Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1904-12-23

ly encroached on the rights of the 9TH
er. The FIRST bloodshed had brought
out the worst element of the southside
and they determined to drive back or
destroy, even to the line OF the north
shore.
The boat came slowly down the river.
The belligerent fishermen watched it
with intense interest on both sides.
IT hope to God she brings the sol
disers." repeated Old Seadog as it came
nearer and nearer. t.Gabe Jarvi will
take care of them" casually remarked
southside leader to his companion.
It did contain the soldiers, and the
reader already knows Of it's movements,
and the treachery of it's pilot.
After the boat passed away to the
south OF the island, the northsiders re-
Taxed into feeling almost hopeless.
The night was cool and calm, but an
unusual darkness settled down upon
the waters. The stars shown out and
gave forth shadows that darkened the
surface of the water. A black veil
hung above it like mantle. The
contending fishermen lay upon their
oars and arms. The fret blush of
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 fight
final this morning. They knew that
they possessed the numbers and should
they succeed in destroying the north
slders' 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 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
4 two factions.
The southsiders moved along like so
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 Abb4Cks 1uSb0 WoTe uduueQ ny
large forces and formed line for the
main encounter.
4 Old Seadog had assembled his men
near the center of the largest group OF
traps and took active command at this
point. 1t meant more for him than
for all the other northsiders combined
and he interested himself accordingly.
He possessed an iron 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 his 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 flotilla rose and fell with
the swells OF the bay like a school o.
9 whales lying at rest. and old seadoa
was as silent and watchful as the bull
leader of such an aggregation. He wal
as rugged as a water god and feared the
waves no more than did old Neptune
who ruled them.
The suspense was finally relieved
q In the shadows of the slowly approach