Document text
p,vz c --t‘
Accession no.
W 9624
Date received
10/10/40
Consignment no.
1
Shipped from
Ugh. Office
Label
Amount
31g.
A -I)
r r
WPA L. C. PROJECT itri-terel.... UNIT
Form -4
FAIklIPX.L.....__Collection (or Type)
Title 0 CetrOat 1 nal._atut
Grani te a__ ()recut.
Place of orightPlr t1PrCts. Date4/ 21 /79_
Project worker. VA4,--C
Project editor
Remarks
Form A Federal Writers' Project
Circumstances of Interview Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker William C. Haight Date April 21, 1939
Address Washington Hotel. Portland. Oregon
Subject Occupational and Social Life of Granite, Oregon
Name and address of informant Mrs. Neil Niven Canyon City, Oregon.
Date and time of interview
March 24, 1939
Place of interview Hone of informant, Canyon City, Oregon.
Name and address of person, if any, who put you in touch with informant
Interviewer's home town.
Name and address of person, if any, accompanying you
None.
Description of room, house, surroundings, etc.
Well -kept, average small-town home of two stories. The architecture
of the house is outrageous. It was built with little regard for line, or any
quality that a house should have other than utility. The furnishings are
comfortable, but are a mixture of all the fads through which the two occupants
have lived. The kitchen is modernity at its best.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to which the material refers).
NW 9624
Form B Federal Writers? Project
Personal History of Informant Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker
Address Thuhingtau--Eatele--Eortlande-ar-egall---
Subject
William C. Haight
Date April 21, 199
Occupational and Social Life of Granite, Oregon
Name and address of infor:o.ant Mrs. Neil Niven, Canyon City, Oregon
Infpn7lation ubtained should supply he Tr:'0111win,
1. Anccsicry 8.
2. :Close and date of birth 7c
3. Fa-.T-P.y 8, :;,)17.Tan.
4. Place: lived in, with dates 9, Des.I.P.ion
5. Education, with dates 10. Other points ai:lert in interview
s.
rsoccmplishments with dates
jnterects
activities
1. German"American.
2. Jan. 30, 1872.
3. Husband, one son.
4. Sumpter, Granite, Canyon City, Oregon.
5. No formal education, equivalent to high school education.
6. Schoolteacher, assistant to husband in County Abstract office.
7. Contract Bridge, and community activities.
8. All community activities that are going in Canyon City. Episcopalian.
9. Short, round, dark haired, slaw moving little lady. Net without malice
called the "sighing Duchess." This is duo to her distressing habit (to others)
of heavily sighing when she is displeased; and she is often displeased.
10. She sighed two acquaintances of mine out of the house when she came over
to talk to no. She took one look at them and heaved a nighty sigh --"Bill,
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the proper heading
and the number to which the material refers).
Niven Form B 2
do you----sigh----want me ----sigh and doleful look at friends----to----
sigh----talk now. ----long drawn out sigh. Friends knew the sign and----
sigl----left.
When she was a girl in Sumpter they elected a queen to dedicate
the new lumber mill they had just built. Mrs. Niven vim: the election with
ease. At last the great day arrived and she walked up to the cord that
would pull the Tilistle and dedicate the mill. Just as she pulled the cord
the f oundation ar the mill gave way and collapsed. The mill was never
re -built.
Form C Federal Writers' Project
Text of Interview (Unedited) Works Progress Administration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker William C. Hai -ht Date Ail 26, 1939
Address
Subject Occupational and Social Life or Gralitej, Oregon
Name and address of informantIlitiveaw Ganyon•City, Oregon
Text:
Oh! I'm delighted! I've wanted to see the story of Granite preserved
for a long time. The little town is filled with rich, boisterous lore.
Rollicking, rough, and ready, -would best describe those townspeople.
Granite, or Independence, as it first was called, was built in the
heart of the Blue Mountains. As you know, many creeks roar down from the
mountain springs into the canyons. The mountains are rough, tower high into
air and flatten out into rocky, almost impassable flats at other places.
This rough country presents many obstacles hard to overcome. The roughness,
coupled with the unfavorable climatic conditions are, at times, almost unbear-
able. The Granite country could be and usually is nature at its best and worst.
Each season of the year presented peculiar problems. The flul was the
best time for everyone. Then the days were warm and cleasant, fading into
cool, brilliant, moonlit, starlit nights. The air brought a fresh, crisp,
tang to your nostrils. The smell of the pine needles was always more sharp
in the fall.
Winter covored the mountains with snow. As soon as the snow started
falling the men began an almost never-ending shoveling of drifts from the
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).
Niven Form C 2.
walks we used in town. Ravines that during the summer harbored laboring
miners were completely filled with snow. The houses we lived in looked
rather like large Eskimo ice houses. The mountnin streams were beautiful
at this time of the year. They cut a sparkling, almost black line throu#1
the heavy crusted snows they were about the only thing in that country that
didn't look frozen. The high drifts, piled higher by changing winds, blocked
the trails and entrances to the mines. Often oporations were forced to shut
down.
Short winter days! How I hated them. When I say our winter days
were short I on giving it a mild sound. A more raodern description would be
"the day is nice, wasn't it?" They lasted about that long, due to the natural
shortness of da.!,,s in the -winter and the surrounding, towering mountains.
