East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-08-09

oTlelll ol ldlilSS VI ploSSS ia Wv
gon:
To the Editor of The Journal.-I
noticed in your paper of last Satur-
day evening in column four of the
editorial page near the bottom of the
column, short article copied from
the Moro Observer, credited to d. c.
Ireland, senior editor, in which he
pretends to give the origin of the
name Of Luckiamute, stating that 1t
comes from "lucky mute" deaf and
dumb man was was successful as a
trout fisherman, "forty-eight years
ago"
If "De Witt" made the statement
as a joke, knowing him in olden
times TO be considerable of a joker, I
have nothing to say; but If he was
really in earnest, l am compelled to
differ with him for the following rea-
sons
would indicate that the time the
name originated in 1859; whereas it
is a fact susceptible of proof that the
name "Luckiamute" was in use, be-
ing applied to the stream now bear
ing that name, having its source in
the Coast range of mountains and
running westward through Polk coun-
ty and emptying into the Willamette
river as early as 1856.
The proof alluded to is in the ma
ture of a map of oregon issued that
year entitled "Preston's Sectional and
County map of Oregon and WASH
ington west of the Cascade noun
tains, compiled from United States
surveys and other authentic sources,
by ]. w. Trutch and G. w. Hyde"
and copyrighted by ]. A. Preston. Mr..
Trutch was an Englishman of fine
attainments as a surveyor, and did
much of the early surveying in the
Willamette valley prior to 1856. Later
he went to British Columbia, was
knighted, and was lieutenant-gover-
nor of British Columbia from July,
1871, to July, 1875. ..
Second-I cannot imagine the
soupce of Brother Ireland's informa-
tion-it certainly was from hearsay,
as he did not arrive in oregon until
the fall of 1868. And further, in his
reference to "Craig in the Argus Of
flee in Oregon City" 1t is implied that
"Asahel Bush," now a well-known
banker in Salem, was an editorial
writer upon the Argus, and wrote so
badly that Craig could not make out
his writing, whereas the fact is Bush
never was the editor of the Argus
but, on the contrary, was editor Of the
Oregon Statesman, which he estab-
lished at oregon City in March, 1851
|
and controlled its columns until 1862
The Argus was started by w. l.
Adams at Oregon City in April, 1855
with D. w. Craig as foreman. @
more accomplished printer never SCI
foot on Oregon soil, and he was no
man to "guess" at anything.
In the case of the word civilians
cite" Brother Ireland is about as fal
"ofr' as he is in respect to the tern
"Luckiamute." 1t is true that abou
the year 1875 there was a contro
versy about the proper spelling Of th'
word; but the principal contestant
were Judge Deadly and Judge VIII
liam Strong, the former claiming tina
"wallamet" was the correct spelling
and the latter that Willamette" wa
the proper form with the accent ol
the second syllable in each case.
Each man had his supporters in I
long drawn out, controversy, but
was generally considered at the tim
that Judge Strong had the best o
the argument. However that may be
the word as spelled by Judge Strong
Willamette" with the accent on th'
second syllable, was the generally ac
copied spelling and pronunciation
long before the controversy referre
to began.
In fact. as far back as 1913, tn
word was spelled In that fashion, be
ing so indicated in the journal Of Al
exander Henry and David Thompson
the first a fur trader of the Northwes
company, and the latter the offlcia
geographer and explorer of the sam
3 company. This antedates by man
i years all the evidence that Judg
Deadly produced in support of hi
view.
: In my opinion the word "Willam
: ette," is a corruption of the India
8 word "willamth" or "Willameth,
s signifying screen water" and thi
opinion is based on information oh
tained a number of years ago fror
Mrs. Zllpha Rigdon, very intelliger
pioneer lady of 1916, former schoc
teacher, who in turn secured her in