COLUMBIA RIVER READER COLLECTORS CLUB

Lewis And Clark Revolutionized

What really — truly — happened during those final wind-blown, rain-soaked thirty days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s trek to the Pacific? Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by providing the answers: day by day and week by week. We’re delighted to offer In Full View, and Rex’s other two books, one with an extraordinary fold-out map, as our inaugural offerings from CRR Collectors Club.

In Full View

Rex Ziak $29.95

A true and accurate account of Lewis and Clark’s arrival at the Pacific Ocean, and their search for a winter camp along the lower Columbia River.

Eyewitness To Astoria

Gabriel Franchére $21.95

The newly edited and annotated by Rex Ziak version of Franchére’s 1820 journal, Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America in the Years 1811, 1812, 1813 and 1814, or The First American Settlement on the Pacific.

Down And Up

Rex Ziak $18.95

A unique fold-out guide mapping day-by-day Lewis and Clark’s journey from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean and back.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

11 issues $55. SUBSCRIPTIONS MAKE THOUGHTFUL GIFTS... FOR YOURSELF OR FOR A FRIEND!

We’ll send your recipient a printed gift notification card.

THE TIDEWATER REACH

Field Guide to the Lower Columbia River in Poems and Pictures

By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten. In three editions:

• Boxed Signature Edition

Color and BW $50;

• Collectors Edition,Trade paperback. Color and B/W $35

• Trade paperback B/W $25

DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL

A Layman’s Lewis & Clark

By Michael O. Perry.

• Collectors Edition,Trade paperback. Color and B/W $35

Easter, Eggs, and CRR’s 20 Year Milestone

Eggs Benedict

Classic Eggs Benedict consists of split, toasted and buttered English muffins, layered with slices of Canadian bacon and poached eggs and crowned with hollandaise, the “Queen of Sauces.” The combination is a gourmet experience you will remember. This recipe serves 2 or 4, depending on whether you serve one or two poached eggs per person.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream

Our proofreaders (affectionately known as “proofies”) convened on schedule this month, two days prior to our press date. Due to various Easter weekend festivities, however, we had to adjust our usual schedule and gather on Saturday morning instead of late afternoon. What? Just coffee and donuts? No wine? No group dinner out afterwards? Then an idea was hatched. To celebrate Easter, along with the fact that this issue marks the beginning of CRR’s 20th year, I stepped into our office’s compact, surprisingly well-equipped “Barbie Doll” kitchen, grabbed an apron, and prepared brunch. I whistled (and whisked) while the proofies worked. They liked it!

I learned to make Eggs Benedict years ago from CRR columnist Paul “Man in the Kitchen” Thompson. It’s not difficult, but I hadn’t made it in a while and had forgotten the proportions and steps.

From the archives, I pulled up Paul’s original story (CRR, April 2008) for reference, and have included a shortened version here.

Eggs Bennie is lovely for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Day... or for breakfast or brunch or anytime something special suits the occasion or mood.

Twenty years??! Who knew it would be possible? I remain very grateful to the readers, advertisers, writers, proofreaders and supporters who have helped Columbia River Reader continue to perk along. Like a pot of coffee.

So let’s all celebrate with a cup, and Eggs Benedict to go with. And maybe even a splash of champagne? Cheers!

Sue Piper

2 English muffins, sliced in half, toasted and buttered 4 eggs, poached 4 slices Canadian bacon or ham

Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks

1 Tbl. water

1 Tbl. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 C. butter

Poach the eggs first and set them aside. The classic method of poaching eggs is to bring a pan of lightly salted water to a boil, insert a spoon and stir the water vigorously in one direction, creating a vortex. Drop the shelled egg into the vortex and cook it at a gentle simmer until your desired doneness. You can also cook the eggs in specialty multi-egg cooking pans set over boiling water.

While making the sauce, pan fry the Canadian bacon or ham and keep warm. Hollandaise sauce is typically made in the top of a double boiler over simmering water to better control the heat. Too much heat and the egg yolks scramble, a primary reason for most failures. Whisk the egg yolks in the pan,

On The Cover

off heat, until well blended. Add the water and lemon juice and blend well. Place the pan over heat and continue to whisk until the egg mixture thickens enough that you can see stir marks in the bottom of the pan.

Take your time. Pull the pan off the heat frequently while continuing to whisk. There is no hurry. Slow heat is better than a scrambled failure.

Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and dribble small amounts of melted butter into the sauce, while continuing to whisk. Add the butter too fast and the sauce will curdle. As the butter is whisked into the mixture, the sauce will remain thick. Discard the solids at the bottom of the bowl of melted butter. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Top each muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Generously spoon sauce over the top. Options: Add a couple of stripes of asparagus for color and flavor, or replace the Canadian bacon with cooked spinach and you have Eggs Florentine.

