The wharfboat at the middle landing had already been floated down to the lower landing, and on Monday, April 20, 1863, the "Pony" made its last run and the Oregon Portage Railroad practically ceased to function.
The locomotive was moved to The Dalles on May 11 or shortly thereafter and its wheels were changed for use on the new fourteen mile Dalles portage railroad where fifty pound T rails were used, though it may be questioned if it was ever used there. Some of the animals and wagons were shortly removed to Wallula; the hoisting engine was sold in October, 1864. Joseph Bailey was appointed super- intendent of the Oregon portage, superseding D. H . Olm- stead on May 13, 1863. Bailey had crossed the plains in 1853, and settled at the Cascades about a year later. He used to drive a four mule train on the Bradford railroad but was serving as a volunteer soldier above The Dalles at the time of the Indian attack upon the Cascades settle- ments in March, 1856. Afterward he made some money at the Cascades in raising hogs and in selling supplies to the prospectors going to the mines, and still later he was in charge of the men who got out the timbers for the Cascades Railroad (Washington side) in 1862-63 . He bought an interest—eight or nine thousand dollars, his widow says— in the Oregon Portage Railroad from Ruckel. Under Bailey the Oregon Portage employes got out logs and operated the Eagle Creek sawmill during the summer, and in winter they repaired the railroad, much of which as has been remarked had been built on trestle work.
After standing at The Dalles for over three years, the Pony locomotive was sold to David Hewes of San Francisco, for two thousand dollars. The little pioneer was brought down the Columbia and on October 18, 1866, put on board the independent steamship Montana.[1] Hewes was one of the pioneers of California and was known as "Steam Paddy Hewes" because of his use of that novelty
- ↑ Letter J. C. Ainsworth to P. C. Dart, October 18, 1866.
