USA > Idaho > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 28
USA > Montana > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 28
USA > Washington > History of Washington, Idaho, and Montana : 1845-1889 > Part 28
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The answer to their first memorial was the amend- ment spoken of above, which enacted that after the session of 1866-7 the legislature should ineet but once in two years, that members of the council should be chosen for four years and assemblymen for two years, and that they should receive six dollars a day instead of three as formerly, with the same mileage as before; the first election for members of the biennial legisla- ture to take place in 1867. The chief clerk was al- lowed six dollars a day, and all the other officers elected by the legislature five dollars, including an additional enrolling clerk.10
With reference to the petition to be permitted to elect the territorial officers, congress sought to cure the evil complained of by enacting that no officer ap-
shattered by these injuries, but he was promoted to the rank of brevet major- general, March 13, 1865. His next appointment was to the exccutive chair of a north-west territory. Olympia Pac. Tribune, March 3, 1870; Port Towns- end Messenger, March 4, 1870. E. L. Smith was from Galesburg, Ill.
9 Wash. Stat., 1864-5, 155-6, 10; Id., 1863-6, 219-20.
1º On the organization of the legislature at its first biennial session, C. M. Bradshaw was chosen president of the council, and Richard Lane chief clerk. Later on in the session H. G. Struve was made president, and Elwood Evans enrolling clerk. Wash. Jour. House, 1867, 207.
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pointed should be allowed compensation out of the public funds before he should have entered upon his duties at the proper place, nor should he receive pay for any time he might be absent without authority from the president. In the event of the death or dis- ability of any judge of the federal courts at the time appointed for holding a session, either of the other judges might hold his court. Should the governor die or be otherwise incompetent, the secretary should act in his place, and receive a salary equal to that of gov- ernor. These laws put an effectual check upon the practice of governors and judges of spending a large portion of their time journeying to and from Wash- ington city, and of delegates procuring executive appointments in order to receive double mileage.
It is not my intention to go into the particulars of the political contests of this period, when the amendments to the constitution of the United States provoked the same criticism and opposition from the democratic party in Washington that they did elsewhere, and when certain territorial politicians assumed a belligerent air because congress 'interfered' in the concerns of 'our territory.' I have alluded in my History of Oregon to the great influx of immigra- tion from the southern and border states, and their effect upon the political and social condition of the Pa- cific coast, during the period of the civil war in the east and the mining discoveries in the west. It is greatly to the credit of the original pioneer settlers, many of whom were southern born and bred, that notwith- standing the pressure upon society of a large disorgan- izing element, they maintained the balance of power and performed their duty toward the government.
Moore's administration opened auspiciously, much pains being taken by him to place himself in sympathy with the whole people by studying their interests. It was said that his first message, delivered soon after
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RULE OF GOVERNOR MOORE.
his arrival, was a surprise to the legislature, which had not expected so elaborate a document from a new appointee. From it might be gathered a more or less complete statement of the condition of affairs in the territory in 1867.
After a long series of interruptions, it was once more prosperous and progressive, in the enjoyment of health, plenty, and peace, with a rapidly increasing population, as shown by the vote east at the election in June,11 which exceeded the vote of the previous year by one thousand. The agricultural, commercial, and mineral resources of the country were being de- veloped, and its exports increasing. During the eur- rent year steamboats had been placed on the Chehalis and Cowlitz rivers, opening to commerce settlements hitherto remote.12
11 The annual election was first set for the first Monday in Sept., but in 1855 was changed to the second Monday in July. In 1866 the day of elec- tion was changed to the first Monday in June.
12 The first charter granted to a steamboat company on the Cowlitz River was to Seth Catlin, John R. Jackson, Fred. A. Clarke, Henry N. Peers, George B. Roberts, and their successors, by the legislature of 1854-5. Wash. Stut., 1854, 459. This company failed to make any use of its charter. The legis- lature of 1858-9 granted to Royal C. Smith and Noyes H. Smith and their associates permission to incorporate the Cowlitz River Steam Navigation Company, for the purpose of improving the bed of the Cowlitz River, and keeping upon it a steamboat or boats suitable for carrying freight and pas- sengers between the two points named, upon condition that a steamer should be put upon the river within six months, and the obstructions removed in nine months, failing to do which they forfeited their charter. But this com- pany also failed to accomplish its object. Upon condition of improving and navigating the river, the legislature of 1862-3 granted to Nathaniel Stone and his associates, under the name of the Monticello and Cowlitz Landing Steamboat Company, the exclusive right to navigate the Cowlitz. This com- pany placed a boat on the river in the spring of 1864, when the Oregon Steam Navigation Company put on an opposition boat. The Rescue and Rainier were built for this trade. The Monticello company filed a bill against them, and prayed for an injunction. The case was tried before Judge Wyche, who held that the exclusive grant of the legislature was void, because in conflict with the powers of congress to regulate commerce among the several states of the union, and the injunction was denied. S. F. Bulletin, June 24, 1864; Wash. Scraps, 132-3. The river was found to be navigable for steamers to Cowlitz landing only in the season of high water until the government should have made large appropriations for its improvement, which was never done, and there remained the primitive canoe, or the almost equally primitive 'stage,' to convey passengers from Cowlitz landing to Monticello, whence they were conveyed in small boats across the Columbia to Rainier, where they were picked up by a passing steamboat. But in Sept. 1867 the O. S. N. Co. began to run a boat regularly to Monticello to connect with Hailley's tri-weekly line of stages, which was the improvement to which Gov. Moore alluded in his message. The legislature of 1859-60 passed an act incorporating the Che-
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GOVERNMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.
