Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-03-22
For the Bellows Falls Times.
CamD CASTOR, California.

on the west bank OF the lrlnlty-river II
miles above its junction with the Kla-
math river, and about so miles from the
coast. 1t is an irregular square, contain
ting about 450 acres, and situated near
the center of Hoopa valley. This val
ley is some seven miles long by one in
breadth, and lays between the Trinity
and Redwood chains of mountains, which
belong to the coast range of the Sierra
Nevadas.
Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation COM
prises Hoopa valley and adjoining coun-
try, and is about ten miles square. There
are in the vicinity of a thousand Indians
collected on this Reservation, principally
of the Hoopa tribe, or Noh-tiu-oaks "
as they call themselves. They are sep
arated into small villages or ranches, p"
to use frontier phrase and, although
they really belong to the same tribe and
speak the same language, they are con-
stantly hostile to each other, which is
perhaps the principal reason of their be-
ing at peace with the government.
Fort CASTOR, as it formally was call
ed was established in December 1858,
by Captain Underwood, Fourth United
States Infantry, in consequence of In
dian depredatioDs in the vicinity, and
was named in memory of Lieutenant
CASTOR, First United States Dragons,
who was killed in an engagement with
the Indians on the 18th of May, 1858.
Camp CASTOR, like most military posts
or the frontier, is not fortified, but con-
sists principally of parade ground 600
feet square, bounded on the four sides
by barracks, officers quarters, store-hous-
es, &C., the buildings being built of logs,
sawed lumber, adobe, all in a good state
of repair and very comfortable and con-
venient, with but little pretence to the
artistic. The post has been very much
improved during the past two years, two
sets of officers quarters, one set of COM
pany quarters, four sets of laundress
quarters, store-house and bakery have
been built by enlisted men on extra duty
in the quarter-master's department, and
with comparatively small cost to the
government Beside this building, the
entire post has been put in thorough
state of repair which tends much to
make it desirable station.
The capacity of the post is for two
companies of Infantry, and is garrison
ed by companies "E' and *" Twelfth
United States Infantry. The officers are
as follows:
Lieutenant Colonel A. D. Nelson, 18th
Infantry, Commanding Post.
Captain R. G. Parker, 18th Infantry,
Commanding Company E."
Captain Charles S. Tripler, 18th In
fantry, Commanding Company K"
Lieutenant Thomas F. Wright, 18th
Infantry, Post Adjutant.
Lieutenant George W. Kingsbury,
18th Infantry, Post Quarter-master Com
missary and Treasurer.
Rev. Dudley Chase, U. S. A. Post
Chaplain.
DIR. A. Farnsworth, Acting Assistant
Surgeon, U. S. A.
The officers quarters, seven in number
and comprising from FIVE to seven rooms
each, are built of logs, frame and adobe,
white-washed outside, and ceiled, plaster
ed and painted inside, and withall very
comfortable. They are surrounded by
rustic fences and beautiful flower gard
ems, also by porches and verandas in
front and rear. The mems quarters are
not so elaborate, yet they are comfort
able. "E" company's quarters which
was built last summer is fine building,
| 120x30 feet, and is not excelled by any
on this coast. Thequarter-masters store
house, also new building, is l00x25
feet. The commissary store-house is
1880 feet. The stables have stalls for
IL animals, and shed room in the corral
for 80 more. There is also storage for
100000 pounds of hay, 100000 pounds
of oats and $4,000 pounds of straw,
which is about the amount annually
consumed by the public animals be-
longing to the quarter-master's depart
ment at The post. The hay and straw
are raised on the Indian Reservation at
thirty eight and eighteen dollars per ton,
respectively. Oats are packed over the
mountain trail from Arcuta, forty miles,
and cost the government last year, 81
cents per pound.
All of the quarter master, commissa-
ry and medical supplies for the post,
forage exeepted,) and much for the In
dian department, in all amounting to
something more than 100000 pounds
per annum, are shipped from San Fran
cisco by steamer TO Arcuta and thence
by pack mules to this post. Supplies are
shipped once year, and usually during
the months of June or July, for during
the rainy season, from November until
May, the trail is too muddy, the streams