Hollandaise sauce is heavenly over asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli or fish. Vary it with herbs to enhance other savory foods. Tarragon transforms hollandaise into béarnaise, perfect over lamb or beef. After serving hollandaise or its variations, you will probably find someone in the kitchen licking the saucepan clean.

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper

Columnists and contributors:

Tracy Beard

Hal Calbom

Alice Dietz

Joseph Govednik

Tom Larsen

Michael Perry

Ned Piper

Robert Michael Pyle

Marc Roland

Alan Rose

Alice Slusher

Greg Smith

Andre Stepankowsky

Debra Tweedy

Judy VanderMaten

Editorial/Proofreading Assistants:

Merrilee Bauman, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Tiffany Dickinson, Debra Tweedy

Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632

Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave, Longview, WA 98632

P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048

Office Hours: M-W-F • 11–3*

*Other times by chance or appointment

E-mail: publisher@crreader.com

Phone: 360-749-1021

Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 14,000 copies distributed in the Lower Columbia region. Entire contents copyrighted; No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of Columbia River Reader, LLC. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.

Submission guidelines: page 38.

General Ad info: page 4. Ad Manager: Ned Piper 360-749-2632.

CRREADER.COM

Visit our website for the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.

46 The Spectator: From

46 Plugged In to Cowlitz PUD: 4th Year Recognition as Tree Line Utility

HOW DO YOU SPELL F-U-N?...

CRR’s spelling team, the Onomotapoeians, for the third time placed second in the Spell-ebration spelling bee. Held at Grant’s at the Monticello Hotel on March 23, the event was a Kelso Rotary-sponsored fundraiser for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which sends a free book every month to children from birth to 5 years old. CRR supporters sat at a discrete distance at a table in the back. Seven Mulligans were not enough for the team to achieve an evasive, long-sought 1st place victory. Misspelled words included mayonnaise, troubadour, and bonhomie

The team name, Onomotapoeians, was suggested by the late Paul Thompson, CRR’s Man in the Kitchen Emeritus, as a play on the word based on a sound associated with what is named, such as hiss, buzz, sizzle or crackle. It is pronounced on-uh-mott-uhpeé-ons.

Teammates have pledged to study the dictionary every night in bed to prepare for next year’s contest. We will (again) be in it to win it! Wish us luck.

Episode 23

Homeward Bound...Still! What’s the Holdup?

By Michael O. Perry

While anxious to return home, the Corps spent the first nine days of April 1806 camped near Washougal, across from the Sandy River. Local Indians told them people were starving upstream since the spring run of salmon had not yet arrived. So, the Corps spent the time hunting and stockpiling meat to make the journey to the Nez Perce villages on the Clearwater River, where they had left their horses the previous fall.

Upon resuming their journey, they found it very tough going due to the high water and fast current. Rapids they had easily passed through in October 1805 were now impossible to traverse. They had to unload all their baggage and carry it around the rapids while the men tried to pull the five empty canoes upstream with ropes. One canoe got crosswise and was swept away. The four remaining canoes were unable to carry all the baggage, so Lewis bought two more from the Indians.

Doggone!

On April 11th, some Indians stole Seaman, Captain Lewis’s black Newfoundland dog. Lewis wrote, “I… sent three men in pursuit of the thieves with orders if they made the least resistence or difficulty in surrendering the dog to fire on them.” He got his dog back. Lewis described this particular band of Indians as “the greates thieves and scoundrels we have met with.”

By April 15th, it was evident they would need horses to continue upstream. Attempts to buy some from three Indian villages failed because the Corps had nothing of value that they were willing to trade. Finally, Clark crossed the river and obtained 12 horses, and another six two days later. On April 18th, they reached a point where the two largest canoes could go no further, so the canoes were cut up for firewood. They needed more horses and, reluctantly, traded two large kettles for four more horses. Lewis was furious when one of the horses wandered away that night after one of the men failed to picket it.

The Indians caught the first salmon of the long-awaited spring run on April 19th. However, it would be a while before the Indians had enough to sell to the Corps of Discovery. Meanwhile, Lewis was becoming very mad at the Indians for the daily loss of goods. Six tomahawks, a knife, and two spoons were stolen on April 20th. And horses started to disappear. Charbonneau lost three horses in two days. Three more were purchased, and one was found and returned by an honest Indian.

On April 28th, Clark traded his sword for a “very elegant” white horse. He was also told about an overland shortcut they could take from Pasco to Lewiston. Food was becoming a real problem, but since their supply cont page 6

The Newfoundland Dog was the first animal to be commemorated on a postage stamp by any country. In 1894, Newfoundland issued a half-cent stamp showing the head of a Newfoundland dog. In 1930, they issued a 14-cent stamp honoring their namesake dog.

