The record-union., 1897-09-26
PICTURESQUE ASTORIA.
ONE OF THE OLDEST CITIES OF
THE NORTHWEST.
Treachery Once Gave 1t to- Great
Britain, but Uncle Sam Re-
covered 1t.

Especial Correspondence of Record UnlonJ
PORTLAND (Or), Sept 23.-Astoria
Is one of the oldest, If not the Oldest,
city In Oregon 1t is picturesque little
town, somewhat Venetian in aspect by
reason Of many of the principal business
houses being built over the water. For
this reason 1t has often been facetlouSly
termed 1.-The Venice of the Pacific" The
city was named after New York's orig1-
mad millionaire, John Jacob Astor.
The discovery of the mighty Columbia
In May, 1892, by Captain Robert Gray
of the good ship Columbia, after Whlch
he named the river. excited the cupadlIy
of the old German, rich even then, ana
always ready for a new adventure III
the world of commerce. He organized
the Pacific Fur Company in June, Io1O,
and sent out two expeditions, one py
land and the other by sea, to the new
found land.
His ship the Tonquin, was the first 10
reach the new Ell Dorado. A rude stock-
ade was erected, the stars and Stripes
run up for the first time on the racine
Coast, and, with much feaSting ana
merry making, the place was baptlzeu
Astoria. The expedition by land was
most unfortunate. The little band Oh
hardy adventures left Montreal III
July. 1910, and did not reach their des-
tination until February, 1Sl2 Ihe
hardshps they endured on that perllouS
voyage will never be forgotten by the
survivors of that Inflated party, Whlcn
started out with sixty men ana returheu
with less than one-haf OF that nuIIloei'
Finding the expedition by sea SO
successful, Astor sent other vessels out
in quick succession. 1t was the ueSii
of Astor to make Astoria not only the
center of the fur trade industry, but also
10 make Of her a commercial metropolis
After two years and half of trouble
man named Duncan McDougal, one OF
the men sent out by Astor on the nrst
expedition. turned traitor and sold out
the new settlement to the British North-
west Fur Company, and on December
18th the British took formal possession,
hoisted the red flag and renamed the
place Fort George in honor of the then
reigning sovereign of England
In close proximity to these early white
settlers dwelt four tribes of Indians,
namely. the Chinooks, Clatsops, Wahkla-
kurns and Cathlamets, but for the most
part they were friendly to their white
brothers, and very little trouble oc~
CURED.
In July, 1913, an event of great I'M
pe4,tance took place. This was no less
ceremony than the wedding of the
managing partner of the Northwest Fur
Company and dark-eyed, swarthy
skinned Chinook princess, daughter of
old Chief Concomly, chief of the Chi
nook tribe, the largest and most iniu-
entail in that part of the country. In
% rxyI1i tn hR The
bride was bereft of any of those odorif-
ser,ous cdors Of stale fish oil and 'candle
grease as dear to the heart of the saw
age maiden as are the delicate vielets
and white rose scents of her civilized
sisters. Her Iithesome young body was
arrayed in the most gorgeous -hued
blanket that could be procured in the
coulnany's stores, and which was at
once the delight and adrnirationgof the
vouney bucks. who had come out in great
numbers to see their white rival carry
off the belle, and the open envy of the
ssu,,agys who-sQuatted about in various
and original. attitudes and unsfrapped
1lseia>-StoicaI -papooseS from theix backs
Chief Concomiy was delighted with
his white ,son-in-law and took an active
interest in the settlement until its sur
render to the British. Upon hearing or
the part his son-in-law had played in
the transaction he became much en-
ragged declaring his daughter had mar
ried a ''suuaw man." and from that day
to the day of his death never forgave
him
In October, 1918. Astoria once more
passed out of British possession and
into the hands of the United States.
This was under the treaty of Ghent,
which was a treaty Of joint occupation,
and gave practically full control to the
English. Not until 1916 did Oregon be-
come a full-fedged Territory under the
stars and stripes.
In the beginning of the year 1876
Astoria could not boast of a single
white family but by the middle of the
same year it could boast of some ten
or twelve.
Among the many old landmarks, rel
tcs IF those by-gone days, which have
withstood the devastating hand of time
and the Unsuitable hand of the relic
hunter is the old custom-house, an un-
painted, three-room, lath and paper
structure fast falling into decay, but
which should be restored ard preserved
as a lasting monument of gratitude to
those early pioneers.
The visitor to Astoria cannot help
but be impressed by a quaint old-world
air OF antiquity which clinigs about the
place To the front lie the blue limpid
waters of Young's Bay Emerging into
the Pacific; back of thea city are the
hills, and on these hills 1many of the
houses are built. One enthusiastic
writer in speaking of Astoria says:
''They are perched on the hills as pic
turesquely as Alpine chaIets or Andes
haciendas'' The quaint, old-world air
is intensified by the RI hythmical ebb
and flow of the tide under the wooden
wharves, the effect is singularly sooth-
ing and pleasing.
OF its industries that of canning the
salmon leads all others. It has nine
teen canneries which give employment
to some 5000 men. The fishermen OF
the Columbia are an interesting study
in themselves. They are big, strong.
bearded fellows, tanned by the sun and
the winds until their faces shine like