Within the year just ended, Alaska had been added to the United States territory, giving Wash-
halis Steamboat Navigation Company, for the purpose of improving that stream and rendering it navigable from Gray Harbor to Davis' landing, or farther, if practicable, conditioned upon Thomas Wright and his associates having a steamer running on Gray Harbor and Chehalis River within six months after the passage of the act. Wash. Stat., 1859-60, 459-60. The same legislature memorialized congress to grant $15,000 for the improvement of the river, which was not appropriated; but in June 1860 $20,000 was granted to erect a light-house at the entrance to the harbor, and buoy out the channel. The latter service was performed in 1867 by Capt. Bloomfield. The steamer Enterprise, which had been running on Fraser River and adjacent waters, was taken to Gray Harbor in the summer of 1859. S. F. Alta, July 13, 1859. The legislature of 1861-2 passed an act making the Chehalis navi- gable from its mouth to Claquato, at the crossing of the territorial road. Again, in Jan. 1866, a company was incorporated, consisting of S. S. Ford, Courtland Ethridge, A. J. Miller, J. Boise, O. B. McFadden, S. S. Ford, Jr, J. Brady, S. Benn, Reuben Redmond, aud G. W. Biles, and others resident in the vicinity of the Chehalis, with the 'purpose of manufacturing lumber and flour, developing the resources of the Chehalis Valley, and navigating the waters of Gray Harbor and its tributaries by steam or other vessels,' etc. No requirement as to time was laid upon this company, but in the autumn of 1866 they placed a small steamer, called the Satsall, on the river, and in the spring of 1867 the Carrie Davis, which made regular trips. In the autumn the Goff brothers of Tuinwater put on a stern-wheel boat of light draught, which ascended as far as Claquato. Olympia Standard, Jan. 18, 186S. The legislature of 1867-8 memorialized congress to appropriate $10,000 to remove obstructions and improve navigation; and by joint resolution inquired why the light-house had never been erected for which money had been appropri- ated. The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was first incorporated hy the Washington legislature in Dec. 1860, the incorporators being required to register all their steamers and vessels subject to taxation in Clarke county. Wash. Stat., 1860-1, 72; Hist. Or., ii. 480-2, this series. In Jan. 1862 there was incorporated the Columbia Transportation Company of the Territory of Washington, with headquarters at Vancouver, T. H. Smith, A. D. Sanders, Milton Aldrich, E. S. Fowler, Dexter Horton, William W. Miller, Peter J. Moorey, A. S. Abernethy, and Charles C. Phillips as corporators. This or- ganization was formed to run in opposition to the O. S. N. Co. It built sev- eral steamboats, and ran on the upper as well as lower Columbia for a season, but finally sold out to the monopoly. Approved at the same time was an act incorporating the Puget Sound and Columbia River Railroad Company, to build and operate a railroad from Steilacoom to Vancouver; the capital stock $15,000,000, which might be increased to $50,000,000; the road to be com- menced within three years, and completed within ten. The movers in this enterprise were J. B. Webber, P. Keach, Lafayette Balch, Thomas Chambers, S. McCaw, J. W. Nye, Lewis Lord, Richard Covington, John Aird, Lewis Sohns, George W. Hart, C. Lancaster, T. J. Demarco, George Woods, Enoch S. Fowler, Paul K. Hubbs, H. Z. Wheeler, J. P. Keller, A. A. Denny, H. L. Yesler, Charles Plummer, W. W. Miller, A. J. Chambers, James Biles, H. D. Huntington, Charles Holman, Cyrus Walker, Frank Clark, William W. Morrow. A company was also incorporated in Jan. 1863 for the purpose of clearing the Puyallup River of obstructions and rendering it navigable as far as the mouth of the Stuck, consisting of Cyril Ward, William Billings, A. J. Perkins, Israel Wright, John Carson, John Walker, Isaac Woolery, Abra- hamn Woolcry, J. P. Stewart, Miller, R. S. Moore, William M. Kincaid, Jon- athan McCarty, L. F. Thompson, Archibald McMillan, Sherman, J. B. Leach, W. H. Whitesell, Aronomous Nix, Isaac Lemmon, Van Ogle, Daniel E. Lane, Edward Lane, William Lane, H. W. Berry, James H. Downey, R. M. Downey, F. C. Seaman, and Willis Boatman. The act required the company to begin
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STEAMBOATS.