Newfoundland Dogs

While preparing for the expedition in 1803, Meriwether Lewis paid $20 for a “dogg of the newfoundland breed.” Lewis failed to write about his reasons for buying this particular breed of dog, but I believe it was no accident. Lewis knew his men would be traveling on water most of the journey, and that many were not good swimmers. They needed a lifeguard.

Newfoundland dogs are web-footed and have natural life-saving instincts, so Lewis may have bought his dog with the idea it might save someone who fell overboard. Fishermen on the island of Newfoundland used them as water rescue dogs more than 1,000 years ago. They are big – over two feet tall and weigh up to 150 pounds. They are larger than a St. Bernard and share a tendency to slobber profusely. They were used for draft work, such as helping pull in fishermen’s nets. Newfoundland dogs almost became extinct, and today the breed owes its existence to a single stud dog that lived 100 years ago.

Scannon, Seamon, or Seaman?

Until 1987, every book about Lewis and Clark referred to Lewis’s dog as “Scannon.” In 1984, while examining one of Clark’s maps, a historian noticed that a creek near today’s Missoula, Montana was named “Seaman’s Creek.” Since there was nobody associated with the Corps of Discovery named Seaman, and since they were 700 miles from any ocean, it seemed odd. Whenever the Corps named a geographical feature, they usually picked a name of someone involved with the Expedition (such as Sacajawea’s River) or that reflected the particular landmark (such as Milk River). It turned out historians had mistakenly interpreted the dog’s name in the hard-to-decipher journals as “Scannon” while, in fact, the name on the map was correct: “Seaman.” Sgt. John Ordway’s journal also verified the dog was named Seaman — Ordway wrote it as “Seamon.” from page 5 of trade goods was almost gone, the Indians would not give them any food. Clark started trading medical treatments for food. His reputation was well known from his having provided similar treatments on the journey down the river the previous fall.

No official records exist as to the fate of Seaman. He was last mentioned in the journals on July 15, 1806, two months before the journey ended in St. Louis. Some people have speculated that the men got so desperately hungry they ate him, but that seems very unlikely. Others think he may have died or wandered off, never to be found. If anything like that had happened to Seaman, it seems almost certain one of the men would have recorded it in their journal. In all probability, Seaman returned to St. Louis and stayed with Lewis until either he or Lewis died (more on that in a future Dispatch). Newfoundland dogs typically live only 8–10 years, and very few of them walk 4,000 miles across the continent!

Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in Columbia River Reader’s early years and helped shape its identity and zeitgeist. After two encores, the series has been expanded and published in a book. Details, pages 2, 43.

In AprIl 2021 we Introduced A revIsed versIon of Michael Perry’s popular series which was expanded In the new book, Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, edited by Hal Calbom and published by CRRPress. It includes an in-depth author interview and new illustrations and commentary.

Abandon ship

On April 30th, they sold their remaining canoes and set off overland with 23 horses. A Walula Indian caught up with them and delivered a steel trap he had found near his village that one of the men had forgotten. The steel trap was a very valuable item, and based on all the other things that had been stolen from the Corps, it was remarkable that it was returned. cont page 7

By May 4th, the Corps had reached the Snake River and a Nez Perce village. A day later, they reached the Clearwater River. A Nez Perce man brought two lead powder canisters his dog dug up from one of the supply caches the Corps had dug the previous year. The Indians had dug another cache to store the remaining material, but some saddles and other things were missing.

I don’t want to hear it

On May 7th, the Indians told the Corps the Rocky Mountains would be impassible until June. That was not something they wanted to believe. Everyone wanted to get back to St. Louis! They found Chief Twisted Hair and arranged to get their horses back. Then, on May 10th, they awoke to find eight inches of fresh snow on the ground. Maybe the Indians were right after all? On May 15th, they decided to build camps and wait for the snow in the passes to melt. The men were encouraged to partake in contests of strength with the Indians to keep from getting too out of shape. The upcoming journey over the Rockies would be a real hardship, especially if the men sat around very long doing nothing.

With their supply of meat exhausted, they had a choice – eat roots and dried fish provided by the Indians, or eat horses. Everyone remembered how sick the party had become when eating roots and fish the previous year, so horse sounded pretty good. Even though the Nez Perce were appalled, they provided the horses the men needed. Some men ate the roots, but several got sick again. Some men cut the buttons off their uniforms to trade for food.

Big Medicine

In addition, Clark continued his practice of trading medical treatment for food. On May 24th, a Nez Perce chief who had not had the use of his arms or legs for three years was brought to Captain Clark. He had no idea what was wrong, but gave the Indian a painkiller and tried to give him a sweat bath. The man was too stove up to sit upright inside the sweat house, so Clark had

Each year the Lewis and Clark Historical National Park features “Seaman’s Day,” a popular event and convocation of these lovable, huge, and inevitably slobbering Newfoundlands and their owners.

