The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-10
TRAINS BIG CATCH.
The Celebrated Globe Trotters Ex-
perience In the Columbia River.
A Remarkable Tale by Remarkable
hlan-1ils First Venture I'm tho Sal
mon Fishing Bush
ness.

George Francis Train, while at Port
land recently, told friend some of the
incidents of visit he paid this state
many years ago, away back early In the
GUS, says the Portland Oregonian He
said he was the first one to discover sal
mon in the Columbia, and caught two
= hundred and sixty-four in n day, and
carried them across the Columbia walk
ing ON the backs Of the salmon which
crowded the river; also that he learned
tho Chinook jargon in fifteen minutes
Like most of the "reminiscences OF by
gone days in Oregon, there is some
foundation for these statements, but
STILL they vary somewhat from the facts
IN the case. ~ correct account, there
fore, of Mr.. Trains exploits in catching
salmon and studying Chinook jargon
will be found interesting.
1t was somewhere about '0I or &C
when MIR. Train first came out hero,
just after n Fcnian scare in Canada II
was when he took n run across the line
to Victoria, and the long roll of the
British drums was heard, and the troops
were called out, sentrics doubled. and
detectives kept watch over every
move he made while he was on British
territory. MIR. Train had aspirations of
the presidency in those days, and a.gen.
tleman here has photograph of him,
presented by Mr. Train himself, on the
back of which is written an invitation
Tor the recipient to meet the donor in
the white house when he should DO
elected president. While here Mr..
Train visited The Dallcs, on the invita-.
ton of Capt. j. G. Ainsworth, and made
his first acquaintance with the Chinook
salmon and Chinook iargon in their ma
i've wllds- This was long before q can
OF salmon had been put up on the Co
lumbia, and when the only salmon
fisheries on the river were those Of the
Indians ut the Cascades and ut The
OalleS. MIR. Train was TO address tho
citizens of The Dallcs in the church.
and tho day before paid visit to sal
mon fishery in the rapids below Cello.
lie admired the easy, graceful manner
IN which IN Indian, standing on frail
platform. hung over narrow chute,
plunged his dipnct into the foaming cur
rent, and lifted the salmon out on the
rocks, and he wished to try his hand.
The Indian endcavorcd to dissuade him,
telling him that he would "l1illapi copa
chuck"-that is, fall into the river; but
MIR. Train insisted. and the Indian DO
litely yielded up his net and stand, and
MIR. Train stepped out on tho platform,
net in hand
Never before since the Columbia
forced its way through the Cascades
had such spectacle been presented to
the Chinook salmon. Mr. Train wore q
green broadcloth swallowtail coat with
hi1ft t,l1 I'll
and ruf1lcd shirt. AS he passed his net
Tor scoop" he was the observed of
all observers. lie scooped. and 4 largo
Chinook salmon was caught in his net,
but, instead of pulling it out, it pulled
him in, and before one could say Jack
Robinson" Mr.. Train was being whirlcd
away like cork in the swift current.
Several Indians, who had evidently cx-
pcctcd this, Immediately jumped in,
and fortunately succeeded in dragging
MIR. Train ashore. His tall hat was
dancing like bubble down tho cur.
rent, but lot of young Indians scam
percd after it and soon brought it back.
MIR. Train was not to be baked by
his mishap, and when he peeled off his
coat, vest, ETC., he took lesson in Chi
nook and found out what .'llillapi copa
chuck" meant. Having stripped down 10
his rufficd shirt and laid his garme nts
out in the sun to dry, he again took the
net, and, telling his friends to 90 back
to The Dalles and send up an engine
for him at five p. m, he stepped out on
the platform and fshcd all day. When
the engine came after him he wished TO
take the salmon to town with him to
ornament the rostrum from which no
was to speak that evening. but was dis
suaded from this on the ground that it
would not look we'll in 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 immense wealth swimming
past their doors unnoticcd. He then
predicted that in few years tho
salmon Of the Columbia would be
canned and exported to the uttcrrnost
ends of the earth, and would become
one of the great products Of this state,
all of which has become true.