Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/944

660 The United States schooner Shark, twelve guns, had been repairing at Honolulu, and endeavored to reach Oregon City for that Fourth of July, but the commander was unable to bring the Shark up in the falling water. Taking a boat, Lieutenant Howison arrived at Oregon City and reported a United States squadron of frigates and sloops of war on the coast of California. The rejoicing people fired a salute in honor of the lieutenant and the news he brought. He became the guest of Governor Abernethy at his Green Point home, and together they made a tour of the Willamette valley. The two became warm friends, and in returning down the river, the lieutenant entertained the governor on board his schooner, the Shark. Much then was the consternation of the people at Oregon City to hear that in passing out of the Columbia in September, the Shark became a total wreck. All her crew were saved and housed in Astoria, now becoming quite a village. Lieutenant Howison presented the stand of the colors of the Shark, the only thing saved, to Governor Abernethy for the use of the colony, and as many guns as could be recovered. Three of the guns went ashore at low water at Cannon Beach, giving it its name, but were never brought to Oregon City.

Word that congress had passed the notice bill for the termination of the treaty for the joint occupation of Oregon, in the meantime had arrived, and had been brought in dispatches to Lieutenant Howison by Selim E. Woodworth, son of the author of "The Old Oaken Bucket," who was a young midshipman in the navy. This same September the bark Toulon brought Honolulu papers with news of the boundary settlement. At last the Oregon question was ended. Up went the flag at Oregon City, and cannon and anvil rang. Men grasped each other's hands, and the Spectator spread across its front in big capitals, "Hail Columbia, Happy Land."

In August of this year, 1846, the jail at Oregon City was burned by an incendiary. In September and October travelers began to arrive direct to Oregon City over the Mt. Hood road, that Samuel K. Barlow with forty axemen had been cutting all summer to save future immigrants from the losses and dangers his own party had suffered the autumn before. Said Judge Deady, a later eminent jurist of the state, "The opening of railways since has been of less importance than the opening of that road."

Another significant event also had occurred. In 1844 Captain Couch with his Boston brig was again in the river just in time to meet the immigrants. He foresaw the future. By the next year he had laid the foundation of the townsite of Portland on the banks of the Willamette, at the head of ship navigation. He still had a store at Oregon City, as also had Frank W. Pettygrove, but each nailed up a shingle to cabins on their claims: "Capt. John H. Couch claims 640 acres of land on this spot. Call on me at Oregon City." "F. W. Pettygrove claims this 640 acres. Call on him at his store in Oregon City."

In a letter to the Oregon Spectator, in July, 1846, General McCarver said, "The best families of the country are eating their meals and drinking their tea and coffee—when our merchants can offer it to them—from tin plates and cups." The tin cups and saucers he referred to cost $2.50 for?ix in the Oregon City stores. Honolulu was the chief market for Oregon produce, with a freight rate of $24 a ton. Tea in 1847 was $1.50 a pound, and calico 25 cents a yard, bought with orders on merchants, wheat, or beaver skins. Salt in 1845 at McLoughlin's store was $2.00 a bushel. In 1846 not a single ship from Atlantic ports arrived in Oregon, and all supplies for the year were brought from the Hawaiian Islands by the Toulon, and yet thousands of people were arriving destitute of all household commodities.

In March, 1847, the brig Henry, Captain Kilbourne, arrived from Newburyport and sailed directly up to Oregon City. Captain Kilbourne brought a lot of second-hand furniture that sold at an enormous profit; Mr. Athey, with the furniture shop on the west side of the river, said it was more than it was worth to fix it up. But Captain Kilbourne traded that furniture to newcomers, thank-