Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-12-23
fHE vIBRAToRs OF OREGON.
IcoNxUxscArxp.l

OF people VINO make yearly pligrlm-
ages from Willamette Valley to
Eastern Oregon, and Southern
Idaho. These pilgrims so mp in
the Spring and back in the fall.
They usually carry all their earthly
effects with them. The rear of the
train is brought up by their vagrant
looking horses. that have declined
service, ceased 10 be of any good to
their worthy masters on account of
the distressed condition of the
forage de- artment. The sides OF
the train are fanked by swarms of
children of both sexes and all ages.
The luggage of each wagon is made
mp as follows half bed clothes and
half dried apples.
Dried apples are Indispensable to
the happiness and comfort OF an
Oregonian. In fact 1t is common
occurrence for families to get up at
II o'clock at at night TO eat dried
apples and drink spring water.
Sweet cider taken every two hours
at night is said to have a saothtng
effect on young maidens who con-
template giving up father and and
mother, and linking their fortunes
with Gods masterpiece, Familiarity
known as imam" Spring seats
are considered an extravagant
luxury by these pilgrims. Therei is
no instance on record in which any
agony connected with their ont
fits have been known to have spring
seats, This luxur, is supplied by
pulling the mess chest to the front
of the wagon. In this way the legs
of those occupying front seats on
the mess chest, are allowed to
swing lazlly, serving as pendnlums
for the wagon. Some of these PEG
pie have so habituated themselves
10 this swinging movement, that in
walking they are often seen to come
to dead halt and swing around.
The cry of these pilgrims is land.
Every wayfarer seen by them Is
hailed by the usual inquiries. what
the prospects are on ahead 10 locate
lands ?" One remarkably good
trait however, about these people,
is that they pay their bills, don't
matter how long standing. Always
ready to pay in their own currency,
surnips, squashes, rails and sacks.
The merchants of Idaho and Eastern
Oregon with their debts are largely
indebted to these wandering pill
grims, for the able manner IN which
they have drank their tea
and coffee, eat their bacon,
used up all their domestics.
guxzled their patent medicines and
never paid for them. These mer-
Chants have nso-day a clear idea of
what constitutes good custnner--
one who is persistent, determined 70
buy or die. Nc one will get = better
opportunity of knowing what consu-
tutes a farm than by mingling with
''the Oregon vihrators." The term
farm is susceptible Of two meanings.
East of the Alleghanies il means from
one hundred TO two hundred acres Of
land under cultivation and enclosed,
not by family herChng it, but by sub
stantisl fences; good dwelling
house, out buildings, live stock and
farming implements. and the oocu-
pants in high state OF preservation,
The term farm east Of the Cascades
means from one hundred to- enc hun
dred and sixty acres of wild land,
.'squatser's right, no signs of cula-
walton, the farm hercied by the fam
lily in lieu of fences, no farming i'm
plemeuts and ordinary prospects TO
buy seed grain, and run in debt for
one years provisions, sufficient 10
feed family aggregating fifteen hu-
man souls, As far rs dwelling
house aud outside buildings. these
were questions to be grayely eonsid
cred. Shiftless looking men roam
those elegant farms east of the Cas-
cades; sad locking women dream
nightly of their dear Willamette;
hopeful locking children sigh for the
land Of red apples, while long, lank
docking houn4s that flied their way
suEleuly from the Willamette across
the dreary solitudes of the Blue
Mountains lie down footsore and
weary on the wild lands of ''Grande
Rounde" and whine for gone. gone
occupation. To such an extent is this
vibrating carried 90 that one in pass
ing through the country lying east Of
the Cascade Mountains. il al frs,
sight impressed with an activity that
he cannot account for. Upon closer
observation he finds himself sur
rounded by .vihrators, Offering TO
seii farms from two hundred aud
atty 10 Que thousand dollars, accord
ing to location. The .vibrstor"