From a Painting by Frank Holland. WARSHIP PORTSMOUTH WHICH CARRIED THE AMERICAN FLAG INTO SAN FRANCISCO IN 1846.From a Painting by Frank Holland.WARSHIP PORTSMOUTH WHICH CARRIED THE AMERICAN FLAG INTO SAN FRANCISCO IN 1846.
The chief of the tribe fitted out a war party and they came down the coast to the sound in large war canoes, and at once created a general alarm at the settlements all along the sound. These war canoes were made from giant cedar logs, and neatly and elaborately ornamented. Some were of sufficient capacity to carry 50 warriors, each one with a paddle.
The men at the coal camp at Whatcom had heard of the danger and had taken the precaution to keep out a guard at night, two at a time. They supposed the Indians would approach them by water in case they made an attack, consequently they adopted the plan of keeping guard in a boat, anchored a short distance from shore.
On the night of the attack, two men were on guard in the boat as usual, when the men in the cabin heard shots at the landing, only a few rods distant. Thoroughly alarmed they took to the brush for safety. The Indians fired many shots into the house, but the men had made their escape. The two men on guard were supposed to have been surprised and killed, but their bodies had not been discovered when I was there. One evening about sunset we heard much shooting out in the bay, but it was too far away for us to see so as to ascertain the cause. We supposed it to be a war party of the Indians, which was later learned to be the fact. They were exchanging shots with some men in boats.
That night we expected an attack at our exposed camp, and we were all armed and prepared to defend ourselves as well as possible under the conditions. But they did not trouble us and we heard nothing further from them during our stay.
I completed the survey as was desired. As I now remember I surveyed two square miles of land, on which the coal mines cropped out. After the surveys were completed we left Whatcom on our return, and arrived at Steilacoom on the evening of the 3d of July, 1854. Here we celebrated Independence day and remained until the 5th, after which I returned to Oregon City over the same route I had traveled when on my way out, having been absent about twenty-eight days.
After my return Colonel Gardiner, the surveyor-general, offered me the work to finish the remainder of a contract somewhere in the northern part of the territory, upon which a deputy had been at work and had failed to finish it. So far as I was able to learn in regard to it, it was located in a rough, brushy, timbered country, and was not a desirable piece of work.
Yet, as I learned, the deputy who first took the contract and undertook to do the work, did not attend to his business as he should have done, which was probably the real cause of his failure.
I was satisfied that I could make the work pay me some profit, but it was not a very desirable contract. Still, if I refused to accept this offer from Colonel Gardiner, I could not afterwards consistently ask him for a better contract. If I should accept it and finish the work, I might later be in a position to receive a better offer from him. The most desirable country in Oregon, lying west of the Cascade mountains, had already been surveyed, or was under contract.
At first I was undecided which course to pursue. It seemed to be a turning point in my life. Should I engage to do the work, I might perhaps remain in Oregon for years to come, and possibly never return home. At that time it was about five years and three months since I had left home, and I had learned that the longer the absence was continued, the less strong my desire to return. But I soon came to a decision to go back to my old New Hampshire home, if for nothing more than a visit.
I thought that perhaps this was as good an opportunity to do so as would offer itself in the near future. Consequently, I made arrangements with Mr. Preston to draw the money for the balance of the surveys for which I had not yet been paid, and to forward the same to me at Hudson, N. H., my home. After having been a resident of the territory of Oregon for some more thanthree years, I left Portland for San Francisco in the steamer Columbia, which was the same vessel that brought me to Oregon.
To convey a faint conception of the many vicissitudes of the surveyors employed in making the surveys upon the public lands of the United States in sparsely settled regions, I will relate two or three incidents from many similar experiences which occurred while I was engaged upon the public surveys of Oregon.
One morning while making surveys of township lines, previous to leaving camp I gave the campmen their orders (I had two at that time) to move the camp during the day six miles east, or as near that point as they could find wood and water for camp purposes.
We were to start from the township corner that morning, and survey a line due east. Provided it should prove a good country for surveying, we could nearly or quite reach the opposite township corner, a distance of six miles, where I had ordered the campmen to pitch camp.
