The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-07-21
TRAINS BIG CATCH.
The Celebrated Globe Trotters Ex-
perience in the Columbia River.
A Remarkable Tale by Remarkable
Man-His First Venture in the Sal
mon Fishing Busi-

George Francis Train, while at Port
land recently, told friend some of the
incidents of a visit he paid this state
many years ago, away back early in the
SOS, says the Portland Oregonian. He
said he was the first one to discover sal
mon in the Columbia, and caught two
| hundred and sixtyfour in day, and
carried them across the Columbia, walk
ing on the backs of the salmon which
crowded the river; also that he learned
the 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. A correct account, there
fore, of Mr.. Trains exploits in catching
salmon and studying Chinook jargon
win be found interesting.
1t was somewhere about "a or sc
when Mr. Train first came out here,
just after 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
detectives kept a watch over every
move he made while he was on British
territory. Mr.. Train had aspirations of
the presidency in those days, and a gen
tleman here has a photograph of him,
presented 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..
;est no1I 1,a 40
ton of Capt. j. c. Ainsworth, and made
his first acquaintance with the Chinook
salmon and Chinook jargon in their ma
tive wilds. This was long before 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 at the Cascades and at The
Dalles. Mr.. Train was to address the
citizens of The Dalles ia 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 on frail
platform, hung over a narrow chute,
plunged his dipnet into the foaming cur
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 ''lillapi copa
chuclz-that is, fall into the river; but
Mr. Train insisted, and the Indian po
Gtely yielded up his net and stand, and
Mr.. Train stepped out on the 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
green broadcloth swallowtail coat with
brass buttons, tall silk hat, satin vest |
and rufhed 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 it 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 evidently ex-
pected this, Immediately jumped in, /
and fortunately succeeded in dragging |
Mr.. Train ashore. His tall hat was
dancing like a bubble down the cur
rent, but lot of young Indians scam
pered after it and soon brought it back.
Mr.. Train was not to be baked by
his mishap, and when he peeled off his
coat, vest, etc, he took a lesson in Chi
nook and found out what "lfillapi copa
chuck meant. Having stripped down to
his ruffled shirt and laid his garme hts
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 five p. M, he stepped out on
the platform and fshed all day. When
the engine came after him he wished to
take the salmon to town with him to
ornament the rostrum from which he
was to speak that evening, but was dis.
suaded from this on the ground that it
would not look well in church.
He delivered a lecture that evening
n 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 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.