The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1875-06-11

In the Catholic jSenttna OF last
Thursday We find a lengthy article
addressed to Editors Of the News
papers Of Oregon" from +. n. b.,
which is interesting in the extreme.
We extract the following:
No one, the least acquainted with
the carly history Of Oregon, can deny
that the country was visited and trav-
eicd all over by the adventurous
French Canadian royogeurs, as early
as 1911, if not before that period.
Being employed as trappers and
traders by the Astor, Northwest. and
Hudson Bay Companies, they had
occasion to visit the remotest corners
of the lands west Of the Rocky
Mountains, and during their long
travels and dangerous expeditions
among numerous Indian tribes, they
freely made use Of the right of trav-
elers in new regions to give the In
dams, the rivers, and localities, pc
culiar and appropriate French names,
which have been preserved and used
ever since. Some of these names
are properly written nowadays
whereas others have been perverted,
and their spelling entirely changed,
on account of ignorance of their
French extraction.
Thus, some Indian tribes were
called: Les Nes Perces, the Pierced
Noses; Les 1etes Plates, the Flat
Heads; Les Ohaudieres, the Kettlefall,
SO called on account Of living at the
fall of the Columbia, near Colville,
where are seen some kinds Of kettles;
Les Pend ROyeiiles, tho Ear Rings;
Les SerpentS, the Snakes; Les Occurs
dAlenes, the Pointed Hearts, Les
CoquinS the Rogues.
Some rivers were called: La Ririere
dcs Chutes, the River of the Falls, or
Des Chutes River, in Wasco county;
La RiUiere an Malheur, the Ill-For-
tune River, in Baker county; La Riu-
iere dc Marie, the NIary's River, in
Benton county; La Creole, the Gre
ole, probably the name of man, in
Benton county; Lacoquille, the Shell,
in Coos county, La Ripiere aAr Co
quins, the Rogue River, in jackson
county; La Camas, the Camas, in
Benton county.
Some localities were called; Ld
Grande Tallee, the Grand Valley, in
Union county; Les Dotles, les Grande'
Dalles, in English the Dales, the
Grand Dales, narrow channel be
tween hills, in Wasco county; lie
Cascades, the Cascades; in French
lie Grand Rond, in English the Crane
Round, in Yamhill aud Union coun
ties; La Butte, BltteUille, the Butt
Buttville, hill near that town; IL
Creole, the name of n river in Pol
county, has been Americanized int
Rickreal, hence "a town of such
name, five miles east of Dallas, o.
its banks; La Cdmas the Camas,
river in Benton county, so called fo
flowing through the King Vale
Prairies, abounding with that India
root, has been Americanized into th
strange and wonderful name
"Luckimute." So also of the TO
lowing: Tcdlate, in English "Twa
atey," has been Americanized in "Tl
alatin;' Killimoob into "Tillamook
Canon, u Spanish word, to be prt
nounced like "Cagnon," into "Cal
yon;' Pend d'Oreiilis, Pend being a
abbreviation of Pendant, is SOM
times written "Pen," "Pen d'Orie
les" La Coquile, not long ago, WI
written the "Ko Kwel" La But
Buitcrille, is changed into Butte
"Butoville," "Bute" being Meth,
English nor French. Sauce,
English "Sauvey," the name OF
French Canadian, who for mar
years remained on the island whiC
bears his name, keeping dairy the
for tho Hudson Bay Company, h
been perverted into that of "Sauvie
"Sauvie's Island" as il 81" in "vi'
could and should be pronounced Ill
: tho French eve" or the Englii
: "vey." In fine, tho name Of Il
half-breed GGra,a, meaning ''gua
antoo, " has been Amsricanized in
: that of "Gerrand." So much I
the perversion Of foreign names.
TELEGRAPHIC SPARKS,