The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-07-04
Legend of the Columbia.


A Legend of the Columbia
When the little town of Astoria,
which lies beneath the hills ON the
left shore Of the Columbia, WAS ia it's
infancy, it was even more picturesque
than it is at the present day. Ii was
situated on a rising ground and close
TO the waters edge. The tall hrs, hem
locks aud spruce trees that surrounded
the village protected 1t from the
tempests Of winter. Several miles
across the blue waters of the Columbia
were to be seen the tree-cspped hills
Of what is now the Washington Terri
tory shore.
The part of this little town which
vas formerly called by it, eight or
ten inhabitants the Lower Town,
was originally a trading post Of the
Hudson Bay company, and was first
knusn BY the name Of Fort George.
/ Here, thousands of miles IRON the
civilized world, with the silence Of q
vast forest to the right of them and
behind them; the silence and deep
solitude of mighty ocean to the left;
with the silence of a grand river in
front of them; here, all alone, lived
a few waif. from the great living
world.
As may bs imagined, these beings
who had wandered away ID this vest
ern world belonged to a class who
might be said to consist Of the curl
osities Of humanity. Trappers, men
who had escaped from justice, men
imbittered by the strange chances and
misfortunes of life-such men formed
this community. Amongst The last
class was curious old lawyer; a lnan
possessed of profound ability. ID
had been brought up at the Inni
Court of London. He had striven fol
many year. in that great city, feeling
knowing his ability. In his attemp
> to obtain q foot-hold ne had battlec
y against poverty and misfortune, ant
> had felt the pangs of that hope de
ferred which makes the heart sick
but the rushing stream of mlsfortun
was too powerful for him with 1t
. terrible tide, aud he lost his hol'
upon the world. He sought tn
peace and solitude of the srea
forest.
This last gentleman was the oracl
of the little town, and many a lectur
did he give to his audience there al
!, sembled, as he sat before the gres
NJ stove in the Hudson's Bay store, an
, puffed the gray tobacco smoke froI
his meerschaum pipe in clouds aboy
him; for it was around this stove thi
the whole city assembled whenever
a rained, which happened at that time
nearly every day in the year. Aroun
this great stove in the old log~oo
store this whole city on these hume
: ous occasions chewed and smoke
y tobacco, and told hideous yarns.
And all the while the Columbi
: with the rain ever falling on It's smoo
- surface, rolled on in grim silence
: the sea.
- When such a strange event as c
appearance OF white sail upon {
~ ocean happened, the quiet little col
% munity would be thrown into a sts
of enormous excitement. Then wou
the members of the com munity
down their tobacco pipes, the qui
~ would be cast aside, the people wOU
put on their rubber-boots, their {
skin hats and coats, and the VIII
community, followed by the she
COWS and dogs of the village, VOL
go down to the beach; the great Il
boat of the company would be manr
and the crew would prepare TO pi
the ship into port. But such an
casion as this occurred only at v,
SUE long intervals indeed.
'eo There were Indians there in tn
SUI days, but not one is now left to tel
the race that is gone. They wer
!, quiet. peaceable and idle race. II
:. lieved chiefly by salmon-6shi
and were not of a warlIke disp
oi ton.
ney, The little town of Astoria had b
Co., sleePingia ia the quiet manner which
for have described, disturbed only by
the cry of the panther and the how
,cca- the wolf, when great commotion
the caused by the report that there
the to be an increase in the populat
hem A young clerk was to be sent out
and England. The sale Of blankets 10