Sunday 2 August 2020

Poker Flat, Oregon, A Story of Adventure, Discovery and Adventure

"The Outsiders of Poker Flat", written by Bret Harte, is an interesting short story about the westward migration of an Oregon family that settled in the area known as Poker Flat. A vivid example of nineteenth century naturalism and regional color of Oregon during the first part of the nineteenth century, this short story was first published in the journal Overland Monthly in January 1869.
When young Jacob Hardaker married a Native woman named Mary (a nickname that would later be changed to Mary) he chose a small piece of land in Poker Online Flat for their home. Little did he know that his life would be one of adventure and discovery. In addition to playing cards with his friends, his family and neighbors, the young man had a keen interest in horses. For his efforts, he was given the name of "Poker".
In 1869, the family moved to a more spacious home on a hillside in Poker Flat, Oregon. Jacob soon found out that his interest in horses was not as much as it had been before, but more about the environment and the animals of the region than the sport itself. He was also quickly disappointed, because his father's landlady disapproved of the man living among her animals. Jacob decided to leave the family. He would eventually become the third generation of Oregon pioneers.
While on a trip back into the mountains, Jacob encountered two Native Americans who would become very important to his family. The first was his brother Jim, a leader in his tribe. The other was a beautiful girl who would become Jacob's wife. The two Indians would teach Jacob the ways of the Indians, such as the use of a bow and arrows.
Another incident in which young Jacob came face-to-face with the Indians took place while he was on a hunting trip. As he was looking through the brush, a band of Indians suddenly appeared on the hillside and started to chase him. This was just a small part of a much larger conflict brewing in Poker Flat between two neighboring tribes of Indians and settlers. For some reason, Jacob felt he could not be involved in this struggle. until one of his friends pointed him in the direction of a cabin that belonged to a Paiute. {Native American. who owned the property?

There, he met a Native American woman who became the wife of Jim Hardaker. He was given a chance to help to lead the Paiute Indians against the other settlers, although they were not actually forced to do so. Instead, he was given free rein to do what he wanted to do, as long as he kept the property. Eventually, the hard part of his journey came when he realized that he could not make a living without the land that had so generously offered him a home.