Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/294

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272 T. C. Elliott. Fort Vancouver. He told me all about his shipwreck, and seemed to enjoy thinking how he outwitted the thieves. As he told it to me it was like this. The captain missed the en- trance to the bay of San Francisco by reason of fog, and he was wrecked on the rocks just north of the entrance. Mr Ogden had quite a large sum of money with him in gold coin. He wrapped this in some soiled clothing and put it in the bottom of a large valise and placed some more soiled clothing over it, and carried that on shore himself, leaving the rest of his baggage to take its chances with the others, much of which was brought ashore during the day. They were told it was not many miles to where they would get shelter and that they could walk there easily enough. His satchel was too heavy to carry, so he unlocked it, pulled some of the soiled clothing to the top, and let a pair of old half wornout shoes stick out of the satchel in plain sight, and leaving it unlocked as of no value, went with the other passengers to San Francisco. The next morning he came back with the wagons procured to bring the baggage and found, as he had anticipated, that the trunks had all been broken open and rifled, but the thieves had not touched his satchel, which laid on the ground just as he had left it." Other recollections of Mr. Ogden by Gen. Strong are of interest : — "I should not call Mr. Ogden's voice peculiar, it was neither falsetto, tenor or harsh, still it was an individual voice. * * * He did not have a hearty laugh but when pleased had a most peculiar little twist to his lips, one I shall never forget, it was an individuality. He was a well read man and frequently quoted from Shakespear, and some times from the Bible. * * * Mr. Ogden spoke three languages, English, French and Indian. He greatly amplified the Chinook Jargon by his acquaintance with so many words from the various Indian tribes with which he had lived." Returning to Fort Vancouver in the spring of 1853 Mr. Ogden again undertook the management of the H. B. Com- pany's business on the Columbia, which still continued to be