Spring! "A young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts o' love,"
might be true in parts of the world but not in Granite.
Ther e the young
man's fancy and brawn were turned to avoiding landslides, digging out of the
knee-deep mud, and damning up the swollen streams. The spring freshets
would seep throttrh the timbers of the mines, making them unsafe. Workl Work!
Work! That's what spring meant. however, gold was the Eldorado and muds
landslides, and Indians, were part of the price far the right to gamble for
high-grade.
Summer time, or "water season" as it was called, compensated
partially for the rigors of winter and string. Then the mines hummed with
activity. The long, weary days of toil Eid heartache would suddenly fade
only when the golden yell of "strike"! filled the streets.
The major problems
confronting the miners during the sweet season was lack of water. Perhaps,
this lack made little di:ference, really, to the thirst quenching needs of
the mens but it certainly made panning, sluicing, and placer -mining harder.
During the sU1112,1Er Et I erioyed watching the men clean up their sluice
Niven Form C 3.
boxes. I would go down to the mines about clean-up time and watch the fore-
man take the nuggets and dust out. tell you its a real thrill when
they are hitting the high-grade in a heat.
The average man laboring in the mines was unable to stay and watch
the cleanup. The owners would either do the cleaning up or their most trust-
worthy foreman would do it for them. At times in some of the mines they
would be working three shifts and clean-up after every shift. The owners
could not entirely keep the men from stealing the ore. The men would hollow
out their pick or shovel handles, and stuff gold into then. They would put
the valuable pieces into their lunch buckets or fill their hair with the
dust and small nuggets. Unfortunately, whenever a man starts making a little
money the pack -rats will fill his cellar.
The men of Granite had a code of ethics that fulfilled the function
of legal law. Ohi There were plenty of infranctions of the code, but often
these infractions were dealt with by lead logic, rather than by gal evasion.
M-h7m, yes, I supl,ose it isn't right to stretch a horse thief with his boots
on, or lead up a sift snitcher, but it served its purpose with remarkable
finality to further trespassiivs.
The men in th e mines wore a regulation miner's hat with a candle
on the front bill. Overalls, with hip -boots, and a dark blue, heavy shirt
completed his outfit. About the only concession they would make for social
life would be a different hat, and smaller boots. They used picks and shovels
for tools Liost of the time in the mines. Dynamite and all the paraphernalia
that goes with its use was utilized whenever possible.
For living quarters the men chopped down trees, trimmed and
seasoned them to use in building log cabins. Simplicity and utility were
their chief characteristics. A few of the windows in the cabins were waxed
paper, but in ray time most of us had regular window panes. Furniture was
made from rough lumber and produced by the men.
Nivea Form C 4.
Supplies were brought in from Pandleton or the Umatilla Landing by
freight vagons. The regular mail came through by pack train from John Day.
The supplies brought by the wagons could only be vagoned in during the summer
months. The rest of the year the roads and trails were impassable. Mail nearly
always managed to get through* with the possible exception of the heavy snow
season.
One of the mules that carried the way pockets was the famous Betsey.
Betsey, as the young people today would say, was the glamour girl of the pack
trains, She was a gentle, kind, good animal, with a romantic twist it her nature.
Betsey was the mule Jack Long loaded down with whiskey when he first packed into
the country. Betsey mired down in the mud and when Jack pulled her but he found
gold on her feet. This incident started the gold rush to Granite. Betsey rated
as pure duct in our community. Later she was used to paok butchered beef from
the John Day country into Granite.
When I first vent to Granite as their schoolteacher, there were only
two other single girls there. A little later another girl* too fat to maim any
difference moved into town. 14 three girls, and later the fat one, had a
glorious time. Every bachelor there at one time or another asked us for a date.
At the Never Sweat Hotel we girls started a library. Every evening we
mould spend at the library encouraging the young men of the town to read books.
Precious little reading was done, but many books were taken out of the library.
Each girl had a special beau to see that she arrived home safely* but it did
not hinder our entertaining the other bachelors at the library.
The library had the books for an excuse for the miners to come to the
hotel* but an old organ helped provide the entertainment. We would dance and
sing to the music of that old, out of tune organ* and have the best time.
There were four young men theres Mr. Nivea* Mr. Butridge* Mr. Tabor* and MX.
Ditmar* who could sing quite well, They developed quite a reputation as the
Niven Form C 5.
Granite quartet. Games were popular too, as a farm of amusement at the
hotel. One game I reaenber qu'te well was called "so very law." This is
a card game played today under the name of "solo". The books in the library
were the current novels of the day, although "current" is stretching it aways
because current books to us meant a book that had been published within three
years of the time we read it. Too, the usual classics were there., although
reed only by a few of the more studious people. Magazines that were several
months, or for that matter sometimes a. year old were kept on hand ax. loaned out.
