The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-01-23
RRco1IRcrIoNs OF 1919.
(Ey To1BERr cARrER.)
To The Ep1roR:-


shack, and provision made for our winter
other family who were in worse circum-
stances. if possible, than the first; from the
fact nature had supplied the first, while in
veption or science had to assist the latter. In
arranging for house keeping, it was an
nounced there was no material to wash with,
and no washing had been done for two
months, and I had picked over my dozen
shirts to find the cleaHest one, until the clean
est one would scarcely bear evidence that it
suds and washboard.
Young man of today imagine if you can
my condition. Then in my twenty first year,
isolated from friends and associations by two
thousand miles of wearysoma travel, with
no possible chance Of communication, only
once year when tho emigrants would arrive.
Another serious trouble was, had never be-
fore been thrown on my own resouces; naver
approached man for employment in my
life; in fact, had never worked but little.
Was brought up on farm, but older broth
ers and hired men did ths work, thus pre-
venting my acquiring proper knowledge OF
overcoming the difficulties tint we meet in
life. Something had now to be done to get
our clothes and bedding washed. About
this time / heard of q nnan by the name of
Greenberry Smith. living six miles away,
that had cattle, and occasionally butchered a
beef. Accordingly l supposed he would
have tallow to sell, and as fortune favored
me, after paying the expenses of the little
family brought in, had fifty cents left, so
l struck out afoot, through the mud, and,
luckily found the said Smith, and sure
enough he had the desired tallow for sale.
gave him twenty-five cents out Of my fifty
cents capital for a small cake Of tallow and
brought it TO camp; feled some oak treas
near by; chopped them up and made large
pile of the logs and boughs of the trees; set
fire to them, burned them to ashes; impro-
vised sort Of leach, put the ashes into it;
leached them off; from the lye th:ls procured
we made soap; washed our clothing, did
most of the washing myself, forthe first
time in my life attempting such work. But
| with the necessary instructions from the in
| valid mistress of the shack, we had c, IN
clothing all thu same. This being accom-
| plished nothing now to do but use our trusty
| riaos, kill game of different species. carry it
| in and have the woman cook, and all hands
cat it; laugh and be merry and grow fat.
When we came in at night, the woman
| would have kettle full of the gams, killed
the previous day, which they would set out,
and we would go to the bottom of it, without
bread, pepper, or salt, which suppose would
now be called meat straight. This process.
continued day after day and week after week i.
All seemed to enjoy the daily fare, with a
contentment that it now seems impossible
could exist under such circumstances.
The parties had two tents, which We're
stretched on two sides Of the cabin where the
prevailing winds would have entered through
the unchincked cracks Of the cabin. So far
as providing game for the sustenence Of the
camp, that WAS daily picnic for the hunt
ers, as game was then plentiful and real sport
to procure. In the mean time, had per-
formed the necessary improvement on my
homestead, to secure it under the laws in
force at the time. So the winter passed of
rapidly and all hands enjoyed themselves
batter than it can now be imagined that per-
sons could under such circumstances. The
middle Of March come; the sun commenc-
ed shining, and indications of spring shone
all around. 1t was now decided that some
arrangement must be made to go to Salem
for supplies Of -four, sugar and coffee, and
especially salt, as we seemed to crave that
article more than all else com bined. The
main trouble was, how to get there. Soar
I.fr TO P;aIrriat a11
swimming and there were no ferries on any
of them. Arnold Fuller and John Stewart
had made large canoe for the purpose o
carrying freight on the Willamette river, SC
the craft was procured. About the middle
of March myself and brother, David Stroud
and Phil Peters navigated the boat down the
river opposite our place and tied up for the
night. Next morning the snow was six
inches deep, but we started all the same
with blankets, and meat, as we thought, to
last during the trip. Arrived at Salem tina,
day. 1 had money to buy our part of the
cargo; furnished by my cousin. The othel
party had no coin, so they had to go to the
French settlement to procure their wheat
some way, and never enquired as to how.
The fourth day all was ready for a start
homsward bound, In the mean time oul
supply Of meat had been exhausted. The
snow. under the influence of warm rain
had all disappeared, consequently the rivel
was booming, bank-ful. We bought the
shoulder of a little hog, and Of course we haG
-four; but it was but little better than the
mixture we bought at Dallas. We found
the first day out, that with that big, heavy
balm canoe, with the -four and offal oftwenty.
seven bushels Of wheat, and four men te
man it, we had an elephant on our hands
!. But it had to be done. The first night fol
supper, and breakfast our stock OF pork dis.
appeared. together with all the soft bones
that could be gnawed and made into filing
For the next five days all we had to appease
our hunger, was bread, and, as one of oul
party named it, 'wallop." The way it was
made: After baking our bread, the frying
pan (all the cooking vessel we had) two
thirds full Of water, salt it, put in bit o.