Samuel Christopher Lancaster

“ Portland, Oregon
Plates by Hieks-Chatten Engraving Co.
Portland, Oregon
Samuel Hill Road Builder
Who loves this country and brought me to it. Who showed me the German Rhine and Continental Europe. Whose kindness made it possible for me to have a part in planning and constructing this great highway.
There is a time and place for every man to act his part in life's drama and to build according to his ideas.
God shaped these great mountains round about us, and lifted up those mighty domes into a region of perpetual snow. ”

“ They boiled a Salmon for each of the men with me." [11]
The change that has come in the Oregon country in the short space of 110 years is truly marvelous. The opportunity which is offered to intelligent men at this time is even greater than it was in the early days.
Major General George W. Goethals, builder of the Panama Canal, passed over the Columbia River Highway between Portland and Cascade Locks on Wednesday, September 1st, 1915. He said, “The Columbia River Highway is a splendid jol of engineering, and absolutely without equal in America for scenic interest." ”

“ Through them we learn something of the masterful way in which Dr. McLoughlin dealt with the many different tribes of Indians—part of a wild race of human beings, who realized that they were being robbed of their best hunting and fishing grounds by the incoming tide of civilization. While at Fort Vancouver Mrs. Whitman completed her journal of the trip across the Continent and sent it to Dr. Whitman's relatives in the State of New York, stating that he "had been pressed above measure with care, labors, and anxieties all the way." ”

“ Indeed, it is difficult to find where the main body of the water passes. In high water we are told that these rocks are all covered with water, the river rising to such an astonishing height.
"After paying the Indians for their assistance, which was a twist of tobacco about the length of a finger to each, we reloaded, went on board, sailed about two miles, and stopped for breakfast. This was done to get away from a throng of Indians. Many followed us, however, to assist in making another portage, three miles below this. ”

“ We read in these masses of broken stone, that centuries on centuries have passed since they began to form, for every particle contained in them, when loosened by frost, heat or cold, fell from dizzy heights piece by piece. ”

“ To some He gave great wealth — to every man his talent — and when the time had come for men to break down mountain barriers, construct a great highway of commerce and utilize the beautiful, which is "as useful as the useful", He set them to the task and gave to each his place. ”

“ Striking the base of the cliffs, they sound like the ticking of the master clock, with centuries for hours. The rich growth of vegetation, almost tropical, always hastening to hide nature's secrets, soon covers them. ”

“ They stand on the jagged rocks in the rapids and spear the salmon coming up, or dip them out with nets. Many of the fish leap high out of the water below the falls in attempting the ascent of this great river. ”

“ A few miles west of Celilo Falls the trees begin. The landscape changes rapidly as one goes toward the sea, descending the river or ascending the Cascade Range.
Ever higher these mountains lift their heads, until fve great peaks are seen at once above the timber line, "their craters healed with snow" which never leaves them. ”

“ The prices now charged by our common carriers for superior service, are but a fractional part of those of pioneer days. There is no longer a monopoly. The "Open River" and keen competition have changed the rule, and traffic is no longer taxed with all that it can bear. ”

“ There we slept, and this morning made the portage. All were obliged to land, unload, carry our baggage, and even the boat, for half a mile. I had frequently seen the picture of the Indians carrying a canoe, but now I saw the reality. 'e found plenty of Indians here to assist in making the portage. After loading several with our baggage and sending them on, the boat was capsized and placed upon the heads of about twenty of them, who marched off with it with perfect ease. Below the main fall of the water are rocks, deep, narrow channels, and many frightful precipices. ”

“ The little rivulets joined with mountain torrents to bring the product of the glaciers down into the valleys, where He spread it out, producing a soil rich in everything that ministers to man.
Then the Prince of All Gardens planted the seeds of a thousand springtimes. Some flowers He made to grow high up in the clefts of the rocks, in fields of snow. ”

“ No chart or compass have they. yet when fully grown (some weighing fifty pounds or more) they come again in schools, enter the stream of their nativity, and there complete the cycle of life.
In former years the fish literally filled the rivers, and just below Celilo Falls they were so plentiful that bands of Indians from many tribes, made long journeys from the East to get this wholesome sea food, of which there was enough for all. ”

