Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-15
An OLD RESIDENT:


Around the early history of every
place cluster old time memories and
legends; in the recollections Of all pic.
neers are the sights of early tolls and
privations, dwelling in all our cities are
those who toiled in the noon of life
when the unsubdued wilderness was
theirs to hold and occupy; and interest
ing to all are the variations of the men
and women who once lived in solitude,
rarely seeing q neighbor's face where
now the hum of thousands marks the
mighty contrast. Often have We sat for
hours listening to those who came as
como the vanguard of an army, yidettes
thrown out to mark the ground and
note the dangers, and no more honora-
bic badge of service ever glittered en-
the breast of the brave than the frosty
but kindly brow beaming with the light
OF well spent life, the eye cleaning
with animation as the tale of early pri-
walton and adventure is told and the old
times narrated.
Washington Irving, the most graceful
writer Of his day, has in his delightful
volumes thrown romantic halo around
the Columbia, and in his work astoria"
has charmed the tastes of thousands of
readers who delightedly hear of the
first settlement of this far off western
city. Many old people whom we have
met here have vivid recOllections of
events which happened thirty and forty
years ago. and their information forms
an important fund of contemporaneou
history. No settlement is richer in
legend and romance than our own State
and city. no pioneers have better rec
ord for courage than the brave men and
women who laid the foundation of the
present commonwealth. 1t was our
good fortune last Wednesday to meet
gentleman who occupies a unique psi
ton in the history of Astoria. We refer
to DR.. William Mckay, of Pendleton,
Umaitlla County. DR.. Mckay was born
in Astoria in 1923. The house in which
he was born stood on the same spot
now occupied by the residence of Mr..
Ed. Taylor. Shortly after the Lewis d
Clarke expedition in 1903, Alexander
Mckay, a Scotch trader. in company
with Sir VIM. Stuart and a party of ex-
plorers, started westward from Montre-
al, discovered the McKenzies river and
reached the Pacifiec Coast abogt Moot
kaL Sound.
What most Immediately attracted
their attention was the immense number
OF fur-bearing animals, and on their
return to Montreal two seasons after,
they accidentally met John jacob Astor
there, and the subject of starting fur
station at the mouth of the Columbia
was preached by him. Mckay anu
others came out under contract with
Aston, and in 1911 founded Astoria. He
was on board the Inflated TOnquin when
that vessel was taken by the Indians in
tbs Straits of Fuca, and was the first to
fall victim to their savage fury. His
son married daughter of Cumcumly,
the great Chief of all the Chinook and
Chehalis Indians, and in September,
1923, was born the subject of this sketch.
His earliest recOllecti0ns are of the COM
ing and going of one Capt. Gray, who
put in with his vessel,
small American bark, and of Admiral
who arrived in 1886 with
the English vessel CadbrO. In 1888
young Mckay removed with his father
and the rest of the family to Vancouver,
and in 1842 he started overland to the
States. While traversing the Yellow
stone he met our venerable townsman
w. H. Gray, who when young man, in
with his wife, whom he had
Just married, was en- route for Oregon.
The Doctors account of the overland
trip is exceedingly interesting. Many
we're occupied in making the
transit, and it was not till the spring of
1913 that they reached st. Louis. From
there he went to Fairfield, Herkimer
County, New York, where he was edu-
GATED, and took collegiate course. His
residence in Canada and
various parts of the northwest coast
form a chapter of the most intense in
terest. For the last twenty years DIR.
Mckay has resided in Pendleton, en-
gagged in the active practice of his pro-
and though he could lily spare
the time. he concluded as he was attend
ing the Pioneers Reunion at Salem, he
would revisit his birthplace and note a
few Of the changes that 55 years had
His thorough familiarity with
all the scenes and incidents, the man
ners and customs of early life in this
country makes his conversation source
of pleasure to the listener. and as he is
a man of more than ordinary education
and experience, possessed OF unusual
his statements are OF value.
Among the many questions we asked
him was one relating to a matter which
has frequently puzzled older residents
than ourself;--the occasional finding of
chunks of beeswax along the shore, es-
pecially at TiilamoOk and this side of
Tillamook Head. "Oh, yes" said the
doctor in answew, 'I'll tell you all
about that. 1t was, think, in 1884,
that the Indians first began to bring in
large qupntities of beautiful China and
porcelain ware, jugs, pottery, cups. etc.,
some of il broken, some intact. Vases,
pitchers, etc., of beautiful workmanship
and design were daily shown, and in
answer to all interroeatives they said
they got them on the beach. Sure
enough, the shore at Shoalwater Bay
and Clatsop beach was lined with this
ware, and now and then big blocks and
chunks of beeswax came ashore. Ii
seemid TO drift down with the current
from the north, and when Capt.
bought the Llama, in 1887, in company
with some eastern men be made q trip
TO Vancouver Island aud there found
four unfortunate Jspsnese. II was q
japanese Junk that blown out OF her
COURSE bad crossed the Pacific only to
be Wicked on Vancouver Island, and
the crew condemned to slavery. For
miles along the 5each for years after
ward vas found az more infrequsnt in
tervals, relics of the wreck. and to this
day pieces OF the ware are preserved.
The Captain bought the four JaysI Q
and bro1ght them to Vancouver, where
I saw them many times" This then
explains the origin Of that mysterious
beesvax, which has occasioned 80 much
discussion and ssrmise in Clatsop and
Tillamook Counties
The Doctor has an mex .austible fund
of recollecsions and his menory Ii rare
~ at fault. He spoke of our streets and
dwelt With pleasure on the names Ska
maqaia, Chenamus, and CumcumIy,
smiling at our endeavor to correctly
pronounce the former, which can only
be done by producing an indsscrible
click ON the hrst and third syilables and
peolongino the fourth. All three names
we're once owned by Indian chiefs, OF
tho Chinook tribe, whose word was lau
and whose dictum was TO b obeyed
Talking With this gentleman ono ID
taken back 10 the days when a yearly
vessel visited the Columbia, when bat
Ave cattle vore west Of the Rocky Noun
tains, and when there were not more
| than half dossnl whites In what IL nov
known - ''the coass." He in his nara
tons. can truthfully say "ali Of which