The miners were rather rough. Social amenities were restricted to
saying "Yes, MR111." They seemed to have no concept of manners at all. The few
men that were well: mannered were gamblers or drunkards, which eliminated them
from our lives. One of the girls gave her gentleman caller the "slag" because
as she said, "most of the tire he talked to me like he did his horse. I could
have stood that, but one day he yelled at me like he did to his mule at the
mine. I handed him the slag." (Ed. Note. Slag is the morthless tailings in
a mine ---it means that she handed him his "walking papers.")
The men were kind and decent but rather rough in speech, and girls
had to have enough of the social graces to do for both of them. At first this
distressed me, but I finally got used to beira treated like a skittish colt
as one swain called me.
I don't think courting was much different then than it is now. I
must say though the young men didn't bring a pint of whiskey and a package of
cigarettes along for his girl. There were not many things the bays could buy
for the girls, but they did manage to buy a little candy and on very great
occasians a boy mould send out and get some flamers. My: but that was a rare
treat:
One favorite part of courting was goi g out in the woods and picking
Hiven Form C 6.
wildflowers in the spring and summer. The long walks through the woods
picking, the flowers brolght many a girl a proposal. Rather silly of us
girls but we would see haw many proposals we could ;:et from the boys. One
young fellow must have been mtghty anxious to get married because he proposed
to all of us, as often as possible. He, of course, had no idea that we girls
were trading our proposal stories. We had so much fun kidding that young
feJ.low along. I know that we all accepted him and he finally left town one
night. We never heard from him again.
Other amusements that we had were community dances, communitr sings,
and one whale of a big celebration on the 4th of July. You see we not only
celebrated the signing of the declaratien of Independence but aid° the found-
ing of our town. The celebration was similar, I suppose, to other small
towns; other than the fact that there were so few girls in our town.
At these celebrations the men that were not ccurting the girls spent
their time and money in one of the several "wet groceries." They would get
hell -roaring drunk and gamble their hard-earned money away as if it were water.
Usually the smartest man in the community would give a public
address. Address is the correct word for it too, because such a speech was
filled with. huge, jaw -breaking words, and a full two hours in endurance. How
a m.rm ever talked that long, or how we ever sat through such an oration has
since :iven me many moments of wonder. A band made up of local fellows would
sio_ply the music for the program. Y4e girls always plycd an irireoi-tmt part.
sin',:; and recite popular patriotic pieces, or write and deliver an
essay on so -e -mat event in American history. Graciousl Those essays must
have been horrible. However, they were flowery, and everyone applauded,
remarking on our native intelligence. Tshl I nearly forgot to mention it but
the men always prepared a barbecue feast which was served about noon for the
festivities.
Niven Form C 7.
The evenings we would spend dancing in one of the store buildings
or the lobby of the Ifever Sweat Hotel. An orL-an and fiddle supplied our
dance music.
Christmas time was pleasant because of its meaning. The giving
of gifts was not like it is now because we simply could not buy them.
However, we would embroider things for each other, and make those awful
"Halle Sweet Home" mottoes they used to I -eve in homes. I am so glad that
people today don't have them. Too, we would have a church service, and a
community tree. At this connlunity tree we mould each get some candy and the
presents from our friends. We girls always struck heavy pay dirt. Each
swain would remember us in some way. They had to fashion their presents
by
hand, but we practically furnished our rooms by these presents. Something
rather lovely about it ---don't you think? At the tree we mould sing the age
old Christian carols, and the male quartet mould sing several selections.
Our church customs were probably as diJJerent as you would expect
in a mining calq). We had no regular preacher or for that matter no regular
religion. As one woman put the case, "one Sunday, I'll rrgee my religion,
ard the next Sunda; somebody else can argee theirs." That was the way
religious training was carried on. How the few children there were could get
anything out of the service I don't lenow. I suspect we raised a flush vein of
heathens. I never, as the lady said, "arreed" my religion; I just read parts
of the Bible rhen it was my turn. I thcught that my religion was above argument.
Anyway, we were cosmopolitan in a religious sense. However, it
didn't affect very many people. The only young men that wculd come would be
the ones that we girls had promised a date to if they would come. I am
certain they never listened to the arguments. The lady that said she wanted
to "argee" her religion was mown as "Big Six". Mainly because she was nearly
Niven Form C. 8.
six feet tall and had weight that more than equaled her height. She could
really put the Baptist thunder in her "argeement."
I }mow one yolng man distressed me greatly one Sunday by sitting
near my organ and never t eking his wcr shipful look off my face. It would
not have been so bad if the look had been vrcrshipful in the religious
sense, but his look was of the purely earthy sort. The other girls kidded
me a lot about that. In fact, everybody in town made the boy's life and my
life );,iserable for a couple of weeks with their unmerciful kidding.
There were two extremely bright young men that came to the Sunday
school. They were the sons of the editcr of the Granite paper. One dtty
"Big Six" was explaining to the Sunday school class about the old dispensa-
tion and the new dispensation. After she had given a full review of the two
books, that is, the Old Testament end the New Testament, she asked the young
people assemblage if they had understood her. "Yes, replied the youngest
editor's son, but when will they be out?" He meant by thet when would the
books be published. To put it mildly "Big Six" was deflated. She soon re-
covered and her loud laughter could be heard clear down town.
Working in the mines were a number of "Cornish men." These men
were not a part of the group, really; but at times they would take part in
some of the local entertainmait. One time the Sunday school had them sing
for us. They had beautiful voices, but they dj.dn't know a note of music.
