Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-05-31
sage OF DESCHUTES"
WRITER GIVES THIS TITLE TO
"UNCLE" FRANK NICHOLS.
Lucia b. Hartman Tells Story of Life
of One of Polk's EARLY
Pioneers.

Polk County pioneers who have been
renewing old acquaintances and call
ing up past memories this week will be
interested in reading of one of their
number, who, though absent from the
annual reunion, still occupies a warm
place in the hearts of his old-time
neighbors and friends in the VILLAIN
ette Valley. In communication bear
ing the heading, Riches Approach
When He Is S4," Lucia B. Hartman a
special writer for the Evening Tele-
gram, tells the story of the life of
Uncle" Frank Nichols, a former Sher-
iff and business man OF Polk County,
and now a wealthy landowner of
Central Oregon. The writer says:
while Central Oregon is looking
forward to the infusion of young, new
blood from the Middle West and ex-
poets to see her vast sagebrush plains
transformed into great, golden grain
fields and wealth producing agricul-
tural lands through the combined
agency of the up-to-date farmer, ir-
rigation and the. railroads, she still
points with loving pride to few of
her pioneers, who braved the isolation
of the country in the early days and
stood by her through thick and thin,
loyal to the core and confident that
some day she would come into her
own.
Among the pioneers who have
helped to mould Central Oregon's his
tory, there is none more widely known
or deeply respected than Uncle
Frank Nichols, now resident of
I4aidlaw, where he lives with his
daughter, familiarly known to the
whole country round as Aunt Mollie.
Uncle Frank is S4 years young and has
been a resident of Central Oregon
since 1877, coming from Dallas to
Prineville, where he opened a drug
store, which became the political CEN
ter of Centra! Oregon, from which he
personally has welded mighty in.
fluence.
Is Self-Nade Man.
when a lad ot 10 he camn with his
fathers family by oxcar9 from Mis-
souri,, arriving at Walla Walla in Sep
tember, 1874, here the family stayed
for a few moilhs at DR.. Whitman's
mission. 1t was here, Will his father.
who was a millv'right, built a mill for
DR.. Whitman, Irat young Nichols re-
ceived the sum fetal of his scholastic
training--60 days in the mission
school, in addition to a few weeks of
schooling he had had at odd times in
the wilds of Missouri. Nature had
provided him with a keen mind,
wonderfully retentative memory and
deep-rooted desire for knowledge. The
impetus for study that was given him
in those so day has Taste through
out his long life, driving him to mast
cry of law, the study of political and
natural science, history and Biblical
literature and winning for him the
SC briquet of The Sage of the De-
schutes.
After the Winter in Walla Wal,a
the family moved to Oregon City end
here it was that young Nichols began
| to lay the foundations for strong
friendships with the big men of Ore
gon that have made it possible for him
to serve his country so effectively.
Among his firm friends he counted
the late Judge George II. Williams,
Judge r. p. Boise, o. C. Pratt, Dave
Logan, also Colonel Hogg and Abra-
ham Hackelman, early promoters of
the Corvallis & Eastern Road over the
Cascades and of the Willamette VAL
| ley & Cascade Military Wagon Road.
Under the provisional government in
1916 he was appointed Sheriff of Polk
County and in 1852, after the organi-
zation of the territorial government,
he was elected again to that office.
Subsequently he served for four years
as Clerk of the county. 1t was while
holding these political positions and
while being thrown in close connection
with the work of the courts that he
hegan his study of law.
Admitted To Bar at 81.
HE was admitted to the bar in
1882 at the age of 81. OF this distinc-
ton he says: 4 am the only lawyer
who has ever appeared before the Su-
Ipreme Court having read but two chap
ters of Blackstone and none whatever
of Kent. / missed only one question
and that was: What is meant by police
power? / practiced for 20 years and
never lost a civil case
Uncle Frank was twice member
Of the Legislature. in 1882 and again
/ in 1898. and was held to be one Of the
shrewdest politicians in this section of
the country. 1t was through his ef-
forts that Crook County was finally
cut of from Wasco County and he
furthered many other schemes for the
advancement OF the district. Despite
his 81 years his memory is infallible
and his "reminiscences OF political
crises In the country. backed by his
| knowledge OF the inside workings Of