Chapter I: Front Matter

WASHINGTON, D. C., JAN. 23, 1916. BORN DEC. 29, 1830]

THE BUSY LIFE

OF

EIGHTY-FIVE YEARS

OF

EZRA MEEKER

VENTURES AND ADVENTURES

Sixty-three years of Pioneer Life in the Old Oregon Country; An
Account of the Author's Trip Across the Plains with an Ox Team, 1852;
Return Trip, 1906-7; His Cruise on Puget Sound, 1853; Trip Through
the Natchess Pass, 1854; Over the Chilcoot Pass; Flat-boating on the
Yukon, 1898.

THE OREGON TRAIL

AUTHOR OF PIONEER "REMINISCENCES OF PUGET SOUND"—"THE TRAGEDY OF
LESCHI"—"HOP CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES"—"WASHINGTON TERRITORY WEST
OF THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS"—"THE OX TEAM"—"UNCLE EZRA'S SHORT STORIES
FOR THE CHILDREN."

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR

$1.50 Postpaid

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

COPYRIGHT 1916
BY
EZRA MEEKER

PRESS WM. B. BURFORD

INDIANAPOLIS

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

Autobiography.

Birth and Parentage—Boyhood Days—Aversion to School—Early
Ambitions—Farm Training—Life in a Printing Office—At Tippecanoe
as a Songster 7

CHAPTER II.

Time of My Youth.

Our Ohio Home—A Period of Invention—The Printing Press—Our
Removal to Indiana—Habits Acquired on the Trip 15

CHAPTER III.

Early Days in Indiana.

I'm Going to Be a Farmer—Off for Iowa—An Iowa Winter 18

CHAPTER IV.

Off for Oregon.

Preparation—Getting a Partner—First Day Out 23

CHAPTER V.

The Ferry Across the Missouri 26

CHAPTER VI.

Out on the Plains.

Indian Country—The Cholera—Extent of Emigration—The Casualties 29

CHAPTER VII.

Buffalo Chase and Stampede.

Buffalo Trails—Chase on the Missouri—Stampede on the Platte 37

CHAPTER VIII.

Out on the Plains.

The Law of Self-Preservation—Crossing the Snake River—Wagon Beds
as Boats—Down Snake River in Wagon Boxes—On to Portland 39

CHAPTER IX.

Floating Down the River 51

CHAPTER X.

The Arrival.

At Work—Moving to St. Helens—Building a Home 57

CHAPTER XI.

The First Cabin.

Home Life—A Trip to Puget Sound 63

CHAPTER XII.

Cruise on Puget Sound.

Building a Boat—Afloat on Puget Sound—A Visit to the Indians 69

CHAPTER XIII.

Cruise on Puget Sound.

At Steilacoom 77

CHAPTER XIV.

Cruise on Puget Sound.

At Tacoma—On Puyallup Bay 84

CHAPTER XV.

Cruise on Puget Sound.

At Alki Point—A Fish Story 91

CHAPTER XVI.

Cruise on Puget Sound.

Port Townsend—Building the City—Colonel Ebey 96

CHAPTER XVII.

From Columbia River to Puget Sound.

Arrival Home—Preparations to Move—The Trip 101

CHAPTER XVIII.

The Second Cabin.

The New Home—Brother Oliver Returns to the States 115

CHAPTER XIX.

Trip Through Natchess Pass.

Cross the Streams 122

CHAPTER XX.

Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont.

Many Obstacles—Killing of Steers to Make Rope—A Brave Boy 128

CHAPTER XXI.

Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont.

Fun with the Pony—Immigrants 136

CHAPTER XXII.

Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont.

Desert Lands—Lost—Crossing the River—Reunion 142

CHAPTER XXIII.

Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont.

Nearly Home—Trouble Over Titles—Parting 148

CHAPTER XXIV.

Trip Through Natchess Pass—Cont.

Home Again—Visitors—Jay Cooke and My Pamphlet 154

CHAPTER XXV.

First Immigrants Through Natchess Pass.

Hard Trip—Letter from Geo. H. Himes 161

CHAPTER XXVI.

Building of the Natchess Pass Road.

Many Obstacles—Lines from Winthrop—Receipts 169

CHAPTER XXVII.

Building of the Natchess Pass Road—Cont.

Letter from A. J. Burge—Lawlessness—A Great Pioneer, George
Bush—The Fanning Mill—The First Cougar 178

CHAPTER XXVIII.

About Indians.

Massacre—Flight of Settlers 183

CHAPTER XXIX.

Fraser River Stampede.

Excitement High—Off for Whatcom—The Arrival—Where's De Lacy? 186

CHAPTER XXX.

An Old Settlers' Meeting.

Review of the Past—Lady Sheriff—Personal Anecdotes 195

CHAPTER XXXI.

A Chapter on Names.

Seattle—Puyallup and Amusing Incidents 201

CHAPTER XXXII.

Pioneer Religious Experiences and Incidents.

Aunt Ann—Mr. and Mrs. Wickser—John McLeod 206

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Wild Animals.

Carrie Sees a Cougar—An Unfriendly Meeting 210

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The Morning School.

The First Log School House—Going to Market—Fifty Years Ago 216

CHAPTER XXXV.

An Early Survey.

The Surveying Party—The Camp—Location—Value 221

CHAPTER XXXVI.

The Hop Business.

My Hop Venture—The Curse on Hops 223

CHAPTER XXXVII.

The Beet Sugar Venture 230

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

The History of a History 231

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Banking.