One of The tenors entered a contest fcr the state fair and won 1st prize,
using a guitar for accompaniment., Their cabins were off awa-ys from the rest
of us and every evening you could hear them singing their songs, many of
them original. Not being able to read or write they naturally found learning
fair ly her d. By making the music and words up they vrou.ld fulfill their
siring ambitions, although the songs were expressed in vile English.
Niven Form C 9.
I have spoken of these Cornish men almost as if the7i were niggers,
but they were so unlettered and uncouth and had so very little in common
with most everyone else in The camp, that we naturally thought oe them as
somethirg apart.
About thl s oftie year we would start our snowshoeing parties.
Thirty or 40 people would gather together at one house and start from there.
Then we would walk out through the woods on The snowshoes. After several
hours of jollity we would go back to the house ard have a lunch. Then*
usually we would gather around an organ, or if there wasn't an organ someone
would play a fiddle and we vould sing and dance.
These parties were always a good source for one of us girls to get
another proposal, and before the night ended we would get together end ex-
change the romantic musings of some enamored male. We were dreadful, but
my it was ftln..
My school teaching was rather sketchy. I was quite serious about
it but still The youngsters must have suffered from my lack of kmoowledge. I
taught the usual subjects; reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and
history. As for a method of teaching, I don't believe I had what might be
termed a formula. I just tried to teach them what few facts I had to. The
school children sat on benches, and a long, rough lumber table was used for
a desk. They all sat at this one. table.
We would open school each day with a prayer and a song. The 9Drig,
we would change every few weeks. I thought that in that way I could teach
the children to memorize in a more or less harmless way. They enjoyed
learning now songs imensely.
During recess the children played games that are traditional with
all children. Perhaps the only different thing about our school was tiat
the children would go down to the mines and make a survey of different
Niven Form C --10
processes of mining, then come back to the school and give a report on what
they had seen. This MRS done, because most of the children would start to
work in the mines by the time they were 12 or 14. Education even then did
have some practical Sides to it.
Alen Granite was at its height there were approximately 3000
Chinese working in tho nines, or working mines af their own. These Chinese
would buy mines after the white man was nearly finished with his operations.
Usually the white man was convinced of the fact that he was selling slag
dirt. Nowever, the Chinese could still make a living from the tailings or
slags. This always struck me as a peculiar but profitable quality.
The poor Chinese were socially ostracised from white society.
however, they had their awn lives and led them much as we do ours. They even
practised their ariental religions. _Occasionally some one of the whites mould
brave the criticism of the occidentals and attend the Chinese services.
Respectable business houses in Granite made it a point of pride in
not hiring any Chinese labor, This seems cruel today but perhaps the sit-
uation justified it. You see, the mongolians greatly outnumbered the whites.
Rather amusing is the fact that despite the white man's dislike of
the yellow race they eau. had to trade at times with them. At one time the
Chinese owned three large stores in Granite. These stores almost had a
corner on the market and the white's practically had to trade with them. The
Chinese could undersell any White merchant by a great deal, due to the ex-
tremely law wages they paid their help and their small living costs.
The housing conditions of the Chinese were frightful. Although
they were clean,you would find fifteen or twenty people living ---cooking,
eating, and sleeping in one roam. This seems almost incredible but it is
true. Y u know the mining cabins used are always so small that it's a
wonder they were even able to breathe. Sanitation, at least as we understand
Niven Form C 11
it today, was not only unheard of but never practiced.
Gambling was one of,tne chief diversions the men had after working
all day. Of course, most of the things I know about,thst life is hearsay.
I never went into a saloon in my life. It wasn't a thing a lady could do.
I remember one time a miner had just made a big strike up the hill
back of town. When he broaght his bag of dust in he walked up to the saloon
and While stsndirg at the door he through his bag of gold dust across the
room and it lit on the bar, breaking the bag and making a big dent in the
bar. He yelled, at the top of his voice to everyone in the place "Come on
you mud slackers, the drink is on me.IT It was one of the wildeswooliest
nights that Granite ever had.
Usually when someone got liquored up he would march up and down the
streets shooting off hi 3 guns. One source of amusement for him was getting
the Chinese separated from one another, then making one of them do the bullet
dance. This was accomplished by one or several men firing at the luckless
creatures feet, and he had to jump and dance to keep from gettirr hit. I
don't ever remember of anyone being hurt by this odd amusement but most
likely there was. We girls use to wish someties. that the Chinese wnuld get
a hold of a white man aid make him dance to the tune of their knives. All
of the orientals packed knives for protection, but they only used them among
themselves, and not that vary often.
One fellow Who MRS normally rather a quiet chap would occasionally
go off on a big spree. Alien he did this we could alweys plan on some fancy
bucksrooirg and holler*ng. He would mount his horse and ride up and down
the streets hollering, making his horse buck, and shooting his in in the
air. He never hurt anyene, and it certainly wt -=s amusing to watch. I
suppose you would class it as just good clean fun.
