Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1917-09-07
NEWPORT

week In an auto to visit his old
friend, Buckskin Bob Smith, the
famous scout who lives on Tsilt-
Goose Lake, Lane County. On his
way the Colonel will inspect the
practicability of building a mill
tary high way along the coast to
Coos Bay. This would be the
most beautiful scenic road in all
Oregon. The tourist travel would
go this way and the timber, lum-
Der, stone and fish and farm
products would furnish for
road for a thousand years. Coz.
Smith was an associate Of Buff
falo Bill, the famous plainsman.
Mr.. and Mrs. c. B. King Of
Los Angeles and Mr.. and Mrs
c. B. Crosno visited Mrs. Mida
Smith Monday and spent a por-
ton of the day looking over the
city and noted the great improv-
ments made since the Kings
last visit here. He said the clim-
ate here is much the same as 1t
is at Los Angeles at this season
with the exception that it is
much hotter at the latter place.
Mr.. King spoke Of his early visit
to Newport, long before any
white people lived here or even
before Newport was even yet
thought of. This was in 1859
when company was organized
to build a wagon road to va
quina Bay. This company was
composed of the following nam
ed persons, Jacob Henkle, Geor-
ge Mercer, DR.. ]. r. Bayley, A. B.
Newton, Samuel McLain, n. P.
Newton and Kit Abbey. These
gentlemen first opened the road
so teams could travel through
to Pioneer and Elk City, the
head Of navigation on the va
quina Bay and River. At
that time there was no second
growth timber and but little un-
der growth. The great fire must
have swept over the country in
the fall of 1S45. At that time
there was not a white settler on
the Bay and not a single boat
built by a white man. All the
travel on the bay and its tribu-
taries was done by canoes built
by Indians. The bear, elk, deer
and other wild animals were
nearly destroyed by the fire or
driven into the bay or ocean
and drowned. The second great
fire occurred in the fall of 1867.
AT this time the south part of
the Indian reservation was open
for settlement and men who liv-
ed here then said the smoke was
so thick that you could not see
the sun at midday and the
housewife had to light a candle
to see how to do her house work.
This party took the first persons
through to salt water and Jerry
Henkle and Clem King were
along with the party. At that
time Jump-Off-Joe was connect
ed with the mainland and a trail
ran to the very brink of the
precipice looking off on the
ocean. This is a famous land
mark but is now nearly all
washed away by the ceaseless
beating of the waves. The name
| think was taken from a place
on Grove Creek in Josephine
County by the same name. II
occurred in this way. A man by
tho name OF Joe Wilson was
chased by the indians during the
war of 1855 that he jumped of
this bluff into the river to save
his life.
The Port Commission met
Tuesday evening in the Council
Chambers to consider the matter
of improving the Yaquina Bay
Harbor under the supervision OF
a government engineer without
waiting for the Government to
do its share of the work. 6. G.
Irwin in the absence of the regu-
lar secretary was elected secre-
tary. Only three members OF
the Commission being present
viz. Jacobson, Stocker and Bak-
re. A letter was read from the
Secretary of War granting per.
mission to go ahead with the
work, but under very carefully
guarded restrictions. Upon this
proposition of going ahead with
the work a very lively discus
sion occurred. believe the ma
jority of the Commission believ-
ed it unwise to use the peoples
money until the Government
was ready to do its share of the
work or in other words the peo-
pies might be able to complete
part Of the work and the Gov