The San Francisco call., 1898-08-14
LAST STAND OF
 NORWEGIAN DAN

to Portland, as our journey through the woods at such a. time was necessarily slow and attended by many hardshlps.
 With misplaced faith in the wealth contained in the sand, l went back to Port Orford after the establishment of troops at that point, and knew most of those unfortunate settlers who are mentioned i.l Northern frontier history as victims of the Rogue River maSsa- ere of 1856.
 T talked with Ben Wright, the sub- Indian agent, a few days before he was tortured to death by the Chetcos, and he declared that he was not in the least afraid of his hostile neighbors.
 " Jennie said he, alluding to his squaw, who a day or two afterward inveigled him to his death, Jennie will warn me against any treachery. The chief of the WilIamettes has of ,fered fifty ponies for my scalp, but I guess he'll keep them awhile yet and he laughingly shook the long, curly, black hair, which he boasted was worn in that manner to defy the Indians.
 The very day that Wright, unknown to us, was undergoing the death tor lures, Jennie came into the settlement and gathered up for removal all their portable Belongings, explaining to me, when l inquired for Ben, that he had sent her for their clothing as they were going to attend a big pow-wow gwen Dy peace1uI trlDe.
 Another Indian victim was old Nor Wegian Dan, whose cabin stood at the mouth of the river Sizes, and in which have had many a smoke and listened to many yarn. Dan had sailed sev- eral times around the world and under many different flags. In proof of hay ing figured in several naval engage ments, he showed scars of cuts innun- erable.
 He we'll deserved his reputation for being unique character, and his ec centricfties were so marked as to be chronicled in magazine article of the period, written by young traveller whom I met the year previous to the In dian outbreak and the old sailors death. One writer related to me his personal knowledge of Dan with great amusement
 The cabin of old Dan contained raw hide beds, but no luxuries, and was in cohceiVaply dlrty. But elk steaks were usually to be had there in abundaDca and brown jug made it's appearanc, just at the desired moment. so that +bo cabln at the SiXes was a favorite ston- ping place for the male traveller
 when the young man and his com pahloh roue up and called out for shel- ter, Dan who had retired. shouted bacl, his usual challenge to strangers. Are you Coos Bay people?'
 ih1nklng he might have a decided preference for the inhabitants of that vicinity, the young tenderfoot an sWered cheerfully, Yes. But he learned ms ms mistake, when with a volley of sea bred oaths Dan ordered them off inc premises
 Dan left his cabin at the beginning or the outbreak and went to the fort built at the mouth of Rogue River, in tending to help the settlers gathered there.
 With 3 number of others he was outside the fort one day, when their return was cut off by large band of Indians
 Seeing the utter hopelessness of his position, old Dan rushed into the, surf Standing waist deep he fired his last round of ammunition, then hurled his useless rife far out into the sea and stood with folded arms, defiantly wait ing for the bullet that should send hira to rest beneath the waves.