Nieen Form C 12
Granite has long been noted for practical. jokes. No one was
spored from the ineenuity of the townspeople's wit. One had to be a good
sport to live in the town. If humiliation and embarrassment were more than
you could take your best bet was to leave, which happened to quite &number.
A chap named .Saturday Brown MRS on the receiving end of one of the
less harmful but hilarious jokes. Saturday achieved the distinction of his
name by his unfeiling adherence to his established custom of coming to town
every Saturday morning, at approximately ten o'clock. His regularity WRS
RStOUndi1C I don't believe he varied more than 10 or 15 minutes in all the
years that he bought supelies from the merchants of Granite.
One ti e the -v.siness men of the town decided to play a. joke on
Saturday. '14hen he care to torn at his usual time he found every business
house in town locked up. He walked up and down the streets, pounding on
doors, hollering for admittance, and peering in windows.
Unable to arouse anyone he went in search_ of someone to find out
MYtat MRS the matter. He asked one of the men he found, vat the hell had
happened, everything in town was closed up.
"Well:the fellow said,"this is lenday, Saturday. We been miehty
worried about you. Theueht maybe you had been injured or yoll were ill."
"I'll be goddamned," yelled Saturday. "What's the matter with
you people? Hove you all :one crazy? This isn't Sunday. I have never
missed coning to town on Saturday in my life."
Although unoorvinced, Seturday retureed home, ereatly puzzled
over his lapse. ''en he cene to torn the following Saturday he was aware
that th e people had played a joke on him. However, everyone inquired sol-
icitously about hi3 health, and neturally commented on his absence. Satur-
day would go purple with rage whenever they mentioned it, and curse everyone
in town. Why Saturday corlen't see the joke was a matter of conjecture,
Niven Form C 13
and mode the plrasure of chiding him about his lapse all the more amusins.
When I went to Granite to teach their school, I might not have
known beans about school teaching, but I had a cute figure and was rather
pretty. Granite townspeople. always looking for some one to kid picked on
me as a natural.
The first sprirg I spent in Granite the old time vaudeville cir-
cuit riders caaed the Lyceum troupe, came to the town to give us an enter-
tainment. Everyone was greatly excited about this big event. We girls
planned our dresses for weeks ahead, and spent endless hours discussing
Whidh one of our swains we would choose to tale us to the show. OhI Dear'
We spent endless hours discussing every possible angle of the big event.
The local newspaper responded to the interest of the public and
carried each week long discussions about the great acting ability of the
members of the troupe. Too, we were led to believe that everyone in the
outlying territories would come to town for this great occasion.
The day arrived after seemingly an endless period of waiting. The
newspaper came out th2t afternoon announcing the arrival of the Lyceum
troupe. Underneath the headline they carried a story about why prominent
men from all over the county were in town. Each man was asked, "Why did
you come to Granite?" Their answer was, "To see the new school moral"
I wept with humiliation When I read the story. Ohl I WRS nearly
ready to kill the editor. I made up my mind that under no circumstance
would I go to the show. However, all the girls wanted me to and told me it
would be much worse if I didn't*
Well, I went. Never, never, until my dying day will I forget the
greeting I got. When I walked in the hall everyone shouted "Who do we want
to see? The new School NOml"
Cougar Dick thought he was the toughest, bravest, hombre that ever
slapped a poke of dust dawn on the bar. Cougar Dick not only thought this
Niven Form C 14
but thundarously, boastfully proclaimed itS
When that hombre would swagger down the streets, his two guns,
hanging loosely in his holsters, slapped and swished against his tightly
trousered legs. His jaw was lump shaped by a wad of Star plug that he
shifted from one side of his face to the other; a long juicy brown streak
aimed with unerring accuracy would attest the transfer.
A swaggering, swearing, gwash budding hombre with no more courage
than a scrawny, flea-bitten Was the consensus of the townspeople.
hien Cougar Dick was drunk he would stand at the bar of the Never
Sweat saloon with his buckaroo boot on the brass rail, a glass of whiskey
in one hand, and the ixtt of his gun in the other singing:-
Yol Hot I'm Cougar Dick, from Granite crik.
Yol Hol Yol Hol I'm Cougar Dick, and you'd better be quick'
Yol Yol Hol Cause Cougar Dick from Granite crik will
trump your trickl
Yol Hol Yol Hot I'm Cougar Dickl
We people of Granite were used to most every odd quirk a man could
have, but Cougar Dick strained our quality of mercy. To call the bluff of
our yo-ho-ing friend the man or the town staged an elaborate but effective
joke.
A dummy, made of straw, and dressed in typical miner's garb was
placed on the rocks at the base of a high cliff at the entrance of Gruel's
gulch. At the crest of the cliff several men waited with rifles. The
others then went back to the Nev-2,r Sweat saloon where Cougar Dick had struck
his usual stance and was lustily vouching for his virility. The men sat
dawn and listened to his boastful song.
Soon Cougar Dick was interrupted by a man running into idne saloon
and excitedly yelling, "Come on fellows, somebody has been murdered dawn at
Niven Form C 15
Grael's gulch" In just a moment the saloon was emptied.
