Johnny's, bobby soxers, raging river mark Indian life The Dalles Chronicle March 12, 2007 page A7 By George W. Aguilar Sr. The wild salmon runs have paid dearly with their blood and guts! Below the Seuferts' guts and blood disposing chute is where many visiting Indians got their winter supply of salmon heads to air dry. Uncle Joe Esterbrook had his sturgeon fishing lines anchored below this place. During the early spring of March 10, 1957, some Wascos were preparing their fishing places at their usual and accustomed place at the Five Mile Rapids. They suddenly became aware of the rising of the water; the character of the river was also unusual, because when the river raises, it usually gets very swift. This unusual situation of water slowing and rising caused them to abandon all the fishing gear. It was learned what they experienced and witnessed was the gates closing of The Dalles Dam. (As related to Ernest Hunt in later years by Noah Mitchell at Joe Esterbrook's fishing stations at the Five Mile Rapids.) That day, 50 years ago, closed fishing activity of the Five Mile Rapids. The fishermen who were flooded out stood far off and watched in flabbergasted distress as their fishing scaffolds became buoyant and floated off. All the prized fishing stations of the area were smothered in about two hours by the rising waters, and by about six hours the rising of the river abated. In the river's dying struggle, the rumble of the Five Mile Rapids became no more, and when the last small riffle made its last small swish and splash, the river laid still. She then just became deathly soundless and died. Incoming and Outgoing messages protected by Trend Micro PC-cillin program