Year: 1862

L
by the way and made many stoppages, that
almost imagined myself sort of counterpart to
the Wandering Jew doomed to expiate some
unimaginable offense by becoming life long vic
tim to the bloodsucking mosquitoes of Washing
ton Territory. And now | find from the paucity
of events in this region of solitary influences, that
/ am sadly in want of subject; An uncommon
want when every day brings forth new one. !"
However, for want of something better at this
time, beg TO offer you few


THOUGHTS BY THE wAYsIDE


In travelling from your spirited little town to
the Paouse crossing of Snake river, one cannot
help feeling impressed with feeling of regret
and disappointment to find such an extent OF
country, which might be turned to good account,
left entirely in state of nature and to the occu-
patton of gophers and grasshoppers. know that
there several objections to the settlement of
these lands, but also know that a great many
people. in the world are turned back by the ap-
partition of I" lion in the way" which, upon a
little closer Inspection, would prove to be but a
chimera of the brain. or at most, but slight OBJ
structon which little well directed energy might
remove. But-oh these buts-but says our friend
Cayiller, where is your timber? Why. my dear
sir adobe will build yol a more comfortable house
than timber, while the hill at the back of your
house will afford you ample cellarage. bitches





ces and as for frewood, a boom in Sake river,
at the mouth of Palouse, in time of high water,
would, if worked by an indus riOus company, pro-
duce more wood in one season tEan all the stoves
in the cOuLtry could burn in a year. | am not
personally interested in this matter, but as trav-
eer it seemed strange to me that road which is
destined to be, ere long, one of the principal high
ways of the Territory should be so sparsely popu-
lated And now we come 10 the Snake river
hfohh hut hnc n
thing, that two several parties were playing a
game of dog -eat-dog for its possession. 1t would
be well if they dnt play the same game on those
who are compelled by circums ances to accept
their services. On the opposite side of the Snake
we find several of Uncle Sans Cavalry of the
Oregon persuasion, with an Agent, keeping watt
and ward over sundry barrels of pork, bags OF
beans, coffee, &c, with, mayhap the addition of a
little whisky for the use, Tor abuse of the officers
at Colville.


Being of an enquiring turn of mind, it was but
natural while nger ng in this vicinity that should
pay visit to the SiiodSh institution at the mouth
of Palouse creek and oh, my toiling tellowcoun-
tryman, what lesson was there to be learned.
While the whole civilized world are fuming and
tretting themselves into premature old age, IN the
pursuit of wealth, which, when obtained they can
shold but for short Ieriod here we find a minia-
sture nation, living in all the simple purity of ma
sture, ,sand utterly Ignoring those motives which
7usuaky actuate their more civilized, though fire.
tquently less civil, neighbors. While the river
produces salmon, what care they for the yellow
dust upon its banks. They cannot eat gold, but
,sthey cansfill their stomachs with fish and lay
;ithem down to sleep, and pleasant Dreams and
awake to eat, and sleep, and dream again. Hap
4py, happy state! And here, too, love asserts his
gentle supremacy. Not the love of dollars and
cents, but:love according to nature The Sito0Sh
maiden can play sad havoc with the flashes of her
sdark-eye, or haunt her breech cloth with the most
bewtching grace. | observed that several youths
~Of the tribe were sorely afflicted with that disease
which comes to us all " once at least, if never
more" and which is vulgarly called puppy love-
Indeed, one Of these Young gents, who is reputed
to beaa minstrel, was kind enough to favor us
with love song bnt as | did not understand the
lingo, had recourse to an acquaintance of mine,
who is somewhat imbued with aboriginal affini-
tie, from whomI obtained the following trans
lstion;


' Beside Palouse1s limpid stream


There dwells my dear Keleka Swash.


Whose eye for me, with love doth beam;


So what care IfOr feeble white trash.


Her timber legs of shiny brown,


No hoop of whale or steel, encloses,


While every breeze across the down,


Each varied charm in turn discoses.


oh, lovely squaw oh, modest maid,


HI wed other salmon muncher;


Should any wrinkled siwash Jade


Asperse thy fame, you bet, Pll punch her.


And when our work of life is done,


And all our camas digging over,


Wen fly to lands beyond the sun,


And live and love for aye, in clover"


! confess that became so enamored with these
simple people that seriously entertained the idea
of becoming a naturazed sit0dSh and but for an
unhappy accident, would probably have made
proposals to that effect. One evening while sit
ting around the fire, supper being under way, a
genteel young buck placed his right fore finger
and thumb on his frontispiece, and with sound
like the blast of trumpet, emptied his nasal cav
ity directly on to a nice salmon which had Sc
lected for supper. This it was which broke the
spell that bound me, when | incontinently left,
resolving to postpone the siwash question for fu-
ture consideration.


But find these waysde musings becoming too
prolific for single article, so had better dry
up" for the present. In my next hope to send
YOU something of more utilitarian character
AT present have learned so little of this neigh
borhood that l cannot pretend to give much in
formation respecting it. have seen for myself,
however, that tiis is most beautiful country and
believe healthy one. Just at this time a ma
iority of the male population are absent. Some
are engaged in mining on the Columbia, others on
Salmon Most of those on the Columbia are do
ing we'll making from ten dollars and upwards
per day. Coyille just now presents rather a sor-