Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-05-22


loaded our plunder into them, hitchet
on the teams and started ont to maxi
our way to the lower end OF the falls
Everything had been removed from
the boat. and the sides boarded up
Brother James, and two men wh'
We're willing 10 take the risk, wen
;board. He acted as captain and they
stood at the oars. We had severa
small boats. SO We took her out in thu
river and gave her a start. heading
her straight Cor the falls. She wen
over shipping only nominal number
OF gallons of water. 1t was in Febru
airy that we made this run with the
| first nat-bottomed boat ever to pass
over these five miles of rocks ant
rapids.
Having gotten safely over. they tied
up and returned to help us with the
| teams and stock. We had to blaze a
trail to go through and prospect Il
road. We were Obliged to go bacl.
about a mile from the river and pass
through an Indian graveyard. In this
graveyard the dead We're all hurled in
houses, and We had to drive carefully
between them. 1t was an ancient
buryingplace. for the houses werc all
decaying. | think it could not have
been used for many. many year..
After travelling ABOUT six miles. We
came again to the river just below the
proceeded as before. The drivers took
the cattle along by the river until they
reached Cape Horn. Here We were
obliged again to leave the river and
travel oft into the country and around
this high promontory. We had to
drive very slowly and 1t WAS hard
work On this trip We took a little
-four. salt. and enough bread to do us
the first day out. After that we tied
up the calves so that we could get
milk enough to make noodle soup with
milk, flour, and salt. 1t was nearly
three days before we reached the river
again. At the mouth OF Sandy River
We found the scow and our folks wait
ing for us. Here we unloaded again
and ferried our stock across to the
southern side of the Columbia at the
mouth of the Sandy. From this point
We drove the cattle across the country
by Oregon City to Milk Creek close to
Molalla, where father had selected a
place for us.
After ferrying the stock across at
the mouth OF the Sandy. We reloaded
the boat with our effects and ran
down the Columbia to the willamette
and up the latter river to Oregon City.
Here we sold the boat for fifty dollars.
We put our plunder in the wagons and
moved out to the place selected for
our future home and set to work to
build houses in which to live.
The citizens of Oregon were of the
opinion that Uncle Sam was slow In
extending protection TO his people on
the Pacific slope. and they formed
provisional government and elected
Alternately governor. The representa-
tives passed laws. saying that mar
ried man and his wife could take up
six hundred and forty acres-a mile
square-of land, a young. or single.
man, half that amount, and this could
be selected any place so that it did
not interfere with other claims. Wheat
was made legal tender for small debts
at one dollar a bushel.
Oregon City being located at the
falls on the Willamette River. the
Hudson Bay Company had -four mill
and store there. Up the Willamette.
the old servants of the company had
settled and taken up great many of
the choice places for fifty or sixty
miles. One prairie called French
Prairie" was settled by Canadian
French, and most of these settlers had
native wives.
The first settlers here, cut hazel
brush and made withes with which to
bind their wheat. At this time The
sickle and the reap-hook were used.
Then the cradle came into use aid he
people learned to make bands OF the
wheat, oats or Other gram that was
cut.
After putting in one spring crop
and garden In the Molalla, We built a
barn. | then went to Tualatin Plains,
west Of Oregon City. and stopped with
brother Jones and family. He married
Mrs. Scoggins, who had a family of
five children, three sons and two daugh-
ters. |, together with these children.
went to school one term. The oldest
son was one of my best friends. and it
was he who helped me take the -four
up the Columbia to my folks.
Tualatin Plains. twenty miles from
Oregon City, was settled principally
by Hudson Bay men, English and
Scotch. This was a fine section of
the country. Plenty OF wheat was
grown here, and newcomers could get
plenty of work by taking pay in wheat
at one dollar bushel The wheat
could be taken to Oregon City and
sold to the company and taken out in
trade In the store, and a receipt for
the remainder would be given This
receipt could be used in trading with
other parties for anything wanted. and
they. in turn, could go to the store
and get goods and groceries with it.
There was very little money in the
country. so people were obliged to use
these receipts as means of conduct
ing business transactions. The emf
grants to this country had spent.