Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1890-12-18
: North
Those Who Prepzres-~- Nortf
west Civilization

The misty halo Of the past surrounds the
period in Oregon history known IS the ''plo-
neer era RELOCATED to the shadowy domain
Of memory, many Of the incidents that were OF
vast Importance IN the narrow lives OF the mon
tier settler have become dimmed by time and
change. until in some instances the pioneer HIM
self has become bewildered in the attempt to
separafe the real from the unreal. Of a period
widely divided, and constantly receding nom
the present. Pioneer life in Oregon was indeed
4 simple drama, simply enacted 1t had for
It's stage the broad expanse of hills and valleys,
Of woods and streams that went to make up the
fair proportions of beautiful wildernesk A
genial climate; fertile soil; lovely, varying
landscape, broad streams and hoary mountain
tors. and over all the monosony of ISOLATION
such was the Oregon Of half a century ago.
IT cannot be saii that the conditions Of life Ii.
these peaceful wilds were hard Certainly. l.
COMPARED to those which confronted the pioneer
IN Ohio. Indiana, Illinois and other states Of
the middle West. they were as plenfy--as to
privation-as balmy, humid airs are to the bit
ing breath Of the bitter frost The difference
between the middle and the West, far before
civilization established her methods therein. was
that which might be expected to prevail be
tween an inland region where the carriers Of
commerce were compelled to make Their toil-
some way over rude country destitute OF high
ways, and = coast region to which adventurous
vessels early made their way, laden with the
products Of an older civilization II was thus
that immigrants, having made the journey
across the continent with OK teams forty years
ago, found IN many Of the l0wiy homes OF the
settlers who had preceded them articles OF
household furniture such as had not Yet reached
the portions Of the Mississippi valley whence
they came: books from Boston, Philadelphia,
New Yozk and even from London publishers,
and hbrics from the mills Of the
Atlantic and foreign cities Money was
from the first comparatively plentiful among
Oregon pioneers, statement that, while II may
be heard with inGeduhry-s yet well attested
BY those who bore part IN the border bic Of
both sections. The cabin Of the average ''do-
nation claim settler was primitive structure,
patterned after its predecessor IN that hne IN
other portions Of the country, except that much
less care was taken IN It's construction than was
necessary in the colder climates Primitive Is
it was II often did duty for a dwelling long after
its owner was, or by the exercise of ordinary
thrift should have been able to build 4 much
more comnodious structure
The writer remembers one Of these pioneer
houses Of the more thrifty sort visited N 1854
1. had been established number Of years pre-
vious and was surrounded by vigorous orchard
of seeding apple trees. and though the family
YET lived IN Il Il new house was nearing compile
ton near by. OF logs partially hewn, the
spaces between well filed with mortar; wid1
fireplace Of the same native material. inter
woven with sticks; a single room with a loft
overhead. which the children reached by means
! of ladder IN one corner; 'slean-ton which
served As kitchen during the milder portion d
the year-such were the simple outlines Of the
building to which one of the early ministers and
educators Of Oregon brought young wife from
her far eastern home Here children were born
and Graded; across the rude threshold soule o.
the little band had been borne by sympathetic
neighbors to the quiet graveyard IN the stiffness
Of grave close by, and from thence, Just Is
preparations were almost completed for occu-
pancy Of the ssnew house, the body of the pho.
neer who bad faithfully performed his simple
art Of his day and generation was borne to is
yes narrower home There IS much that s ten
ier and pathetic IN the life that measured rs
hrs and wears IN this primitive cabin, but hun
g=Srever crossed IT'S threshold oxant never
lachezi the faces Of the merry group of child
| -len that called this cabin s'houle7 and there
no evidence that the yearning known by the
-zs.esxIve name of sshomesicknessr was greater
7ere than that which has shadowed the hearts
II persons who have reversed the order Of things
IS detailed IN this instance and exchanged a
rude cabin IN the wilderness for a manson n
civilization
The early settlers of Oregon, however,
though blessed IN the lines indicated above the
pioneers who preceded them and from whom
they largely sprung, m the middle West were
yet victims Of an isolation that was dreary and
AZ times oppressive IN the extreme. The ''do-
nation land law framed to induce the settle
ment Of this then more than hbled region, was
N a degree responsible for this ISOLATION In
giving to the adventurous settler go acres Of
land II far exceeded the requirements of agu-
culture IN the sparse population, strnted markets
Of those times, while II made homes dreary
distance apart and schools IN mpossibiIity, H-
cspt IN the most primitive sense The women,
from the fact that their lives were more crcum-
scrIbed, suffered the deprivation Of society to a
much greater extent than did the men An
Illustration N point Was furnished by a woman
who during I'VE consecutive months spent m a
wide, but snug cabin on the Willamette river,
some twenty miles above Oregon City, m the
winter Of 1885, did not see member Of hez
own SEX and was frequently left alone with hez
Sx-year-oid child m the soEtudes of the great
IN forest by which he- cabin home was enyir-
oned for several days together, while her bus
band and older boys were At work At distance
that would not pesnit them to return home al
the close Of short Days labor Referring to
TINS experience years after she said: ssThe lone
mess Of that time WIS something dreadful, and
N looking back over my past He can recall
no moment of greater pleasure than that Of one
mid, sunny morning toward the close Of March,
when looked out and saw 4 pink sun-bcnnet
moving through the tees and realized that q
woman WIS coming to make me visit She
related further that this pleasure was cIouded
after time by the reflection that simmer for
company meant serious thing Just then, but
she put 4 brave face on the matrer-an easy
tning to do m the delight ocrasioned by having
i woman to TAX 70 for few hours, and served
caked potatoes With no seasoning but salt,
rread without butter, tea without milk or suzr,
and for desert. syrup, that had IN some unac-
bounrzble manner become sour The meal
beally looked 80 tempting, IS L was suread,
after an artfI delay, 50 that hunger might make
Up the lack Of other seasoning, that no apology
for lack Of variety N the viands was offered;
and Is to the rest, there was an abundance that
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