James Duff Chap 5

I bought 500 Wethers.....

Now at last I was to run sheep of my own. I bought 1500 head, established my own range, built a cabin, hired a herder, bought me a sturdy pony, a prized pet along with a collie dog that had a glistening coat of black hair. I tended my own camps, and I knew what it was live on scanty fare and herd all day, I fed my herder well. Self rising bread was a boon to us. I opened the sack, and deftly made a hole in the flour, poured water into it a made a nice ball of dough, then cooked it brown in my tiny oven. It was ambrosia compared to sourdough. (note: other sheep men followed the pattern set by J.D. Mc and herders fared much better than the early days.)

It was paradise on my summer range in the cascade Mountains. Idyllic meadows, lush green grass, flowers, fish, game, jerked venison, deer meat, dryed and preserved with smoke. Only a poet could describe the imposing grandeur of the loftly snow peaksof the Cascade Mountains—grave,majestic, sublime, guarding the beautiful forest of fir that covered thousands of acres at their base.

Rivers of lava frozen in flood, that probably came from the mountains whose tops were literally blown into space in volcanic times.

Streams of crystal clear watersracing through canyon to join other waters that make the great rivers of Oregon.

The summer was was of ease. I was no longer a sallow lad, but a husky man weighing 180 poundsand could digest grub placed before me. In the language of the red man, I was now a “skookum” man physically. Life in the open was my salvation.

A new president was elected; a Democrat admisitration took off all tariffs, and a staggering depression set in (my note; this would of have been the second election of Grover Cleveland (1893-1897).

My political knowledge was nil. However, after that experience I voted Republic ticket for protection of home commodities the rest of my life.

I worked out a rule of reason. I sold my wool for five cents a pound for running expenses; herded sheep again, and for two years ran my band for about nothing flat.

There is nothing either good or bad that last forever. I got a break, sold my fat sheep, and put the cash into a younger band, and began all over again. I was never to be so near financial brink again in my life. At the end of ten years, to use a local expression, I was pretty well fixed.

I married a native daughter. We had three sons, who about took over the home front. My business did not take all my time, and I bought thousands of head of sheep for a man who did a vast mutton business in the middle -west. And I was one of three men arbitrated the deadly feud between cattle and sheep men. This was an odd experience, Irishmen, Englishmen, and Scot-all naturalzed citizens.

Now , in my retirement, I am one with sentiment of Thomas Jefferson, who said to Franklin:

“ The soul of America. It’s climate, it’s quality, liberty, laws, people, and manners. My God! How little do my countrymen know what blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!”

J.Duff Mcandie

May 27th 1948

7052 North Albina Ave.Portland Oregon

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Ambrosia bread feed their bellies

Bread is baked and the long green grass grows

Cascade Mountains are Cathedrals

Greeting the first dawning light flows

Three dog nights and coyote scoudrels

Winter comes highland blanket of snows

Crystal clear waters racing through

Summers of ease

Nothing ever last forever

These loftly snowy peaks

Out here my dogs and sheep and I weather

God is master speaks

In the night sky stars sparkled like millions of diamonds

Huddled in a small hole in the snow getting on

They elected a Democratic President

Out here in the wild west we got business

God Grace is Heaven sent

We are very Blessed.

"They call me a “ Skookum”

Five cents a pound for running expenses

Native daughter married

I the seventh son

Three sons, twin boys

To carry on

Life with its sweet moments of pure blissful ambrosia

Life with is heart breaking sorrows

Nothing last forever

Thats what they told ya

Live today and tomorrow do better

Its a marathon here

From ships, to trains

On horses wagon and get a tight grip on the reins

Eden I trekked Oregon long ago

Summer, snow, mountains reighn

Columbia Canyons as the Columbia free it rolls

And here come the rains

And here the crowning white sun

And there I go impossible to all explain

Thank You James Duff, and “Mammie” Fanny for taking the time to take us all back into an authentic adventure a blast from the past. Nothing ever last forever but memories and stories just might.

Once as polite as a basket of chips

Now a long haired