The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-05-11
MR. TRAIN as 1rn.
His Wonderful Exploit Il
mon in The Tn

George Francis Tran = @s.fii,af at fbe
Portland a few days sincp ,cold a friend
some OF the incidents of a'visit hi. paid
THIS state many years ago-awaH back
early IN the '60s. He said he wis the
first one to discover salmon in thA Col
umbia, and caught 264 in day a1f car
ried them across the Columb bia, waking
on the backs of the salmon, 9hich
crowded the river: also that he learned
the Chinook jargon in fifteen Minutes
Like most of the "reminiscences OF bv-tone
days in Oregon, there is some foundation
! for these statements, but still thev fary
/ somewhat from the facts in the case A
correct account, therefore, of Mr.. Train s
! exploits in catching salmon and study
ing Chinook jargon will be found IN
teresting.
1t was somewhere about '64 Q< DO
when Mr.. Train first came out hefC, Just
after Fenian scare in Canada It was
when he took run across ttc line to
Victoria, and the long roll osthe British
drume was heard, and tb<~troops were
called out, sentries dout4ed, and detec-
tives kept Il watch OYER every move he
made as long as be<Was on British terri
tory. Mr.. Trai1had aspirations for the
presidency ip>Chose days and a gentle
man here,das a photogra phi of him, pre-
sented by Mr.. Train himself, on the
back OF which is written an invitation
for,6he recipient to meet the donor In
in the white house when he should be
elected president. While here Mr..
Train visited The Dalles, on the invita-
tion of Captain j. G. Ainsworth, and
made his first acquaintance with the
Chinook salmon and Chinook jargon 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 salmon
fishery in the rapids below Cello. He
greatly admired the easy, graceful man
ner in which ar Indian, standing on a
frail platform hung over Il narrow chute,
plunged his dipnet into the foaming tor
rent and lifted the salmon out on the
rocks, and he wished to try his hand.
The Indian endeavored to dissuade him,
telling him that he would "'killapi copa
chuck''-that is, fall into the river; but
Mr.. Train insisted, and the Indian
politely yielded up his net and stand
Mr.. 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 Chi
nook 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
a 'tscoop" he was the observed of all OBJ
servers He scooped, and large Chi
nook salmon was caught in his net, but
instead of pulling it out it pulled him in ,
aud before one could say Jack Robin
son. Mr.. Train was being whirled away
like a cork in the swift current Several
Indians, who had evidently expected
this, Immediately jumped in, and fortu7
nately, succeeded in dragging Mr.. Tran
ashore. His tall hat was dancing ike a
bubble down the current, but d lot OF
young Indians scampered after it and
soon brought it back.
Mr.. Train was not to be baked by his
mishap, and while he peeled of his coat,
vest, ETC., he took a lesson in Chinook
and found out what ''kilepi copa chuck"
meant. Having stripped down his
ruffied 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
3 p. m, he stepped out on the platform
and fished all day, piling ups 264 fine
salmon. When the engine came after
him he wished to take the salmon to
town with him to ornament the ros-
trum from which he was to speak that
evening, but was dissuaded from this on
the ground that it would not look well
in a church.
He delivered lecture that evening in
which he complimented the pioneers on
their bravery and fortitude in immi-
grating to this section, and told them
that while they were seeking for gold in
the mountains and hoping to get wealth
from their herds of cattle, which ranged
on ten thousand hills, there was i'm
mense wealth swimming past their doors
unnoticed. He then predicted that in
few years the salmon of the Colum bia
would be canned and exported to the
uttermost ends of the earth, and would
become Que of the great products of this
state. all of which has become true.