This was in the late autumn when the days were short, and at that season we took no lunch with us. The usual time for us to finish breakfast and leave camp in the morning was as early as sunrise.
On the day mentioned, our line was principally through a timbered and brushy country, so when night came we had completed but three and one-half miles.
Just before it began to grow dark, we left the survey and started east, expecting to find our camp within two or three miles. We had traveled about that distance when we came to a wagon trail or road, the course ofwhich was nearly north and south, and near which was plenty of wood and water. We hallooed, as was our custom, to attract the attention of the campmen, but received no reply.
Under ordinary conditions we could be heard at least one mile, and sometimes, when conditions were more favorable, nearly or quite two miles. As we heard no reply from the campmen, we followed the road south about three miles, but could hear nothing from our camp. We then retraced our steps to the point at which we first intersected the road, and followed it in the opposite, or northerly direction, for about an equal distance, but could hear no reply to our calls, when we felt certain the camp could not be in that direction.
We again retraced our way to about the point at which we had at first intersected the road. We had seen no house on that day.
It was then about eleven o’clock at night. I saw a place by the roadside where there was an abundance of dry wood, and I said to the party that I should camp there for the night. They all concluded to adopt a similar course. We started a good blaze and remained near it until morning.
When morning came we started to find either our camp or some house. One of the men went with me, and we traveled in a southerly direction. The two other men went in another direction.
About ten o’clock in the forenoon we came to a small cabin. We entered it and found a man there who was living alone. I asked him if he could prepare something eatable for us, as we had eaten nothing since early inthe morning on the day previous. He replied he was alone and that he could do nothing for us. I said to him: “Have you any provisions of any kind about your house?” His reply was that he had a little. I said that “wemusthave some of such as you have,” and that if he did not produce it for us himself we would help ourselves to such as we might be able to find about the house. He at once kindled a fire and prepared us a dinner, but it was near noon before our meal was in readiness. Previous to the time our dinner was in readiness the other two men made their appearance, and they had become so much exhausted and faint for the want of food, they had been eating the barks and roots of trees.
The next day I commenced work again without looking for camp any farther, but selected a line in another direction, which was through a country with settlements.
We worked three or four days, stopping at the houses for accommodations at night, before we heard anything from camp. Then the campmen found us, and I afterwards learned, although they would not admit it at that time, that instead of going six miles east, they traveled six miles south, and camped about nine miles from the point where they were ordered to go.
On another occasion, at the time I was engaged in running a party for Mr. Elder, upon going to camp one evening when it was nearly dark, we followed a line into a brushy bottom, to correct a quarter section post that had been set on a random line by the other party at work for Mr. Elder. One man accompanied me, who was present with the other party when the post was located. We followed the surveyed line and found the post without difficulty, and made the necessary correction, marking witness trees, etc.
At that time we knew the location of our camp, as it was not to be removed on that day. It was not more than a mile distant in a straight line. To follow the line back, upon which we had come, until we should reach the open land, and then go to camp would double the distance to be traveled.
The man with me proposed to take the short cut through the brush, and claimed to know the way as he had been over the same route with the other party. It was becoming quite dark, and I consented to his leadership, against my better judgment, which was something I seldom did, to follow another in the woods.
The route was very brushy, with much fallen timber, and being quite dark, our progress was slow. We continued to travel, making our way through the tangled brush as best we could. At length we came to a small river, from which we drank some water, and where we rested for a short time.
It being dark, it was impossible to read the bearing from the instrument. It was my opinion that we had not traveled altogether in a direct line. My companion desired to cross the stream, but I was convinced that we were on the same side as was our camp.
We again started and traveled until about eleven o’clock, previous to which I had utterly abandoned all hope of reaching camp on that night. As we came to a tall white fir tree, I said to my companion that I should camp under that tree for the night, as I believed we had traveled in a circle, at least to some extent, andthere was no possibility for us to reach camp before daylight. He didn’t agree with my opinion, and he claimed we had traveled nearly in a straight line. He thought that we must be near camp, and left me, expecting to reach camp within a short time.