“ Today the traveling public hastens to and fro on swiftly moving trains on both sides of the great river. Passengers and merchandise are quickly conveyed across the continent, and only a few days are needed to negotiate distances which formerly required weeks or months of tireless labor. ”

“ McLoughlin promises to loan us enough to make a beginning and all the return he asks is that we supply other settlers in the same way. He appears desirous to offer us every facility for living in his power. No person could have received a more hearty welcome, or be treated with greater kindness than we have been since our arrival. ”

“ There is no timber to be seen, but there are high perpendicular banks of rocks in some places, while rugged bluffs and plains of sand in others, are all that greets the eye. 'e sailed until near sunset, when we landed, pitched our tents, supped our tea, bread and butter, boiled ham and potatoes, committed ourselves to the care of a kind Providence, and retired to rest. ”

“ October 20.— At 8 o'clock we packed up, took the trail down the mountain to the gravelly bottom, and then down the creek to the wagon-camp, which we reached at 3 P. M.; and if we had not before forgotten our troubles, we certainly should have done so upon arriving at camp! Several families were entirely out of provisions, others were nearly so, and all were expecting to rely upon their poor famished cattle. ”

“ For centuries the most active volcanoes were at work. They built up mighty domes reaching into the skies, one mile, two miles, almost three miles high, until the icy-cold of the atmosphere, where they now reared their heads, exceeded the cold of ocean depths whence the uplift came. ”

“ In those early days the natural obstacles everywhere to be overcome were great, all means of transportation were crude and the burdens laid on the people by the transportation companies of that day were heavy. ”

“ Mr. James J. Hill, the empire builder, is continually calling to the people of the Northwest to "grow into the greatness of their natural surroundings." If the people of Oregon would do this in all respects, physically, morally, spiritually, look at the mountains, and behold! what Giants they could be!
COPYRIGHTED BY GEORGE F. HOLMAN. OF PORTLAND. OREGON
DR. JOHN McLOUGHLIN.
Taken from a daguerreotype of Dr. ”

“ God made this country on a mighty scale. The mountains are high and the river is broad and deep. The towering rock, three miles distant on the north bank of the river, was a beacon to Lewis and Clark and the pioneer home-seekers who came after them. Page:Columbia - America's Great Highway.djvu/117 Page:Columbia - America's Great Highway.djvu/118 Page:Columbia - America's Great Highway.djvu/119 Page:Columbia - America's Great Highway.djvu/120 Page:Columbia - America's Great Highway.djvu/121 Page:Columbia - America's Great Highway.djvu/122 ”

“ Their cattle are numerous, estimated at one thousand head in all the settlements. They have swine in abundance, also sheep and goats, but the sheep are of an inferior kind. We find also hens, turkeys and pigeons, but no geese. ”

“ True, this would have prevented starvation; but it would have been meagre diet, and there was no certainty of having cattle long, as there was but little grass. A happier set of beings I never saw, and the thanks bestowed upon us by these families would have compensated for no little toil and hardship. They were supplied with an amount of provisions sufficient to last them until they could reach the settlements. After waiting one day, Mr. Gilmore left the camp for the settlement, taking with him three families ”

“ It consists of about fifty-one children, who ha-e French fathers and Indian mothers. All the laborers here are Canadian-French with Indian wives. * * * French is the prevailing language here. English is spoken only by a few.
COPYRIGHT, WEISTER CO., PORTLAND BRIDAL VEIL FALLS — COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY.
This beautiful mountain stream is the only one along- this great thoroughfare that has been harnessed. It is used to convey lumber down the mountain side in flumes. The water saws and stacks the finished product with but little help from man. ”

“ But before entering upon this trip, I will state by what means the timely assistance afforded us in the way of provisions was effected. The first party starting for the settlement from The Dalles, after we had determined to take the mountain route, carried the news to Oregon City that we were attempting a passage across the Cascade mountains, and that we should need provisions. The good people of that place immediately raised by donation about eleven hundred pounds of flour, over one hundred pounds of sugar, some tea, &c., hired horses, and the Messrs. ”

“ It stimulated Multnomah County to action and called attention to the need of engineering skill and supervision, the lack of which had caused the work done by prison labor in Hood River County to fail, for most of the money contributed by Mr. ”