Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/638

 days of emigrations Harney and Malheur were known as Bitter lakes. The Indian name for Harney Lake is said to have been Tomowama. Harney Lake received its present name because of its location in Harney Valley.

Robert H. Down was born in Silverton and attended one of the interesting early schools of Oregon—Liberal University at Silverton. He was graduated from Mt. Angel College in 1904, and from the University of Oregon with a bachelor of laws degree in 1909 and a master of arts degree in 1920. Though admitted to the bar in 1908, he turned to teaching instead of law as a profession. He was superintendent of schools at Lebanon for the year 1919-20 and has been head of the history department of Franklin High School in Portland since 1921. He is joint author, with R. C. Clark and George Verne Blue, of History of Oregon, 1925; and is author of History of the Silverton Country, 1926; three chapters— “History of Marion County”, “Beginning of Schools and Churches” and “Churches in the Willamette Valley”—in Clark's History of the Willamette Valley, 1927; and “The Rural Church in Marion County”, Ms. He is now gathering material for a life of Homer Davenport.

Joab Powell used to preach in the old schoolhouse up Water Street in Silverton.... There was a fireplace at each end of the long room, which afforded the only light and in the semi-darkness the preacher made a grotesque figure as he arose to address his congregation. He wore home-made jean trousers “four feet across the seat. ” As a preliminary to preaching he placed in his mouth a chew of tobacco. When this was sufficiently moistened, the juice was deposited on the floor, a ponderous foot run through twice or thrice, and Joab, the inimitable, was off on a powerful and eloquent discourse.... People came from miles around to hear him, especially the young men, who enjoyed standing outside, chuckling and tittering over the preacher's numerous racy parables and metaphors. He was a great exhorter and when