The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-12-24

dawn would bring the southsiders up
on their enemy. The northsiders were
counseline one another to stand firm to
the end. If they could only stay the
destruction of their traps until the ar
rival of the soldiers they feared no
further trouble.
| With the first fash of the red in the
east the southsiders moved out to the
north. They did not apprehend any
danger of interference from the SOL
diers. They left that to Gabe Jaivi.
Their purpose was to make the tight
final this morning. They knew that
they possessed the numbers and should
they succeed in destroying the north
siders' traps and return to their homes
on the southside the victory they had
so long sought would be complete.
When once at their homes the enormi-
ty of their crime would be lost sight OF
in measure and the future would
find them masters of the river.
When the traps we're once deetr Dyed
it would be difficult to rebuild them,
and through the prejudice they expect
ed to create against the traps, they
hoped to interest their own state and
the United States congress against the
construction of fishtraps in the Column
bia river. They had already sent q
| long petition to their congressman, not
only showing that the traps were de-
structive to the fish industry but were
also detrimental and hazardous to nav
igation.
Axes, drags, arms and dynamite had
been provided by the southsiders.
They did not wish upon the whole to
resort to bloodshed. They came, how
ever, determined to win. They ex-
pected to do this through intimidation
and overwhelming mum ers.
But there were those among them
who are always found in mob organ.
ization, that preferred bloodshe to any
other feature of the fight between the
two factions.
The southsiders moved along like 80
many shadows to the attack. A cou-
pie of launches used for towing in the
fishing boats on other occasions had
been secured, and sailboats had been
converted into row boats for the NOM
ing attack. These were manned by
large forces and formed line for the
main encounter.
Old Seadog had assembled his men
near the center of the largest group of
traps and took active command at this
point It meant more fol- him than
for all the other northsiders combined
and he interested himself accordingly.
He possessed an ilo nerve and this
was wrought up to the highest tension.
1t was the critical point of the long
struggle and should he lose, thousands
of dollars worth of property would pass
from his hands. With bis traps de-
stroyed his cannrey would be useless;
with traps and cannery both out of use
the men would be out of employment
and could not pay their bills at his
store; neither could they pay their
rent. The traps were the life of the
town and the town was owned by Sea-
dog.
His dark hotilla rose and fell with
the swells of the bay like a school of
whales lying at rest. and old Seadog
was as silent and watchful as the bull
leader of such an aggregation. He was
as rugged as water god and feared the
waves no more than did old Neptune,
who ruled them.
The suspense was finally relieved.
In the shadows of the slowly approach
ing morn could be seen the boats of the
southsiders stretching up and down
the river like great black wave.
Their numbers looked as oninous as
did their dark line of advance.
"Men, to your arms and oars!"
hissed old Seadog. And this command
wac taken up and passed down the line.
The arms consisted principally Of
long poles. These had been cut for the
double purpose of keeping back the
boats of the enemy and at the same
time to be used as cudgels in case of
resistance and hand to hand conflict.
While it was justifable case for
employing firearms, the fishermen
found that they were not accustomed to
their use and they realized further that
the less bloodshed on the occasion the
better it would be for their cause in
the long run. This was the sentiment
on both sides though many had brought
along rifles and levolvers to use in the
direst extremities.