Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 1.djvu/280

268 accompaniments of full dress, was the suit that he chose. At the meeting, however, where the appearance of the strangers caused minute observation, the men all sitting on one side and the women on the other, there were no bonnets, the women wore only a red handkerchief tied over the head; and the latest style bonnets from the east created not only admiration, but much suppressed though not very well suppressed merriment in the con- gregation.

On returning home Mrs. Cosgrove was very much dis- spirited, and exclaimed, "To think that I have brought my family here to raise them in such a place as this ! ' However, taking up the difficulty in a truly womanly way, she soon had the women of the neighborhood mak- ing sun-bonnets, and then instructed them how to weave wheat straw and make chip hats ; and in course of time they even put on bonnets. Not so, however, with Mr. Cosgrove 's swallowtail coat and silk hat. These were such a mark for ridicule that he never tried them again, at least in that circle ; but found his blue frock good enough. Indeed, even to this day, swell dress is much despised among Oregon men.

However, the placid life of the Oregon farmer was not to be long continued. The California mines broke out, and Mr. Cosgrove was contrained to go along with the rest of the settlers. He made two trips, returning the first time after a month's mining to spend the winter. The second time, which was prolonged to a stay of about twenty months in the mines, he made very successful, but occasion arising to sell his store in the mines for $15,000, he finally decided to do so, and taking his dust, went down to San Francisco to look for a ship for the Columbia.

While at the bustling town he was induced to invest $15,000 in a stock of goods, which he brought to Oregon,