From An Illustrated History of Umatilla County by Colonel William Parsons and of Morrow County by W. S. Schiach, 1902.
....Chapter XX "Reminiscent"
Possibly some ambitious son or daughter of
Umatilla or Morrow
county will in the future win fame by making an exhaustive
collection of pioneer
incidents and presenting them in a graphic and fascinating
form. Could
such a work be properly prepared it would be read with profound
interest.
The long, toilsome journeys across the wide, sky-bordered buffalo
range of the
prairies or over the towering mountains and through the rugged
passes were rich
in adventures of the most thrilling nature, while the constant
menace of the red
men, the intrigue, diplomacy and chicanery resorted to by
immigrants to avoid
trouble with them, the frequent forays of these depredators upon
cattle, horses
and even children, the hot pursuits and occasional battles with
them throw
around the days when the plains were populated with ever advancing
prairie
schooners a rich glamour of romance.
But the days of adventure were not over
when the pioneer
safety ran the gauntlet of ten thousand dangers on the plains and
in the
mountain fastnesses and eventually came to a halt in the far away
"west
most west." He was still in the midst of savages, and
moreover he was
in a new environment and confronted with new conditions so that it
became
necessary for him to work out for himself a thousand economic
problems.
It is probably that could all the adventures of the pioneer
people of
Morrow County be collected and set in order a marvelous array of
tragedy, pathos
and humor would be the result. The limits and province of
this work and
limitations of its author render an attempt to embody any
extensive collection
of incidents herein decidedly out of the question, but realizing
that a few
anecdotes might better preserve the spirit and flavor of early
times than pages
of descriptive history, we will give two or three simple stories
of "the
brave days of old."
In the year 1866 the population of that
part of Umatilla
now known as Morrow county was not very large and as may be
guessed a man could
count up all his near neighbors without much difficulties.
Thomas W. Ayers
then resided upon Butter creek, and on the lower fords of Willow
Creek,
twenty-seven miles away, dwelt his nearest neighbor, John Jordan,
now deceased.
In the fall Mr. Ayers found himself the possessor of a magnificent
crop of oats,
so magnificent, indeed, that he was unable, without outside
assistance, to
harvest it all in time to prevent great loss. While he was
considering
what was best to do under the circumstances, Mr. Jordan, en route
to Walla
Walla, passed a night at his home. Mr. Ayers asked his guest
to send him
hands from that city, but after a short absence Mr. Jordan
returned, no one
accompanying. He had tried to comply with his host's
request, but found
himself unable to do so owing to the scarcity of men. Being
a very
accommodating gentleman, he would gladly have himself assist his
neighbor, but
he was without a family and had no one to leave in charge of his
stock at home.
Eventually he decided to help in spite of all disadvantages.
He could not,
however wholly neglect his home, so there was nothing to do but to
make the trip
back and forth each day. What time he arose from his bed nobody
will ever be
able to say, but he attended to his own work, mounted his horse,
rode the
twenty-seven miles and arrived at Mr. Ayers in time for a six
o'clock breakfast.
He then cradled about four and half acres of heavy oats, mounted
his horse and
returned. He kept this up for seven days until Mr. Ayers'
oats were
harvested, then rode twenty-five miles per day and return for five
days longer,
assisting Mr. Scott on Rock creek in the same way. This feat
could not be
accomplished except by the aid of a very excellent horse, and even
with this
equipment there are not many men to be found who can ride fifty or
fifty-four
miles and do a large day's work in twenty-four hours. That
Mr. Jordan did
so is two well authenticated to admit of doubt.
A Ride for Life.
During the Indian war of
1878 a band of
fifty hostiles in war paint rode up to the residence of John S.
Vincent, brother
of the well-known Morrow county pioneer George W. Vincent, and
seeing a barrel
in the yard close to the well jumped to the conclusion that it
contained
whiskey. Of course
they demanded
some to drink, and while Mr. Vincent was procuring cups for them
they formed a
ring around the barrel and danced in wild delight in anticipation
of a glorious
spree. Upon delivering the cups to them Mr. Vincent
took to the
brush, procured and saddled a horse and began a ride for his
life.
When the red skins found that the barrel
contained vinegar
rather than whiskey their disappointment and vexation knew no
bounds. They
gave vent to their savage rage in shouts, yells, howling and
curses, and would
have dispatched their deceiver with pleasure could they have got
their hands
upon him. He, however, was riding pell mell for Pendleton
and safety.
Quickly mounting, the redskins gave chase and Mr. Vincent had the
most exciting
ride of this life, but his steed proved at least the equal of any
possessed by
the braves, so he got within the lines of the white soldiers
defending Pendleton
in safety after a made race of thirty miles. The Indians
pressed him hard,
following as far as they dared. On the same day on which
this memorable
race occurred another band of warriors fatally wounded Senator
Jewell and killed
Messrs. Nelson and Skelley , on Buttercreek....