The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-12-04

leveled this ravine before they planted
their orchard there. Father went up
Hood river 10 see what the horses we're
doing. Until the crust got quite hard
they would feed on the steep hillsides
by paving the snow down and did
fairly well, but after that they suffered
so that only IL head got through alive.
Father shot number Of deer during
the winter, which were very welcome,
as We ran short of provisions, although
an ample supply was taken down with
US: bat in hiring the Indians to help
US, they demanded their pay in -four.
Finally we ran out. Father tried TO
hire the Indians to 20 10 The Dalles to
buy some. They finally consented to
go to the Cascades. On returning they
only had small amount. and that was
shorts, which cost an enormous price.
They claimed half of that for their pay
for their time and trouble. We had
been without for ten days. living on
venison and potatoes.
When DR.. Farnsworth saw his cattle
dying, he became so discouraged that
he was anxious to get away. There
were no boats on the river, as il had
been frozen over part of the time.
The Doctor and father and James
Farnsworth went to work and felled a
very large fir tree, cut off section of
about 80 feet and burned, dug and
hewed out the inside. and cut and
shaped the outside into large, hand
some. canoe. They hitched oxen and
hauled it on the snow to the river,
where they loaded all their belongings
onto it and padded away. out of our
knowledge for years.
When the cows we had brought
across the plains began to fail and get
too weak to get up mother got very
depsondent and said she would never
give up "0ld Red
We children hunted up and down the
spring branches for grass and sheltered
spots day after day. We would drive
the calves and yearlings to clear places
we would find, where they could pick
few spears of grass. We frosted our
feet often, and they got so blistered
and sore that we could not put our
shoes on in the morning until they had
been softened up, but after we lin.
bered up off we went again. Many of
the cattle were ours, bought with the
money we had earned, but we lost the
last one. Mother saved her dear old
favorite.
The chickens were put under the
cabin floor, and a hole cut so they
could come out when it was pleasant.
Nearly all had their feet and wings
frozen, and many died. but enough
were saved to start with again. While
the weather was severe mother would
soak their feet in cold water to draw
the frost out. We children would bring
in a pan of snow in the evening and
rub our chilblains before we could &C
near the fire. They would burn so that
we could not sleep at night. Mother
had some linen stockings that she hac
knit in Missouri. We all wanted te
wear them as the linen was cool.
Among us we wore them out. They
were a beautiful pair, all open woih
over the instep.
, When spring came we were agar
without flour. so father made smal
canoe and came up to The Dalles an(
| leased land from Major Alvord, wht
was agent for the government, will
the contract that they would buy al
/ the hay and forage of all kinds HI
! raised.
| had nearly forgotten that he made
+ the trip in the winter. While he wal
! gone at that time, we were aroused b!
4 strange sound. In listening and look
ing out Git was a bright moonligh
night the sounds drew nearer, am
4 soon the forms of band of larg
' prairie wolves came in sight near th
Q house. They have the most forlor
9 howl ever heard, and for us ther
!. alone, it was intensely saddeninR
d Mother. in reassuring us children
!. helped to overcome her own feelings
S After concert of an hour, as they sa
: there on the crusted snow, they SCENE
!, to chatter awhile and then all trotte
e off They were probably drawn ther
e by the smell of venison.