When the men were close enough to the cliff to distinguish the
dummy body from the rocks, the men on the crest of the cliff started firing
a volley or shots. 'Bullets fell all around the men, who rapidly searched
for places of safety. Shortly the firing ceased ana a loud voice boomed
out, °We're gonna lead up Cougar Dick nexti"
Well, yo, ho, our Cougar. Dick from Graaite Break crawled away from
the men on his belly, sneaking quite a ways down the road. Suddenly he
jumped to }is feet and started running hell-bent for Sumpter. The men who
were not doubled -up laughing, fired a few shots at the rapidly retreating
figure.
Grant Thornburg, aheriff, at Sumpter knew of the joke. When be-
draggled Cougar Dick arrived, Thornburg arranged for a salesmen to take the
sane train out as Cougar Dick, to follow him suspiciously as if he were out
to lead him up. All the may to Baker the salesman heckled the frightened
Cougar Dick. Every time he moved the salesman followed him, looking as
menacing as possible. The moment the train pulled in at Baker, Cougar Dick
jumped off and ran to catch another one. We never heard of him again.
Afterwards for many years, whenever a man showed a little streak
of yellow, they weuld say he had "Cougar Dick courage."
Granite was first named Independence. On July 4, 1862, the notor-
ious Jack Long discovered gold here and this precipitated a rush. The town
was named in honor of Independence Day, on which it MRS founded. Later,
when the Granite townspeople petitioned the United States government for a
post office the government insisted they change the name of Independence.
In accordance w6.th the goverliment edit the townspeople voted for the name
granite.
Niven Form C 16
Jack Long was working as a miner on the Gordon claim. The other
miners desiring some liquor, sent Jack out with a pack mule to pack in
some whiskey. On his way back the heavily loaded Betsey, mired down in a
swampy, muddy flat.
When Jack pulled her out he noticed her mud caked feet had gold
on them. LTIediately he sunk a prospect hole that panned 25 cents to the
hand. Jubilantly he filed a claim on the land and when the news traveled
a gold mail was started. This was on the fourth day of Julys 1862. Between
$50,000 and 460,000 Was taken out of the claims filed.
Jack Long drunk or sober was an obnoxious man. His good qualities
were usually deeply submerged in by -gone gallons of liquor. He iirolpably had
as few friends as any man alive.
Hate flamed to a new heat in the mining canp during the second
election of Abraham Lincoln. Granite citizens, almost to a man were southern
democrats. The ugliest name they cotad call a man was "Lincolnite". The
worthless Jack Long was no exception. His hate for Lincoln was the most
eloquent thing about him. When the dreaded news came that Lincoln had been
elected bitterness burned deeply in all Democratic hearts. The few votes
he received in Granite cast the finger of black Republican suspicion on many
people.
Jack Long, on one of his glorious sprees, decided he had the
courage to find the man who dared to vote for Lincoln. Arming himself with
a revolver and knife, he set out on his self-appointed mission. Each man he
met on the street he qaestioned boldly, threateningly. His voice could be
heard booming up and down the street.
"Did you dare to vote for Abraham Lincoln?" Most everyone answered,
"No." A man riding by on his horse reined in and said to Jack: "I dared
to vote for Lincoln. What are you &ping to do about it?" Dead silence fell
Niven Form C 17
on the crowd thwt had quickly gathered. Jack Long broke the silence with
"Well, that makes one. Where's another?"
Someone in the crowd yelled, "thought you was going to shoot the
first black Republican you mot, Jack?"
"Well," he answered, "you can't shoot a man on his horse."
Accused of being a ()award° Jack countered, "I'd rather be called
a coward than be dead." Republicans were safe after that.
(Interviewer's note: There are several versions of the Jack Long stories.
I do knaw there was a Jack Long; further than that I can't youth.)
Another interesting character was "Day -after -tomorrow" Howard,
(Gen. 0. O. Howard) a general in the United States Army who showed yellow.
Gen. Howard was detailed to catch the Indians that were on the warpath.
Several times this could have been accomplished if Howard had not ordered
his men to camp for the night. Then he waald tell them that they weuld
catch the Indians tomorrow. On his reports to Washington, D. C. he would
say that he was sure he would catch the Indians day -after -tomorrow. Hence,
his name,
Forla D
Era Comment Works Progress Ldministration
OREGON FOLKLORE STUDIES
Name of worker William Haight ,Date April 20
Address Washington Hotel, Portland
Fedora' s Project
Subject Occupational and Social Life of Granite
Name and address of informant Mrs. Neil Niven
Canyon City. Oregon
Coiment:
Mrs. Niven was at one time one of three persons editing the Granite
Siftings, a newspaper; the other two co-editors were also women. The follow-
ing items appeared in the paper (1891) while under their editorship:
We would like to call your attention to the following premiums
to be given to Contributors of the Siftings.
The Contributors of the greatest number of articles will receive
the Granite Siftings for one year and handsomely bound edition of T. A.
Heninger's poems.
The second will be rewarded with copies of the Siftings for six
months, and a ticket to North Fork.
The third a three months subscription to the Siftings, and the
privilege of visiting the Sanctum of the Editors.
The duties of the editors being so arduous, and contributors so
rare, we thought by offering the above mentioned premiums, we might secure
aid. before again going to press.
(Use as many additional sheets as necessary, each bearing the heading given
above).
