The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1890-10-03

M MHtef, now the WIDOW OF one Oh OEe.
CONS most eloquent congressman, Jos q
| Wilson, was well known by all the earliest
settlers In Albany. Knowing that she
would be familiar with much OF Its early
history,t wrote her asking that she write
us what she remembered Of those by.gone
| DAYS, She has kindly written letter
which will read just as Il came ifom her
pen.
TIg DALLEs, Or, -, 1890.
My DEAR Mas BROWSE
Your request that | would
try aud recall some incidents from the
misty deep oi the past, shall be fulfilled II
possible, do not promise much.
You know the days when all the aids 20
locomolion were found on the Cayuse lite,
and all ones. belonging that were TO be
moved were packed In saddle bags, or
otherwise strapped on the weather side OF
your beast In those DAYS not many
books recording ones dolngs were kept.
II ives enough, Ia ,he days duties, 10 do
what one could, aud let ones work pass TO
be reviewed by those courts. the accuracy
Of whose records Is never questioned. So
Il happens that while l--under my father
organized the first Sabbath school, can
not lay my hPnds upon a scrap Of paper, to
enable me TO transeribc the roll call Of
that first organization, The population OF
Albany Was very small, then, aud very
shifting. The first regular church service
was held by my father Rev James j
Miller, In June, 1851, In the dining room
OF hotel or boarding house kept by Mr.
Aaron Hyde. From the time my father
first began preaching service was held un.
interruptedly, but Ia the spring OF lSSs--
] cannot be more definite as 10 data
small building near the Calapoola, built by
Mr Walter Montei,h, was occupied by me
as n school building, and from that time
church service and ). \. we're held there.
believe this building was afterwards
owned by Mr. John Smith.
There have been mary changes In these
nearly forty years. The beautiful ridges
that defined the banks II the Calapoola
and OF the Wailamet, the creation OF those
streams IN the slow ages, were then studded
park.like, with majestic frs and an exquis-
tic underground OF yincmaple, crimson
currant, scarlet honeysuek'c, Spirea and
elemalis. Somewhere on the bottom,
sheltered by all that cmboweFlrg beauty,
lived black bear who frequently exhibit
Ell great liking Tor Mr. w Moutelih's
stock OF Young pigs.
Very probably the residents oi Albany.
Ia ihis year OF grace, IS9o, daller them
selves, rs well they may. that they live In
very pretty town. All! Youngsters! In
some things YOU always will be behind
the generation that had the happy fortune
to GONE In before you. Not your fault IL
II. but your allotment, that for you The
prairie Is place OF plowed lands, of grain
fields, nf barns and cabbage patches.
Good things, too, IN their way; but only
the eyes that looked In 81 could sec
what an Oregon Flora could do to be-
deck the earth In glorious beauty. have
seen the most famous gardens of our land,
public and private. ! think l know the
untmost that the skill vi experts can do
with thea, but wteut yer try To conceive
Gods utmost thought In flowers. shalt
remember the Albany prairic as saw Il
In 81 and ga. before ever a plow had
marred It's loycincss, OF harsher tread than
the unshod foot OF the Indian pony SCARED
It's fair face, or the soft noecasin of lie
owner rs nc trod the ancient "oo-i-huis"
OF his race.
This scene OF lJyllie beauty was changed
by an event which marked an era In tke
fall OF 1881, the arrival of the side wheel
steamer, Multnomah. the pioneer on the
upper Wallamet, between Canemah and
Corvallis. The Multnomah was built In
the east, was 100 feet long, and was pot
together with hoops, her plankiug fesem
bling slaves. and was therefore called a
barrel boat" She was scot 10 California
In sessions and then brought to Oregon
on the bark Success. There not being
enough for her 10 do between the sparse
settlements IN the valley az that time she
was taken 70 the lower river on ways, aaj
did excellent service In bringing down
( large portion OF the heavy emigration Of
! The fall OF So, from the Lower Cascades
/ 10 Portland In Ca she passed into the
hands Of Cap, Dick iloyt, and run chiefly
! between Portland and Astoria. do not
know the exact date Of her going to the
bJneyard, but / learn from steamboat
men, that she was OF a beautiful model,
! feet for her size, and outran every boat
| In Oregon, making at one time the run
from Vancouver 10 Portland In one hour
and twenty minutes, rs miles.
! An incident OF her first trip Is very
vivid IN my memory. | was one OF a
group standing on the Wailamet bank,
listening to the strange sound of her loud
putting engines, as she made her way
slowly. (the river was very low,) through
waters hitherto unvexed by anything
greater than the soft gliding Of the native
canoe. A thought struck me, / ran home
quickly With nv arms full of fir boughs,
easily gathered as ran. Giving my idca
TO mother, we hastily took sheet, folded
II, securing its shape by pins, and with the
FIR twigs inscribed the words
WELCOME MULTNOMAHi
\ piece OF the clothes line made stfIeniDg
ropes, and we hastened TO the bank to find
we were in plenty Of time, the steamer bad
not yet got round the bend. Some OF the
bystanders tEcn climbed up two trees con.
yeniently placed and extci. ded our banner
OF welcome. Presently the most beautiful
thing made by mans hands that have
ever seen or ever expect TO SEGA steam
boat-camc into view. AS she neared the
bank we recognized or deck our friends
the owners, DIR Maxwell and DIR Gray
both Of the United States Navy. AS theJ
e,gt rauud tho ,,nfut Ia. .,fA.., 81 a..