St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-01
TRAINS BIG CATCH.
His Luck in Oregon After Falling
Overheard in His Best Clothes.

Overheard in His Best Clothes.
George Francis Train, while at the
Portland few days since. told frienC
some of the incidents of visit he paiC
this state many years ago, away bacl
early in the '60's. says the Portland
Oregonian. He said he was the frs
one to discover salmon in the Column
| bia, and caught 264 in day, and
| carried them across the Columbia, walk.
ing on the backs kof the salmon which
| crowded the river; also that he learned
the Chinook language in fifteen min
uteS. Like most of the "reminiscences of
| bygOne days in Oregon, there is some
foundation for these statements. but
still they vary somewhat from the facts
in the case. A correct account. there
fore, of Mr.. Trains exploits i'll catching
salmon and studying Chinook jargon
will be found interesting.
1t was somewhere about "a or '66
when Mr.. Train first came out here, Just
after a Fenian scare in Canada 1t was
when he took a run across the line to
Victoria, and the long roll of the British
drums was heard, and the troops were
called out. sentrieS doubled, and de-
tectiVeS kept watch over every move
he made while he was Oh British terri
tory. Mr.. Train had aspirations to the
presidency in those days, and gentle
man here has photograph of him, pre-
scented by Mr.. Train himself, on the
back of which is written an invitation
for the recipient to meet the donor in
the White. house when he should be
elected president. While here Mr.. Train
visited The DalleS, on the invitation of
Capt. j. c. Ainsworth, and made his
first acquaintance with tbs Chinook
salmon and Chinook jargun in their
native wilds. This was long before a
can of salmon had been put up on
the Columbia, and when the only salmon
fisheries on the river were those Of the
Indians at the Cascades and at The
DalleS. Mr.. Train was to address the
citizens of The DalleS in the church,
and the DAY before paid visit to a sal
mon fishery in the rapids below Cello.
He admired the easy, graceful manner
in which an Indian. standing Oh frail
platform, hung over narrow chute,
plunged his dipnet into the foaming cur
rent, and lifted the salmon out OH the
rocks, and he wished TO try his hand.
The Indian endeavOred to dlsSuade him,
telling him that he would ''klllapi copa
chuck"-that is, fall into the river; but
Mr.. Train insisted. and the Indian DO
litely yielded up his net and stand. and
MIR. Train stepped out on the platform
net in hand.
Never before since the Columbia
forced its way through the Cascades had
such a spectacle been presented to the
Chinook salmon. Mr. Train wore a
green broadcloth swallow-tail coat with
brass buttons, tall silk hat, satin vest,
and ruffied shirt. AS he passed his net
for scoop he was the observed of
all observers. He scOoped, and large
Chinook salmon was caught in his
net, but instead of pulling 1t out, it
pulled him in, and before one could say
Jack Robinson" Mr.. Train was being
whirled away like cork in the swift
current. Several Indians, who had evil
IDENTIFY expected this, Immediately
jumped in. and fortunately succeeded
in dragging Mr.. Train ashore. His tall
hat was dancing like bubble down the
current, but lot of young Indians
Scampered after it and soon brought it
back.
Mr.. Train was not to be baked by his
mishap, and waen he peeled Off his
coat, vest, etc, he took a lesson in
Chinook, and found out what ''killapi
copa chuck" meant. Having stripped
down to his ruffled shirt and laid his
garments out in the sun to dry, he again
took the net, and, telling his friends to go
back to the Dalles and send up an engine
for him at 5 p. m, he stepped out on the
platform and fiShed all day. When the
engine came after him he wished to
take the salmon to town with him to or
nament the roStrum from which he was
to speak that evening, but was dis
Suaded from this on the ground that it
would not look we'll in a church.
He delivered Il lecture that evening
in which he eomplimented the pioneers
on their bravery and fortitute in i'm
migrating to this section, and told them
that, while they were seeking for gold
i'll the mountains and hoping to get
wealth from their herds of cattle. which
ranged on 10000 hills, there was i'm
mense wealth swimming past their
doors unnOticed. He then predicted
that in few years the salmon of the
Columbia would be canned and exported
to the uttermost ends of the earth, and
would become one of the great products
of this state, all OF which has become
true.