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

LECTURES BY REV. \. 1. SPAULDINc
Early Oregon M HissiOIls--STheir In,-
portnnee Ina Securing the COum-
try 10 Americans.
fNuMDER EIaurEpN I

| Of men these mountains had adopted some
years before. from all nations, bat principal.
~ from the United States and Canada. They
may be divided into three classes Ist-
traders, or merchants 2d--9inploycd tran.
pers and rouaJeRrS 3d-free trappers. The
first class were associated la eonlpaniea eueh
as the American Fur Company, the Rocky
Mountain Company, &C., &C., ard divided
their life between the mountains and tho civ.
ilized world. Two or three partners usually
remained in the mountains, and, ike all the
English and Canadian free trader preferred
women Of the Indian blood 10 q hise women.
for concnbiBes or wives. The sshdrpartsiers
remained ~ st. Louis or New York, or con.
Quoted the yearly caravans from the from.
tiers to rendezvous, with merchandise OF all
kinds suited TO the fur trade in the noun.
tains with the Indian tribes and white trap.
pers, including alcohol-cxelusiyely for the
white man, until such sime as ihc Indian
tribe becomes the weaker party.
Under Nhe protection Of tho American
Fur Co., es before stated, we Travelled from
the PaVnee Nation t27th May to lhis place !;
and from tho day we overlook fiem both
partners aud men treated us with he great.
est Kindness, several times putting them
selves out of the way to favor Mrs sraIding
in her long illness. They most freely fur.
nishcd our mess regularly, with buffalo meat
daily, as their hunters brought IL in at night
but for which wc would have be,n com.
pclled 10 employ an experienced husicr, and
even then been liable to be without food fre.
quently.
The second class q majority ofwinm were
Canadiansl were employed to pack TO the
mountains, trap one or more years, and re.
turn to the civilized world, or not, as they
might choose. There was always found
enough Of this class every year 10 Tack the
caravan back loaded with the years return
Of furs.
The third class, or fsce.trappers, were a
clasSof men hunting on their Town hook, -
and selling their fnrs where they cpuld get
the best prices. They certainly were n pc
euliar class Of men 1t would be difficult
to say what could have been the maiye that
induced 30 many hundreds, after two or
three visits 81 and from the mountains, 10
turn their backs forever upon the civilized
world, with all IFS comforts, its happiness, It's
It's schools and its bibles, It's laws aad social
order, for life in this vast Wilderness ol
thick darkness. with its constant hazards
and dangers, It's starvation, is total want ol
bread aud books, Of schools and ehufcLg4. oi
law and Of everything that makes life lesir.
able. Perhaps tho mere love of adventure
and the exposure Of life in the midst uf dan.
ger was one cause. Atrappcris life In those
days was found 70 average Il years, But
the events that arc familiar 10 al men mus.
compel US to admit that the great moving
cause was something which the thousands
IN those days, from our country and from
| England and Canada. including the leading
and successful traders Of the 4. F., III. Bay
/ and y. w. Fur Companies, saw iu the wo
men Of the Indian Faee that induced them q
tnrn away from the whites aud identity them
selves. their fortunes and the destiny oftheiI
offspring with that Of the Indian race. And
| il Is undoubtedly that same something that
induces 50 many in our own day, in our mil
| itary ranks, in our halls Of Legislation. md
/ in every walk of human life--includine
many Of our most talented statesman and
honorcd Government ofhcials--to turn away
| from the women of their own white race
aud select, sometimes at great expense, theii
wives or coucubines from the Indian blood
II is certainly not necessity, now, but choice
| ii was not necessity then, but choice. Whit.
women in great numbers could have reacheS
this country by sea or the mountains rs easi
~, then, as the few did.
Great Britain, awake 70 this state o
things, many years ago adapted her laws h
the protection Of the offspring of such un
ions. II would be well If our legislature
would follow her example. Childhood ans
infancy ought to claim the FIRST attention o
lawmakers and public guardians. Here i
a class Of helpless children, all through on
Indian and negro country, not only neglect
cd by our laws, but actually made the vic
Tins Of legislation that would blacken tn
pages of Mozambique. Shut out of tn
houses Of their fathers by public preiuice
;his great class Of half breeds are told b,
our law books; as soon as they are old enough
to see thoir deplorablc condition, that not /
dollar of the fathers money can be appro
priated to their use, support or education
but that all belongs to their more fayore,
brothers and sisters, And rs they lool
around for ono object Of hope, and see moth
ing but the finger Of scorn and snakels. heai
Of prejudice pointing from every churcl
door and street corner, they feel that the
are neglected, despised and oppressed NOR
than any other class of human beings an,
there is noting left to them but to turn ava,
from our boasted christianity, and, with til
ruined and outcast mother, seek death in th
Intoxicating bowl, and 60 down in rags an
ignorance to an untimely grave. But til
God Of nations is also the God of the father
less.
The mountaineers seemed to adopt yer
! readily the manners, dress and habits, AM
even the GESTURES and walk Of the Indian. ]
greater compliment could not.hb paid to
free.trapper than to persuade him he hal
been mistaken for an Indian brave. In
deed, the counterfeit is complete. His hair
suffered to attain full length is carefull
combed out and left to fall careleasly owe
his shoulders, or plated and tied up wit
otter or white weazel skin. A hunting shir
of buckskin, with heavy phylacteries an
circles of porcupine quills, falls to bis knees
below which, leggins of the same, closel
4 fitted to his calYes and beautifully ornament
ed with fine beads and heavy fringes, reache
to pair of moccasins, curiously wrough
J with scarlet, beads and porcupine quills,--
His blanket is girt around him with re
sash or otter skin, in which is bestowed hi
!. pipe, knife and "tobaeco pouch hn--the latte
wrought with beads. His gun is lavishl
decorated with brass tacxs, vermillion an
eagles feathers. His horse-the noble min
lister to the pride, pleasure, profit, and ofte
Z safety of the mountaineer--is caparisone
in the most dashing and fantastic STYLE Hi
Indian wife, with her horse. selected for hi
! prancing Qualities, and her saddle and baby
cradle, are still more elaborately and e.
pensiyely decorated with pounds of fin
white and black beads, aquoi shells and ii
coils, elk teeth and hawk bells, fngar,rine
and heavy bracelets, steel-top thimbles an
cut glass beads--all glistnning in the sur
, beams and producing a CHEEKY gingling {
she gallops along by the side of her Amel
lean haman American man their bal
lashed in its cradle and swung to the fol