Mrs. Neil Niven
Form D 2.
Are find there is no victory without strife, and that the strug-
gling people of Granite must have some incentive before laboring for
pleasure, remuneration being only a second thought.
With thanks to those who have aided and prayers to those who did
not,
We beg permission to remain, your devoted Editors.
The following letter with some smoking material was f6und in one
of the rooms at the hotel, the owner can have the same by calling on the
landlord. Through respect for the parties concerned we will not publish
any names.
Jan. 22, 1891
My Darling
Your innocent soul knows not what a wicked world can say of a
pure friendship like yours. But listen to me. It is something more than
friendship I feel for you. I have tried to hide my love from you and to
seem like a friend, fearing if you knew haw passionately I adored you, you
would banish me forever from your presence, but now I can endure this life
no longer, for I love you so madly that you must either be mine or I must
leave you forever ---that brute whom the world calls your husband ---has
severed every tie that should bind you together. I promise my darling
that you will be mine, so no man can sever the tie that binds us, and the
bond between us will be stronger far in the sight of heaven. I promise to
be true and faithful husband to you. Do not shrink from me. If I read you
Mrs. Neil Niven
Form D 3.
right your heart answers Yes to what I am saying.
To the Editors of the Granite Siftings:
In your last issue I noticed an article on Love, which was pro-
nounced a disease of the liver written by Dr. Bensinger. Thinking it may
be be of benefit to the Doctor, as well as some of his patients, I will
give the following recipe which is a sure cure.
Take 12 oz. of dislike,
1 oz. of resolution
2 grains of common sense
2 oz. of experience
A large sprig of time
3 quarts of cooling water of consideration.
Set them over the gentle fire of love. Sweeten it with the sugar of forget-
fulness. Skim it with the spoon of melancholy. Soak your liver in this for
twenty-four hours, then wrap in a clean conscience, and let it remain and you
will quickly find relief and be restored to your senses leaving no bad effect
on the brain.
Mrs. Neil Niven
Form D 4.
1.
"Only a cat in the moonlight,
Only a cat, that's all;
Only a song at midnight,
Only a wild, weird waul.
2.
Only a man impulsive,
Only a reason flown,
Only a clutch convulsive
Only a boot jack thrown.
3.
Only a sudden sally,
Only an uttered "scat",
Only a corpse in the alley,
Only a poor, dead cat."
Aueries17
Miss L. asks why Messrs. Tabor, Niven, Gutridge, and Ditmars,
called the quartet? Ans. Because they are four, and are willing to add
four more.
Why does Mr. Billiard think women ought to have the headache?
Ans. Because he took hold the hot end of the spider the other morning
when cooking his awn breakfast.
Mrs. Yell Yiven Form D 5.
Why does Bobby McCullough select his own novels at the Hotel
Library? Ans. Because, unlike the other fellows about town, he is
afraid of the school teacher, which reminds us of the adage that children
know their enemies when men do not.
Who would Maud and Cora like for husbands? We would refer to the
young ladies themselves.
Is the game of "so very low" attractive? Very, if both hold full
hands.
Did Mrs. L. U. learn to control her snowshoes to advantage the
other evening. It looked to a casual observer that the snowshoes controlled
her.;
QUERIES.
Who is called the father of American poetry?
Who was the American poet -laureate?
A fine building lot in Granite, will be given to the member who
answers the following question correctly, before the first of March, viz:
Name in order the Poets -Laureate.
"Answers to Correspondents."
Under this head, answers to all literary and historical questions will
be answered provided the correspondent signs her name in full to her queries.
Why does Mr. H. call love a disease of the liver?
It must be because he lives in a butcher shop.
Yrs. Neil hiven Form D 6.
Why does Me. Irwin never call at the Hotel?
Ans. He does not seem to understand the game of "solo" as played
at the Hotel but is anxious to learn.
Why does Mr. Heninger not contribute poems every week?
Ans. He is not desirous of becoming famous.
Haw would one constrain from reading his notes? J.L.D.
Ans. We refer you to Mr. Heninger's dictionary to find the meaning
of the word constrain.
Why does our teacher look so lonely of late?
Ans. Because Doc. Tabor is out of town.
A problem. Shape a body with four corners, so that each corner
is the same distance from every other corner? (Ans, next week.)
Problem by A. G. T. to the Journal.
Three trains, 1, 2, and 3, fill a side track; engine 4 pulls up
train 4; gets orders to leave train 4 and pull train 2; engine 4 can pull
but one train at a time. Problems is to switch out train 2, and put train
4 on side track; engine to pull No. 2, instead of push? If Er. A. G. T.
will call at the Editorial Sanctum he will find it worked to his satisfaction.
God bless the girls, with their homemade curls,
They haunt our evening dreams;
They haunt our lives as spirit wives,
Like the Naids haunt the streams.
2.
God bless our wives, they fill our lives,
With little bees and honey;
They ease life's shocks, they darn our socks,
But haw they spend our money.
Mrs. Neil Elven Form D 7.
More Rules in the Art of Fascinating.