I climbed the tree, probably to a height of nearly 100 feet, to break off some twigs, on which to lie down for the remainder of the night. I remained in the tree for a considerable time, listening to the noise that came from my companion as he made his way through the brush. His progress was slow, as ours had been, and I could distinctly hear the brush crack, but instead of keeping a straight line, as he supposed he was doing, he soon began to bear away to the left in a curved line. He continued to circle to the left, but not for once did he pass beyond my hearing.
In about three-quarters of an hour after he left me, I could hear him approaching from nearly the opposite direction from that in which he had started. I descended the tree and awaited his approach. When he had reached a point within a few rods of me, he hallooed. I answered his call. He seemed surprised and came to me. His first question was how I came there. It was some time before I could convince him of the fact that I had remained during his absence at the same place where he had last parted from me.
He thought he had traveled in a straight line, and when he first heard my voice in answer to his call, he believed he was almost in camp. When he became convinced that he had passed around in a circle, and had made no progress toward camp, he seemed to be satisfied to remain with me until morning. The next morning I led the way to camp without any difficulty, where we arrived shortly after breakfast time, having been without food for some more than twenty-four hours.
These are sample or specimen cases, and many other similar, more or less varied experiences could be related, if space would permit, such as sleeping out in the mountains in the winter season, with one blanket only, with a cold drenching rain falling all through the night. I have awakened to find myself completely covered with snow two or three inches in depth, with the exception of my face.
At that time there were roaming in the coast and cascade ranges of mountains and valleys numerous wild animals, such as grizzly and black bears, cougars or mountain lions, wild cats, gray wolves and coyotes, deer, moose and many other species of animals. There were also two or three kinds of rattlesnakes.
Sometimes we would approach within sight of one of the animals, which would seem to be pleased to increase its distance between us as rapidly as possible. They are savage, ferocious animals when aroused, but when they are respected and passed at a distance without being interfered with in any way, they are seemingly not to be feared. To keep peace with them, their rights as monarchs of the forests should always be respected.
In San Francisco I met Mr. James E. Freeman, who was about to start on a survey of the public lands of California, and he desired me to assist him in doing the work. He offered me a salary of ten dollars per day and board for the entire time we should be absent from SanFrancisco in completing the work of the contract. I considered that to be a very liberal offer, and I hesitated before declining it. However, as I had made a start for home, and my mind had been fully decided in that direction, I concluded not to make a change.
I also found my uncle, Alfred Cummings, in San Francisco, occupied with carpenter work, and he had concluded to go home with me.
San Francisco had greatly increased in size and population, and had improved its condition during my absence. I remained there eight or ten days awaiting the departure of a steamer for Panama.
We left San Francisco near the end of July and took passage on the steamer Yankee Blade. Before reaching Panama the coal became exhausted, and we landed on a small, uninhabited island, where wood was cut and carried aboard the vessel in boats for fuel, in order to complete the voyage. We were then within two or three days sail of Panama.
In due time we reached Panama, where we landed and remained over night. At that time the Panama railroad had been completed from Aspinwall to a point about nine miles distant from the town of Panama, and near the summit of the isthmus. We left Panama the next morning, riding on mules, which were provided us by the steamship company, anticipating that we would reach Aspinwall, on the Atlantic shore, and board the steamer for New York that evening.
We reached the end of the railroad without any undue delay, and boarded a train of cars for Aspinwall, but from some cause or causes, to the passengers unknown,there were many delays, and our progress on that day was quite discouraging. We were sidetracked for the night, but a few miles distant from the point of starting, and the engine left us, word being given out that the cars would not move until morning. I procured something to eat at a small restaurant, and slept for the night upon the table at the same place. In the morning we supposed we were to go directly through to Aspinwall, but similar delays to those experienced the day preceding occurred, and when night came we were again sidetracked only a few miles distant from the place we spent the night previous, and at a distance from any place where we could procure refreshments. The patience of the passengers had become almost exhausted.
There were no conveniences for sleeping in the cars. They were full of passengers and the atmosphere was very bad, caused by poor ventilation.
Some time during the early part of the night I went to the rear platform of one of the cars and laid down and soon fell asleep. This was a platform I supposed the passengers would not use to pass over when going out or into the cars.
