The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-04-20

painted figures and heavy phylacteries, con.
tanning her irout stick, fire steel, sinews,
awl, kimp and other necessaries, are hung
TO the hind ono.
cayaleade Of these happy mortals, with
their usual number Of horses packed with
buffalo meat and buffalo.hide lodges, with
children tied upon the packs and lodge. poles
dragging, could easily be mistaken. for d
bard Of Indians. M H
Ihe yearly rendezvous was hey.day fol
these modern Nimrods. They would collect
together nt the place appoined and await tho
arrival OF tho traders caravans with watch
ful anxiety, aud greet the newcomers (pork.
eaters1 with hearty good cheer and On.
tertain each other for hours, during the shorl
period Of rendezvous, with prodigious tales
Of wonders seen and wonders endured /; oi
Indian fights, narrow escapes and comrades
lbcalped of fatal docoys, BY means Of In.
dians dressed in elk.skins and apparently
feeding about of starvntions Of buffalo
hunts and buffalo fcasts Of climbing snow
mountaiHe and' carrying sweet cotton Mcct
back 10 keep their animals from perishing ;
Of swimming ice.fl0ating rivers, with packs
on their backs, in search Of beaver "signsp
Of Balaamito mules Cup 10 Indian in am.
bush of beaver up TO trap" Of the luck.
stream where he Is 'lbrought to medicine y
These eyentful hours are relieved by a dis.
play Of horsemanship, in all their gay and
fluttsring attirej by horse-races and foot.
races by wrestling, jumping and pounding
noses; by b0asting and counter boasting.
In the meantime brisk trade is kept up.
The log stores Of the company, or rival com.
panics, are throngod late and carly, till bea.
yer arc gone, credit gone, whisky gone, grasa
gone and stores empted. and the appointed
day to break up camp dawns when sud.
denly the narrow valley Of the Green River,
for ten miles, is all alive with horses and
mules and human beings. The thousands
perhaps tens Of thousands-of horses arc
driven into their several camps aud sthorsc.
pens, lodge poles taken down, lodges rolled
up and packed, beaver balls packed and pack
saddles on the mules, and the long cavaleade
for st. Louis impatient to be in motion the
hearty shake Of the hand and soui.invigor.
ating ''God bless you I" goes. around the
home. bound partner gives the signal by FIRE.
ing his piece, followed instantly by a thou.
sand vollies. The Canadians lead Fin that
soul-vivifying canadian Boat Song,n fol.
lowed by the Mexican, the English and tbs
many Indian tongues, as these many natives
and languages start of in all directions
the home bound caravan for the 'trising
sun tic Indian tribes for their distant
mountain hOmes-the mountain .trappers
''moying camp" with them, or collecting in
small bands, move of to choice trapping
fields in the secluded glens Of the distant
dark mountains, 20 live oyer again their life
Of peril, danger, starvation and feasting, and
TO como together again the next year with
numbers greatly reduced by their sleeples.
foe.
And this romantic valley relapses agair
into its pristine stiffness and solitude Such
was the mounlaineer life in those days. Al
q class, for honesty, generosity and endn
rance, they would certainly compare vel
with a like number Of men in the common
walks Of life. Many Of them have bccom,
worthy and industrious citilens Of the VII
lamette Valleys and have provided nobly fol
their children ard wives, IN defiance Of thos,
tmodert laws that forbid them 10 marry am
| would compel the thousands Of this class {,
live on in open adultery. Would that th
same could be said Of our military.