… the fate of Seaman …

All the books I’ve every read, they all talk about nobody knew what happened to Seaman. Some people even think they ate him! You know, they did eat over 200 dogs on the trip….but with all of Lewis’s troubles, getting accidentally shot, and ending up dying in Tennessee at age 35, we never found out about the dog. So I followed the newspaper accounts and heard about a museum that had a dog collar. And the dog collar said, ‘My name is Seaman. I traveled to the Pacific Ocean and back,’ or something to that effect. And the museum burned down some hundred years ago, but the newspaper account still exists.” the Indians dig out the floor so he could get inside. Four days later, the Indian could move his arms and sit up unaided. On May 30th, he could move his legs and on June 8th he was able to stand up. No wonder the Indians thought Clark was big medicine!

Hit the road, Jack

By May 31st, the Corps had 65 horses and were anxious to leave. The Nez Perce recently had sent messengers across the mountains to visit the Flat Heads in Montana. When they returned on June 3rd, they said the passes were still full of snow and the Corps should wait another two weeks. The men decided to wait another week, but ended up waiting until June 15th to begin their assault on the Rockies. Surely, the passes would be clear of snow by then? We shall see.

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While at my in-laws’ house with my husband, his mother privately presented him with a necklace to give to me. Once we were home, he gave me the necklace, and I thanked him. It is lovely. Should I also thank his mother? I was there at the time and she did not give the necklace directly to me.

GENTLE READER: No, she did something even more gracious by letting her son pass it along as a family treasure. Miss Manners is stunned that you are citing a technicality as justification to ignore that. You probably needn’t expect to get the earrings to go with it.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When serving cake to guests, my wife insists on giving each person two slices, “because serving one slice is stingy.” I contend that with many people looking to control their weight, one slice should be served initially, with the option of offering a second slice later. What do you suggest?

GENTLE READER: Thicker slices?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The other day, I took a package to the local post office. It was early, the line was very short, and I noticed the woman in front of me couldn’t get a handle on the three packages she was trying to take out to her car.

Not being in a hurry, I offered to help, and took one package out for her. She thanked me, I said something about being happy to help, and went back in.

The man who had been in line right behind me thanked me four or five times, while also apologizing profusely for being waited on while I was gone. I certainly didn’t expect the whole place to pause while I went outside!

The woman behind him insisted I cut in front of her and thanked me several times, as did two other people.

I found it quite embarrassing and really didn’t know how to respond. I think I muttered something about needing all the brownie points in heaven I could get, and tried to just shrug it off.

What I could really use is a more polished “Oh shucks, ‘tweren’t nothin’” response that doesn’t call out anyone else for not offering to help, but rather shows that this is something I do as a matter of course. It is not anything special, and I don’t need to be praised. Or excessively thanked.

Any suggestions on how to be humbly classy — or classily humble? Or how to elegantly deflect unnecessary praise?

GENTLE READER: “Any of you would have done the same.” True, this is a wildly optimistic statement. Miss Manners has been inundated with stories from people who are victims of fights in lines, and from tirades by those who believe attacks are justified for such minor infractions as standing too close or leaving the line momentarily. Typically, these fights take place in grocery lines, so perhaps the aggressors cont page 9 from page 9 are just hungry — whereas everyone in the post office had had a good breakfast before you met them.

But Miss Manners is increasingly alarmed that people are so antagonistic. So she is grateful not only to you, but to the others in that line.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I had a friend over for dinner some months ago, we had a great time. Since then, she has said many times that she would like to invite me over for dinner at her home.

And that is the end of it. Although I have replied every time that I would be delighted to visit, the actual invitation is never issued. I am left to conclude that she is merely being polite, at least to her way of thinking, and does not wish to have me over.

I am weary of the tease. How may I put a stop to it?

GENTLE READER: If you are curious about your friend’s intent, Miss Manners would allow you to offer a general time frame that would work for you and then to see what happens. Or you can keep saying, “That would be lovely.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My nickname is a shortened version of my name. My family and closest friends have always called me by that nickname, which is fine. I think of it as a term of endearment.

The problem is that other people hear me respond to that nickname and then start using it, too. I really don’t like it. It seems much too familiar. How can I let it be known, without hurting feelings, that I prefer my unabbreviated name?

GENTLE READER: “Oh, Chrys is just a family nickname. Please call me Chrysanthemum.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: For seven years, I’ve owned something I’ve wanted most of my adult life: an antique convertible. My wife and I have always loved antique cars.

Weather permitting, I drive it daily with the top down, and I look for others driving their own antique cars. (Don’t worry: I’m also very safe and keep my eyes on the road.) I smile, honk and wave when I see such drivers. They respond in kind.

Longview

Outdoor Gallery cont page 13

Unique sculptures along the sidewalks of Downtown Longview, both sides of Commerce Ave.

Columbia River Reader

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Notes From My Lives

by Andre Stepankowsky