ley will be full of our people. . ." the Indians walked around the wagons, or what they called "horse-canoes," and seemed to give it up. We spent a day or so with the Doctor, and then went to Fort Walla Walla, where we were kindly received by Mr. P. C. Pembram, chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company, and superintendent of that post. On the 1st of October, we took leave of those kind people, leaving our wagons and taking the river trail....
4
The Blue Bucket Mine
By Andrew Jackson McNemee
Andrew Jackson McNemee was born on March 5, 1848, "in a cabin made of shakes, " on the southwest corner of Yamhill and Front streets. He was a son of Job McNemee, a pioneer of 1845, who built the fourth house in Portland.
...my people came across the plains in 1845. Col. W. G. T'Vault was captain of the wagon train.
Dr. Elijah White, . . . met the wagon train of which my father was a member and told them of a more direct route. The T'Vault wagon train, with the others, swung south to take this cut-off. Stephen Meek, a brother of Joe Meek, said he could guide the immigrants to the Willamette valley by this cut-off....
Stephen Meek guided them by the old trail for some time, but when they got into the foot-hills of the Malheur Mountains all signs of the old trail had disappeared. The alkaline water was the cause of many of the immigrants becoming sick with mountain fever....
The cattle became restless and tried to take the back track. The wagon train would have to halt while the immigrants hunted for the lost cattle. While Dave Herron was out looking for his lost cattle, he noticed in the bed of a small stream, a piece of metal that looked like copper or brass. He picked it up, put it in his pocket and took it with him to camp. Another member of the party also brought a lump of dull yellow metal to camp. They were unable to determine
