Early July of 1924, Oregon: Al Tozier got them talking Jargon
Many thanks to Chas Hundley of the Gales Creek Journal for sharing this find!
We’ve encountered Al Tozier (1860-1937; immigrant of 1863), on my website before. He was pals with “poet of the Sierras” Joaquin Miller.
Albert Tozier at the Eskimo Village in the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, July 1909 (image credit: Washington County Heritage)
It’s fun to see reporting about probable speakers of genuine early-creolized Chinuk Wawa. The oldest pioneers mentioned here almost certainly spoke it well, having lived in Oregon before English-speakers were any kind of majority.
Albert Tozier Here
Albert Tozier was present and
acted as chairman for the after-
noon, and he surely stirred them
up. He had them talking “jar-
gon,” singing old songs and an-
swering questions till leaves of
the past were completely turned
back.There were smiles and tears
and laughter as old memories
were called up. The oldest pi-
oneer present was Mrs. Mary
Elliott of Portland, who came
from Winnipeg, Canada, in 1841,
at the age of 4. She is nearing
87 but is still spry and has an
excellent memory. The next old-
est was Mrs. M. A. Powell of
Hillsboro who came here in 1845.
— from “Early Oregon is Relived Sunday”, in the Hillsboro (OR) Argus of July 3, 1924, page 1, column 4
