Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-12-16

dawn would bring the southsiders up
on their enemy. The noIthslders were
counseline one another to stand frm 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 lie t that to Gabe Jaw.
Their purpose as to make the hgnt
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 hao
90 long sought would be complete.
When once at their homes the enorml-
ty of their crime would be lost sight OF
in a measure and the future would
find them masters of the river.
When the traps we're once destroyed
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 a
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 numbers.
But there were those among them
who are always found in mob organ
ization, that preferred bloodshed to any
} other feature of the fight between the
two factions.
The southsiders moved along like &c
} many shadows to the attack. A cou
pie of launches used for towing in the
} fishing boats on other occasions hae
3 been secured, and sailboats had beer
converted into rowb boats for the mol
. ing attack. These were manned b.
t large forces and formed line for th'
main encounter.
Old Seadog had assembled his mel
= near the center of the largest group o
e trans and took active command at th1
point. 1t meant more fol him thai
for all the other northsiders combines
a and he interested himself accordingly.
t He possessed an il on nerve and thi
was wrought up to the highest tension
d 1t was the critical point of the lon
struggle and should he lose, thousand
n of dollars worth of property would pas
It from his hands. With his traps dc
d stroyed his cannrey would be useless
l. with traps and cannery both out OF us
% the men would be out of employmer
IS and could not pay their bills at h
@ store; neither could they pay the
rent. The traps were the life of tn
|. town and the town was owned by Se'
!, dog. :,
His dark fotilla rose and fell wit
Is the swells of the bay like a school
a whales lying at rest. and old seade
was as silent and watchful as the bu
D. leader of such an aggregation. He WI
as rugged as water god and feared tt
Id waves no more than did old Neptun
1T who ruled them.
le The suspense was finally relieve
In the shadows of the slowly approca
J. ing morn could be seen the boats OF tt
I'd southsiders stretching up and dow
ed the river like a great black wav
ly Their numbers looked as ominous
b; did their dark line of advance.
re "Men, to your arms and oars
he hissed old Seadog. And this commal
IN was taken up and passed down the lin
The arms consisted principally
long poles. These had been cut for
double purpose of keeping back t
boats of the enemy and at the sal
time to be used as cudgels in case
resistance and hand to hand conflict.
he While it was a justifable case
employing firearms, the fsherm
found that they were not accustomed
their use and they realized further tf
'se the less bloodshed on the occasion
TN better it would be for their cause
'er the long run. This was the sentlme
on both sides though many had brous
10 along rifles and levolvers to use In t
lie direst extremities.