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Page A-4 - Mason County Journal- Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015
KOMEN COMMENT
Recent epidemics pale in
comparison to Great Pestilence
There has never been any-
thing comparable in the
United States to the dead-
ly plague that swept the banks
of the lower Columbia River. It
was late in the summer
of 1830.
"A violent epidemic
of fever and ague
broke out ... and dealt
a fearful blow to the
native population,"
wrote archeologist
Emory Strong. "By
1835 the Indians wereBy JOHN
practically extinct."
It became known as KOMEN
The Great Pestilence. A
missionary reported 90 percent
of the native population had
been swept away.
"So many and so sudden were
the deaths which occurred that
the shores were strewed with
the unburied dead," wrote Rev.
Samuel Parker. "Whole and
large villages were depopulated,
and some entire tribes have dis-
appeared."
We were reminded of this
historic tragedy by reports of
the Ebola ravages in West Af-
rica and the sudden outbreak of
measles in widespread parts of
the United States. There have
been nearly 9,000 deaths in
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Le-
one, the worst Ebola plague in
history. Measles deaths in the
U.S. have been few, but enough
to concentrate the country's con-
cerned attention.
But the Ebola and measles
outbreaks pale in comparison
to The Great Pestilence on the
banks of the Columbia River.
References are many to the
number of Indian villages in the
journals of the Lewis and Clark
expedition. Many of them were
destined for destruction.
The explorers prominently
mention meeting Wahkiacum
Indians, members of one of prob-
ably nine Upper Chinook tribes.
There were perhaps a dozen
Chinook tribes with villages
from the mouth of the Columbia
River to the Dalles. By 1850, the
Wahkiacum tribe had all but
disappeared.
The Salishan tribe was another
once-powerful and populous na-
tion with villages on the Cowlitz
River, a Columbia tributary. It
withered until what remained of
its members were moved to the
Puyallup Reservation.
Lewis and Clark told of the
Skilloot nation, another Chi-
nookan tribe that lived on the
Willamette River in a village
of 25 houses. One building was
50 feet long. Two-hundred men,
presumably warriors, were
among its population.
Killimucks and Clat-
sops were other tribes
the explorers encoun-
tered in 1805.
The entire Colum-
bia River teemed with
Indians. An English
trader reported in 1824
that "the native popu-
lation on the banks of
the Columbia River is
much greater than in
any other part of North America
that I have visited." During the
salmon runs, he wrote, "the
shores are actually lined with
Indian lodges."
The cause of The Great Pesti-
lence on the lower Columbia was
never scientifically determined.
It was "a dreadful fatal intermit-
tent fever" that evidence indi-
cates was malaria. "There are
many references to the sickness
in old journals and the symp-
toms described fit malaria closer
than any other disease," writes
Strong in his book "Stone Age on
the Columbia River."
The ravages visited on Indian
nations in the Pacific Northwest
are many and painful to remem-
ber. The poignant speech attrib-
uted to Chief Seattle in 1854 is
often recalled.
"There was a time," he said,
"when our people covered the
whole land, as the waves of a
wind-ruffled sea cover its shell-
paved floor.
"But that time has long since
passed away with the greatness
of tribes now almost forgotten."
His closing words are a classic
in American Indian literature.
"At night, when the streets of
your cities and villages shall be
silent, and you think them de-
serted, they will throng with the
returning hosts that once filled
and still love this beautiful land.
"The white man will never be
alone."
• John Komen, who lives on
Mason Lake, was for 40 years
a reporter and editor, television
news anchorman, national TV
network correspondent, produc-
er, columnist, editorial writer,
and commentator. His column,
Komen Comment, appears each
week in the Mason County Jour-
nal.
COUNTY
JOURNAL EDITORIAL
Trustworthiness and helicopters that came under did. If viewers can't trust
credibility are two te- fire, according to Stars and the lead anchor on NBC's
nets by which society Stripes newspaper, which Nightly News, whom can
judges all journalists, first reported on Williams' they trust? Can they trust
NBC Nightly News an- conflicting story after veter- their local TV news station?
chor Brian Williams shook ans on Facebook called Wil- Can they trust their home-
those fundamental prin- liams' story into question on town newspaper?
ciples to their very core last social media. Here at the Mason County
week when he apologized Williams said on air Journal, we take our role as
for and recanted telling a after making an apology your community newspaper
false war story, on Facebook that he didn't seriously. We have a quote
Whether he made up or "know what screwed up in written on a marker board
misremembered being in a my mind that caused me toin our newsroom that reads,
helicopter crash -- a story conflate one aircraft with "Information that can't be
he has told with varying another." trusted is not less valuable,
details multiple times dur- In the wake of Williams' it is worthless." That quote
ing the past 12 years -- his apology, media critics, so- comes from Manning Ryan,
apology on the air Feb. 4 cial media users and others retired public editor of the
was a blow to all journalists, have called for the long-Orlando Sentinel.
Williams said that he time anchor's resignation. Today's 24-hour news cy-
was in a military helicopter Williams was suspended cle is a dangerous weapon if
that was hit by RPG fire in for six months without pay not placed in the hands of a
Iraq in 2003. He has said last week. properly trained journalist.
that Army infantry rescued While we believe in giv- News that's not correct is
his crew and him. ing everybody a second not worth wasting time on.
It made for an interesting chance so long as they are That's why we always
war tale. But it wasn't true. up front and honest aboutstrive to get to the truth.
Williams and his crew their mistake, we're ulti- Without the truth, journal-
were in another helicopter mately the ones having toists have no credibility.
that came upon the first answer for what Williams A.R.
Ag, o0TA 1 i(49 "I IP 3b AP-ABiA
OI GHiNA i N'ST AP .;'"
LETTERS TO THE EDITOFI
Cheaters shouldn't
prosper in Super Bowl
Editor, the Journal
When the Patriots got to go to the Super
Bowl after deflating the footballs, it tells
everybody it is OK to cheat. What a sad les-
son to teach all of the youth in this county.
To me, the Patriots should have been
automatically disqualified, what a horrible
precedent this has established for all future
games. I want to give a big thank you to
the Seahawks; you got to the Super Bowl
honestly. In my book that makes you the
winners.
Beverly Godwin
Shelton
see LETTERS, page A-5
USPS 492-800
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Owned and published by
Shelton-Mason County Journal,
Inc.
Tom Hyde, publisher
Newsroom:
Adam Rudnick, editor
Natalie Johnson, reporter
Gordon Weeks, reporter
Emily Hanson, sports reporter
Dawn Geluso, proofreader
Advertising:
Dave Pierik, st. acct. executive
Kathy Brooks, ad representative
Lloyd Mullen, ad representative
Front office:
Donna Kinnaird, bookkeeper
Amanda Strand, circulation
Composing room:
William Adams, graphics
Linda Frizzell, graphics
All editorial, advertising and legal
deadlines are 5 p.m. the Monday
prior to publication.
To submit a letter to the editor,
email letters@masoncounty.com.