EARLY DAY STORIES. 69 



time the head of navigation on the Columbia, there was a 

 steamboat, just arrived from Portland. The captain offered 

 to take us to Portland and give us dinners, if we would help 

 unload the cargo. This we gladly did, and by a Httle strat- 

 agem which we worked on the cook, got our supper also, 

 arriving in Portland after dark. The next morning Wesley 

 and I crossed the Willamette river to the eastern bank, the 

 ferryman agreeing to take us over on condition that we 

 would pay at some future time if we ever came that way — 

 which I am sorry to say we never did — it is still due. We 

 went on up to Oregon City, there being then only one road 

 up the river from Portland, and that on the east side. Ar- 

 rived at Oregon City our journey over the Overland Trail 

 was ended, and I immediately got work and soon had money 

 enough to invest in a fine comb — the thing of all most 

 needed. 