During the night some one in passing out in the darkness came in contact with me, which caused me to awake, and I spoke to him. He told me if I should continue to lie there in the night air, with no covering, I should almost certainly contract the deadly Panama fever. I replied that I would take the risk, and again fell asleep and enjoyed a very comfortable rest for the night. The next day the train took us through to Aspinwall with but little delay.
What caused the necessity to detain several hundreds of passengers in a train of cars for three days and two nights while traveling a distance of less than fifty miles, and where there was very little accommodation for refreshments or sleep, I could never comprehend.
At Aspinwall we boarded one of the steamers for New York. We had a fine passage to New York, where we arrived without any undue delay.
We remained in New York over one night, when we proceeded on our journey home, where we arrived near the last of August, 1854, after an absence of a little more than five years and four months.
There are conflicting accounts as to who was the real discoverer of gold in California. Long before its actual existence was known the country was pictured as a marvelous Eldorado. As early as 1524 Cortes was given a dazzling description of a “wonderful island in the Pacific exceedingly rich in pearls and gold.” Drake said in his journal, “the country seems to promise rich veins of gold.” The native Indians claimed that gold existed among the streams, and in 1766 Jonathan Carver wrote with a spirit of prophecy that “probably in the future ages the land may be found to contain more riches in their bowels than those of Indostan.” So account after account is given premising the existence of the precious mineral, until in 1847 Capt. Charles Bennett discovered gold near Sutter’s mill, while there in partnership with James W. Marshall, who has since been credited as its discoverer. Bennett has a marble shaft standing in the Odd Fellows’ cemetery at Salem, Ore., stating that he was the “Discoverer of Gold in California, and Fell in the Defense of His Country at Walla Walla,” in 1855, fighting the Indians. Marshall has a more pretentious statue at Coloma, Cal., proclaiming him as the discoverer of the yellow nugget that started the stream of golden wealth from the Pacific slope, which wasto pour into the channels of trade in the United States until nearly two billion of dollars can be traced to the beginning of the hardy Argonauts who panned the first free gold. This story would not be complete without mention of the fact that another claimant as discoverer of the precious mineral was a young woman by the name of Emma Bonney, who was spending the winter of 1845-6 in the vicinity of Sutter’s port. As the United States had not then acquired a title to the country, her discovery was not heralded abroad and nothing came of it.
Until 1847 California had remained a part of Mexico, and was very sparsely settled. At that time, with the exception of a small settlement of Mormons established by Brigham Young in July, 1847, on the shore of Salt Lake, Utah, the country between the Missouri line, near Fort Independence, and the Sacramento valley, a distance of more than two thousand miles, was an almost unbroken wilderness, without civilized inhabitants, and spoken of as the “Great American Desert.” As every schoolboy knows, or ought to know, Col. John C. Fremont was the real conqueror of California, and immediately the treaty was signed, which made it a part of the United States, the discovery of gold was proclaimed to the world, and instantaneously the invasion began.
Not alone to Fremont and the Gold Seekers belongs the entire credit of conquering California and transforming it into a wonderland. Before the doughty Pathfinder had found his way hither the sloop of war Portsmouth, built at the Kittery navy yard just opposite of the city, whose name the gallant vessel was to bear, in 1843. She sailed fromPortsmouth December 9, 1844, to join the squadron of Commodore J. D. Sloat in the Pacific, where she arrived in season to participate in the Mexican War. On July 9, 1846, her crew under command of Lieut. J. S. Missroon, landed at Yerba, Buena, as San Francisco was then known, and took possession of the town, raising for the first time, the American flag over California.
Not all of the Gold Seekers of ’49 went overland, as Mr. Webster and his party did. Considerable debating was done at the time as to which was the best route; around Cape Horn with its storms and vicissitudes, to say nothing of the longer period of time required to make the passage; across the Isthmus of Panama, with its vexatious delays and constant dangers from tropical diseases; or by the Overland Trail, which seemed to promise a more speedy arrival at the destination, though that was fraught with great peril from hostile redmen and the hardships of crossing an unknown country.
