Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1903-12-11
CHAPTER IV.

| now recall to mind long
march across a dry and level plain,
thickly set with greasewood and
sagebrush, through which the break
ing of the road was very heavy
work for the somewhat jaded teams,
and where the boys walking be-
hind the wagons were frequently
under the painful necessity of sit
ting down and pulling the thorns
of the prickly pear out of their toes.
This evening we travelled until late
at night, probably 10 o'clock, and
camped as near as we could to
Snake river-for the river bed was
in a groove cut more than aquarter
of mile deep in the plain.
In the morning we could see the
river from our camp, so far down
that it looked like a small stream.
The slope down to the river was
very steep, but there was bunch
grass in abundance, and some of
our cattle were grazing along the
river. Some boys were rolling
rocks down this slope into the eriver.
They did not seem to consider the
danger to the cattle below them,
and were enjoying the sport of see
ing the large stones bound down
the long and steep leclivity and
plunge with a tremendous splash
into the water, sometimes throwing
water 25 or 30 feet high.
How long this sport had been
going on, | had not noticed, not
having been invited to take hand,
but it was going on when the train
was ready TO take up the line of
march. Just at that time a boy
by the name Of Wayne Hembree
had started a large stone which
went with the velocity Of cannon
ball in the direction of yearling
calf grazing near the foot of the
slope, and just as the rock struck
the calf, Wayne was heard calling
it to get out of the way. Of course
the calf was killed as dead as if it
had been struck by a bolt Of light
ming.
We were now approaching the
Salmon Falls in Snake river, and
heard the roar of water long time
before we saw them. The first
sound that struck my ear seemed |
to jar the earth like distant thun-
der. AS we approached, many
Indians were seen, and long lines
of something of red color which
thought were clothes hung out to
dry attracted my attention. AS
we came nearer we found that those
lines were salmon which the Indians
were drying in the sun.
The company made halt here,
and many Indians visited our
camp, bringing fish, both fresh and
dried, which they exchanged for
old clothes. A number of them
strutted around in their newly ac-
4uired garments, seeming to enjoy
their absurd appearance as much
as we did, for when we would laugh
they would laugh and jabber among
themselves, They were almost
1aked, some of them quite so.
When one would get a garment, he
would put it on at once. A naked
Indian would cram On a shirt and
'tep around as though he thought
himself in full dress; another would
seem delighted with nothing on
out a vest; another big buck with
'nly hat on would grin and seem
Is pleased as if he we're dressed to
Kill. This was grand sport for the
and the Indians did not
eem to object to our fun at their
expense. The fish, no doubt, were
'ery acceptable to the emigrants,
is they had none before, except at
Bear River, where the men caught
n abundance of large trout.
In getting away from this place, {
re had narrow escape. We had
o follow the "Devils Backbone"
t may have been a mile or more
very narrow ridge, with a gorge a
housand feet deep on the left !
and, and a sheer precipice on the {
light down to Snake river, which
DOked as though il might be a !
1ile away on a perpendicular line.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST teacher. ,