Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-09


Cleans but one shining sheen of snow.
Two wild and stormy streams of human
ity, one from Oregon and the other from
California, had joined and flowed on trem-
ulously together. They were on their way
to the new mines of Idaho. On Comas
prairie, winter swept suddenly over them,
and there, down in a deep canon that cleft
the wide and wintry valley through the
middle, the stormy stream of life stopped,
as river that is frozen over.
thousand men, trying to escape the
blizzard that swept over the valley, tam
bled hurriedly into the canon together,
and took shelter there as best they could
beside great basalt blocks that had fallen
from the high, steep cliffs of the canon, or
under the crags- anywhere to escape the
bitter cold.
And how the Californian did despise the
Oregonian! He named him "Webfoot,"
because his feet were large and he came
from the land of clouds and rain. And
how the Oregonian did hate the Cali
fornian! He named him "Horse Thief"
But as there was more truth than poetry
in it, unlike the other appellation, it did
not stick. The bitter enmity and the bad
blood of Germany and France was here
displayed in epitome and in its worst
form. wonder, indeed, if there should
not be some sort of tragedy played here
before the storm was over.
The Oregonian wore long hair at that
date, 1861. Leggings and blanket with
his head thrust through a hole in the
center, made his chief raiment. tall,
peaked hat, with band about it, some
thing like the brigand of the stage, cover
ed his long, straight and stringy hair.
Sometimes he wore an old SLOUGH hat. He
was rarely without the blanket. He was
never without the leggings.
The Californian wore the traditional red
shirt in that day, with hardly an ex-
ception. He often carried two pistols
in the great leather belt, and
always one, with a bowie knife. He
generally wore dark trousers tucked
inside of his great, long-legged leather
boots. If he was 'on the Shoot" or ''come
from the shoulder" little investigation
would in many cases disclose an extra
pistol or two tucked down deep in those
boots. And even whisky bottles have been
known to nestle there. He rarely wore a
coat. If he was cold he put on his other
shirt. The coat interfered with his fight
ing, aud he despised it. And how he would
howl at the long, lean, and silent Oregon
ian as he marched about in his moccasins
and leggins, and his blanket tight about
him and his hands quite hidden.
"Hello! webfoot; where's your hands?
Come, show US your hands. Are you
heeled? You can't fight that wayr'
CRY me and seer'
The blanket flew back, two hands shot
forward, and the too garrulous and meddle-
some Californian let the webfoot go; for he
was heeled.
We had but little wood here and that
was of the worst quality willow and
green and frozen. The little river gurgled
plaintively for the first day or two, as it
struggled on and ground through its icy
banks. But soon its lips were sealed and
the snow came down and covered the silent
and dead waters as with a shroud.
The day after the little tilt between the
parties as above described, two of the
Californians walked up and down before
the quiet and unpretentious camp, only a
few steps from their own, for we were all
hudled in together there, and talked very
loud and behaved in very insulting man
ner. The canon was all on tiptoe. The
men began to forget their misery in the
all-absorbing topic of the coming fight.
Cautious old men held aloof and tried to
keep peace. They kept most of the men
out on the windy plain, freezing there
with the half-starved mules, horses and
ponies, that paved pitifully and hopeless
ly in the snow, which was now almost to
their breasts. This, it was hoped, would
give the men something better to do, and
keep them from battle.
But the dreadful situation, the cold, the
hunger, the possibility of all perishing
there together seemed only to madden the
men. That night duel was arranged to
take place at daylight on the plain above.
The Californian and Oregonian were to
fight with rifles at ten PAGES. Both were
center, deadly shots. Both had their
friends and hackers. The whole canon
seemed about to be drawn into the fight
| Some of the men were now very hungry
All were cold, cross, desperate. general
battle was imminent.
Let US look at these silent, lean and de.
| spised Oregonians in their blankets. Come
ly they were not, nor graceful. They were
not we'll read, nor had the eyes of the
world been upon them as on the Califor
mans. But be it remembered that way
back, before California was at all known
these Oregonians had met under the pines
and most emphatically, as well as ingram
matically, proclaimed that they were part
of the United States and not of England
They had decreed war against aggressive
tribes, had raised an army, maintained il
! in the field, coined their own money
aud provided all on their own account
Their coin was pure gold. not particle Of
alloy. The beaver on one side of theil
crude coin showed the quiet industry Of
Oregon's pastoral people. The sheaf Of
wheat on the other side showed that plenty
rewarded the husbandman.
Against this record the Californian hat
little to exhibit. He had washed down hill:
and led rivers over the mountains. H,
had contributed much to the metallic
currency of the world. but he had don,
little else. And take the responsibility
of saying that, as compared with tn,
despised .Oregonian, notwithstanding
his vigilantes and great show o
valor and chivalry, he was braggart an'
a bully. But these old and deadly quar-
rels did not have the ears of the world a
the time, and, being now happily forgot
ten, they can concern no one. I have ONLY
thrown in this last paragraph or two t,
show how dangerous and deadly was thi