While naturally of a different experience the story of those who went to the Land of Gold around Cape Horn is not less interesting than that of those who performed the tedious and terrible trip across the plains. Besides the perils of the deep to be met and overcome were the sufferings from scurvy and other complaints belonging to a life on the sea in those days. After all those who fared worse were the ones who tried the middle route to find themselves stranded in a tropical country unable to find ways and means of crossing the stretch of land lying between the oceans. Some tried the journey on foot, to perish by the way or reach the western shore, only to findthemselves no better off as far as continuing their course to the hoped-for Eldorado; many were finally obliged to seek passage on some homeward-bound ship, without having realized their dreams.
Whichever way they went, upon their arrival in the gold fields the mines proved a wonderful leveler of the classes of men. No distinction of rank was known there. Lawyers, doctors, ministers, men who wore kid gloves and tall hats in the East, were glad to dig in the trenches with the lowliest of laborers, all working for the same reward, the golden talisman of fortune. Unable for any reason, to succeed in the mines, some sought other ways of earning a living, if not a fortune, and so the schoolmaster sawed firewood, the erstwhile judge of an eastern court catered to a hungry crowd, while some business man performed the part of a cook, so wild were the pranks fate played upon these fortune-seekers. But if few came back rich, as wealth is reckoned, all helped to found in power and prestige the glory of the Pacific Slope.
Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:is told in=> are told in {pg 9}forms one of the=> form one of the {pg 9}cabins beeing seen=> cabins being seen {pg 31}made an ineffiectual=> made an ineffectual {pg 34}continuel to fill=> continued to fill {pg 36}becoming more accustimed=> becoming more accustomed {pg 42}on the prarie=> on the prairie {pg 48}caused our misfortunte=> caused our misfortune {pg 70}Feeling sowewhat=> Feeling somewhat {pg 72}precipitous moutain=> precipitous mountain {pg 93}pay of the winers=> pay of the miners {pg 101}were buiding a dam=> were building a dam {pg 108}had not succeed=> had not succeeded {pg 109}Physician’s charges=> Physicians’ charges {pg 110}point of exploson=> point of explosion {pg 125}CHAPER VII.=> CHAPTER VII. {pg 137}but unforunately=> but unfortunately {pg 145}use the portractor=> use the protractor {pg 151}something about portracting=> something about protracting {pg 151}preceptibly turned=> perceptibly turned {pg 152}suddely come=> suddenly come {pg 153}excruiating pains=> excruciating pains {pg 166}Pacific mail steam-=> Pacific mail steamer. {pg 189}I might thing it=> I might think it {pg 195}topograpical object=> topographical object {pg 203}we hade made=> we had made {pg 206}All stream considered navigable=> All streams considered navigable {pg 207}
is told in=> are told in {pg 9}
forms one of the=> form one of the {pg 9}
cabins beeing seen=> cabins being seen {pg 31}
made an ineffiectual=> made an ineffectual {pg 34}
continuel to fill=> continued to fill {pg 36}
becoming more accustimed=> becoming more accustomed {pg 42}
on the prarie=> on the prairie {pg 48}
caused our misfortunte=> caused our misfortune {pg 70}
Feeling sowewhat=> Feeling somewhat {pg 72}
precipitous moutain=> precipitous mountain {pg 93}
pay of the winers=> pay of the miners {pg 101}
were buiding a dam=> were building a dam {pg 108}
had not succeed=> had not succeeded {pg 109}
Physician’s charges=> Physicians’ charges {pg 110}
point of exploson=> point of explosion {pg 125}
CHAPER VII.=> CHAPTER VII. {pg 137}
but unforunately=> but unfortunately {pg 145}
use the portractor=> use the protractor {pg 151}
something about portracting=> something about protracting {pg 151}
preceptibly turned=> perceptibly turned {pg 152}
suddely come=> suddenly come {pg 153}
excruiating pains=> excruciating pains {pg 166}
Pacific mail steam-=> Pacific mail steamer. {pg 189}
I might thing it=> I might think it {pg 195}
topograpical object=> topographical object {pg 203}
we hade made=> we had made {pg 206}
All stream considered navigable=> All streams considered navigable {pg 207}
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