Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/369

Rh up a little ready cash, and built a few little sail boats to carry freight on the Columbia from Celilo at the upper Dalles on up the river. It was a very slim show to do a transportation business, but as the cost of moving government freight was so great any sort of a boat would pay some profits; and Thompson was in a position to utilize the cheap labor of his Indian wards. And on this meager outfit Mr. Thompson was soon enabled to commence the construction of and build the steamer "Colonel Wright," named in honor of the officer in command at Fort Dalles. Thompson had, prior to this, built a little steamer on the upper Cascades, called the "Venture," which he hoped in some way to take up over the Dalles of the Columbia; but in steaming out into the Columbia from the upper Cascades, on the first trip, the boat had not either power enough to stem the current of the river, or the captain lost control of her, and the boat drifted down over the Cascades, and was reduced to a wreck; proving that this "Venture" was too much of a venture.

An account of conditions of river and ocean navigation, and the difficulties under which the pioneers of Oregon and Portland labored, from one who took part in them will be more interesting and satisfactory than anything prepared at a later date. And so it is thought best for this record to give here the statements of Colonel James W. Nesmith, and Judge William Strong; both of whom speak from actual observation and experience, making the following statements before the annual meeting of the Oregon pioneers in 1878; says Nesmith:

"Forty years ago the few American citizens in Oregon were isolated from the outside world. Some adventurous and enterprising persons conceived the idea of a vessel of a capacity to cross the Columbia river bar and navigate the ocean. Those persons were mostly old Rocky mountain beaver trappers, and sailors who had drifted like waifs to the Willamette valley. Their names were Joseph Gale, John Canan, Ralph Kilbourn, Pleasant Armstrong, Henry Woods, George Davis and Jacob Green. Felix Hathaway was employed as master ship carpenter, and Thomas Hubbard and J. L. Parrish did the blacksmith work. In the latter part of 1840, there was laid the keel of the schooner Star of Oregon, upon the east side of Sauvie's island, near the junction of Willamette and Columbia rivers. The representatives of the Hudson's Bay Company either dreading commercial competition, or doubtful about their pay, at first refused to furnish any supplies. But through the earnest representation of Commodore Wilkes—then here in command of the American Exploring Squadron, who offered to become responsible for the payment—Dr. McLoughlin furnished all such necessary articles as were in store at Vancouver. (According to another account current among old pioneers, the boat builders feigned to be persuaded by McLoughlin to give up their plan, and go to raising wheat for him. He supplied them with ropes, nails, bagging, etc., etc., such as was necessary for agriculture, and was greatly astonished when in passing the island he saw his farmers industriously building the craft which he had attempted to inhibit, expressing his vexation in the words "curse those Americans; they always do get ahead of us.") On the 19th day of May, 1841, the schooner was launched. She had only been planked up to the waterways and in that condition was worked up to the falls of the Willamette. Owing to the destitution of means and the scarcity of provisions, the enterprising ship builders were compelled to suspend work upon their vessel until May, 1842. On the 25th of August the vessel was completed, and the crew sent on board at the falls. They consisted of the following named persons: Jos. Gale, Captain John Canan, Pleasant Armstrong, Ralph Kilbourn, Jacob Green, and one Indian boy, ten years old. There was but one passenger, a Mr. Piffenhauser. Captain Wilkes furnished them with an anchor, hawser, nautical instruments, a flag and a clearance. On the twelfth of September, 1842, she crossed the bar of the Columbia, coming very near being wrecked in the breakers and took latitude and departure from Cape Disappointment just as the sun touched the western horizon.