As the young men of Granite seem to have graciously accepted and
readily adhered to our former rules for fascinating, we will offer a few
others, which we hope will be as graciously accepted and that they may be
beneficial in bringing great pleasure to all of our young men. We notice
the gentlemen seem to have studied and practiced more thoroughly Rule 3,
that is; Fix your eyes staringly upon the lady whom you wish to strike quite
dead in love with you, and gaze fixedly and burningly into them as if you
were trying to mesmerize her. If you perceive it is with difficulty she
keeps from laughing in your face, or if she turns away as though insulted,
you must by no means relax your gaze for these are clear signs that you are
having some effect on her, and if she sends for her father to kick you out
of the house, you may know that it is because she dares not trust herself
longer in your fascinating presence. Rule 6. If you become enamored of a
young lady call on her continually and should she show any signs of weariness
by all means redouble your attentions, call oftener and stay longer, make
yourself a fixture in her presence, like a dummy in the doorway of a haber-
dashery; this will soon do the business for you, and leave us with no possible
ground for doubt as to your position in her affections. Rule 8, If a lady
condescends to treat you with a little familiarity, you must instantly take
advantage of it which you may do by some such trick as putting your cigar
almost into her eyes to light and using her fingers to brush the ashes off the
end of it. Rule 9. If you intend to call on a lady in the evening, do not
neglect to procure at least one or two original packages and be sure to drink
heartily from them several times during the day, for this will give spirit to
your conversation while it enables you to perfume her house. Rule 10. Giggle
Mrs. Neil Niven Form D 8.
and laugh perpetually; make fun even of serious things, that will show that
your heart is light. Rule 11. If you haven't the sprightliness and playful-
ness to enable you to take advantage of these rules, take the other track
and be as surly as possible, that is if you can't be a puppy, frisk and bark,
be an old dog and growl.
Please Define Society in Granite.
We find the word society to be derived from the Latin "Socious",
a companion, or union of a number of rational beings. As the inhabitants
of a village or state having common interests, government by a common law,
either within or implied; in a more enlarged sense the whole race, or family
of man is a society.
Blackstone says the true foundations of society are the "wants and
fears of the individuals." First used in the new world in Connecticut to
designate a number of families united and incorporated for the support of
public worship. All of which definitions are good and will apply to Granite.
As we are a collection of individuals "who want to make money", but are willing
to fill in the time we are not making money which is by no small means a small
portion, hunting up jokes to crack on some other member's head, hearing all
the while that the other fellow will return the principal with ruinous interest.
We have also noticed that the other fellow has his weather eye open and nearly
always squares the account with a balance in his favor. Granite society is
also inclined to level the walls of conventionality and help the individual
attend to private and personal affairs, often to the neglect of his awn, and
we opine that so far as the promotion of amusement is concerned, Granite Society
Mrs. Neil Niven Form D 9.
is a decided success in fact we know of some permanent companionship having
been lately formed that promises to be fruitful of much earthy joy, of which,
of course, it is our duty to tell the public on the same ground it became
the duty of Mr. J. C. to mention the other day that he observed while passing
the Never Sweat Mine that the trail from the cabin to the mine looked like it
had not been traveled this winter, while the road to town was so well traveled
it could easily be seen by moonlight. Tantulus, J. H. D.
There is a story going around that there is a missing page of
the Granite Siftings; perhaps the one that contributed two shingle nails
can produce it.
The following excerpts are from the U. Y. C. Journal, written
in quite legible script by Mrs. Niven. It conveys some aspects of the
social and cultural pattern of the gold mining town of Granite, Oregon,
in the late 1890's. The table of contents for the first issued read:
Mrs. N. Niven, Editor.
Contents for December
Editorial, Comments, Etc.
Classic Literature Defined.
The Fable of Cupid and Psyche.
The Latest Book Review.
The Privileges of American Woman.
Nuggets of Wisdom.
The Manner of Tennyson.
In Lighter Vein.
Mrs. Neil Niven Form D 10.
This Journal aims to give its readers reliable, entertaining
and instructive reading along the lines of Literature, History, and
Mythology.
Believing our subscribers to be more interested in those subjects.
Each issue will contain an explanation of some Greek or Roman Myth, as a
knowledge of mythology is essential to a thorough understanding of ancient
history; and there is hardly any literature in the world that is not
colored more or less by these legends.
Title Page
GRANITE Oregon.
December 23, 1897.
The U. Y. C. Journal
"Knowledge is Power.
Vol. 1. No. 1.
Mrs. N. Niven
Editor.
Advertising Column.
When in Granite Niven and Ditmar
Stop At the Dealers in
Hotel Grande. General Merchandise
No Chinese Employed and
Grant Thornburg, Prop. Proprietors of the
Ten Cent Milling Co.
Mrs. Neil Niven Form D 11.
Buy Your Groceries
Of
V. W. Gutridge,
Granite, Oregon
Mack and Bachman
Proprietors
of the
Granite Meat Market
L. L. Forrest
Blacksmithing
Granite, Oregon
Prof,. J. A. Gibson
Band Master
And Music Teacher.
The P. H. C. No. 313
Meets every Monday at 8.
The Patriots of America
On Thursday.
The Ly. Y. C. On Thursday.
The A. Daughters of the Republic
On Tuesdays.