The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-04-02
HOOD RIVER 50 YEARS AGO
CONTINUED from an page.l

Continued from 4th page.)
out the long winter evenings in the
dark.
In the latter part of November a few
inches of snow fell and slight skum
passed away and our winter was done.
New Years day we accepted an invita-
ton to eat chicken at Mr.. Joslyn's
Such glorious day and such glorious
dinner! The mountains were covered
with grass and the ground blooming
with bluebells and buttercups.
The month was spent in clearing up
land, and one-half an acre of land was
spaded up ready for garden. The first
of February seeds were planted, which
came up, and there was no frost to
damage anything that spring.
A trip was made to Portland, and
work cattle, cows, farming implements,
ETC., procured. Those were busy days
for us. Early and late were the watch
words, and well were we repaid for our
labors. The earth yielded bountifully
and fall found both the barn and cellar
full to overtlowing with the results OF
our toll. So our first year passed.
An orchard of peaches, plums, cher
ries and few apple trees had been
started and grew nicely. Nature seem
ed to smile on us as if to attone for its
severity to our prede cessors. But with
the fall came uncomfortable rumors
of trouble with the Indians in various
distant portions of the country, causing
anxious thoughts. Our dusky neigh.
bors, though proiessedly friendly, were
as yet untried, and in numbers were
fully able, had they so desired, to have
exterminated our little colony without
very much exertiOn or trouble. So the
winter passed, and as the early spring
came the rumors came to be facts, and
we found ourselves face to face with the
horrors of an Indian war
My pen can but family portray the
incidents of that dreadful year II
seems as II but yesterday that / stood
with little Woodburn Hawks on the
brow of the hill that now overlooks the
town and watched with bated breath
the little steamer Waseo, as with a
handful of soldiers and a few settler:
it erawled, snail like, up the river tC
do battle with the hordes of yelling
savages that lined the opposite shore
will here copy letter written to the
Glacier Of November 7, 1897, describing
many incidents that occurred during
those trying times:
Midnight Flight From the Indians.
The year 1856 was one of anxiety IA
the few and scattered inhabitants o
Eastern Oregon and Washington. Ru,
mors of an impending Indian outbreak
filed the air-came with the winters
SHOWS, but did not go with them. Fol
year the columns Of the Weekly Ore,
gonian had been filed with accounts OF
the barbarous tOrtures inflicted upon
helpless immigrants who fell into the
hands OF the hostile hordes in the east
earn part OF the territory. The question
then with the wretched prisoners was
not how long before ransom OF ex.
change would set them free, but how
long before death would release them
from the internal tortures inflicted by
their captors. Once in their clutches
few escaped to tell the awful tale.
The powerful Yakima nation, led by
the noted Chief Kamiaken, were practi-
cally on the war path, and their ennis.
saries were everywhere urging the Col.
umbia river tribes 10 join in war oil
determination against the whites. The
Kliekitats, an important branch of the
Iakimas, withstood for a time the i'm