush would slowly bubble and splutter over or -near a bed of oak coals for half the afternoon. And such mush, always -made from yellow corn meal and cooked three hours or more. This, eaten -with plenty of fresh, rich milk comprised the supper for the children. -Tea? Not to be thought of. Sugar? It was too expensive—cost fifteen -to eighteen cents a pound, and at a time it took a week's labor to -earn as much as a day's labor now. Cheap molasses, sometimes, but -not often. Meat, not more than once a day, but eggs in abundance. -Everything father had to sell was low-priced, while everything mother -must buy at the store was high. Only to think of it, you who complain -of the hard lot of the workers of this generation: wheat twenty-five -cents a bushel, corn fifteen cents, pork two and two and a half cents -a pound, with bacon sometimes used as fuel by the reckless, racing -steamboat captains of the Ohio and Mississippi. But when we got onto -the farm with abundance of fruit and vegetables, with plenty of pumpkin -pies and apple dumplings, our cup of joy was full, and we were the -happiest mortals on earth. As I have said, 4:00 o'clock scarcely ever -found mother in bed, and until within very recent years I can say that -5:00 o'clock almost invariably finds me up. Habit, do you say? No, not -wholly, though that may have something to do with it, but I get up -early because I want to, and because I have something to do. - -When I was born, thirty miles of railroad comprised the whole mileage -of the United States, and this only a tramway. Now, how many hundred -thousand miles I know not, but many miles over the two hundred thousand -mark. When I crossed the great states of Illinois and Iowa on my way -to Oregon in 1852 not a mile of railroad was seen in either state. -Only four years before, the first line was built in Indiana, really -a tramway, from Madison, on the Ohio River, to Indianapolis. What a -furore the building of that railroad created! Earnest, honest men -opposed the building just as sincerely as men now advocate public -ownership; both propositions are fallacious, the one long since -exploded, the other in due time, as sure to die out as the first. -My father was a strong advocate of the railroads, but I caught the -arguments on the other side advocated with such vehemence as to have -the sound of anger. What will our farmers do with their hay if all -the teams that are hauling freight to the Ohio River are thrown out -of employment? What will the tavern keepers do? What will become of -the wagoners? A hundred such queries would be asked by the opponents -of the railroad and, to themselves, triumphantly answered that the -country would be ruined if railroads were built. Nevertheless, -Indianapolis has grown from ten thousand to much over two hundred -thousand, notwithstanding the city enjoyed the unusual distinction of -being the first terminal city in the state of Indiana. I remember it -was the boast of the railroad magnates of that day that they would soon -increase the speed of their trains to fourteen miles an hour,—this when -they were running twelve. - -In the year 1845 a letter came from Grandfather Baker to my mother that -he would give her a thousand dollars with which to buy a farm. The -burning question with my father and mother was how to get that money -out from Ohio to Indiana. They actually went in a covered wagon to -Ohio for it and hauled it home, all silver, in a box. This silver was -nearly all foreign coin. Prior to that time, but a few million dollars -had been coined by the United States Government. Grandfather Baker -had accumulated this money by marketing small things in Cincinnati, -twenty-five miles distant. I have heard my mother tell of going to -market on horseback with grandfather many times, carrying eggs, butter -and even live chickens on the horse she rode. Grandfather would not go -in debt, and so he lived on his farm a long time without a wagon, but -finally became wealthy, and was reputed to have a "barrel of money" -(silver, of course), out of which store the thousand dollars mentioned -came. It took nearly a whole day to count this thousand dollars, as -there seemed to be nearly every nation's coin on earth represented, -and the "tables" (of value) had to be consulted, the particular coins -counted, and their aggregate value computed. - -It was this money that bought the farm five miles southwest of -Indianapolis, where I received my first real farm training. Father -had advanced ideas about farming, though a miller by trade, and -early taught me some valuable lessons I never forgot. We (I say "we" -advisedly, as father continued to work in the mill and left me in -charge of the farm) soon brought up the run-down farm to produce -twenty-three bushels of wheat per acre instead of ten, by the rotation -of corn, and clover and then wheat. But there was no money in farming -at the then prevailing prices, and the land, for which father paid ten -dollars an acre, would not yield a rental equal to the interest on the -money. Now that same land has recently sold for six hundred dollars an -acre. - -For a time I worked in the Journal printing office for S. V. B. Noel, -who, I think, was the publisher of the Journal, and also printed a -free-soil paper. A part of my duty was to deliver those papers to -subscribers, who treated me civilly, but when I was caught on the -streets of Indianapolis with the papers in my hand I was sure of -abuse from some one, and a number of times narrowly escaped personal -violence. In the office I worked as roller boy, but known as "the -devil," a term that annoyed me not a little. The pressman was a man by -the name of Wood. In the same room was a power press, the power being -a stalwart negro who turned a crank. We used to race with the power -press, when I would fly the sheets, that is, take them off when printed -with one hand and roll the type with the other. This so pleased Noel -that he advanced my wages to $1.50 a week. - -The present generation can have no conception of the brutal virulence -of the advocates of slavery against the "nigger" and "nigger lovers," -as all were known who did not join in the crusade against the negroes. - -One day we heard a commotion on the streets, and upon inquiry were -told that "they had just killed a nigger up the street, that's all," -and went back to work shocked, but could do nothing. But when a little -later word came that it was Wood's brother that had led the mob -and that it was "old Jimmy Blake's man" (who was known as a sober, -inoffensive colored man) consternation seized Wood as with an iron -grip. His grief was inconsolable. The negro had been set upon by the -mob just because he was a negro and for no other reason, and brutally -murdered. That murder, coupled with the abuse I had received at the -hands of this same element, set me to thinking, and I then and there -embraced the anti-slavery doctrines and ever after adhered to them -until the question was settled. - -One of the subscribers to whom I delivered that anti-slavery paper was -Henry Ward Beecher, who had then not attained the fame that came to him -later in life, but to whom I became attached by his kind treatment and -gentle words he always found time to utter. He was then, I think the -pastor of the Congregational Church that faced the "Governor's Circle." -The church has long since been torn down. - -One episode of my life I remember because I thought my parents were in -the wrong. Vocal music was taught in singing school, almost, I might -say, as regular as day schools. I was passionately fond of music, and -before the change came had a splendid alto voice, and became a leader -in my part of the class. This coming to the notice of the trustees of -Beecher's church, an effort was made to have me join the choir. Mother -first objected because my clothes were not good enough, whereupon an -offer was made to suitably clothe me and pay something besides; but -father objected because he did not want me to listen to preaching -other than the sect (Campbellite) to which he belonged. The incident -set me to thinking, and finally drove me, young as I was, into the -liberal faith, though I dared not openly espouse it. In those days many -ministers openly preached of endless punishment in a lake of fire, but -I never could believe that doctrine, and yet their words would carry -terror into my heart. The ways of the world are better now in this, as -in many other respects. - -Another episode of my life while working in the printing office I have -remembered vividly all these years. During the campaign of 1844 the -Whigs held a second gathering on the Tippecanoe battle-ground. It could -hardly be called a convention. A better name for the gathering would -be a political camp-meeting. The people came in wagons, on horseback, -afoot—any way to get there—and camped just like people used to do in -their religious camp-meetings. The journeymen printers of the Journal -office planned to go in a covered dead-ax wagon, and signified they -would make a place for the "devil," if his parents would let him go -along. This was speedily arranged with mother, who always took charge -of such matters. The proposition coming to Noel's ears he said for the -men to print me some campaign songs, which they did with a will, Wood -running them off the press after night while I rolled the type for him. -My! wasn't I the proudest boy that ever walked the earth? Visions of a -pocket full of money haunted me almost day and night until we arrived -on the battlefield. But lo and behold, nobody would pay any attention -to me. Bands of music were playing here and there; glee clubs would -sing and march first on one side of the ground and then the other; -processions were marching and the crowds surging, making it necessary -for one to look out and not get run over. Coupled with this, the rain -would pour down in torrents, but the marching and countermarching went -on all the same and continued for a week. An elderly journeyman printer -named May, who in a way stood sponsor for our party, told me if I would -get up on the fence and sing my songs the people would buy them, and -sure enough the crowds came and I sold every copy I had, and went home -with eleven dollars in my pocket, the richest boy on earth. - -It was about this time the start was made of printing the Indianapolis -News, a paper that has thriven all these after years. These same -rollicking printers that comprised the party to the battle-ground put -their heads together to have some fun, and began printing out of hours -a small 9x11 sheet filled with short paragraphs of sharp sayings of men -and things about town, some more expressive than elegant, and some, -in fact, not fit for polite ears; but the pith of the matter was they -treated only of things that were true and of men moving in the highest -circles. I cannot recall the given names of any of these men. May, the -elderly man before referred to, a man named Finly, and another, Elder, -were the leading spirits in the enterprise. Wood did the presswork and -my share was to ink the type and in part stealthily distribute the -papers, for it was a great secret where they came from at the start—all -this "just for the fun of the thing," but the sheet caused so much -comment and became sought after so much that the mask was thrown off -and the little paper launched as a "semi-occasional" publication and -"sold by carrier only," all this after hours, when the regular day's -work was finished. I picked up quite a good many fip-i-na-bits (a coin -representing the value of 6¼ cents) myself from the sale of these. -After a while the paper was published regularly, a rate established, -and the little paper took its place among the regular publications of -the day. This writing is altogether from memory of occurrences seventy -years ago, and may be faulty in detail, but the main facts are true, -which probably will be borne out by the files of the great newspaper -that has grown from the seed sown by those restless journeymen printers. - -It seems though that I was not "cut out" for a printer. My inclination -ran more to the open air life, and so father placed me on the farm -as soon as the purchase was made and left me in full charge of the -work, while he turned his attention to milling. Be it said that I -early turned my attention to the girls as well as to the farm, married -young—before I had reached the age of twenty-one, and can truly say -this was a happy venture, for we lived happily together for fifty-eight -years before the call came and now there are thirty-six descendants to -revere the name of the sainted mother. - -And now for a little insight into these times of precious memories that -never fade, and always lend gladness to the heart. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -CHILDHOOD DAYS. - - -My mother said I was "always the busiest young'en she ever saw," which -meant I was restless from the beginning—born so. - -According to the best information obtainable, I was born in a log -cabin, where the fireplace was nearly as wide as the cabin. The two -doors on opposite sides admitted the horse, dragging the backlog, to -enter in one, and go out at the other, and of course the solid puncheon -floor defied injury from rough treatment. - -The crane swung to and fro to regulate the bubbling mush in the pot. -The skillet and dutch oven occupied places of favor, instead of the -cook stove, to bake the pone or johnny cake, or to parch the corn, or -to fry the venison, which was then obtainable in the wilds of Ohio. - -A curtain at the farther end of the cabin marked the confines of a bed -chamber for the "old folk", while the elder children climbed the ladder -nailed to the wall to the loft of loose clapboard that rattled when -trod upon and where the pallets were so near the roof that the patter -of the rain made music to the ear, and the spray of the falling water, -not infrequently, would baptize the "tow-heads" left uncovered. - -Mother used to give us boys mush and milk for supper, and only that, -and then turned us out to romp or play or do up chores as the case -might be, and sometimes as I now think of it, we must almost have made -a burden of life for her, but she always seemed to think that anything -we did in the way of antics was funny and about right. - -It is mete to recall to mind that this date (of my birth) 1830, was -just after the first railroad was built (1826) in the United States, -just after friction matches were discovered (1827), just when the -first locomotive was run (1829), and "daguerreotype" was invented. -Following these came the McCormick reaper, immortalizing a name; the -introduction of photography (1839), and finally the telegraph (1844) -to hand down the name of Morse to all future generations as long as -history is recorded. Then came the sewing machine (1846) to lighten the -housewife's labor and make possible the vast advance in adornment in -dress. - -The few pioneers left will remember how the teeth were "yanked" -out, and he must "grin and bear it" until chloroform came into use -(1847), the beginning of easing the pain in surgical work and the near -cessation of blood-letting for all sorts of ills to which the race was -heir. - -The world had never heard of artesian wells until after I was eleven -years old (1841). Then came the Atlantic cable (1858), and the -discovery of coal oil (1859). Time and events combined to revolutionize -the affairs of the world. I well remember the "power" printing press -(the power being a sturdy negro turning a crank), in a room where I -worked a while as "the devil" in Noel's office in Indianapolis (1844) -that would print 500 impressions an hour, and I have recently seen -the monster living things that would seem to do almost everything but -think, run off its 96,000 of completed newspapers in the same period of -time, folded and counted. - -The removal to "Lockland", alongside the "raging canal", seemed only a -way station to the longer drive to Indiana, the longest walk of my life -in my younger days, which I vividly remember to this day, taken from -Lockland, ten miles out from Cincinnati, to Attica, Indiana a distance -approximately of two hundred miles, when but nine years old, during the -autumn of 1839. With the one wagon piled high with the household goods -and mother with two babies, one yet in arms. There was no room in the -wagon for the two boys, my brother Oliver Meeker, eleven years old, and -myself, as already stated but nine. The horses walked a good brisk gait -and kept us quite busy to keep up, but not so busy as to prevent us at -times from throwing stones at squirrels or to kill a garter snake or -gather flowers for mother and baby, or perhaps watch the bees gathering -honey or the red-headed woodpeckers pecking the trees. Barefooted and -bareheaded with tow pants and checkered "linsy woolsy" shirt and a -strip of cloth for "galluses", as suspenders were then called, we did -present an appearance that might be called primitive. Little did we -think or care for appearance, bent as we were upon having a good time, -and which we did for the whole trip. One dreary stretch of swamp that -kept us on the corduroy road behind the jolting wagon was remembered -which Uncle Usual Meeker, who was driving the wagon, called the "Big -Swamp", which I afterwards learned was near Crawfordsville, Indiana. -I discovered on my recent trip with the ox-team that the water of the -swamp is gone, the corduroy gone, the timber as well, and instead -great barns and pretentious homes have taken their places and dot the -landscape as far as the eye can reach. - -One habit we boys acquired on that trip stuck to us for life; until the -brother was lost in the disaster of the steamer Northerner, January 5, -1861, 23 years after the barefoot trip. We followed behind the wagon -part of the time and each took the name of the horse on his side of -the road. I was "Tip" and on the off side, while the brother was "Top" -and on the near side. "Tip" and "Top", a great big fat span of grey -horses that as Uncle Usual said "would run away at the drop of a hat" -was something to be proud of and each would champion his favorite ahead -of him. We built castles in the air at times as we trudged along, of -raising chickens, of getting honey bees, such as we saw at times on the -road; at other times it would be horses and then lambs, if we happened -to see a flock of sheep as we passed by—anything and everything that -our imagination would conjure and which by the way made us happy and -contented with our surroundings and the world at large. This habit of -my brother's walking on the near side and I on the off side continued, -as I have said, to the end of his life, and we were much together in -after life in Indiana, on the plains, and finally here in Washington. -We soon, as boys, entered into partnership, raising a garden, chickens, -ducks, anything to be busy, all of which our parents enjoyed, and -continued our partnership till manhood and until his death parted us. -It is wonderful how those early recollections of trivial matters will -still be remembered until old age overtakes us, while questions of -greater importance encountered later on in life escape our memory and -are lost. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -EARLY DAYS IN INDIANA. - - -In the early '50's, out four and a half and seven miles, respectively, -from Indianapolis, Indiana, there lived two young people with their -parents, who were old-time farmers of the old style, keeping no "hired -man" nor buying many "store goods." The girl could spin and weave, make -delicious butter, knit soft, good shapen socks, and cook as good a meal -as any other country girl around about, and was, withal, as buxom a -lass as had ever been "born and raised there (Indiana) all her life." - -These were times when sugar sold for eighteen cents per pound, calico -fifteen cents per yard, salt three dollars a barrel, and all other -goods at correspondingly high prices; while butter would bring but -ten cents a pound, eggs five cents a dozen, and wheat but two bits -(twenty-five cents) a bushel. And so, when these farmers went to the -market town (Indianapolis) care was taken to carry along something to -sell, either eggs, or butter, or perhaps a half dozen pairs of socks, -or maybe a few yards of home-made cloth, as well as some grain, or hay, -or a bit of pork, or possibly a load of wood, to make ends meet at the -store. - -The young man was a little uncouth in appearance, round-faced, rather -stout in build—almost fat—a little boisterous, always restless, and -without a very good address, yet with at least one redeeming trait of -character—he loved his work and was known to be as industrious a lad as -any in the neighborhood. - -These young people would sometimes meet at the "Brimstone -meeting-house," a Methodist church known (far and wide) by that name; -so named by the unregenerate because of the open preaching of endless -torment to follow non-church members and sinners after death—a literal -lake of fire—taught with vehemence and accompanied by boisterous scenes -of shouting by those who were "saved." Amid these scenes and these -surroundings these two young people grew up to the age of manhood -and womanhood, knowing but little of the world outside of their home -sphere,—and who knows but as happy as if they had seen the whole world? -Had they not experienced the joys of the sugar camp while "stirring -off" the lively creeping maple sugar? Both had been thumped upon the -bare head by the falling hickory nuts in windy weather; had hunted the -black walnuts half hidden in the leaves; had scraped the ground for the -elusive beech nuts; had even ventured to apple parings together, though -not yet out of their "teens." - -The lad hunted the 'possum and the coon in the White River bottom, now -the suburb of the city of Indianapolis, and had cut even the stately -walnut trees, now so valuable, that the cunning coon might be driven -from his hiding place. - - -I'M GOING TO BE A FARMER. - -"I'm going to be a farmer when I get married," the young man quite -abruptly said one day to the lass, without any previous conversation to -lead up to such an assertion, to the confusion of his companion, who -could not mistake the thoughts that prompted the words. A few months -later the lass said, "Yes, I want to be a farmer, too, but I want to -be a farmer on our own land," and two bargains were confirmed then and -there when the lad said, "We will go West and not live on pap's farm." -"Nor in the old cabin, nor any cabin unless it's our own," came the -response, and so the resolution was made that they would go to Iowa, -get some land and "grow up with the country." - - -OFF FOR IOWA. - -About the first week of October, 1851, a covered wagon drew up -in front of Thomas Sumner's habitation, then but four miles out -from Indianapolis on the National road, ready to be loaded for the -start. Eliza Jane, the second daughter of that noble man, the "lass" -described, then the wife of the young man mentioned, the author, -was ready, with cake and apple butter and pumpkin pies, jellies and -the like, enough to last the whole trip, and plenty of substantials -besides. Not much of a load to be sure, but it was all we had; plenty -of blankets, a good sized Dutch oven, and each an extra pair of shoes, -cloth for two new dresses for the wife, and for an extra pair of -trousers for the husband. - -Tears could be restrained no longer as the loading progressed and the -stern realization faced the parents of both that the young couple were -about to leave them. - -"Why, mother, we are only going out to Iowa, you know, where we can -get a home that shall be our own; it's not so very far—only about 500 -miles." - -"Yes, I know, but suppose you get sick in that uninhabited country—who -will care for you?" - -Notwithstanding this motherly solicitude, the young people could not -fail to know that there was a secret feeling of approval in the good -woman's breast, and when, after a few miles' travel, the reluctant -final parting came, could not then know that this loved parent would -lay down her life a few years later in an heroic attempt to follow the -wanderers to Oregon, and that her bones would rest in an unknown and -unmarked grave of the Platte valley. - -Of that October drive from the home near Indianapolis to Eddyville, -Iowa, in the delicious (shall I say delicious, for what other word -expresses it?) atmosphere of an Indian summer, and in the atmosphere -of hope and content; hope born of aspirations—content with our lot, -born of a confidence of the future, what shall I say? What matter if we -had but a few dollars in money and but few belongings?—we had the wide -world before us; we had good health; and before and above all we had -each other, and were supremely happy and rich in our anticipations. - -At this time but one railroad entered Indianapolis—it would be called -a tramway now—from Madison on the Ohio River, and when we cut loose -from that embryo city we left railroads behind us, except such as -were found in the wagon track where the rails were laid crossways to -keep the wagon out of the mud. What matter if the road was rough? We -could go a little slower, and then wouldn't we have a better appetite -for our supper because of the jolting, and wouldn't we sleep a little -sounder for it? And so everything in all the world looked bright, and -what little mishaps did befall us were looked upon with light hearts, -because we realized that they might have been worse. - -The great Mississippi River was crossed at Burlington, or rather, we -embarked several miles down the river, and were carried up to the -landing at Burlington, and after a few days' further driving landed -in Eddyville, Iowa, destined to be only a place to winter, and a way -station on our route to Oregon. - - -AN IOWA WINTER. - -My first introduction to an Iowa winter was in a surveyor's camp on the -western borders of the state, a little north of Kanesville (now Council -Bluffs), as cook of the party, which position was speedily changed and -that of flagman assigned to me. - -If there are any settlers now left of the Iowa of that day (sixty-four -years ago) they will remember the winter was bitter cold—the "coldest -within the memory of the oldest inhabitant." On my trip back from the -surveying party above mentioned to Eddyville, just before Christmas, I -encountered one of those cold days long to be remembered. A companion -named Vance rested with me over night in a cabin, with scant food for -ourselves or the mare we led. It was thirty-five miles to the next -cabin; we must reach that place or lay out on the snow. So a very early -start was made—before daybreak, while the wind lay. The good lady of -the cabin baked some biscuit for a noon lunch, but they were frozen -solid in our pockets before we had been out two hours. The wind rose -with the sun, and with the sun two bright sundogs, one on each side, -and alongside of each, but slightly less bright, another—a beautiful -sight to behold, but arising from conditions intolerable to bear. Vance -came near freezing to death, and would had I not succeeded in arousing -him to anger and gotten him off the mare. - -I vowed then and there that I did not like the Iowa climate, and the -Oregon fever was visibly quickened. Besides, if I went to Oregon -the government would give us 320 acres of land, while in Iowa we -should have to purchase it,—at a low price to be sure, but it must -be bought and paid for on the spot. There were no pre-emption or -beneficial homestead laws in force then, and not until many years -later. The country was a wide, open, rolling prairie—a beautiful -country indeed—but what about a market? No railroads, no wagon roads, -no cities, no meeting-houses, no schools—the prospect looked drear. -How easy it is for one when his mind is once bent against a country -to conjure up all sorts of reasons to bolster his, perhaps hasty, -conclusions; and so Iowa was condemned as unsuited to our life abiding -place. - -But what about going to Oregon when springtime came? An interesting -event was pending that rendered a positive decision impossible for -the moment, and not until the first week of April, 1852, when our -first-born baby boy was a month old, could we say that we were going to -Oregon in 1852. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -OFF FOR OREGON. - - -I have been asked hundreds of times how many wagons were in the train I -traveled with, and what train it was, and who was the captain?—assuming -that, of course, we must have been with some train. - -I have invariably answered, one train, one wagon, and that we had no -captain. What I meant by one train is, that I looked upon the whole -emigration, strung out on the plains five hundred miles, as one train. -For long distances the throng was so great that the road was literally -filled with wagons as far as the eye could reach. At Kanesville where -the last purchases were made, or the last letter sent to anxious -friends, the congestion became so great that the teams were literally -blocked, and stood in line for hours before they could get out of the -jam. Then, as to a captain, we didn't think we needed one, and so when -we drove out of Eddyville, there was but one wagon in our train, two -yoke of four-year-old steers, one yoke of cows, and one extra cow. -This cow was the only animal we lost on the whole trip—strayed in the -Missouri River bottom before crossing. - -And now as to the personnel of our little party. William Buck, who -became my partner for the trip, was a man six years my senior, had had -some experience on the Plains, and knew about the outfit needed, but -had no knowledge in regard to a team of cattle. He was an impulsive -man, and to some extent excitable; yet withal a man of excellent -judgment and as honest as God Almighty makes men. No lazy bones -occupied a place in Buck's body. He was so scrupulously neat and -cleanly that some might say he was fastidious, but such was not the -case. His aptitude for the camp work, and unfitness for handling the -team, at once, as we might say by natural selection, divided the cares -of the household, sending the married men to the range with the team -and the bachelor to the camp. The little wife was in ideal health, and -almost as particular as Buck (not quite though) while the young husband -would be a little more on the slouchy order, if the reader will pardon -the use of that word, more expressive than elegant. - -Buck selected the outfit to go into the wagon, while I fitted up the -wagon and bought the team. - -We had butter, packed in the center of the flour in double sacks; eggs -packed in corn meal or flour, to last us nearly five hundred miles; -fruit in abundance, and dried pumpkins; a little jerked beef, not too -salt, and last, though not least, a demijohn of brandy for "medicinal -purposes only," as Buck said, with a merry twinkle of the eye that -exposed the subterfuge which he knew I understood without any sign. The -little wife had prepared the home-made yeast cake which she knew so -well how to make and dry, and we had light bread all the way, baked in -a tin reflector instead of the heavy Dutch ovens so much in use on the -Plains. - -Albeit the butter to considerable extent melted and mingled with the -flour, yet we were not much disconcerted, as the "short-cake" that -followed made us almost glad the mishap had occurred. Besides, did we -not have plenty of fresh butter, from the milk of our own cows, churned -every day in the can, by the jostle of the wagon? Then the buttermilk! -What a luxury! Yes, that's the word—a real luxury. I will never, so -long as I live, forget that short-cake and corn-bread, the puddings and -pumpkin pies, and above all the buttermilk. The reader who smiles at -this may recall that it is the small things that make up the happiness -of life. - -But it was more than that. As we gradually crept out on the Plains and -saw the sickness and suffering caused by improper food and in some -cases from improper preparation, it gradually dawned on me how blessed -I was, with such a partner as Buck and such a life partner as the -little wife. Some trains, it soon transpired, were without fruit, and -most of them depended upon saleratus for raising their bread. Many had -only fat bacon for meat until the buffalo supplied a change; and no -doubt much of the sickness attributed to the cholera was caused by an -ill-suited diet. - -I am willing to claim credit for the team, every hoof of which reached -the Coast in safety. Four (four-year-old) steers and two cows were -sufficient for our light wagon and light outfit, not a pound of which -but was useful (except the brandy) and necessary for our comfort. Not -one of these steers had ever been under the yoke, though plenty of -"broke" oxen could be had, but generally of that class that had been -broken in spirit as well as in training, so when we got across the Des -Moines River with the cattle strung out to the wagon and Buck on the -off side to watch, while I, figuratively speaking, took the reins in -hand, we may have presented a ludicrous sight, but did not have time to -think whether we did or not, and cared but little so the team would go. - - -FIRST DAY OUT. - -The first day's drive out from Eddyville was a short one, and so far -as I now remember the only one on the entire trip where the cattle -were allowed to stand in the yoke at noon while the owners lunched and -rested. I made it a rule, no matter how short the noontime, to unyoke -and let the cattle rest or eat while we rested and ate, and on the last -(1906) trip rigidly adhered to that rule. - -An amusing scene was enacted when, at near nightfall, the first camp -was made. Buck excitedly insisted we must not unyoke the cattle. "Well, -what shall we do?" I asked; "They can't live in the yoke always; we -will have to unyoke them sometimes." - -"Yes, but if you unyoke here you will never catch them again," came -the response. One word brought on another, until the war of words had -almost reached the stage of a dispute, when a stranger, Thomas McAuley, -who was camped nearby, with a twinkle in his eye I often afterwards saw -and will always remember, interfered and said his cattle were gentle -and there were three men of his party and that they would help us yoke -up in the morning. I gratefully accepted his proffered help, speedily -unyoked, and ever after that never a word with the merest semblance of -contention passed between Buck and myself. - -Scanning McAuley's outfit the next morning I was quite troubled to -start out with him, his teams being light, principally cows, and thin -in flesh, with wagons apparently light and as frail as the teams. But -I soon found that his outfit, like ours, carried no extra weight; that -he knew how to care for a team; and was, withal, an obliging neighbor, -as was fully demonstrated on many trying occasions as we traveled in -company for more than a thousand miles, until his road to California -parted from ours at the big bend of the Bear River. - -Of the trip through Iowa little remains to be said further than that -the grass was thin and washy, the roads muddy and slippery, and weather -execrable, although May had been ushered in long before we reached the -little Mormon town of Kanesville (now Council Bluffs), a few miles -above where we crossed the Missouri River. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -CROSSING THE MISSOURI. - - -"What on earth is that?" exclaimed Margaret McAuley, as we approached -the ferry landing a few miles below where Omaha now stands. - -"It looks for all the world like a great big white flatiron," answered -Eliza, the sister, "doesn't it, Mrs. Meeker?" But, leaving the women -folks to their similes, we drivers turned our attention more to the -teams as we encountered the roads "cut all to pieces" on account of the -concentrated travel as we neared the landing and the solid phalanx of -wagons that formed the flatiron of white ground. - -We here encountered a sight indeed long to be remembered. The -"flatiron of white" that Eliza had seen proved to be wagons with their -tongues pointing to the landing—a center train with other parallel -trains extending back in the rear and gradually covering a wider -range the farther back from the river one would go. Several hundred -wagons were thus closely interlocked completely blocking the approach -to the landing by new arrivals, whether in companies or single. All -around about were camps of all kinds, from those without covering -of any kind to others with comfortable tents, nearly all seemingly -intent on merrymaking, while here and there were small groups engaged -in devotional services. We soon ascertained these camps contained -the outfits, in great part, of the wagons in line in the great white -flatiron, some of whom had been there for two weeks with no apparent -probability of securing an early crossing. At the turbulent river -front the muddy waters of the Missouri had already swallowed up three -victims, one of whom I saw go under the drift of a small island as -I stood near his shrieking wife the first day we were there. Two -scows were engaged in crossing the wagons and teams. In this case the -stock had rushed to one side of the boat, submerged the gunwale, and -precipitated the whole contents into the dangerous river. One yoke of -oxen, having reached the farther shore, deliberately entered the river -with a heavy yoke on and swam to the Iowa side, and were finally saved -by the helping hands of the assembled emigrants. - -"What shall we do?" was passed around, without answer. Tom McAuley was -not yet looked upon as a leader, as was the case later. The sister -Margaret, a most determined maiden lady, the oldest of the party and as -resolute and brave as the bravest, said to build a boat. But of what -should we build it? While this question was under consideration and a -search for material made, one of our party, who had gotten across the -river in search of timber, discovered a scow, almost completely buried, -on the sandpit opposite the landing, "only just a small bit of railing -and a corner of the boat visible." The report seemed too good to be -true. The next thing to do was to find the owner, which in a search of -a day we did, eleven miles down the river. "Yes, if you will stipulate -to deliver the boat safely to me after crossing your five wagons and -teams, you can have it," said the owner, and a bargain was closed right -then and there. My! but didn't we make the sand fly that night from -that boat? By morning we could begin to see the end. Then busy hands -began to cut a landing on the perpendicular sandy bank on the Iowa -side; others were preparing sweeps, and all was bustle and stir and one -might say excitement. - -By this time it had become noised around that another boat would be -put on to ferry people over, and we were besieged with applications -from detained emigrants. Finally, the word coming to the ears of -the ferrymen, they were foolish enough to undertake to prevent us -from crossing ourselves. A writ of replevin or some other process -was issued, I never knew exactly what, directing the sheriff to take -possession of the boat when landed, and which he attempted to do. I -never before nor since attempted to resist an officer of the law, nor -joined to accomplish anything by force outside the pale of the law, -but when that sheriff put in an appearance, and we realized what it -meant, there wasn't a man in our party that did not run for his gun -to the nearby camp, and it is needless to add that we did not need to -use them. As if by magic a hundred guns were in sight. The sheriff -withdrew, and the crossing went peaceably on till all our wagons were -safely landed. But we had another danger to face; we learned that there -would be an attempt made to take the boat from us, not as against us, -but as against the owner, and but for the adroit management of McAuley -and my brother Oliver (who had joined us) we would have been unable to -fulfill our engagements with the owner. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -OUT ON THE PLAINS. - - -When we stepped foot upon the right bank of the Missouri River we were -outside the pale of civil law. We were within the Indian country where -no organized civil government existed. Some people and some writers -have assumed that each man was "a law unto himself" and free to do his -own will, dependent, of course, upon his physical ability to enforce it. - -Nothing could be further from the facts than this assumption, as -evil-doers soon found out to their discomfort. No general organization -for law and order was effected, but the American instinct for fair -play and for a hearing prevailed; so that while there was not mob -law, the law of self-preservation asserted itself, and the mandates -of the level-headed old men prevailed; "a high court from which there -was no appeal," but "a high court in the most exalted sense; a senate -composed of the ablest and most respected fathers of the emigration, -exercising both legislative and judicial power; and its laws and -decisions proved equal to any worthy of the high trust reposed in it," -so tersely described by Applegate as to conditions when the first -great train moved out on the Plains in 1843, that I quote his words as -describing conditions in 1852. There was this difference, however, in -the emigration of 1843—all, by agreement, belonged to one or the other -of the two companies, the "cow column" or the "light brigade," while -with the emigrants of 1852 it is safe to say that more than half did -not belong to large companies, or one might say any organized company. -But this made no difference, for when an occasion called for action a -"high court" was convened, and woe-betide the man that would undertake -to defy its mandates after its deliberations were made public. - -One incident, well up on the Sweetwater, will illustrate the spirit -of determination of the sturdy old men (elderly, I should say, as -no young men were allowed to sit in these councils) of the Plains, -while laboring under stress of grave personal cares and with many -personal bereavements. A murder had been committed, and it was clear -that the motive was robbery. The suspect had a large family and was -traveling along with the moving column. Men had volunteered to search -for the missing man and finally found the proof pointing to the guilt -of the suspect. A council of twelve men was called and deliberated -until the second day, meanwhile holding the murderer safely within -their grip. What were they to do? Here was a wife and four little -children depending upon this man for their lives; what would become -of his family if justice was meted out to him? Soon there came an -under-current of what might be termed public opinion—that it was -probably better to forego punishment than to endanger the lives of the -family; but the council would not be swerved from its resolution, and -at sundown of the third day the criminal was hung in the presence of -the whole camp, including the family, but not until ample provisions -had been made to insure the safety of the family by providing a driver -to finish the journey. I came so near seeing this that I did see the -ends of the wagon tongues in the air and the rope dangling therefrom, -but I have forgotten the names of the parties, and even if I had not, -would be loath to make them public. - -From necessity, murder was punishable with death; but stealing, by a -tacit understanding, with whipping, which, when inflicted by one of -those long ox lashes in the hands of an expert, would bring the blood -from the victim's back at every stroke. Minor offenses, or differences -generally, took the form of arbitration, the decision of which each -party would abide by, as if emanating from a court of law. - -Lawlessness was not common on the Plains, no more so than in the -communities from which the great body of the emigrants had been drawn; -in fact, not so much so, as punishment was swift and certain, and that -fact had its deterrent effect. But the great body of the emigrants were -a law-abiding people from law-abiding communities. - -And now as to our mode of travel. I did not enter an organized company, -neither could I travel alone. Four wagons, with nine men, by tacit -agreement, traveled together for a thousand miles, and separated only -when our roads parted, the one to California, the other to Oregon. -And yet we were all the while in one great train, never out of sight -or hearing of others. In fact, at times, the road would be so full of -wagons that all could not travel in one track, and this fact accounts -for the double road-beds seen in so many places on the trail. One of -the party always went ahead to look out for water, grass and fuel, -three requisites for a camping place. The grass along the beaten -track was always eaten off close by the loose stock, of which there -were great numbers, and so we had frequently to take the cattle long -distances from camp. Then came the most trying part of the whole -trip—the all-night watch, which resulted in our making the cattle our -bed-fellows, back to back for warmth; for signal as well, to get up -if the ox did. It was not long, though, till we were used to it, and -slept quite a bit except when a storm struck us; well, then, to say -the least, it was not a pleasure outing. But weren't we glad when the -morning came, with, perchance, the smoke of the campfire in sight, and -maybe, as we approached, we could catch the aroma of the coffee; and -then such tender greetings and such thoughtful care that would have -touched a heart of stone, and to us seemed like a paradise. We were -supremely happy. - -People, too, often brought their own ills upon themselves by their -indiscreet action, especially in the loss of their teams. The trip -had not progressed far until there came a universal outcry against -the heavy loads and unnecessary articles, and soon we began to see -abandoned property. First it might be a table or a cupboard, or -perhaps a bedstead or a heavy cast-iron cook-stove. Then began to -be seen bedding by the wayside, feather beds, blankets, quilts, -pillows—everything of the kind that mortal man might want. And so, -very soon here and there an abandoned wagon could be seen, provisions, -stacks of flour and bacon being the most abundant—all left as common -property. Help yourself if you will; no one will interfere; and, in -fact, in some places a sign was posted inviting all to take what they -wanted. Hundreds of wagons were left and hundreds of tons of goods. -People seemed to vie with each other to give away their property, -there being no chance to sell, and they disliked to destroy. Long -after the mania for getting rid of goods and lightening the load, the -abandonment of wagons continued, as the teams became weaker and the -ravages of cholera struck us. It was then that many lost their heads -and ruined their teams by furious driving, by lack of care, and by -abuse. There came a veritable stampede—a strife for possession of the -road, to see who should get ahead. Whole trains (often with bad blood) -would strive for the mastery of the road, one attempting to pass the -other, frequently with drivers on each side the team to urge the poor, -suffering brutes forward. - -"What shall we do?" passed from one to another in our little family -council. - -"Now, fellers," said McAuley, "don't lose your heads, but do just as -you have been doing; you gals, just make your bread as light as ever, -and we'll boil the water and take river water the same as ever, even if -it is almost as thick as mud." - -We had all along refused to "dig little wells near the banks of the -Platte," as many others did, having soon learned that the water -obtained was strongly charged with alkali, while the river water was -comparatively pure, other than the fine impalpable sediment, so fine as -to seemingly be held in solution. - -"Keep cool," he continued; "maybe we'll have to lay down, and maybe -not. Anyway, it's no use frettin'. What's to be will be, 'specially if -we but help things along." - -This homely yet wise counsel fell upon willing ears, as most all were -already of the same mind; and we did "just as we had been doing," and -escaped unharmed. - -I look back on that party of nine men and three women (and a baby), -with four wagons, with feelings almost akin to reverence. - -Thomas McAuley became by natural selection the leader of the party, -although no agreement of the kind was ever made. He was, next to his -maiden sister, the oldest of the party, a most fearless man, who never -lost his head, whatever the emergency, and I have been in some pretty -tight places with him. While he was the oldest, I was the youngest of -the men folks of the party, and the only married man of the lot, and -if I do have to say it, the strongest and ablest to bear the brunt of -the work (pardon me, reader, when I add, and willing according to my -strength, for it is true), and so we got along well together until the -parting of the way came. This spirit, though, pervaded the whole camp -both with the men and women folks to the end. Thomas McAuley still -lives, at Hobart Hills, California, or did a few years ago when I last -heard from him, a respected citizen. He has long since passed the -eighty-year mark, and has not "laid down" yet. - -Did space but permit I would like to tell more in detail of the members -of that little happy party (family we called ourselves) camped near the -bank of the Platte when the fury of that great epidemic—cholera—burst -upon us, but I can only make brief mention. William Buck—one of -Nature's noblemen—has long ago "laid down." Always scrupulously neat -and cleanly, always ready to cater to the wants of his companions and -as honest as the day is long, he has ever held a tender place in my -heart. It was Buck that selected our nice little outfit, complete in -every part, so that we did not throw away a pound of provisions nor -need to purchase any. The water can was in the wagon, of sufficient -capacity to supply our wants for a day, and a "sup" for the oxen and -cows besides. The milk can in the wagon always yielded its lump of -butter at night, churned by the movement of the wagon from the surplus -morning's milk. The yeast cake so thoughtfully provided by the little -wife ever brought forth sweet, light bread baked in that tin reflector -before the "chip" (buffalo) fire. That reflector and those yeast cakes -were a great factor conducive to our health. Small things, to be sure, -but great as to results. Instead of saleratus biscuit, bacon and beans, -we had the light bread and fruit, with fresh meats and rice pudding, -far out on the Plains, until our supply of eggs became exhausted. - -Of the remainder of the party, brother Oliver "laid down" fifty-five -years ago, but his memory is still green in the hearts of all who knew -him. Margaret McAuley died a few years after reaching California. Like -her brother, she was resolute and resourceful, and almost like a mother -to the younger sister and the young wife and baby. And such a baby! -If one were to judge by the actions of all the members of that camp, -the conclusion would be reached there was no other baby on earth. All -seemed rejoiced to know there was a baby in camp; young (only seven -weeks old when we started) but strong and grew apace as the higher -altitude was reached. - -Eliza, the younger sister, a type of the healthy, handsome American -girl, graceful and modest, became the center of attraction upon which a -romance might be written, but as the good elderly lady still lives, the -time has not yet come, and so we must draw the veil. - -Of the two Davenport brothers, Jacob, the youngest, became ill at Soda -Springs, was confined to the wagon for more than seven hundred miles -down Snake River in that intolerable dust, and finally died soon after -we arrived in Portland. - -John, the elder brother, always fretful, but willing to do his part, -has passed out of my knowledge. Both came of respected parents on an -adjoining farm to that of my own home near Indianapolis, but I have -lost all trace of them. - -Perhaps the general reader may not take even a passing interest in this -little party (family) here described. I can only say that this was -typical of many on the Trail of '52. The McAuleys or Buck and others of -our party could be duplicated in larger or smaller parties all along -the line. There were hundreds of noble men trudging up the Platte at -that time in an army over five hundred miles long, many of whom "laid -down," a sacrifice to their duty, or maybe to inherent weakness of -their system. While it is true such an experience brings out the worst -features of individual characters, yet it is also true that the shining -virtues come to the front likewise; like pure gold, they are found -where least expected. - -Of the fortitude of the women one cannot say too much. Embarrassed -at the start by the follies of fashion (and long dresses which were -quickly discarded and the bloomer donned), they soon rose to the -occasion and cast false modesty aside. Could we but have had the camera -(of course not then in existence) trained on one of those typical -camps, what a picture there would be. Elderly matrons dressed almost -like the little sprite miss of tender years of today. The younger women -were rather shy of accepting the inevitable, but finally fell into the -procession, and we had a community of women wearing bloomers without -invidious comment, or, in fact, any comment at all. Some of them went -barefoot, partly from choice and in some cases from necessity. The -same could be said of the men, as shoe leather began to grind out from -the sand and dry heat. Of all the fantastic costumes it is safe to say -the like was never seen before. The scene beggars description. Patches -became visible upon the clothing of preachers as well as laymen; -the situations brooked no respecter of persons. The grandmother's -cap was soon displaced by a handkerchief or perhaps a bit of cloth. -Grandfather's high crowned hat disappeared as if by magic. Hatless and -bootless men became a common sight. Bonnetless women were to be seen on -all sides. They wore what they had left or could get, without question -as to the fitness of things. Rich dresses were worn by some ladies -because they had no others; the gentlemen drew upon their wardrobes -until scarcely a fine unsoiled suit was left. - -The dust has been spoken of as intolerable. The word hardly expresses -the situation; in fact, the English language contains no words to -properly express it. Here was a moving mass of humanity and dumb -brutes, at times mixed in inextricable confusion, a hundred feet wide -or more. Sometimes two columns of wagons traveling on parallel lines -and near each other would serve as a barrier to prevent loose stock -from crossing; but usually there would be a confused mass of cows, -young cattle, horses, and footmen moving along the outskirts. Here and -there would be the drivers of loose stock, some on foot and some on -horseback;—a young girl, maybe, riding astride, with a younger child -behind, going here and there after an intractable cow, while the mother -could be seen in the confusion lending a helping hand. As in a thronged -city street, no one seemed to look to the right or to the left, or to -pay much, if any, attention to others, but bent alone on accomplishing -the task in hand. Over all, in calm weather at times, the dust would -settle so thick that the lead team of oxen could not be seen from the -wagon—like a London fog, so thick one might almost cut it.[1] Then, -again, that steady flow of wind up to and through the South Pass would -hurl the dust and sand in one's face sometimes with force enough to -sting from the impact upon the face and hands. - -Then we had storms that were not of sand and wind alone;—storms that -only a Platte Valley in summer or a Puget Sound winter might turn -out;—storms that would wet one to the skin in less time that it takes -to write this sentence. One such I remember being caught in while out -on watch. The cattle traveled so fast it was difficult to keep up with -them. I could do nothing else than follow, as it would have been as -impossible to turn them as it would to change the direction of the -wind. I have always thought of this as a cloudburst. Anyway, there was -not a dry thread left on me in an incredibly short time. My boots were -as full of water as if I had been wading over boot-top deep, and the -water ran through my hat as though it was a sieve, almost blinding me -in the fury of wind and water. Many tents were leveled, and, in fact, -such occurrences as fallen tents were not uncommon. - -One of our neighboring trains suffered no inconsiderable loss by the -sheets of water on the ground, floating their camp equipage, ox yokes, -and all loose articles away; and they only narrowly escaped having a -wagon engulfed in the raging torrent that came so unexpectedly upon -them. Such were some of the discomforts on the Plains in '52. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[1] The author spent four winters in London on the world's hop market, -and perhaps has a more vivid recollection of what is meant by a London -fog than would be understood by the general reader. I have seen the fog -and smoke there so black that one could not see his hand held at arm's -length, and it reminded me of some scenes in the dust on the Plains. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -OUT ON THE PLAINS—BUFFALO STAMPEDE. - - -The buffalo trails generally followed the water courses or paralleled -them, while again they would lead across the country with scarcely -any deviation from a direct course. When on the road a herd would -persistently follow their leader, whether in the wild tumult of a -stampede or the more leisurely grazing as they traveled. - -However, for nearly a thousand miles a goodly supply of fresh meat was -obtainable from the adventurous hunters, who in spite of the appalling -calamity that had overtaken the moving column of the emigrants would -venture out on the chase, the temptation being too great to restrain -their ardor. - -A story is told, and it is doubtless true, of a chase on the upper -regions of the Missouri, where the leaders, either voluntarily or -by pressure from the mass behind, leaped to their death over a -perpendicular bluff a hundred feet high overlooking the river, followed -blindly by the herd until not only hundreds but thousands lay at the -foot struggling in inextricable confusion, piling one upon another till -the space between the river and the bluff was bridged and the belated -victims plunged headlong into the river. - -Well up the Platte but below Fort Laramie, we had the experience of a -night stampede that struck terror to the very vitals of man and beast. -It so happened that evening we had brought our cattle into camp, a -thing we did not usually do. We had driven the wagons into a circle -with the tongue of one wagon chained to the hind axle tree of the one -in front, with the cattle inside the circle and the tents outside. I -slept in the wagon that night, which was not often, for usually I would -be out on the range with the oxen, and if I slept at all, snugged up -close to Dandy's back. My partner, William Buck, was in the tent nearby -and sleeping on the ground, likewise brother Oliver. - -We first heard the approaching storm, but almost instantly every animal -in the corral was on his feet. Just then the alarm was given and all -hands turned out, not yet knowing what caused the general commotion. A -roar like an approaching storm could be heard in the distance. We can -liken it to the roar of a heavy railroad train on a still night passing -at no great distance. As by instinct all suddenly seemed to know what -was approaching, the tents were emptied of their inmates, the weak -parts of the corral guarded, the frightened cattle looked after, and -everyone in the camp was on the alert to watch what was coming. - -In the darkness of the night we could soon see the form of the foremost -leader and then such dense masses that one could not distinguish one -from the other. How long they were passing we forgot to note; it -seemed like an age. When daylight came a few stragglers were yet to -be seen and fell under the unerring aim of the frontier-man's rifle. -Our neighbors in camp did not escape loss. Some were detained for days -gathering up their scattered stock, while again others were unable -to find them, and lost their teams, or a part of them, and never did -recover them. - -At times when not on the road, the buffalo were shy, difficult to -approach and hard to bag, even with the long range rifles of the -pioneers. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -OUT ON THE PLAINS. - - -As soon as a part of our outfits were landed on the right bank of the -river our trouble with the Indians began, not in open hostilities, but -in robbery under the guise of beggary. The word had been passed around -in our little party that not one cent's worth of provisions would we -give up to the Indians,—believing this policy was our only safeguard -from spoliation, and in that we were right. The women folks had been -taken over the river with the first wagon, and sent off a little way -to a convenient camp, so that the first show of arms came from that -side of our little community, when some of the bolder Pawnees attempted -to pilfer around the wagons. But no blood was shed, and I may say in -passing there was none shed by any of our party during the entire -trip, though there was a show of arms in several instances. One case -in particular I remember. Soon after we had left the Missouri River -we came to a small bridge over a washout across the road, evidently -constructed very recently by some train just ahead of us. The Indians -had taken possession and demanded pay for crossing. Some ahead of us -had paid, while others were hesitating, but with a few there was a -determined resolution not to pay. When our party came up it remained -for that fearless man, McAuley, in quite short order to clear the way -though the Indians were there in considerable numbers. McAuley said, -"You fellers come right on, for I'm going across that bridge if I have -to run right over that Ingen settin' there." And he did almost run over -the Indian, who at the last moment got out of the way of his team, -which was followed in such quick succession and with such a show of -arms that the Indians withdrew, and left the road unobstructed. - -In another instance, I came very near getting into serious trouble -with three Indians on horseback. We had hauled off away from the road -to get water, I think, and became separated from the passing throng, -and almost, but not quite out of sight of any wagons or camps. The -Indians came up ostensibly to beg, but really to rob, and first began -to solicit, and afterwards to threaten. I started to drive on, not -thinking they would use actual violence, as there were other emigrants -certainly within a half mile, and thought they were merely trying to -frighten me into giving up at least a part of my outfit. Finally one -of the Indians whipped out his knife and cut loose the cow that I was -leading behind the wagon. I did not have to ask for my gun, as my -wife in the wagon, who had seen the act, believed, as I did, that the -time had come to fight, and handed me my trusty rifle out under the -cover, and before the savages had time to do anything further they -saw the gun. They were near enough to make it certain that one shot -would take deadly effect, but instead of shooting one, I trained the -gun in the direction so I might quickly choose between the three, and -in an instant each Indian was under cover of his horse, and speeding -away in great haste. The old story that "almost anyone will fight when -cornered" was exemplified in this incident, but I did not want any more -such experiences and consequently thereafter became more careful. - -We did not, however, have much trouble with the Indians in 1852. The -facts are, the great numbers of emigrants, coupled with the superiority -of their arms, placed them on comparatively safe grounds. And it must -be remembered, also, that this was before the treaty-making period, -which has so often been followed by bloodshed and war. - -But to return to the river bank. We crossed on the 17th and 18th of -May, and drove out a short way on the 19th, but not far enough to be -out of hearing of a shrill steamboat whistle that resounded over the -prairie, announcing the arrival of a steamer. - -I never knew the size of that steamer, or the name, but only know that -a dozen or more wagons could be crossed at once, and that a dozen or -more trips could be made during the day, and as many more at night, and -that we were overtaken by this throng of a thousand wagons thrown upon -the road, that gave us some trouble and much discomfort. - -And now that we were fairly on the way the whole atmosphere, so to -speak, seemed changed. Instead of the discordant violin and more -discordant voices, with the fantastic night open-air dances with mother -earth as a floor, there soon prevailed a more sober mein, even among -the young people, as they began to encounter the fatigue of a day's -drive and the cares of a night watch. With so many, the watchword was -to push ahead and make as big a day's drive as possible; hence it is -not to be wondered at that nearly the whole of the thousand wagons that -crossed the river after we did soon passed us. - -"Now, fellers, jist let 'em rush on, and keep cool, we'll overcatch -them afore long," said McAuley. And we did, and passed many a -broken-down team, the result of that first few days of rush. It was -this class that unloaded such piles of provisions, noted elsewhere, in -the first two hundred mile stretch, and that fell such easy prey to -the ravages of the epidemic of cholera that struck the moving column -where the throng from the south side of the Platte began crossing. As -I recollect this, it must have been near where the city of Kearney -now stands, which is about two hundred miles west of the Missouri -River. We had been in the buffalo country several days, and some of -our young men had had the keen edge of the hunting zeal worn off by a -day's ride in the heat. A number of them were sick from the effects of -overheating and indiscreet drinking of impure water. Such an experience -came vividly home to me in the case of my brother Oliver, who had -outfitted with our Hoosier friends near Indianapolis, but had crossed -the Missouri River in company with us. Being of an adventurous spirit, -he could not restrain his ardor, and gave chase to the buffaloes, -and fell sick almost unto death. This occurred just at the time when -we had encountered the cholera panic, and of course it must be the -cholera that had seized him with such an iron grip, argued some of -his companions. His old-time comrades and neighbors, all but two, and -they could not delay. I said, "It's certain death to take him along -in that condition," which they admitted was true. "Divide the outfit, -then." The Davenport boys said they would not leave my brother, and -so their portion of the outfit was put out also, which gave the three -a wagon and team. Turning to Buck, I said, "I can't ask you to stay -with me." The answer came back quick as a flash, "I am going to stay -with you without asking," and he did, too, though my brother was -almost a total stranger. We nursed the sick man for four days amidst -scenes of excitement and death I hope never to witness again, with -the result that on the fifth day we were able to go on and take the -convalescent with us and thus saved his life. It was at this point the -sixteen hundred wagons passed us as noted elsewhere in the four days' -detention, and loose stock so numerous, we made no attempt to count -them. - -Of course, this incident is of no particular importance, except to -illustrate what life meant in those strenuous days. The experience of -that camp was the experience, I may say, of hundreds of others; of -friends parting; of desertion; of noble sacrifice; of the revelation -of the best and worst of the inner man. Like the shifting clouds of a -brightening summer day, the trains seemed to dissolve and disappear, -while no one, apparently, knew what had become of their component -parts, or whither they had gone. - -There did seem instances that would convert the most skeptical to the -Presbyterian doctrine of total depravity, so brutal and selfish were -the actions of some men; brutal to men and women alike; to dumb brutes, -and in fact to themselves. And, yet, it is a pleasure to record that -there were numerous instances of noble self-sacrifice, of helpfulness, -of unselfishness, to the point of imperiling their own lives. It became -a common saying to know one's neighbors, they must be seen on the -Plains. - -The army of loose stock that accompanied this huge caravan, a column, -we may almost say, of five hundred miles long without break, added -greatly to the discomfort of all. Of course, the number of cattle and -horses will never be known, but their number was legion compared to -those that labored under the yoke, or in the harness. A conservative -estimate would be not less than six animals to the wagon, and surely -there were three loose animals to each one in the teams. By this it -would appear that as sixteen hundred wagons passed while we tarried -four days, nearly ten thousand beasts of burden and thirty thousand -loose stock accompanied them. As to the number of persons, certainly -there were five to the wagon, perhaps more, but calling it five, eight -thousand people, men, women and children, passed on during those four -days—many to their graves not afar off. - -We know by the inscribed dates found on Independence Rock and elsewhere -that there were wagons full three hundred miles ahead of us. The throng -had continued to pass the river more than a month after we had crossed, -so that it does not require a stretch of the imagination to say the -column was five hundred miles long, and like Sherman's march through -Georgia, fifty thousand strong. - -Of the casualties in that mighty army I scarcely dare guess. It is -certain that history gives no record of such great numbers migrating -so long a distance as that of the Pioneers of the Plains, where, as we -have seen, the dead lay in rows of fifties and groups of seventies. -Shall we say ten per cent fell by the wayside? Many will exclaim -that estimate is too low. Ten per cent would give us five thousand -sacrifices of lives laid down even in one year to aid in the peopling -of the Pacific Coast states. The roll call was never made, and we know -not how many there were. The list of mortalities is unknown, and so -we are lost in conjecture, and now we only know that the unknown and -unmarked graves have gone into oblivion. - -Volumes could be written of life on the Plains and yet leave the story -not half told. In some matter before me I read, "found a family, -consisting of husband, wife and four small children, whose cattle we -supposed had given out and died. They were here all alone, and no wagon -or cattle in sight"—had been thrown out by the owner of a wagon and -left on the road to die. In a nearby page I read, "Here we met Mr. Lot -Whitcom, direct from Oregon—. Told me a great deal about Oregon. He -has provisions, but none to sell, but gives to all he finds in want, -and who are unable to buy." These stories of the good Samaritan, and -the fiendish actions of others could be multiplied indefinitely, but -I quote only extracts from these two, written on the spot, that well -illustrate the whole. - -Mrs. Cecelia Emily McMillen Adams, late of Hillsboro, Oregon, crossed -the Plains in 1852, and kept a painstaking diary, and noted the graves -passed, and counted them. Her diary is published in full by the Oregon -Pioneer Association, 1904. I note the following: "June fourteenth. -Passed seven new made graves. June 15th. Sick headache, not able to sit -up. June 16th. Passed 11 new graves. June 17th. Passed six new graves. -June 18th. We have passed twenty-one new made graves today. June 19th. -Passed thirteen graves today. June 20th. Passed ten graves. June 21st. -No report. June 22nd. Passed seven graves. If we should go by all the -camping grounds, we should see five times as many graves as we do." - -This report of seventy-five dead in 106 miles, and that "if we should -go by all the camping grounds we should see five times as many graves -as we do," coupled with the fact that a parallel column from which we -have no report was traveling up the Platte on the south side of the -river, and that the outbreak of the cholera had taken place originally -in this column coming from the southeast, fully confirms the estimate -of 5,000 deaths on the Plains in 1852. It is in fact rather under than -over the actual number who laid down their lives that year. I have -mislaid the authority, but at the time I read it, believed the account -to be true, of a scout that passed over the ground late that year -(1852) from the Loop Fork of the Platte to the Laramie, a distance -approximating 400 miles, that by actual count in great part and -conservative estimate of the remainder, there were six fresh graves to -the mile for the whole distance—this, it is to be remembered, on the -one side of the river in a stretch where for half the distance of a -parallel column traveling on the opposite bank, where like conditions -prevailed. - -A few more instances must suffice to complete this chapter of horrors. - -L. B. Rowland, now of Eugene, Oregon, recently told me the experience -of his train of twenty-three persons, between the two crossings of the -Snake River, of which we have just written. Of the twenty-three that -crossed, eleven died before they reached the lower crossing. - -Mrs. M. E. Jones, now of North Yakima, states that forty people of -their train died in one day and two nights, before reaching the -crossing of the Platte. Martin Cook, of Newberg, Oregon, is my -authority for the following: A family of seven persons, the father -known as "Dad Friels," from Hartford, Warren County, Iowa, all died -of cholera, and were buried in one grave. He could not tell me the -locality nor the exact date, but it would be useless to search for -the graves, as all have long ago been leveled by the passing hoofs of -the buffalo or domestic stock, or met the fate of hundreds of shallow -graves, having been desecrated by hungry wolves. - -A pathetic thought came uppermost in the minds of the emigrants as the -fact dawned upon them that all the graves were fresh made, and that -those of previous years had disappeared—either leveled by the storms of -wind or rain; by the hoofs of the passing throng of stock; or possibly -by ravages of the hungry wolf. Many believed the Indians had robbed the -graves for the clothing on the bodies. Whatever the cause, the fact -was realized that the graves of previous years were all, or nearly all -gone, and that the same fate awaited the last resting place of those -loved ones laid away in such great numbers. - -One of the incidents that made a profound impression upon the minds of -all; the meeting of eleven wagons returning and not a man left in the -entire train;—all had died, and had been buried on the way, and the -women were returning alone from a point well up on the Platte below -Fort Laramie. The difficulties of a return trip were multiplied on -account of the passing throng moving westward. How they succeeded, or -what became of them I never knew, but we did know a terrible task lay -before them. - -As the column passed up the Platte, there came some relief for awhile -from the dust and a visible thinning out of the throng; some had pushed -on and gotten out of the way of the congested district, while others -had lagged behind; and then it was patent that the missing dead left -not only a void in the hearts of their comrades, but also a visible -space upon the road, while their absence cast a gloom over many an -aching heart. - -As we gradually ascended the Sweetwater, the nights became cooler, and -finally, the summit reached, life became more tolerable and suffering -less acute. The summit of the Rocky Mountains, through the South Pass -presents a wide, open undulating country that extends for a long -distance at a very high altitude—probably 6,000 feet above sea level, -until Bear River is reached, a distance of over 150 miles. This is a -region of scant herbage and almost destitute of water, except at river -crossings, for on this stretch of the Trail, the way leads across the -water courses, and not with them. - -The most attractive natural phenomena encountered on the whole trip are -the soda springs near the Bear River, and in fact right in the bed of -the river. One of these, the Steamboat spring, was spouting at regular -intervals as we passed. These have, however, ceased to overflow as in -1852, as I learned on my recent trip. - -When the Snake River was reached and in fact before, the heat again -became oppressive, the dust stifling, and thirst at times almost -maddening. In some places we could see the water of the Snake, but -could not reach it as the river ran in the inaccessible depths of -the canyon. Sickness again became prevalent, and another outbreak of -cholera claimed many victims. - -There were but few ferries and none in many places where crossings were -to be made, and where here and there a ferry was found the charges -were high—or perhaps the word should be, exorbitant—and out of reach -of a large majority of the emigrants. In my own case, all my funds had -been absorbed in procuring my outfit at Eddyville, Iowa, not dreaming -there would be use for money "on the Plains" where there were neither -supplies nor people. We soon found out our mistake, however, and sought -to mend matters when opportunity offered. The crossing of the Snake -River, though late in the trip, gave the opportunity. - -About thirty miles below Salmon Falls the dilemma confronted us to -either cross the river or starve our teams on the trip down the river -on the south bank. - -Some emigrants had calked three wagon-beds and lashed them together, -and were crossing, but would not help others across for less than -three to five dollars a wagon, the party swimming their own stock. If -others could cross in wagon-beds, why could I not do likewise? and -without much ado all the old clothing that could possibly be spared was -marshaled, tar buckets ransacked, old chisels and broken knives hunted -up, and a veritable boat repairing and calking campaign inaugurated, -and shortly the wagon-box rode placidly, even if not gracefully on the -turbid waters of the formidable river. It had been my fortune to be the -strongest physically of any of our little party of four men, though I -would cheerfully accept a second place mentally. - -My boyhood pranks of playing with logs or old leaky skiffs in the -waters of White River now served me well, for I could row a boat even -if I had never taken lessons as an athlete. My first venture across the -Snake River was with the wagon gear run over the wagon box, the whole -being gradually worked out into deep water. The load was so heavy -that a very small margin was left to prevent the water from breaking -over the sides, and some actually did, as light ripples on the surface -struck the "Mary Jane," as we had christened (without wine) the "craft" -as she was launched. However, I got over safely, but after that took -lighter loads and really enjoyed the novelty of the work and the change -from the intolerable dust to the atmosphere of the water. - -Some were so infatuated with the idea of floating on the water as to -be easily persuaded by an unprincipled trader at the lower crossing to -dispose of their teams for a song, and embark in their wagon beds for -a voyage down the river. It is needless to say that these persons (of -whom there were a goodly number) lost everything they had and some, -their lives, the survivors, after incredible hardships, reaching the -road again to become objects of charity while separated entirely from -friends. I knew one survivor, who yet lives in our state, who was -out seven days without food other than a scant supply of berries and -vegetable growth, and "a few crickets, but not many," as it was too -laborious to catch them. - -We had no trouble to cross the cattle, although the river was wide. -Dandy would do almost anything I asked of him, so, leading him to the -water's edge, with a little coaxing I got him into swimming water and -guided him across with the wagon bed, while the others all followed, -having been driven into the deep water following the leader. It seems -almost incredible how passively obedient cattle will become after long -training on such a trip, in crossing streams. - -We had not finished crossing when tempting offers came from others -to cross them, but all our party said "No, we must travel." The rule -had been adopted to travel some every day possible. "Travel, travel, -travel," was the watchword, and nothing could divert us from that -resolution, and so on the third day we were ready to pull out from the -river with the cattle rested from the enforced detention. - -But what about the lower crossing? Those who had crossed over the river -must somehow get back. It was less than 150 miles to where we were -again to cross to the south side (left bank) of the river. I could -walk that in three days, while it would take our teams ten. Could I -go on ahead, procure a wagon box and start a ferry of my own? The -thought prompted an affirmative answer at once; so with a little food -and a small blanket the trip to the lower crossing was made. It may be -ludicrous, but is true, that the most I remember about that trip is the -jackrabbits—such swarms of them I had never seen before as I traveled -down the Boise Valley, and never expect to see again. - -The trip was made in safety, but conditions were different. At the -lower crossing, as I have already said, some were disposing of their -teams and starting to float down the river; some were fording, a -perilous undertaking, but most of them succeeded who tried, and besides -a trader whose name I have forgotten had an established ferry near the -old fort (Boise). I soon obtained a wagon-bed, and was at work during -all the daylight hours (no eight-hour-a-day there) crossing people -till the teams came up, (and for several days after), and left the -river with $110 in my pocket, all of which was gone before I arrived in -Portland, save $2.75. - -I did not look upon that work then other than as a part of the trip, to -do the best we could. None of us thought we were doing a heroic act in -crossing the plains and meeting emergencies as they arose. In fact, we -did not think at all of that phase of the question. Many have, however, -in later life looked upon their achievement with pardonable pride, and -some in a vainglorious mood of mind. - -A very pleasant incident recently occurred in reviving memories of -this episode of my life, while visiting my old time friend Edward J. -Allen,[2] mentioned elsewhere in this work. It was my good fortune -to be able to spend several day; with that grand "Old Timer" at his -residence in Pittsburg, Pa. We had not met for fifty years. The reader -may readily believe there had been great changes with both of us as -well as in the world at large in that half century of our lives. My -friend had crossed the plains the same year I did, and although a -single man and young at that, had kept a diary all the way. Poring over -this venerable manuscript one day while I was with him, Mr. Allen ran -across this sentence, "The Meeker brothers sold out their interest in -the ferry today for $185.00, and left for Portland." Both had forgotten -the partnership though each remembered their experience of the ferrying -in wagon-boxes. - -From the lower crossing of the Snake River, at Old Fort Boise to The -Dalles is approximately 350 miles. It became a serious question with -many whether there would be enough provisions left to keep starvation -from the door, or whether the teams could muster strength to take the -wagons in. Many wagons were left by the wayside. Everything possible -shared the same fate; provisions and provisions only were religiously -cared for—in fact, starvation stared many in the face. Added to -the weakened condition of both man and beast small wonder if some -thoughtless persons would take to the river in their wagon-beds, many -to their death, and the remaining to greater hardships. - -I can not give an adequate description of the dust, which seemed to -get deeper and more impalpable every day. I might liken the wading -in the dust, to wading in water as to resistance. Often times the -dust would lie in the road full six inches deep, and so fine that one -wading through it would scarcely leave a track. And such clouds, when -disturbed—no words can describe it. - -The appearance of the people is described in the chapter following. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[2] Recently died at the age of 89. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER.[3] - -On a September day of 1852 an assemblage of persons could be seen -encamped on the banks of the great Columbia, at The Dalles, now a -city of no small pretensions, but then only a name for the peculiar -configuration of country adjacent to and including the waters of the -great river. - -One would soon discover this assemblage was constantly changing. Every -few hours stragglers came in from off the dusty road, begrimed with -the sweat of the brow commingled with particles of dust driven through -the air, sometimes by a gentle breeze and then again by a violent gale -sweeping up the river through the mountain gap of the Cascade Range. A -motley crowd these people were, almost cosmopolitan in nationality, yet -all vestige of race peculiarities or race prejudice ground away in the -mill of adversity and trials common to all alike in common danger. And -yet, the dress and appearance of this assemblage were as varied as the -human countenance and as unique as the great mountain scenery before -them. Some were clad in scanty attire as soiled with the dust as their -brows; others, while with better pretensions, lacked some portions -of dress required in civilized life. Here a matronly dame with clean -apparel would be without shoes, or there, perhaps, the husband without -the hat or perhaps both shoes and hat absent; there the youngsters of -all ages, making no pretensions to genteel clothing other than to cover -their nakedness. An expert's ingenuity would be taxed to the utmost to -discover either the texture or original color of the clothing of either -juvenile or adult, so prevailing was the patch work and so inground the -particles of dust and sand from off the plains. - -Some of these people were buoyant and hopeful in the anticipation of -meeting friends whom they knew were awaiting them at their journey's -end, while others were downcast and despondent as their thoughts -went back to their old homes left behind, and the struggle now so -near ended, and forward to the (to them) unknown land ahead. Some had -laid friends and relatives tenderly away in the shifting sands, who -had fallen by the wayside, with the certain knowledge that with many -the spot selected by them would not be the last resting place for the -bones of the loved ones. The hunger of the wolf had been appeased by -the abundance of food from the fallen cattle that lined the trail for -a thousand miles or more, or from the weakened beasts of the emigrants -that constantly submitted to capture by the relentless native animals. - -The story of the trip across the plains in 1852 is both interesting and -pathetic, but I have planned to write of life after the journey rather -than much about the journey itself; of the trials that beset the people -after their five months' struggle on the tented field of two thousand -miles of marching were ended, where, like on the very battlefield, the -dead lay in rows of fifties or more; where the trail became so lined -with fallen animals, one could scarcely be out of sight or smell of -carrion; where the sick had no respite from suffering, nor the well -from fatigue. But this oft told story is a subject of itself, treated -briefly to the end we may have space to tell what happened when the -journey was ended. - -The constant gathering on the bank of the Columbia and constant -departures of the immigrants did not materially change the numbers -encamped, nor the general appearance. The great trip had moulded this -army of homeseekers into one homogeneous mass, a common brotherhood, -that left a lasting impression upon the participants, and, although -few are left now, not one but will greet an old comrade as a brother -indeed, and in fact, with hearty and oftentimes tearful congratulations. - -We camped but two days on the bank of the river. When I say we, let it -be understood that I mean myself, my young wife, and the little baby -boy, who was but seven weeks old when the start was made from near -Eddyville, Iowa. Both were sick, the mother from gradual exhaustion -during the trip incident to motherhood, and the little one in sympathy, -doubtless drawn from the mother's breast. - -Did you ever think of the wonderful mystery of the inner action of -the mind, how some impressions once made seem to remain, while others -gradually fade away, like the twilight of a summer sunset, until -finally lost? And then how seemingly trivial incidents will be fastened -upon one's memory while others of more importance we would recall if we -could, but which have faded forever from our grasp? I can well believe -all readers have had this experience, and so will be prepared to -receive with leniency the confession of an elderly gentleman, (I will -not say old), when he says that most of the incidents are forgotten -and few remembered. I do not remember the embarking on the great scow -for the float down the river to the Cascades, but vividly remember, -as though it were but yesterday, incidents of the voyage. We all felt -(I now mean the immigrants who took passage) that now our journey was -ended. The cattle had been unyoked for the last time. The wagons had -been rolled to the last bivouac; the embers of the last camp fire -had died out; the last word of gossip had been spoken, and now, we -were entering a new field with new present experience, and with new -expectancy for the morrow. - -The scow or lighter upon which we took passage was decked over, but -without railing, a simple, smooth surface upon which to pile our -belongings, which, in the majority of cases made but a very small -showing. I think there must have been a dozen families, or more, of -sixty or more persons, principally women and children, as the young -men (and some old ones, too) were struggling on the mountain trail to -get the teams through to the west side. The whole deck surface of the -scow was covered with the remnants of the immigrants' outfits, which in -turn were covered by the owners, either sitting or reclining upon their -possessions, leaving but scant room to change position or move about in -any way. - -Did you ever, reader, have the experience when some sorrow overtook -you, or when some disappointment had been experienced, or when deferred -hopes had not been realized, or sometimes even without these and from -some unknown, subtle cause, feel that depression of spirits that for -lack of a better name we call "the blues"? When the world ahead looked -dark; when hope seemed extinguished and the future looked like a blank? -Why do I ask this question? I know you all to a greater or less degree -have had just this experience. Can you wonder that after our craft -had been turned loose upon the waters of the great river, and begun -floating lazily down with the current, that such a feeling as that -described would seize us as with an iron grip? We were like an army -that had burned the bridges behind them as they marched, and with scant -knowledge of what lay in the track before them. Here we were, more than -two thousand miles from home, separated by a trackless, uninhabited -waste of country, impossible for us to retrace our steps. Go ahead -we must, no matter what we were to encounter. Then, too, the system -had been strung up for months, to duties that could not be avoided or -delayed, until many were on the verge of collapse. Some were sick and -all reduced in flesh from the urgent call for camp duty, and lack of -variety of food. Such were the feelings and condition of the motley -crowd of sixty persons as we slowly neared that wonderful crevice -through which the great river flows while passing the Cascade mountain -range. - -For myself, I can truly say, that the trip had not drawn on my vitality -as I saw with so many. True, I had been worked down in flesh, having -lost nearly twenty pounds on the trip, but what weight I had left was -the bone and sinew of my system, that served me so well on this trip -and has been my comfort in other walks of life at a later period. -And so, if asked, did you experience hardships on the trip across -the plains, I could not answer yes without a mental reservation that -it might have been a great deal worse. I say the same as to after -experience, for these subsequent sixty years or more of pioneer life, -having been blessed with a good constitution, and being now able to say -that in the fifty-eight years of our married life, the wife has never -seen me a day sick in bed. But this is a digression and so we must turn -our attention to the trip on the scow, "floating down the river." - -In our company, a party of three, a young married couple and an -unmarried sister, lounged on their belongings, listlessly watching -the ripples on the water, as did also others of the party. But little -conversation was passing. Each seemed to be communing with himself or -herself, but it was easy to see what were the thoughts occupying the -minds of all. The young husband, it was plain to be seen, would soon -complete that greater journey to the unknown beyond, a condition that -weighed so heavily upon the ladies of the party, that they could ill -conceal their solicitude and sorrow. Finally, to cheer up the sick -husband and brother, the ladies began in sweet, subdued voices to -sing the old familiar song of Home, Sweet Home, whereupon others of -the party joined in the chorus with increased volume of sound. As the -echo died away, at the moment of gliding under the shadow of the high -mountain, the second verse was begun, but was never finished. If an -electric shock had startled every individual of the party, there could -have been no more simultaneous effect than when the second line of the -second verse was reached, when instead of song, sobs and outcries of -grief poured forth from all lips. It seemed as if there was a tumult -of despair mingled with prayer pouring forth without restraint. The -rugged boatmen rested upon their oars in awe, and gave away in sympathy -with the scene before them, until it could be truly said no dry eyes -were left nor aching heart but was relieved. Like the downpour of a -summer shower that suddenly clears the atmosphere to welcome the bright -shining sun that follows, so this sudden outburst of grief cleared away -the despondency to be replaced by an exalted exhilarating feeling of -buoyancy and hopefulness. The tears were not dried till mirth took -possession—a real hysterical manifestation of the whole party, that -ended all depression for the remainder of the trip. - -But our party was not alone in these trials. It seems to me like the -dream of seeing some immigrants floating on a submerged raft while -on this trip. Perhaps, it is a memory of a memory, or of a long lost -story, the substance remembered, but the source forgotten. - -Recently a story was told me by one of the actors in the drama, that -came near a tragic ending. Robert Parker, who still lives at Sumner, -one of the party, has told me of their experience. John Whitacre, -afterwards Governor of Oregon, was the head of the party of nine that -constructed a raft at The Dalles out of dry poles hauled from the -adjacent country. Their stock was then started out over the trail, -their two wagons put upon the raft with their provisions, bedding, -women, and children in the wagons, and the start was made to float -down the river to the Cascades. They had gotten but a few miles until -experience warned them. The waves swept over the raft so heavily that -it was like a submerged foundation upon which their wagons stood. A -landing a few miles out from The Dalles averted a total wreck, and -afforded opportunity to strengthen the buoyancy of their raft by extra -timber packed upon their backs for long distances. And how should they -know when they would reach the falls? Will they be able to discover -the falls and then have time to make a landing? Their fears finally -got the better of them; a line was run ashore and instead of making -a landing, they found themselves hard aground out of reach of land, -except by wading a long distance, and yet many miles above the falls -(Cascades). Finally, a scow was procured, in which they all reached the -head of the Cascades in safety. The old pioneer spoke kindly of this -whole party, one might say affectionately. One, a waif picked up on the -plains, a tender girl of fifteen, fatherless and motherless, and sick—a -wanderer without relatives or acquaintances—all under the sands of the -plains—recalled the trials of the trip vividly. But, he had cheerful -news of her in after life, though impossible at the moment to recall -her name. Such were some of the experiences of the finish of the long, -wearisome trip of those who floated down the river on flatboat and raft. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[3] A chapter from Pioneer Reminiscences, by the author, published 1905. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE ARRIVAL. - - -About nine o'clock at night, with a bright moon shining, on October -1st, 1852, I carried my wife in my arms up the steep bank of the -Willamette River, and three blocks away in the town of Portland to a -colored man's lodging house. - -"Why, suh, I didn't think yuse could do that, yuse don't look it," said -my colored friend, as I deposited my charge in the nice, clean bed in a -cozy little room. - -From April until October, we had been on the move in the tented field, -with never a roof over our heads other than the wagon cover or tent, -and for the last three months, no softer bed than either the ground -or bottom of the wagon bed. We had found a little steamer to carry -us from the Cascades to Portland, with most of the company that had -floated down the river from The Dalles, in the great scow. At the -landing we separated, and knew each other but slightly afterwards. The -great country, Oregon, (then including Puget Sound) was large enough -to swallow up a thousand such immigrations and yet individuals be lost -to each other, but a sorrier mess it would be difficult to imagine -than confronted us upon arrival. Some rain had fallen, and more soon -followed. With the stumps and logs, mud and uneven places, it was no -easy matter to find a resting place for the tented city so continuously -enlarging. People seemed to be dazed; did not know what to do; -insufficient shelter to house all; work for all impossible; the country -looked a veritable great field of forest and mountain. Discouragement -and despair seized upon some, while others began to enlarge the circle -of observation. A few had friends and acquaintances, which fact -began soon to relieve the situation by the removals that followed -the reunions, while suffering, both mental and physical, followed -the arrival in the winter storm that ensued, yet soon the atmosphere -of discontent disappeared, and general cheerfulness prevailed. A few -laid down in their beds not to arise again; a few required time to -recuperate their strength, but with the majority, a short time found -them as active and hearty as if nothing had happened. For myself, I can -truly say, I do not remember the experience as a personal hardship. I -had been born of healthy parents. I know of my father working eighteen -hours a day for three years in the Carlisle mill at Indianapolis, -Indiana, for 75 cents a day, and as an experienced miller at that. If -his iron will or physical perfection or something had enabled him to -endure this ordeal and retain his strength, why could not I, thirty -years younger, hew my way? I did not feel fatigued. True, I had been -"worked down" in flesh, but more from lack of suitable food than from -excessive exertion. Any way, I resolved to try. - -My brother, Oliver, who had crossed the plains with me—a noble man -and one destined, had he lived, to have made his mark—came ahead by -the trail. He had spied out the land a little with unsatisfactory -results, met me and pointed the way to our colored friend's abode. We -divided our purse of $3.75, I retaining two dollars and he taking the -remainder, and with earliest dawn of the 2nd found the trail leading -down the river, searching for our mutual benefit for something to do. - -Did you, reader, ever have the experience of a premonition that led you -on to success? Some say this is simply chance; others say that it is a -species of superstition, but whatever it is, probably most of us, some -time in our lives have had some sort of trials to set us to thinking. - -As we passed up the Willamette, a few miles below Portland, on the -evening of our arrival, a bark lay seemingly right in our path as we -steamed by. Standing upon the lower deck of our little steamer, this -vessel looked to our inexperienced eyes as a veritable monster, with -masts reaching to the sky, and hull towering high above our heads. -Probably not one of that whole party of frontiersmen had ever before -seen a deep sea vessel. Hence, small wonder, the novelty of this great -monster, as we all thought of the vessel, should excite our admiration -and we might almost say, amazement. That was what we came so far for, -to where ships might go down to the sea and return laden with the -riches of the earth. The word passed that she was bound for Portland -with a cargo of merchandise and to take a return cargo of lumber. -There, as we passed, flashed through my mind, will be my opportunity -for work tomorrow, on that vessel. - -Sure enough, when the morrow came, the staunch bark Mary Melville -lay quietly in front of the mill, and so, not losing any time in -early morning, my inquiry was made "do you want any men on board this -ship?" A gruff looking fellow eyed me all over as much as to say, "not -you," but answered, "yes, go below and get your breakfast." I fairly -stammered out, I must go and see my wife first, and let her know where -I am, whereupon came back a growl "of course, that will be the last -of you; that's the way with these new comers, always hunting for work -and never wanting it" (this aside to a companion, but in my hearing). -I swallowed my indignation with the assurance that I would be back in -five minutes and so went post haste to the little sufferer to impart -the good news. - -Put yourself in my place, you land lubber, who never came under the -domination of a brutal mate of a sailing vessel fifty years ago. My -ears fairly tingled with hot anger at the harsh orders, but I stuck -to the work, smothering my rage at being berated while doing my very -best to please and to expedite the work. The fact gradually dawned on -me that the man was not angry, but had fallen in the way of talking -as though he was, and that the sailors paid slight heed to what he -said. Before night, however, the fellow seemed to let up on me, while -increasing his tirade on the heads of their regular men. The second and -third day wore off with blistered hands, but with never a word about -wages or pay. - -"Say, boss, I'se got to pay my rent, and wese always gets our pay in -advance. I doesn't like to ask you, but can't you get the old boss -to put up something on your work?" I could plainly see that it was a -notice to pay or move. He was giving it to me in thinly veiled words. -What should I do? Suppose the old skipper should take umbrage, and -discharge me for asking for wages before the end of the week? But when -I told him what I wanted the money for, the old man's eyes moistened, -but without a word, he gave me more money than I had asked for, and -that night the steward handed me a bottle of wine for the "missus," -which I knew instinctively came from the old captain. - -The baby's Sunday visit to the ship; the Sunday dinner in the cabin; -the presents of delicacies that followed, even from the gruff mate, -made me feel that under all this roughness, a tender spot of humanity -lay, and that one must not judge by outward appearances too much—that -even way out here, three thousand miles from home, the same sort of -people lived as those I had left behind me. - - "St. Helens, October 7th, 1852. - - "Dear Brother: Come as soon as you can. Have rented a house, - sixty boarders; this is going to be the place. Shall I send you - money? - - O. P. M." - -The mate importuned me to stay until the cargo was on board, which I -did until the last stick of lumber was stowed, the last pig in the pen, -and the ship swung off bound on her outward voyage. I felt as though -I had an interest in her, but, remembering the forty dollars in the -aggregate I had received, with most of it to jingle in my pockets, I -certainly could claim no financial interest, but from that day on I -never saw or heard the name of the bark Mary Melville without pricking -my ears (figuratively, of course) to hear more about her and the old -captain and his gruff mate. - -Sure enough, I found St. Helens to be the place. Here was to be the -terminus of the steamship line from San Francisco. "Wasn't the company -building this wharf?" They wouldn't set sixty men to work on the dock -without they meant business. "Ships can't get up that creek" (meaning -the Willamette), "the big city is going to be here." This was the talk -that greeted my ears, after we had carried the wife, (this time in a -chair) to our hotel. Yes, our hotel, and had deposited her and the baby -in the best room the house afforded. - -It was here I made acquaintance with Columbia Lancaster, afterwards -elected as the first delegate to Congress from Washington. I have -always felt that the published history of those days has not done the -old man justice, and has been governed in part, at least, by factional -bias. Lancaster believed that what was worth doing at all was worth -doing well, and he lived it. He used to come across the Columbia with -his small boat, rowed by his own hand, laden with vegetables grown by -himself on his farm opposite St. Helens, in the fertile valley of the -Lewis River. I soon came to know what Lancaster said of his produce -was true to the letter; that if he told me he had good potatoes, he -had, and that they were the same in the middle or bottom of the sack -as at the top. And so with all his produce. We at once became his -heaviest customer, and learned to trust him implicitly. I considered -him a typical pioneer, and his name never would have been used so -contemptuously had it not been that he became a thorn in the side of -men who made politics a trade for personal profit. Lancaster upset -their well laid plans, carried off the honors of the democratic -nomination, and was elected as our first delegate in Congress from the -new Territory of Washington. - -One January morning of 1853, the sixty men, (our boarders) did not -go to work dock building as usual. Orders had come to suspend work. -Nobody knew why, or for how long. We soon learned the why, as the -steamship company had given up the fight against Portland, and would -thenceforward run their steamers to that port. For how long, was -speedily determined, for the dock was not finished and was allowed to -fall into decay and disappear by the hand of time. - -Our boarders scattered, and our occupation was gone, and our -accumulation in great part rendered worthless to us by the change. - -Meantime, snow had fallen to a great depth; the price of forage for -cattle rose by leaps and bounds, and we found that we must part with -half of our stock to save the remainder. It might be necessary to feed -for a month, or for three months, but we could not tell, and so the -last cow was given up that we might keep one yoke of oxen, so necessary -for the work on a new place. Then the hunt for a claim began again. One -day's struggle against the current of Lewis River, and a night standing -in a snow and sleet storm around a camp fire of green wood, cooled -our ardor a little, and two hours sufficed to take us back home next -morning. - -But claims we must have. That was what we had come to Oregon for; we -were going to be farmers. Wife and I had made that bargain before -we closed the other more important contract. We were, however, both -of one mind as to both contracts. Early in January of 1853 the snow -began disappearing rapidly, and the search became more earnest, until -finally, about the 20th of January, I drove my first stake for a claim, -to include the site where the town, or city, of Kalama now stands, and -here built our first cabin. - -That cabin I can see in my mind as vividly as I could the first day -after it was finished. It was the first home I ever owned. What a -thrill of joy that name brought to us. Home. It was our home, and no -one could say aye, yes, or no, as to what we should do. No more rough -talk on ship board or at the table; no more restrictions if we wished -to be a little closer together. The glow of the cheek had returned to -the wife; the dimple to the baby. And such a baby. In the innocence -of our souls we really and truly thought we had the smartest, cutest -baby on earth. I wonder how many millions of young parents have since -experienced that same feeling? I would not tear the veil from off their -eyes if I could. Let them think so, for it will do them good—make them -happy, even if, perchance, it should be an illusion—it's real to them. -But I am admonished that I must close this writing now, and tell about -the cabin, and the early garden, and the trip to Puget Sound in another -chapter. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE FIRST CABIN. - - -What a charm the words our first cabin have to the pioneer. To many, -it was the first home ever owned by them, while to many others, like -myself, the first we ever had. We had been married nearly two years, -yet this was really our first abiding place. All others had been merely -way stations on the march westward from Indianapolis to this cabin. -Built of small, straight logs, on a side hill, with the door in the end -fronting the river, and with but little grading, for the rocky nature -of the location would not admit of it. Three steps were required to -reach the floor. The ribs projected in front a few feet to provide -an open front porch, with a ground floor, not for ornament, but for -storage for the dry wood and kindling so necessary for the comfort and -convenience of the mistress of the house. The walls were but scant five -feet, with not a very steep roof, and a large stone fire place and -chimney—the latter but seven feet high—completed our first home. - -The great river, nearly a mile and three-quarters wide, seemed to tire -from its ceaseless flow at least once a day as if taking a nooning -spell, while the tides from the ocean, sixty miles away, contended for -mastery, and sometimes succeeded in turning the current up stream. -Immediately in front of our landing lay a small island of a few acres -in extent, covered with heavy timber and driftwood. This has long since -disappeared and ships now pass over the spot with safety. - -Scarcely had we become settled in our new home before there came a -mighty flood that covered the waters of the river with wrecks of -property impossible to enumerate. Our attention was immediately turned -to securing logs that came floating down the river in great numbers. -In a very short time we had a raft that was worth quite a sum of -money could we but get it to the market. Encouraged by this find, we -immediately turned our attention to some fine timber standing close -to the bank nearby, and began hand logging to supplement what we had -already secured afloat. I have often wondered what we would have done -had it not been for this find, for in the course of seven weeks three -of us marketed eight hundred dollars' worth of logs that enabled us to -obtain flour, even if we did pay fifty dollars a barrel, and potatoes -at two dollars a bushel, and sometimes more. - -And yet, because of that hand logging work, Jane came very near -becoming a widow one morning before breakfast, but did not know of it -until long afterwards. It occurred in this way. We did not then know -how to scaffold up above the tough, swelled butts of the large trees, -and this made it very difficult to chop them down. So we burned them -by boring two holes at an angle to meet inside the inner bark, and by -getting the fire started, the heart of the tree would burn, leaving -an outer shell of bark. One morning, as usual, I was up early, and -after starting the fire in the stove and putting on the tea kettle, I -hastened to the burning timber to start afresh the fires, if perchance, -some had ceased to burn. Nearing a clump of three giants, two hundred -and fifty feet tall, one began toppling over toward me. In my confusion -I ran across the path where it fell, and while this had scarce reached -the ground, a second started to fall almost parallel to the first, -scarcely thirty feet apart at the top, leaving me between the two with -limbs flying in a good many directions. If I had not become entangled -in some brush, I would have gotten under the last falling tree. It was -a marvelous escape, and would almost lead one to think that there is -such a thing as a charmed life. - -The rafting of our precious accumulations down the Columbia River to -Oak Point; the relentless current that carried us by where we had -contracted our logs at six dollars a thousand; the following the raft -to the larger waters, and finally, to Astoria, where we sold them for -eight dollars, instead of six per thousand, thus profiting by our -misfortunes; the involuntary plunge off the raft into the river with -my boots on; the three days and nights of ceaseless toil and watching -would make a thrilling story if we had but the time to tell it. Our -final success was complete, which takes off the keen edge of the -excitement of the hour, and when finished, we unanimously voted we -would have none of it more. - -At Oak Point we found George Abernethy, former Governor of Oregon, who -had quite recently returned with his family from the "States," and -had settled down in the lumber business. He had a mill running of a -capacity of about 25,000 feet of lumber a day. It was a water power -mill, and the place presented quite a smart business air for the room -they had. But Oak Point did not grow to be much of a lumber or business -center, and the water mill eventually gave way to steam, located -elsewhere, better suited for the business. - -The flour sack was nearly empty when we left home expecting to be -absent but one night, and now we had been gone a week. There were no -neighbors nearer than four miles and no roads—scarcely a trail—the only -communication was by the river. What about the wife and baby alone in -the cabin with the deep timber close by in the rear, and heavy jungle -of brush in the front? Nothing about it. We found them all right -upon our return, but like the log drivers with their experience, the -little wife said she wanted no more of cabin life alone. And yet, like -adventures and like experiences followed. - -The February sun of 1853 shone almost like midsummer. The clearing grew -almost as if by magic. We could not resist the temptation to begin -planting, and before March was gone, the rows of peas, lettuce, and -onions growing on the river bank could be seen from the cabin door, -thirty rods away. - -One day I noticed some three-cornered bits of potatoes that had been -cut out, not bigger than the end of my finger. These all ran to a -point as though cut out from a pattern. The base, or outer skin, all -contained an eye of the potato. The wife said these would grow and -would help us out about seed when planting time came, and we could have -the body of the potatoes to eat. That would have seemed a plausible -scheme had we been able to plant at once, but by this time we had been -forcibly reminded that there was another impending flood for June, -incident to the melting of the snow on the mountains, a thousand miles -away as the channel ran. But the experiment would not cost much, so the -potato eyes were carefully saved and spread out on shelves where they -became so dry that they would rattle like dry onion sets when handled. -Every steamer outward bound carried potatoes for the San Francisco -market, until it became a question whether enough would be left for -seed, so that three and even four cents per pound was asked and paid -for sorry looking culls. We must have seed, and so, after experimenting -with the dried eyes, planted in moist earth in a box kept warm in the -cabin, we became convinced that the little lady of the household was -right, so ate potatoes freely even at these famine prices. Sure enough, -the flood came, the planting delayed until July, and yet a crop was -raised that undug brought in nearly four hundred dollars, for we did -not stay to harvest them, or in fact, cultivate them, leaving that to -another who became interested in the venture. - -In April, the word began to pass around that we were to have a new -Territory to embrace the country north of the Columbia River, with its -capital on Puget Sound, and here on the Columbia we would be way off -to one side and out of touch with the people who would shortly become -a great, separate commonwealth. Besides, had we not come all the way -across the plains to get to the Sea Board, and here we were simply on -the bank of a river—a great river to be sure, with its ship channel, -but then, that bar at the mouth, what about it? Then the June freshet, -what about that? - -So, leaving the little wife and baby in the cabin home, one bright -morning in May, my brother Oliver and myself made each of us a pack -of forty pounds and took the trail, bound for Puget Sound, camping -where night overtook us, and sleeping in the open air without shelter -or cover other than that afforded by some friendly tree with drooping -limbs. Our trail first led us down near the right bank of the Columbia -to the Cowlitz, thence up the latter river thirty miles or more, and -then across the country nearly sixty miles to Olympia, and to the salt -sea water of the Pacific sent inland a hundred and fifty miles by the -resistless tides, twice a day for every day of the year. - -Our expectations had been raised by the glowing accounts about Puget -Sound, and so, when we could see in the foreground but bare, dismal -mud flats, and beyond but a few miles, of water with a channel scarce -twice as wide as the channel of the great river we had left, bounded -on either side by high table, heavily timbered land, a feeling of deep -disappointment fell upon us, with the wish that we were back at our -cabin on the river. - -Should we turn around and go back? No, that was what we had not yet -done since leaving our Indiana home eighteen months before; but what -was the use of stopping here? We wanted a place to make a farm, and we -could not do it on such forbidding land as this. Had not the little -wife and I made a solemn bargain or compact, before we were married -that we were going to be farmers? Here, I could see a dense forest -stretched out before me quite interesting to the lumberman, and for -aught I know, channels for the ships, but I wanted to be neither a -lumberman nor sailor, and so my first camp on Puget Sound was not -cheerful and my first night not passed in contentment. - -Olympia at the time contained about 100 inhabitants. It could boast -having three stores, a hotel, a livery stable, and saloon, with one -weekly newspaper, then publishing its thirtieth number. A glance at -the advertising columns of this paper, the "Columbian," (named for -what was expected would be the name of the new Territory) disclosed -but few local advertisers, the two pages devoted to advertising being -filled by announcements of business other than in Olympia. "Everybody -knows everybody here," said a business man to me, "so what's the use -of advertising." And it was thus with those who had been in the place -for a few weeks, and so it continued all over the pioneer settlements -for years. To meet a man on the road or on the street without speaking -was considered rude. It became the universal practice to greet even -strangers as well as acquaintances, and to this day I doubt if there -are many of the old settlers yet devoid of the impulse to pass the -time of day with hearty greetings to whomsoever they may meet, be they -acquaintances or strangers. - -Edmund Sylvester in partnership with Levi L. Smith, located the claims -where the town of Olympia is built, in 1848. Mr. Smith soon after died, -leaving Sylvester as sole proprietor of the town, where I saw him, as -it will appear, five years later. It is said that Colonel I. N. Ebey -suggested the name Olympia, which was not given to the place until -after Mr. Sylvester's flight to the gold mines of California and return -in 1850. - -But we could not stay here at Olympia. We had pushed on past some -good locations on the Chehalis, and further south, without locating, -and now, should we retrace our steps? Brother Oliver said no. My -better judgment said no, though sorely pressed with that feeling of -homesickness, or blues, or whatever we may call it. The resolve was -quickly made that we would see more of this Puget Sound, that we were -told presented nearly as many miles of shore line as we had traveled -westward from the Missouri River to Portland, near sixteen hundred -miles, and which we afterwards found to be true. - -But how were we to go and see these, to us unexplored waters? I said I -would not go in one of those things, the Indian canoe, that we would -upset it before we were out half an hour. Brother Oliver pointed to the -fact the Indians navigated the whole Sound in these canoes, and were -safe, but I was inexorable and would not trust my carcass in a craft -that would tip so easily as a Siwash canoe. When I came to know the -Indians better, I ceased to use such a term, and afterwards when I saw -the performances of these apparently frail craft, my admiration was -greater in degree than my contempt had been. - -Of the cruise that followed on Puget Sound, and in what manner of -craft we made it, and of various incidents of the trip that occupied a -month, I must defer telling now, and leave this part of the story for -succeeding chapters. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -CRUISE ON PUGET SOUND. - - -Put yourself in my place, reader, for a time—long enough to read this -chapter. Think of yourself as young again, if elderly (I will not say -old); play you have been old and now young again, until you find out -about this trip on Puget Sound fifty and more years ago. Then think -of Puget Sound in an inquiring mood, as though you knew nothing about -it, only a little indefinite hear-say; enough to know there is such a -name, but not what manner of place or how large or how small; whether -it was one single channel, like a river, or numerous channels; whether -it was a bay or a series of bays or whether it was a lake, but somehow -connected with the sea, and then you will be in the mood these two -young men were, when they descended the hill with their packs on their -backs and entered the town of Olympia in May, 1853. Now, if you are in -this inquiring mood, I will take you in my confidence and we will live -the cruise over again of thirty-two days of adventures and observation -on Puget Sound sixty-two years ago. - -I was but a few months past twenty-three, while my brother Oliver -could claim nearly two years' seniority. We had always played together -as boys, worked together as men, and lived together ever after his -marriage until the day of his death, now nearly sixty years ago, and so -far as I can remember, never had a disagreement in our whole life. - -So, when we cast off the line at Olympia, on or about the 28th day -of May, 1853, we were assured of one thing and that was a concert of -action, be there danger or only labor ahead. Neither of us had had -much experience in boating, and none as to boat building, but when we -decided to make the trip and discard the idea of taking a canoe we -set to work with a hearty good will to build us a skiff out of light -lumber, then easily obtained at the Tumwater mill of Hays, Ward & Co., -in business at that place. - -We determined to have the skiff broad enough to not upset easily, and -long enough to carry us and our light cargo of food and bedding. Like -the trip across the plains we must provide our own transportation. -We were told that the Sound was a solitude so far as transportation -facilities, with here and there a vessel loading piles and square -timber for the San Francisco market. Not a steamer was then plying on -the Sound; not even a sailing craft that essayed to carry passengers. -We did not really know whether we would go twenty miles or a hundred; -whether we would find small waters or large; straight channels or -intricate by-ways; in a word we knew but very little of what lay before -us. If we had known a little more, we would not have encountered the -risks we did. One thing we knew, we could endure sturdy labor without -fatigue, and improvised camp without discomfort, for we were used to -just such experiences. Poor innocent souls, we thought we could follow -the shore line and thus avoid danger, and perhaps float with the tide -and thus minimize the labor, and yet keep our bearings. - -George A. Barnes sold us the nails and oakum for building the boat -and charged us 25 cents per pound for the former, but could not sell -us any pitch as that was to be had for the taking. However, articles -of merchandise were not high, though country produce sold for extreme -prices. - -Recently I have seen a "retail prices current of Puget Sound, -Washington Territory, corrected weekly by Parker, Colter & Co.," in -which, among many others, the following prices are quoted in the -columns of the only paper in the Territory then published in Olympia, -the "Columbian," as follows: - -Pork, per lb., 20c; flour, per 100 lbs., $10.00; potatoes, per bushel, -$3.00; butter, per lb., $1.00; onions, per bushel, $4.00; eggs, per -dozen, $1.00; beets, per bushel, $3.50; sugar, per lb., 12½c; coffee, -per lb., 18c; tea, per lb., 75c and $1.00; molasses, per gallon, 50c -and 75c; salmon, per lb., 10c; whisky, per gallon, $1.00; sawed lumber, -fir, per M, $20.00; cedar, per M, $30.00; shingles, per M, $4.25 to -$5.00; piles, per foot, 5c to 8c; square timber, per foot, 12c to 15c. - -Thus it will be seen that what the farmer had to sell was high while -much he must buy was comparatively cheap, even his whisky, then but a -dollar a gallon, while his potatoes sold for $3.00 a bushel. - -This Parker, of Parker, Colter & Co., is the same John G. Parker, Jr., -of steamboat fame who yet lives in Olympia, now an old man, but never -contented without his hand on the wheel in the pilot house, where I saw -him but a few years ago on his new steamer the Caswell, successor to -his first, the Traveler, of fifty years before. - -Two or three other stores besides Barnes' and Parker's were then doing -business in Olympia, the Kandall Company, with Joseph Cushman as -agent; A. J. Moses, and I think the Bettman Brothers. - -Rev. Benjamin F. Close, Methodist, held religious service in a small -building near Barnes' store, but there was no church edifice for -several years. Near by, the saloon element had found a foothold, but I -made no note of them in my mind other than to remember they were there -and running every day of the week including Sunday. - -The townsite proprietor, Edmund Sylvester, kept the hotel of the town, -the "Washington," at the corner of 2nd and Main Street, a locality now -held to be too far down on the water front, but then the center of -trade and traffic. - -G. N. McConaha and J. W. Wiley dispensed the law and H. A. Goldsborough -& Simmons (M. T. Simmons) looked out for the real estate and -conveyances. Add to these a bakery, a livery stable, and a blacksmith -shop and we have the town of Olympia in our mind again of possibly 100 -people who then believed a great future lay in store for their embryo -city "at the head of Puget Sound." - -Three leading questions occupied the attention of all parties while we -were in this little ambitious city, the new Territorial organization so -soon to be inaugurated, the question of an overland railroad, and of an -over mountain immigrant wagon road. The last was the absorbing topic of -conversation, as it was a live enterprise dependent upon the efforts of -the citizens for success. Meetings had been held in different parts of -the district west of the Cascade Mountains and north of the Columbia -River, and finally subscription lists were circulated, a cashier and -superintendent appointed, with the result, as stated elsewhere, of -opening the way for the first immigration over the Cascade Mountains -via the Natchess Pass, but the particulars of this work are given in -other chapters following. - -As the tide drew off the placid waters of the bay at Olympia with just -a breath of air, our little craft behaved splendidly as the slight -ripples were jostled against the bow under the pressure of the sail and -brought dreams of a pleasure trip, to make amends for the tiresome -pack across the country. Nothing can be more enjoyable than favorable -conditions in a boating trip, the more specially to those who have -long been in the harness of severe labor, and for a season must enjoy -enforced repose. And so we lazily floated with the tide, sometimes -taking a few strokes with the oars, and at other times whistling for -the wind, as the little town of Olympia to the south, became dimmed by -distance. - -At this southern extremity of the Sound without the accumulation of -water to struggle for passage, as through the channel to the north, the -movement is neither swift, nor disturbed with cross currents to agitate -the surface—more like the steady flow of a great river. - -But we were no sooner fairly out of sight of the little village and out -of the bay it was situated upon (Budd's Inlet), than the query came -up as to which way to go. Was it this channel or that or yet another -one we should take? Let the tide decide; that will take us out toward -the ocean we urged. No, we are drifting into another bay; that cannot -be where we want to go; why, we are drifting right back almost in the -same direction from which we came, but into another bay. We'll pull -this way to that point to the northeast. But there seems a greater -opening of waters to the northwest; yes, but I do not see any way out -there. Neither is there beyond that point (Johnson's Point); and so we -talked and pulled and puzzled until finally it dawned upon us that the -tide had turned and we were being carried back to almost the spot from -whence we came, into South Bay. - -"Now the very best thing we can do is to camp," said the senior of -the party of two, to which the junior, your humble writer, readily -assented, and so our first night's camp was scarcely twelve miles from -where we had started in the morning. - -What a nice camping place this. The ladies would say lovely, and why -not? A beautiful pebbly beach that extended almost to the water's edge -even at low tide with a nice grassy level spit; a back ground of -evergreen giant fir timber; such clear, cool water gushing out from the -bank near by, so superlative in quality as to defy words to adequately -describe; and such fuel for the camp fire, broken fir limbs with just -enough pitch to make a cheerful blaze and yet body enough to last well. -Why, we felt so happy that we were almost glad the journey had been -interrupted. Oliver was the carpenter of the party, the tent builder, -wood getter, and general roust-a-bout, to coin a word from camp -parlance, while I, the junior, was the "chief cook and bottle washer," -as the senior would jocularly put it. - -At the point a little beyond where we landed we found next morning J. -R. Johnson, M. D., with his cabin on the point under the pretentious -name of "Johnson's Hospital," opened as he said for the benefit of the -sick, but which, from what I saw in my later trips I think his greatest -business was in disposing of cheap whisky of which he contributed his -share of the patronage. - -An Indian encampment being near by, a party of them soon visited our -camp and began making signs for trade. "Mika tik-eh clams?" came from -out the mouth of one of the matrons of the party as if though half -choked in the speaking, a cross between a spoken word and a smothered -guttural sound in the throat. - -"What does she say, Oliver?" the junior said, turning for counsel to -the superior wisdom of the elder brother. - -"I'm blessed if I know what she says, but she evidently wants to sell -some clams." - -And so, after considerable dickering, and by signs and gestures and -words oft repeated we were able to impart the information that we -wanted a lesson in cookery; that we wanted her to show us how to cook -them, and that we would buy some. This brought some merriment in the -camp. The idea, that there lived a person that did not know how to -cook clams. Without saying by your leave or anything else the motherly -looking native began tearing down our camp fire. - -"Let her alone," said the senior, "and see what she's up to," -noticing that the younger man was going to remonstrate against such -an interference with his well laid plans for bread baking. And so -the kitchen of the camp was surrendered to the native matron, who -quietly covered the hot pebbles and sand where the fire had been, -with a lighter layer of pebbles, upon which the clams were deposited -and some fine twigs placed on top, upon which earth was deposited. -"K-l-o-s-h-e," said the matron. "Hy-as-kloshe," said her seignior, -who sat squatting watching the operation with evident pride upon the -achievement of his dame. - -"What did they say?" innocently inquired the junior brother. - -"I know what they said, but I don't know what they meant," responded -the elder one, "unless it was she had done a good job, which I think -she has," and thus began and ended our first lesson in the Chinook -jargon, and our first introduction to a clam bake. - -What memories hover around these three words, "the clam bake." Did you -ever, may I ask my readers, other than those of ye olden times, did you -ever participate in the joys of a regular old-fashioned clam bake, with -or without the corn, with or without the help of the deft native hand? -If you never have, then go straightway, before you die, to the end that -you may ever after have the memory of the first clam bake, even if it -be but a memory, and likewise be the last. - -Our first clam bake gave us great encouragement. We soon learned that -these bivalves were to be found in almost unlimited quantity, and were -widely distributed; that the harvest was ready twice a day, when the -tide was out, and that we need have no fear of a famine even if cast -away in some unfrequented place. - -"Yah-ka kloshe al-ta," said the dame, uncovering the steaming mass -and placing them on a sliver found near by "de-late kloshe; kloshe -muck-a-muck al-ta," and so, without understanding what she said, but -knowing well what she meant, we fell to in disposing of this, our -first clam dinner. - -Dividing with them the bread that had been baked, and some potatoes -that had been boiled, the natives soon withdrew to their own camp, -where, before retiring for the night, we repaid the visit. - -To see the little fellows of the camp scud behind the mother when the -strangers entered, and shyly peep out from their retreat, and the -mother lovingly reassuring them with kind, affectionate caresses, and -finally coaxing them out from under cover, revealed the character of -the natives we had neither of us realized before. We had been in the -Indian country for nearly a year, but with guns by our side if not in -our hands for nearly half the time, while on the plains, but we had not -stopped to study the Indian character. We took it for granted that the -Indians were our enemies and watched them suspiciously accordingly, -but here seemed to be a disposition manifested to be neighborly and -helpful. We took a lesson in Chinook, and by signs and words combined -held conversation until a late hour, when, upon getting ready for -taking leave, a slice of venison was handed us, sufficient for several -meals. Upon offering to pay for it we were met with a shake of the -head, and with the words, "wake, wake, kul-tus-pot-latch," which we -understood by their actions to mean they made us a present of it. - -This present from the Indian let in a flood of light upon the Indian -character. We had made them a present first, it was true, but did not -expect any return, except perhaps good will, and in fact, cannot now -say we particularly expected that, but were impelled to do our act -of courtesy from the manner of their treatment and from the evident -desire to be on friendly terms. From that time on during the trip, and -I may say, for all time since, I have found the Indians of Puget Sound -ready to reciprocate acts of kindness, and hold in high esteem a favor -granted if not accompanied by acts apparently designed to simply gain -an advantage. - -We often forget the sharp eyes and ears of little children and let -slip words that are quickly absorbed to their hurt by affecting -their conduct. While the Indian is really not a suspicious person, -nevertheless, he is quick to detect and as quick to resent a real or -supposed slight as the little five-year-old who discovers his elders -in their fibs or deceit. Not that the Indian expects socially to be -received in your house or at your table, yet little acts of kindness, -if done without apparent design, touch their better nature and are -repaid more than a hundred fold, for you thereafter have a friend and -neighbor, and not an enemy or suspicious maligner. - -All of this did not dawn on the young men at the time, though their -treatment of the Indians was in harmony with friendly feelings which we -found everywhere and made a lasting impression. - -Subsequent experience, of course, has confirmed these first impressions -with the wider field of observation in after years, while employing -large numbers of these people in the hop fields of which I hope to -write later. And so now must end this chapter with the subject of the -"cruise" to be continued at another sitting. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -CRUISE ON PUGET SOUND. - - -"Keep to the right, as the law directs," is an old western adage that -governs travelers on the road, but we kept to the right because we -wanted to follow the shore as we thought it safer, and besides, why -not go that way as well as any other,—it was all new to us. So, on -the second morning, as we rounded Johnson's Point and saw no channel -opening in any direction; saw only water in the foreground and timber -beyond, we concluded to skirt the coast line and see what the day -would bring forth. This led us a southeasterly course and in part -doubling back with that traveled the previous day, and past what -became the historical grounds of the Medicine Creek Treaty Council, -or, rather leaving this two miles to our right as the Nisqually flats -were encountered. Here we were crowded to a northerly course, leaving -the Nisqually House on the beach to the east without stopping for -investigation. - -According to Finlayson's journal, as I afterwards ascertained, this had -been built twenty-three years before. At least, some house had been -built on this spot at that time (1829 or 1830), though the fort by that -name one-fourth mile back from the water was not constructed until the -summer of 1833, just twenty years previous to our visit. - -This fort mentioned must not be confounded with the Nisqually fort -built some three years later (1836) a mile farther east and convenient -to the waters of Segwalitchew Creek, which there runs near the surface -of the surrounding country. All remains of the old fort have long since -vanished, but the nearly filled trenches where the stockade timbers -stood can yet be traced, showing that a space 250 feet square had been -enclosed. Another visible sign was an apple tree yet alive near the -spot, grown from seed planted in 1833, but now, when I visited the -place in June, 1903, overshadowed by a lusty fir that is sapping the -life of the only living, though mute, witness (except it may be the -Indian, Steilacoom) we have of those early days, when the first fort -was built by the intrepid employes of the Hudson Bay Company. - -An interesting feature of the intervening space between the old and -the newer fort is the dense growth of fir timber averaging nearly two -feet in diameter and in some cases fully three, and over a hundred feet -high on what was prairie when the early fort builders began work. The -land upon which this timber is growing still shows unmistakable signs -of the furrow marks that can be traced through the forest. Verily, this -is a most wonderful country where forest product will grow, if properly -protected, more rapidly than the hand of man will destroy. - -As the tide and wind favored us we did not stop, but had not proceeded -far before we came in sight of a fleet of seven vessels lying at anchor -in a large bay of several miles in extent. - -Upon the eastern slope of the shores of this bay lay the two towns, -Port Steilacoom, established January 23d, 1851, by Captain Lafayette -Balch, and Steilacoom City, upon an adjoining land claim taken by John -B. Chapman, August 23d, of same year and later held by his son, John -M. Chapman. These two rival towns were built as far apart as possible -on the frontage lands of the claim owners (about one mile apart) and -became known locally as Upper and Lower Steilacoom, the latter name -being applied to Balch's town. - -We found the stocks of goods carried by the merchants of these two -towns exceeded those held by the Olympia merchants, and that at Fort -Nisqually, six miles distant, the merchandise carried by the Puget -Sound Agricultural Company would probably equal that of all three -of the towns combined, possibly, in the aggregate, over one hundred -thousand dollars for the whole district under review. - -Evidently a far larger trade centered on Steilacoom Bay and vicinity -than at any other point we had seen and, as we found afterwards, than -any other point on Puget Sound. Naturally we would here call a halt -to examine the country and to make ourselves acquainted with the -surroundings that made this early center of trade. - -One mile and a half back from the shore and east of lower Steilacoom -we found what was by courtesy called Fort Steilacoom but which was -simply a camp of a company of United States soldiers in wooden shells -of houses and log cabins. This camp or fort had been established by -Captain Bennett H. Hill with Company M, 1st Artillery, August 27th, -1849, following the attempted robbery of Fort Nisqually the previous -May by Pat Kanim and his followers, the Snoqualmie Indians. - -Dr. Tolmie, Chief Factor of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company at -Fort Nisqually, quickly seized the opportunity to demand rent from the -United States for the occupancy of the site of Fort Steilacoom, of six -hundred dollars a year, and actually received it for fifteen years and -until the final award was made extinguishing the claims of his company. -We found the plains alive with this company's stock (many thousand -head) running at large and fattened upon the scant but nutritious grass -growing upon the adjacent prairie and glade lands. - -Balch and Webber were doing a thriving trade in their store at the -little town of Steilacoom, besides their shipping trade of piles and -square timber, shingles, lumber, cord wood, hides, furs, fish, and -other odds and ends. Just across the street from their store stood -the main hotel of the place with the unique history of being the only -building erected on Puget Sound from lumber shipped from the eastern -seaboard. Captain Balch brought the building with him from Maine, ready -to set up. At the upper town Philip Keach was merchandising while Abner -Martin kept a hotel. Intense rivalry ran between the two towns in the -early days when we were at Steilacoom. - -Thomas M. Chambers, father of the prominent members of the Olympia -community of that name, had built a saw-mill on Steilacoom creek, two -miles from the town, and a grist mill where farmers oftentimes came -with pebbles in their wheat to dull the burrs. - -We are wont now to speak of this place as "poor old Steilacoom," -with its tumbled-down houses, rotting sidewalks and decayed wharves; -the last vestige of the latter of which has disappeared; but then -everything was new, with an air of business bustle that made one feel -here was a center of trade. The sight of those seven vessels lying in -the offing made a profound impression upon our minds. We had never -before seen so many ships at one place as were quietly lying at anchor -in front of the embryo city. Curiously enough, here was the very -identical vessel we had first seen on the Willamette River, the bark -"Mary Melville," with her gruff mate and big hearted master, Capt. -Barston, with whom the reader has been made acquainted in a previous -chapter. I took no special note of the names of these vessels other -than this one, but from the columns of the Columbian I am able to glean -the names of twenty-two vessels, brigs, barks, and schooners, then -plying between Puget Sound and San Francisco, which are as follows: - -Brig Cyclops, Perkins; Bark Delegate, ——; Brig Tarquina, ——; Bark John -Adams, McKelmer; Brig G. W. Kendall, Gove; Brig Merchantman, Bolton; -Brig Kingsbury, Cook; Schooner Cynosure, Fowler; Brig George Emery, -Diggs; Bark Mary Melville, Barston; Bark Brontes, Blinn; Bark Sarah -Warren, Gove; Ship Persia, Brown; Brig I. C. Cabot, Dryden; Brig Jane, -Willett; Ship Rowena, ——; Brig Willingsly, Gibbs; Brig Mary Dare, -Mowatt; Brig John Davis, Pray; Bark Carib, Plummer; Brig Leonesa, -Howard, and Schooner Franklin, Leary. There were probably more, but I -do not recall them, but these were enough to keep every man busy that -could swing an axe, drag a saw or handle that instrument of torture, -the goad stick, and who was willing to work. - -All this activity came from the shipment of piles, square timbers, -cordwood, shingles, with small quantities of lumber—all that was -obtainable, which was not very much, to the San Francisco market. The -descent of timber on the roll-ways sounded like distant thunder, and -could be heard almost all hours of the day, even where no camps were in -sight, but lay hidden up some secluded bay or inlet. - -We were sorely tempted to accept the flattering offer of $4.00 each day -for common labor in a timber camp, but soon concluded not to be swerved -from the course we had outlined. - -It was here, and I think at this time, I saw the Indian "Steilacoom," -who still lives. I saw him recently at his camp in the Nisqually -bottom, and judge he is bordering on ninety years. Steilacoom helped -to build old Fort Nisqually in 1833, and was a married man at that -time. People called him chief because he happened to bear the name -adopted for the town and creek, but he was not a man of much force of -character and not much of a chief. I think this is a remarkable case -of longevity for an Indian. As a race, they are short lived. It was -here, and during this visit, we began seeing Indians in considerable -numbers. Off the mouth of the Nisqually and several places along the -beach and floating on the bay we saw several hundred in the aggregate -of all ages and kind. There seemed to be a perfect abandon as to -care or thought for the future, or even as to the immediate present, -literally floating with the tide. In those days, the Indians seemed to -work or play by spurts and spells. Here and there that day a family -might be seen industriously pursuing some object, but as a class there -seemed to be but little life in them, and we concluded they were the -laziest set on earth. I afterwards materially modified that opinion, -as I became better acquainted with their habits, for I have found just -as industrious Indians, both men and women, and as reliable workers, -as among the whites, though this class, it may be said, is exceptional -with the men. The women are all industrious. - -Shall we camp here and spy out the land, or shall we go forward and see -what lay before us? Here were the ideals, that had enticed us so far -from our old home, where "ships went down into the sea," with the trade -of the whole world before us. We waxed eloquent, catching inspiration -from people of the town. After a second sober thought we found we had -nothing to trade but labor, and we had not come this far to be laborers -for hire. We had come to look up a place to make a farm and a farm we -were going to have. We, therefore, set about searching for claims, and -the more we searched the less we liked the looks of things. - -The gravelly plains near Steilacoom would not do: neither the heavy fir -timber lands skirting the waters of the Sound, and we were nonplused -and almost ready to condemn the country. Finally, on the fourth day -after a long, wearisome tramp, we cast off at high tide, and in a -dead calm, to continue our cruise. The senior soon dropped into a -comfortable afternoon nap, leaving me in full command. As the sun shone -nice and warm and the tide was taking us rapidly in the direction we -wanted to go, why not join, even if we did lose the sight seeing for -which the journey was made. - -I was shortly after aroused by the senior exclaiming, "What is that?" -and then answering half to himself and half to me, "Why, as I live, -it's a deer swimming way out here in the bay." Answering, half asleep -and half awake, that that could not be, the senior said: "Well, that's -what it is." We gave chase and soon succeeded in getting a rope over -its horns. We had by this time drifted into the Narrows, and soon found -that we had something more important to look after than towing a deer -among the tide-rips of the Sound, and turning him loose pulled for dear -life for the shore, and found shelter in an eddy. A perpendicular bluff -rose from the high water mark, leaving no place for a camp fire or bed. -The tide seemed to roll in waves and with contending forces of currents -and counter currents, yet all moving in a general direction. It was -our first introduction to a real genuine, live tide-rip, that seemed -to harry the waters as if boiling in a veritable caldron, swelling up -here and there in centers to whirl in dizzy velocity and at times break -into a foam, and, where a light breeze prevailed, into spray. Then in -some areas it would seem the waters in solid volume would leap up in -conical, or pointed shape—small waves broken into short sections, that -would make it quite difficult for a flat bottom boat like our little -skiff to float very long. We congratulated ourselves upon the escape, -while belittling our careless imitation of the natives of floating with -the tide. Just then some Indian canoes passed along moving with the -tide. We expected to see them swamped as they encountered the troubled -waters, but to our astonishment they passed right through without -taking a drop of water. Then here came two well manned canoes creeping -along shore against the tide. I have said well-manned, but in fact, -half the paddles were wielded by women, and the post of honor, or that -where most dexterity was required, was occupied by a woman. In shore, -short eddies would favor the party, to be ended by a severe tug against -the stiff current. - -"Me-si-ka-kwass kopa s'kookum chuck," said the maiden in the bow of the -first canoe, as it drew along side our boat, in which we were sitting. - -Since our evening's experience at the clam bake camp, we had been -industriously studying language, and pretty well mastered the Chinook, -and so we with little difficulty understood her to ask if we were -afraid of the rough waters, to which we responded, part in English and -part in Chinook, that we were, and besides that it was impossible for -us to proceed against the strong current. - -"Ne-si-ka mit-lite," that is to say, she said they were going to camp -with us and wait for the turn of the tide, and accordingly landed near -by, and so we must wait for the remainder of this story in chapters to -follow. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -CRUISE ON PUGET SOUND. - - -By the time the tide had turned, night had come and we were in a -quandary as to what to do; whether to camp in our boat, or to start -out on unknown waters in the dark. Our Indian visitors began making -preparations to proceed on their journey, and assured us it was all -right ahead, and offered to show us the way to good camping grounds in -a big bay where the current was not strong, and where we would find a -great number of Indians in camp. - -It did not occur to us to have any fear of the Indians We did not -at all depend on our prowess or personal courage, but felt that we -were among friends. We had by this time come to know the general -feeling existing between Indians and whites, and that there was no -trouble, as a class, whatever there might be as to individuals. I do -not want my reader to understand we thought we were doing an heroic -act in following a strange party of Indians into unknown waters and -into an unknown camp of the natives after dark, or that I think so -now. There was no danger ahead of us other than that incident to the -attempt of navigating such waters with so frail a boat, and one so -unsuited in shape as well as build, for rough waters, and by persons so -inexperienced on the water. - -Sure enough, a short pull with a favorable current, brought us through -the Narrows and into Commencement Bay and in sight of numerous camp -fires in the distance. Our Indian friends lazily paddled along in -company, while we labored vigorously with our oars as we were by this -time in a mood to find a camp where we could have a fire and prepare -some food. I remember that camp quite vividly, though cannot locate it -exactly, but know that it was on the water front within the present -limits of the city of Tacoma. A beautiful small rivulet came down a -ravine and spread out on the beach, and I can remember the shore line -was not precipitous and that it was a splendid camping ground. The -particular thing I do remember is our supper of fresh salmon. Of all -the delicious fish known, give me the salmon caught by trolling in -early summer in the deep waters of Puget Sound; so fat that the excess -of oil must be turned out of the pan while cooking. We had not then -learned the art of cooking on the spit, or at least, did not practice -it. We had scarcely gotten our camp fire under way before a salmon was -offered us, but I cannot recall what we paid, but I know it was not a -high price, else we would not have purchased. At the time we did not -know but trolling in deep water for this king of fish was the only way, -but afterwards learned of the enormous quantities taken by the seine -direct from salt water. - -Two gentlemen, Messrs. Swan and Riley, had established themselves on -the bay, and later in the season reported taking two thousand large -fish at one haul with their seine, three-fourths of which were salmon. -As I have a fish story of my own to tell of our experience later, I -will dismiss the subject for the present. - -We were now in the bay, since made famous in history by that observing -traveler, Theodore Winthrop, who came from the north a few months -later, and saw the great mountain, "a cloud compeller," reflected in -the placid waters of the Sound, "Tacoma"[4] as he wrote, Rainier, as we -saw it. A beautiful sight it was and is whatever the name, but to us it -was whatever others said it was, while Winthrop, of a poetic mind, was -on the alert for something new under the sun, if it be no more than a -name for a great mountain. - -Winthrop came in September, while we were in the bay in June, thus -ante-dating his trip by three months or more. To Winthrop belongs the -honor of originating the name Tacoma from some word claimed to have -been spoken by the Indians as the name of the mountain. As none of the -pioneers ever heard the word until many years afterwards, and not then -until after the posthumous publication of Winthrop's works ten years -after his visit, I incline to the opinion that Winthrop coined the word -out of his imaginative brain. - -[Illustration: Mount Tacoma.] - -We again caught sight of the mountain the next day, as we approached -the tide flats off the mouth of the Puyallup River. We viewed the -mountain with awe and admiration, but gave no special heed to it, more -than to many other new scenes engaging our attention. It was land we -wanted whereby we might stake a claim, and not scenery to tickle our -fancy. Yet, I doubt if there lives a man, or ever did, who has seen -that great mountain, but has been inspired with higher thoughts, and -we may say higher aspirations, or who has ever tired looking upon this -grand pile, the father of five great rivers. - -We floated into the mouth of the Puyallup River with a vague feeling -as to its value, but did not proceed far until we were interrupted by -a solid drift of monster trees and logs, extending from bank to bank -up the river for a quarter of a mile or more. We were told by the -Indians there were two other like obstructions a few miles farther up -the river, and that the current was "de-late-hyas-skoo-kum," which -interpreted means that the current was very strong. We found this to be -literally true during the next two or three days we spent on the river. - -We secured the services of an Indian and his canoe to help us up the -river, and left our boat at the Indian's camp near the mouth. - -The tug of two days to get six miles up the river, the unloading of our -outfit three times to pack it over cut-off trails, and the dragging -of our canoe around the drifts, is a story of constant toil with -consequent discouragement, not ending until we camped on the bank of -the river within the present limits of the little thriving city of -Puyallup, founded afterwards by me on a homestead claim taken many -years later. The little city now contains over six thousand inhabitants -and is destined to contain many thousand more in the lapse of time. - -The Puyallup Valley at that time was a solitude. No white settlers were -found, though it was known two, who lived with Indian women, had staked -claims and made some slight improvements—a man by the name of Hayward, -near where the town of Sumner is now located, and William Benson, on -the opposite side of the river, and a mile distant from the boundaries -of Puyallup. An Indian trail led up the river from Commencement Bay, -and one westward to the Nisqually plains, over which pack animals could -pass, but as to wagon roads, there were none, and as to whether a -feasible route for one could be found only time with much labor could -determine. - -When we retraced our steps, and on the evening of the third day landed -again at the mouth of the river after a severe day's toil of packing -around drifts and hauling the canoe overland past drifts, it was -evident we were in no cheerful mood. Oliver did not sing as usual while -preparing for camp, or rally with sallies of wit and humor as he was -wont to do when in a happy mood. Neither did I have much to say, but -fell to work mechanically preparing the much needed meal, which we ate -in silence, and forthwith wrapped ourselves in our blankets for the -night, but not for immediate slumber. - -We had crossed the two great states of Illinois and Iowa, over hundreds -of miles of unoccupied prairie land as rich as anything that "ever laid -out of doors," on our way from Indiana to Oregon, in search of land on -which to make a home, and here, at what we might say "at the end of our -rope" had found the land, but under such adverse conditions that seemed -almost too much to overcome. It was a discouraging outlook, even if -there had been roads. Such timber! It seemed an appalling undertaking -to clear it, the greater portion being covered with a heavy growth of -balm and alder trees, and thick tangle of underbrush besides, and so, -when we did fall to sleep that night, it was without visions of new -found wealth. - -And yet, later, I did tackle a quarter section of that heaviest -timber land, and never let up until the last tree, log, stump, and -root disappeared, though of course, not all of it by my own hands. -Nevertheless, with a goodly part, I did say, come, boys, and went into -the thickest of the work. - -But, of the time of which I am writing, there was more to consider -than the mere clearing, which we estimated would take thirteen years -of solid work for one man to clear a quarter-section; the question of -going where absolutely there were no neighbors, no roads, no help to -open them, and in fact, without a knowledge as to whether a feasible -route could be found, compelled us to decide against locating. - -A small factor came in to be considered. Such swarms of mosquitoes -we had never seen before. These we felt would make life a burden, -forgetting that as the country became opened they would disappear. -I may relate here a curious phenomenon brought to light by after -experience. My donation claim was finally located on high table land, -where no surface water could be found in summer for miles around, and -there were swarms of mosquitoes, while on the Puyallup homestead taken -later, six miles from the mouth of the river, and where water lay on -the surface, in spots, the whole summer long, we seldom saw one of -these pests there. I never could account for this, and have long since -ceased to try; I only know it was so. - -If we could have but known what was coming four months later, doubt -not, notwithstanding our discouragement, we would have remained and -searched the valley diligently for the choicest locations. In October -following, there came the first immigrants that ever crossed the -Cascade Mountains, and located in a body nearly all of the whole -valley, and before the year was ended had a rough wagon road out to the -prairies and to Steilacoom, the county seat. - -As I will give an account of the struggles and trials of these people -later in this work, I will here dismiss the subject by saying that no -pioneer who settled in the Puyallup Valley, and stuck to it, failed -finally to prosper and gain a competence. - -We lingered at the mouth of the river in doubt as to what best to do. -My thoughts went back to the wife and baby in the lonely cabin on the -Columbia River, and then again to that bargain we had made before -marriage that we were going to be farmers, and how could we be farmers -if we did not have the land? Under the donation act we could hold three -hundred and twenty acres, but we must live on it for four years, and -so it behooved us to look out and secure our location before the act -expired, which would occur the following year. So, with misgivings and -doubts, we finally, on the fourth day, loaded our outfit into our skiff -and floated out on the receding tide, whither, we did not know. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[4] Winthrop, in his delightful book, "The Canoe and the Saddle," -describing his trip from Port Townsend to Nisqually, in September, -1853, says: - -"We had rounded a point and opened Puyallup Bay, a breath of sheltered -calmness, when I, lifting sleepy eyelids for a dreamy stare about, was -suddenly aware of a vast white shadow in the water. What cloud, piled -massive on the horizon, could cast an image so sharp in outline, so -full of vigorous detail of surface? No cloud, as my stare, no longer -dreamy, presently discovered—no cloud, but a cloud compeller. It was a -giant mountain dome of snow, swelling and seeming to fill the aerial -spheres as its image displaced the blue deeps of tranquil water. -The smoky haze of an Oregon August hid all the length of its lesser -ridges, and left this mighty summit based upon uplifting dimness. Only -its splendid snows were visible, high in the unearthly regions of -blue noonday sky. The shore line drew a cincture of pines across its -broad base, where it faded unreal into the mist. The same dark girth -separated the peak from its reflection, over which my canoe was now -pressing, and sending wavering swells to scatter the beautiful vision -before it. - -"Kindly and alone stood this majesty, without any visible consort, -though far to the north and to the south its brethren and sisters -dominated their realms, each in isolated sovereignty, rising from -the pine-darkened sierra of the Cascade Mountains—above the stern -chasm where the Columbia, Achilles of rivers, sweeps, short lived -and jubilant, to the sea—above the lovely valley of the Willamette -and Ningua. Of all the peaks from California to Frazier River, this -one was royalest. Mount Regnier, Christians have dubbed it in stupid -nomenclature, perpetuating the name of somebody or nobody. More -melodiously the Siwashes call it Tacoma—a generic term, also applied to -all snow peaks." - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -CRUISE ON PUGET SOUND. - - -As we drew off on the tide from the mouth of the Puyallup River, -numerous parties of Indians were in sight, some trolling for salmon, -with a lone Indian in the bow of his canoe, others with a pole with -barbs on two sides fishing for smelt, and used in place of a paddle, -while again, others with nets, all leisurely pursuing their calling, -or more accurately speaking, seemed waiting for a fisherman's luck. -Again, other parties were passing, singing a plaintive ditty in minor -key with two or more voices, accompanied by heavy strokes of the paddle -handle against the side of the canoe, as if to keep time. There were -really some splendid female voices to be heard, as well as male, and -though there were but slight variations in the sounds or words, they -seemed never to tire in repeating, and, I must confess, we never tired -listening. Then, at times, a break in the singing would be followed -by a hearty laugh, or perhaps a salutation be given in a loud tone to -some distant party, which would always bring a response, and with the -resumption of the paddles, like the sailors on the block and fall, -the song would be renewed, oftentimes to bring back a distant echo -from a bold shore. These scenes were repeated time and again, as we -encountered the natives in new fields that constantly opened up to our -view. - -We laid our course in the direction the tide drew us, directly to -the north in a channel three miles in width, and discarded the plan -of following the shore line, as we found so little variation in -the quality of soil. By this time we began to see that opportunity -for farms on the immediate shores of Puget Sound were few and far -between—in fact, we had seen none. During the afternoon and after we -had traveled, by estimate, near twenty miles, we saw ahead of us larger -waters, where, by continuing our course, we would be in a bay of five -or six miles in width, with no very certain prospect of a camping -place. Just then we spied a cluster of cabins and houses on the point -to the east, and made a landing at what proved to be Alki Point, the -place then bearing the pretentious name of New York. - -We were not any too soon in effecting our landing, as the tide had -turned and a slight breeze had met it, the two together disturbing the -water in a manner to make it uncomfortable for us in our flat bottomed -boat. - -Here we met the irrepressible C. C. Terry, proprietor of the new -townsite, but keenly alive to the importance of adding to the -population of his new town. But we were not hunting townsites, and of -course lent a deaf ear to the arguments set forth in favor of the place. - -Captain William Renton had built some sort of a saw-mill there, had -laid the foundation to his great fortune accumulated later at Port -Blakely, a few miles to the west, to which point he later removed. -Terry afterwards gave up the contest, and removed to Seattle. - -We soon pushed on over to the east where the steam from a saw-mill -served as the guiding star, and landed at a point that cannot have -been far removed from the west limit of the present Pioneer Place of -Seattle, near where the totem pole now stands. - -Here we found the never to be forgotten Yesler, not whittling his pine -stick as in later years, but as a wide awake business man, on the -alert to drive a trade when an opportunity offered, or spin a yarn, if -perchance time would admit. I cannot recall meeting Mr. Denny, though I -made his acquaintance soon after at my own cabin on McNeil's Island. -In fact, we did not stay very long in Seattle, not being very favorably -impressed with the place. There was not much of a town, probably twenty -cabins in all, with a few newer frame houses. The standing timber could -scarcely have been farther removed than to be out of reach of the mill, -and of course, scarcely the semblance of a street. The lagoon presented -an uninviting appearance and scent, where the process of filling with -slabs and sawdust had already begun. The mill, though, infused activity -in its immediate vicinity, and was really the life of the place. - -As we were not looking for a millsite or a townsite, we pushed on -north the next day. We had gone but a few miles until a favorable -breeze sprang up, bringing with it visions of a happy time sailing, -but with the long stretch of open waters back of us of ten miles, -or more, and of several miles in width, and with no visible shelter -ahead of us, or lessening of width of waters, we soon felt the breeze -was not so welcome after all. We became doubtful as to the safety of -sailing, and were by this time aware of the difficulty of rowing a -small, flat-bottom boat in rough waters with one oar sometimes in the -water and the other in the air, to be suddenly reversed. While the -wind was in our favor, yet the boat became almost unmanageable with -the oars. The sail once down was not so easy to get up again, with the -boat tipping first one way and then another, as she fell off in the -trough of the waves. But finally the sail was set again, and we scudded -before the wind at a rapid rate, not feeling sure of our bearings, or -what was going to happen. The bay looked to us as if it might be five -miles or more wide, and in fact, with the lowering weather, we could -not determine the extent. The east shore lay off to our right a half -a mile or so distant, where we could see the miniature waves break on -the beach, and at times catch the sound as they rolled up on the gravel -banks. We soon realized our danger, but feared to attempt a landing in -the surf. Evidently the wind was increasing, the clouds were coming -down lower and rain began to fall. There was but one thing to do. We -must make a landing, and so the sail was hastily taken down again, and -the junior of the party took to the oars, while the senior sat in the -stern with paddle in hand to keep the boat steady on her course, and -help a little as opportunity offered. But fortune favored us in luckily -finding a smooth pebbly beach, and while we got a good drenching in -landing, and the boat partially filled before we could haul her up out -of reach of the surf, yet we lost nothing outright, and suffered but -slight loss by damage from water. We were glad enough to get ashore and -thankful that the mishap was no worse. Luckily our matches were dry and -a half hour or so sufficed to build a rousing camp fire, haul our boat -above high tide, to utilize it as a wind break and roof turned bottom -up at an angle of forty-five degrees. Just how long we were compelled -to remain in this camp, I cannot recall, but certainly two days, and I -think three, but we did not explore the adjacent land much, as the rain -kept us close in camp. And it was a dismal camp, although we had plenty -to eat and could keep dry and warm. We here practiced the lesson taught -us the evening of our first camp, by the native matron, and had plenty -of clams to supplement our other provisions during the whole period, -and by the time we broke up camp, concluded we were expert clam-bakers. -But all such incidents must have an end, and so the time came when we -broke camp and pulled for the head of Whidby's Island, a few miles off -to the northwest. - -And now I have a fish story to tell. I have always been shy of telling -it, lest some smart one should up and say I was just telling a yarn -and drawing on my imagination, but, "honor bright," I am not. But to -be sure of credence, I will print the following telegram recently -received, which, as it is printed in a newspaper, must be true: - - "Nanaimo, B. C., Friday, Jan. 29.—Another tremendous destruction - of herring occurred on the shores of Protection Island a day or - two ago in exactly the same way as took place near Departure Bay - about three weeks ago, and today the entire atmosphere of the - city carries the nauseous smell of thousands upon thousands of - tons of decaying fish which threatens an epidemic of sickness. - - "The dead fish now cover the shores of Protection Island - continuously for three miles to a depth ranging all the way from - fifteen inches to three feet. The air is black with sea gulls. So - thick have the fish been at times that were a fishing boat caught - in the channel while a shoal of herring was passing, the rush of - fish would literally lift the boat out of the water." - -We had not proceeded far before we heard a dull sound like that -often heard from the tide-rips where the current meets and disturbs -the waters as like in a boiling caldron. But as we approached the -disturbance, we found it was different from anything we had seen -or heard before. As we rested on our oars, we could see that the -disturbance was moving up toward us, and that it extended as far as we -could see, in the direction we were going. The sound had increased and -became as like the roar of a heavy rainfall, or hailstorm in water, and -we became aware that it was a vast school of fish moving south, while -millions were seemingly dancing on the surface of the water and leaping -in the air. We could sensibly feel them striking against the boat in -such vast numbers as to fairly move it as we lay at ease. The leap in -the air was so high as to suggest tipping the boat to catch some as -they fell back, and sure enough, here and there one would leap into the -boat. We soon discovered some Indians following the school, who quickly -loaded their canoes by using the barbed pole as a paddle and throwing -the impaled fish into their canoes in surprising numbers. We soon -obtained all we wanted by an improvised net. - -We were headed for Whidby's Island, where, it was reported, rich -prairie land could be found. The bay here at the head of the island was -six or seven miles wide and there was no way by which we could keep -near shore. Remembering the experience of a few days before, in waters -not so large as here, the younger of the two confided his fears to -his older companion, that it was unwise to loiter and fish, howsoever -novel and interesting, and so began pulling vigorously at the oars to -find himself greatly embarrassed by the mass of fish moving in the -water. So far as we could see there was no end to the school ahead of -us, the water, as far as the eye could reach, presenting the appearance -shown with a heavy fall of hail. It did seem at times as if the air was -literally filled with fish, but we finally got rid of the moving mass, -and reached the island shore in safety, only to become again weather -bound in an uninhabited district of country that showed no signs of the -handiwork of civilized man. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -CRUISE ON PUGET SOUND. - - -This camp did not prove so dreary as the last one, though more exposed -to the swell of the big waters to the north, and sweep of the wind. To -the north we had a view of thirty miles or more, where the horizon and -water blend, leaving one in doubt whether land was in sight or not, -though as we afterwards ascertained, our vision could reach the famous -San Juan Island, later the bone of contention between our Government -and Great Britain. Port Townsend lay some ten miles northerly from -our camp, but was shut out from view by an intervening headland. -Marrowstone Point lay about midway between the two, but we did not -know the exact location of the town, or for that matter, of our own. -We knew, like the lost hunters, where we were, but the trouble was, -we "didn't know where any place else was"; not lost ourselves, but -the world was lost from us. In front of us, the channel of Admiralty -Inlet, here but about four miles wide, stretched out to the north into -a fathomless sea of waters that for aught we knew, opened into the -wide ocean. Three ships passed us while at this camp, one coming, as -it would seem, from out of space, a mere speck, to a full-fledged, -deep-sea vessel, with all sails set, scudding before the wind and -passing up the channel past us on the way to the anchorage of the seven -vessels, the other two gracefully beating their way out against the -stiff breeze to the open waters beyond. What prettier sight can one -see than a full-rigged vessel with all sails spread, either beating or -sailing before the wind? Our enthusiasm, at the sight, knew no bounds; -we felt like cheering, clapping our hands, or adopting any other method -of manifesting our pleasure. We had, as a matter of prudence, canvassed -the question of returning from this camp as soon as released from -this stress of weather, to the bay of the anchored ships in the more -southern waters, but the sight of these ships, and the sight of this -expanse of waters, coupled with perhaps a spirit of adventure, prompted -us to quietly bide our time and to go farther, when released. - -When I look back upon that decision, and in fact, upon this whole -incident of my life, I stand amazed to think of the rashness of our -actions and of the danger encountered from which we escaped. Not but -two men with proper appliances, and with ripe experience, might with -perfect security make just such a trip, but we were possessed of -neither and ran the great risks accordingly. - -It was a calm, beautiful day when we reached Port Townsend, after a -three hours' run from our camp on the island. As we rounded Marrowstone -Point, near four miles distant, the new village came into view. A -feeling of surprise came over us from the supposed magnitude of the -new town. Distance lends enchantment, the old adage says, but in -this case the nearer we approached the embryo city, the greater our -admiration. The beautiful, pebbly beach in front, the clear, level spot -adjoining, with the beautiful open and comparatively level plateau -in the background, and with two or three vessels at anchor in the -foreground, there seemed nothing lacking to complete the picture of a -perfect city site. The contrast was so great between the ill-smelling -lagoon of Seattle or the dismal, extensive tide flats of Olympia, that -our spirits rose almost to a feeling of exultation, as the nose of -our little craft grounded gently on the beach. Poor, innocent souls, -we could not see beyond to discover that cities are not built upon -pleasure grounds, and that there are causes beyond the ken of man to -fathom the future destiny of the embryo towns of a new commonwealth. - -We found here the enthusiastic Plummer, the plodding Pettygrove and the -industrious, enterprising Hastings, jointly intent upon building up a -town, "the greatest shipping port on the coast," as they were nearest -possible to the sea, while our Olympia friends had used exactly the -opposite arguments favoring their locality, as "we are the farthest -possible inland, where ships can come." Small wonder that land-lubbers -as we were should become confused. - -Another confusing element that pressed upon our minds was the vastness -of the waters explored, and that we now came to know were yet left -unexplored. Then Puget Sound was looked upon as anchorage ground from -the Straits on the north to Budd's Inlet on the south, forgetting, or -rather not knowing, of the extreme depth of waters in many places. Then -that wonderful stretch of shore line of sixteen hundred miles, with its -forty or more islands of from a few acres in extent to thirty miles of -length, with the aggregate area of waters of several hundred square -miles, exclusive of the Straits of Fuca and Gulf of Georgia. All these -marvels gradually dawned upon our minds as we looked and counseled, -forgetting for the time the imminent risks we were taking. - -Upon closer examination of the little town, we found our first -impression from the distance illusory. Many shacks and camps, at first -mistaken for the white men's houses, were found to be occupied by the -natives, a drunken, rascally rabble, spending their gains from the sale -of fish and oil in a debauch that would last as long as their money was -in hand. - -This seemed to be a more stalwart race of Indians, stronger and more -athletic, though strictly of the class known as fish Indians, but -better developed than those to the south, from the buffeting received -in the larger waters of the Straits, and even out in the open sea in -their fishing excursions with canoes, manned by thirty or more men. - -The next incident of the trip that I can remember is when we were -pulling for dear life to make a landing in front of Colonel Ebey's -cabin, on Whidby's Island, opposite Port Townsend. We were carried by -the rapid current quite a way past the landing, in spite of our utmost -efforts. It would be a serious thing to be unable to land, as we were -now in the open waters, with a fifteen-mile stretch of the Straits of -Fuca before us. I can remember a warm greeting at the hands of Ebey, -the first time I had ever seen him. He had a droll stoppage in his -speech that at first acquaintance would incline one to mirth, but after -a few moments' conversation such a feeling would disappear. Of all the -men we had met on the whole trip, Colonel Ebey made the most lasting -impression. Somehow, what he did say came with such evident sincerity -and sympathy, and with such an unaffected manner, that we were drawn -close to him at once. It was while living in these same cabins where we -visited him, that four years later the northern Indians, from British -Columbia, came and murdered him and carried off his head as a trophy in -their savage warfare. - -We spent two or three days in exploring the island, only to find all -the prairie land occupied, but I will not undertake from memory to name -the settlers we found there. From our acquaintance, and from published -reports, I came to know all of them, but do not now recall a single -individual adult alive who was there then; a striking illustration of -having outlived the most of my generation. - -Somehow, our minds went back to the seven ships we had seen at anchor -in front of Steilacoom; to the sound of the timber camps; to the bustle -and stir of the little new village; to the greater activities that we -saw there than anywhere else on the waters of the Sound, and likewise -my thoughts would go beyond to the little cabin on the Columbia River, -and the little wife domiciled there, and the other little personage, -and so when we bade Colonel Ebey good-bye, it was the signal to make -our way as speedily as possible to the waters of the seven ships. - -Three days sufficed to land us back in the coveted bay with no greater -mishap than getting off our course into the mouth of Hood's Canal, and -being lost another half day, but luckily going on the right course the -while. - -But, lo and behold, the ships were gone. Not a sailing craft of any -kind was in sight of the little town, but the building activity -continued. The memory of those ships, however, remained and determined -our minds as to the important question where the trade center was to -be, and that we would look farther for the coveted spot upon which to -make a home. - -I look back with amazement at the rash undertaking of that trip, so -illy provided, and inexperienced, as we were, and wonder that we -escaped with no more serious mishap than we had. We were not justified -in taking these chances, or at least I was not, with the two dependents -left in the cabin on the bank of the Columbia River, but we did not -realize the danger until we were in it, and hence did not share in -the suspense and uneasiness of that one left behind. Upon the whole, -it was a most enjoyable trip, and one, barring the risk and physical -inability now to play my part, I could with great enjoyment encounter -the same adventure of which I have only related a mere outline. Did -you ever, reader, take a drive, we will say in a hired outfit, with -a paid coachman, and then take the lines in your own hands by way of -contrast? If so, then you will realize the thrill of enjoyment where -you pull your own oars, sail your own craft, cook your own dinner, and -lie in your own bed of boughs, and go when and where you will with that -keen relish incident to the independence and uncertainties of such a -trip. It was a wild, reckless act, but we came out stronger than ever -in the faith of the great future in store for the north country, where -we finally made our home and where I have lived ever since, now over -sixty-four years. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -FROM COLUMBIA RIVER TO PUGET SOUND. - - -"Can I get home tonight?" I asked myself, while the sun was yet high -one afternoon of the last week of June (1853). - -I was well up river, on the left bank of the Cowlitz. I could not tell -how far, for there were no milestones, or way places to break the -monotony of the crooked, half obstructed trail leading down stream. -I knew that at the best it would be a race with the sun, for there -were many miles between me and the cabin, but the days were long, and -the twilight longer, and I would camp that much nearer home if I made -haste. My pack had been discarded on the Sound; I did not even have -either coat or blanket. The heavy, woolen shirt, often worn outside -the pants, will be well remembered by my old-time pioneer readers. -Added to this, the well worn slouch hat, and worn shoes, both of which -gave ample ventilation, completed my dress; socks, I had none, neither -suspenders, the improvised belt taking their place; and so I was -dressed suitable for the race, and was eager for the trial. - -I had parted with my brother at Olympia, where he had come to set me -that far on my journey; he to return to the claims we had taken, and -I to make my way across country for the wife and baby, to remove them -to our new home. I did not particularly mind the camping so much if -necessary, but did not fancy the idea of lying out so near home, if I -could by extra exertion reach the cabin that night. I did not have the -friendly ox to snug up to for warmth, as in so many bivouacs while on -the plains, but I had matches, and there were many mossy places for -a bed and friendly shelter of the drooping cedars. We never thought -of "catching cold" by lying on the ground or on cedar boughs, or from -getting a good drenching. Somehow it did seem I was free from all -care of bodily ailment, and could endure continued exertion for long -hours without the least inconvenience. The readers of this generation -doubtless will be ready to pour out their sympathy for the hardships of -the lonely trail, and lone camp, and the supperless bed of boughs, but -they may as well reserve this for others of the pioneers whose systems -were less able to bear the unusual strain of the new conditions. But -the camp had to be made; the cabin could not be reached, for the trail -could not be followed at night, nor the Kalama Creek crossed; so, -slackening my pace at nightfall to gradually cool my system, I finally -made my camp and slept, as sound as if on a bed of down, with the -consolation that the night was short and that I could see to travel by -3 o'clock, and it did not make so very much difference, after all. - -I can truly say that of all those years of camp and cabin life, I do -not look upon them as years of hardship. To be sure, our food was plain -as well as dress, our hours of labor long and labor frequently severe, -and that the pioneers appeared rough and uncouth, yet underlying all -this, there ran a vein of good cheer, of hopefulness, of the intense -interest always engendered with strife to overcome difficulties where -one is the employer as well as the employed. We never watched for the -sun to go down, or for the seven o'clock whistle, or for the boss to -quicken our steps, for the days were always too short, and interest in -our work always unabated. - -The cabin could not be seen for a long distance on the trail, but I -thought I caught sight of a curl of smoke and then immediately knew I -did, and that settled it that all was well in the cabin. But when a -little nearer, a little lady in almost bloomer dress was espied milking -a cow, and a frisking, fat calf in the pen was seen, then I knew, and -all solicitude vanished. The little lady never finished milking that -cow, nor did she ever milk others when the husband was at home, though -she knew how well enough, and never felt above such work if a necessity -arose, but we parceled out duties on a different basis, with each to -their suited parts. The bloom on the cheek of the little wife, the -baby in the cabin as fat as the calf, told the story of good health and -plentitude of food, and brought good cheer with the welcome home. The -dried potato eyes had just been planted, although it was then the first -week of July, following the receding waters of the June freshet up the -Columbia, and were sprouting vigorously. I may say, in passing, there -came a crop from these of nearly four hundred bushels at harvest time. - -It did seem there were so many things to talk about that one could -scarcely tell where to begin or when to stop. "Why, at Olympia, eggs -were a dollar a dozen. I saw them selling at that. That butter you -have there on the shelf would bring a dollar a pound as fast as you -could weigh it out; I saw stuff they called butter sell for that; -then potatoes were selling for $3.00 a bushel and onions at $4.00. -Everything the farmer raises sells high." "Who buys?" "Oh, almost -everybody has to buy; there's the ships and the timber camps, and the -hotels, and the—" - -"Where do they get the money?" - -"Why, everybody seems to have money. Some take it there with them. -Then men working in the timber camps get $4.00 a day and their board. -I saw one place where they paid $4.00 a cord for wood to ship to San -Francisco, and one can sell all the shingles he can make at $4.00 a -thousand, and I was offered 5 cents a foot for piles. If we had Buck -and Dandy over there we could make twenty dollars a day putting in -piles." - -"Where could you get the piles?" - -"Off the government land, of course. All help themselves to all they -want. Then there are the fish, and the clams, and the oysters, and—" - -"But what about the land for a claim?" - -That question was a stumper. The little wife never lost sight of that -bargain made before we were married, that we were going to be farmers; -and here now I found myself praising a country I could not say much -for its agricultural qualities, but other things quite foreign to that -interest. - -But if we could sell produce higher, might we not well lower our -standard of an ideal farm? The claim I had taken was described with a -tinge of disappointment, falling so far below in quality of what we had -hoped to acquire, but still adhering to the resolution to be farmers, -we began the preparations for removal to the Sound. - -The wife, baby, bedding, ox yoke, and log chain were sent up the -Cowlitz in a canoe, while Buck and Dandy and I renewed our acquaintance -by taking to the trail where we had our parting bivouac. We had camped -together many a night on the plains, and slept together literally, not -figuratively. I used to crowd up close under Buck's back while napping -on watch, for the double purpose of warmth and signal—warmth while at -rest, signal if the ox moved. On this occasion I was illy prepared for -a cool night camp, having neither blanket nor coat, as I had expected -to reach "Hard-Bread's" Hotel, where the people in the canoe would stop -over night. But I could not make it and so again laid on the trail to -renew the journey bright and early the next morning. - -Hard Bread's is an odd name for a hotel, you will say; so it is, but -the name grew out of the fact that Gardner, the old widower that kept -"bachelor's" hall at the mouth of Toutle River, fed his customers on -hard tack three times a day, if perchance any one was unfortunate -enough to be compelled to take their meals at his place. - -I found the little wife had not fared any better than I had on the -trail, and, in fact, not so well, for the floor of the cabin was a -great deal harder than the sand spit where I had passed the night, with -plenty of pure, fresh air, while she, in a closed cabin, in the same -room with many others, could neither boast of fresh air nor freedom -from creeping things that make life miserable. With her shoes for a -pillow, a shawl for covering, small wonder the report came "I did not -sleep a wink last night." - -Judge Olney and wife were passengers in the same canoe and guests at -the same house with the wife, as also Frank Clark, who afterwards -played a prominent part at the bar, and in the political affairs of -Pierce County in particular, and incidentally of the whole Territory. - -We soon arrived at the Cowlitz landing, and at the end of the canoe -journey, so, striking the tent that had served us so well on the -plains, and with a cheerful camp fire blazing for cooking, speedily -forgot the experience of the trail, the cramped passage in the canoe, -the hard bread, dirt and all, while enjoying the savory meal, the -like of which only the expert hands of the ladies of the plains could -prepare. - -But now we had fifty miles of land to travel before us, and over such a -road! Words cannot describe that road, and so I will not try. One must -have traveled it to fully comprehend what it meant. However, we had -one consolation, and that was it would be worse in winter than at that -time. We had no wagon. Our wagon had been left at The Dalles, and we -never saw nor heard of it again. Our cows were gone—given for provender -to save the lives of the oxen during the deep December snow, and so -when we took account of stock, we had Buck and Dandy, the baby, and -a tent, an ox yoke and chain, enough clothing and bedding to keep us -comfortable, with but very little food and no money—that had all been -expended on the canoe passage. - -Shall we pack the oxen and walk, and carry baby, or shall we build a -sled and drag our things over to the Sound, or shall I make an effort -to get a wagon? This latter proposition was the most attractive, and so -next morning, driving Buck and Dandy before me, leaving the wife and -baby to take care of the camp, the search for a wagon began. - -That great hearted old pioneer, John R. Jackson, did not hesitate a -moment, stranger as I was, to say, "Yes, you can have two if you need -them." Jackson had settled eight years before, ten miles out from the -landing, and had an abundance around him, and like all those earlier -pioneers, took a pride in helping others who came later. Retracing the -road, night found me again in camp, and all hands happy, but Jackson -would not listen to allowing us to proceed the next day any farther -than his premises, where he would entertain us in his comfortable -cabin, and send us on our way the morning following, rejoicing in -plenty. - -Without special incident or accident, we in due time arrived at the -foot of the falls of the Deschutes (Tumwater), and on the shore of -Puget Sound. Here a camp must be established again; the little wife and -baby left while I drove the wagon over the tedious road to Jackson's -and then returned with the oxen to tide water. - -The reader may well imagine my feelings, when, upon my return, my -tent, wife, baby, and all were gone. We knew before I started on my -return trip that smallpox was raging among the Indians, and that a camp -where this disease was prevalent was in sight less than a quarter of -a mile away. The present-day reader must remember that dread disease -had terrors then that, since universal vaccination, it does not now -possess. Could it be possible my folks had been sick and had been -removed? The question, however, was soon solved. I had scarcely gotten -out of sight upon my trip before one of those royal pioneer matrons -came to the camp and pleaded and insisted and finally almost frightened -the little wife to go and share her house with her which was near by, -and be out of danger from the smallpox. - -And that was the way we traveled from the Columbia River to Puget Sound. - -God bless those earlier pioneers; they were all good to us, sometimes -to the point of embarrassment by their generous hospitality. - -I can not dismiss this subject without reverting to one such, in -particular, who gave his whole crop during the winter of which I have -just written, to start immigrants on the road to prosperity, and, in -some instances, to prevent suffering. - -In consequence of the large immigration and increased demand, prices -of provisions had run sky high, and out of reach of some of the recent -immigrants with large families. George Bush had squatted on a claim -seven miles south of Olympia, in 1845, and had an abundance of farm -produce, but would not sell a pound of anything to a speculator; but -to immigrants, for seed or for immediate pressing wants, to all alike, -without money and without price—"return it when you can," he would -say—and so divided up his whole crop, then worth thousands of dollars. -And yet this man's oath could not at that time be taken; neither could -he sue in the courts or acquire title to the land upon which he lived, -or any land. He had negro blood in his veins, and under the law of this -great country, then, was a proscribed outcast. Conditions do change as -time passes. The wrong was so flagrant in this particular case that a -special act of Congress enabled this old, big-hearted pioneer of 1845 -to hold his claim, and his descendants are living on it yet. - -I have been so impressed with the altruistic character of this -truly great man that I have procured this testimonial from a close -acquaintance and neighbor, Prof. Ayres, who has kindly written the -history of the life of this truly great pioneer. - - -A GREAT PIONEER—GEORGE BUSH, THE VOYAGER. - -The history of the Northwest settlement cannot be fully written without -an account of George Bush, who organized and led the first colony of -American settlers to the shores of Puget Sound, whose great humanity, -shrewd intelligence, and knowledge of the natives, who then numbered -thousands about the headwaters of the Sound, had much to do with -carrying the first settlers safely through all of the curses of famine -and war while the feeble colony was slowly gaining enough strength to -protect itself. - -Mr. Bush claimed to have been born about 1791 in what is now Missouri, -but was then the French Colony of Louisiana, and in the extreme Far -West, and only reached by the most daring hunters. His early manhood -was spent in the employ of the great trading companies who reached out -into the Rock Mountains each season and gathered furs from the Indians -and the occasional white trappers. - -Bush first began this work (?) with Rabidean, the Frenchman, who made -his headquarters at St. Louis, but later on enlisted with the Hudson's -Bay Company, which had been given unrestrained dominion over all -Canada outside of the settlements in the East, and, not satisfied with -that, sent its trading parties down across the national line, where it -was safe to do so. It was during this employment with the Hudson Bay -Company that Bush reached the Pacific Coast in the late twenties, and -while he did not get as far south as Puget Sound (then occupied by the -company and claimed as a part of the British Dominion), he learned of -its favorable climate, soil and fitness for settlement. - -He then returned to Missouri about 1830, settled in Clay County, -married a German-American woman and raised a family of boys. - -In 1843, Marcus Whitman made his famous trip from Oregon to the -national capital and excited the whole country by his stories of the -great possible future of the extreme Northwest and the duty of the -Government to insist upon its claim to dominion over the western coast -from the Mexican settlement in California up to the Russian possessions -in the far north. - -Everything got into politics then, even more than now, and the -Democratic party, which until then had been the most aggressive in -extending the national bounds, took up the cry of "Fifty-four Forty or -Fight", to win what they knew would be a close contest for President in -1844. - -This meant the taking possession of the whole thousand miles or more of -coast by settlement and driving the English out by threats or force. - -As I have indicated before, the people of St. Louis and Missouri had -become deeply interested in the extreme west through their trading -interests, and as the retired voyager was one of the very few who knew -about the western coast and had sufficient fitness for leadership he -was encouraged by his friends to make up a party and cross the plains -to the new Oregon. - -This was in the winter of 1843-4 and early in the spring, he, with four -other families and three single men, set out with a large outfit of -wagons and live stock over what is now known as the "Old Oregon Trail." - -The names of this company were as follows: - -George Bush, his wife and sons (Wm. Owen, Joseph, R. B., Sanford—now -living—and Jackson); - -Col. M. T. Simmons, wife and seven children; - -David Kindred, wife and one son; - -Gabriel Jones, wife and three children; - -Wm. McAllister, wife and several children, and the three young -bachelors, Samuel Crockett, Reuben Crowder, and Jesse Ferguson. - -Of these families, the Jones and Kindreds are now extinct, and of the -original party only two sons of Col. Simmons and Sanford Bush are now -living. Semis Bush, the youngest son of George Bush, was born after -their arrival, in 1847, on Bush Prairie and, by the way, is perhaps the -oldest living white American born in the Puget Sound basin. - -The Bush party suffered the usual hardships of the overland journey but -met no great disaster, and reached The Dalles late in the fall of 1844. -There they camped for the winter and decided their future plans. - -At that time the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company, the sole -official representative of the British Government, was on the Columbia -River with its chief settlements at Vancouver and The Dalles. - -It was the policy of the company to prevent all settlement north of -the Columbia River and confine its use to the fur-bearing industry and -depend upon the Indians for the necessary hunting and trapping. The -employes of the company consisted of the necessary factors and clerks, -some English, but more Scotch, while the rest, boatmen, etc., were -nearly all Canadian French. - -The great chief factor for the whole west was Dr. McLoughlin, a -benevolent despot, well fitted to govern his savage dominion so long as -the Yankees kept away, but at the period in question he found himself -in a painful conflict between the interests of humanity and the demands -of his superiors. - -The governing board in London was composed of members of the government -and aristocracy who were extremely resentful of the demands and claims -of the American politicians and gave most imperative orders to Governor -McLoughlin and the other factors and agents on the Coast to discourage -all settlement by the Americans north of the Columbia River and to -furnish no supplies or other assistance to the American travelers or -settlers. This prohibition also extended, though less rigidly, to the -Oregon settlements south of the Columbia, for the company saw clearly -that unless the emigration could be checked the vast profits of their -fast growing trade in the west would soon be lost. - -Sanford Bush, though a small boy at the time, remembers the trip well, -and tells me that the main dependence of his father's party and the -other early settlers was the friendliness of the French Canadians, who -had much more sympathy for the poor settlers than with the English -stockholders, and did not hesitate to smuggle all sorts of supplies, -especially of food, from their farms into the hands of the Americans, -and it was in this emergency that the former experience and intimate -acquaintance of George Bush with the French and their desire to assist -him turned his attention to the Puget Sound country and made it -possible for him to smuggle his party up into territory that was yet -claimed by the British, without its becoming officially known to the -chief factor. At that time the road from the Columbia River, or rather -from the landing on the Cowlitz River, to the head of the Sound was -only a single trail through dense forests, and that was always more or -less blocked by falling timber. No vehicle could get through and, while -Sanford says that the party did get some of the twenty wagons with -which they left Missouri through to The Dalles, they only reached the -Sound with what they could pack on their animals or drag on rude sleds. - -In this condition the little party reached the extreme head of the -Sound at Tumwater early in the spring of 1845 and proceeded to take -possession of such tracts of land as took their fancy, covering what -is now the town of Tumwater and back along the west side of the little -Des Chutes River, and out on the prairie, which begins about a mile -south of the landing and extends down about three miles to a rise of -ground not far from the river. Upon this commanding site George Bush -pitched his last camp and there his family descendants have lived to -the present time, and the prairie of some five square miles extent has -always been known as Bush Prairie. - -Mr. Bush was a farmer, and having brought as much live stock as -possible he at once broke up some of the best of the open prairie. -He was so successful that in a very few years his farm was the main -resource for grain, vegetables and fruit for supplying the newcomers in -that region. - -Let me say in passing that his memory is honored to this day among the -early families for the fact that while he was at times the only man in -the country with food for sale he would never take advantage by raising -the price nor allow anyone to buy more than his own needs during an -emergency. - -In 1845 there were no mills on the Sound for grinding grain nor sawing -lumber and as quick as the necessary outfit could be secured, which was -about three years later, all of the Bush party, with Mr. Simmons as -manager, joined in constructing a combined saw and grist mill at the -foot of the lower Tumwater Fall, and where the small streams and rafts -of timber could reach it at high tide. - -For the grist mill, the main question was a pair of grinding stones and -these were secured from a granite boulder on the shore of Mud Bay, the -western branch of Budd's Inlet, at the head of which Tumwater and (two -miles north) Olympia are situated. A man named Hamm, a stonecutter by -trade, worked out and dressed the stones for use. I have tried to find -these but am told that one was allowed to sink into the mud near the -old mill site, while the other was taken out to the Bush farm, but it -cracked to pieces many years ago and is now all gone. - -It may be of interest to add that in the late seventies a man by the -name of Horton originated the patent wood pipe industry in a mill on -the site of the first mill. - -In the same year of the first mill, in 1848, was loaded the first cargo -of freight for export from the Upper Sound. This was on the brig Orbit, -which had just come from the east around the Horn, and for this also -Bush and his party made up a cargo of piles and hand-sawed shingles, -etc. The vessel had brought quite a quantity of supplies and these made -the first respectable stock of goods for the little store which the -party had started in connection with the mill. - - -THE FANNING MILL. - -The Bush family still possess and use an interesting relic of that -first vessel. The Orbit brought out from the east two families named -Rider and Moulton, and in their outfit were two fanning mills. So far -as known, these were the first ever brought to the Sound and were -certainly the first outside of Nisqually, the Hudson Bay station for -the Sound. - -As Bush was the greatest grain raiser and the new grist mill could not -well get along without it, Mr. Bush secured one of these fanning mills -and for some time all of the settlers who attempted to raise grain were -permitted to use it. - -It is singular that this old hand mill, which was such an important and -hard worked factor in the first settlement, should, sixty-five years -later, still be as efficient as ever and still be a necessity for the -grandchildren of the old pioneer. - -The other mill was secured by John R. Jackson, who was the first -American settler on Cowlitz Prairie, and was also a former employe of -the Hudson's Bay Company. - -As I have said before, George Bush was not only remarkable, for his -time, in the virtues of humanity, sympathy and wise justice, which -virtues have been well kept by his descendants, but he had a rare power -over the natives and, while the different tribes often fought out their -quarrels in the neighborhood, none of the Bush family was ever molested -so long as they kept west of the Des Chutes River. Sanford tells of one -occasion when two tribes, numbering many hundreds, fought all day on -the Bush farm but both sides promised not to injure the whites. - -As, however, the natives had only a few very poor guns and little -ammunition, only a few were hurt and the battle consisted mostly of -yells and insults. - -I asked Sanford and Lewis about Chief Leschi. They say he often came -to their place up to the time of the war, and as his mother belonged -to the more fierce Klickitats of the trans-mountain tribes, so Leschi -was more of a positive and aggressive character than his clam-digging -brothers, but was always friendly and respectful to those who treated -him fairly. - - -THE FIRST COUGAR. - -It was during one of Leschi's visits to their place, about 1850, that -one of the ponies was killed by some wild animal. The same thing had -happened several times about the Cowlitz but none of the Indians nor -any of the French trappers had, up to that time, ever seen any around -that was capable of the mischief. Mr. Bush set a large bear trap that -he had brought from Missouri near the remains of the pony and was -fortunate enough to capture what proved to be a remarkably long bodied -and long tailed cougar, the first, so far as the Bush brothers could -learn, that had ever been seen on the Sound. In honor of the event, -Leschi was allowed to take charge of removing and preparing the skin of -the new kind of game. - -Asked about the cause of the Indian war which was started by Leschi -on the ground that his people had been deceived and robbed in the -outlining of their reservation on the Nisqually, Sanford and Lewis -assert positively that all of the whites of the Tumwater and Bush -Prairie section were agreed that the Indians were badly wronged and -there was much sympathy with the Leschi party. - -When the war opened, Leschi sent word to Bush promising that none of -the whites on the west side of the Des Chutes would be molested and -this proved to be true, though all of the natives were in a restless -condition over the trouble for many months. - -The most critical experience that the Bush company had with the Indians -was a few years before, in May, 1849, when Pat Kamm, chief of the -Snoqualmies, landed nearby on the bay (Budd Inlet) with a great fleet -of war canoes, and made it known that they were going to destroy all -of the whites. In this emergency, a squad went down and told them -that Chief Bush had a terrible great gun that would sink all of the -canoes as soon as they should come around what is now known as Capitol -Point. This alarmed the natives so much that they finally gave up their -purpose and returned down Sound. It is to be added that the "terrible -gun" was a very heavy rifle that Bush had brought from the East and -which kicked so badly that nobody dared fire it twice. - -Mr. Bush carried on his farm with great success and kept the high -respect and good will of all the settlement until his death in 1867 at -the age of 76. His eldest son, William Owen, who succeeded his father -as the recognized head of the family, was born in 1832 and was twelve -years old when he crossed the plains. He had the same gentle virtues -of his father and was always consulted in the affairs and politics of -Thurston County. During the first state legislature of '89-90, he was -an active and influential member. While he carried on both a logging -and farming business, he was also greatly interested in the world -fairs, and at Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Louis took several notable -prizes for his remarkable exhibits of Puget Sound productions, all -raised on his own farm. At the Centennial Fair, in 1876, he took the -world's prize for wheat; and from the Chicago Fair he brought back over -two hundred kinds of grain, which he raised in separate rows in one -field. - -Wm. Owen died in 1906 and his brother Sanford, with two sons of Col. -Simmons were all that are left of the first American colony of Puget -Sound. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE SECOND CABIN. - - -What I am now about to write may provoke a smile, but I can only say, -reader, put yourself in my place. That there should be a feeling akin -to affection between a man and an ox will seem past comprehension to -many. The time had come that Buck and Dandy and I must part for good -and all. I could not transport them to our island home, neither provide -for them. These patient, dumb brutes had been my close companions for -the long, weary months on the plains, and had never failed me; they -would do my bidding to the letter. I often said Buck understood English -better than some people I had seen in my lifetime. I had done what not -one in a hundred did; that was, to start on that trip with an unbroken -ox and cow team. I had selected these four-year-old steers for their -intelligent eyes as well as for their trim build, and had made no -mistake. We had bivouacked together; actually slept together, lunched -together. They knew me as far as they could see, and seemed delighted -to obey my word, and I did regret to feel constrained to part with -them. I knew they had assured my safe transit on the weary journey, if -not even to the point of having saved my life. I could pack them, ride -them, drive them by the word and receive their salutations, and why -should I be ashamed to part with feelings of more than regret. - -But I had scant time to spend on sentiment. The brother did not expect -my return so soon. The island claim (and cabin, as I thought) must be -reached; the little skiff obtained in which to transport the wife and -baby, not yet feeling willing to trust them in a canoe. - -So, without further ado, a small canoe was chartered, and my first -experience to "paddle my own canoe" materialized. It seemed this same -place where we had our first clam bake was the sticking point again. -The tide turned, night overtook me, and I could go no farther. Two men -were in a cabin, the Doctor Johnson heretofore mentioned and a man by -the name of Hathaway, both drunk and drinking, with a jug handy by, -far from empty. Both were men that seemed to me to be well educated, -and, if sober, refined. They quoted from Burns, sang songs and ditties, -laughed and danced until late in the night, when they became exhausted -and fell asleep. They would not listen to my suggestion that I would -camp and sleep outside the cabin, and I could not sleep inside, so the -night passed off without, rest or sleep until the tide turned, and I -was glad enough to slip away, leaving them in their stupor. - -A few miles vigorous paddling brought me to McNeil Island, opposite -the town of Steilacoom, where I expected to find our second cabin, my -brother and the boat. No cabin, no brother, no boat, were to be seen. -A raft of cabin logs floating in the lagoon near by, where the United -States penitentiary now stands, was all the signs to be seen, other -than what was there when I left the place for my return trip to the -Columbia River. I was sorely puzzled as to what to do. My brother was -to have had the cabin ready by the time I returned. He not only had not -done that, but had taken the boat, and left no sign as to where it or -he could be found. Not knowing what else to do I mechanically paddled -over to the town, where, sure enough, the boat was anchored, but nobody -knew where the man had gone. I finally found where the provisions -had been left, and, after an earnest parley, succeeded in getting -possession. I took my canoe in tow and soon made my way back to where -the little folks were, and speedily transferred the whole outfit to the -spot that was to be our island home; set up our tent, and felt at home -once more. - -The village, three miles away, across the bay, had grown during my -absence and in the distance looked like a city in fact as well as in -name. The mountain looked bigger and taller than ever. Even the songs -of the Indians sounded better, and the canoes seemed more graceful, and -the paddles wielded more expertly. Everything looked cheerful, even -to the spouting clams on the beach, and the crow's antics of breaking -clams by rising in the air and dropping them on the boulders. So many -new things to show the folks that I for a time almost forget we were -out of provisions and money, and did not know what had happened to the -brother. Thoughts of these suddenly coming upon us, our spirits fell, -and for a time we could hardly say we were perfectly happy. - -"I believe that canoe is coming straight here," said the little wife, -the next morning, about nine o'clock. All else is dropped, and a -watch set upon the strange craft, moving slowly, apparently in the -long distance, but more rapidly as it approached, and there sat the -brother. Having returned to the village and finding that the boat and -provisions had been taken, and seeing smoke in the bight, he knew -what had happened, and, following his own good impulse, we were soon -together again, and supremely happy. He had received a tempting offer -to help load a ship, and had just completed his contract, and was able -to exhibit a "slug"[5] of money and more besides that looked precious -in our eyes. - -The building of the cabin, with its stone fireplace, cat-and-clay -chimney, its lumber floor, real window with glass in, together with the -high post bedstead out of tapering cedar saplings, the table fastened -to the wall, with rustic chairs, seemed but like a play spell. No eight -hour a day work there—eighteen would be nearer the mark—we never tired. - -There came a letter: "Boys, if Oliver will come back to cross with us, -we will go to Oregon next year," this signed by the father, then fifty -years old. The letter was nearly three months old when we received it. -What should we say and what should we do? Would Davenport pay for the -Columbia River claims and the prospective potato crop in the fall—could -he? We will say yes, Oliver will be with you next Spring. We must go to -the timber camp to earn the money to pay expenses of the trip and not -depend altogether on the Columbia River asset. - -"What shall we do with the things?" said the little wife. - -"Lock them up in the cabin," said the elder brother. - -"And you go and stay with Dofflemire," said the young husband. - -"Not I," said the little wife, "I'm going along to cook," and thus it -was that all our well-laid plans were suddenly changed, our clearing -land deferred, the chicken house, the inmates of which were to make us -rich, was not to be built, the pigs were not bought to fatten on the -clams, and many other pet schemes dropped that we might accomplish this -one object, that Oliver might go back to Iowa to "bring the father out" -across the Plains. - -[Illustration: "We Struck Rapid, Heavy, But Awkward Strokes."] - -We struck rapid, heavy, but awkward strokes in the timber camp -established on the bluff overlooking the falls at Tumwater, while the -little wife supplied the huckleberry pudding for dinner, plenty of the -lightest, whitest bread, vegetables, meat, and fish served in style -good enough for kings; such appetites! No coaxing required to eat a -hearty meal; such sound sleep; such satisfaction! Talk about your -hardships. We would have none of it. It was a pleasure as we counted -the eleven dollars a day that the Tullis brothers paid us for cutting -logs, at one dollar and seventy cents a thousand, which we earned every -day, and Sundays, too, seventy-seven dollars a week. Yes, we were going -to make it. "Make what?" the reader will say. Why, succeed in getting -money enough together to pay the passage of the elder brother to Iowa. -And what a trip. Over to the Columbia River, out from there by steamer -to San Francisco, then to the Isthmus, then New York, after which by -rail as far west as there was a railroad and then walk to Eddyville, -Iowa, from where the start was again to be made. - -Again the younger brother was left without money and but a scant -supply of provisions, and winter had come on. The elder brother was -speeding on his way, and could not be heard from frequently. How our -little family succeeded in getting enough together to eat is not an -interesting topic for the general reader. Suffice to say, we always -secured abundance, even if at times the variety was restricted. - -It was soon after Oliver's departure that I first made the acquaintance -of Dr. Tolmie. It was upon the occasion when our new baby was born, now -the mother of eight grown-up children, and several times a grandmother, -Mrs. Ella Templeton of Halsey, Oregon. - -Of course, Dr. Tolmie did not practice medicine. He had the cares of -the great foreign corporation, the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, -on his shoulders. He was harassed by the settlers, who chafed because -a foreign corporation had fenced up quite large tracts of grazing and -some farming lands, and had thousands of sheep and cattle on the range. -Constant friction was the result. The cattle were wild; therefore, some -settler would kill one every now and then, and make the remainder still -wilder, and again, therefore, the more the reason that others might -be killed. The Doctor was a patient, tactful man, with an impulse to -always do one a good turn for the sake of doing it. Consequently, when -asked to attend, he did so without hesitation, though the request came -from a perfect stranger and compliance was to his great inconvenience, -yet without fee and without expectation of ever meeting the parties -again. This first acquaintance ripened into friendship lifelong, -that became closer as he neared his end. But recently, fifty years -after this event, I have had the pleasure of a visit from two of his -daughters, and I may say there has been scarcely a year in all this -time but some token of friendship has passed. He was a noble man, with -noble impulses. He died on his farm near Victoria many years ago. - -Soon after this, I made my first acquaintance with Arthur A. Denny. -It came about in this way. He and two other gentlemen were returning -from the first Territorial Legislature, then just adjourned. Wind and -tide compelled them to suspend their journey from Olympia to Seattle, -and to stay over night with us in the little cabin. This was early in -May, 1854. Mr. Denny remarked in the morning that he thought there was -a good foundation under my cabin floor, as he did not find any spring -to the bed. He and his companion laid on the floor, but I remember we -did not go to bed very early. All during the session we had heard a -great deal about removing the capital of the Territory from Olympia -to Steilacoom. The legislature had adjourned and no action had been -taken, and, in fact, no bill for the purpose was introduced. Mr. Denny -said that before the recess a clear majority of both houses were in -favor of removal to Steilacoom, but for the mistake of Lafayette Balch, -member of the council from Pierce County, the removal would have been -accomplished. Balch, so Denny told me, felt so sure of his game that he -did not press to a vote before the recess. - -At that, the first session of the legislature, the mania was for -territorial roads; everybody wanted a territorial road. One, projected -from Seattle to Bellingham Bay, did not meet with approval by Balch. -Stroking his long beard as he was wont to do almost mechanically, -he "thought they had gone far enough in establishing roads for one -session." It was impolitic in the highest degree for Balch to offend -the northern members in this way, as also unnecessary, as usually these -roads remained on paper only, and cost nothing. However, he lost his -majority in the council, and so the project died, to the very great -disappointment of the people of Steilacoom and surrounding country. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[5] A "slug" was fifty dollars value in gold, minted by private -parties, in octagon form and passed current the same as if it had borne -the government's stamp. "Slugs" were worth as much melted as in the -coined form. My ideas about the gold standard were formed at that time, -and I may say my mind never changed on this subject. - -The "Beaver Money," so called because of the stamp of a beaver on the -piece, issued by the pioneers of Oregon, of the value of $5.00, was -another instance of no change in value of gold from the melting pot to -the mold. It was simply a matter of convenience to be rid of the more -cumbersome legal tender, wheat, which had been in vogue so long. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS. - - -The latter part of August, 1854, James K. Hurd, of Olympia, sent me -word that he had been out on the immigrant trail and heard that some -of my relations on the road were belated and short of provisions. He -advised me that I should go to their assistance, and particularly if -I wanted to be sure they should come direct to Puget Sound over the -Cascade Mountains, and not go down the Columbia River into Oregon. -How it could be, with the experience of my brother Oliver to guide -them, that my people should be in the condition described was past -my comprehension. However, I accepted the statement as true and -particularly felt the importance of their having certain knowledge as -to prevailing conditions of an over-mountain trip through the Natchess -Pass. But how could I go and leave wife and two babies on our island -home? The summer had been spent clearing land and planting crops, -and my finances were very low. To remove my family would cost money, -besides the abandonment of the season's work to almost a certain -destruction. The wife said at once, and without a moment's hesitation, -to go, and she and Mrs. Darrow, who was with us as nurse and companion -friend, would stay "right where we are until you get back," with a -confidence in which I did not share. The trip at best was hazardous -to an extent, even when undertaken well prepared and with company. So -far as I could see, I might have to go on foot and pack my food and -blanket on my back, and I knew that I would have to go alone. I knew -some work had been done on the road during the summer, but was unable -to get definite information as to whether any camps were yet left in -the mountains, and did not have that abiding faith in my ability to get -back that rested in the breast of the little, courageous wife, but I -dared not impart my forebodings to harass and intensify her fears and -disturb her peace of mind while absent. The immigration the previous -year, as related elsewhere, had encountered formidable difficulties -in the mountains, narrowly escaping the loss of everything, if not -facing actual starvation. Reports were current that the government -appropriation for a military road had been expended, and that the road -was passable for teams, but a like report had been freely circulated -the previous year, with results almost disastrous to those attempting -to come through. I could not help feeling that possibly the same -conditions yet existed. The only way to determine the question was to -go and see for myself; meet my father's party and pilot them through -the pass. - -It was on the third day of September of 1854 that I left home. I had -been planting turnips for two days, and made a memorandum of the date, -and by that fix the date of my departure. Of that turnip crop I shall -have more to say later, as it had a cheering effect upon the incoming -immigrants. - -At Steilacoom there was a character then understood by few, and I may -say by not even many to the end, in whom, somehow, I had implicit -confidence. Dr. J. B. Webber, afterwards of the firm of Balch & Webber, -of Steilacoom, the largest shipping and mercantile firm on the Sound, -was a very eccentric man. Between him and myself there would seem -to be a gulf that could not be closed. Our habits of life were as -diametrically opposite as possible for two men to be. He was always -drinking; never sober, neither ever drunk. I would never touch a drop, -while the doctor would certainly drink a dozen times a day, just a -little at a time, but seemingly tippling all the time. Then, he openly -kept an Indian woman in defiance of the sentiment of all the families -of the community. It was with this man that I entrusted the safekeeping -of my little family. I knew my wife had such an aversion to this class -that I did not even tell her with whom I would arrange to look out for -her welfare, but suggested another to whom she might apply in case of -need. I knew Dr. Webber for long years afterwards, and until the day -of his horrible death with delirium tremens, and never had my faith -shaken as to the innate goodness of the man. Why these contrary traits -of character should be, I cannot say, but so it was. His word was as -good as his bond, and his impulses were all directly opposite to his -personal habits. Twice a week an Indian woman visited the cabin on the -island, always with some little presents and making inquiries about the -babies and whether there was anything needed, with the parting "alki -nika keelapie" (by and by I will return); and she did, every few days -after my absence. - -When I spoke to Webber about what I wanted, he seemed pleased to be -able to do a kind act, and, to reassure me, got out his field glasses -and turned it on the cabin across the water, three miles distant. -Looking through it intently for a moment and handing the glass to me, -said, "I can see everything going on over there, and you need have no -uneasiness about your folks while gone," and I did not. - -With a 50-pound flour sack filled with hard bread, or navy biscuit, -a small piece of dried venison, a couple of pounds of cheese, a tin -cup and half of a three point blanket, all made into a pack of less -than forty pounds, I climbed the hill at Steilacoom and took the road -leading to Puyallup, and spent the night with Jonathan McCarty, near -where the town of Sumner now is. - -McCarty said: "You can't get across the streams on foot; I will let you -have a pony. He is small, but sure-footed, and hardy, and will in any -event carry you across the rivers." McCarty also said: "Tell your folks -this is the greatest grass country on earth; why, I am sure I harvested -five tons of timothy to the acre this year." Upon my expressing a -doubt, he said he knew he was correct by the measurement of the mow in -the barn and the land. In after years, I came to know he was correct, -though at the time I could not help but believe he was mistaken. - -The next day found me on the road with my blanket under the saddle, my -sack of hard bread strapped on behind the saddle, and myself mounted to -ride on level stretches of the road, or across streams, of which, as -will appear later, I had full forty crossings to make, but had only one -ahead of me the first day. That one, though, as the Englishman would -say, was a "nasty" one, across White River at Porter's place. - -White River on the upper reaches is a roaring torrent only at all -fordable in low water and in but few places. The rush of waters can be -heard for a mile or more from the high bluff overlooking the narrow -valley, or rather canyon, and presented a formidable barrier for a -lone traveler. The river bed is full of boulders worn rounded and -smooth and slippery, from the size of a man's head to very much larger, -thus making footing for animals uncertain. After my first crossing, -I dreaded those to come, which I knew were ahead of me, more than -all else of the trip, for a misstep of the pony meant fatal results -in all probability. The little fellow, though, seemed to be equal -to the occasion. If the footing became too uncertain, he would stop -stock still, and pound the water with one foot and finally reach out -carefully until he could find secure footing, and then move up a step -or two. The water of the river is so charged with the sediment from the -glaciers above, that the bottom could not be seen—only felt—hence the -absolute necessity of feeling one's way. It is wonderful, the sagacity -or instinct or intelligence, or whatever we may call it, manifested by -the horse. I immediately learned that my pony could be trusted on the -fords better than myself, thereafter I held only a supporting, but not -a guiding rein, and he carried me safely over the forty crossings on my -way out, and my brother as many on the return trip. - -Allen Porter lived near the first crossing, on the farther side, and -as this was the last settler I would see and the last place I could -get feed for my pony, other than grass or browse, I put up for the -night under his roof. He said I was going on a "Tom fool's errand," -for my folks could take care of themselves, and tried to dissuade me -from proceeding on my journey. But I would not be turned back and the -following morning cut loose from the settlements and, figuratively -speaking, plunged into the deep forest of the mountains. - -The road (if it could be properly called a road) lay in the narrow -valley of White River, or on the mountains adjacent, in some places -(as at Mud Mountain) reaching an altitude of more than a thousand feet -above the river bed. Some places the forest was so dense that one could -scarcely see to read at midday, while in other places large burns gave -an opening for daylight. - -During the forenoon of this first day, while in one of those deepest -of deep forests, where, if the sky was clear, and one could catch a -spot you could see out overhead, one might see the stars as from a deep -well, my pony stopped short, raised his head with his ears pricked -up, indicating something unusual was at hand. Just then I caught an -indistinct sight of a movement ahead, and thought I heard voices, while -the pony made an effort to turn and flee in the opposite direction. -Soon there appeared three women and eight children on foot, coming -down the road in blissful ignorance of the presence of any one but -themselves in the forest. - -"Why, stranger! Where on earth did you come from? Where are you going -to, and what are you here for?" was asked by the foremost woman of the -party, in such quick succession as to utterly preclude any answer, -as she discovered me standing on the roadway holding my uneasy pony. -Mutual explanations soon followed. I soon learned their teams had -become exhausted, and that all the wagons but one had been left, and -this one was on the road a few miles behind them; that they were -entirely out of provisions and had had nothing to eat for twenty hours, -except what natural food they had gathered, which was not much. They -eagerly inquired the distance to food, which I thought they might -possibly reach that night, but in any event the next morning early. -Meanwhile I had opened my sack of hard bread and gave each a cracker, -in the eating of which the sound resembled pigs cracking dry, hard corn. - -Of those eleven persons, I only know of but one now alive, although, of -course, the children soon outgrew my knowledge of them, but they never -forgot me. - -Mrs. Anne Fawcet, the spokesman of the party, I knew well in after -years, and although now eighty years old[6] (she will pardon me for -telling her age), is living in good circumstances a mile out from -the town of Auburn, nearly twenty miles south of Seattle, and but a -couple of miles from the scene of the dreadful massacre at the outbreak -leading to the Indian war of 1855, where the gallant Lieutenant -Slaughter lost his life. - -Mrs. Fawcet can scarcely be called a typical pioneer woman, yet there -were many approaching her ways. She was of too independent a character -to be molded into that class; too self-reliant to be altogether like -her neighbor housewives; and yet was possessed of those sturdy virtues -so common with the pioneer—industry and frugality, coupled with -unbounded hospitality. The other ladies of the party, Mrs. Herpsberger -and Mrs. Hall, I never knew afterwards, and have no knowledge as to -their fate, other than that they arrived safely in the settlement. - -But we neither of us had time to parley or visit, and so the ladies -with their children, barefoot and ragged, bareheaded and unkempt, -started down the mountain intent on reaching food, while I started up -the road wondering or not whether this scene was to be often repeated -as I advanced on my journey. A dozen biscuits of hard bread is usually -a very small matter, but with me it might mean a great deal. How far -would I have to go? When could I find out? What would be the plight of -my people when found? Or would I find them at all? Might they not pass -by and be on the way down the Columbia River before I could reach the -main immigrant trail? These and kindred questions weighed heavily on my -mind as I slowly and gradually ascended the mountain. - -Some new work on the road gave evidence that men had recently been -there, but the work was so slight one could easily believe immigrants -might have done it as they passed. Fifteen thousand dollars had been -appropriated by Congress for a military road, which report said would -be expended in improving the way cut by the immigrants and citizens -through the Natchess Pass during the summer of 1853. I saw some of the -work, but do not remember seeing any of the men, as I stuck close to -the old trail, and so my first camp was made alone, west of the summit -and without special incident. I had reached an altitude where the -night chill was keenly felt, and, with my light blanket, missed the -friendly contact of the back of the faithful ox that had served me so -well on the plains. My pony had nothing but browse for supper, and was -restless. Nevertheless I slept soundly and was up early, refreshed and -ready to resume the journey. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[6] Since these lines were penned the good lady died at the age of 88. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS—[CONTINUED]. - - -It is strange how the mind will vividly retain the memory of some -incidents of no particular importance, while the recollection of other -passing events so completely fades away. I knew I had to cross that -ugly stream, White River, five times during the first day's travel, but -cannot recall but one crossing, where my pony nearly lost his balance, -and came down on his knees with his nose in the water for the moment, -but to recover and bravely carry me out safely. - -The lone camp well up on the mountain had chilled me, but the prospect -before me and that I had left behind brought a depressed feeling most -difficult to describe. I had passed through long stretches of forest -so tall and so dense that it seemed incredible that such did exist -anywhere on earth. And then, the road; such a road, if it could be -called a road. Curiously enough, the heavier the standing timber, the -easier it had been to slip through with wagons, there being but little -undecayed or down timber. In the ancient of days, however, great giants -had been uprooted, lifting considerable earth with the upturned roots, -that, as time went on and the roots decayed formed mounds two, three, -or four feet high, leaving a corresponding hollow in which one would -plunge, the whole being covered by a dense, short, evergreen growth, -completely hiding from view the unevenness of the ground. Over these -hillocks and hollows the immigrants had rolled their wagon wheels, -and over the large roots of the fir, often as big as one's body and -nearly all of them on top of the ground. I will not undertake to say -how many of these giant trees were to be found to the acre, but they -were so numerous and so large that in many places it was difficult -to find a passageway between them, and then only by a tortuous route -winding in various directions. When the timber burns were encountered -the situation was worse. Often the remains of timber would be piled in -such confusion that sometimes wagons could pass under legs that rested -on others; then again others were encountered half buried, while still -others would rest a foot or so from the ground. These, let the reader -remember, oftentimes were five feet or more in diameter, with trunks -from two to three hundred feet in length. All sorts of devices had been -resorted to in order to overcome those obstructions. In many cases, -where not too large, cuts had been taken out, while in other places -the large timber had been bridged up to by piling smaller logs, rotten -chunks, brush, or earth, so the wheels of the wagon could be rolled up -over the body of the tree. Usually three notches would be cut on the -top of the log, two for the wheels and one for the reach or coupling -pole to pass through. - -In such places the oxen would be taken to the opposite side, a chain or -rope run to the end of the tongue, a man to drive, one or two to guide -the tongue, others to help at the wheels, and so with infinite labor -and great care the wagons would gradually be worked down the mountain -in the direction of the settlements. Small wonder that the immigrants -of the previous year should report that they had to cut their way -through the timber, while the citizen road workers had reported that -the road was opened, and small wonder that the prospect of the road -should have as chilling effect on my mind as the chill of the mountain -air had had on my body. - -But, the more difficulties encountered, the more determined I became, -at all hazards, to push through, for the more the necessity to acquaint -myself with the obstacles to be encountered and to be with my friends -to encourage and help them. Before me lay the great range or pass, five -thousand feet above sea level, and the rugged mountain climb to get to -the summit, and the summit prairies where my pony could have a feast -of grass. It was on this summit hill the immigration of the previous -year had encountered such grave difficulties. At the risk of in part -repeating, I am tempted to quote some of my own words to a select party -of friends, the teachers of the county in which I have lived so long, -prepared for that special occasion. - -"About twenty miles north of the great mountain of the Cascade range -is a picturesque, small scope of open country known as Summit Prairie, -in the Natchess Pass, some seventy miles southeasterly from this city -(Tacoma). In this prairie, fifty years ago this coming autumn, a camp -of immigrants was to be seen. * * * Go back they could not; either they -must go ahead or starve in the mountains. A short way out from the -camp a steep mountain declivity lay square across their track. As one -of the ladies of the party said, when she first saw it: 'Why Lawsee -Massee! We have come to the jumping off place at last!' This lady felt, -as many others of the party felt, like they had come to the end of the -world (to them), and the exclamation was not for stage effect, but of -fervent prayer for deliverance. - -"Stout hearts in the party were not to be deterred from making the -effort to go ahead. Go around this hill they could not; go down it with -logs trailed to the wagons, as they had done before, they could not, as -the hill was so steep the logs would go end over end and be a danger -instead of a help. So the rope they had was run down the hill and found -to be too short to reach the bottom. One of the leaders of the party -(I knew him well) turned to his men and said, 'Kill a steer'; and they -killed a steer, cut his hide into strips and spliced it to the rope. -It was found yet to be too short to reach to the bottom. The order -went out: 'Kill two more steers!' And two more steers were killed, -their hides cut into strips and spliced to the rope, which then reached -the bottom of the hill; and by the aid of that rope and strips of the -hides of those three steers, twenty-nine wagons were lowered down the -mountain side to the bottom of the steep hill. - -"Now, my friends, there is no fiction about this story—it is a true -story, and some of the actors are yet alive, and some of them live in -this county. Nor were their trials ended when they got their wagons -down to the bottom of that hill. - -"Does it now seem possible for mortal man to do this? And yet this is -only a plain statement of an incident of pioneer life without giving -any names and dates, that can yet be verified by living witnesses; but -these witnesses are not here for long. - -"James Biles, who afterwards settled near Olympia, was the man who -ordered the steers killed to procure the hides to lengthen out the -rope. Geo. H. Himes, of Portland, who is still living, was one of the -party; so was Stephen Judson, of Steilacoom; also Nelson Sargent, of -Grand Mound, now a very old man. - -"The feat of bringing that train of twenty-nine wagons in with the loss -of only one is the greatest of anything I ever knew or heard of in the -way of pioneer travel. - -"With snail-like movements, the cattle and men becoming weaker and -weaker, progress was made each day until it finally seemed as if the -oxen could do no more, and it became necessary to send them forward on -the trail ten miles, where it was known plenty of grass could be had. -Meantime the work on the road continued until the third day, when the -last particle of food was gone. The teams were brought back, the trip -over the whole ten miles made, and Connell's Prairie reached at dark. - -"The struggle over that ten miles, where to a certain extent each -party became so intent on their particular surroundings as to forget -all else, left the women and children to take care of themselves while -the husbands tugged at the wagons. I now have in mind to relate the -experience of one of these mothers with a ten-year-old boy, one child -four years and another eight months. - -"Part of the time these people traveled on the old trail and part on -the newly-cut road, and by some means fell behind the wagons, which -forded that turbulent, dangerous stream, White River, before they -reached the bank, and were out of sight, not knowing but the women and -children were ahead. - -"I wish every little boy of ten years of age of this great State, or, -for that matter, twenty years old or more, could read and profit by -what I am now going to relate, especially if that little or big boy -at times thinks he is having a hard time because he is asked to help -his mother or father at odd times, or perchance to put in a good solid -day's work on Saturday, instead of spending it as a holiday; or if he -has a cow to milk or wood to split, or anything that is work, to make -him bewail his fate for having such a hard time in life. I think the -reading of the experience of this little ten-year-old boy with his -mother and the two smaller children would encourage him to feel more -cheerful and more content with his lot. - -"As I have said, the wagons had passed on, and there these four people -were on the right bank of the river while their whole company was on -the opposite bank, and had left them there alone. - -"A large fallen tree reached across the river, but the top on the -further side lay so close to the water that a constant trembling and -swaying made the trip dangerous. - -"None of them had eaten anything since the day previous, and but a -scant supply then; but the boy resolutely shouldered the four-year-old -and safely deposited him on the other side. Then came next the little -tot, the baby, to be carried in arms across. Next came the mother. - -"'I can't go!' she exclaimed; 'it makes me so dizzy.' - -"'Put one hand over your eyes, mother, and take hold of me with the -other,' said the boy; and so they began to move out sideways on the -log, a half step at a time. - -"'Hold steady, mother; we are nearly over.' - -"'Oh, I am gone!' was the only response, as she lost her balance and -fell into the river, but happily so near the farther bank that the -little boy was able to catch a bush with one hand that hung over the -bank, while holding on to his mother with the other, and so she was -saved. - -"It was then nearly dark, and without any knowledge of how far it was -to camp, the little party started on the road, only tarrying long -enough on the bank of the river for the mother to wring the water out -of her skirts, the boy carrying the baby, while the four-year-old -walked beside his mother. After nearly two miles of travel and -ascending a very steep hill, it being now dark, the glimmer of camp -lights came into view; but the mother could see nothing, for she fell -senseless, utterly prostrated. - -"I have been up and down that hill a number of times, and do not wonder -the poor woman fell helpless after the effort to reach the top. The -great wonder is that she should have been able to go as far as she -did. The incident illustrates how the will power can nerve one up to -extraordinary achievements, but when the object is attained and the -danger is past, then the power is measurably lost, as in this case, -when the good woman came to know they were safe. The boy hurried his -two little brothers into camp, calling for help to rescue his mother. -The appeal was promptly responded to, the woman being carried into -camp and tenderly cared for until she revived. - -"Being asked if he did not want something to eat, the boy said 'he had -forgotten all about it,' and further, 'he didn't see anything to eat, -anyway'; whereupon some one with a stick began to uncover some roasted -potatoes, which he has decided was the best meal he has ever eaten, -even to this day. - -"This is a plain recital of actual occurrences, without exaggeration, -obtained from the parties themselves and corroborated by numerous -living witnesses. - -"There were 128 people in that train, and through the indefatigable -efforts of Mr. Geo. H. Rimes, of Portland, Oregon, who was one of the -party, and in fact the ten-year-old boy referred to, I am able to give -the names in part. - -"I have been thus particular in telling this story to illustrate -what trials were encountered and overcome by the pioneers of that -day, to the end that the later generations may pause in their hasty -condemnation of their present surroundings and opportunities and to -ask themselves whether in all candor they do not feel they are blessed -beyond the generation that has gone before them, the hardy pioneers of -this country." - -This book could easily be filled by the recital of such heroic acts, -varying only in detail and perhaps in tragic results; yet would only -show in fact the ready, resourceful tact of the pioneers of those days. - -I want to repeat here again that I do not look upon that generation -of men and women as superior to the present generation, except in -this: The pioneers had lost a large number of physically weak on the -trip, thus applying the great law of the survival of the fittest; -and further, that the majority of the pioneers in the true sense of -the word—frontiersmen for generations before—hence were by training -and habits eminently fitted to meet the emergencies of the trip and -conditions to follow. - -One of the incidents of this trip should be related to perpetuate the -memory of heroic actions of the times, that of the famous ride across -these mountains and to Olympia, of Mrs. Catherine Frazier, one of this -party, on an ox. - -Three days after arrival, Mrs. Frazier gave birth to the third white -child born in Pierce County, Washington Frazier, named after the -great territory that had been chosen for the home of the parents and -descendants. - -The first report, that the "mother and son were doing well," can again -and again be repeated, as both[7] are yet alive, the mother now past -seventy-three and the son fifty, and both yet residing at South Bay, -near Olympia, where the parents soon settled after arrival. - -The curious part of such incidents is the perfect unconsciousness -of the parties of having done anything that would be handed down to -posterity as exhibiting any spirit of fortitude or of having performed -any heroic act. The young bride could not walk, neither could she -be taken into the wagons, and she could ride an ox, and so, without -ceremony, mounted her steed and fell into the procession without -attracting especial attention or passing remark. Doubtless the lady, -at the time, would have shrunk from any undue notice, because of her -mount, and would have preferred a more appropriate entry into the -future capital of the future State, but it is now quite probably that -she looks upon the act with a feeling akin to pride, and in any event, -not with feelings of mortification or false pride that possibly, at -that time, might have lurked within her breast. - -The birth of children was not an infrequent incident on the plains, -the almost universal report following, "doing as well as could be -expected," the trip being resumed with but very short interruption, the -little ones being soon exhibited with the usual motherly pride. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[7] Since these lines were penned Mrs. Frazier has joined the majority -of that generation in the life beyond. - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS—[CONTINUED.] - - -Readers of previous chapters will remember the lonely camp mentioned -and the steep mountain ahead of it to reach the summit. - -What with the sweat incident to the day's travel, the chill air of an -October night in the mountains, with but half a three-point blanket -as covering and the ground for a mattress, small wonder my muscles -were a little stiffened when I arose and prepared for the ascent to -the summit. Bobby had, as I have said, been restless during the night, -and, when the roll of blankets and the hard bread was securely strapped -on behind, suddenly turned his face homeward, evidently not relishing -the fare of browse for supper. He seemingly had concluded he had had -enough of the trip, and started to go home, trotting off gaily down -the mountain. I could do nothing else but follow him, as the narrow -cut of the road and impenetrable obstructions on either side utterly -precluded my getting past to head off his rascally maneuvers. Finally, -finding a nip of grass by the roadside, the gait was slackened so that -after several futile attempts I managed to get a firm hold of his tail, -after which we went down the mountain together, much more rapidly than -we had come up the evening before. Bobby forgot to use his heels, else -he might for a longer time been master of the situation. The fact -was, he did not want to hurt me, but was determined to break up the -partnership, and, so far as he was concerned, go no further into the -mountains where he could not get a supper. By dint of persuasion and -main strength of muscle the contest was finally settled in my favor, -and I secured the rein. Did I chastise him? Not a bit. I did not blame -him. We were partners, but it was a one-sided partnership, as he had no -interest in the enterprise other than to get enough to eat as we went -along, and when that failed, rebelled. - -It is wonderful, the sagacity of the horse or ox. They know more than -we usually think they do. Let one be associated (yes, that's the word, -associated) with them for a season alone. Their characteristics come to -the front and become apparent, without study. Did I talk to my friend -Bobby? Indeed, I did. There were but few other animate things to talk -to. Perhaps one might see a small bird flit across the vision or a -chipmunk, or hear the whirr of the sudden flight of the grouse, but all -else was solitude, deep and impressive. The dense forest through which -I was passing did not supply conditions for bird or animal life in -profusion. - -"You are a naughty lad, Bobby," I said, as I turned his head eastward -to retrace the mile or so of the truant's run. - -We were soon past our camping ground of the night before, and on our -way up the mountain. Bobby would not be led, or if he was, would hold -back, till finally making a rush up the steep ascent, would be on my -heels or toes before I could get out of the way. "Go ahead, Bobby," I -would say, and suiting action to words seize the tail with a firm grasp -and follow. When he moved rapidly, by holding on I was helped up the -mountain. When he slackened his pace, then came the resting spell. The -engineering instinct of the horse tells him how to reduce grades by -angles. So Bobby led me up the mountain in zig-zag courses, I following -always with the firm grasp of the tail that meant we would not part -company, and we did not. I felt that it was a mean trick to compel -the poor brute to pull me up the mountain by his tail, supperless, -breakfastless, and discontended. It appeared to me it was just cause -to sever our friendship, which by this time seemed cemented closely, -but then I thought of the attempted abandonment he had been guilty of, -and that perhaps he should submit to some indignities at my hand in -consequence. - -By noon we had surmounted all obstacles, and stood upon the summit -prairie—one of them, for there are several—where Bobby feasted to his -heart's content, while I—well, it was the same old story, hard tack -and cheese, with a small allotment of dried venison. - -[Illustration: Mt. Rainier.] - -To the south, apparently but a few miles distant, the old mountain, -Rainier of old, Tacoma by Winthrop, loomed up into the clouds full -ten thousand feet higher than where I stood, a grand scene to behold, -worthy of all the effort expended to attain this view point. But I -was not attuned to view with ecstasy the grandeur of what lay before -me, but rather to scan the horizon to ascertain, if I could, what the -morrow might bring forth. The mountain to the pioneer has served as -a huge barometer to forecast the weather. "How is the mountain this -morning?" the farmer asks in harvest time. "Has the mountain got his -night cap on?" the housewife inquires before her wash is hung on the -line. The Indian would watch the mountain with intent to determine -whether he might expect "snass" (rain), or "kull snass" (hail), or -"t'kope snass" (snow), and seldom failed in his conclusions, and so I -scanned the mountain top that day partially hid in the clouds, with the -forebodings verified at nightfall, as will be related later. - -The next camp was in the Natchess Canyon. I had lingered on the summit -prairie to give the pony a chance to fill up on the luxuriant but -rather washy grass, there found in great abundance. For myself, I had -had plenty of water, but had been stinted in hard bread, remembering my -experience of the day before, with the famishing women and children. -I began to realize more and more the seriousness of my undertaking, -particularly so because I could hear no tidings. A light snow storm -came on just before nightfall, which, with the high mountains on either -side of the river, spread approaching darkness rapidly. I was loth to -camp; somehow I just wanted to go on, and doubtless would have traveled -all night if I could have safely found my way. The canyon was but a few -hundred yards wide, with the tortuous river first striking one bluff -and then the other, necessitating numerous crossings; the intervening -space being glade land of large pine growth with but light undergrowth -and few fallen trees. The whole surface was covered with coarse sand, -in which rounded boulders were imbedded so thick in places as to cause -the trail to be very indistinct, particularly in open spots, where the -snow had fallen unobstructed. Finally, I saw that I must camp, and -after crossing the river, came out in an opening where the bear tracks -were so thick that one could readily believe the spot to be a veritable -play-ground for all the animals round about. - -I found two good sized trunks of trees that had fallen; one obliquely -across the other, and, with my pony tethered as a sentinel and my fire -as an advance post I slept soundly, but nearly supperless. The black -bears on the west slope of the mountain I knew were timid and not -dangerous, but I did not know so much about the mountain species, and -can but confess that I felt lonesome, though placing great reliance -upon my fire, which I kept burning all night. - -Early next morning found Bobby and me on the trail, a little chilled -with the cold mountain air and very willing to travel. In a hundred -yards or so, we came upon a ford of ice cold water to cross, and others -following in such quick succession, that I realized that we were soon -to leave the canyon. I had been told that at the 32d crossing I would -leave the canyon and ascend a high mountain, and then travel through -pine glades, and that I must then be careful and not lose the trail. -I had not kept strict account of the crossings like one of the men I -had met, who cut a notch in his goad stick at every crossing, but I -knew instinctively we were nearly out, and so I halted to eat what I -supposed would be the only meal of the day, not dreaming what lay in -store for me at nightfall. It would be uninteresting to the general -reader to relate the details of that day's travel, and in fact I cannot -recall much about it except going up the steep mountain—so steep that -Bobby again practiced his engineering instincts and I mine, with my -selfish hand having a firm hold on the tail of my now patient comrade. - -From the top of the mountain glade I looked back in wonderment -about how the immigrants had taken their wagons down; I found out by -experience afterwards. - -Towards nightfall I found a welcome sound of the tinkling of a bell, -and soon saw the smoke of camp fires, and finally the village of tents -and grime-covered wagons. How I tugged at Bobby's halter to make him go -faster, and then mounted him with not much better results, can better -be imagined than told. - -Could it be the camp I was searching for? It was about the number of -wagons and tents that I had expected to meet. No. I was doomed to -disappointment, yet rejoiced to find some one to camp with and talk to -other than the pony. - -It is not easy to describe the cordial greeting accorded me by those -tired and almost discouraged immigrants. If we had been near and dear -relatives, the rejoicing could not have been mutually greater. They -had been toiling for nearly five months on the road across the plains, -and now there loomed up before them this great mountain range to -cross. Could they do it? If we cannot get over with our wagons, can -we get the women and children through in safety? I was able to lift a -load of doubt and fear from off their jaded minds. Before I knew what -was happening, I caught the fragrance of boiling coffee and of fresh -meat cooking. It seemed the good matrons knew without telling that I -was hungry (I doubtless looked it), and had set to work to prepare -me a meal, a sumptuous meal at that, taking into account the whetted -appetite incident to a diet of hard bread straight, and not much of -that either, for two days. - -We had met on the hither bank of the Yakima River, where the old trail -crosses that river near where the flourishing city of North Yakima now -is. These were the people, a part of them, that are mentioned elsewhere -in my "Tragedy of Leschi," in the chapter on the White River massacre. -Harvey H. Jones, wife and three children, and George E. King, wife and -one child. One of the little boys of the camp is the same person—John -I. King—who has written the graphic account of the tragedy in which -his mother and step-father and their neighbors lost their lives—that -horrible massacre on White River a year later—and the other, George -E. King (but no relation), the little five-year-old who was taken and -held captive for nearly four months, and then safely delivered over by -the Indians to the military authorities at Fort Steilacoom. I never -think of those people but with feelings of sadness; of their struggle, -doubtless the supreme effort of their lives, to go to their death. I -pointed out to them where to go to get good claims, and they lost no -time, but went straight to the locality recommended and immediately to -work, preparing shelter for the winter. - -"Are you going out on those plains alone?" asked Mrs. Jones, anxiously. -When I informed her that I would have the pony with me, a faint, sad -smile spread over her countenance as she said, "Well, I don't think -it is safe." Mr. Jones explained that what his wife referred to was -the danger from the ravenous wolves that infested the open country, -and from which they had lost weakened stock from their bold forages, -"right close to the camp," he said, and advised me not to camp near the -watering places, but up on the high ridge. I followed his advice with -the result as we shall see of missing my road and losing considerable -time, and causing me not a little trouble and anxiety. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS—[CONTINUED.] - - -The start for the high table desert lands bordering the Yakima Valley -cut me loose from all communication, for no more immigrants were met -until I reached the main traveled route beyond the Columbia River. I -speak of the "desert lands" adjacent to the Yakima from the standpoint -of that day. We all thought these lands were worthless, as well as the -valley, not dreaming of the untold wealth the touch of water would -bring out. The road lay through a forbidding sage plain, or rather -an undulating country, seemingly of shifting sands and dead grass of -comparatively scant growth. As the sun rose, heat became intolerable. -The dust brought vivid memories of the trip across the plains in -places. The heated air trembling in the balance brought the question of -whether or not something was the matter with my eyes or brain; whether -this was an optical illusion, or real, became a debatable question in -my mind. Strive against it with all my might, my eyes would rest on the -farther horizon to catch the glimpse of the expected train, till they -fairly ached. Added to this, an intolerable thirst seized upon me, and -compelled leaving the road and descending into the valley for water. -Here I found as fat cattle as ever came to a butcher's stall, fed on -this selfsame dead grass, cured without rain. These cattle belonged to -the Indians, but there were no Indians in sight. The incident, though, -set me to thinking about the possibilities of a country that could -produce such fat cattle from the native grasses. I must not linger -off the trail; and take chances of missing the expected train, and so -another stretch of travel, of thirst, and suffering came until during -the afternoon, I found water on the trail, and tethered my pony for -his much needed dinner, and opened my sack of hard bread to count the -contents, with the conclusion that my store was half gone, and so lay -down in the shade of a small tree or bush near the spring to take an -afternoon nap. Rousing up before sun down, refreshed, we (pony and I) -took the trail in a much better mood than before the nooning. When -night came, I could not find it in my heart to camp. The cool of the -evening invigorated the pony, and we pushed on. Without having intended -to travel in the night, I had, so to speak, drifted into it and finding -the road could be followed, though but dimly seen, kept on the trail -until a late hour, when I unsaddled and hobbled the pony. The saddle -blanket was brought into use, and I was soon off in dream land, and -forgot all about the dust, the trail or the morrow. - -Morning brought a puzzling sense of helplessness that for the time, -seemed overpowering. I had slept late, and awoke to find the pony had -wandered far off on the hill side, in fact, so far, it required close -scanning to discover him. To make matters worse, his hobbles had become -loosened, giving him free use of all his feet, and in no mood to take -the trail again. Coaxing was of no avail, driving would do no good, -so embracing an opportunity to seize his tail again, we went around -about over the plain and through the sage brush in a rapid gait, which -finally lessened and I again became master of him. For the life of me -I could not be sure as to the direction of the trail, but happened to -take the right course. When the trail was found, the question came as -to the whereabouts of the saddle. It so happened that I took the wrong -direction and had to retrace my steps. The sun was high when we started -on our journey. - -A few hundred yards travel brought feelings of uneasiness, as it was -evident that we were not on the regular trail. Not knowing but this was -some cut off, so continued until the Columbia River bluff was reached, -and the great river was in sight, half a mile distant, and several -hundred feet of lower level. Taking a trail down the bluff that seemed -more promising than the wagon tracks, I began to search for the road at -the foot of the bluff to find the tracks scattered, and any resemblance -of a road gone; in a word, I was lost. I never knew how those wagon -tracks came to be there, but I know that I lost more than a half day's -precious time, and again was thrown in a doubting mood as to whether I -had missed the long sought for train. - -The next incident I remember vividly, was my attempt to cross the -Columbia just below the mouth of Snake River. I had seen but few -Indians on the whole trip, and in fact, the camp I found there on the -bank of the great river was the first I distinctly remember. I could -not induce them to cross me over. From some cause they seemed surly and -unfriendly. The treatment was so in contrast to what I had received -from the Indians on the Sound, that I could not help wondering what -it meant. No one, to my knowledge, lost his life by the hands of the -Indians that season, but the next summer all, or nearly all, were -ruthlessly murdered that ventured into that country unprotected. - -That night I camped late, opposite Wallula (old Fort Walla Walla), in a -sand storm of great fury. I tethered my pony this time, rolled myself -up in the blanket, only to find myself fairly buried in the drifting -sand in the morning. It required a great effort to creep out of the -blanket, and greater work to relieve the blanket from the accumulated -sand. By this time the wind had laid and comparative calm prevailed, -and then came the effort to make myself heard across the wide river to -the people of the fort. It did seem as though I would fail. Traveling -up and down the river bank for half mile, or so, in the hope of -catching a favorable breeze to carry my voice to the fort, yet, all -to no avail. I sat upon the bank hopelessly discouraged, not knowing -what to do. I think I must have been two hours halloaing at the top of -my voice until hoarse from the violent effort. Finally, while sitting -there, cogitating as to what to do, I spied a blue smoke arising from -the cabin, and soon after a man appeared who immediately responded to -my renewed efforts to attract attention. The trouble had been they were -all asleep, while I was in the early morning expending my breath. - -Shirley Ensign, of Olympia, had established a ferry across the Columbia -River, and had yet lingered to set over belated immigrants, if any -came. Mr. Ensign came over and gave me glad tidings. He had been out on -the trail fifty miles or more, and had met my people, whom he thought -were camped some thirty miles away, and thought that they would reach -the ferry on the following day. But I would not wait, and, procuring -a fresh horse, I started out in a cheerful mood, determined to reach -camp that night if my utmost exertions would accomplish it. Sundown -came and no signs of camp; dusk came on, and still no signs; finally, I -spied some cattle grazing on the upland, and soon came upon the camp -in a ravine that had shut them out from view. Rejoicings and outbursts -of grief followed. I inquired for my mother the first thing. She was -not there; had been buried in the sands of the Platte Valley, months -before; also a younger brother lay buried near Independence Rock. The -scene that followed is of too sacred memory to write about, and we will -draw the veil of privacy over it. - -Of that party, all are under the sod save one—Mrs. Amanda C. Spinning, -then the wife of the elder brother so often heretofore mentioned. - -With fifty odd head of stock, seven wagons, and seventeen people, the -trip was made to the Sound without serious mishap or loss. We were -twenty-two days on the road, and thought this was good time to make, -all things considered. Provisions were abundant, the health of the -party good and stock in fair condition. I unhesitatingly advised the -over-mountain trip; meanwhile cautioning them to expect some snow, a -goodly amount of hard labor, and plenty of vexation. How long will it -take? Three weeks. Why, we thought we were about through. Well, you -came to stay with us, did you? But what about the little wife and the -two babies on the island home? Father said some one must go and look -after them. So, the elder brother was detailed to go to the island -folks, whilst I was impressed into service to take his place with the -immigrants. It would hardly be interesting to the general reader to -give a detailed account, even if I remembered it well, which I do not. -So intent did we all devote our energies to the one object, to get -safely over the mountains, that all else was forgotten. It was a period -of severe toil and anxious care, but not more so than to others that -had gone before us, and what others had done we felt we could do, but -there was no eight-hour-a-day labor, nor any drones; all were workers. -I had prepared the minds of the newcomers for the worst, not forgetting -the steep hills, the notched logs, and rough, stony fords, by telling -the whole story. "But do you really think we can get through?" said -father. "Yes, I know we can, if every man will put his shoulder to the -wheel." This latter expression was a phrase in use to indicate doing -one's duty without flinching, but in this case, it had a more literal -meaning, for we were compelled often to take hold of the wheels to -boost the wagons over logs, and ease them down on the opposite side, as -likewise, on the steep mountain side. We divided our force into groups; -one to each wagon to drive, four as wheelmen, as we called them, and -father with the women folks on foot, or on horseback, with the stock. - -God bless the women folks of the plains; the immigrant women, I mean. -A nobler, braver, more uncomplaining people were never known. I have -often thought that some one ought to write a just tribute to their -valor and patience; a book of their heroic deeds. I know this word -valor is supposed to apply to men and not to women, but I know that the -immigrant women earned the right to have the word, and all it implies, -applied to them. Such a trip with all its trials is almost worth the -price to bring out these latent virtues of the so-called weaker sex. -Strive, however, as best we could, we were unable to make the trip in -the allotted time, and willing hands came out with the brother to put -their shoulders to the wheels, and to bring the glad tidings that all -was well on the island home, and to release the younger brother and the -father from further duty, when almost through to the settlements. - -Do you say this was enduring great hardships? That depends upon the -point of view. As to this return trip, for myself, I can truly say that -it was not. I enjoyed the strife to overcome all difficulties, and so -did the greater number of the company. They felt that it was a duty and -enjoyed doing their duty. Many of them, it is true, were weakened by -the long trip across the Plains, but with the better food obtainable, -and the goal so near at hand, there was a positive pleasure to pass -over the miles, one by one, and become assured that final success was -only a matter of a very short time. - -One day, we encountered a new fallen tree, as one of the men said, -a whopper, cocked up on its own upturned roots, four feet from the -ground. Go around it, we could not; to cut it out seemed an endless -task with our dulled, flimsy saw. Dig down, boys, said the father, and -in short order every available shovel was out of the wagons and into -willing hands, with others standing by to take their turn. In a short -time the way was open fully four feet deep, and oxen and wagons passed -through under the obstruction. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - -TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS—[CONTINUED.] - - -People now traversing what is popularly known as Nisqually Plains, that -is, the stretch of open prairie, interspersed with clumps of timber, -sparkling lakes, and glade lands, from the heavy timber bordering the -Puyallup to a like border of the Nisqually, will hardly realize that -once upon a time these bare gravelly prairies supplied a rich grass -of exceeding fattening quality and of sufficient quantity to support -many thousand head of stock, and not only support but fatten them ready -for the butcher's stall. Nearly half a million acres of this land lie -between the two rivers, from two to four hundred feet above tide level -and beds of the rivers mentioned, undulating and in benches, an ideal -part of shade and open land of rivulets and lakes, of natural roads and -natural scenery of splendor. - -So, when our little train emerged from the forests skirting the -Puyallup Valley, and came out on the open at Montgomery's, afterwards -Camp Montgomery, of Indian war times, twelve miles southeasterly of -Fort Steilacoom, the experience was almost as if one had come into a -noonday sun from a dungeon prison, so marked was the contrast. Hundreds -of cattle, sheep and horses were quietly grazing, scattered over the -landscape, so far as one could see, fat and content. It is not to be -wondered that the spirits of the tired party should rise as they saw -this scene of content before them, and thought they could become -participants with those who had come before them, and that for the -moment rest was theirs if that was what they might choose. - -Fort Nisqually was about ten miles southwesterly from our camp at -Montgomery's, built, as mentioned elsewhere, by the Hudson Bay Company, -in 1833. - -In 1840-41, this company's holdings at Nisqually and Cowlitz were -transferred to the Puget Sound Agricultural Company. This latter -company was organized in London at the instance of Dr. William F. -Tolmie, who visited that city to conduct the negotiations in person -with the directors of the Hudson Bay Company. He returned clothed with -the power to conduct the affairs of the new company, but under the -direction of the Hudson Bay Company, and with the restriction not to -enter into or interfere with the fur trade; he later became the active -agent of both companies at Nisqually. - -It was principally the stock of this company that we saw from our camp -and nearby points. At that time, the Agricultural Company had several -farms on these plains, considerable pasture land enclosed, and fourteen -thousand head of stock running at large; sheep cattle and horses. - -The United States government actually paid rent to this foreign company -for many years for the site where Fort Steilacoom was located on -account of the shadowy title of the company under the treaty of 1846. - -During this lapse of time, from 1833 to the time our camp was -established, many of the company's servants' time had expired and -in almost every case, such had taken to themselves Indian wives and -had squatted on the choice locations for grazing or small farming. -Montgomery himself, near whose premises we were camping, was one of -these. A few miles to the south of this place, ran the small creek -"Muck," on the surface for several miles to empty into the Nisqually. -Along this little creek, others of these discharged servants had -settled, and all taken Indian wives. These were the settlers that -were afterwards denounced by Governor Stevens, and finally arrested -for alleged treason. Each of these had an abundance of stock and -farm produce, and was living in affluence and comfort. One of them, -reputed to be the rightful owner of thirteen cows, one summer raised -thirty-three calves, the handy lasso rope having been brought into play -among the company's herds in secluded places; yet, as the rule, these -people were honorable, upright men, though as a class, not of high -intelligence, or of sober habits. - -Added to this class just mentioned, was another; the discharged United -States soldiers. The men then comprising the United States army were -far lower in moral worth and character than now. Many of these men had -also taken Indian wives and settled where they had chosen to select. -Added to these were a goodly number of the previous years' immigrants. -By this recital the reader will be apprised of the motley mess our -little party were destined to settle among, unless they should chose to -go to other parts of the Territory. I did not myself fully realize the -complications to be met until later years. - -All this while, as we have said, settlers were crowding into this -district, taking up donation claims until that act expired by -limitation in 1854, and afterward by squatter's rights, which to all -appearances, seemed as good as any. My own donation claim afterwards -was involved in this controversy, in common with many others. Although -our proofs of settlement were made and all requirements of the law -complied with, nevertheless, our patents were held up and our title -questioned for twenty years, and so, after having made the trip across -the Plains, because Uncle Sam had promised to give us all a farm, and -after having made the required improvements and resided on the land for -the four years, then to be crowded off without title did seem a little -rough on the pioneers. - -I have before me one of the notices served upon the settlers by the -company's agent which tells the whole story.[8] The then thriving town -of Steilacoom was involved, as likewise part of the lands set apart for -the Indian Reservation, and it did seem as though it would be hard to -get a more thorough mix-up as to titles of the land, than these knotty -questions presented. - -All this while, as was natural there should be, there was constant -friction between some settler and the company, and had it not been -for the superior tact of such a man as Dr. Tolmie in charge of the -company's affairs, there would have been serious trouble. - -As it was, there finally came a show of arms when the company undertook -to survey the boundary line to inclose the land claimed, although the -acreage was much less than claimed on paper. But the settlers, (or -some of them), rebelled, and six of them went armed to the party of -surveyors at work and finally stopped them. An old-time friend, John -McLeod, was one of the party (mob, the company called it), but the -records do not show whether he read his chapter in the Bible that day, -or whether instead, he took a double portion of whiskey to relieve his -conscience. - -It is doubtful whether the old man thought he was doing wrong or -thought anything about it, except that he had a belief that somehow or -other a survey might make against him getting a title to his own claim. - -I had a similar experience at a later date with the Indians near the -Muckleshute Reservation, while attempting to extend the sub-divisional -lines of the township near where the reserve was located. I could not -convince the Indians that the survey meant no harm to them. - -The case was different in the first instance, as in fact, neither party -was acting within the limits of their legal rights, and for the time -being, the strongest and most belligerent prevailed, but only to be -circumvented at a little later date by a secret completion of the work, -sufficient to platting the whole. - -All this while the little party was halting. The father said the island -home would not do, and as he had come two thousand miles to live -neighbors, I must give up my claim and take another near theirs, and -so, abandoning over a year's hard work, I acted upon his request with -the result told elsewhere, of fleeing from our new chosen home, as we -supposed, to save our lives, upon the outbreak of the Indian War in two -years from the time of the camp mentioned. - -One can readily see that these surroundings did not promise that -compact, staid settlement of energetic, wide awake pioneers we so -coveted, nevertheless, the promise of money returns was good, and that -served to allay any discontent that would otherwise arise. I remember -the third year we began selling eighteen months' old steers at fifty -dollars each, off the range that had never been fed a morsel. Our -butter sold for fifty cents a pound, and at times, seventy-five cents, -and many other things at like prices. No wonder all hands soon became -contented; did not have time to be otherwise. - -It came about though, that we were in considerable part a community -within ourselves, yet, there were many excellent people in the widely -scattered settlements. The conditions to some extent encouraged -lawlessness, and within the class already mentioned, a good deal of -drunkenness and what one might well designate as loose morals, incident -to the surroundings. A case in point: - -A true, though one might say a humorous story is told on Doctor Tolmie, -or one of his men, of visiting a settler where they knew one of their -beeves had been slaughtered and appropriated. To get direct evidence he -put himself in the way of an invitation to dinner, where, sure enough, -the fresh, fat beef was smoking on the table. The good old pioneer (I -knew him well) asked a good, old-fashioned Methodist blessing over the -meat, giving thanks for the bountiful supply of the many good things of -the world vouchsafed to him and his neighbors, and thereupon in true -pioneer hospitality, cut a generous sized piece of the roast for his -guest, the real owner of the meat. - -This incident occurred just as here related, and although the facts -are as stated, yet we must not be too ready to scoff at our religious -friend and condemn him without a hearing. To me, it would have been -just as direct thieving as any act could have been, and yet, to our -sanctified friend I think it was not, and upon which thereby hangs a -tale. - -Many of the settlers looked upon the company as interlopers, pure -and simple, without any rights they were bound to respect. There had -been large numbers of cattle and sheep run on the range and had eaten -the feed down, which they thought was robbing them of their right of -eminent domain for the land they claimed the government had promised to -give them. - -The cattle became very wild, in great part on account of the settlers' -actions, but the curious part was they afterwards justified themselves -from the fact that they were wild, and so it happened there came very -near being claim of common property of the company's stock, with not a -few of the settlers. - -One lawless act is almost sure to breed another, and there was no -exception to the rule in this strange community, and many is the -settler that can remember the disappearance of stock which could be -accounted for in but one way—gone with the company's herd. In a few -years, though, all this disappeared. The incoming immigrants from -across the plains were a sturdy set as a class, and soon frowned down -such a loose code of morals. - -For the moment let us turn to the little camp on the edge of the -prairie, of seven wagons and three tents. There came a time it must -be broken up. No more camp fires, with the fragrant coffee morning -and evening; no more smoking the pipe together over jests, or serious -talk; no more tucks in the dresses of the ladies, compelled first by -the exigencies of daily travel and now to be parted with under the -inexorable law of custom or fashion; no more lumps of butter at night, -churned during the day by the movement of wagon and the can containing -the morning's milk. We must hie us off to prepare shelter from the -coming storms of winter; to the care of the stock; the preparations for -planting; to the beginning of a new life of independence. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[8] ORIGINAL WARNING TO THOMAS HADLEY. - -We hereby certify that a correct copy of the within notice was -presented to T. Hadley by Mr. Wm. Greig this 6th day of April, 1857. - - WILLIAM GREIG. - ALFRED MCNEILL. - AMBROSE SKINNER. - - Nisqually, W. T., 12th March, 1857. - -To Mr. Thomas Hadley.—Sir: I hereby warn you that, in cultivating land -and making other improvements on your present location in or near -the Talentire precinct, Pierce County, Washington Territory, you are -trespassing on the lands confirmed to the Puget's Sound Agricultural -Company by the Boundary Treaty, ratified in July, 1846, between Great -Britain and the United States of America. Very Respectfully, - - Your Obed't Servt., - - W. F. TOLMIE, - Agent Puget's Sound Agricultural Company. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - -TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS—[CONTINUED.] - - -It almost goes without saying, that before the final break up of -the camp and separation of the parties there must be some sort -of celebration of the event, a sort of house warming or surprise -party—something must be done out of the usual course of events. So, -what better could these people do than to visit the island[9] home they -had heard so much about, and see for themselves some of the wonder land -described. - -My cabin stood on the south side of the bight or lagoon within stone -throw of where the United States penitentiary now stands and only a -few feet above high tide level. The lagoon widens and deepens from the -entrance and curves to the south with gentle slope on either side, the -whole forming a miniature sheltered valley of light, timbered, fertile -land. On the higher levels of the receding shore, great quantities of -salal and high bush huckleberries grew in profusion, interspersed with -what for lack of a better name we called Sweet Bay, the perfumes from -the leaves of which permeated the atmosphere for long distances. In -the nearby front a long flat or sandy beach extended far out from the -high tide line where the clams spouted in countless numbers, and crows -played their antics of breaking the shell by dropping to the stony -beach the helpless bivalve they had stealthily clutched and taken to -flight with them. - -Off to the eastward and three miles distant the town of Steilacoom, or -rather the two towns, loomed up like quite a city, on the ascending -slope of the shore, to make us feel after all we were not so far off -from civilization, particularly at the time as two or more deep sea -vessels (ships we called them), were in port discharging merchandise. -Southeasterly, the grand mountain, before mentioned, rose so near three -miles high above the tide level that that was the height spoken by all -and as being fifty miles distant. - -Nisqually House, on the arm of the bay known as Nisqually Beach, five -miles distant, could be seen in clear weather, while the Hudson Bay -Fort of that name was hidden from view by intervening timber, two miles -easterly from the beach. - -The Medicine Creek council grounds, afterwards made famous by the -treaty council held a few months later than the date of which I am -writing, lay across the Nisqually tide flats, south from Nisqually -House, near three miles distant, but the view of this was cut off by an -intervening island (Anderson), of several sections in extent, and of -varying elevations to a maximum of near four hundred feet. - -Fortunately one of those "spells" of weather had settled over the -whole country, a veritable Indian Summer, though now bordering on -the usually stormy month of November, a little hazy, just enough to -lend enchantment to the landscape, and warm enough to add pleasurable -experience to the trip the little party was to make. Add to these -surroundings the smooth glassy waters of the bay, interspersed here and -there by streaks and spots of troubled water to vary the outlook, small -wonder that enthusiasm ran high as the half-rested immigrants neared -the cabin in their boat and canoe, chartered for the trip, piloted and -paddled by the Indians and supplemented by the awkward stroke of the -landlubber's oar. - -"What in the world are we going to do with all these people?" I said to -the little wife, half apologetically, partly quizzical and yet with a -tinge of earnestness illy concealed. - -"Oh, never mind, we will get along all right some way; I'll venture -father has brought a tent." And sure enough, the party had brought the -three tents that had served them so well for so long a time, on the -long journey, and much of their bedding also. - -Father had been over to the cabin before, and taken the measurement. - -"Eighteen feet square," he said, "that's a pretty good size, but I -don't see why you boys didn't build it higher; it's scant seven feet." - -Yes, the walls were but seven feet high. When building, the logs ran -out, the sky was threatening and we had a race with the storm to get a -roof over our heads. - -"But that's a good fireplace," he continued; "there must be pretty good -clay here to hold these round stones so firmly. And that's as good a -cat-and-clay chimney as I had in Ohio, only mine was taller, but I -don't see that it would draw any better than this." This one was just -nine feet high, but I said there was plenty of room to build it higher. - -The floor was rough lumber, or had been when laid, but the stiff scrub -brush of twigs and strong arms of house cleaners had worn off the rough -till when cleaned it presented a quite creditable appearance. And the -walls! "Why, you have a good library on these walls; all the reading -matter right side up, too; the Tribune is a great paper, indeed; you -must have sent for it right away when you got here," and so I had, and -continued steadily for eighteen years, and thereby hangs a tale, which, -though a digression, I will tell before writing more about our visitors. - -Eighteen years after my arrival from across the plains in October, -1852, I made my first trip to the "States," to our old home and to New -York. I had to go through the mud to the Columbia River, then out over -the dreaded bar to the Pacific Ocean, and to San Francisco, then on -a seven days' journey over the Central, Union Pacific and connecting -lines and sit bolt upright all the way—no sleeper cars then, no diners -either, that I remember seeing. I remember I started from Olympia -on this trip the first week in December. Mr. —— Woodward of Olympia -suggested that we gather all the varieties of flowers obtainable in -the open air and that I press them in the leaves of my pamphlets -(presently to be mentioned), and in that way to dry and press them, so -I might exhibit the product of our wonderful mild climate up to the -month of December. We succeeded in getting fifty-two varieties then in -bloom in the open air, and all were well dried and preserved when I -arrived at my original starting place, Eddyville, Iowa. Here, loving -friends, Mrs. Elizabeth Male (Aunt Lib, we call her now), and a little -sprightly youngster, Miss Molly Male, the well-known teacher in Tacoma, -artistically arranged my treasures on tinted paper ready for exhibition -upon my arrival in New York. - -I had written an eighty-page pamphlet (long since out of print)[10], -descriptive of Washington Territory, and my friend E. T. Gunn, of the -Olympia Transcript, printed them—five thousand copies—most of which I -took with me. The late Beriah Brown gave me a letter of introduction to -his old-time friend, Horace Greeley, to whom I presented it, and was -kindly received and commended to Chairman Ely of the New York Farmer's -Club, and by him given an opportunity to exhibit my flowers, speak to -the club about our country and tell them about our climate. This little -talk was widely circulated through the proceedings of the club and -printed in a number of the great papers, among them the Tribune. - -This coming to the notice of Jay Cooke, of Northern Pacific fame, -with his six power presses just started at Philadelphia to advertise -the Northern Pacific route, I was called to his presence and closely -questioned, and finally complimented by the remark that he "did -not think they could afford to have any opposition in the field of -advertising," took up my whole edition and sent them on their way to -his various financial agencies. - -Our visitors were all soon at home with their tents up, their blankets -out airing, the camp fires lit and with an abandon truly refreshing -turned out like children from school to have a good time. The garden, -of course, was drawn upon and "such delicious vegetables I never saw -before," fell from a dozen lips, during the stay. That turnip patch was -planted in September. "Why, that beats anything I ever saw," father -said, and as insignificant an incident as it may seem, had a decided -effect upon the minds of the party. "Why, here they are growing in -November. At home (Iowa) they would by this time be frozen as solid as -a brick." "Why, these are the finest flavored potatoes I ever ate," -said another. The little wife had a row of sweet peas growing nearby -the cabin that shed fragrance to the innermost corner and to the -tents, and supplied bouquets for the tables, and plenty of small talk -comparing them with those "in the States". - -And so the little garden, the sweet peas, and other flowers wild and -cultivated, brought contentment among those who at first had had a -feeling of despondency and disappointment. - -Didn't we have clam bakes? I should say! And didn't the women folks -come in loaded with berries? And, what, whoppers of huckleberry -puddings, and huckleberry pies and all sorts of good things that -ingenuity of the housewives could conjure up. - -I had frequently seen deer trotting on the beach and told my visitors -so, but somehow they could not so readily find them—had been too -noisy—but soon a fat buck was bagged, and the cup of joy was full, the -feast was on. - -My visitors could not understand, and neither could I, how it came that -a nearby island (Anderson) of a few sections in extent, could contain -a lake of clear, fresh water several hundred feet above tide level, -and that this lake should have neither inlet nor outlet. It was on the -margin of this lake that the first deer was killed and nearby where the -elder brother had staked his claim. - -Mowich Man, an Indian whom I have known for many years, and, by -the way, one of those interfering with the survey of Muckleshute, -as related elsewhere, was then one of our neighbors, or at least, -frequently passed our cabin with his canoe and people. He was a great -hunter, a crack shot, and an all-round Indian of good parts, by the -standard applicable to his race. Many is the saddle of venison that -this man has brought me in the lapse of years. He was not a man of any -particular force of character, but his steadfast friendship has always -impressed me as to the worth, from our own standpoint, of the race to -which he belonged. While our friends were with us visiting, my Indian -friend came along and as usual brought a nice ham of venison to the -camp, and at my suggestion, went with the younger men of the visitors -to where their first exploit of hunting bore fruit. Our young men came -back with loud praise on their lips for the Indian hunter. There was -nothing specially noteworthy in the incident only as illustrating what, -to a great extent, was going on all over the settled portion of the -Territory leading up to a better understanding between the two races. -I can safely say that none of the pioneers was without what might be -designated as a favorite Indian, that is, an Indian who was particular -to gain the good will of his chosen friend, and in most cases would -assume, or custom would bring about, the adoption of the white man's -name and the Indian would ever afterwards be known by his new name. -Mowich Man, however, like Leschi, as we shall see later, while friendly -to the whites was possessed of a more independent spirit. Some of -Mowich Man's people were fine singers, and in fact his camp, or his -canoe if traveling, was always the center for song and merriment, but -it is a curious fact one seldom can get the Indian music by asking for -it, but rather must wait for its spontaneous outburst. But Indian songs -in those days came out from nearly every nook and corner and seemed to -pervade the whole country, so much that we often and often could hear -the songs and accompanying stroke of the paddle long before our eyes -would rest on the floating canoes. - -Will the reader in his mind dwell on the hardships of the pioneers, -or will he rather look upon the brighter side, that the so-called -hardships were simply the drill that developed the manhood and -womanhood, to make better men and better women, because they had faced -a duty they could not shirk, and were thereby profited? Neither did -the pioneers as a class want to shirk a duty and those of the later -generation, who have poured out their sympathy for the hardships of the -poor pioneers may as well save some of it for the present generation, -the drones of the community that see no pleasure in the stern duties of -life. But I must have done with these reflections to resume my story, -now nearly ended, of the visitors at the island home and of the long -trip. - -Never did kings or queens enjoy their palaces more, nor millionaires -their princely residences, than the humble immigrant party did the -cabin and tents in their free and luxurious life. Queens might have -their jewels, but did we not have ours? Did we not have our two babies, -"the nicest, smartest, cutest in all the world?" Did we not have a -profusion of fresh air to inhale at every breath, and appetites that -made every morsel of food of exquisite flavor? - -But we were all far away from what all yet thought of as home, and -admonished that winter was coming on and that after a short season -of recreation and rest we must separate, each to his task, which we -did, and the great trip was ended. The actors separated; and now, as I -write, almost all have gone on that greater journey, in which the two -of us left are so soon to join. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[9] McNeil Island, twelve miles westerly as the crow flies from Tacoma. - -[10] The last purchasable copy has recently been sold for twenty-five -dollars. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - -FIRST IMMIGRANTS THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS, 1853. - - -While the breaking of the barrier of the great mountain range for -the immigrants to Puget Sound through the Natchess Pass was not in a -baptism of blood, certainly it was under the stress of great suffering -and anxiety, as shown by the graphic letter following, of that -indefatigable worker and painstaking searcher after historic facts, -Geo. H. Himes, now of Portland, Oregon, the real father of that great -institution, the Oregon Historical Society. - -Having, as the reader will see by the reading of other chapters of -this work, had some keen personal experiences through this gap of the -mountains, it is but natural the incidents will come nearer home to -me than to the general reader, particularly as I know the sincerity -of purpose of the writer and the utter absence of any spirit of -exaggeration. Although some errors have crept into Mr. Himes' letter, -where he has drawn from other sources yet this in nowise detracts from -the value of his statements, but shows how very difficult it is to -ascertain exact facts so long after the events. - -The letter follows: - - "Portland, Oregon, Jan. 23, 1905. - - "My Dear Meeker: - - "Some time early in August, 1853, Nelson Sargent, from Puget - Sound, met our party in Grand Ronde Valley, saying to his father, - Asher Sargent, mother, two sisters and two brothers, and such - others as he could make an impression on, 'You want to go to - Puget Sound. That is a better country than the Willamette Valley. - All the good land is taken up there; but in the Sound region you - can have the pick of the best. The settlers on Puget Sound have - cut a road through Natchess Pass, and you can go direct from - the Columbia through the Cascade Mountains, and thus avoid the - wearisome trip through the mountains over the Barlow route to - Portland, and then down the Columbia to Cowlitz River, and then - over a miserable road to Puget Sound.' - - "A word about the Sargents. Asher Sargent and his son Nelson - left Indiana in 1849 for California. The next year they drifted - northward to the northern part of Oregon—Puget Sound. Some time - late in 1850 Nelson and a number of others were shipwrecked - on Queen Charlotte Island, and remained among the savages for - several months. The father, not hearing from the son, supposed - he was lost, and in 1851 returned to Indiana. Being rescued in - time, Nelson wrote home that he was safe; so in the spring of - 1853 the Sargents, Longmire, Van Ogle, and possibly some others - from Indiana, started for Oregon. Somewhere on the Platte the - Biles (two families), Bakers (two families), Downeys, Kinkaids, - my father's family (Tyrus Himes), John Dodge and family—John - Dodge did the stone work on the original Territorial university - building at Seattle; Tyrus Himes was the first boot and - shoemaker north of the Columbia River; James Biles was the first - tanner, and a lady, Mrs. Frazier, was the first milliner and - dressmaker—all met and journeyed westward peaceably together, - all bound for Willamette Valley. The effect of Nelson Sargent's - presence and portrayal of the magnificent future of Puget Sound - caused most members of this company of 140 or more persons—or the - leaders thereof, James Biles being the most conspicuous—to follow - his (Sargent's) leadership. At length the Umatilla campground was - reached, which was situated about three miles below the present - city of Pendleton. From that point the company headed for old - Fort Walla Walla (Wallula of today), on the Columbia River. It - was understood that there would be no difficulty in crossing, - but no boat was found. Hence a flatboat was made by whip-sawing - lumber out of driftwood. Then we went up the Yakima River, - crossing it eight times. Then to the Natchess River, through the - sage brush, frequently as high as a covered wagon, which had to - be cut down before we could pass through it. On September 15th - we reached the mountains and found that there was no road, - nothing but an Indian trail to follow. Indeed, there was no road - whatever after leaving the Columbia, and nothing but a trail - from the Umatilla to the Columbia; but being an open country, we - had no particular difficulty in making headway. But I remember - all hands felt quite serious the night we camped in the edge of - the timber—the first of any consequence that we had seen—on the - night of the 15th of September. Sargent said he knew the settlers - had started to make a road, and could not understand why it - was not completed; and since his parents, brothers and sisters - were in the company, most of us believed that he did not intend - to deceive. However, there was no course to pursue but to go - forward. So we pushed on as best we could, following the bed of - the stream part of the time, first on one bank and then on the - other. Every little ways we would reach a point too difficult to - pass; then we would go to the high ground and cut our way through - the timber, frequently not making more than two or three miles a - day. Altogether, the Natchess was crossed sixty-eight times. On - this journey there was a stretch of fifty miles without a blade - of grass—the sole subsistence of cattle and horses being browse - from young maple and alder trees, which was not very filling, to - say the least. In making the road every person from ten years old - up lent a hand, and there is where your humble servant had his - first lessons in trail making, barefooted to boot, but not much, - if any, worse off than many others. It was certainly a strenuous - time for the women, and many were the forebodings indulged in as - to the probability of getting safely through. One woman, 'Aunt - Pop', as she was called—one of the Woolery women—would break down - and shed tears now and then; but in the midst of her weeping she - would rally and by some quaint remark or funny story would cause - everybody in her vicinity to forget their troubles. - - "In due time the summit of the Cascades was reached. Here there - was a small prairie—really, it was an old burn that had not - grown up to timber of any size. Now it was October, about - the 8th of the month, and bitter cold to the youth with bare - feet and fringed pants extending half way down from knees to - feet. My father and the teams had left camp and gone across the - little burn, where most of the company was assembled, apparently - debating about the next movement to make. And no wonder, for as - we came across we saw the cause of the delay. For a sheer thirty - feet or more there was an almost perpendicular bluff, and the - only way to go forward was by that way, as was demonstrated by - an examination all about the vicinity. Heavy timber at all other - points precluded the possibility of getting on by any other - route. So the longest rope in the company was stretched down the - cliff, leaving just enough to be used twice around a small tree - which stood on the brink of the precipice; but it was found to - be altogether too short. Then James Biles said: 'Kill one of the - poorest of my steers and make his hide into a rope and attach - it to the one you have.' Three animals were slaughtered before - a rope could be secured long enough to let the wagons down to - a point where they would stand up. There one yoke of oxen was - hitched to a wagon, and by locking all wheels and hitching on - small logs with projecting limbs, it was taken down to a stream - then known as 'Greenwater.' It took the best part of two days to - make this descent. There were thirty-six wagons belonging to the - company, but two of them, with a small quantity of provisions, - were wrecked on this hill. The wagons could have been dispensed - with without much loss. Not so the provisions, scanty as they - were, as the company came to be in sore straits for food before - the White River prairie was reached, probably South Prairie[11] - of today, where food supplies were first obtained, consisting - of potatoes without salt for the first meal. Another trying - experience was the ascent of Mud Mountain in a drenching rain, - with the strength of a dozen yoke of oxen attached to one wagon, - with scarcely anything in it save camp equipment, and taxing the - strength of the teams to the utmost. But all trials came to an - end when the company reached a point six miles from Steilacoom, - about October 17th, and got some good, fat beef and plenty of - potatoes, and even flour, mainly through the kindness of Dr. W. - F. Tolmie. The change from salmon skins was gratifying. - - "And now a word about the wagon road. That had been cut through - to Greenwater. There, it seems, according to a statement made - to me a number of years ago by James Longmire, and confirmed by - W. O. Bush, one of the workers, an Indian from the east side - of the mountains, met the road workers, who inquired of him - whether there were any 'Boston men' coming through. He replied, - 'Wake'—no. Further inquiry satisfied the road builders that - the Indian was truthful, hence they at once returned to the - settlement, only to be greatly astonished two weeks later to find - a weary, bedraggled, forlorn, hungry and footsore company of - people of both sexes, from the babe in arms—my sister was perhaps - the youngest, eleven months old, when we ceased traveling—to the - man of 55 years, but all rejoicing to think that after trials - indescribable they had at last reached the 'Promised Land.' - - "Mrs. James Longmire says that soon after descending the big - hill from the summit, perhaps early the next day, as she was a - few hundred yards in advance of the teams, leading her little - girl, three years and two months old, and carrying her baby boy, - then fifteen months old, that she remembers meeting a man coming - towards the immigrants leading a pack animal, who said to her: - 'Good God almighty, woman, where did you come from? Is there any - more? Why, you can never get through this way. You will have to - turn back. There is not a blade of grass for fifty miles.' - - "She replied: 'We can't go back; we've got to go forward.' - - "Soon he ascended the hill by a long detour and gave supplies to - the immigrants. Mrs. Longmire says she remembers hearing this - man called 'Andy', and is of the opinion that it was Andy Burge. - - "When the immigrant party got to a point supposed to be about - six miles from Steilacoom, or possibly near the cabin of John - Lackey, it camped. Vegetables were given them by Lackey, and - also by a man named Mahon. Dr. Tolmie gave a beef. When that was - sent to the camp the doctor gave it in charge of Mrs. Mary Ann - Woolery—'Aunt Pop'—and instructed her to keep it intact until - the two oldest men in the company came in, and that they were - to divide it evenly. Soon a man came with a knife and said he - was going to have some meat. Mrs. Woolery said: 'No, sir.' He - replied: 'I am hungry, and I am going to have some of it.' In - response she said: 'So are the rest of us hungry; but that man - said I was not to allow anyone to touch it until the two oldest - men came into camp, and they would divide it evenly.' He said: - 'I can't wait for that.' She said: 'You will have to.' He then - said: 'By what authority?' 'There is my authority,' holding up - her fist—she weighed a hundred pounds then—and she said: 'You - touch that meat and I'll take that oxbow to you,' grabbing hold - of one. The man then subsided. Soon the two oldest men came into - camp. The meat was divided according to Dr. Tolmie's directions, - and, with the vegetables that had been given, by the settlers, - all hands had an old-fashioned boiled supper—the first for many a - day." - -I know from experience just what such a supper meant to that camp and -how it tasted. God bless that company. I came to know nearly all of -them personally, and a bigger hearted set never lived. They earned the -right to be called pioneers in the true sense of the word, but a large -percentage have gone on to pleasant paths, where the remainder of us -are soon to be joined in enduring fellowship. - -"In the list following are the names of the Natchess Pass immigrants of -1853. The names followed by other names in parentheses are those of -young ladies who subsequently married men bearing the names within the -parentheses: - -"James Biles,[12] Mrs. Nancy M. Biles,[12] Geo. W. Biles, James D. -Biles,[12] Kate Biles (Sargent), Susan B. Biles (Drew), Clark Biles,[12] -Margaret Biles,[12] Ephemia Biles (Knapp), Rev. Chas. Byles,[12] Mrs. -Sarah W. Byles,[12] David F. Byles,[12] Mary Jane Hill (Byles), Rebecca -E. Byles (Goodell),[12] Chas. N. Byles,[12] Sarah I. Byles (Ward), John -W. Woodward,[12] Bartholomew C. Baker,[12] Mrs. Fanny Baker,[12] James E. -Baker,[12] John W. Baker, Leander H. Baker, Elijah Baker,[12] Mrs. Olive -Baker,[12] Joseph N. Baker, Wm. LeRoy Baker, Martha Brooks (Young),[12] -Newton West, William R. Downey,[12] Mrs. W. R. Downey,[12] Christopher C. -Downey,[12] Geo. W. Downey,[12] James H. Downey,[12] R. W. Downey, John M. -Downey, Louise Downey (Guess),[12] Janes Downey (Clark),[12] Susan Downey -(Latham),[12] Laura B. Downey (Bartlett), Mason F. Guess,[12] Wilson -Guess,[12] Austin E. Young, Henry C. Finch,[12] Varine Davis,[12] James -Aiken, John Aiken, Glenn Aiken, Wesley Clinton, J. Wilson Hampton, -John Bowers, William M. Kincaid,[12] Mrs. W. M. Kincaid,[12] Susannah -Kincaid (Thompson), Joseph C. Kincaid, Laura Kincaid (Meade),[12] -James Kincaid, John Kincaid,[12] James Gant, Mrs. James Gant, Harris -Gant, Mrs. Harris Gant. All of the foregoing were from Kentucky. -Isaac Woolery,[12] Mrs. Isaac Woolery, Robert Lamuel Woolery, James -Henderson Woolery, Sarah Jane Woolery (Ward) (born on Little Sunday), -Abraham Woolery,[12] Mrs. Abraham Woolery (Aunt Pop), Jacob Francis -Woolery,[12] Daniel Henry Woolery, Agnes Woolery (Lamon), Erastus A. -Light,[12] Mrs. E. A. Light,[12] Henry Light, George Melville,[12] Mrs. -George Melville,[12] Kate Melville (Thompson),[12] Robert Melville,[12] -Isaac H. Wright,[12] Mrs. I. H. Wright,[12] Benjamin Franklin Wright,[12] -Mrs. B. F. Wright, James Wright, Eliza Wright (Bell), Rebecca Wright -(Moore), William Wright, Byrd Wright,[12] Grandfather—Wright, -Grandmother—Wright, Jas. Bell, Annis Wright (Downey). The foregoing -were from Missouri. Tyrus Himes,[12] Mrs. Tyrus Himes,[12] George H. -Himes, Helen L. Himes (Ruddell), Judson W. Himes, Lestina Z. Himes -(Eaton),[12] Joel Risdon,[12] Henry Risdon, Chas. R. Fitch,[12] Frederick -Burnett,[12] James Longmire,[12] Mrs. James Longmire, Elcaine Longmire, -David Longmire, John A. Longmire, Tillathi Longmire (Kandle), Asher -Sargent,[12] Mrs. A. Sargent,[12] E. Nelson Sargent, Wilson Sargent,[12] -F. M. Sargent,[12] Matilda Sargent (Saylor), Rebecca Sargent (Kellet), -Van Ogle, John Lane, Mrs. John Lane, Joseph Day, Elizabeth Whitesel -(Lane), Wm. Whitesel, Mrs. Wm. Whitesel, William Henry Whitesel, -Nancy Whitesel (Leach), Clark N. Greenman, Daniel E. Lane,[12] Mrs. -D. E. Lane,[12] Edward Lane, William Lane, Timothy Lane, Albert Lane, -Margaret Whitesel, Alexander Whitesel, Cal Whitesel. The foregoing were -from Indiana. Widow Gordon, Mary Frances Gordon, or McCullough, Mrs. -Mary Ann McCullough Porter,——McCullough,——Frazier,[12] Mrs. Elizabeth -Frazier,[12] Peter Judson,[12] Mrs. Peter Judson,[A] Stephen Judson, -John Paul Judson, Gertrude Shoren Judson (Delin), John Neisan.[A] The -foregoing were from Illinois. In addition to the above were William H. -Mitchell and John Stewart,[13] from States unknown." - -This makes a total of 148 of the immigrants who completed the road—that -is, all but Melville. He refused to assist in making the road and kept -about a half day behind, notwithstanding James Biles asked him to lend -a hand. - -Accompanying the party of road makers was Quiemuth, a half-brother of -Leschi, who acted as guide and led the horse upon which were packed the -blankets and provisions of Parker and Allen. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[11] It was Connell's Prairie. The route has been viewed at the outset -through South Prairie, but afterwards it was discovered that a road had -previously been opened to White River through Connell's Prairie, and -the latter route was adopted and the old road cleared by Allen's party. - -[12] Dead. - -[13] Dead. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - -BUILDING OF THE NATCHESS PASS ROAD. - - -We have seen with what travail the first immigrants passed through the -Natchess Pass. We will now tell about that other struggle to construct -any kind of a road at all, and so we must need go back a little in our -story. - -While I had been struggling to get the little wife and baby over from -the Columbia River to the Sound, and a roof over their heads, the -sturdy pioneers of this latter region set resolutely to work building -a wagon road through this pass, to enable the immigration of 1853, and -later years, to come direct to Puget Sound. - -For unknown ages the Indians had traveled a well-worn but crooked and -difficult trail through this pass, followed by the Hudson Bay people -later in their intercourse with the over-mountain tribes, but it -remained for the resolute pioneers of 1853 to open a wagon road over -the formidable Cascade range of mountains to connect the two sections -of the Territory, otherwise so completely separated from each other. - -Congress had appropriated twenty thousand dollars for the construction -of a military road from Fort Steilacoom to Wallula on the Columbia -River, but it was patent to all the appropriation could not be made -available in time for the incoming immigration known to be on the way. - -This knowledge impelled the settlers to make extraordinary efforts to -open the road, as related in this and succeeding chapters. - -Meetings had been held at various points to forward the scheme and -popular subscription lists circulated for prosecuting this laudable -enterprise. It was a great undertaking for the scattered pioneers, -particularly where so many were newcomers with scant provision yet made -for food or shelter for the coming winter. - -But everyone felt this all important enterprise must be attended to, -to the end that they might divert a part of the expected immigration -which would otherwise go down the Columbia or through passes south of -that river, and thence into Oregon, and be lost to the new but yet -unorganized territory of Washington. - -And yet in the face of all the sacrifices endured and the universal -public spirit manifested, there are men who would belittle the efforts -of the citizens of that day and malign their memories by accusing -them of stirring up discontent among the Indians. "A lot of white men -who were living with Indian women, and who were interested in seeing -that the country remained common pasture as long as possible." A more -outrageous libel was never penned against the living or dead. In this -case but few of the actors are left, but there are records, now fifty -years old that it is a pleasure to perpetuate for the purpose of -setting this matter aright, and also of correcting some errors that -have crept into the treacherous memories of the living, and likewise -to pay a tribute to the dead. Later in life I knew nearly all these -sixty-nine men, subscribers to this fund, and so far as I know now all -are dead but eight, and I know the underlying motive that prompted this -strenuous action; they wanted to see the country settled up with the -sturdy stock of the overland immigrants. - -The same remark applies to the intrepid road workers, some of whom it -will be seen camped on the trail for the whole summer, and labored -without money and without price to that end. - -It is difficult to abridge the long quotation following, illustrating -so vividly as it does the rough and ready pioneer life as Winthrop saw -and so sparklingly described. Such tributes ought to be perpetuated, -and I willingly give up space for it from his work, "The Canoe and the -Saddle," which will repay the reader for careful perusal. Winthrop -gives this account as he saw the road-workers the last week of August, -1853, in that famous trip from Nisqually to The Danes. Belated and -a little after nightfall, he suddenly emerged from the surrounding -darkness where, quoting his words: - - "A score of men were grouped about a fire. Several had sprung - up, alert at our approach. Others reposed untroubled. Others - tended viands odoriferous and frizzing. Others stirred the flame. - Around, the forest rose, black as Erebus, and the men moved in - the glare against the gloom like pitmen in the blackest coal - mines. - - "I must not dally on the brink, half hid in the obscure thicket, - lest the alert ones below should suspect an ambush and point - toward me open-mouthed rifles from their stack near at hand. - I was enough out of the woods to halloo, as I did heartily. - Klale sprang forward at shout and spur. Antipodes obeyed a - comprehensive hint from the whip of Loolowean. We dashed down - into the crimson pathway, and across among the astonished road - makers—astonished at the sudden alighting down from Nowhere - of a pair of cavaliers, Pasaiook and Siwash. What meant this - incursion of a strange couple? I became at once the center of - a red-flannel-shirted circle. The recumbents stood on end. The - cooks let their frying pans bubble over, while, in response to - looks of expectation, I hung out my handbill and told the society - my brief and simple tale. I was not running away from any fact - in my history. A harmless person, asking no favors, with plenty - of pork and spongy biscuit in his bags—only going home across - the continent, if may be, and glad, gentlemen pioneers, of this - unexpected pleasure. - - "My quality thus announced, the boss of the road makers, without - any dissenting voice, offered me the freedom of their fireside. - He called for the fattest pork, that I might be entertained right - republicanly. Every cook proclaimed supper ready. I followed my - representative host to the windward side of the greenwood pyre, - lest smoke wafting toward my eyes should compel me to disfigure - the banquet with lachrymose countenance. - - "Fronting the coals, and basking in their embrowning beams, - were certain diminutive targets, well known to me as defensive - armor against darts of cruel hunger—cakes of unleavened bread, - light flapjacks in the vernacular, confected of flour and the - saline juices of fire-ripened pork, and kneaded well with drops - of the living stream. Baked then in frying pan, they stood now, - each nodding forward and resting its edge upon a planted twig, - toast-crustily till crunching time should come. And now to every - man his target! Let supper assail us! No dastards with trencher - are we. - - "In such a platonic republic as this a man found his place - according to his powers. The cooks were no base scullions; they - were brothers, whom conscious ability, sustained by universal - suffrage, had endowed with the frying pan. Each man's target of - flapjacks served him for platter and edible table. Coffee, also, - for beverage, the fraternal cooks set before us in infrangible - tin pots—coffee ripened in its red husk by Brazilian suns - thousands of leagues away, that we, in cool Northern forests, - might feel the restorative power of its concentrated sunshine, - feeding vitality with fresh fuel. - - "But for my gramniverous steeds, gallopers all day long, - unflinching steeplechase, what had nature done here in the way of - provender? Alas! little or naught. This camp of plenty for me was - a starvation camp for them. - - "My hosts were a stalwart gang. I had truly divined them from - their cleavings on the hooihut (road). It was but play for any - one of these to whittle down a cedar five feet in diameter. In - the morning this compact knot of comrades would explode into a - mitraille of men wielding keen axes, and down would go the dumb, - stolid files of the forest. Their talk was as muscular as their - arms. When these laughed, as only men fresh and hearty and in - the open air can laugh, the world became mainly grotesque; it - seemed at once a comic thing to live—a subject for chuckling, - that we were bipeds with noses—a thing to roar at; that we had - all met there from the wide world to hobnob by a frolicsome fire - with tin pots of coffee, and partake of crisped bacon and toasted - doughboys in ridiculous abundance. Easy laughter infected the - atmosphere. Echoes ceased to be pensive and became jocose. A - rattling humor pervaded the feast, and Green River[14] rippled - with noise of fantastic jollity. Civilization and its dilettante - diners-out sneer when Clodpole at Dive's table doubles his soup, - knifes his fish, tilts his plate into his lap, puts muscle into - the crushing of his meringue, and tosses off the warm beaker - in his finger bowl. Camps by Tacoma sneer not at all, but - candidly roar at parallel accidents. Gawkey makes a cushion of - his flapjack. Butterfingers drops his red-hot rasher into his - bosom, or lets slip his mug of coffee into his boot drying by the - fire—a boot henceforth saccharine. A mule, slipping his halter, - steps forward unnoticed, puts his nose in the circle and brays - resonant. These are the jocular boons of life, and at these the - woodsmen guffaw with lusty good nature. Coarse and rude the jokes - may be, but not nasty, like the innuendoes of pseudo-refined - cockneys. If the woodsmen are guilty of uncleanly wit, it differs - from the uncleanly wit of cities as the mud of a road differs - from the sticky slime of slums. - - "It is a stout sensation to meet masculine, muscular men at the - brave point of a penetrating Boston hooihut—men who are mates—men - to whom technical culture means naught—men to whom myself am - naught, unless I can saddle, lasso, cook, sing and chop; unless - I am a man of nerve and pluck, and a brother in generosity and - heartiness. It is restoration to play at cudgels of jocoseness - with a circle of friendly roughs, not one of whom ever heard the - word bore—with pioneers who must think and act and wrench their - living from the closed hand of nature. - - "* * * While fantastic flashes were leaping up and illuminating - the black circuit of forest, every man made his bed, laid his - blankets in starry bivouac and slept like a mummy. The camp - became vocal with snores; nasal with snores of various calibre - was the forest. Some in triumphant tones announced that dreams of - conflict and victory were theirs; some sighed in dulcet strains - that told of lovers' dreams; some strew shrill whistles through - cavernous straits; some wheezed grotesquely and gasped piteously; - and from some who lay supine, snoring up at the fretted roof of - forest, sound gushed in spasms, leaked in snorts, bubbled in - puffs, as steam gushes, leaks and bubbles from yawning valves in - degraded steamboats. They died away into the music of my dreams; - a few moments seemed to pass, and it was day. - - "* * * If horses were breakfastless, not so were their masters. - The road makers had insisted that I should be their guest, - partaking not only of the fire, air, earth and water of their - bivouacs, but an honorable share at their feast. Hardly had - the snoring ceased when the frying of the fryers began. In the - pearly-gray mist of dawn, purple shirts were seen busy about the - kindling pile; in the golden haze of sunrise cooks brandished - pans over fierce coals raked from the red-hot jaws of flame that - champed their breakfast of fir logs. Rashers, doughboys, not - without molasses, and coffee—a bill of fare identical with last - night's—were our morning meal. * * * - - "And so adieu, gentlemen pioneers, and thanks for your frank, - manly hospitality! Adieu, 'Boston tilicum,' far better types - of robust Americanism than some of those selected as its - representatives by Boston of the Orient, where is too much - worship of what is, and not too much uplifting of hopeful looks - of what ought to be. - - "As I started, the woodsmen gave me a salute. Down, to echo - my shout of farewell, went a fir of fifty years' standing. - It cracked sharp, like the report of a howitzer, and crashed - downward, filling the woods with shattered branches. Under cover - of this first shot, I dashed at the woods. I could ride more - boldly forward into savageness, knowing that the front ranks of - my nation were following close behind." - -The men who were in that camp of road workers were E. J. Allen, A. J. -Burge, Thomas Dixon, Ephraim Allen, James Henry Allen, George Githers, -John Walker, John H. Mills, R. S. More, R. Foreman, Ed. Crofts, Jas. -Boise, Robert Patterson, Edward Miller, Edward Wallace, Lewis Wallace, -Jas. R. Smith, John Burrows, and Jas. Mix. - -The names of the workers on the east slope of the mountains are as -follows: Whitfield Kirtley, Edwin Marsh, Nelson Sargent, Paul Ruddell, -Edward Miller, J. W. Fonts, John L. Perkins, Isaac M. Brown, James -Alverson, Nathaniel G. Stewart, William Carpenter, and Mr. Clyne. - -The Pioneer and Democrat, published at Olympia, in its issue of -September 30th, 1854, contains the following self-explanatory letter -and account that will revive the memory of many almost forgotten names -and set at rest this calumny cast upon the fame of deserving men. - - "Friend Wiley: Enclosed I send you for publication the statement - of the cash account of the Puget Sound emigrant road, which has - been delayed until this time, partly on account of a portion of - the business being unsettled, and partly because you could not, - during the session of the last legislature, find room in your - columns for its insertion. As you have now kindly offered, and as - it is due the citizens of the Territory that they should receive a - statement of the disposition of the money entrusted to me, I send - it to you, and in so doing close up my connection with the Cascade - road, and would respectfully express my gratitude to the citizens - for the confidence they have reposed in me, and congratulate them - upon the successful completion of the road." - - "JAMES K. HURD." - - RECEIPTS. - - By subscription of John M. Swan, $10.00; S. W. Percival, $5.00; - Jos. Cushman, $5.00; Milas Galliher, $5.00; C. Eaton, $5.00; - Chips Ethridge, $5.00; Wm. Berry, $5.00; J. C. Patton, $5.00; T. - F. McElroy, $5.00; James Taylor, $5.00; George Gallagher, $5.00; - J. Blanchard, $5.00; Weed & Hurd, $100.00; Kendall Co., $50.00; - G. A. Barnes, $50.00; Parker, Colter & Co., $30.00; Brand & - Bettman, $25.00; J. & C. E. Williams, $25.00; Waterman & Goldman, - $25.00; Lightner, Rosenthal & Co., $10.00; A. J. Moses, $10.00; - Wm. W. Plumb, $10.00; Isaac Wood & Son, $15.00; D. J. Chambers, - $20.00; John Chambers, $5.00; McLain Chambers, $10.00; J. H. - Conner, $5.00; H. G. Parsons, $5.00; Thomas J. Chambers, $20.00; - Puget Sound Agricultural Co., $100.00; Wells, McAllister & Co., - $30.00; Henry Murray, $25.00; L. A. Smith, $25.00; Chas. Wren, - $25.00; James E. Williamson, $10.00; H. C. Mosely, $5.00; J. - M. Bachelder, $5.00; Lemuel Bills, $25.00; W. Boatman, $15.00; - W. M. Sherwood, $5.00; James Barron, $5.00; S. W. Woodruff, - $5.00; R. S. More, $5.00: John D. Press, $5.00; Samuel McCaw, - $5.00; Philip Keach, $10.00; Abner Martin, $20.00; George - Brail, $10.00; T. W. Glasgow, $10.00; McGomery, $10.00; Thos. - Tallentire, $10.00; Garwin Hamilton, $5.00; John McLeod, $25.00; - Richard Philander, $5.00; W. Gregg, $5.00; David Pattee, $20.00; - Thomas Chambers, $50.00; W. A. Slaughter, $10.00; W. Hardin, - $15.00; L. Balch, $50.00; W. W. Miller, $10.00; J. B. Webber, - $25.00; J. W. Goodell, $10.00;——Kline, $10.00; A. Benton Moses, - $5.00;——Parsons, $5.00; H. Hill, $5.00; by amount received for - horse, $35.00; by amount received for horse (Woods), $35.00; by - subscription of Nelson Barnes, $30.00. Total, $1,220.00. Deduct - amount note from Lemuel Bills, $25.00. Whole amount received as - per subscription paper, $1,195.00. - -This list of subscribers to the road fund will revive memories of -almost forgotten names of old-time friends and neighbors, and also will -serve to show the interest taken by all classes. It must not for a -moment be taken this comprises the whole list of contributors to this -enterprise, for it is not half of it, as the labor subscription far -exceeded the cash receipts represented by this published statement. -Unfortunately, we are unable to obtain a complete list of those who -gave their time far beyond what they originally had agreed upon, but -were not paid for their labor. - -The Columbian, published under date of July 30th, 1853, says: - - "Captain Lafayette Balch, the enterprising proprietor of - Steilacoom, has contributed one hundred dollars in money towards - the road to Walla Walla. To each and every man who started from - that neighborhood to work on the road, Captain Balch gives a lot - in the town of Steilacoom. He is security to the United States - Government for a number of mules, pack saddles and other articles - needed by the men. He furnished the outfit for the company who - started from that place with Mr. E. J. Allen, at just what the - articles cost in San Francisco." - -Mr. Hurd's expenditure is set out in his published report, but none of -it is for labor, except for Indian hire, a small sum. We know there -were thirty men at work at one time, and that at least twelve of them -spent most of the summer on the work and that at least fifty laborers -in all donated their time, and that the value of the labor was far in -excess of the cash outlay. - -By scanning the list the "Old Timer" will readily see the cash -subscribers and road workers were by no means confined to Olympia, and -that many of the old settlers of Pierce County are represented, and -even the foreign corporation, the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, -came down with a heavy subscription. Everybody was in favor of the -road. Such can also pick out the names of those "white men who were -living with Indian women" among the liberal subscribers to the fund for -opening the road. - -Nor were the Indians lacking in interest in the enterprise. A. J. -Baldwin, then and for many years afterwards a citizen of Olympia, and -whom it may be said was known as a truthful man, in a recent interview, -said: - - "We all put our shoulders to the wheel to make the thing go. I - helped to pack out grub to the working party myself. It seemed - to be difficult to get the stuff out; entirely more so than to - get it contributed. I was short of pack animals one trip, and - got twelve horses from Leschi, and I believe Leschi went himself - also."[15] - - "Do you remember how much you paid Leschi for his horses?" - - "Why, nothing. He said if the whites were working without pay and - were giving provisions, it was as little as he could do to let - his horses go and help. He said if I was giving my time and use - of horses then he would do the same, and if I received pay then - he wanted the same pay I got. Neither of us received anything." - -These were the Indians who were actually driven from their farms into -the war camp, leaving the plow and unfinished furrow in the field and -stock running at large, to be confiscated by the volunteers, at the -outbreak of the Indian war of 1855. - -And such were the road workers in the Natchess Pass in the fall of -1853, and such were the pioneers of that day. Fortunate it is we have -the testimony of such a gifted and unbiased writer as Winthrop to -delineate the character of the sturdy men who gave their strenuous -efforts and substance that their chosen commonwealth might prosper. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[14] This should read Green Water. This camp was far up in the -mountains and the stream referred to came from the main range and not -from the glaciers of the great mountain, and hence was a sparkling, -dancing rivulet of clearest water. Green River is forty miles or more -farther down the mountain. - -[15] Baldwin is mistaken. Queimuth, Leschi's brother, went as guide and -packer, but Leschi doubtless supplied the horses. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - -BUILDING THE NATCHESS PASS ROAD—[CONCLUDED.] - - -Allen's party left Steilacoom for this work July 30th, (1853), and was -still at work on the 26th of September, when he wrote: "We will be -through this week, having completed the western portion of the road." -With twenty men in sixty days and over sixty miles to cut, he could not -be expected to build much of a road. - -The other party, under Kirtley, left Olympia, thirteen strong, July -19th, and was back again August 20th, and so could not have done very -effective work on the east slope, as it would take at least a third of -the time to make the trip out and back from their field of labor. - -With a view of trying to settle the disputed points, I wrote to my old -time friend, A. J. Burge, one of the Allen party, to get information -from first hands, and have this characteristic reply: - - "Wenass, December 8th, 1904. - - "Friend Meeker.—Sir: Your letter dated Nov. 26, 1904, at hand. - Sir, I am quite sick. I will try to sit up long enough to - scratch an answer to your questions. Kirtley's men fell out - among themselves. I well remember Jack Perkins had a black eye. - Kirtley, as I understood, was to go (to) Wenass creek, thence cut - a wagon road from Wenass to the Natchess River, thence up the - Natchess River until they met Allen's party. It is my opinion - they did commence at Wenass. There were three notches cut in - many of the large trees (logs). I can find some of these trees - yet where these notches show. Allen did not know Kirtley and his - party had abandoned the enterprise until Ehformer told him. He - expressed much surprise and regret. I packed the provisions for - Allen's party. The last trip I made I found Allen and his party - six or eight miles down the Natchess River. I was sent back to - the summit of the mountain to search for a pack mule and a pack - horse. These two animals were used by the working party to move - their camp outfit, and their provisions. When they returned they - told me that they cut the road down to where Kirtley's party left - off. Of my own knowledge I can safely say Allen's party cut the - road from John Montgomery's[16] to some six or maybe eight miles - down the Natchess River, and it was four days after that before - they came to the summit on their return. - - "It is possible Kirtley's party slighted their work to the extent - that made it necessary for the immigrants to take their axes in - hand. I consider Kirtley a dead failure at anything. Kirtley's - party came home more than a month before we came in. If Van Ogle - is not insane he ought to remember. - - "Allen's party cut the road out from six to eight miles down the - Natchess River from John Montgomery's. The valley on the Natchess - River is too narrow for any mistake to occur. - - "The first men that came through came with James and his brother, - Charles Biles, Sargent, Downey, James Longmire, Van Ogle, - two Atkins, Lane, a brother-in-law of Sargent, Kincaid, two - Woolery's, Lane of Puyallup, E. A. Light, John Eagan (Reagan), - Charley Fitch. Meeker, I am quite sick; when I get well I will - write more detailed account; it is as much as I can do to sit up." - - "Yours in haste, as ever, - "A. J. BURGE." - -This man I have known for over fifty years, and it touched me to think -at the age bordering on eighty, he should get up out of a sick bed -to comply with my request. He has written the truth, and some of the -information we could get in no other way. - -It seems that some people live a charmed life. Burge was shot by a -would-be assassin a few miles out from Steilacoom over forty years ago, -the bullet going through his neck, just missing the jugular vein. - -While it is a complete digression, nevertheless, just as interesting -here as elsewhere, so I will tell the story of this shooting to further -illustrate conditions of early settlement on the Nisqually plains. The -man with the thirteen cows and thirty calves mentioned elsewhere, lived -near Burge. The most desperate character I ever knew, Charles McDaniel, -also was a near neighbor, but a friend of Andy, as we used to call -Burge. Both lost stock that could be traced directly to their neighbor, -Wren, the man with the extra calves, but it was no use to prosecute him -as a jury could not be procured that would convict. I had myself tried -it in our court with the direct evidence of the branded hide taken -from him, but a bribed juryman refused to convict. For a few years and -for this district and with the class previously described as occupying -the country adjacent to Steilacoom, there seemed to be no redress -through our courts. Finally Burge and McDaniel waylaid their neighbor -a few miles out from Steilacoom, tied him to a tree, and whipped him -most unmercifully. I have never yet given my approval to mob law and -never will, believing that it is better to suffer awhile, bide one's -time until laws can be enforced, rather than to join in actions that -will breed contempt for law and lead to anarchy; but, if ever there -was a justifiable case of men taking the law in their own hands, this -was one of them, and is introduced here to illustrate a condition of -affairs that had grown up which seemed well nigh intolerable. After -the whipping Wren was warned to leave the country, which he could not -well do, tied to a tree as he was until third parties discovered and -released him, but which he speedily did, although the wealthiest man -in the county. No prosecutions followed, but in the lapse of time a -colored man appeared at Steilacoom and spent much time hunting herbs -on the prairies, until one day Burge was going home from Steilacoom in -his wagon, when this centre shot was fired with the result as related. -The colored man disappeared as mysteriously as he came, but everyone -believed he had been hired to assassinate Burge and McDaniel, and as -afterwards proven was the case. - -But the trouble was not ended here. The lawless neighbor had gone, but -not lawlessness. The old story that lawlessness begets lawlessness was -again proven. McDaniel and others concluded that as Wren was gone, -they could prey upon his land holdings, which for twenty-five years -in Pierce County was no more than squatter's rights, in consequence -of that intolerable claim of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, -mentioned elsewhere. At this, most of the community rebelled and -warned McDaniel, but to no purpose, until finally he was shot down on -the streets of Steilacoom, or rather a vacant lot in a public place, -and lay for hours in his death struggles uncared for, and his pal -murdered in the wagon that was carrying him to a scaffold. The two -had been waylaid, but had escaped, only to meet their fate in a more -public manner. Burge narrowly escaped a like fate at the hands of -the mob, because of his near neighborship with McDaniel and of his -participation with him in the first instance that had led up to the -final catastrophe. But Burge was an honorable man, though rough in -manner, yet just in his dealings, while McDaniel was a gambler and a -blackleg of the very worst imaginable type. The Indian war had brought -to the front many vicious characters, and the actions of some officials -in high places had encouraged lawlessness, so, as a community, the -nearby country round and about Steilacoom was scourged almost beyond -belief. - -And yet there were genuine pioneer settlements in not very far off -regions of this storm center of lawlessness, where the law was as -cheerfully obeyed as in any old and well settled community, where crime -was scarcely known, and where family ties were held as sacred as any -place on earth, and where finally the influence spread over the whole -land and the whole community leavened. - -By these incidents related it will be seen that pioneers were neither -all saints nor all sinners, but like the older communities had their -trials other than the supposed discomforts incident to pioneer life. - -The reader may not have noticed that Burge in his letter mentions -that there are still trees (he means logs), yet to be seen with the -three notches cut in them, where the immigrant road had been cut. I had -forgotten the third notch, but it all comes back to me now that he has -mentioned it. These logs that we bridged up to and cut the notches in -for the wheels in most cases had to have the third notch in the center -to save the coupling pole or reach from catching on the log, especially -where the bridging did not extend out far from the log to be crossed. -Oftentimes the wagon would be unloaded, the wagon box taken off, the -wagon uncoupled and taken over the obstruction or down or up it, as the -case might be, to be loaded again beyond. - -It will be noticed by Mr. Himes' letter that their party came all the -way up the canyon and crossed the Natchess River 68 times while I -crossed it but thirty odd times. At or near the 32d crossing, the road -workers took to the table land and abandoned the lower stretch of the -canyon, and through that portion the train which Mr. Himes refers to -was compelled to cut their own road for a long stretch. But that part -reported cut was certainly a hard road to travel, and we had to work -more or less all the way down the mountain; as Colonel E. J. Allen, who -is yet alive, quaintly put it in a recent letter: "Assuredly the road -was not sandpapered." I should say not. I think the Colonel was not -much of a teamster and had never handled the goad stick over the road -or elsewhere, as I did, else he would be more sympathetic in responses -to outcries against the "execrable shadow of a road." - -Nelson Sargent, mentioned by Mr. Himes, still lives and is a respected, -truthful citizen, but he certainly did take great risks in leading -that first train of immigrants into that trap of an uncut road up -the Natchess River. The whole party narrowly escaped starvation in -the mountains and Sargent a greater risk of his neck at the hands of -indignant immigrants while in the mountains, if we may believe the -reports that came out at the time from the rescued train. However, I -never believed that Sargent intended to deceive, but was over-sanguine -and was himself deceived, and that Kirtley's failure to continue in -the field was the cause of the suffering that followed. - -Allen sent 300 pounds of flour to Wenass and a courier came to Olympia, -whereupon "Old Mike Simmons," Bush, Jones, and others, forthwith -started with half a ton of flour, onions, potatoes, etc., and met them -beyond the outskirts of the settlement. All that was necessary those -days for a person to get help was to let it become known that some one -was in distress and there would always be willing hands without delay; -in fact, conditions almost approached the socialistic order of common -property as to food, by the voluntary actions of the great, big hearted -early settlers, as shown in other instances related, as well as in -this. God bless those early settlers, the real pioneers of that day. - -The Indian Leschi, who we have seen contributed to the work, utilized -the road to make his escape with seventy of his people, after his -disastrous defeat at the hands of the volunteers and United States -troops in March, 1856, to cross the summit on the snow, so that after -all, in a way, he received a benefit from his liberality in times of -peace. - -Two years after the opening of the road, the Hudson Bay Company sent -a train of three hundred horses loaded with furs, from the interior -country to Fort Nisqually, with a return of merchandise through the -same pass, but never repeated the experiment. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[16] Nisqually Plains. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - -ABOUT INDIANS. - - -The outbreak of an Indian war, soon followed the first treaty making. -The Indians had been outrageously cheated and deceived and war followed. - -"October 28th, 1855, nine persons were massacred on White River, about -twenty miles South of Seattle." Such is the record of that bloody day's -work, eighteen miles distant from where I was living, six miles east -of Fort Steilacoom.[17] - -"The Indians have broken out," was passed from one settler's cabin to -another by rumors, so quickly that by the morning of the 29th all were -on the move towards the fort, which in fact was no fort at all—simply a -few cabins and some thin board houses. - -[Illustration: Type of Blockhouse of Which Seventy-five Were Built at -the Outbreak of the Indian War.] - -I had lived in peace with these Indians and they had gained my -confidence, and as the sequel subsequently showed, I held their -friendship and confidence, for in after-times, during the war, a war -party held me harmless within their power, as they had said they would -of those who had advocated their cause at the time the treaties were -made. - -Soon after the outbreak noted, I disregarded the earnest entreaties -of many, went back to my stock and to the cabin and cared for the -abandoned dairy and young stock. I did not believe the Indians would -molest me, but took the precaution of having my rifle in a convenient -place. But I did not need to use it. When nightfall came, however, I -did withdraw from my cabin, not in fear of war parties, but as against -individual outlaws. - -As the sole military record of my life consisted in my experience with -a company of 17 settlers to make a raid to the Puyallup valley soon -after the outbreak described, I thought to "save" my prestige and tell -about it. - -The settlers of Puyallup had left their homes the next day after the -massacre in such haste, that they were almost absolutely destitute -of clothing, bedding and food, as well as shelter. A strong military -force had penetrated the Indian country:—the upper Puyallup valley -and beyond, we knew, but did not know they had retreated by another -road,—virtually driven out—the very day we went in armed with all sorts -of guns and with scarcely any organization. We had, however, not gone -into the Indian stronghold to fight Indians, but to recover property, -nevertheless, there would have been hot work if attacked. The settlers -knew the country as well as the Indians, and were prepared to meet -them on their own grounds and in their own way—by couples or singly -if need be. The Indians were in great force but a few miles distant, -and had their scouts on our tracks, but did not molest us while we -visited every settler's cabin, secured their belongings not destroyed -and on the sixth day came away with great loads of "plunder," all the -while in blissful ignorance that the troops had been withdrawn, and no -protection lay between us and the Indian forces. - -This was the beginning of the discrimination of the Indians in favor of -non-combatants, which became so pronounced as the war progressed. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[17] Fully told in my "Tragedy of Leschi," to which the reader is -referred who may wish to acquaint themselves of the early history of -the Northwest and Indian Warfare: 575 pages, 6×9, silk cloth binding, -$3.00 postpaid. Address Ezra Meeker, 1120 38th Ave. N., Seattle, Wash. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - -THE FRASER RIVER STAMPEDE. - - -On the 21st day of March, 1858, the schooner Wild Pidgeon arrived at -Steilacoom and brought the news that the Indians had discovered gold on -Fraser River; had traded several pounds of the precious metal with the -Hudson Bay Company, and that three hundred people had left Victoria and -vicinity for the new eldorado. And, further, the report ran, the mines -were exceedingly rich. - -The next day there came further reports from the north, that the -Bellingham Bay Company's coal mines had been compelled to suspend work, -as all their operatives but three had started for the mines, that many -of the logging camps had shut down, and all the mills were running on -short time from the same cause. - -The wave of excitement that ran through the little town upon the -receipt of this news was repeated in every town and hamlet of the -whole Pacific Coast, and continued around the world, sending thither -adventurous spirits from all civilized countries of the earth. - -But when the word came the next week that one hundred and ten pounds -of gold had actually been received in Victoria, and that hundreds of -men were outfitting, the virulence of the gold fever knew no bounds, -and everybody, women folks and all, wanted to go, and would have -started pell-mell had there not been that restraining influence of -the second sober thought of people who had just gone through the mill -of adversity. My family was still in the block house we had built -during the war in the town of Steilacoom. Our cattle were peacefully -grazing on the plains a few miles distant, but there remained a -spirit of unrest that one could not fail to observe. There had been -no Indian depredations for two years west of the Cascade Mountains, -but some atrocious murders had been committed by a few renegade white -men, besides the murder of Leschi under the forms of law that had but -recently taken place. The Indians just over the mountains were in a -threatening mood, and in fact soon again broke out into open warfare -and inflicted heavy punishment on Steptoe's command, and came very near -annihilating that whole detachment. - -The close of the Indian war of 1855-6 had engendered a reckless spirit -among what may be called the unsettled class that to many of the more -sober minded was looked upon as more dangerous than the Indians among -us. In the wake of the United States army paymaster came a vile set of -gamblers and blacklegs that preyed upon the soldiers, officers and men -alike, who became a menace to the peace of the community, and, like -a veritable bedlam turned loose, often made night hideous with their -carousals. The reader need not feel this is an overdrawn picture, for -it is not. We must remember the common soldiers of the United States -army fifty years ago were very different from our army of the present -time. At least such was the case with the forces stationed at Fort -Steilacoom at the time of which I am writing. - -An illustration: Having drifted into a small business conducted in -our block house at Steilacoom, in an unguarded moment I let a half -dozen of the blue-coats (as the soldiers were then universally called) -have a few articles on credit. These men told their comrades, who came -soliciting credit but were refused, when some drunken members of the -party swore they would come strong enough to take the goods anyway, -and actually did come at night thirty strong, and having been refused -admission, began breaking down the door. A shot through the door that -scattered splinters among the assembled crowd served as a warning that -caused them to desist, and no damage was done, but the incident serves -to illustrate the conditions prevailing at the time the gold discovery -was reported. Pierce County contributed its contingent of gold seekers, -some of the desperadoes and some of the best citizens. One Charles -McDaniel, who killed his man while gone, returned to plague us; -another, one of our merchants, Samuel McCaw, bundled up a few goods, -made a flying trip up Fraser River, came back with fifty ounces of -gold dust and with the news the mines were all that had been reported, -and more, too, which of course added fuel to the burning flame of the -all-prevalent gold fever. We all then believed a new era had dawned -upon us, similar to that of ten years before in California that changed -the world's history. High hopes were built, most of them to end in -disappointment. Not but there were extensive mines, and that they were -rich, and that they were easily worked, but, how to get there was the -puzzling question. The early voyagers had slipped up the Fraser before -the freshets that came from the melting snows to swell the torrents of -that river. Those going later either failed altogether and gave up the -unequal contest, or lost an average of one canoe or boat out of three -in the persistent attempt. How many lives were lost never will be known. - -"Beginning at a stump in the bank of said creek (Squalecum), about 20 -feet above the bridge near the mouth of said creek; thence running due -west 240 feet; thence due south 60 feet; thence due east 240 feet; -thence due north 60 feet to the place of beginning." Such is the -description of a tract of land as recorded on the book of records of -deeds for the county of Whatcom, bearing date of June 25th, 1858. On -that date I was in Whatcom, and saw the sights and acted my part as one -of the wild men of the north country, received a deed for the land as -described from Edward Eldridge, who then resided on his claim adjoining -the town of Whatcom, and where he continued until his death. No public -surveys had up to that time been made, and so, to describe a lot I -was purchasing of Mr. Eldridge, what more durable monument could we -select than the big stump of one of those giants of the monster forests -fronting on Bellingham Bay. - -Going back a little in my story to the receipt of the news of -the discovery on the Fraser and Thompson Rivers, each succeeding -installment of news that came to Steilacoom more than confirmed the -original report. Contingents began to arrive in Steilacoom from Oregon, -from California, and finally from "the States," as all of our country -east of the Rocky Mountains was designated by pioneers. Steamers great -and small began to appear with more or less cargo and passenger lists, -which we heard were as nothing compared to what was going on less than -a hundred miles to the north of us. These people landing in Whatcom in -such great numbers must be fed, we agreed, and if the multitude would -not come to us to drink the milk of our dairies and eat the butter, -what better could we do than to take our cows to the multitude where we -were told people did not hesitate to pay a dollar a gallon for milk and -any price one might ask for fresh butter. - -But, how to get even to Whatcom was the "rub". All space on the -steamers was taken from week to week for freight and passengers, and -no room left for cattle. In fact, the movement of provisions was so -great that at one time we were almost threatened with a veritable -famine, so close had the stock of food been shipped. Finally, our -cattle, mostly cows, were loaded in an open scow and taken in tow -along side of the steamer (Sea Bird, I think it was), where all went -smoothly enough until we arrived off the head of Whidby Island, where -a chopped sea from a light wind began slopping over into the scow and -evidently would sink us despite our utmost efforts at bailing. When -the captain would slow down the speed of his steamer all was well, but -the moment greater power was applied, over the gunwales would come the -water. The dialogue that ensued between myself and the captain was more -emphatic than elegant and perhaps would not look well in print, but he -dare not risk let go of us or run us under without incurring the risk -of heavy damages and probable loss of life. But I stood by my guns -(figuratively), and would not consent to be landed, and so about the -20th of June, tired and sleepy, we were set adrift in Bellingham Bay, -and landed near the big stump described as the starting point for the -land purchased later. - -But our cows must have feed, must be milked, and the milk marketed, and -so there was no rest nor sleep for us for another thirty-six hours. -In fact, there was but little sleep for anybody on that beach at the -time. Several ocean steamers had just dumped three thousand people on -the beach, and the scramble still continued to find a place to build a -house or stretch a tent, or even to spread a blanket, for there were -great numbers already on hand landed by previous steamers. The staking -of lots on the tide flats at night, when the tide was out, seemed to be -a staple industry. Driving of piles or planting of posts as permanent -as possible often preceded and accompanied by high words between -contestants came to be a commonplace occurrence. The belief among these -people seemed to be that if they could get stakes or posts to stand on -end, and a six-inch strip nailed to them to encompass a given spot of -the flats, that they would thereby become the owner, and so the merry -war went on until the bubble burst. - -A few days after my arrival four steamers came with an aggregate of -over two thousand passengers, many of whom, however, did not leave -the steamer and took passage either to their port of departure, San -Francisco, Victoria, or points on the Sound. The ebb tide had set in, -and although many steamers came later and landed passengers, their -return lists soon became large and the population began to diminish. - -Taking my little dory that we had with us on the scow, I rowed out -to the largest steamer lying at anchor surrounded by small boats so -numerous that in common parlance the number was measured by the acre, -"an acre of boats." Whether or not an acre of space was covered by -these craft striving to reach the steamer I will not pretend to say, -but can say that I certainly could not get within a hundred feet of -the steamer. All sorts of craft filled the intervening space, from -the smallest Indian canoe to large barges, the owners of each either -striving to secure a customer from a hapless passenger, or, having -secured one, of transferring his belongings to the craft. - -There were but a few women in this crowd, but ashore, quite too many, -a large majority of whom (those on the ground will remember) were too -much like their arch representative, "Old Mother Damnable," well and -truly named. But I draw the veil. - -"Where's DeLacy?" became a byword after weeks of earnest inquiry of the -uninitiated as to what was transpiring out at the front, where supposed -work was going on to construct a trail leading through the Cascade -Mountains to the mouth of Thompson River, that emptied into the Fraser -one hundred and fifty miles easterly from Whatcom. If a trail could be -constructed through the mountains from Whatcom, then the town would -at once bloom into a city, and the fortunes of townsite proprietors -would be made, and all might go to the mines whose spirit moved them. -It all looked very feasible on paper, but several obstacles not taken -into account by the impatient crowd defeated all their hopes. A fund -had been raised by subscription at the inception of the excitement to -send out parties to search for a pass, and W. W. DeLacy, an engineer -of considerable note, started out early in the season, and so far as I -know never came back to Whatcom. - -Directly this party was sent out to search for a pass through the -mountains another party was set to work to follow and cut the trail. -All seemingly went well for awhile, and until there came no word to -the public from DeLacy. The trail workers were yet at work, but did -not know what was ahead of them. DeLacy had to them become a sort of -myth. The fact was he had failed to find a pass, and when he arrived -at a point that he thought was the summit, he had yet fifty miles or -more of the worst of the mountains ahead of him. Meanwhile, the trail -out from Whatcom for forty or fifty miles became well worn by men and -animals going and returning. I saw sixty men with heavy packs on their -backs start out in one company, everyone of whom had to come back after -floundering in the mountains for weeks. So long as there could be kept -up a hope that the trail would be cut through, just so long a complete -collapse of the townsite boom might be averted, and so DeLacy was kept -in the mountains searching for a pass which was never found. - -About the time I landed in Whatcom, H. L. Yesler and Arthur A. Denny -headed a party to go through the Snoqualmie Pass, but they did not -reach the open country. W. H. Pearson, the intrepid scout, who won such -laurels with Governor Stevens in his famous ride from the Blackfeet -country, conducted a party of eighty-two persons, sixty-seven of whom -packed their bedding and food on their backs, through the Snoqualmie -Pass to the Wenatchee, where they were met by the Indians in such -numbers and threatening mood that nearly all beat a hasty retreat. - -Simultaneous with the movement through the Snoqualmie Pass, like action -was set on foot to utilize the Natchess Pass, and large numbers must -have gotten through, as on August 7th the report was published that -fourteen hundred miners were at work on the Natchess and Wenatchee. -This report we know to be untrue, although it is possible that many -prospectors were on those rivers, and we know also some gold was taken -out, and more for many years afterwards. But the mines on these rivers -did not prove to be rich nor extensive. - -At the same time efforts were made to reach the mines by crossing the -mountains further south. The people of Oregon were sure the best way -was to go up the Columbia River to The Dalles, and thence north through -the open country, and more than a thousand men were congregated at The -Dalles at one time preparing to make the trip northward. - -All this while the authorities of British Columbia were not asleep, -but fully awake to their own interests. Soon Governor Douglass put -a quietus upon parties going direct from Puget Sound ports into the -Fraser River, and several outfits of merchandise were confiscated, -among which was one of McCaw and Rogers from Steilacoom. Another -effectual barrier was the prohibition from entering the country without -a miner's license, which could be obtained only at Victoria. In this -way the Whatcom game was blocked, with or without a trail, and the -population disappeared nearly as rapidly and more mysteriously than -it had come, and the houses that had been built were left tenantless, -the stakes that had been set were left to be swept away by tides or to -decay, and Whatcom for a time became only a memory to its once great -population. - -It is doubtful if a stampede of such dimensions ever occurred where -the suffering was so great, the prizes so few and the loss of life -proportionately greater, than that to the Fraser in 1858. Probably not -one in ten that made the effort reached the mines, and of those who did -the usual percentage of blanks were drawn incident to such stampedes. -And yet the mines were immensely rich, and many millions of dollars -of gold value came from the find in the lapse of years, and is still -coming, though now nearly fifty years have passed. - -While the losses to the people of the Puget Sound country were great, -nevertheless, good came out of the great stampede in the large -accession of population that remained after the return tide was over. -Many had become stranded and could not leave the country, but went to -work with a will, of whom not a few are still honored citizens of the -State that has been carved out of the Territory of that day. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - -AN OLD SETTLERS' MEETING. - - -The fact that the generation that participated in the Indian war in -this State (then Territory) will soon pass, an attempt was made to hold -a reunion of all the adults who were in Pierce County at the outbreak -of the Indian war in 1855, who are still living in the county. - -[Illustration: An Old Settlers' Meeting.] - -Naturally, the incidents of the war coming under personal observation -formed a never-ending topic of conversation. Mrs. Boatman related the -incident of her boy "Johnny" (John Boatman, who now lives in Puyallup), -two years and a half old, who was carried off by the Indians, as she -firmly believes, but was found under an oak tree the following day. -The whole garrison at Steilacoom turned out, together with a great -many citizens, and scoured the prairie all night. Colonel Casey, the -commandant, threatened vengeance against the Indians if the child was -not returned. The theory was that the Indians had taken him for a -ransom of their own people held by the whites. - -A romantic incident was recalled of Kate Melville, the lady deputy -sheriff. Her father was the first sheriff of Pierce County, and during -his term of office was imprisoned for contempt of court. Kate was a -beautiful girl, in ideal health, and a superb equestrienne, but withal -was a modest, retiring woman. When her father was incarcerated she was -aroused to action and accepted the appointment of deputy sheriff with a -resolute spirit, determined to take the responsibility of enforcing the -law. - -"Yes, I saw Kate coming down from the garrison one day with some -prisoners with a pistol strapped to her person," said Willis Boatman, -"but I do not remember what her father was imprisoned for." - -Scarcely one present but remembered the incident "that seemed like a -dream almost," in the lapse of forty-five years. - -I remember seeing Kate on horseback, while acting as deputy sheriff -during those troublous times, and had often thought to write up this -romantic incident of real stern pioneer life, but space will not permit -it here, further than to say that the responsibilities of the office -were undertaken from a sense of duty and under intense loyalty to her -father. Both now lie peacefully under the sod in the county in which -their lot was cast. - -"We moved out to my father's place about two months after the outbreak -of the war," said George Dougherty. "The Indians sent us word not to be -afraid—that they would not harm us. I had lived among the Indians from -childhood, and in fact had learned to talk the Indian language before I -could speak my mother tongue. At that time I believe there were twenty -Indians to where there is one now. Most of the Indians were friendly. -Had it been otherwise they could have wiped out the white settlement -completely, in spite of the military volunteers." - -"Yes, and not left a grease spot of them," said Mr. Rogers. "But -the fact is, the Indians did not want to fight the whites, but were -dissatisfied with their treatment by the government. They wanted their -land back, and got it, too, after they whipped the whites, which they -did this side of the mountains. If it had not been that a majority of -the Indians were in favor of peace with the whites, they could have -held this country for a number of years. In fact, there were fifty or -sixty Indians who fought on the side of the whites. There were a lot of -whites who intended to stay out on their ranches, as they had perfect -confidence in the Indians. The result of the war was that the Indians -got all that they contended for. The good bottom lands had been taken -away from the Indians and they had been given the woods. This was done -to open up the bottom lands for settlement. Notwithstanding this, -many of the Indians were not hostile enough to go to war. The Indians -east of the mountains initiated the war when they came over here and -insisted that these Indians drive out the whites. In the meantime the -Indians were given their lands back again. The Indians killed as many -whites as the whites killed Indians. They had been living at peace with -the whites and would have continued to do so had it not been for the -Indians east of the mountains. I think that a mean advantage of the -Indians was taken at that treaty." - -"I think there were as many whites killed this side of the mountains as -Indians," said Mr. Dougherty, resuming; "and there would have been no -war had the Indians been properly treated. I remember Leschi and his -band passed down through the prairie nearby father's house, but did not -stop to disturb us, but moved on to Muckleshoot and Green River." - -"Yes, I remember considerable about the early condition of the Indian -and their supply of food, for many and many is the time that I have -enjoyed their hospitality and partaken of the various forms of what may -be termed their land food as distinguished from fish. This was varied -and abundant. I have seen trainloads of dried camas and sunflower -roots carried by their ponies, and sometimes by the squaws on their -backs. The Indians called the sunflower roots 'kalse.' It has now -become almost extinct, except in small fields where it is protected. -Kalse is a small root, about the size of an ordinary carrot, and has -a yellow flower resembling the sunflower. The Indians would dig it -with a crooked staff of ironwood stick, by twisting the stick around -the roots and using it as a lever to pull up the roots. After getting -a sufficient quantity of this sunflower root together the tops of the -roots would be nipped off, then the bark would be beaten off and a -baking place arranged in a hollow in the ground, with sallal berry -twigs, leaves and hemlock boughs. The roots would be piled up rounding, -and covered over with the sallal and other material, and the whole -covered with earth. A fire would be made over the ground and the -roasting would occupy three or four days, depending upon the size of -the pile. After the end of three or four days the remaining coals and -hot ashes would be removed from the top of the pile, and there would -be exposed the steaming sunflower roots. The roots are very delicious -in taste, though I cannot compare it to anything now in use. They also -made a liquor from its roots by soaking, which was very exhilarating -and strengthening. I have often partaken of this food when a child. -There was another food gathered from the prairie, which the Indians -called 'la-camas' or 'camas'. It is a small root, about the size of -the end of your thumb, and has a stalk that shows itself early in the -spring. It comes up as two leaves folded together, and as it progresses -in growth it spreads. From this appears a stem on the top of which is a -blue flower. It is very nutritious. It was generally prepared in large -quantities and could be kept until the following year. I have always -thought that it would be a great addition to our garden products, and -would be beneficial to us as a health diet generally. The Indians who -used it were generally very healthy. There is another article of food -that I know the Indian name for, but not the white man's. The Indian -name is 'squelebs'. It grows in low, marshy places and in creeks that -run cold, clear water. It has the appearance of the wild parsnip, and -probably is a species of it. It grows in joints. It is very delicious -to the taste in its season and is eaten raw. It is the finest nervine -that I ever used. Then comes 'kinnikinnick' berries, or the Indian -tobacco. The Indians will take 'kinnikinnick' leaves, roast them until -brown, and then mix half and half with tobacco, when it makes very -fine smoking, and the odor is fragrant and very acceptable. It has an -influence over the smoker like opium or ether. Some Indians that I have -seen using it would keel over in a trance. It is very highly prized by -them. The berries that grow and ripen on the 'kinnikinnick' when ripe -are used as food by the Indians by mixing them with dried salmon eggs, -and have the property of strengthening to an abnormal degree. They -also used the young sprouts of the wild raspberry and salmon berry, -which were very useful in cooling the system and very acceptable to -the palate. There was another food product that the Indians called -'charlaque'. It throws out a broad, dark green leaf on one side of the -stem, and on the end of the stem there is a bell-shaped flower of a -brownish cast on the outside, and on the inside the color is orange, -mottled with brown specks. It produces a flat root about the size of -an ordinary walnut and is good either raw or roasted. It grows in -shady places and near oak bushes. The root is white. There is also a -species of the dandelion which has a very delicate-tasting root, which -was eaten either raw or roasted. It is something similar to the wild -parsnip, and the root is also white. When the root is broken it exudes -a milk which is an excellent cure for warts. Another food plant was the -'wapato'. It grows in swampy places and sends its roots into the water. -It grows luxuriantly in such places, and the tubers of the 'wapato' -were highly prized by the Indians and could be eaten either raw or -cooked. It had a delicate and pungent taste that was very acceptable -to the palate. By this you will see that the Indians had a variety of -food, when one takes into consideration the wild fruits, fish and game -in which the country abounded." - -Peter Smith said: "We were crossing the plains in 1852 when Spotted -Tail with about thirty warriors, fresh from the Crow war, rode up to -our camp early one morning. I was cooking breakfast for our party, -and I tell you I was pretty well scared, but I thought to offer them -something to eat and after several attempts, made them understand what -I wanted, and finally gave them all a breakfast of bread and sugar and -coffee. When they first came they sat on their horses with feathers in -their hair, and said nothing to me and nothing to each other, and I -really thought my time had come. After they had eaten their breakfast -they went on up the Platte River toward Fort Laramie. After we had -traveled about three hundred miles we camped in the vicinity of a large -Indian force under the control of Spotted Tail. I was with a group -of men that had gathered when I felt a tug at my coat tail. I looked -around quickly but saw no one, so I went on speaking to the man that I -had been talking to. Pretty soon I felt another tug, and looking around -saw an Indian, whom I recognized as the leader of the band that had -eaten breakfast at our camp a few days before. The Indian told me that -his name was Spotted Tail, and that he wanted me to come to his camp a -few miles away. I told him I would go. Although the others in our party -tried to dissuade me from the undertaking, I went. The chief treated me -with great kindness and hospitality. He was a tall, athletic Indian, -and his daughters were very pretty, having regular features and black -hair. I returned to the train well pleased with my visit. Forty years -after, while at the world's fair, I met a young man who had some office -at Fort Laramie, which post Spotted Tail often visited. He told me that -Spotted Tail often inquired about me, said that he had never been so -well treated by a white man in his life, and expressed a desire to have -me come and see him. I was very sorry that I never went through the -reservation where Spotted Tail lived to stop off and see him." - -"The Indians have massacred all the white settlers on White River and -are coming down on us here in Puyallup," was passed from house to house -on that fateful October day of 1855. Mrs. Woolery and Mrs. Boatman -were the only survivors present at the reunion who witnessed the -scenes that followed. Some had wagons; some had none. Strive as best -they could, they only got across the river the first day. Two canoes -were lashed together and the wagons ferried across, after being first -taken apart. The trip out the next day was made on foot, the women -carrying the young children on their backs. Then came the volunteer -company a week later to rescue the provisions, stock, clothing and -other property that had been abandoned. This party consisted of the -settlers of the valley, with a few others—nineteen in all. The author -was one of the "others," not having yet settled in the valley. As -we went in by the "lower" road the column of United States troops -and volunteers abandoned the field and withdrew by the "upper" road, -leaving our little band in utter ignorance of our danger for four days, -when we crossed the trail of the retreating column, which we afterwards -learned had halted at Montgomery's, at the edge of the prairie. Our -women folks were disturbed at our long stay, and the troops were under -orders to advance to our rescue, when lo! and behold! at nightfall on -the sixth day we returned, loaded with property and provisions, in most -cases being all the possessions of the owners who formed a part of the -company, and there was great joy in camp. Not an Indian had been seen -nor a shot fired, except to empty our guns to make sure that they would -"go," as some of the men quaintly expressed it. - -After looking back over the vista of years, none of the party could -say that life had been a failure; there was the lady bordering close -on eighty years; the gentleman eighty-four and past (Peter Smith), -with the "kids" of the party past the sixty-eighth mark, yet one would -scarcely ever meet a more cheerful and merry party than this of the -reunion of the old settlers of 1855.[18] - -FOOTNOTE: - -[18] Since this meeting in June, 1904, all of the ten pioneers that -comprised the party have died, prior to the writing of this note, -except the author and one other. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - -A CHAPTER ON NAMES. - - -In the latter part of the seventeenth century that intrepid American -traveler, Jonathan Carver, wrote these immortal words: - - "From the intelligence I gained from the Naudowessie Indians, - among whom I arrived on the 7th of December (1776), and whose - language I perfectly acquired during a residence of five months, - and also from the accounts I afterwards obtained from the - Assinipoils, who speak the same tongue, being a revolted band of - the Naudowessies; and from the Killistinoes, neighbors of the - Assinipoils, who speak the Chipeway language and inhabit the - heads of the River Bourbon; I say from these natives, together - with my own observations, I have learned that the four most - capital rivers on the continent of North America, viz.: the St. - Lawrence, the Mississippi, the River Bourbon and the Oregon, - or the River of the West (as I hinted in my introduction), - have their sources in the same neighborhood. The waters of the - three former are within thirty miles of each other; the latter, - however, is further west." - -All students of history acknowledge this is the first mention of the -word Oregon in English literature. The narrative quoted was inspired -by his observations on the upper Mississippi, and particularly upon -the event of reaching his farthest point, sixty miles above the Falls -of St. Anthony, November 17th, 1776. This was the farthest up the -Mississippi that the white man had ever penetrated, "So that we are -obliged solely to the Indians for all the intelligence we are able to -give relative to the more northern parts," and yet this man, seemingly -with prophetic sight, discovered the great river of the West, attempted -to name it, and coined a word for the purpose. While Carver missed his -mark and did not succeed in affixing the new-born name to the great -river he saw in his vision, yet the word became immortal through the -mighty empire for which it afterwards stood. Carver made no explanation -as to where the word Oregon came from, but wrote as though it was well -known like the other rivers mentioned. Probably for all time the origin -of this name with be a mystery. - -We have a like curious phenomenon in the case of Winthrop first writing -the word Tacoma, in September, 1853. None of the old settlers had -heard that name, either through the Indians or otherwise, until after -the publication of Winthrop's work ten years later, "The Canoe and -the Saddle," when it became common knowledge and was locally applied -in Olympia as early as 1866, said to have been suggested by Edward -Giddings of that place. - -However, as Winthrop distinctly claimed to have obtained the word from -the Indians, the fact was accepted by the reading public, and the -Indians soon took their cue from their white neighbors. - -It is an interesting coincident that almost within a stone's throw of -where Winthrop coined the name that we find it applied to the locality -that has grown to be the great city of Tacoma. - -On the 26th of October, 1868, John W. Ackerson located a mill site on -Commencement Bay, within the present limits of the city of Tacoma, -and applied the name to his mill. He said he had gotten it from Chief -Spot of the Puyallup tribe, who claimed it was the Indian name for the -mountain, Rainier. - -The word or name Seattle was unknown when the founders of this city -first began to canvass the question of selecting a site for the town, -and some time elapsed before a name was coined out of the word se-alth. - -Se-alth, or Seattle, as he was afterwards known, was reported to be the -chief of six tribes or bands, but at best his control was like most all -the chiefs on the Sound, but shadowy. - -Arthur Denny says that "we (meaning himself, Boren and Bell) canvassed -the question as to a name and agreed to call the place Seattle, after -the old chief" (Se-alth), but we have no definite information as to -when the change in the old chief's name took place. Se-alth was quite -disturbed to have his name trifled with and appropriated by the whites, -and was quite willing to levy a tribute by persuasion upon the good -people of the embryo city. - -I have another historic name to write about, Puyallup, that we know -is of Indian origin—as old as the memory of the white man runs. But -such a name! I consider it no honor to the man who named the town (now -city) of Puyallup. I accept the odium attached to inflicting that name -on suffering succeeding generations by first platting a few blocks -of land into village lots and recording them under the name Puyallup. -I have been ashamed of the act ever since. The first time I went East -after the town was named and said to a friend in New York that our town -was named Puyallup he seemed startled. - -"Named what?" - -"Puyallup," I said, emphasizing the word. - -"That's a jaw breaker," came the response. "How do you spell it?" - -"P-u-y-a-l-l-u-p," I said. - -"Let me see—how did you say you pronounced it?" - -Pouting out my lips like a veritable Siwash, and emphasizing every -letter and syllable so as to bring out the Peuw for Puy, and the strong -emphasis on the al, and cracking my lips together to cut off the lup, -I finally drilled my friend so he could pronounce the word, yet fell -short of the elegance of the scientific pronunciation. - -Then when I crossed the Atlantic and across the old London bridge to -the Borough, and there encountered the factors of the hop trade on that -historic ground, the haunts of Dickens in his day; and when we were bid -to be seated to partake of the viands of an elegant dinner; and when I -saw the troubled look of my friend, whose lot it was to introduce me to -the assembled hop merchants, and knew what was weighing on his mind, my -sympathy went out to him but remained helpless to aid him. - -"I say—I say—let me introduce to you my American friend—my American -friend from—my American friend from—from—from—" - -And when, with an imploring look he visibly appealed to me for help, -and finally blurted out: - -"I say, Meeker, I cawn't remember that blarsted name—what is it?" - -And when the explosion of mirth came with: - -"All the same, he's a jolly good fellow—a jolly good fellow." - -I say, when all this had happened, and much more besides, I could yet -feel resigned to my fate. - -Then when at Dawson I could hear the shrill whistle from the would-be -wag, and hear: - -"He's all the way from Puy-al-lup," I could yet remain in composure. - -Then when, at night at the theaters, the jesters would say: - -"Whar was it, stranger, you said you was from?" - -"_Puy-al-lup!_" - -"Oh, you did?" followed by roars of laughter all over the house. And -all this I could hear with seeming equanimity. - -But when letters began to come addressed "Pew-lupe," "Polly-pup," -"Pull-all-up," "Pewl-a-loop," and finally "Pay-all-up," then my cup of -sorrow was full and I was ready to put on sackcloth and ashes. - -The name for the town, however, came about in this way: In the early -days we had a postoffice, Franklin. Sometimes it was on one side of the -river and then again on the other; sometimes way to one side of the -settlement and then again to the other. It was not much trouble those -days to move a postoffice. One could almost carry the whole outfit in -one's pocket. - -We were all tired of the name Franklin, for there were so many -Franklins that our mail was continually being sent astray. We -agreed there never would be but one Puyallup; and in that we were -unquestionably right, for surely there will never be another. - -Nevertheless, people would come and settle with us. Where the big -stumps and trees stood and occupied the ground, we now have brick -blocks and solid streets. Where the cabins stood, now quite pretentious -residences have arisen. The old log-cabin school house has given way -to three large houses, where now near twelve hundred scholars are in -attendance, instead of but eleven, as at first. And still the people -came and built a hundred houses last year, each contributing their mite -to perpetuating the name Puyallup. Puyallup has been my home for forty -years, and it is but natural I should love the place, even if I cannot -revere the name. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - -PIONEER RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES AND INCIDENTS. - - -If we were to confine the word religion to its strict construction as -to meaning, we would cut off the pioneer actions under this heading -to a great extent; but, if we will think of the definition as applied -to morality, the duties of man to man, to character building—then -the field is rich. Many of the pioneers, necessarily cut loose from -church organizations, were not eager to enter again into their old -affiliations, though their conduct showed a truly religious spirit. -There were many who were outside the fold before they left their homes, -and such, as a class, remained as they were; but many showed a sincere -purpose to do right according to the light that was in them, and who -shall say that if the spirit that prompted them was their duty to -man, that such were not as truly religious as if the higher spiritual -motives moved them? - -We had, though, many earnest workers, whose zeal never abated, who felt -it a duty to save souls, and who preached to others incessantly, in -season and out of season, and whose work, be it said, exercised a good -influence over the minds of the people. - -One instance I have in mind—Father Weston, who came at irregular -intervals to Puyallup, whose energy would make amends for his lack of -eloquence, and whose example would add weight to his precepts. He was -a good man. Almost everyone would go to hear him, although it was in -everybody's mouth that he could not preach. He would make up in noise -and fervency what he lacked in logic and eloquence. Positively, one -could often hear him across a ten-acre lot when he would preach in a -grove, and would pound his improvised pulpit with as much vigor as he -would his weld on his anvil week days. - -One time the old man came to the valley, made his headquarters near -where the town of Sumner now is, induced other ministers to join -him, and entered on a crusade, a protracted union meeting, with the -old-time mourners' bench, amen corner and shouting members. When the -second Sunday came the crowd was so great that the windows were taken -out of the little school house, and more than half the people sat or -reclined on the ground, or wagons drawn nearby, to listen to the noisy -scene inside the house. - -A peculiar couple, whom I knew well, had attended from a distance, the -husband, a frail, little old man, intensely and fervently religious, -while the wife, who was a specimen of strong womanhood, had never -been able to see her way clear to join the church. Aunt Ann (she is -still living), either from excitement or to please the husband, went -to the mourners' bench and made some profession that led Uncle John, -the husband, to believe the wife had at last got religion. Upon their -return home the good lady soon began wavering, despite the urgent -appeals from the husband, and finally blurted out: - -"Well, John, I don't believe there is such a place as hell, anyhow." - -This was too much for the husband, who, in a fit of sheer desperation, -said: - -"Well, well, Ann, you wait and you'll see." And the good lady, now past -eighty-four, is waiting yet, but the good little husband has long since -gone to spy out the unknown land. - -I have known this lady now for fifty years, and although she has never -made a profession of religion or joined a church, yet there has been -none more ready to help a neighbor or to minister to the sick, or open -the door of genuine hospitality than this same uncouth, rough-spoken -pioneer woman. - -I recall one couple, man and wife, who came among us of the true and -faithful, to preach and practice the Baptist Christian religion. I -purposely add "Christian," for if ever in these later years two people -embodied the true Christ-like spirit, Mr. and Mrs. Wickser did—lived -their religion and made their professions manifest by their work. - -Mrs. Wickser was a very tall lady of ordinary appearance as to -features, while the husband was short and actually deformed. The -disparity in their heights was so great that as they stood or walked -side by side he could have gone beneath her outstretched arm. Added -to this peculiar appearance, like a woman and a boy of ten years -parading as man and wife, the features of the little man riveted one's -attention. With a low forehead, flattened nose, and swarthy complexion, -one could not determine whether he was white or part red and black, -Chinaman or what not; as Dr. Weed said to me in a whisper when he -first caught sight of his features: "What, is that the missing link?" -In truth, the doctor was so surprised that he was only half in jest, -not at the time knowing the "creature," as he said, was the Baptist -minister of the place. - -But, as time went on, the strangeness of his features wore off, and the -beauty of his character began to shine more and more, until there were -none more respected and loved than this couple, by those who had come -to know them. - -A small factory had been established not far from the schoolhouse, -where we had our Christmas tree. Some of the men from the factory took -it into their heads to play what they called a joke on Mr. and Mrs. W. -by placing on the tree a large bundle purporting to be a present, but -which they innocently opened and found to contain a direct insult. - -The little man, it could be seen, was deeply mortified, yet made no -sign of resentment, although it soon became known who the parties were, -but treated them with such forbearance and kindness that they became so -ashamed of themselves as to inspire better conduct, and so that night -the most substantial contribution of the season was quietly deposited -at the good missionary's door, and ever after that all alike treated -them with the greatest respect. - -I have known this couple to walk through storm as well as sunshine, -on roads or on trails, for miles around, visiting the pioneers as -regularly as the week came, ministering to the wants of the sick, -if perchance there were such, cheering the discouraged or lending a -helping hand where needed, veritable good Samaritans as they were, a -credit to our race by the exhibition of the spirit within them. - -Take the case of George Bush, the negro, who refused to sell his crop -to speculators for cash, yet distributed it freely to the immigrants -who had come later, without money and without price. Also Sidney Ford, -another early, rugged settler, although neither of them church members. -Who will dare say theirs were not religious acts? - -In response to a letter, the following characteristic reply from one -of the McAuley sisters will be read with interest, as showing "the -other sort" of pioneer religious experience, and following this, the -brother's response about the "mining camp brand." She writes: - - "And now as to your question in a former letter, in regard to - religious experiences of pioneers. Tom had written me just before - your letter came, asking me if I had heard from friend Meeker - and wife. I told him of your letter and asked him if he ever - heard of such a thing as religious experience among pioneers. I - enclose his answer, which is characteristic of him. The first - church service I attended in California was in a saloon, and the - congregation, comprising nearly all the inhabitants of the place, - was attentive and orderly. I think the religion of the pioneers - was carried in their hearts, and bore its fruit in honesty and - charity rather than in outward forms and ceremonies. I remember - an instance on the plains. Your brother, O. P., had a deck of - cards in his vest pocket. Sister Margaret smiled and said: 'Your - pocket betrays you.' 'Do you think it a betrayal?' said he. 'If I - thought it was wrong I would not use them.' Here is Brother Tom's - letter: - - "'Why, of course, I have seen as well as heard of pioneer - religious experiences. But I expect the California mining camp - brand differed some from the Washington brand for agricultural - use, because the mining camp was liable to lose at short notice - all its inhabitants on discovery of new diggings.' - - "So, of course, large church buildings for exclusively church - purposes were out of the question as impossible. And the only - public buildings available were the saloons and gambling halls, - whose doors, like the gates of perdition, were always open, day - and night alike, to all, saint or sinner, who chose to enter, - and having entered, had his rights as well as his duties well - understood, and, if need be, promptly enforced." - -John McLeod used to almost invariably get gloriously drunk whenever he -came to Steilacoom, which was quite often, and generally would take a -gallon keg home with him full of the vile stuff. And yet this man was -a regular reader of his Bible, and, I am told by those who knew his -habits best, read his chapter as regularly as he drank his gill of -whisky, or perhaps more regularly, as the keg would at times become -dry, while his Bible never failed him. I have his old, well-thumbed -Gaelic Bible, with its title page of 1828, which he brought with him to -this country in 1833, and used until his failing sight compelled the -use of another of coarser print. - -I am loth to close this (to me) interesting chapter, but my volume is -full and overflowing and I am admonished not to pursue the subject -further. A full volume might be written and yet not exhaust this -interesting subject. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - -WILD ANIMALS. - - -I will write this chapter for the youngsters and the elderly wise-heads -who wear specs may turn over the leaves without reading it, if they -choose. - -Wild animals in early days were very much more plentiful than now, -particularly deer and black bear. The black bear troubled us a good -deal and would come near the houses and kill our pigs; but it did not -take many years to thin them out. They were very cowardly and would run -away from us in the thick brush except when the young cubs were with -them, and then we had to be more careful. - -There was one animal, the cougar, we felt might be dangerous, but I -never saw but one in the woods. Before I tell you about it I will -relate an adventure one of my own little girls had with one of these -creatures nearby our own home in the Puyallup Valley. - -I have written elsewhere about our little log cabin schoolhouse, -but have not told how our children got to it. From our house to the -schoolhouse the trail led through very heavy timber and very heavy -underbrush—so dense that most all the way one could not see, in the -summer time when the leaves were on, as far as across the kitchen of -the house. - -One day little Carrie, now an elderly lady (I won't say how old), now -living in Seattle, started to go to school, but soon came running back -out of breath. - -"Mamma! Mamma! I saw a great big cat sharpening his claws on a great -big tree, just like pussy does," she said as soon as she could catch -her breath. Sure enough, upon examination, there were the marks as high -up on the tree as I could reach. It must have been a big one to reach -up the tree that far. But the incident soon dropped out of mind and the -children went to school on the trail just the same as if nothing had -happened. - -The way I happened to see the cougar was this: Lew. McMillan bought one -hundred and sixty-one cattle and drove them from Oregon to what we then -used to call Upper White River, but it was the present site of Auburn. -He had to swim his cattle over all the rivers, and his horses, too, -and then at the last day's drive brought them on the divide between -Stuck River and the Sound. The cattle were all very tame when he took -them into the White River valley, for they were tired and hungry. At -that time White River valley was covered with brush and timber, except -here and there a small prairie. The upper part of the valley was grown -up with tall, coarse rushes that remained green all winter, and so he -didn't have to feed his cattle, but they got nice and fat long before -spring. We bought them and agreed to take twenty head at a time. By -this time the cattle were nearly as wild as deer. So Lew built a very -strong corral on the bank of the river, near where Auburn is now, and -then made a brush fence from one corner down river way, which made it -a sort of lane, with the fence on one side and the river on the other, -and gradually widened out as he got further from the corral. - -I used to go over from Steilacoom and stay all night so we could make -a drive into the corral early, but this time I was belated and had to -camp on the road, so that we did not get an early start for the next -day's drive. The cattle seemed unruly that day, and when we let them -out of the corral up river way, they scattered and we could do nothing -with them. The upshot of the matter was that I had to go home without -cattle. We had worked with the cattle so long that it was very late -before I got started and had to go on foot. At that time the valley -above Auburn near the Stuck River crossing was filled with a dense -forest of monster fir and cedar trees, and a good deal of underbrush -besides. That forest was so dense in places that it was difficult to -see the road, even on a bright, sunshiny day, while on a cloudy day it -seemed almost like night, though I could see well enough to keep on the -crooked trail all right. - -Well, just before I got to Stuck River crossing I came to a turn in the -trail where it crossed the top of a big fir which had been turned up by -the roots and had fallen nearly parallel with the trail. The big roots -held the butt of the tree up from the ground, and I think the tree was -four feet in diameter a hundred feet from the butt, and the whole body, -from root to top, was eighty-four steps long, or about two hundred and -fifty feet. I have seen longer trees, though, and bigger ones, but -there were a great many like this one standing all around about me. - -I didn't stop to step it then, but you may be sure I took some pretty -long strides about that time. Just as I stepped over the fallen tree -near the top I saw something move on the big body near the roots, and -sure enough the thing was coming right toward me. In an instant I -realized what it was. It was a tremendous, great big cougar. He was -very pretty, but did not look very nice to me. I had just received a -letter from a man living near the Chehalis telling me of three lank, -lean cougars coming into his clearing where he was at work, and when he -started to go to his cabin to get his gun the brutes started to follow -him, and he just only escaped into his house, with barely time to slam -the door shut. He wrote that his dogs had gotten them on the run by -the time he was ready with his gun, and he finally killed all three -of them. He found they were literally starving and had, he thought, -recently robbed an Indian grave, or rather an Indian canoe that hung in -the trees with their dead in it. That is the way the Indians used to -dispose of their dead, but I haven't time to tell about that now. This -man found bits of cloth, some hair, and a piece of bone in the stomach -of one of them, so he felt sure he was right in his surmise, and I -think he was, too. I sent this man's letter to the paper, the Olympia -Transcript, and it was printed at the time, but I have forgotten his -name. - -Well, I didn't know what to do. I had no gun with me, and I knew -perfectly well there was no use to run. I knew, too, that I could not -do as Mr. Stocking did, grapple with it and kick it to death. This one -confronting me was a monstrous big one—at least it looked so to me. I -expect it looked bigger than it really was. Was I scared, did you say? -Did you ever have creepers run up your back and right to the roots of -your hair, and nearly to the top of your head? Yes, I'll warrant you -have, though a good many fellows won't acknowledge it and say it's only -cowards that feel that way. Maybe; but, anyway, I don't want to meet -wild cougars in the timber. - -Mr. Stocking, whom I spoke about, lived about ten miles from Olympia at -Glasgow's place. He was walking on the prairie and had a stout young -dog with him, and came suddenly upon a cougar lying in a corner of the -fence. His dog tackled the brute at once, but was no match for him, and -would soon have killed him if Stocking had not interfered. Mr. Stocking -gathered on to a big club and struck the cougar one heavy blow over -the back, but the stick broke and the cougar left the dog and attacked -his master. And so it was a life and death struggle. Mr. Stocking was -a very powerful man. It was said that he was double-jointed. He was -full six feet high and heavy in proportion. He was a typical pioneer in -health, strength and power of endurance. He said he felt as though his -time had come, but there was one chance in a thousand and he was going -to take that chance. As soon as the cougar let go of the dog to tackle -Stocking, the cur sneaked off to let his master fight it out alone. He -had had enough fight for one day. As the cougar raised on his hind legs -Stocking luckily grasped him by the throat and began kicking him in the -stomach. Stocking said he thought if he could get one good kick in the -region of the heart he felt that he might settle him. I guess, boys, -no football player ever kicked as hard as Stocking did that day. The -difference was that he was literally kicking for dear life, while the -player kicks only for fun. All this happened in less time that it takes -to tell it. Meanwhile the cougar was not idle, but was clawing away at -Stocking's arms and shoulders, and once he hit him a clip on the nose. -The dog finally returned to the strife and between the two they laid -Mr. Cougar low and took off his skin the next day. Mr. Stocking took it -to Olympia, where it was used for a base purpose. It was stuffed and -put into a saloon and kept there a long time to attract people into the -saloon. - -Did my cougar hurt me, did you say? I hadn't any cougar and hadn't lost -one, and if I had been hurt I wouldn't have been here to tell you this -story. The fun of it was that the cougar hadn't seen me yet, but just -as soon as he did he scampered off like the Old Harry himself was after -him, and I strode off down the trail as if old Beelzebub was after me. - -Now, youngsters, before you go to bed, just bear in mind there is no -danger here now from wild animals, and there was not much then, for in -all the time I have been here, now over fifty years, I have known of -but two persons killed by them. - -And now I will tell you one more true story and then quit for this -time. Aunt Abbie Sumner one evening heard Gus Johnson hallooing at the -top of his voice, a little way out from the house. Her father said Gus -was just driving up the cows, but Aunt Abbie said she never knew him to -make such a noise as that before, and went out within speaking distance -and where she could see him at times pounding vigorously on a tree for -awhile and then turn and strike out toward the brush and yell so loud -she said she believed he could be heard for more than a mile away. She -soon saw something moving in the brush. It was a bear. Gus had suddenly -come upon a bear and her cubs and run one of the cubs up a tree. He -pounded on the tree to keep it there, but had to turn at times to fight -the bear away from him. As soon as he could find time to speak he told -her to go to the house and bring the gun, which she did, and that woman -went right up to the tree and handed Gus the gun while the bear was -nearby. Gus made a bad shot the first time and wounded the bear, but -the next time killed her. But lo and behold! he hadn't any more bullets -and the cub was still up the tree. So away went Aunt Abbie two miles to -a neighbor to get lead to mold some bullets. But by this time it was -dark, and Gus stayed all night at the butt of the tree and kept a fire -burning, and next morning killed the cub. So he got the hides of both -of them. This occurred about three miles east of Bucoda, Washington. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - -THE MORNING SCHOOL. - - -Soon after the Indian war we moved to our donation claim. We had but -three neighbors, the nearest nearly two miles away, and two of them -kept bachelor's hall and were of no account for schools. Of course, we -could not see any of our neighbors' houses, and could reach but one -by a road and the others by a trail. Under such conditions we could -not have a public school. I can best tell about our morning school by -relating an incident that happened a few months after it was started. - -One day one of our farther-off neighbors, who lived over four miles -away, came to visit us. Naturally, the children flocked around him to -hear his stories in Scotch brogue, and began to ply questions, to which -he soon responded by asking other questions, one of which was when they -expected to go to school. - -"Why, we have school now," responded a chorus of voices. "We have -school every day." - -"And, pray, who is your teacher, and where is your schoolhouse?" came -the prompt inquiry. - -"Father teaches us at home every morning before breakfast. He hears the -lessons then, but mother help us, too." - -Peter Smith, the neighbor, never tires telling the story, and maybe has -added a little as memory fails, for he is eighty-four years old now. - -"Your father told me awhile ago that you had your breakfast at six -o'clock. What time do you get up?" - -"Why, father sets the clock for half-past four, and that gives us an -hour while mother gets breakfast, you know." - -You boys and girls who read this chapter may have a feeling almost akin -to pity for those poor pioneer children who had to get up so early, but -you may as well dismiss such thoughts from your minds, for they were -happy and cheerful and healthy, worked some during the day, besides -studying their lessons, but they went to bed earlier than some boys and -girls do these days. - -It was not long until we moved to the Puyallup Valley, where there were -more neighbors—two families to the square mile, but not one of them -in sight, because the timber and underbrush were so thick we could -scarcely see two rods from the edge of our clearing. Now we could have -a real school; but first I will tell about the schoolhouse. - -Some of the neighbors took their axes to cut the logs, some their oxen -to haul them, others their saws and frows to make the clapboards for -the roof, while again others, more handy with tools, made the benches -out of split logs, or, as we called them, puncheons. With a good many -willing hands, the house soon received the finishing touches. The side -walls were scarcely high enough for the door, and one was cut in the -end and a door hung on wooden hinges that squeaked a good deal when the -door was opened or shut; but the children did not mind that. The roof -answered well for the ceiling overhead, and a log cut out on each side -made two long, narrow windows for light. The larger children sat with -their faces to the walls, with long shelves in front of them, while -the smaller tots sat on low benches near the middle of the room. When -the weather would permit the teacher left the door open to admit more -light, but had no need for more fresh air as the roof was quite open -and the cracks between the logs let in plenty. - -Sometimes we had a lady teacher, and then her salary was smaller, as -she boarded around. That meant some discomfort part of the time, where -the surroundings were not pleasant. - -Some of those scholars are dead, some have wandered to parts unknown, -while those that are left are nearly all married and are grandfathers -or grandmothers, but all living remember the old log schoolhouse with -affection. This is a true picture, as I recollect, of the early school -days in the Puyallup Valley, when, as the unknown poet has said: - - "And children did a half day's work - Before they went to school." - -Not quite so hard as that, but very near it, as we were always up early -and the children did a lot of work before and after school time. - -When Carrie was afterwards sent to Portland to the high school she took -her place in the class just the same as if she had been taught in a -grand brick schoolhouse. "Where there is a will there is a way." - -You must not conclude that we had no recreation and that we were a -sorrowful set devoid of enjoyment, for there never was a happier lot of -people than these same hard-working pioneers and their families. I will -now tell you something about their home life, their amusements as well -as their labor. - -Before the clearings were large we sometimes got pinched for both food -and clothing, though I will not say we suffered much for either, though -I know of some families at times who lived on potatoes "straight". -Usually fish could be had in abundance, and considerable game—some -bear and plenty of deer. The clothing gave us the most trouble, as but -little money came to us for the small quantity of produce we had to -spare. I remember one winter we were at our wits' end for shoes. We -just could not get money to buy shoes enough to go around, but managed -to get leather to make each member of the family one pair. We killed -a pig to get bristles for the wax-ends, cut the pegs from green alder -log and seasoned them in the oven, and made the lasts out of the same -timber. Those shoes were clumsy, to be sure, but kept our feet dry and -warm, and we felt thankful for the comforts vouchsafed to us and sorry -for some neighbors' children, who had to go barefooted even in quite -cold weather. - -Music was our greatest pleasure and we never tired of it. "Uncle John," -as everyone called him, the old teacher, never tired teaching the -children music, and so it soon came about they could read their music -as readily as they could their school books. No Christmas ever went by -without a Christmas tree, in which the whole neighborhood joined, or a -Fourth of July passed without a celebration. We made the presents for -the tree if we could not buy them, and supplied the musicians, reader -and orator for the celebration. Everybody had something to do and a -voice in saying what should be done, and that very fact made all happy. - -We had sixteen miles to go to our market town, Steilacoom, over the -roughest kind of a road. Nobody had horse teams at the start, and so we -had to go with ox teams. We could not make the trip out and back in one -day, and did not have money to pay hotel bills, and so we would drive -out part of the way and camp and the next morning drive into town very -early, do our trading, and, if possible, reach home the same day. If -not able to do this, we camped again on the road; but if the night was -not too dark would reach home in the night. And oh! what an appetite -we would have, and how cheery the fire would be, and how welcome the -reception in the cabin home. - -One of the "youngsters," sixty years old now, after reading "The -Morning School," writes: - -"Yes, father, your story of the morning school is just as it was. I can -see in my mind's eye yet us children reciting and standing up in a row -to spell, and Auntie and mother getting breakfast, and can remember the -little bed room; of rising early and of reading 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' as -a dessert to the work." - -Near where the old log cabin schoolhouse stood our high school building -now stands, large enough to accommodate four hundred pupils. In the -district where we could count nineteen children of school age, with -eleven in attendance, now we have twelve hundred boys and girls of -school age, three large schoolhouses and seventeen teachers. - -The trees and stumps are all gone and brick buildings and other good -houses occupy much of the land, and as many people now live in that -school district as lived both east and west of the mountains when the -Territory was created in March, 1853. Instead of ox teams, and some at -that with sleds, the people have buggies and carriages, or automobiles, -or they can travel on any of the eighteen passenger trains that pass -daily through Puyallup, or on street cars to Tacoma, and also on some -of the twenty to twenty-four freight trains, some of which are a third -of a mile long. Such are some of the changes wrought in fifty years -since pioneer life began in the Puyallup Valley. - -Now, just try your hand on this song that follows, one that our dear -old teacher has sung so often for us, in company with one of those -scholars of the old log cabin, Mrs. Frances Bean, now of Tacoma, who -has kindly supplied the words and music: - -FIFTY YEARS AGO. - - How wondrous are the changes - Since fifty years ago, - When girls wore woolen dresses - And boys wore pants of tow; - And shoes were made of cowhide - And socks of homespun wool; - And children did a half-day's work - Before they went to school. - - CHORUS. - - Some fifty years ago; - Some fifty years ago; - The men and the boys - And the girls and the toys; - The work and the play, - And the night and the day, - The world and its ways - Are all turned around - Since fifty years ago. - - The girls took music lessons - Upon the spinning wheel, - And practiced late and early - On spindle swift and reel. - The boy would ride the horse to mill, - A dozen miles or so, - And hurry off before 'twas day - Some fifty years ago. - - The people rode to meeting - In sleds instead of sleighs, - And wagons rode as easy - As buggies nowadays; - And oxen answered well for teams, - Though now they'd be too slow; - For people lived not half so fast - Some fifty years ago. - - Ah! well do I remember - That Wilson's patent stove, - That father bought and paid for - In cloth our girls had wove; - And how the people wondered - When we got the thing to go, - And said 'twould burst and kill us all, - Some fifty years ago. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - -AN EARLY SURVEY. - - -On the night of the 27th of November, 1866, a party of four young men, -Ransom Bonney, Jacob Woolery, Edward Ross, and Marion Meeker, none of -whom were nineteen years old, together with a middle-aged man, the -author, whom they called "Dad", and an Indian named "Skyuck", or Jim -Meeker, camped in a small shack of a house, standing on the spot now -described as the foot of Thirty-third Street, Tacoma. - -We were tired and hungry when this camp was reached at dusk of evening, -and drenched to the skin by the copious rainfall between times of gusts -of wind such as is common on November days of a Puget Sound climate. -The cabin was open, with a small fireplace with a low cat-and-clay -chimney that did not reach high enough to prevent the smoke from being -blown freely into the cabin. - -"Golly, Dad, that's been a tough old day," said Ransom Bonney, who was -the wag of the party and always cheerful (his father, a pioneer of -1853, still lives at the advanced age of 92 years), as he drew off his -socks to wring them before preparing supper.[19] "Just please deliver -me from surveying on tide flats," he added, as the water ran in streams -from the socks in his hands. "But it's all right when one gets used to -it." - -"Yes, but the d—l of it is, to get used to it," came as a quick -response from the lips of Jacob Woolery, who had shed most of his -clothing preparatory to drying. At the same time he was doing justice -to the boiled potatoes and ash cake, baked before the open fire in the -frying-pan. Edward Ross, the third lad of the party, said nothing. He -had been the flagman that day and frequently over boot-top deep in mud -and water without any murmur, but it was plain to me that he did not -want any more of such work. - -Jacob, Edward and the Indian have long since passed away; Marion and -Ransom, the surviving members of the lads, are yet alive. At present, -only three of the whole party are left to tell the story of subdividing -the land for the Government where now the great city of Tacoma is -building. The day following the experience on the tide flat we ran the -line between sections T. 20, N., R. 3 E. Willamette, meridian almost -parallel with Pacific Avenue to a point near Seventh Street. - -That day also gave a sample of what a rainy, stormy day could bring -forth in the dense forest of heavy timber and underbrush charged with -the accumulated raindrops in the intervals between the gusts of wind -and rainfall that prevailed all day. - -"Dad, I believe this is worse than the tide flats," said Jake, as he -almost slid down the steep bluff just north of the Tacoma Hotel while -retracing the fifth standard parallel, to search for the bearing trees -in the meander line of Commencement Bay. - -And so it was, the further the work progressed, the harder the task -seemed, and that second night's camp in the cabin found us if possible -with less comfort than the first. But we stuck to the job through thick -and thin, rain or wind, till the work was finished and the township -surveyed. Positively, if at that time one could have offered me the -land represented by that survey in lieu of the ten dollars per mile in -greenbacks (then worth seventy-five cents on the dollar) I would have -taken the greenbacks instead of the land. - -Now, in the near vicinity, lots with twenty-five foot front and a -hundred foot depth have sold for twenty-five thousand dollars; -sixteen-story buildings occupy the land not three blocks away and a -city of over a hundred thousand people has grown up on the land thus -surveyed, that was then a dense virgin forest of giant timber. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[19] Since died at the age of 97. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - - -I come now to a period of my life, as one might say, on the border -land between pioneer days of the old Oregon country and of the later -development of the younger territory and this giant State bearing the -great name of the father of our country. - -An account of these ventures follows in the order of their occurrence. - - -MY HOP VENTURE. - -The public, generally, give me the credit of introducing hop culture -into the Northwest. - -As this business created such a stir in the world's market, and made -the Puyallup Valley famous, and as my name has become so prominently -connected with hop culture, I can hardly pass this episode of my life -by without notice. As I say elsewhere, this should not properly be -called a venture, although the violent fluctuations of prices made it -hazardous. But I can truly say, that for twenty-two years' successive -crops, I did not raise a single crop upon which I lost money, and that -for that many years I added each year some acreage to my holdings. But -few hop-growers, however, can say so much as to losses incurred. - -A history of the establishment and destruction of the business follows: - -About the fifteenth of March, 1865, Chas. Wood, of Olympia, sent about -three pecks of hop roots to Steilacoom for my father, Jacob R. Meeker, -who then lived on his claim nearby where Sumner was afterwards built -in the Puyallup Valley. John V. Meeker, my brother, carried this sack -of roots on his back from Steilacoom to my father's home, a distance -of about twenty miles, passing by my cabin (the remains of which are -still standing in Pioneer Park, Puyallup) with his precious burden. I -fingered out of the sack roots sufficient to plant six hills of hops, -and so far as I know those were the first hops planted in the Puyallup -Valley. My father planted the remainder in four rows of about six rods -in length, and in the following September harvested the equivalent of -one bale of hops, 180 pounds, and sold them to Mr. Wood for 85 cents -per pound, receiving a little over $150.00. - -[Illustration: One Group of Five of Ezra Meeker's Hop Houses.] - -This was the beginning of the hop business in the Puyallup Valley, and -the Territory of Washington. - -This was more money than had been received by any settler in the -Puyallup Valley, excepting perhaps two, from the products of their farm -for that year. My father's nearby neighbors, Messrs. E. C. Mead and L. -F. Thompson, obtained a barrel of hop roots from California the next -year, and planted them the following spring—four acres. I obtained -what roots I could get that year, but not enough to plant an acre. -The following year (1867) I planted four acres, and for twenty-six -successive years thereafter added to this plantation until our holdings -reached past the five-hundred-acre mark, and our production over four -hundred tons a year. - -After having produced his third crop my father died (1869), but not -until after he had shipped his hops to Portland, Oregon. In settling up -his affairs I found it necessary for me to go to Portland, and there -met Henry Winehard, who had purchased some of the hops. Mr. Winehard, -was the largest brewer in Oregon. After closing up the business with -Mr. Winehard, he abruptly said, "I want your hops next year." I -answered that I did not know what the price would be. He said, "I will -pay you as much as anybody else," and then frankly told me of their -value. He said they were the finest hops he had ever used, and that -with them he had no need to use either foreign or New York hops, but -with the hops raised in the hotter climate of California, he could not -use them alone. I told him he should have them, and the result was -that for fourteen years, with the exception of one year, Mr. Winehard -used the hops grown on my place, some years 200 bales, some years -more. My meeting with him gave me such confidence in the business that -I did not hesitate to add to my yards as rapidly as I could get the -land cleared, for I had at first planted right among the stumps. There -came a depression in this business in 1869 and 1870, and my neighbors, -Messrs. Mead and Thompson, made the mistake of shipping their hops to -Australia, and finally lost their entire crop—not selling for much, if -anything, above the cost of the freight, while Mr. Winehard paid me -25 cents a pound for my crop. Under the discouragement of the loss of -their crop, Messrs. Mead and Thompson concluded to plow up a part of -their plantation—two acres and a half—whereupon I leased that portion -of their yard for a year, paying them $10.00 an acre in advance, and -harvested from those two acres and a half over four thousand pounds of -hops, and sold them to Henry Winehard for 50 cents a pound. This was -for the crop of 1871. - -None of us knew anything about the hop business, and it was totally -accidental that we engaged in it, but seeing that there were -possibilities of great gain, I took extra pains to study up the -question, and found that by allowing our hops to mature thoroughly and -curing them at a low temperature, and baling them while hot, we could -produce a hop that would compete with any product in the world. Others -of my neighbors planted, and also many in Oregon, until there soon -became a field for purchasing and shipping hops. - -But the fluctuations were so great that in a few years many became -discouraged and lost their holdings, until finally, during the world's -hop crop failure of the year 1882, there came to be unheard-of prices -for hops, and fully one-third of the crop of the Puyallup Valley was -sold for $1.00 per pound. I had that year nearly 100,000 pounds, which -averaged me 70 cents per pound. - -About this time I had come to realize that the important market for -hops was in England, and began sending trial shipments, first, seven -bales, then the following year 500 bales, then 1,500 bales, until -finally our annual shipments reached 11,000 bales a year, or the -equivalent in value of £100,000—half million dollars—said to be at that -time the largest export hop trade by any one concern in the United -States. - -This business could not properly be called a venture; it was simply -a growth. The conditions were favorable in that we could produce the -choicest hops in the world's market at the lowest price of any kind, -and we actually did press the English growers so closely that over -fifteen thousand acres of hops were destroyed in that country. - -My first hop house was built in 1868—a log house—and stands in Pioneer -Park, Puyallup, to this day, and is carefully preserved by the city -authorities and doubtless will be until it perishes by the hand of -time. We frequently employed from a thousand to twelve hundred people -during the harvest time. Until the beginning of the decline of the -business, the result of that little start of hop roots had brought over -twenty million dollars into the Territory of Washington. - -I spent four winters in London on the hop market, and became acquainted -with all the leading hop men of the metropolis. - -One evening as I stepped out of my office, and cast my eyes towards one -group of our hop houses, I thought I could see that the hop foliage -of a field nearby was off color—did not look natural. Calling one of -my clerks from the office he said the same thing—they did not look -natural. I walked down to the yards, a quarter of a mile distant, and -there first saw the hop-louse. The yard was literally alive with lice, -and were destroying—at least the quality. At that time I issued a hop -circular, sending it to over 600 correspondents all along the coast in -California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, and before the -week was out. I began to receive samples and letters from them, and -inquiries asking what was the matter with the hops. - -It transpired that the attack of lice was simultaneous in Oregon, -Washington and British Columbia, extending over a distance coastwise of -more than 500 miles, and even inland up the Skagit River, where there -was an isolated yard. - -It came like a clap of thunder out of a clear sky, so unexpected was it. - -I sent my second son, Fred Meeker, to London to study the question -and to get their methods of fighting the pest, and to import some -spraying machinery. We found, however, in the lapse of years, to our -cost, that the conditions here were different, that while we could -kill the louse, the foliage was so dense that we had to use so much -spraying material that, in killing the louse, we virtually destroyed -the hops, and instead of being able to sell our hops at the top price -of the market, our product fell to the foot of the list, the last crop -I raised costing me eleven cents per pound, and selling for three under -the hammer at sheriff's sale. - -At that time I had more than $100,000.00 advanced to my neighbors and -others upon their hop crops, which was lost. These people simply could -not pay, and I forgave the debt, taking no judgments against them, and -have never regretted the action. - -All of my accumulations were swept away, and I quit the business, or, -rather, the business quit me. - -The result was that finally, after a long struggle, nearly all of the -hops were plowed up and the land used for dairy, fruit and general -crops and is actually now of a higher value than when bearing hops. - -A curious episode occurred during the height of our struggle to save -the hop business from impending destruction. The Post-Intelligencer of -Seattle published the following self-explanatory correspondence on the -date shown and while the Methodist conferences were yet in session: - - -THE CURSE ON THE HOPS. - - Puyallup, Sept. 6, 1895. - - To the Editor: - - In this morning's report of the Methodist conference I notice - under the heading "A Curse on the Hop Crop", that Preacher - Hanson, of Puyallup, reported he had some good news from that - great hop country—the hop crop, the main support of the people, - was a failure; the crop had been cursed by God. Whereupon Bishop - Bowman said "Good" and from all over the room voices could be - heard giving utterance to the fervent ejaculation, "Thank God." - - For the edification of the reverend fathers and fervent brethren - I wish to publish to them and to the world that I have beat God, - for I have 500 acres of hops at Puyallup and Kent that are free - from lice, the "curse of God," and that I believe it was the - work of an emulsion of whale oil soap and quassie sprayed on the - vines that thwarted God's purpose to "curse" me and others who - exterminated the lice. - - One is almost ready to ask if this is indeed the nineteenth - century of enlightenment, to hear such utterances gravely made by - men supposed to be expounders of that great religion of love as - promulgated by the Great Teacher. - - I want to recall to the memory of the Rev. Mr. Hanson that the - church in which he has been preaching for a year past was built - in great part by money contributed from gains of this business - "cursed by God." For myself I can inform him that, as a citizen - of Puyallup, I contributed $400, to buy the ground upon which - that church edifice is built, every cent of which came from this - same hop business "cursed by God." I would "thank God" if they - would return the money and thus ease their guilty consciences. - - E. MEEKER. - -When this letter appeared, vigorous protests came thick and fast and -compelled the good fathers to give Mr. Hanson another charge. But my -vainglorious boasting was not justified as the sequel shows; our hops -were finally destroyed—whether under a curse or not must be decided by -the reader, each for himself or herself. But I never got my $400.00 -back, and, in fact, did not want it, and doubtless wrote the letter in -a pettish mood. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - -THE BEET SUGAR VENTURE. - - -A more proper heading, I think, would be "Sugar Beet Raising," but -everybody at the time spoke of it the other way, and so it shall be. I -did raise hundreds of tons of sugar beets, and fed them to the dairy, -but had only enough of them manufactured to get half a ton of sugar, -which was exhibited at the New Orleans exposition—the second year of -the exposition—and probably the first sugar ever made from Washington -grown beets. - -The first winter I spent on the London hop market (1884) my attention -was called to the remarkably cheap German made beet sugar, selling then -at "tuppence" a pound, as the English people expressed it—four cents a -pound, our currency. If beet sugar could be produced so cheaply, why -could we not make it, I queried, knowing as I did what enormous yields -of beets could be obtained in the rich soils of the Puyallup and White -River valleys. So I hied me off to the German sugar district, and -visited several of the factories, taking only a hasty view of their -works, but much impressed with the importance of the subject. - -The following spring I planted two acres on one of my White River -farms, and Thomas Alvord planted two acres. I harvested forty-seven -tons from my two acres and at different times during their later growth -sent a dozen samples or more to the beet sugar factory at Alvarado, -California, to be tested. The report came back highly favorable—rich -and pure, and if figures would not lie, here was a field better than -hops—better than any crop any of the farmers were raising at the -time. So Mr. Alvord and myself organized a beet sugar company, and the -next year increased our acreage to further test the cost of raising -and of their sugar producing qualities. I raised over a hundred tons -that year, and we sent ten tons to the Alvarado factory to extract the -sugar—meanwhile had sent about a hundred samples at different times, -to be tested. Not all of the reports came back favorable, and the -conclusion was reached to test farther another year, and accordingly -a still larger acreage was planted. That year I sent my second son, -Fred Meeker, to a school of chemistry in San Francisco, and when the -factory started up in Alvarado, to the factory, for what was termed the -campaign, to work and to learn the business. Our samples were again -sent with the same result, some were exceedingly rich and pure, while -others would yield nothing. Fred wrote that the beets that had taken a -second growth were worthless for producing sugar. - -That letter settled the whole question as our open, moist autumn -weather would surely at times destroy the crop, and would make it -extremely hazardous to enter into the business and so the whole matter -was dropped as well as $2,500.00 of expenses incurred. Subsequently, -however, the business has been successfully established in the drier -climate of the eastern part of Washington and Oregon. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - -THE HISTORY OF A HISTORY. - - -Before giving an account of the adventure incident to marking the -Oregon Trail given in detail in chapters to follow in this volume, I -will write of one more adventure following my return from the Klondike; -that is, of my writing a book. The simple act of writing a book was -in no sense either a venture or an adventure, though it took me over -three years to do it. But when I undertook to have it printed (an -afterthought), then a real venture confronted me. No local works so far -had paid printers' bills and I was admonished by friends that a loss -would undoubtedly occur if I printed the work. But their fears were not -well founded, the work was printed,[20] the sales were made and the -printer paid. - -Four years ago today I arrived at the ripe age of three score years and -ten, supposed to be the limit of life. Finding that I possessed more -ambition than strength, and that my disposition for a strenuous life -was greater than my power of physical endurance, I naturally turned -to other fields of work, that condition of life so necessary for the -welfare and happiness of the human race. - -Many years before it had been my ambition to write our earlier -experiences of pioneer life on Puget Sound, and not necessarily for the -printer, but because I wanted to, but never could find time; and so -when the change came and my usual occupation was gone, what else would -I be more likely to do than to turn to my long delayed work, the more -particularly being admonished that it must be done soon or not at all. -And so, in a cheerful, happy mood, I entered again into the domain of -pioneer life, and began writing. But this is not history, you will say. -True, but we will come to that by and by. - -I had, during the summer of 1853, with an inexperienced companion, in -an open boat—a frail skiff built with our own hands—crossed the path -of Theodore Winthrop, spending more than a month on a cruise from -Olympia to the Straits and return, while that adventurous traveler -and delightful writer had with a crew of Indians made the trip from -Port Townsend to Fort Nisqually in a canoe. I had followed Winthrop a -year later through the Natchess Pass to the Columbia River and beyond, -alone, except a companion pony that carried my sack of hard bread for -food, the saddle blanket for my bed and myself across the turbulent -rivers, and on easy grades. If Winthrop could write such a beautiful -book, "The Canoe and the Saddle," based upon such a trip, with Indians -to paddle his canoe on the Sound, and with an attendant and three -horses through the mountains, why should not my own experience of such -a trip be interesting to my own children and their children's children? -And so I wrote these trips. - -Did you ever, when hungry, taste of a dish of fruit, a luscious, -ripe, highly flavored apple for instance, that seemed only to whet -but not satisfy your appetite? I know you have, and so can appreciate -my feelings when these stories were written. I craved more of pioneer -life experience, and so I went back to the earlier scenes, a little -earlier only—to the trip in a flat boat down the Columbia. River from -The Dalles to the first cabin, where Kalama town now stands; to the -pack on our backs from the Columbia to the Sound; to the three times -passing the road to and fro to get the wife and baby to tidewater—what -a charm that word tidewater had for me with a vision of the greatness -of opportunities of the seaboard—and I may say it has never lost its -charm—of the great world opened up before me, and so we were soon again -housed in the little cabin with its puncheon floor, "cat-and-clay" -chimney, and clapboard roof; its surroundings of scenery; of -magnificent forests and of constantly moving life, the Indians with -their happy song and fishing parties. - -All this and more, too, I wrote, every now and then getting over to -the Indian question. How could I help it? We had been treated civilly, -and I may say, kindly, by them from the very outset, when we, almost -alone, were their white neighbors. I had been treated generously -by some, and had always found them ready to reciprocate in acts of -kindness, and so we had come to respect our untutored neighbors and to -sympathize with them in their troubles. Deep troubles came to them when -the treaty-making period arrived, and a little later upon all of us, -when war came, to break up all our plans and amicable relations. As I -began to write more about the Indians and their ways, a step further -brought me to the consideration of our Territorial government and the -government officials and their acts. It gradually dawned upon me this -was a more important work than writing of humble individuals; that the -history of our commonwealth was by far a more interesting theme, and -more profitable to the generations to follow than recording of private -achievements of the pioneer. It was but a step further until I realized -that I was fairly launched upon the domain of history, and that I must -need be more painstaking and more certain of my facts, and so then came -a long rest for my pen and a long search of the records, of old musty -letters, of no less old musty books, of forgetful minds of the pioneers -left, and again I was carried away into the almost forgotten past. - -An authoress once told me that she never named her book until after -it was written. I could not then understand why, but I now do. While -writing of pioneer life I could think of no other title than something -like this: "Pioneer Life on Puget Sound Fifty Years Ago," a pretty long -title, but that was what the writing treated of. But when I got on the -Indian question and came to realize what a splendid true story was -wrapped up in the darkness of impending oblivion; how the Indians had -been wronged; how they had fought for their homes and won them; how the -chief actors had been sacrificed, but the tribes had profited—I again -became enthusiastic over my theme and over my ready-made heroes, and -before I realized it, lo! a new name took possession of my mind and -rang in it until there was born the title, "The Tragedy of Leschi." - -When I come to think of it, that here were tribes that had never shed -white men's blood until grim war came, and that then they refused to -make war on their old neighbors, and that but one non-combatant settler -had lost his life after the first day of frenzy of the Muckleshoot -band at the massacre of White River, that here were men we called -savages, fighting for a cause, but threw themselves on the track of the -military arm of the government and not against helpless settlers. I had -myself been in their power and remained unharmed. I knew other of my -neighbors also that had been exposed and remained unmolested; surely -to tell the truth about such people is no more than justice and I said -to myself, I will write it down and prove what I write by the records -and the best obtainable witnesses alive, and having done so, will -print it, two books in one, two titles, yet but one volume, "Pioneer -Reminiscences of Puget Sound; The Tragedy of Leschi." - -It is natural that in the stirring times of early days opinions would -differ; that neighbors, and even members of families, would look upon -events from different points of view, and so out of this maze I have -tried to state exact facts and draw just conclusions. The chapter -of this history begins with the creation of the Territory and ends -with Governor Stevens' official life in the Territory in the period -concerned. During that period, treaties were made with the Indians, -the war with them was fought; massacres horrid to contemplate were -perpetrated by the Indians and whites—by the Indians at the outbreak, -and the whites later—murders were committed; martial law proclaimed, -our courts invaded with armed men, judges dragged from the bench; our -governor in turn brought before the courts, fined and reprieved by -himself, and many other happenings unique in history are related, and -so, when my labor was finished and my pen laid aside, my only regret -was that the work had not been undertaken earlier in life when memory -served more accurately, and my contemporaries were more numerous. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[20] Pioneer Reminiscences of Puget Sound, The Tragedy of Leschi. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - -BANKING. - - -My connection with the banking business in Puyallup was neither a -venture nor an adventure, in the common acceptance of the meaning of -these words, and to this day I can scarcely account for my action. I -am sure that I was not "cut out" for a banker, and the business had -no attraction for me. I did want to see a national bank established in -Puyallup, and so took $10,000.00 of the stock, became a member of the -directory, and committed the grave indiscretion of letting others "run -the bank" without giving it personal attention. - -In the lapse of time parties controlling a majority of the stock "run -it into the ground," to use a western phrase, that is, loaned to their -cousins and their aunts, to themselves indirectly, and to others -indiscreetly, until matters looked shaky. Suddenly "business" called -these parties to other and more attractive fields, and lo, and behold, -I became a bank president. - -This was just before the time of the panic, and the question of what -was to become of the bank became one of the utmost concern. The notes -were nearly all hypothecated to secure loans from other banks, while -the tightening times caused the deposits to run down; the securities -could not be realized upon, and the banks holding them called for -their loans. The depositors, about one hundred in number, were -all my neighbors, and men and women of small means. One thing was -certain—could not continue to receive deposits with the knowledge I -had of the affairs of the bank, either with safety to myself or the -depositors. So one day when the deposits had run to a very low ebb, -and the cash balance correspondingly low, and a threatening demand had -been made by one of the secured banks, it was evident the time had -come when the bank must go into the hands of a receiver and what money -was on hand to be frittered away in receiver's fees, or pay out the -money on hand to the depositors, and let the creditor banks collect -on their collaterals. It was impracticable to pay depositors in part, -or part of them in full. October 16th, 1895, on my own responsibility -I obtained enough, with the funds of the bank in hand, to pay the -depositors in full. An attorney for one of the secured creditors of -the bank suspected what was going on, and believing the money was on -my person undertook to detain me in an office in Tacoma until papers -could be gotten out and served. But he was too late, as A. R. Herlig, -my attorney, was already in Puyallup with the funds, with directions -to take all the funds of the bank at nightfall, and with the cashier, -George Macklin, now of Portland, go to each depositor, and without -explanation insist on their taking the money due them. Charles Hood, -of Puyallup, and, I think, John P. Hartman, now of Seattle, was of the -party. Two trusted men with guns were sent along to guard the funds. -In fact, all carried guns, and so the story went out that the bank had -sent each depositor what was due him, and sent men along with guns to -make him take it. This became an alleged witticism for a long time in -Puyallup, but finally wore itself out. The result was that before four -o'clock next morning all the depositors were paid, except four, who -could not be found, and the next day the bank was open just the same as -if nothing had happened, but all deposits were refused. The attempted -holdup in Tacoma, resulted in nothing more serious than a scuffle, the -loss of a collar button or two, with plenty of threats, but no action. - -I took the train for Puyallup, went to bed at the usual hour, and slept -soundly, as I always do. - -As expected, in a few days a bank examiner came to take possession -of the bank, having received direct orders from Washington from Mr. -Eckles, the comptroller. In a week he was willing to quit, and asked -that the bank should be turned over to the directors, and was ordered -to do so. The affairs of the bank were closed up without litigation, -but the capital was gone, and all that was left was the furniture and -the charter, which is held to be valid to this day, and so it would -seem I am yet the president of the First National Bank of Puyallup, and -have been for nearly twenty years. - -A few years ago the late Charles Fogg, of Tacoma, acting as an attorney -for a group of capitalists, undertook to marshal the scattered and -really worthless stock with a view to rehabilitate the bank and save -the name, but were met by some obstinate stockholders who refused to -either co-operate or dispose of their holdings and so the bank sleeps -though not dead. Possibly when the "Rip Van Winkle sleep" has lapsed -and when the little city of Puyallup has reached the twenty-thousand -mark of inhabitants and one or two more of the recalcitrant -stockholders die (one of the chief obstructionists died since the -attempt was made), the bank may reappear as one of the institutions of -the rising city of Puyallup. - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - -THE KLONDIKE VENTURE. - - -After the failure of the hop business, I undertook a venture to the -mines of the north. This resulted in a real live adventure of exciting -experience. - -I had lived in the old Oregon country forty-four years and had never -seen a mine. Mining had no attraction for me, any more than corner -lots in new, embryo cities. I did not understand the value of either, -and left both severely alone. But when my accumulations had all been -swallowed up, the land I had previously owned gone into other hands, -and, in fact, my occupation gone, I concluded to take a chance in a -mining country; matters could not well be much worse, and probably -could be made better, and so in the spring of 1898 I made my first -trip over the Chilcoot Pass, and then down the Yukon River to Dawson -in a flatboat, and ran the famous White Horse Rapids with my load of -vegetables for the Klondike miners. - -One may read of the Chilcoot Pass the most graphic descriptions -written, and yet when he is up against the experience of crossing, he -will find the difficulties more formidable than his wildest fancy or -expectation had pictured. I started in with fifteen tons of freight, -and got through with nine. On one stretch of 2,000 feet I paid forty -dollars a ton freight, and I knew of others paying more. The trip for -a part of the way reminded me of the scenes on the Plains in 1852—such -crowds that they jostled each other on the several parallel trails -where there was room for more than one track. At the pass, most of the -travel came upon one track, and so steep that the ascent could only be -made by cutting steps in the ice and snow—1,500 in all. - -Frequently every step would be full, while crowds jostled each other at -the foot of the ascent to get into the single file, each man carrying -from one hundred (it was said) to two hundred pounds pack on his back. -Nevertheless, after all sorts of experiences, I arrived in Dawson, with -nine tons of my outfit, sold my fresh potatoes at $36.00 a bushel and -other things in like proportionate prices and in two weeks started up -the river, homeward bound, with two hundred ounces of Klondike gold -in my belt. But four round trips in two years satisfied me that I did -not want any more of like experience. Then was when my mind would -run on this last venture, the monument expedition, while writing the -Reminiscences,[21] a part of which are elsewhere to be found in this -volume. Had it not been for the loss of my business, it is doubtful if -I ever would have settled down to this work, and so, maybe, the loss -was a blessing in disguise. Anyway, no happier years of my life were -passed than while engaged in writing it. - -As I have said, the trips to the Klondike became real adventures. -Fortunately detained for a couple of days, I escaped the avalanche -that buried fifty-two people in the snow, and passed by the morgue the -second day after the catastrophe on my way to the summit, and doubtless -over the bodies of many unknown dead, imbedded so deeply in the snow -that it was utterly impossible to recover them. - -[Illustration: The Klondike Team.] - -I received a good ducking in my first passage through the White Horse -Rapids, and vowed I would not go through there again, but I did, the -very next trip that same year, and came out of it dry; then when going -down the thirty-mile river, it did seem as though we could not escape -being dashed upon the rocks, but somehow or another got through safely -while the bank of that river was strewed with wrecks, and the waters -had swallowed up many victims. When the Yukon proper was reached, the -current was not so swift but the shoals were numerous, and more than -once we were "hung up" on the bar, and always with an uncertainty as -to how we would get off. In all of this experience of the two trips -by the scows no damage resulted, except once when a hole was jammed -into the scow, and we thought we were "goners" certain, but effected a -landing so quickly as to unload our cargo dry. I now blame myself for -taking such risks, but curiously enough I must admit that I enjoyed -it, sustained, no doubt, with the high hopes of coming out with "my -pile." But fate or something else was against me, for the after mining -experience swept all the accumulation away "slick as a mitten," as -the old saying goes, and I came out over the rotten ice of the Yukon -in April of 1901 to stay, and to vow I never wanted to see another -mine, or visit another mining country. Small wonder, you may say, when -I write, that in two weeks' time after arriving home I was able to, -and did celebrate our golden wedding with the wife of fifty years and -enjoyed the joys of a welcome home even if I did not have my pockets -filled with gold. I had then passed the seventy-year mark, and thought -my "pet project," as some people call it, of marking the old Oregon -Trail, was hung up indefinitely, but the sequel is shown in what -followed and is the answer to my foreboding. I am now at this writing -past the eighty-fifth year mark, and cannot see but I am as strong as -when I floated down the Yukon in a flatboat, or packed my goods over -the Chilcoot Pass, or drove my ox team over the summit of the Rocky -Mountains on my recent trip to mark the historic Oregon Trail. - - -THE DREAM OF THE STAR. - -[A song of the Oregon Trail. Dedicated to Ezra Meeker, Pioneer.] - - -I - - A song for the men who blazed the way! - With hearts that would not quail; - They made brave quest of the wild Northwest, - They cut the Oregon trail. - - Back of them beckoned their kith and kin - And all that they held their own; - Front of them spread the wilderness dread, - And ever the vast unknown. - - But ever they kept their forward course! - And never they thought to lag, - For over them flew the Red, White and Blue - And the dream of a star for the flag! - - -II - - A cheer for the men who cut the trail! - With souls as firm as steel - And fiery as wrath they hewed the path - For the coming Commonweal. - - And close on the heels of the pioneers - The eager throng closed in - And followed the road to a far abode. - An Empire new to win. - - And so they wrought at the end of the trail, - As ever must brave men do, - Till out of the dark there gleamed a spark, - And the dream of the star came true. - - -III - - A toast to the men who made the road! - And a health to the men who dwell - In the great new land by the heroes planned, - Who have builded it wide and well! - - The temple stands where the pine tree stood, - And dim is the ancient trail, - But many and wide are the roads that guide - And staunch are the ships that sail! - - For the land is a grand and goodly land, - And its fruitful fields are tilled - By the sons who see on the flag of the free - The dream of the star fulfilled! - - ROBERTUS LOVE. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[21] "Pioneer Reminiscences of Puget Sound," 600 pages, $3.00. Address -Ezra Meeker, 1201 38th Ave. N., Seattle, Wash. - - - - -The Oregon Trail Monument Expedition. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -THE OX. - - -The ox is passing; in fact, has passed. Like the old-time -spinning-wheel and the hand loom, that are only to be seen as mementos -of the past, or the quaint old cobbler's bench with its hand-made lasts -and shoe pegs, or the heavy iron bubbling mush pots on the crane in -the chimney corner; like the fast vanishing of the old-time men and -women of sixty years or more ago—all are passing, to be laid aside for -the new ways, and the new actors on the scenes of life. While these -ways and these scenes and these actors have had their day, yet their -experiences and the lesson taught are not lost to the world, although -at times almost forgotten. - -The difference between a civilized and an untutored people lies in -the application of these experiences; while the one builds upon the -foundations of the past, which engenders hope and ambition for the -future, the other has no past, nor aspirations for the future. As -reverence for the past dies out in the breasts of a generation, so -likewise patriotism wanes. In the measure that the love of the history -of the past dies, so likewise do the higher aspirations for the future. -To keep the flame of patriotism alive we must keep the memory of the -past vividly in mind. - -Bearing these thoughts in mind, this expedition to perpetuate the -memory of the old Oregon Trail was undertaken. And there was this -further thought, that here was this class of heroic men and women who -fought a veritable battle—a battle of peace, to be sure, yet as brave -a battle as any ever fought by those who faced the cannon's mouth—a -battle that was fraught with as momentous results as any of the great -battles of grim war—a battle that wrested half a continent from the -native race and from a mighty nation contending for mastery in the -unknown regions of the West—whose fame was scantily acknowledged, -whose name was already almost forgotten, and whose track, the -battle-ground of peace, was on the verge of impending oblivion. Shall -this become an established fact? The answer to this is this expedition, -to perpetuate the memory of the old Oregon Trail, and to honor the -intrepid pioneers who made it and saved this great region—the "Old -Oregon Country"—for American rule. - -The ox team was chosen as a typical reminder of pioneer days, and as an -effective instrument to attract attention, arouse enthusiasm, and as a -help to secure aid to forward the work of marking the old Trail, and -erecting monuments in centers of population. - -The team consisted of one seven-year-old ox, Twist, and one unbroken -range five-year-old steer, Dave. When we were ready to start, Twist -weighed 1,470 and Dave 1,560 pounds, respectively. This order of weight -was soon changed. In three months' time Twist gained 130 and Dave lost -10 pounds. All this time I fed with a lavish hand all the rolled barley -I dare and all the hay they would eat. During that time thirty-three -days lapsed in which we did not travel, being engaged either arranging -for the erection or dedication of monuments. - -The wagon is new woodwork throughout except one hub, which did service -across the plains in 1853. The hub bands, boxes and other irons are -from two old-time wagons that crossed the plains in 1853, and differ -some in size and shape; hence the fore and hind wheel hubs do not -match. The axles are wood, with the old-time linch pins and steel -skeins, involving the use of tar and the tar bucket. The bed is of the -old style "prairie schooner," so called, fashioned as a boat, like -those of "ye olden times." I crossed Snake River in two places in 1852, -with all I possessed (except the oxen and cows), including the running -gear of the wagon, in a wagon-box not as good as this one shown in the -illustration. - -In one respect the object was attained, that of attracting attention, -with results in part wholly unexpected. I had scarcely driven the -outfit away from my own dooryard till the work of defacing the wagon -and wagon cover, and even the nice map of the old Trail, began. First, -I noticed a name or two written on the wagon-bed, then a dozen or more, -all stealthily placed there, until the whole was so closely covered -there was no room for more. Finally the vandals began carving initials -on the wagon bed, cutting off pieces to carry away. Eventually I put a -stop to it by employing a special police, posting notices, and nabbing -some in the very act. - -[Illustration: Ezra Meeker's Homestead, Puyallup, Washington; Camp No. -1, the Oregon Trail Monument Expedition.] - -Give me Indians on the plain to contend with, give me fleas—ah, yes, -the detested sage brush ticks to burrow in your flesh—but deliver me -from the degenerates who are cheap notoriety seekers. - -Many good people have thought there was some organization behind -this work, or that there had been Government aid secured. To all of -this class, and to those who may read these lines, I will quote from -the cards issued at the outset: "The expense of this expedition to -perpetuate the memory of the old Oregon Trail, by erecting stone -monuments is borne by myself except such voluntary aid as may be given -by those taking an interest in the work, and you are respectfully -solicited to contribute such sum as may be convenient." The use of -these cards was soon discontinued, however. After leaving Portland -no more contributions were solicited or in fact received for the -general expense of the expedition, and only donations for local -monuments, to be expended by local committees were taken. I found -this course necessary to disarm criticism of the inveterate croakers, -more interested in searching some form of criticism than in lending a -helping hand. - -To my appeal a generous response has been made, however, as attested -by the line of monuments between Puget Sound and the Missouri River, a -brief account of which, with incidents of the trip made by me with an -ox team, will follow. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -THE START. - - -Camp No. 1 was in my front dooryard at Puyallup, Washington, a town -established on my own homestead nearly forty years ago, on the line -of the Northern Pacific Railroad, nine miles southeast of Tacoma, and -thirty miles south of Seattle, Washington. In platting the town I -dedicated a park and called it Pioneer Park, and in it are the remains -of our ivy-covered cabin, where the wife of fifty-eight years and I, -with our growing family, spent so many happy hours. In this same town -I named the principal thoroughfare Pioneer Avenue, and a short street -abutting the park Pioneer Way, hence the reader may note it is not a -new idea to perpetuate the memory of the pioneers. - -[Illustration: The Ivy-Covered Cabin, the First House in Puyallup; the -Early Home of Ezra Meeker.] - -No piece of machinery ever runs at the start as well as after trial; -therefore Camp No. 1 was maintained several days to mend up the weak -points, and so after a few days of trial everything was pronounced -in order, and Camp No. 2 was pitched in the street in front of the -Methodist church of the town, and a lecture was delivered in the church -for the benefit of the expedition. - -I drove to Seattle, passing through the towns of Sumner, Auburn and -Kent, lecturing in each place, with indifferent success, as the people -seemed to pay more attention to the ox team than they did to me, and -cared more to be in the open, asking trivial questions, than to be -listening to the story of the Oregon Trail. However, when I came to -count the results I found ninety-two dollars in my pocket, but also -found out that I could not lecture and make any headway in the work -of getting monuments erected; that I must remain in the open, where I -could meet all the people and not merely a small minority, and so the -lecture scheme was soon after abandoned. - -Then I thought to arouse an interest and secure some aid in Seattle, -where I had hosts of friends and acquaintances, but nothing came out of -the effort—my closest friends trying to dissuade me from going—and, I -may say, actually tried to convince others that it would not be an act -of friendship to lend any aid to the enterprise. What, for lack of a -better name, I might call a benign humor underlay all this solicitude. -I knew, or thought I knew, my powers of physical endurance to warrant -undertaking the ordeal; that I could successfully make the trip, but -my closest friends were the most obdurate, and so after spending two -weeks in Seattle I shipped my outfit by steamer to Tacoma. Conditions -there were much the same as at Seattle. A pleasant incident, however, -broke the monotony. Henry Hewitt, of Tacoma, drove up alongside my -team, then standing on Pacific Avenue, and said, "Meeker, if you get -broke out there on the Plains, just telegraph me for money to come back -on." I said no, "I would rather hear you say to telegraph for money to -go on with." "All right," came the response, "have it that way then," -and drove off, perhaps not afterwards giving the conversation a second -thought until he received my telegram, telling him I had lost an ox and -that I wanted him to send me two hundred dollars. As related elsewhere, -the response came quick, for the next day I received the money. "A -friend in need is a friend indeed." - -[Illustration: The Old and the New; Camp in Seattle in Background; High -School Building in the Farther Background.] - -Somehow no serious thought ever entered my mind to turn back after once -started, no more than when the first trip of 1852 was made. - -Almost everyone has just such an experience in life, and, after looking -back over the vista of years, wonder why. In this case I knew it was a -case of persistence only, to succeed in making the trip, but of course -could not know as to the results; but there was more than this: I -simply wanted to do it, and having once resolved to do it, nothing but -utter physical disability could deter me. - -From Tacoma I shipped by steamer to Olympia. - -The terminus of the old Trail is but two miles distant from Olympia, -at Tumwater, the extreme southern point of Puget Sound, and where -the waters of the Des Chutes River mingles with the salt waters of -the Pacific through the channels of Puget Sound, Admiralty Inlet and -Straits of Fuca, 150 miles distant. Here was where the first American -party of home builders rested and settled in 1845 and became the end -of the Trail, where land and water travel meet. At this point I set a -post, and subsequently arranged for an inscribed stone to be planted to -permanently mark the spot. - -I quote from my journal: "Olympia, February 19th, 1906.—Spent the day -canvassing for funds for the monument, giving tickets for the lecture -in the evening in return; what with the receipts at the door and -collections, found I had $42.00—$21.00 of which was given to Allen Weir -for benefit of monument fund." - - -OUT ON THE TRAIL. - -"Camp 10, Tenino, Feb. 20th.—Went to Tenino on train to arrange for -meeting and for monument; hired horse team to take outfit to Tenino, 16 -miles, and drove oxen under the yoke; went into camp near site of the -monument to be erected about 3 p. m." - -"21st.—A red-letter day; drove over to the stone quarry and hauled -monument over to site, where workman followed and put same in place. -This monument was donated by the Tenino Quarry Company and is -inscribed, 'Old Oregon Trail, 1845-53.' At 2 o'clock the stores were -closed, the school children in a body came over and nearly the whole -population turned out to the dedication of the first monument on the -Trail. Lectured in the evening to a good house—had splendid vocal -music. Receipts $16.00." - -The reader will note quotation from my journal, "hired horse team to -take outfit to Tenino," and wonder why I hired a team. I will tell you. -Dave, the so-called ox, was not an ox but simply an unruly Montana -five-year-old steer and as mean a brute as ever walked on four legs. -I dare not entrust the driving to other hands, and must go ahead to -arrange for the monument and the lecture. Dave would hook and kick -and do anything and all things one would not want him to do, but to -behave himself was not a part of his disposition. Besides, he would -stick his tongue out from the smallest kind of exertion. At one time I -became very nearly discouraged with him. He had just been shipped in -off the Montana cattle range and had never had a rope on him—unless -it was when he was branded—and like a great big overgrown booby of a -boy, his flesh was flabby and he could not endure any sort of exertion -without discomfort. This is the ox that finally made the round trip -and that bore his end of the yoke from the tide waters of the Pacific -to the tide waters of the Atlantic, at the Battery, New York City, and -to Washington City to meet the President. He finally became subdued, -though not conquered; to this day I do not trust his heels, though he -now seldom threatens with his horns. He weighed in Washington City -when viewed by the President 1,900 pounds—330 pounds more than he did -when I first put him under the yoke twenty-two months before.[22] The -ox "Twist," also shown in the illustration, suddenly died August -9, 1906, and was buried within a few rods of the Trail, as told in -another chapter. It took two months to a day before I could find a mate -for the Dave ox, and then had to take another five-year-old steer off -the cattle range of Nebraska. This steer, Dandy, evidently had never -been handled, but he came of good stock and, with the exception of -awkwardness, gave me no serious trouble. Dandy was purchased out of the -stock yards of Omaha, weighed 1,470 pounds, and the day before he went -to see the President tipped the scales at the 1,760-pound notch and has -proven to be a faithful, serviceable ox. - -[Illustration: Dedicating Monument at Tenino, Washington.] - - -CHEHALIS, WASHINGTON. - -At Chehalis a point was selected in the center of the street at the -park, and a post set to mark the spot where the monument is to stand. -The Commercial Club undertook the work, but were not ready to erect and -dedicate, as a more expensive monument than one that could be speedily -obtained would be provided as an ornament to the park. - -I vividly recollected this section of the old Trail, having, in company -with a brother, packed my blankets and "grub" on my back over it in -May, 1853, and camped on it nearby over night, under the sheltering, -drooping branches of a friendly cedar tree. We did not carry tents on -such a trip, but slept out under the open canopy of heaven, obtaining -such shelter as we could from day to day. - -It is permissible to note the liberality of H. C. Davis, of Claquato, -who provided a fund of $50.00 to purchase one ox for the expedition, -the now famous ox Dave that made the round trip to the Atlantic and -return. - - -JACKSONS. - -John R. Jackson was the first American citizen to settle north of the -Columbia River. One of the daughters, Mrs. Ware, accompanied by her -husband, indicated the spot where the monument should be erected, -and a post was planted. A touching incident was that Mrs. Ware was -requested to put the post in place and hold it while her husband tamped -the earth around it, which she did with tears streaming from her eyes -at the thought that at last her pioneer father's place in history was -to be recognized. A stone was ordered at once, to soon take the place -of the post. - - -TOLEDO, WASHINGTON. - -Toledo, the last place to be reached on the old Trail in Washington, -is on the Cowlitz, a mile from the landing where the pioneers left the -river on the overland trail to the Sound. Here, later, the citizens -erected a suitable monument. - - -PORTLAND, OREGON. - -From Toledo I shipped by river steamer the whole outfit, and took -passage with my assistants to Portland, thus reversing the order of -travel in 1853, accepting the use of steam instead of the brawn of -stalwart men and Indians to propel the canoe, and arrived on the -evening of March 1, and on the morning of the 2nd pitched my tent in -the heart of the city on a beautiful vacant lot, the property of Jacob -Kamm. I remained in camp here until the morning of March 9, to test the -question of securing aid for the expedition. - -Except for the efforts of that indefatigable worker, George H. Himes, -secretary of the Oregon Pioneer Association since 1886, and assistant -secretary of the Oregon Historical Society, with headquarters in -Portland, no helping hand was extended. Not but that the citizens took -a lively interest in the "novel undertaking" in this "unique outfit," -yet the fact became evident that only the few believed the work could -be successfully done by individual effort, and that Government aid -should be invoked. The prevailing opinion was voiced by a prominent -citizen, a trustee of a church, who voted against allowing the use of -the church for a lecture for the benefit of the expedition, when he -said that he "did not want to do anything to encourage that old man to -go out on the Plains to die." Notwithstanding this sentiment, through -Mr. Himes' efforts nearly $200 was contributed. - -March 10, at 7:00 a. m., embarked at Portland on the steamer Bailey -Gatzert for The Dalles, which place was reached at night, but enlivened -by a warm reception from the citizens awaiting my arrival, who -conducted us to a camping place that had been selected. - -Upon this steamer one can enjoy all the luxuries of civilized life, -a continuous trip now being made through the Government locks at the -Cascades. The tables are supplied with all the delicacies the season -affords, with clean linen for the beds, and obsequious attendants to -supply the wants of travelers. - -"What changes time has wrought," I exclaimed. "Can it be the same -Columbia River which I traversed fifty-four years ago? Yes, there are -the mighty mountains, the wonderful waterfalls, the sunken forests, -each attesting the identity of the spot, but what about the conditions? -The answer can be found in the chapter elsewhere in this work, -"Floating Down the River," illustrating the mighty changes of fifty-six -years, when as an emigrant I passed through this gap of the Cascades in -a flatboat, on the waters of the great river." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[22] Finally 2,375 pounds at the age of 14, when he was mounted for -preservation in history. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -THE DALLES, OREGON. - - -I quote from my journal: - -"The Dalles, Oregon, Camp No. 16, March 10.—Arrived last night all in -a muss, with load out of the wagon, but the mate had his men put the -bed on, and a number of the willing boys helped to tumble all loose -articles into the wagon while Goebel arranged them, leaving the boxes -for a second load. Drove nearly three-quarters of a mile to a camping -ground near the park, selected by the citizens; surprised to find the -streets muddy. Cattle impatient and walked very fast, necessitating my -tramping through the mud at their heads. Made second load while Goebel -put up the tent, and went to bed at 10:00 o'clock, which was as soon as -things were arranged for the night. No supper or even tea, as we did -not build a fire. It was clear last night, but raining this morning, -which turned to sleet and snow at 9:00 o'clock. - -"March 11.—Heavy wind last night that threatened to bring cold weather; -ice formed in the camp half an inch thick; damper of stove out of -order, which, with the wind, drove the smoke out of the stove and -filled the tent full of smoke, making life miserable. In consequence of -the weather, the dedication ceremonies were postponed." - -Prior to leaving home I had written to the ladies of the landmark -committee that upon my arrival at The Dalles I would be pleased to -have their co-operation to secure funds to erect a monument in their -city. What should they do but put their heads together and provide one -already inscribed and in place and notify me that I had been selected -to deliver the dedicatory address, and that it was expected the whole -city would turn out to witness the ceremonies. But, alas, the fierce -cold wind spoiled all their well-laid plans, for the dedication had to -be postponed. Finally, upon short notice, the stone was duly dedicated -on the 12th of March, with a few hundred people in attendance with -their wraps and overcoats. - -Before leaving Seattle I had the oxen shod, for which I was charged the -unmerciful price of $15, but they did such a poor job that by the time -I arrived at The Dalles all the shoes but one were off the Dave ox, and -several lost off Twist, and the remainder loose, and so I was compelled -to have the whole of the work done over again at The Dalles. - -This time the work was well done, all the shoes but one staying on for -a distance of 600 miles, when we threw the Dave ox to replace the lost -shoe, there being no stocks at hand. The charge at The Dalles was $10, -thus making quite an inroad upon the scant funds for the expedition. -I felt compelled to have them again shod at Kemmerer, Wyoming, 848 -miles out from The Dalles, but soon lost several shoes, and finally at -Pacific Springs had the missing shoes replaced by inexperienced hands, -who did a good job, though, for the shoes stayed on until well worn. - - -OUT FROM THE DALLES. - - -At 3:30 p. m. on March 14 I drove out from The Dalles. I have always -felt that here was the real starting point, as from here there could be -no more shipping, but all driving. By rail, it is 1,734 miles from The -Dalles to Omaha, where our work on the old Trail ends. By wagon road -the distance is greater, but not much, probably 1,800 miles. The load -was heavy as well as the roads. With a team untrained to the road, and -one ox unbroken, and no experienced ox driver, and the grades heavy, -small wonder if a feeling of depression crept over me. On some long -hills we could move up but one or two lengths of the wagon and team -at a time, and on level roads, with the least warm sun, the unbroken -ox would poke out his tongue. He was like the young sprig just out of -school, with muscles soft and breath short. - -[Illustration: The First Boulder Marked.] - - -CAMP 27—MARCH 27. - -As we drew into camp a young man with eight horses approached the -creek. "What do you do with so many horses, lad?" I queried, as the -drove passed with their heads down and traces dangling around their -bodies. "Why, I have been harrowing in wheat today, up on the hill; -it's pretty tough work at that." "No, you see our horses are not -large," responding to an inquiry about eight horses to one harrow, -"and besides you see they are not in very good condition; the fact is, -our feed has run short and we have put them on short rations," and -the horses looked it, with their heads down as they came away from -the creek. "Why, we usually harrow 35 acres for a full day's work, -sometimes; but 40 acres is called a big day's run." "Yes, I can plow -seven acres a day, which is a fair day's work—too much, perhaps, with -this team, but with a good, strong team one can easily turn over eight -acres." "Let me see," he continued, in response to further inquiries; -"let me see. I think with what winter wheat we have in there'll be over -400 acres; we expect a yield of 20 bushels an acre, but some have got -as high as 30." "Why, we got a dollar last year right here," this in -response to a question as to price. - -A nearby neighbor who had 600 acres in wheat said they expected a good -yield this year as there "had been 14 inches rainfall already for the -season, while the average was but 10." - -"Well, of course it's a pretty good business with wheat at a dollar," -which was in evidence at the next camp where a new fifteen hundred -dollar automobile was snugly housed ready for use. This man had 1,200 -acres of land. "Why, yes, of course we have neighbors; Neighbor R—— -lives but two miles off and then there's Neighbor B—— not three." - -When reminded that when I was a boy anyone living three miles away was -considered out of the neighborhood: "Yes, but things is different in -Oregon," which I readily admitted, having just passed a schoolhouse -with but seven scholars, and remembered the six hundred or eight -hundred and twelve hundred acre farms we had passed. - -I was also reminded of my boyhood days when father spoke approvingly if -I plowed two acres a day, and to harrow ten acres was the biggest kind -of a day's work. I queried in my mind which was the best condition of -things, the big farms and farming a business proposition, or the small -farms with the home surroundings. I had been told that "that man over -there has been there twenty-six years and don't raise fruit enough for -his own use." Money-making was his object and he had no time to "fool -with fruit trees or garden truck." Then I was reminded of the time we -cut the wheat with a sickle, or maybe with the hand cradle, and thresh -it out with horses on the barn floor. Sometimes we had a fanning mill, -and how it would make my arms ache to turn the crank; then at other -times if a stiff breeze sprung up the wheat and chaff would be shaken -loosely from an elevation and the chaff would be blown away, or if all -other means failed two stout arms at either end of a blanket or a sheet -would move it as a fan to "clean" the wheat. - -Now we not only see the gang plows with eight horses plowing eight -acres a day and hear that the gasoline traction engine is doing even -better than that, and not only see the harrow cover 40 acres a day -instead of 10, but see the great combination harvester garner thirty -acres a day and instead of the flail, thresh it as well and sack it -ready for the mill or warehouse—no shocking, no stacking or housing—all -in one operation, preparing the grain ready for market. What a change -this, in three-quarters of a century, the span of one life. - -As we traveled eastward and the Blue Mountains came in distant view -and half a day's brisk travel brought us within close proximity of -wheat fields well up to approaching the snow line, the country became -less broken, the soil seemed better, the rainfall, we were told, being -better, the yield of wheat greater and fifty bushels is reported as -not an unusual crop. We began to see the red barns, the comfortable -farmhouse (wide apart though, for the farms are large) and ten horses -to the team the rule and oftentime three teams in a field each turning -three furrows instead of one as in the olden times. Finally as we -approached the Walla Walla Valley the scene changed, the large farms -disappeared, the small holdings became the rule and orchards were to be -seen everywhere as we pass that historic point, the site of the tragedy -of Whitman, and are soon in camp in the very heart of the thriving city -of Walla Walla. - - -PENDLETON, OREGON. - -A fourteen days' drive to Pendleton, Oregon, 138½ miles, without -meeting any success in interesting people to help in the work, was not -inspiring. On this stretch, with two assistants, the Trail was marked -with boulders and cedar posts at intersections with traveled roads, -river crossings and noted camping places, but no center of population -was encountered until I reached the town of Pendleton. Here the -Commercial Club took hold with a will, provided the funds to inscribe -a stone monument, which was installed, and on the 31st of March -dedicated it, with over a thousand people present. Here one assistant -was discharged, the camera and photo supplies stored, a small kodak -purchased, and the load otherwise lightened by shipping tent, stove, -stereopticon and other et ceteras over the Blue Mountains to La Grande. - -On that evening I drove out six miles to the Indian school in a fierce -wind and rain storm that set in soon after the dedication ceremonies, -on my way over the Blue Mountains. - -A night in the wagon without fire in cold weather and with scant supper -was enough to cool one's ardor; but zero was reached when the next -morning information was given out that eighteen inches of snow had -fallen on the mountains. However, with the morning sun came a warm -reception from the authorities of the school, a room with a stove in it -allotted us, and a command to help ourselves to fuel. - - -THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. - -Before this last fall of snow some had said it would be impossible for -me to cross, while others said it could be done, but that it would -be a "hard job." So I thought best to go myself, investigate on the -spot, and "not run my neck into a halter" (whatever that may mean) for -lack of knowing at first hands. So that evening Meacham was reached by -rail, and I was dumped off in the snow near midnight, no visible light -in hotel nor track beaten to it, and again the ardor was cold—cool, -cooler, cold. - -Morning confirmed the story; twenty inches of snow had fallen, but was -settling fast. A sturdy mountaineer, and one of long experience and an -owner of a team, in response to my query if he could help me across -with his team said, "Yes, it's possible to make it, but I warn you it's -a hard job," and so the arrangement was at once made that the second -morning after our meeting his team would leave Meacham on the way to -meet me. - -"But what about a monument, Mr. Burns?" I said. "Meacham is a historic -place with Lee's[23] encampment in sight." - -"We have no money," came the quick reply, "but plenty of brawn. Send -us a stone and I'll warrant you the foundation will be built and the -monument put in place." - -A belated train gave opportunity to return at once to Pendleton. An -appeal for aid to provide an inscribed stone for Meacham was responded -to with alacrity, the stone ordered, and a sound night's sleep -followed—ardor rising. - - -MEACHAM, OREGON. - -I quote from my journal: "Camp No. 31, April 4 (1906).—We are now on -the snow line of the Blue Mountains (8:00 p. m.), and am writing this -by our first real out-of-door campfire, under the spreading boughs of -a friendly pine tree. We estimate have driven twelve miles; started -from the school at 7:00 (a. m.); the first three or four miles over a -beautiful farming country, and then began climbing the foothills, up, -up, up, four miles, and soon up again, reaching first snow at 3:00 -o'clock. The long uphill pull fagged the ox Dave, so we had to wait on -him, although I had given him an inch the advantage on the yoke." - -True to promise, the team met us, but not till we had reached the snow, -axle deep, and had the shovel in use to clear the way. But by 3:00 p. -m. we were safely encamped at Meacham, with the cheering news that the -monument had arrived and could be dedicated the next day, and so the -snowfall had proven a blessing in disguise, as otherwise there would -not have been a monument provided for Meacham. Ardor warming. - -But the summit had not been reached. The worst tug lay ahead of us. -Casting all thoughts of this from mind, all hands turned to the -monument, which by 11:00 o'clock was in place, the team hitched up, -standing near it, and ready for the start as soon as the order was -given. Everybody was out, the little school in a body, a neat speech -was made by the orator from Pendleton, and the two teams to the one -wagon moved on to the front to battle with the snow. And it was a -battle. We read of the "last straw that broke the camel's back." I -said, after we had gotten through, "I wonder if another flake of snow -would have balked us?" But no one answered, and I took it for granted -they didn't know. And so we went into camp on the hither side of the -summit. Ardor warmer. - - -LA GRANDE, OREGON. - -The sunshine that was let into our hearts at La Grande (Oregon) was -refreshing. "Yes, we will have a monument," the response came, and they -did, too, and dedicated it while I tarried. Ardor normal. - - -LADD'S CANYON. - -I again quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 34, April 11.—We left La Grande at 7:30 (a. m.) and brought -an inscribed stone with us to set up at an intersection near the mouth -of Ladd's Canyon, eight miles out of La Grande. At 1:00 o'clock the -school nearby came in a body and several residents to see and hear. -The children sang "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," after which I -talked to them for a few moments. The exercises closed with all singing -"America." We photographed the scene. Each child brought a stone and -cast it upon the pile surrounding the base of the monument." - - -CAMP No. 34. - -At this camp, on April 12, the Twist ox kicked me and almost totally -disabled my right leg for a month, and probably has resulted in -permanent injury. Much had to be left undone that otherwise would have -been accomplished, but I am rejoiced that it was no worse and thankful -to the kind friends that worked so ardently to accomplish what has been -done, an account of which follows. - - -BAKER CITY, OREGON. - -The citizens of Baker City lent a willing ear to the suggestion to -erect a monument on the high school ground to perpetuate the memory of -the old Trail and to honor the pioneers who made it, although the trail -is off to the north six miles. A fine granite shaft was provided and -dedicated while I tarried, and an inscribed stone marker set in the -Trail. Eight hundred school children contributed an aggregate of $60 to -place a children's bronze tablet on this shaft. The money for this work -was placed in the hands of the school directors. Two thousand people -participated in the ceremony of dedication on the 19th, and all were -proud of the work. A wave of genuine enthusiasm prevailed, and many of -the audience lingered long after the exercises were over. - -[Illustration: OREGON TRAIL MONUMENTS. Center, Baker City, Ore.; Upper -Left, Boise, Idaho; Lower Left, Boulder Mark; Right, Ezra Meeker.] - -A photograph of the Old Timer was taken after the ceremonies of the -dedication, and many a moistened eye attested the interest taken in the -impromptu reunion. - - -OLD MOUNT PLEASANT, OREGON. - -Sixteen miles out from Baker City at Straw Ranch, set an inscribed -stone at an important intersection. At Old Mount Pleasant I met the -owner of the place where I wanted to plant the stone (always, though, -in the public highway) and asked him to contribute, but he refused -and treated me with scant courtesy. Thirteen young men and one lady, -hearing of the occurrence, contributed the cost of the stone and $6 -extra. The tent was filled with people until 9:00 o'clock at night. -The next day while planting the stone, five young lads came along, -stripped off their coats, and labored with earnestness until the work -was finished. I note these incidents to show the interest taken by the -people at large, of all classes. - - -DURKEE, OREGON. - -The people of Durkee had "heard what was going on down the line," and -said they were ready to provide the funds for a monument. One was -ordered from the granite works at Baker City, and in due time was -dedicated, but unfortunately I have no photograph of it. The stone was -planted in the old Trail on the principal street of the village. - - -HUNTINGTON. - -Huntington came next in the track where the Trail ran, and here a -granite monument was erected and dedicated while I tarried, for which -the citizens willingly contributed. Here seventy-six school children -contributed their dimes and half-dimes, aggregating over $4. - -After the experience in Baker City, Oregon, where, as already related, -800 children contributed, and at Boise, Idaho, to be related later, -over a thousand laid down their offerings, I am convinced that this -feature of the work is destined to give great results. It is not the -financial aid I refer to, but the effect it has upon children's minds -to set them to thinking of this subject of patriotic sentiment that -will endure in after life. Each child in Baker City, or in Huntington, -or Boise, or other places where these contributions have been made, -feel they have a part ownership in the shaft they helped to pay for, -and a tender care for it, that will grow stronger as the child grows -older. - - -VALE, OREGON. - -It was not a question at Vale, Oregon, as to whether they would erect a -monument, but as to what kind, that is, what kind of stone. Local pride -prevailed, and a shaft was erected out of local material, which was not -so suitable as granite, but the spirit of the people was manifested. -Exactly seventy children contributed to the fund for erecting this -monument (which was placed on the court house grounds) and participated -in the exercises of dedication on April 30. - -FOOTNOTE: - -[23] Jason Lee, the first missionary to the Oregon country with four -assistants, camped here in September, 1834, at, as he supposed, the -summit of the Blue Mountains, and ever after the little opening in the -forests of the mountains has been known as Lee's encampment. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -OLD FORT BOISE. - - -Erecting a monument in Vale, as related in the last chapter, finished -the work in Oregon, as we soon crossed Snake River just below the mouth -of Boise, and were landed on the historic spot of Old Fort Boise, -established by the Hudson Bay Company in September, 1834. This fort was -established for the purpose of preventing the success of the American -venture at Fort Hall, a post established earlier in 1834 by Nathaniel -J. Wyethe. Wyethe's venture proved disastrous, and the fort soon passed -into his rival's hands, the Hudson Bay Company, thus for the time being -securing undisputed British rule for the whole of that vast region -later known as the Inland Empire, then, the Oregon Country. - -Some relics of the old fort at Boise were secured, arrangements made -for planting a double inscribed stone to mark the site of the fort and -the Trail, and afterwards, through the liberality of the citizens of -Boise City, a stone was ordered and doubtless before this put in place. - - -PARMA, IDAHO. - -The first town encountered in Idaho was Parma, where the contributions -warranted shipping an inscribed stone from Boise City, which was done, -and is doubtless ere this in place, but no photograph of it is at hand. - - -BOISE, IDAHO. - -At Boise, the capital city of Idaho, there were nearly 1,200 -contributions to the monument fund by the pupils of the public schools, -each child signing his or her name to the roll, showing the school and -grade to which the child belonged. These rolls with printed headlines -were collected, bound together, and deposited with the archives of -the Pioneer Society historical collection for future reference and as -a part of the history of the monument. Each child was given a signed -certificate showing the amount of the contribution. The monument stands -on the state house grounds and is inscribed as the children's offering -to the memory of the pioneers. Over three thousand people attended the -dedication service. - -The citizens of Boise also paid for the stone planted on the site of -the old fort and also for one planted on the Trail, near the South -Boise school buildings, all of which were native granite shafts, of -which there is a large supply in the quarries of Idaho very suitable -for such work. - - -TWIN FALLS, IDAHO. - -At Twin Falls, 537 miles out from The Dalles, funds were contributed to -place an inscribed stone in the track of the old Trail a mile from the -city, and a granite shaft was accordingly ordered. - - -AMERICAN FALLS, IDAHO. - -Upon my arrival at American Falls, Idaho, 649 miles out from The -Dalles, a combination was quickly formed to erect a cement shaft twelve -feet high to plant in the track of the Trail, and a park was to be -dedicated where the monument is to stand and a section of the old Trail -preserved. - - -POCATELLO, IDAHO. - -The Ladies' Study Club has undertaken the work of erecting a monument -at Pocatello, Idaho, 676 miles out from The Dalles. I made twenty-three -addresses to the school children on behalf of the work before leaving, -and have the satisfaction of knowing the undertaking has been -vigorously prosecuted, and that a fine monument has been placed on the -high school grounds. - - -SODA SPRINGS, IDAHO. - -At Soda Springs, 739 miles from The Dalles, the next place where an -attempt was made to erect a monument, a committee of citizens undertook -the work, collected the funds to erect a monument by one of those -beautiful bubbling soda springs, which is in the park and on the Trail. - - -MONTPELIER, IDAHO. - -Montpelier proved no exception to what apparently had become the rule. -A committee of three was appointed by the Commercial Club to take -charge of the work of erecting a monument, a contribution from members -and citizens solicited, nearly $30 collected and paid into the bank, -and arrangements for increasing the contributions and completing the -monument were made before the team arrived. A pleasant feature of the -occasion was the calling of a meeting of the Woman's Club at the Hunter -Hotel, where I was stopping, and a resolution passed to thoroughly -canvass the town for aid in the work, and to interest the school -children. - - -THE MAD BULL. - -I quote from my journal: - -"June 7.—Up at 4:30; started at 5:30; arrived at Montpelier 11:00 a. m. -* * * A dangerous and exciting incident occurred this forenoon when a -vicious bull attacked the team, first from one side and then the other, -getting in between the oxen and causing them to nearly upset the wagon. -I was finally thrown down in the melee, but escaped unharmed," and it -was a narrow escape from being run over both by team and wagon. - - -THE WOUNDED BUFFALO. - -This incident reminded me of a "scrape" one of our neighboring trains -got into on the Platte in 1852 with a wounded buffalo. The train had -encountered a large herd feeding and traveling at right angles to the -road. The older heads of the party, fearing a stampede of their teams, -had given orders not to molest the buffaloes, but to give their whole -attention to the care of the teams. But one impulsive young fellow -would not be restrained, and fired into the herd and wounded a large -bull. Either in anger or from confusion, the mad bull charged upon a -wagon filled with women and children and drawn by a team of mules. He -became entangled in the harness and on the tongue between the mules. An -eye-witness described the scene as "exciting for a while." It would be -natural for the women to scream, the children to cry, and the men to -halloa, but the practical question was how to dispatch the bull without -shooting the mules as well. What, with multiplicity of counsel, the -independent action of everyone, each having a plan of his own, there -seemed certain to be some fatalities from the gun-shots of the large -crowd of trainmen who had forgotten their own teams and rushed to the -wagon in trouble. As in this incident of my own, just related, nothing -was harmed, but when it was over all agreed it was past understanding -how it came about there was no loss of life or bodily injury. - -[Illustration: The Old Oregon Trail.] - - -COKEVILLE, WYOMING. - -Cokeville, 800¼ miles out on the Trail from The Dalles, and near -the junction of the Sublette cut-off with the more southerly trail, -resolved to have a monument, and arrangements were completed for -erecting one of stone from a nearby quarry that will bear witness for -many centuries. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - -THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. - - -From Cokeville to Pacific Springs, just west of the summit, of the -Rocky Mountains at South Pass, by the road and trail we traveled, is -158 miles. Ninety miles of this stretch is away from the sound of the -locomotive, the click of the telegraph or the hello girl. It is a great -extension of that grand mountain range, the Rockies, from six to seven -thousand feet above sea level, with scant vegetable growth, and almost -a solitude as to habitation, save as here and there a sheep-herder or -his typical wagon might be discovered. The bold coyote, the simple -antelope, and the cunning sage hen still hold their sway as they did -sixty-three years before, when I first traversed the country. The old -Trail is there in all its grandeur. - -"Why mark that Trail!" I exclaim. Miles and miles of it worn so deep -that centuries of storm will not efface it; generations may pass and -the origin of the Trail become a legend, but the marks will be there to -perplex the wondering eyes of those who people the continent centuries -hence, aye, a hundred centuries, I am ready to say. We wonder to see it -worn fifty feet wide and three feet deep, and hasten to take snap shots -at it with kodak and camera. But what about it later, after we are over -the crest of the mountain? We see it a hundred feet wide and fifteen -feet deep, where the tramp of thousands upon thousands of men and -women, and the hoofs of millions of animals and the wheels of untold -numbers of vehicles have loosened the soil and the fierce winds have -carried it away, and finally we find ruts a foot deep worn into the -solid rock. - -"What a mighty movement, this, over the Old Oregon Trail!" we exclaim -time and again, each time with greater wonderment at the marvels yet to -be seen, and hear the stories of the few yet left of those who suffered -on this great highway. - -Nor do we escape from this solitude of the western slope till we have -traveled 150 miles east from the summit, when the welcome black smoke -of the locomotive is seen in the distance, at Caspar, a stretch of 250 -miles of primitive life of "ye olden times" of fifty years ago. - -Nature's freaks in the Rocky Mountains are beyond my power of -description. We catch sight of one a few miles west of the Little -Sandy, without name. We venture to call it Tortoise Rock, from the -resemblance to that reptile, with head erect and extended. Farther on, -as night approaches, we are in the presence of animals unused to the -sight of man. I quote from my journal: - - -PACIFIC SPRINGS. - -"Pacific Springs, Wyoming, Camp No. 79, June 20, 1906.—Odometer 958 -(miles from The Dalles, Oregon). Arrived at 6:00 p. m., and camped near -Halter's store and the P. O.; ice formed in camp during the night. - -"Camp No. 79, June 21.—Remained in camp all day and got down to solid -work on my new book, the title of which is not yet developed in my mind. - -"Camp No. 79, June 22.—Remained in camp all day at Pacific Springs -and searched for a suitable stone for a monument to be placed on the -summit. After almost despairing, came to exactly what was wanted, and, -although alone on the mountain side, exclaimed, 'That is what I want; -that's it.' So a little later, after procuring help, we turned it over -to find the both sides flat; with 26 inches face and 15 inches thick -at one end and 14 inches wide and 12 inches thick at the other, one -of Nature's own handiwork, as if made for this very purpose, to stand -on the top of the mountains for the centuries to come to perpetuate -the memory of the generations that have passed. I think it is granite -formation, but is mixed with quartz at large end and very hard. -Replaced three shoes on the Twist ox and one on Dave immediately after -dinner, and hitched the oxen to Mr. Halter's wagon, and with the help -of four men loaded the stone, after having dragged it on the ground and -rocks a hundred yards or so down the mountain side; estimated weight, -1,000 pounds." - -[Illustration: Summit Monument in South Pass, Rocky Mountains.] - -"Camp No. 79, June 23.—Remained here in camp while inscribing the -monument. There being no stone cutter here, the clerk of the store -formed the letters on stiff past-boards and then cut them out to make -a paper stencil, after which the shape of the letters was transferred -to the stone by crayon marks. The letters were then cut out with the -cold chisel deep enough to make a permanent inscription. The stone is -so very hard that it required steady work all day to cut the twenty -letters and figures, 'The Old Oregon Trail, 1843-47.' - -"Camp 80, June 24.—Odometer 970½. At 3:00 o'clock this afternoon -erected the monument described on the summit of the south pass at a -point on the Trail described by John Linn, civil engineer, at 42.21 -north latitude, 108.53 west longitude, bearing N. 47, E. 240 feet from -the ¼ corner between sections 4 and 5, T. 27 N., R. 101 W. of the 6th -P. M. Elevation as determined by aneroid reading June 24, 1906, is -7,450. - -"Mr. Linn informs me the survey for an irrigation ditch to take the -waters of the Sweetwater River from the east slope of the range, -through the south pass, to the west side, runs within a hundred feet of -the monument. - -"We drove out of Pacific Springs at 12:30, stopped at the summit to -dedicate the monument, and at 3:40 left the summit and drove twelve -miles to this point, called Oregon Slough, and put up the tent after -dark." - -The reader may think of the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains as a -precipitous defile through narrow canyons and deep gorges, but nothing -is farther from the fact than such imagined conditions. One can drive -through this pass for several miles without realizing he has passed -the dividing line between the waters of the Pacific on the one side -and of the Gulf of Mexico on the other, while traveling over a broad, -open, undulating prairie the approach is by easy grades and the descent -(going east) scarcely noticeable. - -Certainly, if my memory is worth anything, in 1852 some of our party -left the road but a short distance to find banks of drifted snow in low -places in July, but none was in sight on the level of the road as we -came along in June of 1906. This was one of the landmarks that looked -familiar, as all who were toiling west looked upon this spot as the -turning point in their journey, and that they had left the worst of the -trip behind them, poor, innocent souls as we were, not realizing that -our mountain climbing in the way of rough roads only began a long way -out west of the summit of the Rockies. - - -SWEETWATER. - -The sight of Sweetwater River, twenty miles out from the pass, revived -many pleasant memories and some that were sad. I could remember the -sparkling, clear water, the green skirt of undergrowth along the banks -and the restful camps as we trudged along up the streams so many years -ago. And now I see the same channel, the same hills, and apparently -the same waters swiftly passing; but where are the campfires; where -the herd of gaunt cattle; where the sound of the din of bells; the -hallowing for lost children; the cursing of irate ox drivers; the -pleading for mercy from some humane dame for the half-famished dumb -brute; the harsh sounds from some violin in camp; the merry shouts of -children; or the little groups off on the hillside to bury the dead? -All gone. An oppressive silence prevailed as we drove down to the river -and pitched our camp within a few feet of the bank where we could hear -the rippling waters passing and see the fish leaping in the eddies. We -had our choice of a camping place just by the skirt of refreshing green -brush with an opening to give full view of the river. Not so in '52 -with hundreds of camps ahead of you. One must take what he could get, -and that in many cases would be far back from the water and removed -from other conveniences. - -The sight and smell of the carrion so common in camping places in our -first trip was gone; no bleached bones even showed where the exhausted -dumb brute had died; the graves of the dead emigrants had all been -leveled by the hoofs of stock and the lapse of time. "What a mighty -change!" I exclaimed. We had been following the old Trail for nearly -150 miles on the west slope of the mountains with scarce a vestige -of civilization. Out of sight and hearing of railroads, telegraphs, -or telephones and nearly a hundred miles without a postoffice. It is -a misnomer to call it a "slope." It is nearly as high an altitude a -hundred miles west of the summit as the summit itself. The country -remains as it was fifty-four years before. The Trail is there to be -seen miles and miles ahead, worn bare and deep, with but one narrow -track where there used to be a dozen, and with the beaten path so solid -that vegetation has not yet recovered from the scourge of passing hoofs -and tires of wagons years ago. - -As in 1852 when the summit was passed, I felt that my task was much -more than half done, though the distance was scarcely compassed. I felt -we were entitled to a rest even though it was a solitude, and so our -preparations were made for two days' rest if not recreation. The two -days passed and we saw but three persons. We traveled a week on this -stretch, to encounter five persons only, and to see but one wagon, but -our guide to point the way was at hand all the time—a pioneer way a -hundred feet wide and in places ten feet deep, we could not mistake. -Our way from this Camp 81 on Sweetwater led us from the river and over -hills for fifty miles before we were back to the river again. Not so -my Trail of '52, for then we followed the river closer and crossed it -several times, while part of the people went over the hills and made -the second trail. It was on this last stretch we set our 1,000-mile -post as we reached the summit of a very long hill, eighteen miles west -of where we again encountered the river, saw a telegraph line, and a -road where more than one wagon a week passed as like that we had been -following so long. - - -SPLIT ROCK. - -I quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 85, June 30.—Odometer 1,044. About ten o'clock encountered a -large number of big flies that ran the cattle nearly wild. We fought -them off as best we could. I stood on the wagon tongue for miles so I -could reach them with the whip-stock. The cattle were so excited, we -did not stop at noon, finding water on the way, but drove on through by -two-thirty and camped at a farmhouse, the Split Rock postoffice, the -first we had found since leaving Pacific Springs, the other side of the -summit of South Pass and eighty-five miles distant." - -"Split Rock" postoffice derives its name from a rift in the mountain -a thousand feet or more high, as though a part of the range had been -bodily moved a rod or so, leaving this perpendicular chasm through the -range, which was narrow. - - -THE DEVIL'S GATE. - -The Devil's Gate and Independence Rock, a few miles distant, are -probably the two best known landmarks on the Trail—the one for its -grotesque and striking scenic effect. Here, as at Split Rock, the -mountain seems as if it had been split apart, leaving an opening a -few rods wide, through which the Sweetwater River pours a veritable -torrent. The river first approaches to within a few hundred feet of the -gap, and then suddenly curves away from it, and after winding though -the valley for a half a mile or so, a quarter of a mile distant, it -takes a straight shot and makes the plunge through the canyon. Those -who have had the impression they drove their teams through this gap are -mistaken, for it's a feat no mortal man has done or can do, any more -than they could drive up the falls of the Niagara. - -[Illustration: Devil's Gate, Sweetwater.] - -This year, on my 1906 trip, I did clamber through on the left bank, -over boulders head high, under shelving rocks where the sparrows' nests -were in full possession, and ate some ripe gooseberries from the bushes -growing on the border of the river, and plucked some beautiful wild -roses—this on the second day of July, A. D. 1906. I wonder why those -wild roses grow there where nobody will see them? Why these sparrows' -nests? Why did this river go through this gorge instead of breaking -the barrier a little to the south where the easy road runs? These -questions run through my mind, and why I know not. The gap through -the mountains looked familiar as I spied it from the distance, but the -roadbed to the right I had forgotten. I longed to see this place, for -here, somewhere under the sands, lies all that was mortal of a brother, -Clark Meeker, drowned in the Sweetwater in 1854 while attempting to -cross the Plains; would I be able to see and identify the grave? No. - -I quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 85, July 2.—Odometer 1,059. This camp is at Tom Sun's -place, the Sun postoffice, Wyoming, and is in Sec. 35, T. 29 N. R. -97, 6 P. M., and it is one-half mile to the upper end of the Devil's -Gate, through which the Sweetwater runs. The passage is not more -than 100 feet wide and is 1,300 feet through with walls 483 feet at -highest point. The altitude is 5860.27, according to the United States -geological survey marks. It is one of nature's marvels, this rift in -the mountain to let the waters of the Sweetwater through. Mr. Tom -Sun, or Thompson, has lived here thirty odd years and says there are -numerous graves of the dead pioneers, but all have been leveled by the -tramp of stock, 225,000 head of cattle alone having passed over the -Trail in 1882 and in some single years over a half million sheep. But -the Trail is deserted now, and scarcely five wagons pass in a week, -with part of the roadbed grown up in grass. That mighty movement—tide -shall we call it—of suffering humanity first going west, accompanied -and afterwards followed by hundreds of thousands of stock, with the -mightier ebb of millions upon millions of returning cattle and sheep -going east, has all ceased, and now the road is a solitude save a few -straggling wagons, or here and there a local flock driven to pasture. -No wonder that we looked in vain for the graves of the dead with this -great throng passing and repassing." - -A pleasant little anecdote is told by his neighbors of the odd name of -"Tom Sun," borne by that sturdy yeoman (a Swede, I think), and of whose -fame for fair dealing and liberality I could hear upon all sides. The -story runs that when he first went to the bank, then and now sixty -miles away, to deposit, the cashier asked his name and received the -reply Thompson, emphasizing the last syllable pronounced with so much -emphasis, that it was written Tom Sun, and from necessity a check had -to be so signed, thus making that form of spelling generally known, and -finally it was adopted as the name of the postoffice. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - -INDEPENDENCE ROCK. - - -"Camp No. 87, July 3, 1906.—Odometer 1,065, Independence Rock. We drove -over to the 'Rock,' from the 'Devil's Gate,' a distance of six miles, -and camped at 10:00 o'clock for the day." - -Not being conversant with the work done by others to perpetuate their -names on this famous boulder that covers about thirty acres, we groped -our way among the inscriptions to find some of them nearly obliterated -and many legible only in part, showing how impotent the efforts of -individuals to perpetuate the memory of their own names, and, may I -add, how foolish it is, in most cases, forgetting, as these individuals -have, that it is actions, not words, even if engraved upon stone, -that carry one's name down to future generations. We walked all the -way around the stone, which was nearly a mile around, of irregular -shape, and over a hundred feet high, the walls being so precipitous -as to prevent ascending to the top except in two vantage points. -Unfortunately, we missed the Fremont inscription made in 1842. - -Of this inscription Fremont writes in his journal: "August 23 (1842). -Yesterday evening we reached our encampment at Rock Independence, where -I took some astronomical observations. Here, not unmindful of the -custom of early travelers and explorers in our country, I engraved on -this rock of the Far West a symbol of the Christian faith. Among the -thickly inscribed names, I made on the hard granite the impression of a -large cross, which I covered with a black preparation of India rubber, -well calculated to resist the influences of the wind and rain. It -stands amidst the names of many who have long since found their way to -the grave and for whom the huge rock is a giant gravestone. - -"One George Weymouth was sent out to Maine by the Earl of Southampton, -Lord Arundel, and others; and in the narrative of their discoveries he -says: 'The next day we ascended in our pinnace that part of the river -which lies more to the westward, carrying with us a cross—a thing never -omitted by any Christian traveler—which we erected at the ultimate end -of our route.' This was in the year 1605; and in 1842 I obeyed the -feeling of early travelers, and I left the impression of the cross -deeply engraved on the vast rock 1,000 miles beyond the Mississippi, to -which discoverers have given the national name of Rock Independence." - -The reader will note that Fremont writes in 1842 of the name, "to which -discoverers have given the national name of Independence Rock," showing -that the name of the rock long antedated his visit, as he had inscribed -the cross "amidst the names of many." - -Of recent years the traveled road leads to the left of the rock, going -eastward, instead of to the right and nearer the left bank of the -Sweetwater as in early years; and so I selected a spot on the westward -sloping face of the stone for the inscription, "Old Oregon Trail, -1843-57," near the present traveled road, where people can see it, as -shown in the illustration, and inscribed it with as deep cut letters -as we could make with a dulled cold chisel, and painted the sunken -letters with the best sign writer's paint in oil. On this expedition, -where possible, I have in like manner inscribed a number of boulders, -with paint only, which it is to be hoped, before the life of the paint -has gone out, may find loving hands to inscribe deep into the stone; -but here on this huge boulder I hope the inscription may last for -centuries, though not as deeply cut as I would have liked had we but -had suitable tools. - - -FISH CREEK. - -Eleven miles out from Independence Rock we nooned on the bank of a -small stream, well named Fish Creek, for it literally swarmed with fish -of suitable size for the pan, but they would not bite, and we had no -appliances for catching with a net, and so consoled ourselves with the -exclamation that they were suckers only, and we didn't care, but I came -away with the feeling that maybe we were "suckers" ourselves for having -wet a blanket in an attempt to seine them, getting into the water over -boot top deep, and working all the noon hour instead of resting like an -elderly person should, and as the oxen did. - - -NORTH PLATTE RIVER. - -Our next camp brought us to the North Platte River, fifteen miles above -the town of Casper. - -I quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 89, North Platte River, July 5, 1906.—Odometer 1,104, -distance traveled twenty-two miles. - -"We followed the old Trail till nearly 4:00 p. m., and then came to -the forks of the traveled road, with the Trail untraveled by anyone -going straight ahead between the two roads. I took the right-hand road, -fearing the other led off north, and anyway the one taken would lead -us to the North Platte River; and on the old Trail there would be no -water, as we were informed, until we reached Casper. We did not arrive -at the Platte River until after dark, and then found there was no feed; -got some musty alfalfa hay the cattle would not eat; had a little -cracked corn we had hauled nearly 300 miles from Kemmerer, and had fed -them the last of it in the afternoon; went to bed in the wagon, first -watering the cattle, after dark, from the North Platte, which I had not -seen for over fifty-four years, as I had passed fifteen miles below -here the last of June, 1852. - -"Several times during the afternoon there were threatening clouds, -accompanied by distant lightning, and at one time a black cloud in the -center, with rapid moving clouds around it, made me think of a tornado, -but finally disappeared without striking us. Heavy wind at night. - -"This afternoon as we were driving, with both in the wagon, William -heard the rattles of a snake, and jumped out of the wagon, and -thoughtlessly called the dog. I stopped the wagon and called the dog -away from the reptile until it was killed. When stretched out it -measured four feet eight inches, and had eight rattles." - - -CASPER, WYOMING. - -I quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 90, odometer 1,117½, Casper, Wyoming, July 6.—At the noon -hour, while eating dinner, seven miles out, we heard the whistle of the -locomotive, something we had not seen nor heard for nearly 300 miles. -As soon as lunch was over I left the wagon and walked in ahead of the -team to select camping ground, secure feed, and get the mail. Received -twenty letters, several from home. - -"Fortunately a special meeting of the commercial club held this -evening, and I laid the matter of building a monument before them, with -the usual result; they resolved to build one; opened the subscription -at once, and appointed a committee to carry the work forward. I am -assured by several prominent citizens that a $500 monument will be -erected, as the city council will join with the club to provide for a -fountain as well, and place it on the most public street crossing in -the city."[24] - -Glen Rock was the next place in our itinerary, which we reached at -dark, after having driven twenty-five and one-fourth miles. This is the -longest drive we have made on the whole trip. - -[Illustration: As an Old Scout.] - - -GLEN ROCK. - -Glen Rock is a small village, but the ladies met and resolved they -"would have as nice a monument as Casper," even if it did not cost as -much, because there was a stone quarry out but six miles from town. -One enthusiastic lady said: "We will inscribe it ourselves, if no -stonecutter can be had." "'Where there's a will there's a way,' as the -old adage runs," I remarked as we left the nice little burg and said -good-bye to the energetic ladies in it. God bless the women, anyhow; -I don't see how the world could get along without them; and anyhow -I don't see what life would have been without that little faithful -companion that came over this very same ground with me fifty-four years -ago and still lives to rejoice for the many, many blessings vouchsafed -to us and our descendants. - - -DOUGLAS, WYOMING. - -At Douglas, Wyoming, 1,177½ miles out from The Dalles, the people at -first seemed reluctant to assume the responsibility of erecting a -monument, everybody being "too busy" to give up any time to it, but -were willing to contribute. After a short canvass, $52 was contributed, -a local committee appointed, and an organized effort to erect a -monument was well in hand before we drove out of the town. - -I here witnessed one of those heavy downpours like some I remember in -'52, where, as in this case, the water came down in veritable sheets, -and in an incredibly short time turned all the slopes into roaring -torrents and level places into lakes; the water ran six inches deep in -the streets in this case, on a very heavy grade the whole width of the -street. - -I quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 95, July 12.—Odometer 1,192. We are camped under a group -of balm trees in the Platte bottom near the bridge at the farm of a -company, Dr. J. M. Wilson in charge, where we found a good vegetable -garden and were bidden to help ourselves, which I did, with a liberal -hand, to a feast of young onions, radishes, beets and lettuce enough -for several days." - - -PUYALLUP-TACOMA-SEATTLE. - -This refreshing shade and these spreading balms carried me back to the -little cabin home in the Puyallup Valley, 1,500 miles away, where we -had for so long a period enjoyed the cool shades of the native forests, -enlivened by the charms of songsters at peep of day, with the dew -dripping off the leaves like as if a shower had fallen over the forest. -Having now passed the 1,200-mile mark out from The Dalles with scarcely -the vestige of timber life except in the snows of the Blue Mountains, -one can not wonder that my mind should run back to not only the little -cabin home as well as to the more pretentious residence nearby; to the -time when our homestead of 160 acres, granted to us by the Government, -was a dense forest—when the little clearing was so isolated we could -see naught else but walls of timber around us—timber that required -the labor of one man twelve years to remove from a quarter-section of -land—of the time when trails only reached the spot; when, as the poet -wrote: - - "Oxen answered well for team, - Though now they'd be too slow—"; - -when the semi-monthly mail was eagerly looked for; when the Tribune -would be re-read again and again before the new supply came; when the -morning hours before breakfast were our only school hours for the -children; when the home-made shoe pegs and the home-shaped shoe lasts -answered for making and mending the shoes, and the home-saved bristle -for the waxen end; when the Indians, if not our nearest neighbors, I -had liked to have said our best; when the meat in the barrel and the -flour in the box, in spite of the most strenuous efforts, would at -times run low; when the time for labor would be much nearer eighteen -than eight hours a day. - -"SUPPER." Supper is ready; and when repeated in more imperative tones, -I at last awake to inhale the fragrant flavors of that most delicious -beverage, camp coffee, from the Mocha and Java mixed grain that had -"just come to a boil," and to realize there was something else in the -air when the bill of fare was scanned. - - Menu. - Calf's liver, fried crisp, with bacon. - Coffee, with cream, and a lump of butter added. - Lettuce, with vinegar and sugar. - Young onions. - Boiled young carrots. - Radishes. - Beets, covered with vinegar. - Cornmeal mush, cooked forty minutes, in reserve and for - a breakfast fry. - -These "delicacies of the season," coupled with the—what shall I call -it?—delicious appetite incident to a strenuous day's travel and a late -supper hour, without a dinner padding in the stomach, aroused me to -a sense of the necessities of the inner man, and to that keen relish -incident to prolonged exertion and to open-air life, and justice was -meted out to the second meal of the day following a 5:00 o'clock -breakfast. - -I awoke also to the fact that I was on the spot near where I camped -fifty-four years ago in this same Platte Valley, then apparently almost -a desert. Now what do I see? As we drew into camp, two mowing machines -cutting the alfalfa; two or more teams raking the cured hay to the -rick, and a huge fork or rake at intervals climbing the steep incline -of fenders to above the top of the rick, and depositing its equivalent -to a wagon-load at a time. To my right, as we drove through the gate, -the large garden looked temptingly near, as did some rows of small -fruit. Hay ricks dotted the field, and outhouses, barns and dwellings -at the home. We are in the midst of plenty and the guests, we may -almost say, of friends, instead of feeling we must deposit the trusted -rifle in convenient place while we eat. Yes, we will exclaim again, -"What wondrous changes time has wrought!" - -But my mind will go back to the little ivy-covered cabin now so -carefully preserved in Pioneer Park in the little pretentious city of -Puyallup, that was once our homestead, and so long our home, and where -the residence still stands nearby. The timber is all gone and in its -place brick blocks and pleasant, modest homes are found, where the -roots and stumps once occupied the ground now smiling fruit gardens -adorn the landscape and fill the purses of 1,400 fruit growers, and -supply the wants of 6,000 people. Instead of the slow trudging ox team, -driven to the market town sixteen miles distant, with a day in camp on -the way, I see fifty-four railroad trains a day thundering through the -town. I see electric lines with crowded cars carrying passengers to -tide water and to the rising city of Tacoma, but seven miles distant. -I see a quarter of a million people within a radius of thirty miles, -where solitude reigned supreme fifty-four years ago, save the song of -the Indian, the thump of his canoe paddle, or the din of his gambling -revels. When I go down to the Sound I see miles of shipping docks where -before the waters rippled over a pebbly beach filled with shell-fish. -I look farther, and see hundreds of steamers plying thither and yon on -the great inland sea, where fifty-four years ago the Indian's canoe -only noiselessly skimmed the water. I see hundreds of sail vessels that -whiten every sea of the globe, being either towed here and there or -at dock, receiving or discharging cargo, where before scarce a dozen -had in a year ventured the voyage. At the docks in Seattle I see the -28,000-ton steamers receiving their monster cargoes for the Orient, and -am reminded that these monsters can enter any of the numerous harbors -of Puget Sound and are supplemented by a great array of other steam -tonnage contending for that vast across-sea trade, and again exclaim -with greater wonderment than ever, "What wondrous changes time has -wrought!" If I look through the channels of Puget Sound, I yet see the -forty islands or more; its sixteen hundred miles of shore line; its -schools of fish, and at intervals the seal; its myriads of sea gulls; -the hawking crow; the clam beds; the ebb and flow of the tide—still -there. But many happy homes dot the shore line where the dense forests -stood; the wild fruits have given way to the cultivated; trainloads of -fruit go out to distant markets; and what we once looked upon as barren -land now gives plenteous crops; and we again exclaim, "What wondrous -changes time has wrought," or shall we not say, "What wondrous changes -the hand of man has wrought!" - -But I am admonished I have wandered and must needs go back to our -narrative of "Out on the Trail." - -FOOTNOTE: - -[24] A monument 25 feet high has since been erected, that cost -$1,500.00. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - -FORT LARAMIE, WYOMING. - - -I quote from my journal: - -"Camp No. 99, July 16, Fort Laramie, odometer 1,247.—From the time we -crossed the Missouri in May, 1852, until we arrived opposite this place -on the north bank of the Platte, no place or name was so universally in -the minds of the emigrants as old Fort Laramie; here, we eagerly looked -for letters that never came—maybe our friends and relatives had not -written; maybe they had and the letter lost or dumped somewhere in 'The -States'; but now all hope vanished, regarding the prospect of hearing -from home and we must patiently wait until the long journey has ended -and a missive might reach us by the Isthmus or maybe by a sail vessel -around Cape Horn. Now, as I write, I know my letter written in the -morning will at night be on the banks of the great river, and so for -each day of the year. One never ceases to exclaim, 'What changes time -has wrought!' What wondrous changes in these fifty-four years, since I -first set foot on the banks of the Platte and looked longingly across -the river for the letter that never came." - -[Illustration: A Snap Shot; Out on the Trail.] - -"This morning at 4:30 the alarm sounded, but in spite of our strenuous -efforts the start was delayed till 6:15. Conditions were such as to -give us a hot day, but the cattle would not travel without eating the -grass in the road, having for some cause not liked the grass they -were on during the night; and so, after driving a couple of miles -and finding splendid feed, we turned them out to fill up, which they -speedily did, and thereafter became laggards, too lazy for anything. So -after all we did not arrive here till 4:00, and with dinner at six, it -is not strange that we had good appetites. - -"Locally, it is difficult to get accurate information. All agree there -is no vestige of the old Traders' Camp or the first United States fort -left, but disagree as to its location. The new fort (not a fort, but an -encampment) covers a space of thirty or forty acres with all sorts of -buildings and ruins, from the old barracks, three hundred feet long, -in good preservation and occupied by the present owner, Joseph Wild, -as a store, postoffice, saloon, hotel and family residence, to the old -guard house with its grim iron door and twenty-inch concrete walls. One -frame building, two stories, we are told, was transported by ox team -from Kansas City at a cost of $100 per ton freight. There seems to be -no plan either in the arrangement of the buildings or of the buildings -themselves. I noticed one building, part stone, part concrete, part -adobe, and part burnt brick. The concrete walls of one building -measured twenty-two inches thick and there is evidence of the use of -lime with a lavish hand, and I think all of them are alike massive. - -"The location of the barracks is in Sec. 28, T. 26 N., R. 64 W. of 6th -P. M., United States survey." - - -SCOTT'S BLUFF. - -July 20th, odometer 1,308¼ miles.—We drove out from the town of Scott's -Bluff to the left bank of the North Platte, less than a mile from the -town, to a point nearly opposite that noted landmark, Scott's Bluff, on -the right bank, looming up near eight hundred feet above the river and -adjoining green fields, and photographed the bluffs and section of the -river. - -Probably all emigrants of early days remember Scott's Bluff, which -could be seen for so long a distance, and yet apparently so near for -days and days, till it finally sank out of sight as we passed on, -and new objects came into view. As with Tortoise Rock, the formation -is sand and clay cemented, yet soft enough to cut easily, and is -constantly changing in smaller details. - -We certainly saw Scott's Bluff while near the junction of the two -rivers, near a hundred miles distant, in that illusive phenomenon, the -mirage, as plainly as when within a few miles of it. - -Speaking of this deceptive manifestation of one natural law, I am led -to wonder why, on the trip of 1906, I have seen nothing of those sheets -of water so real as to be almost within our grasp, yet never reached, -those hills and valleys we never traversed, beautiful pictures on the -horizon and sometimes above, while traversing the valley in 1852—all -gone, perhaps to be seen no more, as climatic changes come to destroy -the conditions that caused them. Perhaps this may in part be caused by -the added humidity of the atmosphere, or it may be also in part because -of the numerous groves of timber that now adorn the landscape. Whatever -the cause, the fact remains that in the year 1852 the mirage was of -common occurrence and now, if seen at all, is rare. - -The origin of the name of Scott's Bluff is not definitely known, but as -tradition runs "a trader named Scott, while returning to the States, -was robbed and stripped by the Indians. He crawled to these bluffs and -there famished and his bones were afterwards found and buried," these -quoted words having been written by a passing emigrant on the spot, -June 11, 1852. - -Another version of his fate is that Scott fell sick and was abandoned -by his traveling companions, and after having crawled near forty miles -finally died near the "Bluffs" ever after bearing his name. This -occurred prior to 1830. - - -THE DEAD OF THE PLAINS. - -From the "Bluffs" we drove as direct as possible to that historic -grave, two miles out from the town and on the railroad right of way, of -Mrs. Rebecca Winters, who died August 15, 1852, nearly six weeks after -I had passed over the ground. - -[Illustration: The Lone Grave.] - -But for the handiwork of some unknown friend or relative this grave, -like thousands and thousands of others who fell by the wayside in those -strenuous days, would have passed out of sight and mind and nestled in -solitude and unknown for all ages to come. - -As far back as the memory of the oldest inhabitant runs, a half-sunken -wagon tire bore this simple inscription, "Rebecca Winters, aged 50 -years." The hoofs of stock trampled the sunken grave and trod it -into dust, but the arch of the tire remained to defy the strength of -thoughtless hands who would have removed it, and of the ravages of time -that seem not to have affected it. Finally, in "the lapse of time" that -usual non-respecter of persons—the railroad survey, and afterwards the -rails—came along and would have run the track over the lonely grave but -for the tender care of the man who wielded the compass and changed the -line, that the resting place of the pioneer should not be disturbed, -followed by the noble impulse of him who held the power to control -the "soulless corporation," and the grave was protected and enclosed. -Then came the press correspondent and the press to herald to the world -the pathos of the lone grave, to in time reach the eyes and touch the -hearts of the descendants of the dead, who had almost passed out of -mind and to quicken the interest in the memory of one once dear to -them, till in time there arose a beautiful monument lovingly inscribed, -just one hundred years after the birth of the inmate of the grave. - -As I looked upon this grave, now surrounded by green fields and happy -homes, my mind ran back to the time it was first occupied in the desert -(as all believed the country through which we were passing to be), -and the awful calamity that overtook so many to carry them to their -untimely and unknown graves. - -The ravages of cholera carried off thousands. One family of seven -a little further down the Platte, lie all in one grave; forty-one -persons of one train dead in one day and two nights tells but part of -the dreadful story. The count of fifty-three freshly made graves in -one camp ground left a vivid impress upon my mind that has never been -effaced; but where now are those graves? They are irrevocably lost. I -can recall to mind one point where seventy were buried in one little -group, not one of the graves now to be seen—trampled out of sight by -the hoofs of the millions of stock later passing over the Trail. - -Bearing this in mind, how precious this thought that even one grave has -been rescued from oblivion, and how precious will become the memory of -the deeds of those who have so freely dedicated their part to recall -the events of the past and to honor those sturdy pioneers who survived -those trying experiences as well as the dead, by erecting those -monuments that now line the Trail for nearly two thousand miles. To -these, one and all, I bow my head in grateful appreciation of their aid -in this work to perpetuate the memory of the pioneers, and especially -the 5,000 school children who have each contributed their mite that the -memory of the dead pioneers might remain fresh in their minds and the -minds of generations to follow. - -A drive of seventeen miles brought us to the town of Bayard, 1,338 -miles on the way from The Dalles, Oregon, where our continuous drive -began. - - -CHIMNEY ROCK. - -Chimney Rock is six miles southwesterly, in full view, a curious freak -of nature we all remembered while passing in '52. - -[Illustration: Chimney Rock, Platte Valley.] - -The base reminds one of an umbrella standing on the ground, covering -perhaps twelve acres and running, cone-shaped, 200 feet to the base of -the spire resting upon it. The spire (chimney) points to the heavens, -which would entitle the pile to a more appropriate name, as like a -church spire, tall and slim, the wonder of all—how it comes that the -hand of time has not leveled it, long ago and mingled its crumbling -substance with that lying at its base. The whole pile, like that at -Scott's Bluff and Court House Rock, further down, is a sort of soft -sandstone, or cement and clay, gradually crumbling away and destined to -be leveled to the earth in centuries to come. - -A local story runs that an army officer trained artillery on this -spire, shot off about thirty feet from the top, and was afterwards -court-martialed and discharged in disgrace from the army; but I could -get no definite information, though the story was repeated again and -again. It would seem incredible that an intelligent man, such as an -army officer, would do such an act, and if he did he deserved severe -condemnation and punishment. - -I noticed that at Soda Springs the hand of the vandal has been at work -and that interesting phenomenon, the Steamboat Spring, the wonderment -of all in 1852, with its intermittent spouting, had been tampered with -and ceased to act. It would seem the degenerates are not all dead yet. - - -NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. - -At North Platte the ladies of the W. C. T. U. appointed a committee to -undertake to erect a monument, the business men all refusing to give up -any time. However, W. C. Ritner, a respected citizen of North Platte, -offered to donate a handsome monument with a cement base, marble cap, -stone and cement column, five and a half feet high, which will be -accepted by the ladies and erected in a suitable place. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - -DEATH OF TWIST. - - -[Illustration: Twist.] - -"Old Oregon Trail Monument Expedition, Brady Island, Nebraska, August -9, 1906, Camp No. 120, odometer, 1,536⅝.—Yesterday morning Twist ate -his grain as usual and showed no signs of sickness until we were on the -road two or three miles, when he began to put his tongue out and his -breathing became heavy. But he leaned on the yoke heavier than usual -and seemed determined to pull the whole load. I finally stopped, put -him on the off side, gave him the long end of the yoke, and tied his -head back with the halter strap to the chain; but to no purpose, for he -pulled by the head very heavy. I finally unyoked, gave him a quart of -lard, a gill of vinegar and a handful of sugar, but all to no purpose, -for he soon fell down and in two hours was dead." - -Such is the record in my journal telling of the death of this noble -animal, which I think died from eating some poisonous plant. - -When we started from Camp No. 1, January 29, Puyallup, Washington, -Twist weighed 1,470 pounds. After we crossed two ranges of mountains, -had wallowed in the snows of the Blue Mountains, followed the tortuous, -rocky canyons of Burnt River, up the deep sand of the Snake, this -ox had gained in weight 137 pounds, and weighed 1,607 pounds. While -laboring under the short end of the yoke that gave him fifty-five per -cent. of the draft and an increased burden he would keep his end of the -yoke a little ahead, no matter how much the mate might be urged to keep -up. - -There are striking individualities in animals as well as in men, and -I had liked to have said virtues as well; and why not? If an animal -always does his duty, is faithful to your interest, industrious—why not -recognize it, even if he was "nothing but an ox"? - -We are wont to extol the virtues of the dead, and to forget their -shortcomings, but here a plain statement of facts will suffice to -revive the memories of the almost forgotten past of an animal so dear -to the pioneers who struggled across plains and over mountains in the -long ago. - -To understand the achievements of this ox it is necessary to state the -burden he carried. The wagon weighed 1,430 pounds, is a wooden axle -and wide track and had an average load of 800 pounds. He had, with an -unbroken four-year old steer—a natural-born shirk—with the short end -of the yoke before mentioned, hauled this wagon 1,776 miles and was in -better working trim when he died than when the trip began. And yet am -I sure that at some points I did not abuse him? What about coming up -out of Little Canyon or rather up the steep, rocky steps of stones like -veritable stairs, when I used the goad, and he pulled a shoe off and -his feet from under him? Was I merciful then, or did I exact more than -I ought? I can see him yet in my mind, while on his knees holding the -wagon from rolling back into the canyon till the wheel could be blocked -and the brakes set. Then, when bade to start the load, he did not -flinch. He was the best ox I ever saw, without exception, and his loss -has nearly broken up the expedition, and it is one case where his like -can not be obtained. He has had a decent burial and a head-board will -mark his grave and recite his achievements in the valuable aid rendered -in this expedition to perpetuate the memory of the Old Oregon Trail and -for which he has given up his life. - -What shall I do? Abandon the work? No. But I can not go on with one ox, -and can not remain here. And so a horse team was hired to take us to -the next town, Gothenburg—thirteen miles distant—and the lone ox led -behind the wagon. - - -GOTHENBURG, NEBRASKA. - -"Gothenburg, Nebraska, August 10, 1906. Camp No. 121, odometer -1,549.—The people here resolved to erect a monument, appointed a -committee, and a contribution of some fifteen dollars was secured." - - -LEXINGTON. - -Again hired a horse team to haul the wagon to Lexington. At Lexington I -thought the loss of the ox could be repaired by buying a pair of heavy -cows and breaking them in to work, and so purchased two out of a band -of 200 cattle nearby. "Why, yes, of course they will work," I said, -when a bystander had asked the question. "Why, I have seen whole teams -of cows on the Plains in '52, and they would trip along so merrily one -would be tempted to turn the oxen out and get cows. Yes, we will soon -have a team," I said, "only we can't go very far in a day with a raw -team, especially in this hot weather." But one of the cows wouldn't go -at all; we could not lead or drive her. Put her in the yoke and she -would stand stock still just like a stubborn mule. Hitch the yoke by a -strong rope behind the wagon with a horse team to pull, she would brace -her feet and actually slide along, but wouldn't lift a foot. I never -saw such a brute before, and hope I never will again. I have broken -wild, fighting, kicking steers to the yoke and enjoyed the sport, but -from a sullen, tame cow deliver me. - -"Won't you take her back and give me another?" I asked. "Yes, I will -give you that red cow (one I had rejected as unfit), but not one of the -others." "Then, what is this cow worth to you?" Back came the response, -"Thirty dollars," and so I dropped ten dollars (having paid him forty), -lost the better part of a day, experienced a good deal of vexation. -"Oh, if I could only have Twist back again." - -The fact gradually dawned upon me that the loss of that fine ox was -almost irreparable. I could not get track of an ox anywhere, nor of -even a steer large enough to mate the Dave ox. Besides, Dave always -was a fool. I could scarcely teach him anything. He did learn to haw, -by the word when on the off side, but wouldn't mind the word a bit if -on the near side. Then he would hold his head way up while in the yoke -as if he disdained to work, and poke his tongue out at the least bit -of warm weather or serious work. Then he didn't have the stamina of -Twist. Although given the long end of the yoke, so that Twist would -pull fifty-five per cent. of the load, Dave would always lag behind. -Here was a case where the individuality of the ox was as marked as ever -between man and man. Twist would watch my every motion and mind by the -wave of the hand, but Dave never minded anything except to shirk hard -work, while Twist always seemed to love his work and would go freely -all day. And so it was brought home to me more forcibly than ever that -in the loss of the Twist ox I had almost lost the whole team. - -Now if this had occurred in 1852 the loss could have been easily -remedied, where there were so many "broke" cattle, and where there -were always several yoke to the wagon. So when I drove out with a -hired horse team that day with the Dave ox tagging on behind and -sometimes pulling on his halter, and an unbroken cow, it may easily -be guessed the pride of anticipated success went out, and a feeling -akin to despair seized upon me. Here I had two yokes, one a heavy ox -yoke and the other a light cow's yoke, but the cow, I thought, could -not be worked alongside the ox in the ox yoke, nor the ox with the cow -in the cow yoke, and so there I was without a team but with a double -encumbrance. - -Yes, the ox has passed—has had his day—for in all this State I have -been unable to find even one yoke. So I trudged along, sometimes behind -the led cattle, wondering in my mind whether or no I had been foolish -to undertake this expedition to perpetuate the memory of the Old Oregon -Trail. Had I not been rebuffed by a number of business men who pushed -the subject aside with, "I have no time to look into it"? Hadn't I been -compelled to pass several towns where even three persons could not -be found to act on the committee? And then there was the experience -of the constant suspicion and watch to see if some graft could not -be discovered—some lurking speculation. All this could be borne in -patience, but when coupled with it came the virtual loss of the team, -is it strange that my spirits went down below a normal condition? - -But then came the compensatory thought as to what had been -accomplished; how three States had responded cordially and a fourth -as well, considering the sparse population. How could I account for -the difference in the reception? It was the press. In the first place -the newspapers took up the work in advance of my coming, while in -the latter case the notices and commendation followed my presence -in a town. And so I queried in my mind as we trudged along—after -all, I am sowing the seed that will bring the harvest later. Then my -mind would run back along the line of over 1,500 miles, where stand -nineteen sentinels, mostly granite, to proclaim for the centuries -to come that the hand of communities had been at work and planted -these shafts that the memory of the dead pioneers might live; where -a dozen boulders, including the great Independence Rock, also bear -this testimony, and where a hundred wooden posts mark the Trail, when -stone was unobtainable. I recalled the cordial reception in so many -places; the outpouring of contributions from 5,000 school children; the -liberal hand of the people that built these monuments; the more than -20,000 people attending the dedication ceremonies. And while I trudged -along and thought of the encouragement that I had received, I forgot -all about the loss of Twist, the recalcitrant cow, the dilemma that -confronted me, only to awaken from my reverie in a more cheerful mood. -"Do the best you can," I said almost in an audible tone, "and be not -cast down," and my spirits rose almost to the point of exultation. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIX. - -KEARNEY, NEBRASKA. - - -At that beautiful city of Kearney we were accorded a fine camping place -in the center of the town under the spreading boughs of the shade -trees that line the streets, and a nice green, fresh-cut sward upon -which to pitch our tents. The people came in great numbers to visit -the camp and express their approval as to the object of the trip. I -said, "Here we will surely get a splendid monument," but when I came -to consult with the business men not one could be found to give up any -time to the work, though many seemed interested. The president of the -commercial club even refused to call a meeting of the club to consider -the subject, because he said he had no time to attend the meeting and -thought most of the members would be the same. I did not take it this -man was opposed to the proposed work, but honestly felt there were more -important matters pressing upon the time of business men, and said the -subject could be taken up at their regular meeting in the near future. -As I left this man's office, who, I doubted not, had spoken the truth, -I wondered to myself if these busy men would ever find time to die. How -did they find time to eat? or to sleep? and I queried, Is a business -man's life worth the living, if all his wakeful moments are absorbed -in grasping for gains? But I am admonished that this query must be -answered each for himself, and I reluctantly came away from Kearney -without accomplishing the object of my visit, and wondering whether my -mission was ended and results finished. - -The reader will readily see that I would be the more willing listener -to such an inner suggestion, in view of my crippled condition to carry -on the work. And might not that condition have a bearing to bring -about such results? No. For the people seemed to be greatly interested -and sympathetic. The press was particularly kind in their notices, -commending the work, but it takes time to arouse the business men to -action, as one remarked to me, "You can't hurry us to do anything; we -are not that kind of a set." This was said in a tone bordering on the -offensive, though perhaps expressing only a truth. - - -GRAND ISLAND. - -I did not, however, feel willing to give up the work after having -accomplished so much on the 1,700 miles traveled, and with less than -200 miles ahead of me, and so I said, "I will try again at Grand -Island," the next place where there was a center of population, that -an effort would probably succeed. Here I found there was a decided -public sentiment in favor of taking action, but at a later date—next -year—jointly to honor the local pioneers upon the occasion of the -fiftieth anniversary of the settlement around and about the city; and -so, this dividing the attention of the people, it was not thought -best to undertake the work now, and again I bordered on the slough of -despondency. - -I could not repeat the famous words, I would "fight it out on this -line if it takes all summer," for here it is the 30th of August, and in -one day more summer will be gone. Neither could I see how to accomplish -more than prepare the way, and that now the press is doing, and sowing -seed upon kindly ground that will in the future bring forth abundant -harvest. - -Gradually the fact became uppermost in my mind that I was powerless -to move; that my team was gone. No response came to the extensive -advertisements for an ox or a yoke of oxen, showing clearly there were -none in the country, and that the only way to repair the damage was to -get unbroken steers or cows and break them in. This could not be done -in hot weather, or at least cattle unused to work could not go under -the yoke and render effective service while seasoning, and so, for the -time being, the work on the Trail was suspended. - -As I write in this beautiful grove of the old court house grounds, in -the heart of this embryo city of Grand Island, with its stately rows -of shade trees, its modest, elegant homes, the bustle and stir on -its business streets, with the constant passing of trains, shrieking -of whistles, ringing of bells, the reminder of a great change in -conditions, my mind reverts back to that June day in 1852 when I passed -over the ground near where the city stands. Vast herds of buffalo -then grazed on the hills or leisurely crossed our track and at times -obstructed our way. Flocks of antelope frisked on the outskirts or -watched from vantage points. The prairie dogs reared their heads in -comical attitude, burrowing, it was said, with the rattlesnake and the -badger. - -But now these dog colonies are gone; the buffalo has gone; the antelope -has disappeared; as likewise the Indian. Now all is changed. Instead -of the parched plain we saw in 1852, with its fierce clouds of dust -rolling up the valley and engulfing whole trains until not a vestige of -them could be seen, we see the landscape of smiling, fruitful fields, -of contented homes, of inviting clumps of trees dotting the landscape. -The hand of man has changed what we looked upon as a barren plain -to that of a fruitful land. Where then there were only stretches of -buffalo grass, now waving fields of grain and great fields of corn send -forth abundant harvests. Yes, we may again exclaim, "What wondrous -changes time has wrought." - -At Grand Island I shipped to Fremont, Neb., to head the procession -celebrating the semi-centennial of founding that city, working the ox -and cow together; thence to Lincoln, where the first edition of "The -Ox Team" was printed, all the while searching for an ox or a steer -large enough to mate the Dave ox, but without avail. Finally, after -looking over a thousand head of cattle in the stock yards of Omaha, a -five-year-old steer was found and broken in on the way to Indianapolis, -where I arrived January 5, 1907, eleven months and seven days from date -of departure from my home at Puyallup, 2,600 miles distant. - - - - -CHAPTER L. - -FROM INDIANAPOLIS TO WASHINGTON. - - -Upon my arrival in Indianapolis, people began to ask me about the -Trail, and to say they had never heard that the Oregon Trail ran -through that city, to which I replied I never had heard that it did. A -quizzical look sometimes would bring out an explanation that the intent -of the expedition was as much to work upon the hearts of the people -as to work upon the Trail itself; that what we wanted was to fire the -imagination of the people and get them first to know there was such a -thing as the Oregon Trail and then to know what it meant in history. - -After passing the Missouri, and leaving the Trail behind me, I somehow -had a foreboding that I might be mistaken for a faker and looked upon -either as an adventurer or a sort of a "wandering Jew" and shrank -from the ordeal. My hair had grown long on the trip across; my boots -were some the worse for wear and my old-fashioned suit (understood -well enough by pioneers along the Trail) that showed dilapidation all -combined, made me not the most presentable in every sort of company. -Coupled with that had I not already been compelled to say that I was -not a "corn doctor" or any kind of a doctor; that I did not have patent -medicine or any other sort of medicine to sell, and that I was neither -soliciting or receiving contributions to support the expedition? I had -early in the trip realized the importance of disarming criticism or -suspicion that there was graft or speculation in the work. And yet, day -after day, there would come questions, pointed or otherwise, evidently -to probe to the bottom to find out if there was lurking somewhere or -somehow an ulterior object not appearing on the surface. There being -none, the doubters would be disarmed only to make way for a new crop, -maybe the very next hour. - -But the press, with but one exception, had been exceedingly kind, -and understood the work. It remained for one man[25] of the thousand -or more who wrote of the work, at a later date to write of his -"suspicions." I wrote that gentleman that "suspicions as to one's -motives were of the same cloth as the 'breath of scandal' against a -fair lady's character, leaving the victim helpless without amende -honorable from the party himself," and gave him full information, but -he did not respond nor so far as I know publish any explanation of the -article in his paper. - -March 1st, 1907, found me on the road going eastward from Indianapolis. -I had made up my mind that Washington City should be the objective -point, and that Congress would be a better field to work in than out on -the hopelessly wide stretch of the Trail where one man's span of life -would certainly run before the work could be accomplished. - -But, before reaching Congress, it was well to spend a season or -campaign of education or manage somehow to get the work before the -general public so that the Congress might know about it, or at least -that many members might have heard about it. So a route was laid -out to occupy the time until the first of December, just before -Congress would again assemble, and be with them "in the beginning." -The route lay from Indianapolis, through Hamilton, Ohio; Dayton, -Columbus, Buffalo, then Syracuse, Albany, New York City, Trenton, N. -J.; Philadelphia., Pa.; Baltimore, Md., thence to Washington, visiting -intermediate points along the route outlined. This would seem to be -quite a formidable undertaking with one yoke of oxen and a big "prairie -schooner" wagon that weighed 1,400 pounds, a wooden axle, that would -speak at times if not watched closely with tar bucket in hand; and a -load of a thousand pounds or more of camp equipage, etc. And so it was, -but the reader may recall the fable of the "tortoise and the hare" and -find the lesson of persistence that gave the race, not to the swiftest -afoot. Suffice it to say that on the 29th of November, 1907, twenty-two -months to a day after leaving home at Puyallup, I drew up in front of -the White House in Washington City, was kindly received by President -Roosevelt, and encouraged to believe my labor had not been lost. - -The general reader may not be interested in the details of my varied -experiences in the numerous towns and cities through which I passed, -nevertheless there were incidents in some of the cities well worth -recording. - -As noted before, the press, from the beginning, seemed to understand -the object, and enter into the spirit of the work. It remained for -one paper during the whole trip (Hamilton, Ohio) to solicit pay for -a notice. My look of astonishment or something, it seems, wrought a -change, and the notice appeared, and I am able to record that not one -cent was paid to the press during the whole trip, and I think fully -a thousand articles have been published outlining and commending the -work. Had it not been for the press, no such progress as has been made -could have been accomplished, and if the appropriation be made by -Congress to mark the Trail, the press did it, not, however, forgetting -the patient oxen who did their part so well. - -An interesting incident, to me at least, occurred in passing through -the little town of Huntsville, ten miles east of Hamilton, Ohio, where -I was born, and had not seen for more than seventy years. A snap shot -of the old house where I was born did me no good, for at Dayton some -vandal stole my kodak, film and all, containing the precious impression. - -Dayton treated me nicely, bought a goodly number of my books and sent -me on my way rejoicing with no further feeling of solicitude toward -financing the expedition. I had had particularly bad luck in the -loss of my fine ox; then when the cows were bought and one of them -wouldn't go at all, and I was compelled to ship the outfit to Omaha, -more than a hundred miles; and was finally forced to buy the unbroken -steer Dandy, out of the stockyards at Omaha, and, what was more, pay -out all the money I could rake and scrape, save seven dollars. Small -wonder I should leave Dayton with a feeling of relief brought about -by the presence in my pocket of some money not drawn from home. I had -had other experiences of discouragement as well: when I first put the -"Ox Team" in print, it was almost "with fear and trembling"—would the -public buy it? I could not know without trying, and so a thousand -copies only were printed, which of course brought them up to a high -price per copy. But these sold, and two thousand more copies printed -and sold, and I was about even on the expense, when, lo and behold, my -plates and cuts were burned and a new beginning had to be made. - -Mayor Badger of Columbus wrote, giving me the "freedom of the city," -and Mayor Tom Johnson wrote to his chief of police to "treat Mr. Meeker -as the guest of the city of Cleveland," which he did. - -At Buffalo, N. Y., though, the mayor would have none of it, unless I -would pay one hundred dollars license fee, which of course I would not. -Fortunately, though, a camping ground was found in the very heart of -the city, and I received a hearty welcome from the citizens, and a good -hearing as well. A pleasant episode occurred here to while away the -time as well as to create a good feeling. The upper 400 of Buffalo were -preparing to give a benefit to one of the hospitals in the shape of a -circus. Elaborate preparations had been made and a part of the program -was an attack by Indians on an emigrant train, the Indians being -the well mounted young representatives of the city's elite. At this -juncture I arrived in the city, and was besieged to go and represent -the emigrant train, for which they would pay me, but I said, "No, not -for pay, but I will go." And so there was quite a realistic show in the -"ring" that afternoon and evening, and the hospital received over a -thousand dollars benefit. - -Near Oneida some one said I had better take to the towpath on the canal -and save distance, besides avoid going over the hill, adding that while -it was against the law, everybody did it and no one would object. So, -when we came to the forks of the road, I followed the best beaten track -and soon found ourselves traveling along on the level, hard but narrow -way, the towpath. All went well, and just at evening on an elevated -bridge across the canal, three mules were crossing and a canal-boat -was seen on the opposite side, evidently preparing to "camp" for the -night. With the kodak we were able to catch the last mule's ears as he -was backed into the boat for the night, but not so fortunate the next -day when the boat with three men, two women and three long-eared mules -were squarely met, the latter on the towpath. The mules took fright, -got into a regular mix-up, broke the harness and went up the towpath at -a 2:40 gait and were with difficulty brought under control. - -I had walked into Oneida the night before, and so did not see the sight -or hear the war of words that followed. The men ordered W. to "take -that outfit off the towpath." His answer was that he could not do it -without upsetting the wagon. The men said if he would not, they would -d—n quick, and started toward the wagon evidently intent to execute -their threat, meanwhile swearing at the top of their voices and the -women swearing in chorus, one of them fairly shrieking. My old and -trusted muzzle-loading rifle that we had carried across the Plains more -than fifty-five years before lay handy by, and so when the men started -toward him, W. picked up the rifle to show fight, and called on the dog -Jim to take hold of the men. As he raised the gun to use as a club, one -of the boatmen threw up his hands, bawling at the top of his voice, -"Don't shoot, don't shoot," forgot to mix in oaths, and slunk out of -sight behind the wagon; the others also drew back. Jim showed his teeth -and a truce followed when one of the women became hysterical and the -other called loudly for help. With but little inconvenience the mules -were taken off the path and the team drove on, whereupon a volley of -oaths was hurled at the object of all the trouble, in which the women -joined at the top of their voices, continuing as long as they could be -heard, one of them shrieking—drunk, W. thinks. - -The fun of it was, the gun that had spread such consternation hadn't -been loaded for more than twenty-five years, but the sight of it was -enough for the three stalwart braves of the "raging canal". - -I vowed then and there that we would travel no more on the towpath of -the canal. - -When I came to Albany, the mayor wouldn't talk to me after once taking -a look at my long hair. He was an old man, and as I was afterwards -told, a "broken-down politician" (whatever that may mean). At any -rate, he treated me quite rudely I thought, though I presume, in his -opinion, it was the best way to get rid of a nuisance, and so I passed -on through the city. - -But it took New York City to cap the climax—to bring me all sort of -experiences, sometimes with the police, sometimes with the gaping -crowds, and sometimes at the city hall. - -Mayor McLellan was not in the city when I arrived, but the acting -mayor said that while he could not grant a permit, to come on in—he -would have the police commissioner instruct his men not to molest me. -Either the instructions were not general enough or else the men paid -no attention, for when I got down as far as 161st Street on Amsterdam -Avenue, a policeman interfered and ordered my driver to take the team -to the police station, which he very properly refused to do. It was -after dark and I had just gone around the corner to engage quarters -for the night when this occurred; returning, I saw the young policeman -attempt to move the team, but as he didn't know how, they wouldn't -budge a peg, whereupon he arrested my driver, and took him away. Just -then another police tried to coax me to drive the team down to the -police station; I said, "No, sir, I will not." He said there were -good stables down there, whereupon I told him I had already engaged a -stable, and would drive to it unless prevented by force. The crowd had -become large and began jeering the policeman. The situation was that he -couldn't drive the team to the station, and I wouldn't, and so there -we were. To arrest me would make matters worse by leaving the team on -the street without any one to care for it, and so finally the fellow -got out of the way, and I drove the team to the stable, he, as well as -a large crowd, following. As soon as I was in the stable he told me -to come along with him to the police station; I told him I would go -when I got the team attended to, but not before unless he wished to -carry me. The upshot of the matter was that by this time the captain -of the precinct arrived and called his man off, and ordered my driver -released. He had had some word from the city hall but had not notified -his men. It transpired there was an ordinance against allowing cattle -to be driven on the streets of New York. Of course, this was intended -to apply to loose cattle, but the police interpreted it to mean any -cattle, and had the clubs to enforce their interpretation. I was in -the city, and couldn't get out without subjecting myself to arrest -according to their version of the laws, and in fact I didn't want to -get out. I wanted to drive down Broadway from one end to the other, -which I did, a month later, as will presently be related. - -All hands said nothing short of an ordinance by the board of aldermen -would clear the way; so I tackled the aldermen. The New York Tribune -sent a man over to the city hall to intercede for me; the New York -Herald did the same thing, and so it came about, the aldermen passed -an ordinance granting me the right of way for thirty days, and also -endorsed my work. I thought my trouble was over when that passed. -Not so, the mayor was absent, and the acting mayor could not sign an -ordinance until after ten days had elapsed. Then the city attorney came -in and said the aldermen had exceeded their authority as they could not -legally grant a special privilege. Then the acting mayor said he would -not sign the ordinance, but if I would wait until the next meeting -of the aldermen, if they did not rescind the ordinance, it would be -certified as he would not veto it, and that as no one was likely to -test the legality he thought I would be safe in acting as though it was -legal, and so, just thirty days from the time I had the bother with the -police, and had incurred $250.00 expense, I drove down Broadway from -161st Street to the Battery, without a slip or getting into any serious -scrape of any kind except with one automobilist who became angered, but -afterwards became "as good as pie," as the old saying goes. The rain -fell in torrents as we neared the Battery. I had engaged quarters for -the cattle nearby, but the stablemen went back on me, and wouldn't let -me in, and so drove up Water Street a long way before finding a place -and then was compelled to pay $4.00 for stable room and hay for the -cattle over night. - -[Illustration: Curb Stock Exchange, Broad Street, New York.] - -Thirty days satisfied me with New York. The fact was the crowds were -so great that congestion of traffic always followed my presence, and I -would be compelled to move. I went one day to the City Hall Park to get -the Greeley statue photographed with my team, and could not get away -without the help of the police, and even then with great difficulty. - -A trip across Brooklyn Bridge to Brooklyn was made, but I found the -congestion there almost as great as in the city proper. The month I -was on the streets of New York was a month of anxiety, and I was glad -enough to get out of the city on the 17th of October, just thirty days -after the drive down Broadway, and sixty days after the holdup on 161st -Street, and the very day the big run on the Knickerbocker Bank began. - -I came near meeting a heavy loss two days before leaving the city. -Somehow I got sandwiched in on the East Side above the Brooklyn -bridge in the congested district of the foreign quarters and finally -at nightfall drove into a stable, put the oxen in the stalls and, as -usual, the dog Jim in the wagon. The next morning Jim was gone. The -stablemen said he had left the wagon a few moments after I had and -had been stolen. The police accused the stablemen of being a party to -the theft, in which I think they were right. Anyway, the day wore off -and no tidings. Money could not buy that dog. He was an integral part -of the expedition; always on the alert; always watchful of the wagon -during my absence and always willing to mind what I bid him to do. He -had had more adventures than any other member of the work; first he -had been tossed over a high brush by the ox Dave; then shortly after -pitched headlong over a barbed wire fence by an irate cow; then came -the fight with a wolf; following this came a narrow escape from the -rattlesnake in the road; after this a trolley car run over him, rolling -him over and over again until he came out as dizzy as a drunken man—I -thought he was a "goner" that time sure, but he soon straightened up, -and finally in the streets of Kansas City was run over by a heavy truck -while fighting another dog. The other dog was killed outright, while -Jim came near having his neck broken, lost one of his best fighting -teeth and had several others broken. I sent him to a veterinary surgeon -and curiously enough he made no protest while having the broken teeth -repaired and extracted. He could eat nothing but soup and milk for -several days, and that poured down him, as he could neither lap nor -swallow liquids. It came very near being "all day" with Jim, but he -is here with me all right and seemingly good for a new adventure. - -[Illustration: Jim.] - -No other method could disclose where to find him than to offer a -reward, which I did, and feel sure I paid the twenty dollars to one of -the fellow-parties to the theft who was brazen faced enough to demand -pay for keeping him. Then was when I got up and talked pointedly, and -was glad enough to get out of that part of the city. - -Between Newark and Elizabeth City, New Jersey, at a point known as -"Lyons Farm," the old "Meeker Homestead" stands, built in the year -1767. Here the "Meeker Tribe," as we called ourselves, came out to -greet me near forty strong, as shown by the illustration.[26] Except -in Philadelphia, I did not receive much recognition between Elizabeth -City and Washington. Wilmington would have none of it, except for pay, -and so I passed on, but at Philadelphia I was bid to go on Broad Street -under the shadow of the great city hall where great crowds came and -took a lot of my literature away during the four days I tarried; in -Baltimore I got a "cold shoulder" and passed through the city without -halting long. In parts of Maryland I found many lank oxen with long -horns and light quarters, the drivers not being much interested in the -outfit except to remark, "Them's mighty fine cattle, stranger; where do -you come from?" and like passing remarks. - -But when I reached Washington, the atmosphere, so to speak, changed—a -little bother with the police a few days, but soon brushed aside. I -had been just twenty-two months to a day in reaching Washington from -the time I made my first day's drive from my home at Puyallup, January -29th, 1906. It took President Roosevelt to extend a royal welcome. - -[Illustration: President Roosevelt on the Way to View the Team; War and -Navy Building in the Background.] - -"Well, well, WELL, WELL," was the exclamation that fell from his lips -as he came near enough the outfit to examine it critically, which he -did. Senator Piles and Representative Cushman of the Washington State -Congressional delegation had introduced me to the President in the -cabinet room. Mr. Roosevelt showed a lively interest in the work from -the start. He did not need to be told that the Trail was a battlefield, -or that the Oregon pioneers who moved out and occupied the Oregon -country while yet in dispute between Great Britain and the United -States were heroes who fought a strenuous battle as "winners of the -farther west," for he fairly snatched the words from my lips and went -even farther than I had even dreamed of, let alone having hoped for, in -invoking Government aid to carry on the work. - -[Illustration: President Roosevelt Viewing the Team, November 29, 1907.] - -Addressing Senator Piles the President said with emphasis, "I am in -favor of this work to mark this Trail and if you will bring before -Congress a measure to accomplish it, I am with you, and will give it my -support to do it thoroughly." - -Mr. Roosevelt thought the suggestion of a memorial highway should first -come from the states through which the Trail runs; anyway it would be -possible to get congressional aid to mark the Trail, and that in any -event, ought to be speedily done. - -Apparently, on a sudden recollecting other engagements pressing, the -President asked, "Where is your team? I want to see it." Upon being -told that it was near by, without ceremony, and without his hat he was -soon alongside, asking questions faster than they could be answered, -not idle questions, but such as showed his intense desire to get real -information—bottom facts—as the saying goes. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[25] William Allen White. - -[26] See illustration, Chapter I. - - - - -CHAPTER LI. - -THE RETURN TRIP. - - -I left Washington on the 8th of January, 1908, and shipped the outfit -over the Alleghany Mountains to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, having -been in Washington, as the reader will note, thirty-nine days. From -McKeesport I drove to Pittsburg and there put the team into winter -quarters to remain until the 5th of March; thence shipped by boat on -the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Ohio, stopping in that city but one day, -and from there shipping by rail to St. Louis, Missouri. At Pittsburg -and adjacent cities I was received cordially and encouraged greatly -to believe the movement for a national highway had taken a deep hold -in the minds of the people. The Pittsburg Automobile Club issued a -circular letter to all the automobile clubs of Pennsylvania, and -likewise to the congressional delegation of Pennsylvania, urging them -to favor not only the bill then pending in Congress, appropriating -$50,000 for marking the Oregon Trail, but also a measure looking to -the joint action of the national government and the states, to build -a national highway over the Oregon Trail as a memorial road. I was -virtually given the freedom of the city of Pittsburg, and sold my -literature without hindrance; but not so when I came to Cincinnati. -The mayor treated me with scant courtesy, but the automobile clubs of -Cincinnati took action at once similar to that of the Pittsburg club. -Again when I arrived in St. Louis, I received at the city hall the -same frigid reception that had been given me at Cincinnati, although -strenuous efforts were made by prominent citizens to bring out a -different result. However, the mayor was obdurate and so after tarrying -for a few days, I drove out of the city, greatly disappointed at the -results, but not until after the automobile club and the Daughters of -the American Revolution had taken formal action endorsing the work. -My greater disappointment was that here I had anticipated a warm -reception. St. Louis, properly speaking, had been the head center of -the movement that finally established the Oregon Trail. Here was where -Weythe, Bonneyville, Whitman and others of the earlier movements out on -the trail had outfitted; but there is now a commercial generation, many -of whom that care but little about the subject. Nevertheless I found a -goodly number of zealous advocates of the cause of marking the Trail. - -The drive from St. Louis to Jefferson City, the capital of the State -of Missouri, was tedious and without results other than reaching the -point where actual driving began in early days. - -Governor Folk came out on the state house steps to have his photograph -taken and otherwise signified his approval of the work, and I was -accorded a cordial hearing by the citizens of that city. On the fourth -of April I arrived at Independence, Missouri, which is generally -understood to be the eastern terminus of the Trail. - -I found, however, that many of the pioneers shipped father up the -Missouri, some driving from Atchison, some from Leavenworth, others -from St. Joseph and at a little later period, multitudes from -Kainsville (now Council Bluffs), where Whitman and Parker made their -final break from civilization and boldly turned their faces westerly -for the unknown land of Oregon. - -A peculiar condition of affairs existed at Independence. The nearby -giant city of Kansas City had long ago overshadowed the embryo -commercial mart of the early thirties and had taken even that early -trade from Independence. However, the citizens of Independence -manifested an interest in the work and took measures to raise a fund -for a $5,000 monument. At a meeting of the commercial club it was -resolved to raise the funds, but found to be "uphill work." Whether -they will succeed is problematical. A novel scheme had been adopted -to raise funds. A local author proposed to write a drama, "The Oregon -Trail," and put it on the stage at Independence and Kansas City, for -the benefit of the Monument fund. If he can succeed in carrying out -successfully the plot as outlined, he ought to write a play that would -be a monument to the thought as well as to provide funds for a monument -to the Trail, for certainly here is a theme that would not only fire -the imagination of an audience but likewise enlist their sympathies. -I am so impressed with the importance of this work that I am tempted -to outline the theme in the hope if his attempt does not succeed, that -others may be prompted to undertake the work. - -First, the visit of the four Flat Head Indians in search of the -"white man's book of heaven," entertained in St. Louis by Gen. George -Rogers Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, until two of them died; then -the death of a third on the way home; the historic speech of one, -telling of their disappointment, and final return home of the single -survivor; then follows the two-thousand-mile bridal tour of Whitman -and Spaulding, and this in turn by the historic movement of the early -home builders to the Oregon country with its grand results; the fading -memory of a forgetful generation until the recollections of the -grand highway is recovered in a blaze of glory to be handed down to -succeeding generations, by the homage of a nation. - -At Kansas City, Mo., the thoughts of the people had been turned to the -Santa Fe Trail by the active campaign in the border state of Kansas in -erecting markers on that trail. To my utter surprise it seemed that the -Oregon Trail had almost been forgotten; the sentiment and thought had -all been centered on the Santa Fe Trail. I tarried with them exactly -one month, spoke to numerous organized bodies, and came away with the -feeling the seed had been planted that would revive the memory of the -Oregon Trail and finally result in a monument in the greater city. -In the lesser Kansas City, Kansas, I visited all the public schools, -spoke to the eleven thousand school children of the city and came away -with the satisfaction of having secured contributions from over 3,000 -children to a fund for erecting a monument in that city. - -To further interest the children of the State of Kansas, I placed -$25.00 in the hands of their state superintendent of schools, to be -offered as a prize for the best essay on the Oregon Trail. This contest -has been determined during the calendar year of 1908 and the award made. - -[Illustration: Addressing Colored School, Kansas City, Kans.] - -All existing maps in the State of Kansas ignore the Oregon Trail. The -"Santa Fe Trail" is shown; there is a "Fremont Trail," a "California -Trail," a "Mormon Trail," but not one mile of an "Oregon Trail," -although this great historic ancient trail traversed the state for -fully two hundred miles. This incident shows how extremely important, -that early action to mark the Oregon Trail should be taken before it is -too late. - -The Santa Fe and Oregon trails from Independence and Kansas City -are identical out to the town of Gardner, Kansas, forty miles or -thereabouts. Here, the Santa Fe Trail bore on to the west and finally -southwest, while the Oregon Trail bore steadily on to the northwest -and encountered the Platte Valley below Grand Island in what is now -Nebraska. At the "forks of the road," the historian Chittenden says, -"a simple signboard was seen which carried the words 'Road to Oregon,' -thus pointing the way for two thousand miles. No such signboard ever -before pointed the road for so long a distance and probably another -such never will. I determined to make an effort to at least recover -the spot where this historic sign once stood, and if possible plant -a marker there. Kind friends in Kansas City, one of whom I had not -met for sixty years, took me in their automobile to Gardner, Kansas, -where, after a search of two hours, the two survivors were found who -were able to point out the spot—Mr. V. R. Ellis and William J. Ott, -whose residence in the near vicinity dated back nearly fifty years; -aged respectively, 77 and 82 years. The point is at the intersection -of Washington and Central Street in the town of Gardner, Kansas. In -this little town of a few hundred inhabitants stands a monument for the -Santa Fe Trail, a credit to the sentimental feelings of the community, -but, having expended their energies on that work, it was impossible to -get them to undertake to erect another, although I returned a few days -later, spoke to a meeting of the town council and citizens and offered -to secure $250.00 elsewhere if the town would undertake to raise a like -sum. - -This last trip cost me over a hundred dollars. As I left the train at -Kansas City on my return, my pocket was "picked" and all the money I -had, save a few dollars, was gone. This is the first time in my life I -have lost money in that way, and I want it to be the last. - -I planned to drive up the Missouri and investigate the remaining five -prongs of The Trail—Leavenworth, Atchison, St. Joseph and Kanesville, -the other, Independence and Westpoint (now Kansas City), considered as -one—but first drove to Topeka, the capital city of the State of Kansas, -where I arrived May 11th (1908). The "Trail" crosses the Kansas River -under the very shadow of the state house—not three blocks away—yet only -a few knew of its existence. The state had appropriated $1,000 to mark -the Santa Fe Trail, and the Daughters of the Revolution had conducted -a campaign of supplementing this fund and had actually procured the -erection of 96 markers. While I received a respectful hearing by these -ladies, yet they shrank from undertaking new work at the present time. -The same conditions controlled at Leavenworth and likewise at Atchison, -and hence, I did not tarry long at either place, but at all three, -Topeka, Leavenworth and Atchison, a lively interest was manifested, -as well as at Lawrence, and I am led to feel the drive was not lost, -although no monument was secured, but certainly the people do now know -there is an Oregon Trail. All the papers did splendid work and have -carried on the work in a way that will leave a lasting impression. - -On the 23d of May the team arrived at St. Joseph, Missouri. At this -point many pioneers had outfitted in early days and the sentiment was -in hearty accord with the work, yet plainly there would be a hard "tug" -to get the people together on a plan to erect a monument. "Times were -very tight to undertake such a work" came the response from so many -that no organized effort was made. By this time the fact became known -that the committee in Congress having charge of the bill appropriating -$50,000 to mark the Trail, had taken action and had made a favorable -report, and which is universally held to be almost equivalent to the -passage of the bill. - -So, all things considered, the conclusion was reached to suspend -operation, ship the team home and for the time being take a rest from -the work. I had been out from home twenty-eight months, lacking but -five days, hence it is small wonder if I should conclude to listen to -the inner longings to get back to the home and home life. Put yourself -in my place, reader, and see what you think you would have done. True, -the Trail was not yet fully nor properly marked, yet something had been -accomplished and with this, the thought, a good deal more might be -expected from the seed planted. - -May 26th I shipped the outfit to Portland, Oregon, where I arrived on -the 6th day of June (1908), and went into camp on the same grounds I -had camped on in March (1906) on my outward trip. - -Words cannot express my deep feelings of gratitude for the royal, -cordial reception given me by the citizens of Portland, from the mayor -down to the humblest citizen, and for the joyous reunion with the 2,000 -pioneers who had just assembled for their annual meeting. - -The drive from Portland to Seattle is one long to be remembered, and -while occupying a goodly number of days, yet not one moment of tedious -time hung heavy on my shoulders, and on the 18th day of July, 1908, I -drove into the city of Seattle and the long "trek" was ended. - -It would be unbecoming in me to assume in a vainglorious mood that the -manifestation of cordiality, and I may say joy, in the hearts of many -at my homecoming was wholly due to the real merit of my work, knowing -as I do that so many have magnified the difficulties of the trip, -yet it would be less than human did I not feel, and unjust did I not -express the pride, and I hope is pardonable, and openly acknowledge it, -for the kindly words and generous actions of my friends and neighbors, -and to all such I extend my kindest and heartfelt thanks. - - - - -CHAPTER LII. - -THE END. - - -Now that the trip has been made, and an account of stock, so to speak, -taken, I have become surprised the work was undertaken. Not that I -regret the act any more than I regret the first act of crossing the -Plains in 1852, which to me now appears to be as incomprehensible as -the later act. If one questions the motive prompting and governing the -movements of the early pioneers, scarcely two of the survivors will -tell the same story, or give the same reason. This wonderful movement -was brought vividly home to my mind recently while traversing the great -fertile plains of the Middle West, where most of the emigrants came -from. Here was a vast expanse of unoccupied fertile land, beautiful -as ever mortal man looked upon; great rivers traversed this belt, to -carry the surplus crops to distant markets; smaller streams ramify all -over the region to multiply the opportunities for choice locations -to one's heart's content, and yet these Oregon emigrants passed all -these opportunities and boldly struck out on the 2,000-mile stretch -of what was then known as the Great American Desert, and braved the -dangers of Indian warfare, of starvation, of sickness—in a word, of -untold dangers,—to reach the almost totally unknown Oregon Country. -Why did they do it? Can any man tell? I have been asked thousands of -times while on this later trip what prompted me to make it? I can -not answer that question satisfactorily to myself and have come to -answering the question by asking another, or more accurately speaking, -several, "Why do you decorate a grave?" or "Why do we as a people mark -our battlefields?" or "Why do we erect monuments to the heroic dead of -war?" It is the same sentiment, for instance, that prompted marking the -Gettysburg battlefield. - -Yes, as I recently returned home over the Oregon Short Line Railroad -that in many places crossed the old Trail (with Dave and Dandy quietly -chewing their cud in the car, and myself supplied with all the luxuries -of a great palatial overland train), and I began vividly to realize the -wide expanse of country covered, and passed first one and then another -of the camping places, I am led to wonder if, after all, I could have -seen the Trail stretched out, as like a panorama, as seen from the car -window, would I have undertaken the work? I sometimes think not. We -all of us at times undertake things that look bigger after completion, -than in our vision ahead of us, or in other words, go into ventures -without fully counting the cost. Perhaps, to an extent this was the -case in this venture; the work did look larger from the car window -than from the camp. Nevertheless, I have no regrets to express nor -exultation to proclaim. In one sense the expedition has been a failure, -in that as yet the Trail is not sufficiently marked for all time and -for all generations to come. We have made a beginning, and let us hope -the end sought will in the near future become an accomplished fact, -and not forget the splendid response from so many communities on the -way in this, the beginning. And let the reader, too, remember he has -an interest in this work, a duty to perform to aid in building up -American citizenship, for "monumenting" the Oregon Trail means more -than the mere preservation in memory of that great highway; it means -the building up of loyalty, patriotism—of placing the American thought -upon a higher plane, as well as of teaching history in a form never to -be forgotten and always in view as an object lesson. - -The financing of the expedition became at once a most difficult -problem. A latent feeling existed favoring the work, but how to utilize -it—concentrate it upon a plan that would succeed,—confronted the -friends of the enterprise. Elsewhere the reader will find the reason -given, why the ox team was chosen and the drive over the old Trail -undertaken. But there did not exist a belief in the minds of many -that the "plan would work," and so it came about that almost every -one refused to contribute, and many tried to discourage the effort, -sincerely believing that it would result in failure. - -I have elsewhere acknowledged the liberality of H. C. Davis of -Claquato, Washington, sending his check for $50.00 with which to -purchase an ox. Irving Alvord of Kent, Washington, contributed $25.00 -for the purchase of a cow. Ladd of Portland gave a check for $100.00 -at the instance of George H. Rimes, who also secured a like sum from -others—$200.00 in all. Then when I lost the ox Twist and telegraphed -to Henry Hewitt of Tacoma to send me two hundred dollars, the response -came the next day to the bank at Gothenburg, Nebraska, to pay me -that amount. But, notwithstanding the utmost effort and most rigid -economy, there did seem at times that an impending financial failure -was just ahead. In the midst of the enthusiasm manifested, I felt the -need to put on a bold front and refuse contributions for financing -the expedition, knowing full well that the cry of "graft" would be -raised and that contributions to local committees for monuments would -be lessened, if not stopped altogether. The outlay had reached the -$1,400.00 mark when I had my first 1,000 copies of the "Ox Team" -printed. Would the book sell, I queried? I had written it in camp, -along the roadside; in the wagon—any place and at any time I could -snatch an opportunity or a moment from other pressing work. These were -days of anxieties. Knowing full well the imperfections of the work, -small wonder if I did, in a figurative sense, put out the book "with -fear and trembling,"—an edition of 1,000 copies. The response came -quick, for the book sold and the expedition was saved from failure -for lack of funds. Two thousand more were printed, and while these -were selling, my cuts, plates and a part of a third reprint were all -destroyed by fire in Chicago, and I had to begin at the bottom. New -plates and new cuts were ordered, and this time 6,000 copies were -printed, and later another reprint of 10,000 copies (19,000 in all), -with less than 1,000 copies left unsold two months after arriving -home. So the book saved the day. Nevertheless, there were times—until -I reached Philadelphia—when the question of where the next dollar of -expense money would come from before an imperative demand came for it -bore heavily on my mind. Two months tied up in Indianapolis during the -winter came near deciding the question adversely; then later, being -shut out from selling at Buffalo, Albany and some other places, and -finally the tie-up in New York, related elsewhere, nearly "broke the -bank". New York did not yield a rich harvest for selling, as I had -hoped for, as the crowds were too great to admit of my remaining long -in one place, but when Philadelphia was reached and I was assigned a -place on Broad Street near the city hall, the crowds came, the sales -ran up to $247.00 in one day and $600.00 for four days, the financial -question was settled, and there were no more anxious moments about -where the next dollar was to come from, although the aggregate expenses -of the expedition had reached the sum of nearly eight thousand dollars. - -"All is well that ends well," as the old saying goes, and so I am -rejoiced to be able to report so favorable a termination of the -financial part of the expedition. - - - - -CHAPTER LIII. - -THE INTERIM AND SECOND TRIP. - - -The preceding chapter, "The End", was written more than eight years -ago. Readers will have noted the work of monumenting the Oregon Trail -was left unfinished, that only a beginning had been made, that the -seed had been planted from which greater results might reasonably -have been expected to follow; that though in one sense the work had -failed, nevertheless the effort had been fully justified by the results -obtained. - -A great change has come over the minds of the American people in this -brief period of eight years. Numerous organizations have sprung into -existence for the betterment of Good Roads, for the perpetuation of -"The Old Trails" and the memory of those who wore them wide and deep. -It is without the province of this writing to give a history of these -various movements, and in any event space forbids undertaking the task. -Suffice it to say the widespread interest in the good roads movement -alone is shown by the introduction of sixty bills upon the subject -during the first month of the Sixty-fourth Congress—more than double -that introduced in any previous Congress. But we are now more concerned -to record a brief history of what happened to the "Overland Outfit" -since the so-called great trek ended. - -[Illustration: At the Yukon Exposition, 1909.] - -Dave and Dandy, after a few weeks of visiting, were put into winter -quarters in Seattle, where the admonition of the Israelite law, "Thou -shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn", was observed and -both showed more fat on the ribs for the nearly three years of the -strenuous life on the road. The dog "Jim" had likewise fattened up -under a less strenuous life, but did not lose his watchful, faithful -care of things surrounding him, that had seemed to have become a sort -of second nature while on the trip. The owner of the "outfit", the -writer, soon became restless under enforced idleness and arranged to -participate in the Alaska Yukon Exposition held in Seattle during the -summer of 1909, for illustrating pioneer life in the cabin and feeding -the hungry multitude. Neither enterprise succeeded financially and the -"multitude" soon ate him out of "house and home", demonstrating he had -missed his calling by the disappearance of his accumulation, leaving -him the experience only, to be vividly felt, though mysterious as the -unseen air. To "lie down" and give up, to me was unthinkable. I had -contemplated a second trip over the Trail to add to what had been done -even if it was impossible to "finish up", but winter was approaching -and so a trip to the sunny climate of California was made to remain -until the winter 1909-10 had passed into history. - -March 16, 1910, the start was made for a second trip over the old -Trail from The Dalles, Oregon. "Dave" by this time had become a -"seasoned ox" though had not yet worked out of him the unruly meanness -that seemed to cling to him almost to the last. "Dandy" was not a whit -behind him as an ox and kept his good nature for the whole trip before -him (which lasted nearly two years) and to the end of his life. - -On this trip no effort was made to erect monuments, but more special -attention paid toward locating the Trail. Tracings of the township -survey through which the Trail was known to run were obtained at the -state capitals at Boise, Idaho; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Lincoln, Nebraska; -and Topeka, Kansas. The United States deputy surveyors of public -lands are instructed to note all roads or trails crossing section or -township lines. Here came "confusion worse confounded" by the numerous -notations, some appearing on several section lines in succession, -others on one line and then not again for many miles and, of course, -it was not known by the deputies which was the Oregon Trail, or which -was a later road or which was simply an old buffalo trail, and later -followed by the Indians. - -If we could pick up a known point of the Oregon Trail noted on a -section line crossing and search for another even if many miles distant -and find it and get the general direction, I don't recall a single -failure to locate the intervening points. This, however, did not always -result in finding the visible marks on the ground, but the memory of -the old settlers would come in or an Indian might remember, and then -sometimes we would stumble on it before we knew where the mysterious -track lay. Once I remember finding two rods in length of the "old -trough" in a fence road crossing, where the traces in fields on both -sides had been cultivated, the road graded, and only this little spot -left undisturbed. Other places out on the plains were left undisturbed -by improvements. Nature had come in to it in parts and obliterated -the marks. Then again at other places the marks remained so plain one -might almost say it could be seen miles ahead, both wide and deep—200 -feet wide in places where the sage had been killed out, and then again -in sandy points so deep one hesitates to tell fearing lest he may be -accused of exaggerating; but here goes: I did measure one point fifteen -feet deep and seventy-five feet wide. - -In the sage lands there came points where one might say the Trail could -be identified by its "countenance", that is by the shade of color -of the sage growth, sometimes only a very light shade at that, yet -unmistakable where one had become accustomed to see it, like a familiar -face. To me this search became more and more interesting, and I may say -fascinating, and will remain a pleasant memory as long as I live. - -It is not my purpose to give a detailed account of this second trip -beginning at The Dalles, Oregon, March 16, 1910, and ending at -Puyallup, Washington, August 26, 1912, twenty-nine months and ten days, -but only refer briefly, very briefly, to some experiences, a passing -notice only. - -At San Antonio, Texas, we camped in the Alamo, adjoining to that -historic spot where David Crocket was killed. At Chicago the crowds -"jostled" us almost like the experience in New York three years before. -I crossed over the Loop Fork of Platte River, three-quarters of a mile -wide, in the wagon box under a moving picture camera to illustrate -the ways of the pioneers of the long ago. We encountered a veritable -cloudburst in the Rocky Mountains in which we very nearly lost the -outfit in the roaring torrent that followed, and did lose almost all -of my books and other effects. Later Dandy pulled off one of his shoes -in the mountain road and became so lame we were compelled to abandon -farther driving, then we shipped home. Then came the great misfortune -of losing Jim out of the car, and never got him back. Nevertheless, -I have no regrets to express and have many pleasant memories to bear -witness of the trip. All in all it was a more strenuous trip than -the drive to Washington and all things considered it was prolific in -results. - -Part of the time I was alone; but I didn't mind that so much, except -for the extra work thrown upon me. - -One more incident, this time a pleasant one: - -One day as I was traveling leisurely along, suddenly there appeared -above the horizon veritable castles—castles in the air. It was a -mirage. I hadn't seen one for sixty years, but it flashed upon me -instantly what it was—the reflection of some weird pile of rocks so -common on the Plains. The shading changes constantly, reminding me of -the almost invisible changes of the northern lights, and it so riveted -my attention that I forgot all else until Jim's barking ahead of the -oxen recalled me to consciousness, as one might say, to discover Dave -and Dandy had wandered off the road, browsing and nipping a bit of -grass here and there. Jim knew something was going wrong and gave the -alarm. Verily the sagacity of the dog is akin to the intelligence of -man. - -As just recorded, the second trip was ended. I had long contemplated -contributing the outfit for the perpetuation of history. It did not -take long to obtain an agreement with the city authorities at Tacoma -to take the ownership over and to provide a place for them. Before the -whole agreement was consummated the State of Washington assumed the -responsibility of preserving them in the State Historical Building, -where by the time this writing is in print the whole outfit will be -enclosed in a great glass case, fourteen feet by twenty-eight, in one -of the rooms of the new State Historical Building. The oxen, from the -hands of the taxidermist, look as natural as life, while standing with -the yoke on in front of the wagon, as so often seen when just ready for -a day's drive. - -The wagon, typically a "Prairie Schooner" of "ye olden days" of the -pioneers, with its wooden axle, the linch pin and old-fashioned -"schooner bed", weather-beaten and scarred, would still be good for -another trip without showing wobbling wheels or screeching axle, as -when plenty of tar had not been used. Of this "screeching" the memory -of pioneers hark back to the time when the tar gave out and the -groaning inside the hub began with a voice comparable and as audible -as of a braying donkey, or the sharper tone of the filing of a saw. Is -it, or was it, worth while to preserve these old relics? Some say not. -I think it was. Taxidermists tell us, barring accidents and if properly -cared for, the oxen are virtually indestructible and that a thousand -years hence they may be seen in this present form by the generation -then inhabiting the earth, who may read a lesson as to what curious -kind of people lived in this the twentieth century of the Christian era. - -A map of the old Trail nearly forty feet long has been made with -painstaking care, an outline of which will be painted on the inside of -the glass case. Nearly a hundred and fifty monuments, or thereabouts, -have been erected along the old landmark. Photographs of most of these -have been secured or eventually all will be. The plan is to number -these and display them on the glass with a corresponding number at the -particular point on the map where each belongs. These will doubtless -be added to as time goes on to complete the record of the greatest -trail of all history—where twenty thousand died in the conquering of -a continent, aside from the unknown number that fell by the resisting -hand of the native uncivilized savages. It's a pathetic story and but -few, very few, of the actors are left to tell the story. - - -THE OLD TRAILS. - -I do not propose to write a history of the "Old Trails". That has been -done by painstaking historians, though it may be truly said that by no -means has the last word been written. There is, however, a field that -is to be hoped will soon be occupied, for the assembling of already -recorded facts in a "Child's History" in attractive form, to the end -the younger generation as they come on the stage of action may learn -to love the memory of the pioneers and the very tracks they trod. -Nothing will more surely build up a healthy patriotism in the breasts -of generations to follow than a study of the deeds of their forbears -that conquered the fair land they inhabit. Thus far, a brief history -has been given of the effort to erect granite monuments along the old -Trail. This of itself is a commendable, grand work, but by no means the -last word. Simple sentinel monuments, if we may so designate them, have -their value, but to be enduring should be of utility that will not only -serve as a reminder of the past but likewise attract the attention of -the greater number, the multitude that will become interested because -of their utility and more willing to lend a hand to their preservation -after once being created. This is why the pioneers have so persistently -clung to the design of a highway along the lines of the trails—once -a highway, say they, let them always be such as long as civilization -continues. - -And so an appeal was made to Congress for renewing the memory of the -"Old Trails" by establishing a national highway from coast to coast, to -be known as "Pioneer Way". - - - PIONEER WAY. - - 64th Congress, First Session.—H. R. 9137. - - IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. - - January 15, 1916. - - Mr. Humphrey of Washington introduced the following bill; which - was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs and ordered to - be printed. - - A BILL - - _To survey and locate a military and post road from Saint Louis, - Missouri, to Olympia, Washington._ - - Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of - the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the - Secretary of War be, and is hereby, directed, to appoint a board - of two members, one of them being a United States Army engineer - and the other a civilian, to make a preliminary survey for a - military and post highway from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Olympia, - Washington, said military highway to follow the following route - as near as may be: From Saint Louis to Kansas City, Missouri, - following as near as may be the general route of what is commonly - known as the "Old Trail." From Kansas City, following the joint - Santa Fe and Oregon trails for about forty miles to the city of - Gardner, Kansas; thence following the general route of the Oregon - Trail to Topeka, Kansas, and from Topeka thence to the State line - of Nebraska; thence, following said trail, to the Platte River, - and thence along the most practical route near the right bank - of the said Platte River to a point where, in the judgment of - said board, they may decide as to the best point to cross said - river, said crossing to be below or at the junction of the north - and south forks of said river; thence, as near as may be, along - the left river bank of said North Platte River to the State line - of Wyoming; thence by the best general route to a point where - the Old Trail diverges from said river to the left bank of the - Sweetwater River near the landmark known as Independence Rock; - thence up Sweetwater River to a point where said Old Trail leaves - said river and ascends to the summit of the Rocky Mountains in - the South Pass, and thence to the nearby point known as Pacific - Springs; thence to Bear River Valley and the State line of Idaho; - thence down said valley to Soda Springs and to Pocatello, Idaho; - thence to American Falls, Idaho, and to the best crossing of the - Snake River; thence to and down the Boise Valley to Boise City, - Idaho; thence to recrossing of Snake River and to Huntington in - the State of Oregon; thence to La Grande, Oregon; thence over the - Blue Mountains to the city of The Dalles, Oregon; thence through - the Columbia River Gap to Vancouver on the right bank of the - Columbia River in the State of Washington; thence to the city of - Olympia, Washington; following generally the Old Oregon Trail - and other trails followed by the pioneers in going from Saint - Louis to Puget Sound, utilizing, wherever practicable, roads and - highways already existing. - - Sec. 2. That said board shall report as to the cost, the location - of said highway, and the character of construction that they deem - advisable for such highway. - - Sec. 3. That said board shall also take up with the State - authorities in the States through which the said road shall pass - and report what co-operation can be secured from such States in - the construction and maintenance of such road. - - Sec. 4. That the board shall also report on the advisability - of employing the United States Army in the construction of any - portion of said road. - - Sec. 5. That the name of said road shall be "Pioneer Way." - - See. 6. That the sum of $75,000, or so much thereof as may be - necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated out of any - money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose - of defraying the expense in connection with such survey. - -"At the hearing before the House Committee on Military Affairs, H. R. -9137, A Bill 'To survey and locate a Military and Post Road from Saint -Louis, Missouri, to Olympia, Washington,' Ezra Meeker, of Seattle, -Washington, was called before the Committee and made an oral plea -favoring the passage of the bill and filed a statement, a copy of which -appears below": - - The bill before you authorizing the locating and survey of a - great National Highway to be known as "Pioneer Way," as a tribute - to the memory of the pioneers, has a deeper significance than - that of sentiment, though fully justified from that motive alone. - - It is well to remember that the possession of the Oregon - country hung in the balance for many years; that a number of - our statesmen of the Nineteenth Century, including Jefferson - himself, did not believe we should attempt to incorporate this - vast territory, the Oregon country, as a part of the United - States, Jefferson even going so far as advocating an independent - government in that, to him then, land of mystery. - - Encouraged by these differences of opinion among our own people - and prompted by the hunger for territorial aggrandizement and - likewise spurred to action by the rich harvest of furs that - poured millions of pounds sterling into the coffers of the London - company, known as the Hudson Bay Company, the British government - tenaciously held its grip on the country and refused to give it - up until the pioneers, the home builders, boldly took possession, - refused any sort of a compromise and presented the alternative - of war or to be left in peaceable possession of their homes. It - is simply a record of history that this vanguard of bold, great - men and women hastened the final settlement of the contest and - it is believed by many to have been the determining factor that - compelled the British to withdraw. - - It was a great event in the history of the United States, in fact - of the world's history, as otherwise the "Stony Mountains," as - Jefferson advocated, would have been the western limits of the - United States, and it requires no stretch of the imagination to - discern the far-reaching results that would have followed. - - Although as I have said, justified in undertaking this great work - from sentiment alone, there are other potent factors that to some - may seem to be of greater importance and to which I wish to call - your attention. - - The last decade has wrought great changes in world affairs by the - numerous discoveries and improvements; not the least of these - is the wonderful advance in the use of the "trackless" car now - progressing so rapidly. Pardon me for saying that in my belief - that any of you gentlemen that may live to be of my present age - will see a far greater improvement than has already been made—one - that staggers the imagination to grasp. - - Having been born before the advent of railroads in the United - States (1830); witnessing the strides in civilization made - possible by this great factor, I can truly say that I believe - there is a far greater impending change before you from the - introduction of the trackless car than has followed the rail - car. This one feature alone, the government ownership (State - or National) of the road bed with private ownership of the car - will foster enterprise, build up character, promote independence - of spirit, change the tide of people from the cities "back to - the farm", now so important to the continued welfare of the - nation. The tremendous effect upon the development of the seven - States, through which this proposed highway will pass, can not - fail to serve as a great object lesson and encourage other great - interstate highways so necessary to the commercial development of - the country in time of peace and preparedness for defense in time - of war. - - As to the latter, preparedness for war, I will speak presently, - but just now wish to call your attention to the influence upon - the material developments of the country, which in fact is a - measure of preparedness for defense or war. This measure, if you - will notice, provides for state co-operation in the building and - maintenance of this thoroughfare. This feature should not be lost - sight of. It is important, of vital importance may I not say. If - a given state will not join, the national government nevertheless - should build the road and restrict its use to military and postal - service, until such times as the state would enter into an - equitable agreement as to its cost and upkeep (which would not be - for long), for commercial use as well as for military and postal - purposes. - - Now, as to preparedness for defense or for war to follow the - building of this great trunk line, military highway over the - Oregon Trail which would soon be followed east by the extension - on the old Cumberland road as such to Washington and, as - originally, to Philadelphia, thus creating the world's greatest - thoroughfare, is so patent, we need not occupy your time to - discuss, except as to the general principles of such a measure. - We can readily see how a small army may become more formidable - than a larger one where the means are at hand for speedy - mobilization. The great battle of the Marne, that saved Paris - from the horrors of a siege and probable destruction, was won by - the French by the sudden concentration of troops made possible by - the use of thousands of automobiles. - - This object lesson should not be lost sight of and it should - be remembered that the road bed is the final word; in other - words, the usefulness of the automobiles is measured by the road - condition. It is without the province of this discussion to - advocate the measures, that is the extent of preparedness this - nation should undertake. There are millions of honest citizens - who believe there is no danger of an attack from a foreign foe - and hence no measure of preparedness is necessary, forgetting - that as far back as history records run, there has been war, wars - of conquest, religious wars, wars from jealousies or towering - ambitions, from causes so numerous, we tire to recite them and - that what has happened in the history of the thousands of years - that have passed, will happen in the cycle of time in the future. - - Whatever may be the difference of opinion as to what measure of - defense we adopt, whether it shall be a large army or a large - navy, there should be none as to this proposed measure coupled - as it is with such other manifest benefits to follow, alone - sufficient to warrant the undertaking. I have been witness in - my short span of life of 85 years to four wars this nation has - been engaged in, all in measure without preparedness and all in - consequence resulting in frightful loss. We can't forget the - battle of Bladensburg, where over 8,000 raw troops, unprepared, - gave way before 4,000 trained that marched to Washington and - burned the Capitol and inflicted a humiliation that rancors to - this day in the breast of any American citizen with red blood in - his veins. - - Shall we invite a like humiliation for the future? I say nay, - nay, and bear with me if I repeat again, nay, nay. I feel deeply - the solemnity of this duty that rests in your hands and pardon me - if I do speak with deep feeling. - - Mind you, I am addressing you as to this particular feature of - preparedness. - - Many of you gentlemen will doubtless remember that pathetic - address of Hon. Lloyd George in the House of Commons last - December, now known the world over as the "Too Late" appeal. - After a million lives had been lost and billions of pounds - sterling expended, this address fell like a thunderbolt upon the - ears of Parliament. He said, "Too late," emphasizing the words: - "We have been too late in this, too late in that, too late in - arriving at decision, too late in starting this enterprise or - that adventure. The footsteps of the Allies have been dogged by - the mocking spectre of too late." - - Let not "Too late" be inscribed on the portals of our workshop. - - It's a solemn warning this, that some day will come home in - disaster to this nation if we fail to take heed and profit by - the lessons from the experience of others as taught in these - outspoken words of agony, shall we not say, almost presaging the - downfall of a great nation. - - I am not an alarmist, not a pessimist, but, gentlemen, we should - not ignore plain facts. There is a disturbing question on the - Pacific Coast that we should heed. A vast population to the West - is clamoring to enter the United States whom we are unwilling to - receive as citizens and who would refuse to accept citizenship. - - You will remember the tension of but a few months ago. Some day - the bands of friendship will snap and light the flames of war. - Do you remember the utter failure—breakdown shall I not say—of - the railroads during the war with Spain? What if this condition - covered 3,000 miles instead of but a few hundred? With bridges - destroyed by spies, trains derailed, railroads blockaded, it - requires no stretch of the imagination to know what would happen. - Provide this roadbed, and hundreds of thousands of trackless - cars would appear on the scene and supply transportation for the - speedy transfer of troops and as like in the battle of the Marne - referred to, would decide the fortune of the day. - - Bear with me for a moment longer, please. I may have spoken - with too much zeal, too much earnestness, too much feeling, - but I look upon the action to be taken by this committee as of - great importance. We pioneers yearn to have this work begun - because of the intense desire to perpetuate the memory of the - past and believe it of great importance to the rising generation - in implanting this memory in the breasts of the future rulers - of the nation and of sowing the seeds of patriotism, but of - transcendant importance, as you will perceive from what I have - said, is the beginning of this work and carrying it to a speedy - finish, as a measure of preparedness for defense or war. Let - not the responsibility of "Too late" rest upon your shoulders, - but speedily pass this bill to the end a report may reach this - Congress in time for action before the year ends. - - - - -CHAPTER LIV. - -CONQUEST OF THE OREGON COUNTRY.[27] - - -I will not delay you long with a story relating the beginning of the -conquest of the Oregon country through American valor. The first -period, that of the exploration, can be told in very few words. Robert -Gray, captain of the ship "Columbia", on May 7, 1792, discovered Grays -Harbor, and on May 11th, entered the mouth of a great river and named -it "Columbia" after the name of his ship. - -The next great event to be recorded is the time when Lewis and Clark -"on the 7th of November, 1805, heard the breakers roar, and saw, -spreading and rolling before them, the waves of the western ocean, 'the -object of our labors, the reward of our anxieties'," as they recorded -in that wonderful journal of that wonderful trip. - -It is permissible to note that sixteen years before Gray sailed into -the mouth of the great river, Jonathan Carver, an American explorer, on -the 7th of December, 1776, sixty miles above St. Anthony Falls, from a -point which we may very properly call the heart of the continent, wrote -these immortal words: "The four most capital rivers on the continent -of North America, viz., the St. Lawrence, the Mississippi, the River -Bourbon, and the Oregon, or the River of the West, have their sources -in the same neighborhood". While Carver did not explore the river, -or any of its tributaries, yet with wonderful vision foretold of its -existence, and gave it a name, the "Oregon", the first instance that -word was written. It is beyond the wit of man to divine where the word -came from other than from the imaginative brain of that noted traveler. - -The second period, that of exploitation, began with the entrance of the -ship "Tonquin" into the mouth of the Columbia on the 25th of March, -1811, sent out by John Jacob Astor as "planned for a brilliant trading -project". The tragic fate of the ship in more northern waters is told -by an Indian, of the massacre of the whole ship's crew save one who, -wounded, had retreated to the hold of the ship near the magazine and -blew up the ship and avenged the death of his comrades by destroying -ten Indians to every white man of the crew that had been sacrificed. - -Next on the scene came the Hunt party overland, to arrive at Astoria -February 15, 1812. The suffering of this party, the danger incurred, -with the risks taken, far and away eclipse any feat of record in -exploration of the Oregon country. - -Following close upon the heels of their arrival came Astor's second -ship, "The Beaver", to cross the bar at the mouth of the Columbia River -May 10, 1812. The American flag that had floated peacefully over the -heads of the little colony at Astoria for fourteen months was doomed, -a year and seven months later, to the humiliation of being hauled down -to make way for the British flag, as a result of the fortunes of war, -and was not restored until October 6, 1818. As a result of the joint -occupancy treaty of October 20, 1818, the British continued to exploit -the country and built Fort Vancouver in 1824, and remained in full -control of all avenues of trade until challenged by the traders coming -from the east, with St. Louis the head center. - -In 1822 General William H. Ashley's company sent out "bands of trappers -to form camps in the best beaver districts, and trap out the streams -one after another", much like the gold seekers who would wash out -the gold of the different streams in succession. One of these Ashley -parties discovered the South Pass (1822) and invaded the Oregon -country, and a commercial war began and continued until the final -overthrow of the British twenty-four years later. - -In 1830 (the year I was born) the first wagon crossed the summit of the -Rocky Mountains through the South Pass, that wonderful opening in the -range, easy of access from either slope, and where the way is as safe, -with no more obstacles to overcome than in a drive twenty miles south -of Tacoma. William L. Sublette, reported to be the first man to invade -the Oregon country through the South Pass for trapping, still lives, or -did a year ago, at "Elk Mountain", a small place in Wyoming, high up on -the west slope of the Rocky Mountains. He must be a very old man, but I -am told is yet quite active. - -I followed his "cut-off" west from the Big Sandy to Bear River, in the -year 1852, and can testify it was then a hard road to travel. On my -recent trip (1906) I avoided this short cut and followed more nearly -the trail of 1843 further south, which led to near Fort Badger, below -the forty-second parallel of latitude, and then Mexican territory. - -We have now arrived at a period of impending change when the eccentric -Bonneville drove through the South Pass (1832), closely followed by -that adventurous Bostonian, Nathaniel J. Wythe. Both lost everything -they had in these ventures, but they pointed the way, followed a little -later by countless thousands of home builders to the Oregon country. -A part of the Wythe party remained and became the first American home -builders in the Oregon country. - -We are now arrived at what we may call the third period. The four -Flathead or Nez Perces Indians, shall we not call them Pilgrims, had -crossed over to St. Louis (1832) in search of the "White Man's Book -of Heaven". General Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, then Indian agent -for the West, had received them kindly, and introduced them widely to -the religious world and elsewhere. Their advent kindled a flame of -missionary zeal not often excelled, with the result that in 1834 the -Methodists sent Jason Lee and others, and in 1835 the American Board -of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, representing the Presbyterian -and Congregationalists, sent Dr. Samuel Parker and Marcus Whitman as -missionaries to the Oregon country. Parker completed the trip during -the year of 1835, but Whitman turned back at the rendezvous on Green -River, west of the crest of the Rock Mountains, and retraced his trail -to his home for the purpose of securing more aid to occupy the field, -and the following year with his young wife, in company with H. H. -Spaulding and wife, crossed over to Vancouver, where the party arrived -in September, 1836. These two were the first ladies to pass over the -Oregon Trail and deserve special mention here, not so much for this -distinction as for their piety, coupled with heroism and courage, -not popularly expected of their sex. I will venture to digress to -pay a just tribute to the pioneer ladies, so often, and I may say so -generally, misunderstood. Students of history are well aware that, but -for the firm support of the Pilgrim mothers, the lot of the Pilgrims -that landed on Plymouth Rock would have been infinitely harder. I have -often thought that in thinking and speaking of the Pilgrims we ought -always to speak of the Pilgrim fathers and mothers. It has fallen to -my lot to observe at close range the heroism of Pioneer mothers, and I -wish to testify that, under stress of suffering or danger, they always -became a bulwark of encouragement and support. - -Let me relate one instance. Meeting one day nine wagons on the Oregon -Trail returning, we discovered the teams were all driven by the women -and children—the men were all dead. This was on the trail in the Platte -Valley after that dreadful scourge of cholera had struck the columns. - -While the missionaries were but few in number, their influence became -widespread, and especially helpful to the later inrush of home -builders, and even if not successful in saving men's souls, they were -instrumental in saving men's lives, and deserve a tender spot in our -hearts. I would not have you infer from the remark about "saving men's -souls" that I wished to belittle the efforts of those sincere men, the -missionaries. I simply record a fact acknowledged by the missionaries -themselves. - -We now approach the fourth period, that of the home builders. It is -hardly fair to say this class exploited the country, developed is the -better word. We have, in fact, come to the turning point as to the -future of the country. If the English had been able to throw a strong -colony into the Oregon country, no man can tell what the final result -would have been. England was arrogant, and some at least, of her -statesmen held the United States in contempt, and would have welcomed a -war over the Oregon country. The joint occupancy treaty (fortunate for -us) disarmed the war spirit, for did they not have control of the trade -of the country? And could they not afford to wait?—forgetting that -_exploiting_ and _developing_ a country are radically different. - -When the American home builders began to arrive in great numbers it -became impossible to again renew the pact for joint occupancy, and -the treaty of 1846 quickly followed. As I have said, a few of the -Wythe party of 1833 remained and joined the settlers' colony already -begun by discharged Hudson Bay servants, and trappers who had tired -of nomadic life, less than a hundred all told, at the end of the year -1839. In May, 1840, the ship "Lusanne" arrived, bringing fifty men, -women and children as a reinforcement to the Methodist Mission at -Champoeg, but who soon became home builders. During the two following -years, possibly a hundred more arrived direct from the east, having -traversed the Oregon Trail from the Missouri River. - -All of a sudden there came a widespread "Oregon fever" during the -winter of 1842-3. A measure known as the Lynn bill had passed the -Senate, granting land to actual settlers. Whitman had returned overland -during the winter. Fremont had made his first trip as far as to the -Rocky Mountains and returned to be commissioned to lead a large -exploring party to the Oregon country. The "times" were not prosperous, -nor health good in the Middle West, and besides, an unrest had taken -possession of the minds of many people on account of the slavery -question. The result was that more than a thousand people congregated -nearby what is now Kansas City, preparing to start for Oregon as soon -as time and seasonable weather would permit; some pushed out to Elm -Grove, west of the Missouri, and camped; others passed on a little -farther; finally a great company was formed, captains appointed, and -all was to move with precision, and order, and the start was made. But -the independent spirit of the frontiersmen would not brook control -and soon there came a division into two parties, then, later, others -broke away, until finally but little of the discipline was left, though -there continued co-operation in the face of a common danger. Whitman -joined, or rather overtook, the main body of the moving caravan, but -he never led it, or attempted to lead it. His knowledge of the trail -and his counsel was helpful. It was upon Whitman's advice that the -great venture was made to open a wagon road from Ft. Hall west—over 600 -miles—a wonderful feat. Thus, nearly a thousand people reached the -Oregon country in 1843, and news sent back that a wagon road had been -opened the whole length of the Oregon Trail. - -Life was at once infused into the dormant body of the Provisional -Government that had been formed, and the absolute rule of the Hudson -Bay Company ended. - -During the year 1844, nearly fifteen hundred immigrants reached -Oregon and yet, early in 1845, the British Government refused to -accept the thrice made offer of a settlement of the boundary on the -49th parallel, but when 3,000 emigrants crossed over during the year -1845, and the Hudson Bay Company gave up the contest by formally, on -the 15th of August, 1845, placing themselves under the protection -of the Provisional Government, then the British Government of their -own accord, offered to accept the line she had so long persistently -refused. The Ashburton Treaty speedily followed, and the Oregon -question was settled—the conquest was complete. - -Of the subsequent migration, I cannot tarry to speak in detail. In -1850, the population of the whole of the old Oregon country was less -than 15,000. The gold excitement had drawn large numbers to California, -and turned much of the immigration from the east to that field. Not -until the great wave of 1852, when 50,000 people crossed the Missouri -River, did Oregon make a new beginning in the race for population. - -I had cast my fortune with that throng—a marching column 500 miles -long—and like Sherman's army marching through Georgia 50,000 strong at -the beginning, but leaving 5,000 dead on the way. At the parting of -the ways at Bear River, many turned to the south, yet leaving a great -throng to reach the Oregon country. And yet, when I rowed my little -open boat, 18 feet long, into Commencement Bay on a June day of 1853, -there were less than 4,000 inhabitants in all the territory within -the boundary of this great State, and but _eleven_ persons within the -borders of the present city of Tacoma. - -And now, my friends, will this generation "let the dead bury the -dead", and let the memory of those who made it possible for you to -enjoy the blessings of this great commonwealth, sink into oblivion? Or -will you join generously to perpetuate the memory of those who have -gone before, to the end that you may profit by their examples? - -A word now as to this institution, "The Washington State Historical -Society". It was my fortune to be in at the beginning. More than -twenty years have passed since the completed organization was formed -by articles of incorporation. Thirty-six people participated in the -organization—six only of the signers are now living. We are admonished -that the generation of men that made the beginning will all soon have -passed and gone into history. Shall the work thus begun languish and -fail for lack of support? The time has arrived when there should be an -emphatic answer to this question by liberal state aid appropriation. -Much has already been lost because of the withholding of this help. The -harvest has been ripe all these years and many of the precious relics -have been lost or garnered elsewhere. Remember, this is a harvest that -cannot be reproduced. If not gathered in time, it is lost forever. - -A case in point: There is an opportunity now to secure a typical -blockhouse built nearly sixty years ago, one of seventy-five built -during the Indian war, all of which will disappear in a few years if -left exposed to the elements. This society ought to be enabled to -secure this relic,[28] erect it under the shelter of a great building, -fill it with exhibits, and preserve the whole for future generations. -I mention this as one instance only, but the country is rich in these -relics that will become more and more precious as future generations -come on the scene of action. This is not something we can leave for -future generations to do, for then it will be too late; it is _NOW_ -this work ought to be prosecuted. I will repeat, _by state aid_. - -A word now as to the proposed memorial arch to the Pioneers to be -erected in Tacoma, perhaps within less than a stone's throw of the -home of the society, to add its beauty to what is to become the civic -center of the city, with the magnificent structure of the High School -building on the one part; the home of the Historical Society, may we -not hope, in as impressive architectural structure, near by for another -part; with that wonderful and unique structure—shall we call it the -Stadium—as the central figure of attraction, the whole overlooked by -this work of art, this record of history, as well as a tribute to those -who contributed to the conquest of the Oregon country, this empire of -which we all are so justly proud. - -It is but little over a hundred years since this history began. -Momentous changes have come in our national history within that short -period of time, not the least of which is this great conquest, opening -a gateway to the great "western" ocean, thus winning of the farther -west, to found a nation spanning the continent from ocean to ocean, -destined to be one of the greatest world powers of all history. - -As before outlined, the march of events naturally divides into five -periods. Provision is made for five large bronze tablets, or engraved -in granite on the base of the arch, upon which to record a history -of the conquest; one for a record of the explorers, giving names and -dates; a second, a history of the exploitation during fur gathering -period, and disclosure of the interior; a third might recite the -efforts and achievements of the missionaries, giving names and dates; -a fourth may show the Oregon Trail in relief, and recite the history -of the home builders, and, finally, a fifth should show present day -achievements, as for instance, who founded the city of Tacoma and when, -and present day population; who founded Olympia, Seattle, Spokane; in a -word, the cities of the State, thus reaching out to the borderland of -pioneer days. - -The groups of bronze statues to crown the arch will naturally represent -these different periods and lend an enchanting scene the eye will -never tire viewing. We will doubtless hear some one, or more than one, -say all this can't be done. Seven years ago I heard many say that -the Oregon Trail could not be searched out, and found "with an old ox -team", but it was done. I did not hear it, but heard of it, that "the -man was crazy to go out with such a rig"; "that the people would laugh -at him"; but they didn't laugh. Many came to the dedicatory services of -monuments, and stood with tears in their eyes, instead of giving way -to mirth. I tell you, friends, such work as here proposed reaches the -hearts of men and makes better citizens of them—makes them love their -country better, their flag, their homes, their own lives, when they -participate and become conscious of having performed an altruistic act; -it is farther reaching than we are at first thought willing to concede. - -But I must have done. I sincerely thank you for the courtesy in -extending this invitation to speak before you and for the respectful -hearing accorded by the assembled audience. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[27] Note—An address by Ezra Meeker before Washington State Historical -Society, Tacoma, Washington, 1912. - -[28] Since has been secured by the society. - - - - -CHAPTER LV. - -PIONEER LIFE IN PUYALLUP. - - -This account of pioneer life in the Puyallup would be incomplete -without looking closer into their manner of living. The cabins were -built under stress for immediate shelter, and so lacked completeness -that otherwise would not have been had the builders had more time. -All the early built cabins were of logs, rudely constructed, small, -and without floors. Indeed, no lumber could at the time be obtained, -and the pioneers did the best they could. Most of these cabins were -burned during the Indian war. I will describe one built after the war -that I am more familiar with than any other, as it became my home -for twenty-four years and the remnants of which are still preserved -in Pioneer Park, Puyallup. Jerry Stilly took a squatter's right on -the quarter section of land that afterwards became my homestead and -built the first section, or room, to which I afterwards added. Stilly -did not succeed in raising much of a crop, in fact did not stay long -enough, but he did succeed in after life in raising a crop of ten -children, all yet living I think in the State, but never succeeded in -gathering much of the world's goods around him. In fact he moved too -often to do so, but he did enrich his mind, drawn from the best store -of literature. He was a dear lover of Shakespeare and a close student -of the Bible. Gibbon also was one of his favorite authors. He could -repeat almost verbatim the twentieth and twenty-first chapters of the -"Decline and Fall," not that he had memorized it, but had grasped the -whole meaning from repeated readings of that wonderfully comprehensive -work. Stilly was a typical pioneer, made no pretension in dress, seldom -went to church, but was exemplary in his habits, though inclined toward -pessimism in his later life. The cabin that Stilly built was of inch -board walls, eight feet high and sixteen feet square and covered with -clapboard, or "shakes" as many designate them. Soon after coming into -possession of the claim I built another of same dimensions, leaving a -space of five feet between the two for a double fireplace and chimney. -These fireplaces became a source of great comfort for many a long -winter evening, furnishing both warmth and light. They were built of -float lava rock that had been belched from the throat of the great -mountain (Ranier) and brought to the lower level by the avalanches and -later the mighty floods that had inundated the valley ages ago. They -were so light in weight that an ordinary farm wagon box full was not a -heavy load and so soft they could be shaped with an ordinary chopping -ax without injuring, except dulling the sharp edge just a little. To -have fireplaces with smooth faced stones, and a chimney that did not -"smoke" seemed to be the very acme of elegance and comfort. The inside -of the cabin was first covered with newspapers and a little later with -real wall paper for warmth, and appearance as well, and really we -felt as proud of the cabin home, "our home", as we afterwards did of -the more pretentious homestead described elsewhere. An ivy vine[29] -planted next to the entry way between the two cabins, now nearly fifty -years old, which yet marks the spot, soon climbed to the top of the -roof and spread out, assuming the shape of the roof, ferreting out all -niches and cracks, and finally invaded the sitting-room of the cabin -as a cheerful reminder of what was above our heads. The last time I -measured the main stalk at the ground it was found to be nine inches -in diameter; overhead, what used to be in the loft, there are now main -branches as big as a man's arm with the whole surface covered with a -beautiful bright green mass of foliage. - -[Illustration: PIONEER PARK, PUYALLUP, WASH.] - -In course of time the land upon which the cabin stood was dedicated by -my wife and myself as Pioneer Park, Puyallup, and given over to the -care of the city. The cabin walls in the lapse of years weakened and -the roof fell in. Temporary props held the remnants of the ceiling in -place, which in turn supported the over-spreading vine. Finally the -ladies of the now grown up little city of six thousand people took a -hand, placed six heavy cement columns to support overhead cement joists -to in turn support the ivy vine. - -A cement floor, a drinking fountain in the center of the cabin floor, -the ivy bower, and a few cement seats attest the faithful efforts -those lovers of the almost forgotten past have made to preserve in -perpetuity the identity of the spot where the first cabin of the now -pretentious city was built. The last vestige of the old decaying walls -were removed and placed overhead, but under the ivy vine, where in the -lapse of years the roots of the vine that have taken firm hold of the -decaying relics will absorb and transmit not only the memory of the -cabin for all time to come, but the very substance of the cabin will be -transformed into a new life of everlasting green. - -A stone tablet inscribed "Site of Ezra Meeker's Cabin Home," completes -the record to be read by the many generations to follow. - -Just who is the person that first conceived the idea to erect -this memorial is unknown to the author. The organization known as -the Puyallup Ladies' Club assumed the responsibility and carried -the work to completion. A letter from the President reached me at -Elm Creek, Neb., while on the last drive with the ox team homeward -bound, informing me of the arrangement for dedicating the tablet and -requesting if possible to be present and "make a short address." This -was the first information I had of the contemplated work. I could not -possibly leave my work on the Oregon Trail in time to reach home and -be present, so I bethought myself to be present in spoken words and -voice even if I could not be in person. My address was spoken into -the wonderful "thing of life," shall I call it? No, not of life, "the -spirit of life," that is named the "phonograph", that recorded the -very tones of my voice that would be familiar to my friends at home, -although at the time these words would be reproduced I would be nearly -two thousand miles distant, climbing up the eastern slope of the Rocky -Mountains, or more accurately speaking on the summit and above the -clouds of the midsummer day. The records of the address reached the -hands of the ladies in due time, when lo and behold, instead of a few -friends as anticipated more than a thousand came to see and listen, -and as all could not hear, the address was read in full after a part -had been reproduced from the phonograph. As a part of the history of -the cabin and of pioneer life it is here reproduced for the greater -audience, the readers of this volume: - - "This is Ezra Meeker talking, June 8th, 1912, Elm Creek, Neb., 211 - miles west of Omaha. I am on my way home to the Pacific Coast. - This is my fourth trip with an ox team over the Oregon Trail. I - crossed the Missouri River ten miles below Kanesville, now Council - Bluffs, Ia., and drove out from the river on my first trip, May - 19th, 1852, and arrived at the straggling village of Portland, - Ore., Oct. 1st of the same year. We encountered the buffalo before - reaching Elm Creek, and did get some scourge of cholera, which - also soon after that caused the death of thousands of pioneers. - On my second trip I started from my home at Puyallup, Wash., Jan. - 29, 1906, and drove over the Trail getting people to erect granite - monuments to perpetuate the memory of the Oregon pioneers, and to - mark the Trail they had made, which has resulted in the erection - of fifty of these monuments.[30] I then drove to Washington City - to invoke the aid of the Government, where I arrived Nov. 29, - 1907; met President Roosevelt, secured favorable committee report - on a bill appropriating money to blaze and mark the Trail. I - returned home during the summer of 1908, shipping most of the way. - I made my third trip in 1910 to secure data to estimate the cost - of the work, and now have 1,600 miles of the Trail platted showing - the section line crossings." - - I am 81 years old, 44 years a farmer in the one location where - this cabin is. - - - THE ADDRESS. - - "My mind harks back to the virgin forest surrounding the cabin; - to the twilight concert of the bird songsters; to the dripping - dews of the dense foliage of the trees; to the pleasant gathering - within the cabin; to the old time music of the violin, flute, - melodeon, and finally the piano, mingled with the voices of many - now hushed and hidden from us; to the simple life of the pioneer; - to the cheerful glow of the double open fires within the cabin; - to the more cheerful glow of contentment notwithstanding the - stern battle of life confronting the inmates of the cabin—all - these visions vividly arise before me, and not only intensifies - my interest in this occasion, but brings uppermost in mind the - importance of this work. - - "As we better understand each other or the ways of each generation - we are sure to profit by their failures on the one hand, as well - as by their successes on the other. The difference between a - civilized and untutored people lies in the application of this - principle, and we perhaps build better than we know or can - realize in the furtherance of such work consummated here today. - - "May we not for a few moments indulge in some old time - reminiscences? When we entered this cabin we were without a - team, without a wagon, without money and with but scant supply - of household goods and clothing; seven cows and a steer (Harry), - a few pigs and a dozen or so of chickens comprising our worldly - belongings, albeit the bears divided the pigs with us and the - skunks took their share of the chickens. One cow traded to Robert - Moore for a steer (Jack) to mate the one we had, gave us a team. - - "The loss of the steamship Northerner had carried all our - accumulations with it and also the revered brother, Oliver Meeker, - who, had he lived, was destined to make his mark in the annals of - the history of this great State. - - "If the walls of this cabin had had ears and could speak, we - could hear of the councils when the shoes gave out; of the trip - to Steilacoom for two sides of leather, a shoe hammer, awls, - thread and the like; of the lasts made from split alder blocks; - of shoe pegs split with a case knife and seasoned in the oven; of - how the oldest pig suffered and died that we might have bristles - for the wax ends; of how, with a borrowed auger and our own axe a - sled was made and work in earnest in the clearing began; of how - in two years the transplanted orchard began to bear; of how the - raspberries, blackberries and other small fruit came into full - bearing and salmon berries were neglected and Siwash muck-a-muck - had lost its attraction; of how the steamed ladyfinger potatoes - would burst open just like popcorn and of how the meat of the - baked kidney potatoes would open as white as the driven snow; - small things to be sure, but we may well remember the sum of - life's happiness is made up of small things and that as keen - enjoyment of life exists within the walls of a cabin as in a - palace. - - "Shall we strive to look into the future a little way? When the - spot we dedicate will have become an integral part of the greater - Tacoma; when the name Puyallup, so troublesome for strangers to - spell, pronounce or remember, will have disappeared; when the - great ships passing through the completed Panama canal will ride - at anchor in basins undisturbed by the tides in sight of this - monument and almost within the present border limits of our city; - when the trolley car shall have taken the place of the train and - aviators are competing for passenger traffic; when the wireless - telephone has replaced the present way and banished the hello - girls, we may well exclaim in amazement: 'What wondrous change - time has wrought since this cabin was built,' and safely predict - greater changes will greet the generation to follow in the no - distant future. - - "That tremendous event approaching the completion of the Panama - canal, thus giving direct, quick and cheap water carriage from - our ports to the marts of trade of Europe, is destined to - revolutionize conditions on the Pacific coast. Instead of sending - trainloads of our fruit to Eastern ports and to Europe as now, - ship loads will be dispatched in ever-increasing quantities as - freight is cheapened and supplies increased and with this stream - of traffic will come a vast throng of immigrants to aid in - developing the land, build up our cities and bring in their train - new problems to solve." - -The song sung by Mrs. Montgomery was written to the tune of "Home, -Sweet Home." The words, composed by Mrs. Mills, were: - - "We welcome you gladly - To our Valley of Homes. - These trees are more stately - Than pillars and domes. - This park is the gift - Of a brave pioneer; - This stone marks the site - Of his old home so dear. - - CHORUS— - - All honor and praise - To our brave pioneers. - They have worked for the home - Through all the long years. - On memory's tablet - We'll carve each dear name, - For home is far sweeter - Than power, wealth or fame." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[29] See illustration on page 247. - -[30] Now over a hundred and fifty. - - - - -CHAPTER LVI. - -PIONEER LIFE IN PUYALLUP VALLEY. - - -The immigration of 1853 through the Natchess Pass settled in the -Puyallup Valley. Although they had been on the Plains all summer and -needed rest, imperative necessity compelled them to immediately make a -road through the forest to the county town of Steilacoom, sixteen miles -away and situated on the borders of Puget Sound. - -Soon after the road was built one of them, John Carson, established a -ferry and later built the first bridge across the Puyallup. He was an -enterprising, intelligent man, yet nevertheless exceedingly careless in -business as likewise of his person. Eighteen months before I moved to -the valley, I crossed the river at his place and found him nailing on -the third course of shingles to cover a new house that he had built. -He came down off the roof and I remained with him for a couple of -hours, most of the time in the orchard, for even at that early day we -were both deeply interested in fruit culture. I willingly acknowledge -that he could teach me a great deal on the subject. A year later I -visited him again. The row of shingles, the nail bag and even the -hatchet remained as he had left it on the occasion of my first visit, -notwithstanding he and his family were living in the hovel of one room -and a loft—the remains of a block house that had been erected in the -Indian war times. The lower story was so low that his wife, who was -a tall woman, could not stand up straight except between the rough -hewed joists, as attested in numerous places by the red hair from the -lady's head coming in contact with slivers from the rough-hewed logs. -Not much difference existed between the two as to personal habits of -cleanliness, or rather lack of cleanliness, and yet I never knew a -more altruistic worker than this same Emma Darrow Carson. When, in -early days, we established a Good Templars' Lodge, for the sake of the -children, Mrs. Carson, rain or shine, would always attend and always -do her part to make the meetings interesting. - -Nearby lived my neighbor, Walker, who though very strict in religious -matters, nevertheless would not join in upbuilding the lodge for the -reason he and his wife both were opposed to secret societies. One -could readily see that Mrs. Walker believed "cleanliness was next to -godliness" by a look into her house, where I often told her it would -seem she was looking after the invisible dirt, so persistent she -seemed in the care of her house. She was an industrious, religious, -conscientious lady and was always welcomed in our own cabin, where she -often came to spend an hour with another pioneer's wife who likewise -practiced the time-honored proverb. - -These two extreme cases will show to the reader that even in the cabins -there can be as wide variance in habits as in the more pretentious -homes. A goodly number of the pioneer women would become helpers in the -field and gardens whether the men folks of the household thought it was -just the proper thing to do or not. The flower gardens soon appeared -in every dooryard to enliven the homes and spread contentment in the -household. - -For years the pioneers led a strenuous life with but little money -return, so little it would seem almost incredible if given, and yet -there was no "moping" or complaining, for there seemed to be a will -to make the best of things possible and enjoy life as time passed. -And, why not? The youngsters (and "greybeards" as well) soon began to -look forward with anticipated pleasure to the coming of a holiday, -Fourth of July, Christmas or what not, and make weeks of preparation -for them, enjoy the occasion while passing and enjoy the memory of the -experiences for weeks following. - -Let us look in on a Fourth of July celebration. A grove has been -selected and the "boys" in their "'teens" have cleared away the brush, -built a speaker's stand, fixed up the tables and plenty of seats. The -girls have baked the cakes and pies, picked the berries and flowers and -provided other "nick-nacks" to fill in, while the mothers have baked -the chickens, made the salads and provided the substantials until the -tables fairly groaned under the load of bountiful supplies. It was -the rule that everybody should have something to do. One of the older -boys, or perhaps a girl, would be appointed to read the Declaration -of Independence; another, to deliver the address; another to read an -original essay, or a poem, with music sandwiched in between, sometimes -with a chorus of the very young ones, or perhaps a solo—enough of these -exercises to go round. The old melodion, now in the Washington State -Historical Building at Tacoma, that has long ago lost its voice, was -then thought to be a marvel of sweet tones and served to drown whatever -discord might creep in from the flute and violin. When the evening -came the small folks could have their dance "all by their lone", while -the greater lords and ladies had naught to do but look on or organize -somewhere else, which they often did. All this tended to build up a -feeling of confidence in themselves in the minds of the youngsters and -cultivate a social atmosphere that could not have been attained in -any other way. All of these "youngsters" have grown up to manhood and -womanhood or sleep beneath the sod of the valley. If perchance the eye -of any one of them catches this writing they will for the moment say -"give me back the Fourth of July celebration of Puyallup of fifty years -ago." - -Seven years passed after the first settlement was made before we had a -postoffice. All the trading was done at Steilacoom, which was sixteen -miles distant from the river crossing. Any one going out to the market -town (Steilacoom) was expected to bring the mail for everybody and -leave it at the ferry or carry it on up the valley for those living -beyond. Finally a postoffice was established and named Franklin, and -my next door neighbor, J. P. Stewart, was appointed postmaster. He -established the office near the ferry landing and brought in a stock -of goods to trade on. The whole stock might easily have been hauled -in one load of an ordinary farm wagon. He came very near losing the -postoffice, stock of goods and his life from a great freshet that came, -the like of which has not since been seen to this day. The headwaters -of the Puyallup issue out from under a great glacier of Mount Rainier, -probably no more than eight thousand feet above sea level and but -forty miles distant from the present city of Puyallup. The avalanches -from the great mountain are wonderful to contemplate. I saw the effect -of one in British Columbia once where a swath of dense forest trees -had been cut off close to the ground, where not uprooted, and carried -to the lower lands, a mixture of timber, stone and snow, packed, -apparently, as solid as a rock. In this particular instance the front -mass had been carried beyond the bottom and up the slope of at least -twenty-five degrees on the opposite side, several hundred feet on the -mountain side, by the irresistible force of the mass behind. At the -time of which I write, there undoubtedly had been a huge dam formed by -an avalanche until a vast accumulation of water finally broke loose -and came down the valley, seemingly carrying everything before it. A -tremendous roar of water came, accompanied with a crash of timber not -easily described. Mr. Walker, who stood on the bank of the river a mile -above, told me he saw great balm trees caught with some obstructions -under the roots and the timber lifted bodily by the force of the -water and forced end over end with an indescribable crash to terrify -the onlooker. Water running on the lower ground back of Stewart soon -formed an island and left him alone without any means of escape, as the -ferry had been carried away. A big, high balm stump furnished the only -refuge of safety and there he stayed all night and part of the next day -without food or sufficient clothing, chilled to the "marrow bone", for -he was in his shirt sleeves when the crash came. When the water receded -so he could, the postoffice, store and all were speedily removed to -a place of safety. It was common remark that when Stewart moved the -postoffice he simply put it on his back and walked off with it. - -Those who have seen the glacier describe it as a wonder. The water -issues out as from a great cavern into which one can walk upright -for quite a way. This is the first glacier discovered in the United -States. Doctor Tolmie, then the chief factor of the Hudson's Bay -Company at Nisqually, ascended the Puyallup in 1833 and discovered the -huge glacier and wrote in the fort journal an account of his trip. For -sixty years since I first saw the Puyallup River, this great mill has -been grinding away and sluicing out fine particles of the mountain, -sufficient in quantity to whiten the water almost a milk-white color. -When the glacier is most active, a glass of the water left standing -over night will show sediment in the bottom thick as a sheet of writing -paper. We are led to wonder how long this has been grinding, how long -it will take to grind away the mountain. We are told the continual -dropping of water will wear away a stone. Will not this grinding -finally grind away the whole mountain? Can we guess how long it has -taken to fill up this valley? We know the deposit off the mouth of the -Puyallup River is fully six hundred feet deep; that the Puyallup Valley -at its junction with the Stuck Valley was once an arm of the Sound; and -the latter valley with the White River (so called because of the milky -whiteness of its water coming from the same mountain), and Duwamish -Valley to the salt waters of the Sound at Elliott Bay, where again it -is met, the bay six hundred feet deep just off from the mouth of the -river, was also once a part of the Sound. How long before Commencement -Bay, Elliott Bay and Admiralty Inlet will have met the same fate as -the Puyallup, Stuck and Duwamish valleys, and the cities of Tacoma and -Seattle be dredging a channel through Admiralty Inlet? - -But let us look to the story of Puyallup. The marvelous fertility of -the soil has been told over and over again until the very name has -become famous across the sea. I once measured a hop root eleven feet -long that had been exposed by the cutting away of the river bank and -thus leaving it exposed to view where it had reached a point seven -feet under the surface of the land. The little band of pioneers had -come into a heritage beyond their wildest dreams; the ages of decaying -leaves falling from the deciduous growth of the balm, alder and ash had -mingled with the silt of the mountain until a soil not surpassed in -richness was found—so rich we may cease to wonder that Walker might dig -his bucket full of potatoes from one hill. - -Let us look in on this little colony two years after their arrival in -the autumn of 1853. Their clearing had widened sufficiently to let -the sun in but not so wide as to afford a continuous view to see each -other's cabins or see the great mountain. No money had come into the -valley in return for their crops, for the double reason that as yet -there was but little to spare, and even if there had been a surplus -they could not have gotten it to the market because of the lack of -a road over which a load could be hauled. I will tell one little -incident that will illustrate. Anyone passing through the fir forest -will remember the wonderful size of surface roots of the fir trees, in -some places running out part above the surface and nearly as big as a -man's body. One day when I was driving a cart over the road mentioned -the pioneers had opened, the wheels passed over and left the cart bed -resting solidly on the big root, and so, in the common expression of -the county, I was "stuck". This will give a faint idea of what an early -day road was like. - -In places a glimpse of smoke from a neighbor's cabin might be seen or -the sound of voices heard. All were busy in their clearing, "making -hay while there was sun", before the winter rains set in. At nightfall -of the evening of October 28, 1858, just two years after their arrival -in the valley, the pioneers were startled by the news that in the -neighboring valley of White River the settlers had all been massacred -by the Indians. The scene of this massacre was no more than ten miles -distant from the nearest cabin in the Puyallup—a ride, as the trail -run, of less than two hours. Consternation seized every mind. It was -natural to believe the Indians would be over on them when daylight -came, even if not before. The pioneers were scattered, illy armed, -encumbered with their families and in no condition to resist an attack. -The fort (Steilacoom) was fifteen miles distant from the nearest cabin -and the river lay between with no means of crossing teams or wagons -except by the long detour of what was known as the "upper road", that -is, the military road, and by fording the river. For most of the -settlers the ford would not be reached before daylight of the next -day, and even then it would be doubtful if the stage of the river -would permit of crossing. The only alternative seemed to take the -most direct route over the road they had themselves opened soon after -their arrival in the valley. Without concert of action (for none was -possible, scattered as they were in their cabins) the movement began in -the night. Women, with children in their arms, almost immediately upon -receipt of the dreadful news, started on the perilous trip, the men -carrying their guns and such clothing or bedding as could hastily be -selected and bundled up into packs. At Carson's two canoes and a small -boat afforded all the means of crossing. The two canoes had been lashed -together and finally a wagon gotten across and a team that swam across -the river. By midnight many had crossed and had at once began the weary -journey to the fort. Daylight overtook them, strung out for miles on -the road or either crossing at the ferry or waiting their time when -they could cross. The "upper settlement" in the forks of the river, the -Lanes, Whitesels and others nearer the military road, fared better, for -they could cross the south fork with their teams and wagons and take -considerable of their belongings with them and some provisions as well, -while the throng on the lower road could not. Such was the condition -of affairs on the morning of the 29th. I had started with my family -in the early morning, as fully told in "The Reminiscences—The Tragedy -of Leschi", and reached the fort six or more hours before any of the -Puyallup people from either settlement began to arrive. - -But the Indians did not come to harass the fleeing settlers. They -turned their guns on the small volunteer force that had just reached -a camping place at the foot of the bluff on the military road a mile -east of the ford of the main river (Puyallup) that had been sent out -by Acting-Governor Mason—Governor Stevens being absent negotiating the -Blackfeet Indian treaty. The horses of this force had been run off -and the men cooped up in a cabin by the Indians following the killing -of Cornell and McAllister, preceding the massacre a day, all of which -is given in detail in the "Tragedy" and will not be repeated here -further than to give the context to the scenes that followed. Of the -indescribable scenes of confusion that followed; the dilemma of the -pioneers as to where to go for safety; how to subsist; the incursion of -nineteen men to the Puyallup to rescue some of the abandoned property -and provisions of the pioneers, is all told in "The Tragedy of Leschi." - -Looking back over the vista of these fifty-eight years that have passed -and which now again come so vividly in mind reviving old-time memories, -I can truly say with General Sherman that "war is hell", whether -between brothers of the same race or with the native race blindly -wreaking vengeance upon innocent people who were their true friends. - -The Indians held possession of the country adjacent to the Puyallup -Valley for several months. Most of the settlers' cabins were burned, -their fences destroyed, their stock run off or killed, crops -appropriated, leaving the valley a scene of desolation and solitude as -before the advent of the white man but little over two years before. - -But what to do after arriving at the so-called fort (Steilacoom), which -was no fort at all but merely an encampment in a few log huts and where -neither comfort nor safety was vouchsafed, was the question confronting -the pioneers. For myself, I will say that my brother Oliver and father, -Jacob R. Meeker, with the three families, withdrew from the garrison, -proceeded to the town of Steilacoom, built a strong log block house and -took care of ourselves. That block house stands there in Steilacoom to -this day, weather-boarded on the outside and ceiled inside so that the -passing visitor will not recognize it, and is almost forgotten by the -generation now occupying the town. - -In two years' time a majority of the settlers had returned to their -homes while a few hesitated because of the fear of further outbreak -of the Indians (which never came), but here and there one abandoned -his claim and did not return. But the handicaps remained. Soon the -clearings produced vastly more products than could be consumed at home; -the market at Steilacoom was restricted and at best difficult to reach, -and so certain crops became a burden to producers instead of a profit. -A road could easily be opened down the valley to Commencement Bay to -the point now known as the Tide Flats within the city limits of Tacoma, -but there was then only a waste of waters confronting the pioneers, -for this was long before Tacoma was thought of or even the name, -except in the brain of that eccentric traveler and delightful writer, -Winthrop, whose works disclosed his fine writing, after his death on -the battlefield of Chantilly. - -Ten long years elapsed before a change came, except as the clearings -became larger and stock increased, for the dairy brought prosperity -to the few and encouraged others to continue the strife. Within this -period hops had been introduced and set a new standard of industry and -wrought a marvelous change. - -Finally a store was opened at the "Reservation" where the government -agency had been established and a road opened to it from the up-river -settlements, but the road extended no further, and all freight was -carried out of the river in canoes, or later, in lighters to the mill -wharf that had been built in 1869 and where a limited market had been -found. - -Opposite the point where the Indian school was later established a -drift obstructed the river for more than a thousand feet so completely -that a person could cross over the channel anywhere. Two more drifts -further up, but not so extensive, completely blocked the channel. -A theory gained currency that the river could be navigated with -small boats once the drifts were removed, and they were removed by -the pioneers, but no navigation followed and the $1,500 put into the -enterprise became a total loss, except for the timber logging camps -that were established and thrived for a while. - -We now pass over another ten years' period to the building of the -Northern Pacific Railroad up the valley to the coal veins in the -mountains, ending at the time at the point named Wilkeson. Twenty years -before close observers noted the fact that float coal could be found -on the bars of the Puyallup River. These small pieces, not bigger than -a pea, became a matter of dispute as to whether the substance was coal -or not. Finally, early in the seventies, a "chunk" as big as a man's -fist was found imbedded in the gravel between the roots of a balm tree -that had lodged, part of it burned, and all doubts removed as to the -existence of coal on the headwaters of the river. John Gale prosecuted -a diligent search and was rewarded by finding the vein to which the -railroad was built. - -The building of the railroad opened up the valley and give -encouragement to those who had bided their time so long. The time had -arrived when there came to be a money value to land. So long as the -country was not subdivided, settlers could not obtain title to their -land and transfers would become confusing as each had surveyed his own -claim under the donation act. This act gave the head of a family 160 -acres, and the same to the wife in her own right. Such delays on the -part of the Government that followed seemed now almost incredible. I -did not receive the patent for my donation claim for thirteen years -after my settlement was made, and others had a similar experience -and even a longer period. But with the coming of the surveys and the -advent of the hops, values rose and became established at a rate that -pioneers had never dreamed of and yet had advanced from year to year, -or rather for the whole period, to a point that would then have seemed -unthinkable. The first subdivision surveys by the Government were -made in Puyallup during the year 1864. J. P. Stewart and George W. -Sloan took the contract. Neither was well suited for the work, Stewart -being too nervous and Sloan scarcely responsible for his acts. Up to -the time of the survey all claims outside of the first taken under the -donation act were mere squatters' claims upon the public land, but no -recognition of any right could be had at the land office, then, as -now, at Olympia. No serious trouble followed in adjusting the lines -followed, as the donation claim lines were respected and had in fact -for many years served as a guide to later claimants. As soon as the -surveys were made, all parties made for the land office, the donation -claimants to "prove up" the pre-emptions, and homesteaders to make -application for their respective rights. I did not go with the rush -for the reason that I wanted to take my claim under the homestead law, -which required an outlay of sixteen dollars, and "for the life of me" -I couldn't raise that much money. The fact was that, almost literally -speaking, there was no money in the valley. Finally, becoming uneasy -lest some one might "slip in" and pre-empt from under me, I walked to -Olympia and pre-empted where the fee was but a dollar, and held under -the entry for several months until money could be obtained, when a -homestead was located upon the same land, thus expending both rights -for the lack of $16.00. This to many would seem ludicrous, but the -actors looked upon the serious side, and did not wish to take any -chances of losing their homes. A few years later I sold one crop of -hops for $75,000, which now looks as incredible as the other fact of -inability to raise even so small an amount as $16.00. In the chapter on -hops the reader will be told the whole story of the $75,000 hop crop. -The reader may well wonder why I walked from Puyallup to Olympia, a -distance of thirty-five miles, and back out of sympathy for conditions -that would seem to call for such a "sacrifice" of personal comfort. To -such, let me disabuse their minds, for it was indeed a pleasant day, if -not of recreation—a day of self-communion with pleasant thoughts of -the past and bright anticipations as to the future. Fatigued? Yes, but -just enough to enjoy rest. Can we enjoy rest without first experiencing -fatigue and withal with good appetite for a frugal meal? I did not -think of it then as anything out of the ordinary, and for that matter -do not now, as it was only one of the strenuous day's experiences of -the time, besides to me long walks are conducive to good health—not so -long a walk as that to Olympia, but the one or two hours' brisk walk in -communion with nature and oneself. - -I remember another walk from Puyallup to Olympia in 1870, where I first -met Judge Roger S. Greene, who was then on the bench as Chief Justice -of the Territory. I remained some time in Olympia, overlooking my first -stagger at book making, an 80-page pamphlet, "Washington Territory West -of the Cascades",[31] of which I had 5,000 copies printed, all of which -went into circulation in the Eastern States. When I got through with -this work I walked back home. - -I still love to walk. Leaving the house (1120 North Thirty-eighth -Street, Seattle), a few days ago, the fresh air felt so good I -continued my walk to First Avenue, at the foot of Madison, in an hour -and five minutes—three miles and perhaps a little more; nothing very -remarkable about these walks except I attribute my continued good -health to this open air exercise and would like to encourage anyone, -the young people in particular, to the end that they may do likewise. I -have no doubt that I walked over two thousand miles on my recent trips -across the continent with the ox-team, part of the time from necessity -but often for a camping place, frequently four or six miles. The oxen -usually would travel two miles an hour while my easy gait would be -three, so that by timing myself I could easily tell how far I was ahead -and how long it would take the oxen to catch up. But the long walk was -across the Plains in 1852, after the teams weakened and the dust became -intolerable in the wagon on the Plains in early days. Then is when the -walking became wearisome, so wearisome that I lost my weight rapidly, -though apparently not any strength. - -But as a forced walk, that is, one taken mechanically where one can -see nothing except the road ahead of him and think of nothing but -the mechanical action, soon becomes tiresome and will lose much of -the benefit that comes from an exhilarating walk where one scarcely -remembers the road and only sees nature if in the country or pleasant -things if in the city, and then of the bright side of life, and casts -unpleasant subjects from his mind; then is when the long walk becomes a -"joy forever." - -Of the social side of life in the early pioneer days, much can be -truthfully written worthy of emulation by the present day generation. -The reader will doubtless bear in mind that the author is of a -generation nearly gone, and, measured with the average length of life, -two whole generations have passed and a third nearly so, and hence will -hesitate to accept the conclusions as coming from an unbiased source. -We so often see pessimism manifested by unsuccessful elderly persons -that the world is ready to accept as a fact that age brings with it a -pessimistic spirit, and hence the writing by an old man of younger days -is like looking where distance lends enchantment. I am not conscious -of looking on life other than in my younger days—the bright, hopeful -side, where right and honesty is the rule and wrong and dishonesty -the exception. The isolation of the pioneers from the outside world -had a tendency to draw them together as one great family. While of -course a great disparity of habit, thrift, morals and intellectual -attainments existed, yet the tendency undeniably was to look with a -lenient eye upon the shortcomings of others as between brothers or -parents and child. There were none too high not to associate with the -least of his neighbors and none too low not to look with respect upon -his more successful neighbor. I remember but one divorce case in the -whole period under review, and this long after their family had been -born to them and some of them married—sad case, that not only brought -universal condemnation to one of the parties but financial ruin to -both, and although in affluent circumstances at the time, both finally -died penniless and, as we might say, filled paupers' graves—a sorry but -just retribution to one and a sad ending to the other. Cruel as it may -appear to some of my readers, I am always ready to exclaim, "would that -it were thus to all that seek to dissolve the sacred bonds of matrimony -for light and trivial cause", as we see so prevalent in this day, -that is sapping the very foundation of good morals from under later -generations. - -Without preaching the doctrine, there comes a feeling to pervade the -minds of many that "he is my brother" and acted accordingly. There came -very near being socialism at the outset, on the Plains, to help the -weaker. Of course, I do not mean to be understood that selfishness, or -that ill-feeling between individuals did not exist, but would have the -reader understand that the great body of the pioneers were altruistic -in their actions and forgiving in spirit. When this much is said, it -would almost seem to cover the religious life as well as the social. -Indeed, such to a great extent was the case. The pioneers at once built -schoolhouses but no churches. Teachers were employed for the schools, -but no preachers, except itinerants who came at times, prompted by the -religious zeal that was in them. These were indeed strenuous times, -but the experiences tended to the development of a better manhood and -womanhood than to lead a life of affluence and idleness. - -But two of the adults of that day remain—I mean of those with families: -Willis Boatman and the author. - -The following letter from my old time friend and pioneer, Edward J. -Allen, now 86 years old,[32] so vividly portrays the ways of those -early days, yet with cheerful optimism, that it brings to mind memories -of the past, needs no comment at my hand other than to invite a careful -reading: - - "NOVEMBER 28, 1908. - - "MY DEAR OLD PIONEER—I am glad to know that you have taken up the - Pioneer branch of the Exposition, as it insures that it will be - best presented. - - "Someone else might take up the scheme and study out a fair - presentation of the old days, but with you it will require no - study, not even a test of memory, for you have kept the past - in close and loving remembrance, while you have held an active - interest in the ever changing present. - - "You link together today and yesterday. - - "Long may you wave. - - "I want greatly to get out to the great show and am endeavoring - to shape things that I may. It would be a delight in many ways, - and maybe my last chance to see what is left of the Old Guard. - - "And I would like to see my old friend Meeker, amid the - surroundings that become him most, and in the impersonations of - the old days that the next generation, nor those to come can ever - know, for the waste places of the earth are being inhabited, and - the old ways are lost ways, and may never be known again. We - that were of them know that the world grows better and we do not - wish the dial to now reflect only the shadows of the past, but - there are times when the old simple ways are ways to regret, even - though we accept the truth that progress means betterment. But - in the betterment, we lose some things we miss greatly and would - love to retain. There is nothing more humanizing, nothing more - tending to the brotherhood of man, than much interdependence. - - "In those days while there was of necessity great self-reliance, - there was also much wholesome dependence upon our neighbors, in - all the matters of daily life the need was felt, and the call was - answered. - - "The day, in the last extremity, when death invades the household - doubtless the last rites are better cared for in the skilled - hands of the "funeral director" than by the kindly neighbors - who in the earlier times came with tender thought and kindly - intention to you in your affliction. It brought you close - together. If there were need to be tolerant to some blemishes in - their general make up, you felt you were constrained to exercise - such tolerance, for you had accepted their services in your need. - - "You knew them at their best and always remembered they had such - a best. - - "We lose this in our larger life, and it is a serious loss, as - are all things that separate us from our fellow man, when our - need is to be brought closer together. In all large gains we have - to accept some losses. - - "It is the remembrance of this feature of primitive days that - make them so dear to us." - - "E. J. ALLEN." - -FOOTNOTES: - -[31] Now so rare that $25.00 has been paid for a copy in two instances. - -[32] Since deceased at the age of 93. - - - - -CHAPTER LVII. - -SKETCHES OF WESTERN LIFE. - -_"Occidental, Transcontinental, Oriental" McDonald._ - - -In the early fifties of the 19th century, there appeared on the waters -of Puget Sound an eccentric character answering to the name of Joe -Lane McDonald. He was a corpulent man of low stature, short bowlegs, a -fat neck, a "pug" bulldog nose, with small but very piercing eyes and -withal a high forehead that otherwise softened the first unfavorable -impression of him. - -The writer is relating personal observations of this unique character -as he frequently saw him at the new and then thriving town of -Steilacoom, then the center of trade for all of Puget Sound and to the -Straits of San Juan De Fuca. - -McDonald enjoyed the distinction of being among the first, if not the -very first, trader among the 6,000 Indians of Puget Sound, for at that -early day, 1853-55, there were but few whites to be seen. His sloop, -about the size of an ordinary whaleboat, was decked over fore and aft -and along each side, leaving an oblong open oval space in the center -from which the captain, as he was frequently called, could stand at the -helm and manage his sail, and eat a lunch easily reached from a locker -nearby. - -When once engaged in conversation, the unfavorable impression made by -his physical deformities and unkempt condition disappeared, as he was -glib of tongue and possessed a world of ideas far in advance of his -compeers, and with knowledge to back up his theories. He would declaim -almost by the hour portraying the grand future of Puget Sound, the -"Occidental, Transcontinental, Oriental Trade", as he put it, that -would certainly come in the near future and the grand possibilities for -the embryo center of trade, the town of Steilacoom. - -"Harping" upon the topic so much, McDonald came to be known more by the -sobriquet of "Occidental, Transcontinental, Oriental" McDonald, rather -than by his own given name. - -The keep of his sloop was as neglected as that of his person, which of -itself is saying a good deal. It was a fact that the odor from his boat -(not to give it a worse name) could be detected, with favorable wind, -a hundred paces away and from McDonald himself uncomfortably so in a -close room. - -Notwithstanding all this he was an interesting character, and always -arrested attention when he spoke, though of course with differing views -of his theories advanced. - -McDonald clearly pointed out what was going to happen and what has -happened, the building of a vast overland and oversea trade far beyond -his greatest "flights of fancy," as so many of his pioneer friends were -wont to call his teaching. - -But the Indian war came, some white people were massacred, some Indians -went on the warpath, the remainder of the six thousand went to the -reservations and McDonald's occupation was gone, his sloop was taken -over for Government use and he himself disappeared, doubtless to reach -an early and unmarked grave. - -These scenes were enacted now nearly sixty years ago. The then -silent waters of Puget Sound, save by the stroke of the paddle upon -the waves and the song of the Indians, is now displaced by great -steamers navigating these waters; the overseas tonnage is in excess of -McDonald's prophecies. - -The transcontinental traffic that McDonald so prophetically pointed -out is now almost beyond computation and cared for by six great -railroad systems; the "Oriental" trade has assumed vast proportions, -cared for in part by the regular sailing of 20,000 ton steamers; the -coast tonnage has grown far beyond the most optimistic prophecy; the -"dream of the star" to the flag has come true for the great State of -Washington, as depicted by the poet: - - "For the land is a grand and goodly land, - And its fruitful fields are tilled - By the sons who see the flag of the free, - The dream of the star fulfilled." - - - - -CHAPTER LVIII. - -SKETCHES OF WESTERN LIFE. - -"_The Prairie Schooner._" - - -Just why the prairie schooner wagon body was built boat shape I have -never been able to tell or see anybody else that could. That shape came -in very handy when we crossed the plains in the early days, with which -to cross the rivers, but we had the same kind on the farm in Indiana, -where we had no thought to use them as a boat. - -Their real history is, this type of wagon was introduced from England, -and for a century this form was used because those that had gone before -us had used it, and it took a long time to bring about a change. - -These, though, as the Westerner would say, "came in mighty handy," -when we came to a big river to cross as we were on the road to Oregon -sixty-three years ago. - -[Illustration: The Prairie Schooner on the White House Grounds, -Washington, D. C., November 29, 1907. White House in Background.] - -I got into a scrape once in crossing Snake River when I foolishly -put my whole running-gear on top of the bed and weighted it down to -within an inch of the top; I escaped, as the saying goes, "by the skin -of my teeth," but vowed I would never do so again, and I never did. -Hundreds crossed over in their wagon beds in 1852, and I never knew of -an accident, though when some foolish people started down Snake River -they soon got into rapid water, lost all they had, and some their lives. - -Just to be a "doing" as the saying goes, and to see how it would look, -I concluded to cross a river in my wagon box on this last trip when I -drove to Washington, and let the moving picture men take it. It was -the Loop Fork of the Platte River and about three-quarters of a mile -wide. I have the film and some days I showed it in the Washington State -Building at the Panama Exposition at San Francisco and every day the -oxen themselves could be seen. - -Before I got through I was somewhat like the little boy that went out -a hunting and got lost, who said he was sorry he come. We ran onto a -sand bar and had to get out on to the quicksand to push off, and then, -to cap the climax, the current carried us down past our landing and we -had to tow up by main strength and awkwardness, so I concluded there -wasn't so much fun in it as there might be and that I didn't want any -more like experiences when past eighty years. We got a good picture, -though, for when we got into the scrape we forgot to act and got "the -real thing." - -[Illustration: Dave and Dandy (mounted), with the Prairie Schooner in -the Transportation Building, Panama-Pacific Exposition.] - -I have often been amused when asked how I got the oxen over, just as -though they thought I could put a two thousand pound live ox into a -wagon box. I didn't take these in the picture at all, but came back to -the same side of the river from which we started. Not so in '52. We -had to cross with the oxen also, and sometimes it was no small job, in -fact, more than to cross the outfit and wagon. I was generally able -to get all mine to swim over in a bunch, but I knew some that had to -tow over each animal separate, and some were drowned on the way. Some -streams had quicksand bottoms, and woe betide the wagon that once -got stuck. To guard against this many wagons were hitched together (a -team though to each wagon) and it was a long, strong pull and a pull -altogether. We had to keep moving, else there would be serious trouble. - -Some places the sand would disappear so suddenly the wheels would come -down with a jolt like as if passing over a rough corduroy road. - -Verily the pioneers did have all sorts of experiences. - - - - -CHAPTER LIX. - -HIGH COST OF LIVING. - - -I am going to tell you the story of a public market of Cincinnati, -Ohio, nearly a hundred years ago, or more accurately speaking of -incidents in which the farmer dispensed with the service of middlemen; -where the producer and the consumer met and dealt face to face upon the -sidewalks of that embryo city in the long ago. - -I am reminded of the incidents referred to by a stroll through the -public markets of Seattle. The "middleman", those who bought of the -producer and sold to consumers, or those who established a place of -deposit and for a commission would sell the products of producer to the -retail merchants, who in turn would sell to the consumer, have been -berated and charged with the crime of contributing to the high cost -of living, hence the public markets were established to the end that -producers and consumers might meet on common ground and drive their own -bargains. Here is what I found in the Seattle markets: - -Eggs from China; grapes from California and Spain; nuts from Brazil, -California, Texas and Italy; lemons from California, and Italy; -bananas from South America; tomatoes from Cuba; peanuts from Japan and -Virginia; oranges from California and Florida; grapefruit from Florida; -beef from Australia; butter from New Zealand; cranberries from New -Jersey; cocoanuts from South America; oysters from Maryland, and so -on down a long list, of various minor products not necessary here to -name, to illustrate the point, or rather two points, first that the -producers and consumers could not come together and must be served by -the "middleman"; and, second, that we are ransacking the world, even -to the antipodes, for the products of the earth, in a great measure to -satisfy the cravings of abnormal appetites incident to high living. - -Any one, at a glance, can see this marshaling of products from the -ends of the earth and transporting them for thousands of miles must -increase the cost of living and must of necessity call for the offices -of the hated "middlemen" with their resultant profits. Even the local -products were sold to a great extent by dealers (middlemen) and but few -producers were seen in the market. Things are different now from the -prevailing condition of a hundred years ago, or even eighty-five years -ago, when I was born. The application of steam power for propelling -boats was unknown then, or known only as an experiment, and hence -there were no steamships to cross the ocean and bring their cargoes -of perishable freight; no cables to tap and with a flash to convey an -order to the uttermost corners of the earth; no international postal -service to carry and deliver written messages; in a word, no facilities -to aid in and thus to increase the cost of living; hence, that -generation of a hundred years ago, led the simple life. I am not here -canvassing the question as to which is the better—simply record the -fact. I will venture the opinion, however, the pioneers enjoyed their -living with their keen appetites, incident to their out-of-door life, -as much as the most tempting collection can give to the abnormal hunger -following a gorge of dainties after a day of idleness. - -It is well to note, however, the fact that not all the gatherings from -foreign lands tend to increase the price of a particular article. -Sometimes the opposite results and the cost is reduced, but the general -rule is that the imported articles are simply luxuries and should be -chargeable to the cost of high living rather than to the high cost of -living. - -When the tariff was recently revised and protection withdrawn or duties -reduced on agricultural articles produced in the United States, with -trumpets from the housetops it was proclaimed the cost of living would -be reduced. No such result has followed, as in fact it has advanced. - -Take the article of beef for instance. The duty was removed, the -great packing firms at once established agencies in all foreign meat -producing countries, the foreign markets advanced a notch, the meat -baron of the United States took up the remainder of the duty reduction, -the government lost the revenue, meat at the block continued as high as -ever to the consumer, the meat producing industry of our country was -discouraged and the high cost of living remained. This foreign meat -produced on cheap lands and with cheap labor is a constant menace to -our own meat producing industry and will deter many from increasing -their bands of cattle, so that we may see prices in the future advance -instead of declining, because of the reduced home production. - -Take the item of eggs. The duty was removed and immediately shipments -came from China, where labor is twenty cents a day or less, where -eggs can be produced at half the cost as here, but the consumer does -not as yet reap any benefit, for the shipper fixes the price at what -the market will bear; but, and here is the point, there is the menace -to deter our home producers from reaching out to produce more eggs, -knowing there will come a time when prices will seek a common level, -governed by the shipments from China, our producers will be discouraged -and go out of the business and up will go the price of eggs higher than -ever. - -The duty was lowered from six cents a pound to two and a half on -butter; foreign canned milk is displacing our home production and the -dairy interest begins to feel the depressing influence of the danger -that hovers over it. Let the prices drop to a point that would cease to -be profitable, our dairies would be depleted and the foreign products -take possession and take all the market would bear. And so we find it -in other agricultural products, to be considered hereafter. - -The point bearing on the high cost of living is that we need to -encourage and not discourage home production and labor and to get the -producer and consumer closer together; also with our railroads, we -should insist that they look inward and stop the waste before being -granted an increase of rates, so with our consumers, before they outlaw -the producers and kill the goose that lays the golden egg, they had -better look inward and see if the remedy is not at least in part with -themselves. - -Let us now look into the scenes of the Cincinnati market of pioneer -days. I will describe only one phase of it, as handed down to me by my -mother, who was one of the actors. My grandfather Baker was a farmer -and lived twenty-five miles away from Cincinnati as the road ran. He -had settled a few miles east of Hamilton, Ohio, in 1801 or 1802, where -my mother was born and near where I was born. In ten years time he had -his flock of sheep, his cows, pigs, horses, colts and abundance of -pasture on the land he had cleared. I never could understand why in all -these years he didn't have a wagon, but such was the case. He never -would go in debt for anything. When my mother was twelve years old -she began making the trips on horseback with her father to the market -at Cincinnati. They carried everything they had to sell on the horses -they rode, or perhaps a loose horse or a two-year-old colt might be -taken along. They carried butter, eggs, chickens (dressed and sometimes -alive), smoked meat and sometimes fresh. Sometimes they would make lye -hominy and then again sauerkraut; then again when hog killing time came -around, sausage and head cheese would be added, and so we see quite a -variety would make up their stock to offer on the market. Nor was this -all. The family of four children were all girls. They were taught to -card the wool raised on the farm, spin the yarn and weave the cloth -all by hand in the cabin adjoining the living room and sometimes in -the living room. I can remember the hum of the spinning-wheel and the -"slam" of the loom as the filling of cloth was sent "home", also the -rattle of grandmother's knitting-needles to be heard often clear across -the room, which is a precious memory. To the stock of products as -enumerated would often be added a "bolt" of cloth, or perhaps a blanket -or two or a few pairs of stockings and often a large bundle of "cuts" -of yarn which always found a ready purchaser—wanted by the ladies of -the city for their knitting parties. - -The youngsters will ask, "What is a 'cut' of yarn?" I will tell you as -near as I know. The yarn when spun was "reeled" off from the spool of -the wheel into skeins of even lengths of yarn that could be used in the -chain or warp for the cloth to be woven or wound off into balls for the -knitting. These "cuts" were the skein, of even length of thread neatly -twisted, doubled into shape as long as your hand and size of your wrist -and securely fastened to remain in this shape. Sometimes the yarn would -be "dyed" a butternut color and again would be taken to market in -natural colors either white or black; sometimes a black sheep's wool -would serve to make up the variety by doubling and twisting a black's -and white's together. - -The trip to Cincinnati would often be made by moon-light, so timed as -to arrive at "peep of day" to be ready for the buyers that were sure -to come to meet the country folks, for this was a real country market -where no middlemen appeared, and for that matter were not allowed. My -grandfather's "stuff", as they called it, would be displayed either on -the sidewalk or in the street nearby where his horses were munching -their grain or a bit of hay, and by 9:00 o'clock they would be off on -their road home, to arrive by nightfall, hungry and tired, with the -money safe in his deerskin sack. - -It is needless to add that this household was thrifty and accumulated -money. Later in life it was currently reported that he had a barrel -of money (silver), and I can readily believe the story, as he spent -but little and was always accumulating. I know that more than a peck -of this silver came over to Indianapolis to assist in buying the farm -where I received my education in farming on the daily routine of farm -work experience. - -And so we can see that the so-called high cost of living is chargeable -to the cost of "high living", to the abandonment of the simple life, -to the change in habits of the later generation, not counting the -extravagant wants now so prevalent that was unknown in pioneer days. - - - - -CHAPTER LX. - -THE COST OF HIGH LIVING. - - -On the 16th day of December, 1873, the last spike was driven to -complete the Northern Pacific Railway between Kalama and Tacoma. - -This was then, and is yet, considered a great event in the history of -the Northwest country, not because of completing railroad connection -between the two towns, but because of the binding together with bands -of steel the two great arteries of traffic, the Columbia River and -Puget Sound. - -Kalama, situated on the right bank of the Columbia forty miles below -Portland, was then simply a construction town of railroad laborers, and -has remained as a village to this day. Tacoma, which then could boast -of four hundred inhabitants—mill hands, terminal seekers and railroad -laborers—has now fully one hundred thousand permanent inhabitants, -engaged in the usual avocations of industry incident to civilized life. - -On the 16th day of December, 1913, the Tacoma Commercial Club -celebrated "The Fortieth Anniversary of Train Operation to Tacoma," in -the form of a railroad "Jubilee Dinner." In consideration of my having -been a passenger on that first train, and "possibly the only survivor -of that passenger list", the writer received a cordial invitation to be -the guest of the club, which was accepted. He occupied a chair at the -banquet table, sat as a mute spectator, and listened to the speeches -that followed the banquet, and saw the many devices arranged for -entertaining the company. - -It would appear unseemly for the writer, as a guest, to criticize -his host, the Commercial Club, for the manner of his entertainment, -particularly considering the cordiality of the invitation. "We hope -that you can be here, but if you cannot there will be at least one -vacant chair at the banquet table, and it will be held in memory of -Ezra Meeker, the pioneer of the Puget Sound country", this following -expressions of concern as to my health. So, whatever criticism may -follow will be as a friend of a friend and not in a facetious spirit. -Let us now consider the banquet, so intimately connected with the -subject of the high cost of living, or perhaps in this case might -I not better say, "cost of high living", or for what might be more -appropriately known as the woeful waste cost of living. Covers were -laid for 344 in the large banquet hall, and every seat was occupied. In -addition a large number were fed in overflow, improvised dining halls, -the participants coming into the main hall to hear the speeches after -the feast was over. Seven courses came upon the board, including wine -in profusion. Fully one-third of the viands of these seven courses was -sent off the table and to the garbage cans, destined to soon reach the -incinerator or sewers of the city, and later the deep sea waters of -Puget Sound, save one item, the wine, all of which was consumed. As -I sat and mused, to me it seemed a pity the wine did not follow the -waste into the sea. The tables and hall were profusely decorated with -flowers. In one corner of the hall soft strains of sweet music would -issue from a band half hidden from view. Alternately with these, in a -more central position, gifted singers would entertain the assemblage -with appropriate songs. - -In one angle of the room was a booth, "The Round House" of one of the -transcontinental lines; at another point, "The Terminals", and so on -through with the four transcontinental railroad lines centering in -Tacoma, with "conductors" as ushers, dining and sleeping car porters as -waiters, each appropriately decorated to point the line to which they -belonged. - -As I sat and mused between courses, it gradually dawned upon my mind -that this was in fact as well as in name a "railroad jubilee dinner" -and celebration, and not an assemblage to commemorate pioneer deeds -as pioneer days; that the "Anniversary" date had been seized upon -to attract the widest possible attendance to accomplish another -purpose—that the object of the meeting was to obtain a hearing for -a "square deal" for the railroads, in a word, to build up a public -sentiment favoring the increase of freight rates. This fact became -more manifest and more apparent as the program was unfolded in the -introduction of five railroad magnates as the principal speakers of the -evening, followed by the young governors of the States of Oregon and -Washington, but not a pioneer was called or heard. In fact, less than -half a dozen of the pioneers of forty years ago were present—a whole -generation had passed in these eventful years since 1873. - -We come now to the consideration of the high cost of living as outlined -by the railroad magnates in their plea for an advance in freight rates. -The high cost of living had advanced wages; the cost of operating -the railroad was greater, while the rates from time to time had been -lowered until the receipts had almost reached the vanishing point where -dividends might be declared; and to the point where more capital could -not be enlisted for betterment and extension of the lines to keep -pace with the vast increase of traffic. The burden of these speeches -for an hour and a half was for a higher freight rate and a plea for a -more friendly feeling on the part of the general public towards the -railroads. - -I had expected to hear something said about some method of reducing -the cost of living, but nothing whatever was said on that point; or -of economizing in the cost of operating the railroads, but on that -point the speakers were silent. These five speakers were together -probably drawing a hundred thousand dollars annual salary, but no hint -was given of expecting to take less. However, many of the points were -well taken, and ably stated by the speakers, and received the serious -consideration of the four hundred business men who were present, and -of thousands that read the account of the proceedings published in -the current issues of the newspapers of the day. I mused. If because -of the high cost of living wages advanced, and because wages advanced -freight rates advanced, how long would it be until another advance for -all hands round would be demanded? This in turn brings to the front the -question of whither are we tending? Some honestly, while others with -better knowledge insolently, charged the "Robber Tariff" as the cause -of the high cost of living. The tariff has been revised downward and -yet the cost of living advances. The demand for labor has lessened and -bread lines for the unemployed threatened, and with it the cost of _low -living_ has become a vital question. - -Referring again to the banquet room and to the woeful waste going -into the sewers of Tacoma, may we not pause for the moment to ask, -How many of these banquet rooms, great and small, hotels, kitchens of -the idle rich as well as the improvident poor, are pouring like waste -into the sewers and the deep sea in the United States? If all were -collected in one great sewer, the volume would stagger the imagination. -One authority would have it the volume would equal that of the water -pouring through the channel of the Ohio River. Whatever the volume, all -will realize that could this wilful waste of food be stopped, that food -would become more abundant, the general public better fed while the -cost of living would be lowered. The American people have this sin to -answer for, and the question will remain with them until answered and -atonement made. - -May we not properly ask the railroad magnates to look inwardly and see -if some methods of economy can not be introduced in their management -that will reduce the cost of operating while not lessening the -efficiency of the services. Not one word was said by the speakers on -this point. I do not allege that much can be accomplished in this -direction, but I do say that it is incumbent upon railroad managers to -search the way and come before the American people with clean hands and -they will be met with hearty response for the square deal. Some of the -speakers emphasized the fact that once the people eagerly welcomed the -railroads until they got them, and then turned against them apparently -as enemies. The speakers seemingly forgot the time when the railroad -managers had become arrogant and acted, some of them, somewhat as -expressed by that inelegant phrase, "the public be damned", and treated -the railroads wholly as private property the same as a farm or a -factory or the home. One might easily read between the lines of some of -the speeches that this doctrine of ownership without restriction as to -the duties due the public was still lurking in minds of the men making -them. - -These speeches and kindred efforts, however, will do a good work, -will clear the way for a better understanding, and will in the end -accomplish the coming together of the people and railroads. More than -once in the banquet speeches, government ownership was spoken of as the -result of present tendencies, and one might almost say welcomed by the -speakers, anyway, flippantly spoken of as a possible if not probable -event. I could not help but feel that there was a vein of insincerity -running through these expressed opinions, and that the words were -intended for effect to hasten the day of reconciliation as between -the public and the railroads. To my mind such expressions coming from -such a source were ill advised. One can scarcely imagine a so-called -railroad man that in his heart would welcome government ownership of -railroads in this great nation of freedom. These lines are penned by -the hand of one born before the advent of railroads in the United -States. Perhaps, to be exact, we might note that at that time (December -29, 1830) twenty-eight miles of a so-called railroad (a tramway) were -in operation in the coal mining district. Now we are told there are -over two hundred and sixty thousand miles, requiring a tremendous army -to operate and maintain. The day the policy of government ownership -of railroads in the United States is adopted, that day will see the -germ planted that will eventually grow to open the way for the "man -on horseback" and the subversion of a free government. The reader may -conclude this belief comes from the pessimistic mind of an old man, -and not worthy of serious attention. The writer will cheerfully submit -to be called elderly, but will emphatically disclaim being a pessimist -and will claim this thought expressed as to government ownership of the -railroads deserves very serious consideration as fraught with great -danger. But this is a digression and now let us get back to the subject -of the high cost of living. - -A few weeks ago much was written and published about the high cost of -eggs. Finally the ladies of Seattle hired a theater and more than a -thousand of them assembled to listen to speeches made and to vote for -resolutions presented denouncing alleged speculation in eggs by the -cold storage people, forgetting the fact there was no surplus and that -the law of supply and demand governed. As before written, I hesitated -to criticise mine hosts, the Commercial Club, and how shall I dare -brave the danger of the displeasure of this particular thousand ladies -and of millions more of the same mind to be found in other parts of the -land? Notwithstanding all these resolutions and denunciations, the hens -refused to cackle and the price of eggs advanced. If these same ladies -had, during the season of abundance and reasonable prices of eggs, -provided themselves with suitable earthen jars and a small quantity -of water glass they might have had a supply in their own larders so -near in quality that only a connoisseur could tell the difference, -just as healthful and at moderate price, and thus contribute one -factor to keep down the high cost of living. God bless the fifteen -million housewives of our nation. It is with diffidence I venture, -even in a mild criticism, and so let me assume the role to question -and leave conclusions to the ladies themselves. How many of these -ne'er-do-well housewives look closely to the garbage cans? I would -ask, what percentage of the food that comes on to the table is carried -off and not eaten—in a word, wasted? If this waste, even to a small -degree, was stopped, the effect would be instantly felt, not only in -each particular household, but likewise in the larger way to cut off a -portion of the demand in the markets, and this would tend to lessen the -general cost of living. - -Again, we hear much charged against the "middlemen", as not only -conducing to the high cost of living, but as being the real cause; that -the producer gets scarcely fifty per cent. of the price paid by the -consumer, hence a great wrong is being perpetrated upon a suffering -public by a class who are unmercifully denounced for their alleged -wrong conduct. Indeed, here is one factor that gives us most trouble, -that is, I mean to say the gap between the consumer and the producer, -not the middlemen. - -As with the ladies and the eggs, where words had no effect, -denunciation of middlemen is ineffectual. A sufficient answer to -clear the middlemen's skirts is, that as a class they do not build up -great fortunes, and in fact a large percentage of them either fail in -business or barely make a reasonable living. - -It is the system we must look to for the real cause of our trouble and -not the instruments carrying out the mandates of the public demand. If -we insist upon having the products of the farm in season and out of -season, some of which must be transported for long distances, cared -for, much of it in refrigerating cars and in cold storage, all of -which costs money, of course we must expect an increase in the cost of -living. I am not decrying against this so much as simply noting the -fact, to point the way to one real cause of our complaint. A more real -cause of this great disparity lies with the consumers who demand their -supplies delivered in small portions, always wasteful and expensive, -put up in attractive, costly packages—all of which must come out of the -pockets of the consumers. If the good lady of the household telephones -to her grocer to send her a pound of some new named stuff (and which -comes in a neat but expensive package), how can she expect to get the -same value at the same cost as if bought in original form and at the -counters? She must not only pay for the cost of delivering but often -for the new name of an old-time material in a different dress. It is -the demand of the consuming public that makes possible the waste of -small purchasers and incidentally the additional cost of delivery. - -There is another phase of this question of high cost of living that -has so far received scant attention, which we may properly write -as Fast Living. I do not mean this in the sense of the profligate -spendthrifts, the joy-riders, the senseless wanderings of the idle rich -traveling thousands of miles to drive away the ennui incident to the -sin of indolence, although this has an appalling effect upon the vital -question under consideration and of the welfare of the nation, and must -be treated in another chapter. What I mean now is the legitimate fast -living which adds so greatly to the general cost of living. If, for -instance, the physician using an automobile can visit twenty patients -where before he could only see ten; or the business man utilizing this -rapid transit means for quick dispatch of business can transact as much -business in a day as otherwise would take a week; travel thousands -of miles where before he could make but hundreds, then he becomes a -fast liver and with this a high cost liver. If a locomotive hauls a -train but twelve miles an hour (the original standard of high speed) -manifestly if the speed is increased to sixty miles for the same period -of time, the cost of coal must be much more than at the lower speed. -And so with the fast liver; his expenditures for a given time will be -far greater than if content to move at lower speed. This principle -as applied to individuals is equally applicable to communities, and -becomes a factor in accounting for the high cost of living. We are as a -nation fast livers, and to an extent high livers, and must needs suffer -the penalty of higher cost of living than our forbears who led the -simple life and practiced frugality as a cardinal virtue. - -Another factor we are apt to lose sight of, and it is a large one, -that of withdrawing so many from the field of food production and -moving them over to the side of consumers. Take the army of automobile -builders as one instance; these men, with their dependent families -become consumers, while engaged in an occupation that aids measurably -in the opportunity for fast living, which, as we have seen, adds to -the high cost as compared with the ordinary methods in life. Many such -instances might be named, but this one must suffice. - -Another far-reaching cause—in fact worldwide—is the vast increase -in the volume of gold within recent years and consequent decline in -purchasing power, which of course carries with it the high cost of -commodities exchanged for it measured in dollars and cents. Space will -not permit following this feature of the question further, but it is -one of the things that must be reckoned with in reviewing the whole -question. This, however, is more apparent than real and is entirely -without our control. - -And so, in summing up, we can see that high cost of living is with us -to stay; that, as compared with the simple life, it is a thing of the -past; that so long as we practice fast living we must expect a higher -cost; so long as any part of a community insists on high living, the -inevitable corollary follows that the average cost is advanced. - -Are we then helpless to combat this upward tendency in the cost of -living? By no means; but if we miss the mark in our effort we lessen -the chance of success. We must discriminate and not be led astray by -false prophets teaching false premises. When demagogues, for political -effect, allege that the "Robber Tariff" is the cause, one can easily -see the fallacy of the assertion; when honest people inveigh against -the middlemen as the cause, instead of joining in the denunciation of a -class, they should look inwardly to the system and try to correct the -abuse within. If we are wasteful as alleged, then strive to stop the -waste; if we are extravagant, then let us stop it; if we are heedless -in the method of making our purchases, then let us turn over a new leaf -and begin anew and each do his or her part and the combined efforts -will have effect. While we will not get back to all the old-time ways -of the simple life (and it is not desirable that we should) yet the -effort will correct some glaring defects in our present system. While -we may not get the cost of living down to the old standard (and again -it is not desirable we should), yet all will agree that a combined -popular effort would work a wonderful change for the better in the -direction of reducing the cost of living. - - - - -CHAPTER LXI. - -PREPAREDNESS. - - -In the eighty-five years of a busy life I have witnessed five wars in -which this nation has been a party, not counting the numerous Indian -wars. - -One of these, the Mexican war of 1846, was clearly a war of conquest, -brought on by the discordant element of the slave power, then so -dominant and I may say domineering in our councils. Then followed the -dreadful War of the Rebellion to settle the question whether the United -States was a nation or a loose confederation of States. - -I am one of the very few left that witnessed the war of aggression -that despoiled Mexico of half her territory, which gave us California, -extended our Pacific coast line to the 32° 30' parallel and made this -nation a great world power, in fact as well as in name. - -Who will dare say that great benefit to the cause of civilization and -to the human race did not result from this war? Who, again, will dare -assert that the Indian wars of the last century did not likewise result -in the advancement of the cause of humanity and civilization? And, -again, are there any now so bold as to say that the war prosecuted by -the United States in suppressing the rebellion did not result in the -betterment of all parties engaged in the conflict? The why, as to these -results I will not discuss now, but simply state the acknowledged fact, -to the end that we may more clearly see that the pacificists' doctrine -is a fallacy and utterly impracticable until after the advent of the -millennium. - -Suppose a thousand pacificists were gathered in a peace meeting and -some one introduced a resolution condemning all wars, would they vote -for it? If not, why not? If against preparedness—preparedness for -defense—it follows they are against preparedness for war and prepared -to sing: "I did not raise my boy to be a soldier". - -If, on the other hand, it is admitted that some wars are righteous, the -query arises, who would fight it? like the boy, when asked by a visitor -if he didn't wish that one of his brothers was a sister, promptly -responded, "Who'd a been her?" - -Seriously, is there a pacificist with American red blood in his veins, -who will condemn the war with Spain to put a stop to the atrocities -right under our nose, in Cuba, or the wars with Aguinaldo in the -Philippines, or with the pirates of Tripoli, or coming right home to -the vital spot, the War of the Revolution that resulted in the birth -of this nation? There is no middle ground, there can be none, any more -than a given body can be moved in opposite directions at the same -instant of time. - -It follows, then, that we who oppose the pacificists are in favor of -preparedness for defense or for war—for the two terms are synonymous. -How great and how numerous the ships needed for our navy must of -necessity be referred to experts, for the average citizen can not know. -How numerous the army and what the formation, must necessarily be left -to those who have made the subject a life study. - -The average citizen will know the fundamentals and join to curb -excesses, though he may not know the specials. He will know that if we -are to meet an enemy with guns that will carry five miles it is useless -to oppose them with guns that carry but four, though he may not know -how to construct the better arm. He will know that a small army, that -can be speedily mobilized, is of greater efficiency than a large, -unwieldy, scattered force that can not be quickly concentrated at vital -points of danger, though he may not know how best to provide the means -for speedy concentration. - -How narrowly we escaped a third war with Great Britain over the -Northwest boundary, now so nearly forgotten by this generation, I -personally witnessed on the San Juan Island in the northern waters -of Puget Sound. Again, how the Trent affair came so near plunging us -into a desperate struggle of arms with this same power, we of this -generation can read in history and a few vividly remember, and finally, -how the fitting out of privateers in English ports to prey upon our -commerce at last became so exasperating the war spirit of this nation -rose to a demand that emboldened our ambassador to the court of St. -James to utter those immortal words, "But, my Lordship, this is war," -and it was. - -And then again how near another war with England we came in the -Venezuela affair, a direct result of the Monroe Doctrine, we are too -prone to forget. - -I happened to be in London when Cleveland's famous message was -received and witnessed the excitement that followed, that with but a -little more indiscretion would have lighted the spark for a worldwide -conflagration. Again I am not assuming to say which party was right, or -which was wrong, but simply to recite the fact and to point to the fact -that preparedness—for England was prepared—did not result in war. - -And may I not point to another instance where preparedness did not lead -to war, but on the other hand averted war. I refer to the French in -Mexico. At the close of the Rebellion this nation was fully prepared -for the enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine, and notice to that effect -was made manifest and the French troops were accordingly withdrawn -without a struggle. Without this preparedness on our part the French -troops would have tightened their grip upon Mexico, and we would have -been compelled to fight, or else abandon the Monroe Doctrine. If we -cannot assert our rights, no other nation will for us. If we are -prepared, no nation will challenge us. Which do the American people -want? Shall we submit to endure as a nation by sufferance or shall we -by the strong arm maintain our rights? - -We must, likewise, take note that we have championed the "open door" -policy in China, and already one of the signatory parties has violated -the compact. Shall we give up our trade with the Orient or shall we -assert that we have the right to trade with China on terms with other -nations. If we are not prepared how can we uphold a doctrine that -disputed the right of European monarchies to seize and appropriate any -portion of either Americas and extinguish the right of free government -of the western hemisphere? - -It is well to remember that this Monroe Doctrine—the doctrine that -Europe must keep hands off all Americas—is still held by this nation -and is still repudiated by all European nations except England. - -It is also well to remember that this present war to determine the -question of the divine right of kings to rule as the "vice-regents -of God" is directly antagonistic to our theory of government "by the -people and for the people", which becomes a platitude if we are not -prepared to defend it. - -Dating back to the dawn of history there has been war in all the -centuries. Why, I will not undertake to say, but simply recite the -fact—a condition and not a theory—and a fact the American people should -bear in mind. - -I do not believe preparedness or unpreparedness will avert war, but I -do believe to be prepared will avert an appalling calamity in the no -distant future for this nation if we neglect to provide the means of -defense when attacked. - -Preparedness of course lessens the danger of attack, but can not nor -will not avert it. - -Another factor, the congestion of population of nations or likewise in -vast cities breeds danger and eventually war. - - - - -CHAPTER LXII. - -HOW TO LIVE TO BE A HUNDRED. - - - Eat to live, not live to eat. - Be temperate in all things. - Live the Simple Life. - Work. - -THE END. - - - - - Across the - Continent - - Ezra Meeker, the famous transcontinental - tourist, chooses - - [Illustration: Pathfinder - the "GREAT" - King of Twelves] - - because of its recognized - long-touring - ability, easy riding - qualities and sound - mechanical construction. - -[Illustration] - -The Miles Make No Difference - -It makes no difference how far you travel in "Pathfinder the Great"—to -the next county or across the continent—for its Pullman-like riding -qualities do not leave you dog-tired at the day's end, and the motor -purrs as contentedly at bedtime as when first you pushed the starting -button in the morning. - -You can ride all day long in "Pathfinder the Great," traveling at high -speed without realizing any sense of weariness or driving strain. In -its perfect balance and low center of gravity lies the secret of this -road-smoothing quality. - -You have perfect confidence in "Pathfinder the Great" at all times and -under every condition; this inspires relaxation, the only condition in -which you can really enjoy long distance motoring. - -The twelve-cylinder, valve-in-head motor of "Pathfinder the Great" -develops abundant power; it carries its full complement of seven -passengers in perfect comfort at any speed from two to seventy miles -per hour "in high." - -All the latest super-standard luxury features are found in "Pathfinder -the Great," making the car a masterpiece of beauty, strength and -convenience. - - -Make an Effort to See Pathfinder Twin Six - - _Here are some of the specifications that logically make - "Pathfinder the Great" the Twelve Extraordinary_ - -THE PATHFINDER TWIN SIX has a "V" type valve-in-head motor with -cylinders arranged six on a side. Cast in blocks of three, 2⅞ inch -bore with 5-inch stroke. The motor develops 77 horse power at 2600 R. -P. M. The wheelbase is 130 inches. Tires 35" x 5", non-skid in rear. -Upholstering is of best quality straight grain hand-buffed leather. -Improved Pathfinder one-man top—can be _actually_ operated by one man. -Absolutely positive and simple starting, lighting and ignition, special -Pathfinder-Delco (largest type). Springs of vanadium steel—rear springs -underslung. This type costs us more but the extra value is seen in the -easy riding qualities. Body finish beautiful and enduring. Colors, -blue, black, wine and green with white wheels. - - -Models, seven-passenger touring car, $2,750, and three-passenger -"Cloverleaf" roadster, $2,900. Prices f. o. b. Indianapolis. - - -Pathfinder "Six," America's paramount six cylinder car, has a wheelbase -of 122 inches and sells for $1695, f. o. b. Indianapolis. - - -_See the nearest Pathfinder dealer for demonstration, or write for full -information._ - - -The Pathfinder Company INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, U. S. A. - - - - - ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ - │ Transcriber's Note: │ - │ │ - │ Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. │ - │ │ - │ Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant │ - │ form was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. │ - │ │ - │ Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. │ - │ │ - │ Mid-paragraph illustrations have been moved between paragraphs │ - │ and some illustrations have been moved closer to the text that │ - │ references them. The List of Illustrations pagination was │ - │ changed accordingly. │ - │ │ - │ Footnotes were moved to the end of chapters. │ - │ │ - │ Italicized words are surrounded by underline characters, _like │ - │ this_. │ - │ │ - │ Errors uncorrected: │ - │ p. xi: "... inspired poem on next page,...." (on [the] next page.)│ - │ p. 70: "... and lived together ever after his marriage...." │ - │ ([for]ever.) │ - │ p. 86: "Mount Regnier, Christians have dubbed it...." (Mount │ - │ [Rainier],) │ - │ p.168: Quiemuth and 177: Queimuth. │ - │ p. 202: "... the origin of this name with be a mystery." ([will] │ - │ be a mystery) │ - │ p. 299: "The wagon weighed 1,430 pounds, is a wooden axle...." │ - │ ([has] a wooden axle) │ - └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Busy Life of Eighty-Five Years of -Ezra Meeker, by Ezra Meeker - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EZRA MEEKER *** - -***** This file should be named 52652-0.txt or 52652-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/6/5/52652/ - -Produced by Rachael Schultz, Christian Boissonnas, Bryan -Ness and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at -http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images -generously made available by The Internet Archive/American -Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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