of
1858. "In this campaign," says Mrs. Frances Fuller Victor in Ban
croft's History of Oregon, "E. L . Applegate, son of Lindsey and
nephew of Jesse Applegate, first made known his oratorical abilities.
His uncle used to say of him that he got his education by reading
the stray leaves of books torn up and thrown away on the road to
Oregon. He was however provided with that general knowledge
which in ordinary life passes unchallenged for education, and which,
spread over the surface of a campaign speech, is often as effective as
greater erudition."
This proposition deeply touched the heart of the western
pioneer. He had probably crossed the Blue Ridge or the
Cumberland Mountains when a boy, and was now in his
prime. Rugged, hardy and powerful of frame, he was full
to over-flowing with the love of adventure, and animated
by a brave soul that scorned the very idea of fear. All had
heard of the perpetually green hills and plains of Western
Oregon, and how that the warm breath of the vast Pacific
tempered the air to the genial degree and drove winter far
back towards the north. Many of them contrasted in the
imagination the open stretch of a mile square of rich, green
and grassy land, where the strawberry plant bloomed
through every winter month, with their circumscribed clear
ings in the Missouri Bottom. Of long winter evenings neigh
bors visited each other, and before the big shell-bark hickory
fire, the seasoned walnut fire, the dry black jack fire, or the
roaring dead elm fire, they talked these things over; and,
as a natural consequence, under these favorable circum
stances, the spirit of emigration warmed up; and the "Ore
gon fever" became a household expression. Thus originated
the vast cavalcade, or emigrant train, stretching its serpen
tine length for miles, enveloped in the vast pillars of dust,
patiently wending its toilsome way across the American
Continent. How familiar these scenes and experiences with
the old pioneers! The vast plains; the uncountable herds of
buffalo; the swift- footed antelope; the bands of mounted,
painted warriors; the rugged snow-capped mountain ranges;
the deep, swift and dangerous rivers; the lonesome howl of
the wild wolf; the midnight yell of the assaulting savage;
