The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-07-25
By Mrs, ousns-adair, NJ. D,

With these pioneers and pioneer Steame
ship came General and Mrs, Adair their
six children. 1--WE OF whom are now lV-
ing. Mrs. Ellen Mendell. wife OF Col c.
X Mendell, [, $, Engineer Corps. san
Francisco. treiiredl; Katie welcker, wife
OF Professor Wolcker. Rerkly. California;
Col. John and Samuel %, Adair OF Clat-
sop county. oregon; ana Mrs. Mary Jor-
dan, wife OF Col. VIM, II. Jordan, L. S,
A.. retiredl OF Portland. Oregon. The
sixth and oldest child was BETTY, the
wife and widow OF c. ], Breuham. man
OF large affairs in san Francisco from
lSSO to his death in 1874 he having been
twice mayor OF THAI city,
Among her fellow passengers on the
| California. Mrs. Adair found very few
ladies and only one single child. outside
her own dock. AS far as the records tell
these were the pioneer children comm :
10 Oregon by way OF Panama. the ocean
road. With these california" passengers
were our late General f. r. S. Candy
and wife. General Persifer r. Smith ana
our late worthy citizen Mr.. Lloyd Brock.
| On this voyage Mrs. Adalr and Mrs. Can
! by formed friendship that lasted all
their lives, In San Francisco. General
! Adair was dctslned several weeks, seek
ing an opportunity to get on to Oregon
and finally took passage on the orig
''VaiadoTa" early in March Sor Astoria.
The Valadora was an old Spnish vessel
then commanded by Captain: Han. and
owned and chartered by Portlani's plon-
eer Captain Nat Crosby, whose presence
I on the voyage was exceedingly valuable
to the little vessels large list o. passen-
gers. Three days after leaving San
Francisco the little brig sprung leak,
requiring 'aIl hands At the pumps" to
Keep her afoat until the evening OF the
18th day. when she sailed into the mouth
OF the Columbia river and dropped an
chor in front OF Astoria. April 5. 1879
The next morning General Adair got his
family ashore. the late Mrs. Nancy
welch kindly entertaining them az her
home, her husband being away in the
mines. on that day General Adalr open
ed the United States Customs office for
business and the brig Valadora made
the first entry officially recorieI from
the waters OF the Pacific Ocean. Mrs.
Adair was especially delighted 10 know
that her long sea trip had ended. She
had suffered so long and continuously
from seasickness that she felt she could
never return to the Atlantic states until
a railroad spanned the continent. Once
ashore. however. she soon recovered her
usual good health and cheerfuIly went
about making happy home. in little
one story, one room house. The floor OF
this house was three or four feet above
ground and not nailed down There be-
ing but one badstead, the children all
slept on the floor. A few nights after the
family had begun their housekeeping,
the children were awakened by having
their beds lifted up here and there. Cen
eral Adair lit a candle to see what the
matter was. discovering the heads and
shoulders OF several swarthy Indians
coming up through the floor An ex-
PLANTATION made It known thar a number
of Indians from a nearby camp were
under the house to get sheiter from the
rain. Mrs. Adair very quietly told the
children to go TO sleep AMI so they did |
General Adair was the first federal ON |
Ger who brought his wife ard fara.ly
70 Oregon with him.
1t IS extremely difficult ard indeed
quite impossible for this generation TO
appreciate the character Of Mrs Adair as 1
wife and mother, an educated. refined |
lady, doing her whole duty. in each
position in that wild time Of ISll in Ore /
gon. That was the period of gold galore.
attracting nearly all the man Of Oregon /
TO the mines in California Many amas-
sed wealth to which the majority had
not been accustomed, but was readily
utilized in making their families more
comfortable. With Mrs. Adair the re-
verse happened. She had been accustom- (,
ed to al the comforts, and cOnvenlcnces
Of well-to-do eastern home. She was \
an accomplished musician, had a charm
ing voice, was perfect master OF the
piano. which she had delighted in making
do its very best to make her home happy
md attractive to her family and friends
She soon learned, however, to be a thor
ugh and systematic housekeeper and as
much master Of the kitchen as the piano T.,
he general at the same time learning all ,
bout milking a COW. There were no ;
helps" in oregon in those days OF g,Id ;
md the word Servant" had not yet !
'rossed the plains or come by sea to Ore
'on. Shortly after reaching Astoria Cen I
raj Adair purchased the possessory right {
0 the Donation Land Claim Just above 9
id Astoria or Fort George as then called. (
Ie Immediately built thereon the hoLse I
coupled by himself and wife duringthe O
est Of their lives. He moved his family | q
nto this home during the summer os 1si9 {
I'd shortly after presented his wife With e
he first piano brought into the limits q
( old Oregon. 1t would be quite i'm fl
ossible for my pen to give even a faint d
lea Of the civilizing influences lsxer.!sed o
= that delightful pioneer piano, especial nj
: when presided over by It's matchlegs &
distress, Mrs. Adair. There were other r,
laster musicians in those wild and woofy RI
mes. who ably took their turn In max g,
ig that old "Knarbe" fairly talk: such n,
: the late Mrs. covlngton, who during 4
le administration Of General Gran. was r.
,customed to delight the members Of the 7.
mite House with her wonderfully SYM V
lthetic and pleasing touch upon the g,
ano. Also Mrs. c. c. Augur, wife OF the
te General Augur, L. S. A., who had q,
voice rivalling that Of Jenny Lind and m
touch most delightful These were
nong the earliest friends and FREQUENT do
sitors at the ever hospital nome Of af
rs. Adair There were four children III
'rn to Mrs. Adair after reaching her h,
'egon nome, two boys and two girls. ma