The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-03-30

On reaching home we found every
thing in commotion. The Indiana: had
gathered in for council and were evil
IDENTIFY much excited. The parties who
were signaling across the river in the
morning proved to be a buck and his
squaw who had been held as prisoners
by Showouwai, brother of Kamiaken,
because he had refused to let the chief
have rifle to which he had taken
fancy. They had been seven days
coming from the Simcoe reservation
and had experienced fearful hardshsips
on tie way over from hunger and ia
tigue; having come nearly all the way
through snow, in some places many
feet deep. They brought news that the
hostiles were to start SO as to reach
the Cascades the very day they had
reached the river. They had strained
every nerve in order to reach US sooner
and give the alarm, but were too late.
My brother. Eugene, Immediately
started for the landing to intercept the
little steamer Mary, which was then
coming in sight, and communicate the
news to them. Their reply sent thrill
of terror through every heart. They
themelvess had been in the fight and
had by the greatest chance, barely es-
capped with their lives. and some had
been seriously if not mortally wounded,
and we're then on board. Their advice
was for US to fly.with our lives. as in
all probability every soul at the Cas-
cades would be killed, as the woods
we're full of Indians. About sundown
courier arrived, bringing the news
that BradfOrd's store, where all the
whites at the Upper Cascades were
congregated. had been captured, as the
Indians could be seen carrying -four
and other things out of it. (This was
mistake as it was the Bush house
which had been abandoned and was af-
terward looted by the Indians.
A council was at once called, Indians
included. They on ther part promised
to station guards all along the river
and to send couriers to the Cascades,
and this promise was faithfully exc
cuted. After they had gone it was
unanimously decided that we should at
all hazards attempt to reach The
Dalles. We had all confidence in the
Klickitats they had been proven, but
were satisfied the others could not be
trusted. Our only route was by the
river, and the craft large Chinook
canoe which had been hid in the brush
near where the present wagon bridge
crosses Hood river, and was owned by
an old Indian named Waucusha. This
canoe was an exceptionally fine ono.
capable of carrying 80 or 40 passengers.
At about midnight the entire white
population of Hood River left their
homes and marched in single file to the
river. where we met the canoe and
started on our lonely journey. AS we
quietly padded our canoe through the
silent water we heard the Indian
guards signaling along the shore from
one to another until far up and down
the river came the answering calls.
We had been discovered, and in less
time than it takes to read it, every
camp had been appraised of our fight.
About noon the next day, when near
the Klickitat river. we met both little
steamers, Mary and Wasco. fairly blue
with soldiers. and loaded to the guards
with cavalry and munitions of war, on
their way to the relief of the Cascades.
They stopped as they came to US, in
quiring for news. We gave them what
we had heard from the courier the
night before, and they hurried on. How
their polished rifles and bayonets
cleaned and shimmered in that noon
day sun! and their cIanking ssbers
made sweet music to our care-worn
ears. How fierce and brave and good
they looked! Oh! would they be in
time? About O'Clock we reached
The Dalles, where almost the entire
population turned out to meet US, in
quiring for news. And there our jour-
ney ended.
| cannot close this article without
tribute of praise to:those true and loyal
klickitats, who so bravely stood by the
whites IN that trying year. Truer
hearted men never lived. Tried by the
test of battle. they proved themselves
men even though their hearts beat un-
der a dusky skin. They have nearly
all passed over to their happy hunting
grounds. and scarcely remnant of
their race remains. Among the most
prominent OF them were Johnson, Que
jumps. Yailup, Snataps and Johnnie.
There were others that l cannot call
to memory. Among the Hood River
Indians only two or three remain-old
John Slibender and Charley Copiax,
and both we're unwavering in fealty to
the whites. There is still another,
whose character as friend to the pale
face is open to serious doubts. His
own admission places him in the fight
against Major Haller on LSimcoe noun
tains. By the evidence of all others,
his hand applied the torch that fired
the Joslyn houses, and by Implication
that same right hand was crimsoned
with the blood of innocents at the Cas-
cade massacre. | refer to old White
Salmon Dave, notorious beggar and
al would be pensioner of Bro. John
Cradlebaugh.
There is also scrap of unwritten
history concerning the plans of that
willy old chief. kamiaken. He had de.
| nsAal h;a nlar Ere