The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-06-22
DEDICATION
HELD SUNDAY
THOUSANDS AT UNIQUE CEREMONY
Indians and Palefaces Journey to Site Of
Bridge Of Gods to be Respanned
Seen by Steel Girders

81
day when some 5000 people mot0red tC
Cascade Locks for the dedication Of 9
concrete pier, on the Oregon bank, OF
steel bridge soon to span the Colum-
bia river where once was reared, ac-
cording to Indian legend, a titanic arch
of natural basalt.
At. feast, Martin Spedis, Klickitat
chief, one of the last aged men of the
once powerful tribe, who spoke in his
aboriginal tongue, his son, Dave Spe-
dis, interpreting, declared. not as fable
but as Indian fact, that some 300 years
ago bridge, the work of the Great
Spirit, joined the north and south
banks of Waunas as the Columbia is
knownto the Indians. and that the fore
fathers of many tribes from near and
far, from east and west and every
lwhereswere accustomed to gather there
lat Indian villages located on either
bank of the river. The pupular pale
Eface conception of the redman depicts
a constant warfare and friction among
the different tribes, a conception we'll
based on extant knowledge, but the
Bridge of the Gods, that mighty link
in the Cascades. seems to have been an
instEumentality for breaking down fac
tions. 1t was highway of peace and
apparently brought about something
akin to cooperative planning among
the chiefs of olden times.
And Martin. Spedis' speech, follow
ing Immediately on the opening ad
dress of Geo. Rauch. president of the
Portland Ad Club in charge. of the
function, was altogether in line with
the keynote sounded by the latter. The
old chief. in full tribal gaEb, said;
''My friends, we all meet together.
where once Indian villages used to be
on both sides of of river. Then Indians
come here from east and west and
every point. Like today big highway
built here, SO people can. all travel on
road. About 800 years ago Bridge of
the Gods crossed, river and people
walked over many years. When bridge
falls. no place to cross. Now today
come back, SO everybody can go. over
like it used to be.
my friends, can be happy. I'll be
walking over mysely like. old people
used to walk across The Bridge of the
Gods. Now, my friends, we will all be
happy, when new bridge, it comes here.
That is all ! can explain to you, my
friends, that is ALL"
The two Indian men. accompanied by
Susie, Ellen and Ida Spedis, women of
the tribe, who came down from Wasco
county for the celebration, followed
the address with war dance and song.
Motion picture men were active and
the cameras of press photographers
clicked, while the audience accom-
panied the dance and song with clap
ping of hands. Asked what the words
of the chant meant, Martin said
"Grandmother of our tribe, la years
old when she died, told US. They say
BY the Bridge we cross and go onward
to Heaven
the north bank of the Columbia" de-
clared Mr.. Rauch, "have disclosed well
marked trails leading to the very brink
of the precipice supposed to have been
the abutment of The Bridge of the
Gods. Whether there was bridge or
not in it we have symbol of some
instrumentality to bind and create a
union of the people of the East and
West and North and South"
He declared that the new bridge |
should stand for a new era in cooper
atiye effort on the part of all Oregon
and Washington communities and cities |
for the development of modern enter
prise.
Geo. S. Allen, of Clarke county,
Washington, originator of the new
Bridge of the Gods declared that his
action in employing a crew of engineers |
to make a survey for the project fol-
lowed a vision, in which he beheld
completed structure crossing the
stream.
81 was working for the Warren Con-
struction Co. in building the Columbia
River Highway between Corbett and
Troutdale when observed the contour
Of the country. My vision came to me
one night, We made three survys, one
at .Bradford's Island, one across the
Cascades and the other at the point
6nally selected for the distance between
the Oregon and Washington piers will
stretch 705 feet"
Mr. Allen introduced Mrs. j. W. In
gals, of Hood River. sister of Freder-
ic Homer Balch, author of "The
Bridge of the Gods, romance with In
iian legends for background. Mrs.
ingalls, bore a bouquet, picked from
The. old Hood River valley farm of the
Balch family, which was deposited on
the pier in memory of Chief Multno-
nah. last ruler of his tribe, and her
brother, whose book has done so much
% preserve the legend.
Unable to participate himself, Gov
,rnOr Hart was represented at the GER
,monies by j. Grant HinkIe. secretary
Il state Of Washington, who declared
he hope that the new bridge, which he
PREDICTED would be crossed by scores Of
)reg0nians, would result in their com
ng to the Washington legislature and
lrigng an improvement of the North
Bank Highway, which now be said is
90 rough for comfort after one has
the smooth curves and
traightaways of the Columbia River
Highway.
"Superintendent Martin. of the Raj
Iier National Park" said Mr.. Hinkle,
recently told me that the Columbia
river Highway was one of the best
dvertised attractions in the west that
had gained far more publicity than
rainier National Park. congratulate
our Ad Club on such a medium of q
he cOmplimented the 5
uilders on the fact that their enter Z
rise would rear a new interstate high
ray without adding TO the tax burdens b
Z the two states. n
Governor Oleott, who was greeted n
nth cheers, after touching the high +
pots Of Oregon history, declared that il
be Bridge of the Gods. whether myth d
T not, was one Of the best known
pots Of the two states, due to the in I
pired genius of Frederick Balch. He y
rged ell to read the romance. ehaTac- b
srized by him ss the prettiest tale Il
yer told Of the Indians and Northwest G
IN legends.
II was a perfect day for the open air D
The stiff wind that usu- D