Bank President—The Run on the Bank 235

CHAPTER XL.

The Klondike Venture.

Through White Horse Rapids—On the Yukon 238

CHAPTER XLI.

THE OREGON TRAIL MONUMENT EXPEDITION.

The Ox.

Ready for the Trip—Getting Notoriety 243

CHAPTER XLII.

The Start.

Making Camps—Out on the Trail—Centralia, Wash.—Chehalis,
Wash.—Jackson's—Toledo, Wash.—Portland, Oregon 246

CHAPTER XLIII.

The Dalles, Oregon.

Quotations from Journal—Shoeing the Oxen—Out from The
Dalles—Pendleton, Oregon—The Blue Mountains—Meacham,
Oregon—La Grande, Oregon—Ladd's Canyon—Camp No. 34—Baker City,
Oregon—Old Mt. Pleasant, Oregon—Durkee, Oregon—Huntington—Vale,
Oregon 255

CHAPTER XLIV.

Old Fort Boise—Parma, Idaho—Boise, Idaho—Twin Falls,
Idaho—American Falls, Idaho—Pocatello, Idaho—Soda Springs,
Idaho—Montpelier, Idaho—The Mad Bull—The Wounded
Buffalo—Cokeville, Wyoming 266

CHAPTER XLV.

Independence Rock.

The Rocky Mountains.

Pacific Springs—Sweetwater—Split Rock—The Devil's Gate 271

CHAPTER XLVI.

Fish Creek—North Platte—Casper, Wyoming—Glen Rock—Douglas,
Wyoming—Puyallup, Tacoma, Seattle—New Changes 280

CHAPTER XLVII.

Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

Scott's Bluff—The Dead of the Plains—The Lone Grave—Chimney
Rock—North Platte 289

CHAPTER XLVIII.

Death of Twist.

Gothenberg, Nebraska—Lexington 298

CHAPTER XLIX.

Kearney, Nebraska.

Grand Island 303

CHAPTER L.

From Indianapolis to Washington—Events on the Way 306

CHAPTER LI.

Return Trip.

Leaving Washington—Out West Again—From Portland to Seattle 320

CHAPTER LII.

The End 328

CHAPTER LIII.

The Interim and Second Trip.

Good Road Movement—The Overland Outfit in the Interim—Yukon
Exposition—The Trip of 1910-'11—Hunting for the Trail—Dedication
of the Wagon and Team to Washington—A Bill for Surveying
"Pioneer Way"—The Author's Plea Before the House Committee on
Military Affairs 331

CHAPTER LIV.

Conquest of the Oregon Country.

(1) Exploration, by Robert Gray, Lewis and Clark and Jonathan
Carver—Naming Oregon. (2) Exploitation, by John Jacob Astor, the
Hunt Party, Hudson Bay Co.—Ashley, Bonneyville and Wythe—(3)
Missionary; "White Man's Book of Heaven," Lee, Parker, Whitman
and Spaulding as Missionaries—Tribute to Pioneers. (4) Home
builders; American Settlers Outnumber English—English give up
Joint Occupancy, Withdrawal and Ashburton's Treaty—Establishment
of the Oregon Trail 1843—Emigration of 1852—Conclusions 343

CHAPTER LV.

Pioneer Life in Puyallup.

The Cabin—Stilly a Typical Pioneer—Stilly's Cabin Becomes The
Author's Home—The Ivy Vine—Dedication of the Cabin as "Pioneer
Park"—The Author's Phonographic Address 352

CHAPTER LVI.

Pioneer Life in Puyallup Valley.

The Carson Family—The Walker Family—"Good Templars
Lodge"—Holiday Celebrations—First Postoffice—Mount Rainier
Glacier—Colony of 1853—Indian Massacre and Flight of the
Settlers—Discovery of Coal—Acquiring Title of Land—Publication
of "Washington Territory West of the Cascades"—Pioneer
Socialism—Religion and Schools—Allen's Letter—Early Settlers
Meet in Puyallup's Park—Great Public Dinner—Strong Program
Speech by Ezra Meeker 360

CHAPTER LVII.

Sketches of Western Life.

"Occidental Transcontinental Oriental McDonald"—His Personal
Appearance—His Sloop—His Prophecies 375

CHAPTER LVIII.

Sketches of Western Life.

"The Prairie Schooner"—Why Wagon Body was Boat Shape—Crossing
Snake River—Moving Pictures of Crossing Loop Fork of the Platte
River—How the Teams Crossed the River 377

CHAPTER LIX.

High Cost of Living.

Cincinnati Market a Hundred Years Ago; No Middlemen—All Markets
Now, All Middlemen—Transportation, a Factor in the Cost of
Living—Causes, "High Living," Abandonment of Simple Life, Change
in Environments and Extravagant Wants 381

CHAPTER LX.

Cost of High Living.

Fortieth Anniversary Celebration of the Completion of N. P. R.
R.—Extravagance and Waste at the Celebration—Supply and Demand
Regulates Prices—Consumer Too Far Removed from Producer, Demand
Too Much Service, Buys in Too Small Quantities—Too Much
Money—Remedy, Stop Extravagance and Waste, and Buy With Judgment 386

CHAPTER LXI.

Preparedness.

Witness of Five Wars—Results, Advancement of Civilization—Wars
Cannot be Averted—Preparedness Gives Advantage—It Does Not Cause
War—The Monroe Doctrine and the "Open Door To China"—No Other
Nation Will Assert Our Rights—Preparedness Does Not Prevent
Wars, But Lessens the Danger 395