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There is an Indianian in Portland who
is paying a visit to a brother whom he
has not seen since he was a boy; and to
a number of nephews and neices and
grandnephews and grandnieces, and
two great-grandnephews, whom he
has never seen. He is La Fayette Win-
chester, of Franklin, Ind. and the broth-
er whom he is visiting is John A Mather,
who emigrated from Indiana to Oregon
50 years ago. They are survivors of a
family of ten children.
Mr Mather, and his sister, Margaret,
and her husband, Joseph Smith, came
overland in an ox-wagon in 1854 as mem-
bers of a party commanded by Captain
John M. Bell, there being about 20 wag-
ons in the train. Other members of the
party were the wife of the late Governor
Pannoyer and General Ward, whose
daughters married Captain Bell and Dr.
Balt, of Salem.
The trip was marked by one tragedy
characteristic of the times. Captain Bell
learned that another party of immigrants
had been massacred by Indians near Fort
Boise and turned back to offer aid. He
found the whole party had been killed,
with the exception of one boy, whom he
took with him.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith took up a home-
stead of 160 acres on the Cornell road,
five miles from Portland, which has be-
come very valuable with the growth of
the city. They are both dead, but the
family is not by any means, for they are
survived by 11 children, 40 grandchildren
and two great-grandcildren. Mr. Ma-
ther is still living, a hearty old man of
70, and has three children, and eight
grandchildren.
Mr. Winchester was only 4 years old
when his brother and sister came West,
and ths is the first visit to them, he
having taken the opportunity of a busi-
ness trip to Los Angeles to see them.
Mr. Mather has never been back to In-
diana, but Mr. Winchester had enjoyed
visits from Mrs. Smith and three of her
children.
Although he was 20 years old when he
came to Portland, Mr. Mather continued
his education, for he studied at Portland
Academy under C. H. Kingsly and
Charles Hall, Mrs. H. L. Pittock having
been a schoolmate of his.
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