The record-union., 1897-08-22
BESELENAS PRATTLE.

Oregon City is-one of the richest towns
on the Pacific Coast in point of histori-
cal interest. 1t was here that DR.. John
Mclaughlin and band of hardy Amer
! lean pioneers established themselves,
and in the midst of a desolate Indian
infested waste of trackless forest laid
the foundation of the present prosperous
city. DR.. Mclaughlin, the chief factor
of the Hudson Bay Company, was the
soul of hospitality, and the broad halls
of his palatial residence, now standing
on the main street in partial ruins, daily
re-echoed to the sound OF mirth and
revelry Men. footsore and weary, wo-
men with babies in their arms and even
little children gathered under his roof
and tasted again the delights of civili-
zation. He refurnished them with food,
clothing, etc, and sent them on their
way refreshed and invigorated, but, be
it said to the shame of the American
people, he was seldom repaid for any
of his kindnesses, and his grave, in the
Catholic Cemetery is marked only by q
modest headstone. But the time is not
far distant when the citizens, recogniz-
ing his sterling worth, will more suit
ably decorate his grave by more-f1t-
ting monument.
Another place of historical interest is
the old Methodist Church. the first Prot
estant Church ever erected on the coast;
the first Baptist Church in Oregon IS
also here, and last, but by no means
least though it is seldom mentioned
the city can boast of having the first
apple tree ever brought to the coast.
The tree is now sixty years old and sui
bears a plentiful crop each year; not
the least remarkable thing about the
tree is the fact that it is the outgrowth
of dried apple seed.
Long before the white man set foot in
this country, the Falls of the Willamette
was a great gathering place for the In
dians who came from miles around to
| catch the salmon which ran in such
numbers, that the early pioneers, whose
veracity no one for a moment doubts,
say that it was not an infrequent oc-
currence to cross the river on the sal
mon backs That the Indians were not
peaceful even among themselves is at
itested by the fact that thousands OF ar
row heads and other implements of
aboriginal Indian warfare, together
With tribal traditions, conclusively
prove that many fierce battles We're
waged on the site of the present peace
i1ut 1llIle city. Lie I3llt0 NCAN 49,
for the possession of the salmon fish
control, which meant so much to the ma
tives. these fish being their principle
article of diet The Indians from
Southern and Eastern Oregon, from the
CIackamas and Willamette Rivers also
came here to fish and trade and hold
their annual pOWWows
In a romantically situated oak grove,
overlooking the picturesque Clackamas
River. a short distance above its juno
ton with the Willamette, is the buryIng
ground of the Clackamas Indians. These
Indians lived in and about the falls and
/ claimed control of the surrounding
country. In those days the precipitous
cliffs and frowning bluffs resounded
with their war Whoops as they de-
Tended their fishing rights from the
hordes of strange invading tribes. To-
day these Indians are nearly all eX-
tinct The vices contracted from the
whites, have decimated their number to
such an extent that but one member of
the tribe is left. He is living on the
ISiletz reservation, but never fails to pay
an annual visit to Oregon City, there TO
live again his childhood's scenes and get
donations from his old friends, the pion-
neers The city itself now stands on
the site of this burying ground. over
the graves of the doughty braves, long
since gone to the happy hunting ground,
buzz the electric cars and where once
stood ''the forest primeval, the wig
wam and the campfire, is now the busy
factory: thus does civilization, in its on
ward march, ruthlessly destroy the old
time landmarks.
Besides it's picturesque location over
TOf
rounded on either side by frowning
bluffs and tree clad hills, Oregon City
has other and superior advantages; she
is destined to be one of the most impor-
nt>places of any town on the Pacific
Coast, in point of prosperity and devel-
opment by reason of her immense water
power The falls of the Willamette
have a greater measure of water power,
even at it's extreme low stage, than all
the water powers Of the falls of Mime
apolis HoIyoke Manchester, Lawrence
or Lowell No other water power in the
United States, save, perhaps, that of Nj
agara, has such an even flow of water
throughout the year. During the dry
season when other water powers are SER
iously diminished, its power is kept up
by the melting snow from the Cascade
and Coast Range Mountains, and from
numerous smaller streams.
At its lowest stage according to the
estimate Of Government engineers, it
furnishes $4,000 horse power nine cor
ten months out of the year Though
the power of these falls has been very
little developed, yet it already
furnishes power to two electric light
stations, giving electric light to Oregon
City and Portland, some twenty-six
miles distant, two pulp mills with latest
improved machinery, one woolen mill
lbesides generating the electricity which
lpropels the cars running between Port
Hand and Oregon City. The concerns al
Eready mentioned are not the only ones
supplied with water from these falls,
there are various other factories, etc,
Including an ice plant, the largest on the
coast, outside of San Francisco, Cal,
flour mills, soap factories, ETC., all in an
active state of operation.
Not far from this enterprising little
city the Willamette Valley Chautauqua
Association holds it's annual two weeks
session at Gladstone Park, an attractive
suburb of some seventy-five acres. Here
are gathered together many of the
greatest literary and musical lights of
1.-THE United States. Among the buildings
lon the ground the Auditorium is worthy
of special mention, being built on the
plan of the Salt Lake Tabernacle in
Utah The influence of these summer
meetings is felt throughout the North