6 PREFACE 



crank, but that was not the case. On the con- 

 trary he was a man of distinctive type, of much 

 nobihty of purpose, that had just happened 

 in his early youth to imagine that he would 

 not like railroading. And the people that 

 followed his example were people of good 

 blood and in some instances of high education 

 and all in all they made up a fine average com- 

 munity. More than likely many small towns 

 in New England two hundred years ago were 

 like Silverton was twenty years ago, but a town 

 like Silverton was then would be hard to locate 

 nowadays, and the Silverton of to-day is in 

 few respects like the fine old dignified town of 

 even 1885. They were the pioneers and the 

 first generation. To-day it's different. The 

 old Silverton was given a certain dignity by a 

 very large and remarkably shaped old oak tree 

 that stood in the center of the Main Street; 

 how old it was no one knew but it had been 

 the shade for the INIolalla and Santiam Indians 

 for unknown generations and was more than 

 likely in the direct route of these Indians who 

 went to and fro from the Council of the Great 

 INIultuomah Tribe on the Columbia River 

 prior to the falling of "the bridge of the Gods." 