ington a comparatively central position with respect to the Northwest Coast, which could not but be
clearing the river within three months, and each year to clear at least one mile of the channel from all drifts, jams, sunken logs, or other obstructions to the passage of flat-boats or other small craft, and within five years have cleared the whole distance; after which completion of the work, certain rates of toll might be collected. The act was amended at the next session to allow ten years for the completion of the work of clearing the river from obstruc- tions to the mouth of the Stuck. Whatever work was accomplished was ren- dered valueless by the accumulations of drift. In 1875 McFadden, delegate, secured an appropriation from congress for the survey of the Puyallup River. Pacific Tribune, March 26, 1875. The survey was made, and embraced that portion of the river from the mouth to the forks. It was proposed to deepen the channel sufficiently to admit of the passage of boats drawing 25 feet. In 1864 much interest was shown in the Columbia River pass of the Cascade Mountains, two companies being incorporated to build a railroad at the port- age on the Washington side; one by Peter Donahue, William Kohl, aud Al- exander P. Ankeny, called the Washington Railroad Company, and another by William C. Parsons and Richard Harris, called the Middle Cascade Port- age Company, neither of which ever made any use of their franchise. Wash. Stat., 1864-5, 108-20. Subsequent to the close of the Fraser River inining excitement and the opening of the country east of the Cascades, which drew mining travel up the Columbia instead of by Puget Sound, the numerous boats employed in these waters had been withdrawn, and the only craft left were sailing-vessels, a steam revenue-cutter, and the mail passenger-steamer Eliza Anderson, running between Olympia, Victoria, and way-ports. I have meutioned in an earlier chapter the Major Tompkins as the first mail and pas- senger steamner employed on Puget Sound, in 1854. She was lost at Victoria harbor after running about one year, and was succeeded by the Traveller, Capt. J. G. Parker, which ran from Olympia to Victoria for two years car- rying the mail. She was then sold to Horton, who chartered her to the Ind- ian department, which needed a steamer to carry their officers and goods to the various reservations, and was lost, March 1858, at Foulweather Bluff, to- gether with five persons, Thomas Slater, Truman H. Fuller, special Indian agent, John Stevens, George Haywey, and a sailor, name unknown. Fuller was from the state of New York. He came to Puget Sound as purser of the Major Tompkins, and after she was lost was engaged by the Indian depart- ment. Olympia Pioneer and Dem., March 19, 1838. She was an iron steamer, built at Philadelphia, and brought out around Cape Horn in sections. This was the first steamer that ran upon the Dwamish, White, Snohomish, and Nootsack rivers. She rendered important services carrying men and supplies to forts and camps. In 1855 was incorporated the Puget Sound Navigation Company, consisting of William H. Wallace, William Cock, H. A. Golds- borough, H. L. Yesler, Charles C. Terry, James M. Hunt, and John H. Scranton. Scranton went to S. F. as agent for the company and purchased a tug-boat, the Champion, which, however, does not appear to have reached the Sound. He purchased also the passenger steamer Young America at Portland; but she was burned at Crescent City while on her way from S. F. to Vancouver with 1,000 troops under Major Prince. Scranton seems to have been unfortunate. He owned the Major Tompkins, which was lost this year. In 1856 he purchased the screw-propeller Constitution, together with W. E. Moulthrop, which ran from Olympia to Victoria with the mails for about three years before and during the Fraser River times. The Constitution was built in New York in 1850 by Ward & Price, who sold her at Panamá in 1851 to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and afterward sold to Scranton. Her engines were taken out in 1860, and she became a lumber carrier about the Sound, though her timbers were still good in 1873. Portland Herald, Feb. 13, 1873; Ehey's Journal, MS., v. 100, 105, 137. Captains A. B. Gove and James M. Hunt commanded the Constitution on the Sound during 1867-9.
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GOVERNMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.
beneficial to it, with the stimulation to trade which the change in the nationality of the Russian posses- sions must bring with it.13
In December 1859 the Eliza Anderson succeeded the Constitution as a mail carrier. She was built on the Columbia by Farman for George and John Wright of Victoria, whose father owned the ill-fated Brother Jonathan. The Anderson was commanded by D. B. Finch, and ran for about 8 years on the same route. She was laid up in 1880. During a part of this time a small steamer, the J. B. Libbey, built at Utsalady, carried the mail from Seattle to Penn Cove, Whidbey Island, and from there through the Swinomish slough to Whatcom, Bellingham Bay. During the busy times of Fraser River min- ing rush, the Julia, from the Columbia River, and the Wilson G. Hunt, Sea Bird, and Surprise from San Francisco, ran on the Sound, returning to other routes on the subsidence of travel and increase of business on the Columbia, and one steam-vessel performed the carrying on the Sound between Olympia and Victoria. Parker's Puget Sound, MS., 5-9. At the session of 1865-6 the Puget Sound Steam Navigation Company was reincorporated by W. T. Say- ward, Thomas Deane, E. S. Fowler, H. L. Tibbals, O. F. Gerrish, P. M. O'Brien, C. B. Sweeny, W. W. Miller, Isaac Lightner, S. W. Percival. S. D. Howe, G. K. Willard, Sam. Coulter, T. F. McEloy, J. L. McDonald, and their associates, to navigate the waters of Washington, V. I., and B. C. Wash. Stat., 1865-6, 193-4. Nothing was ever done by this company for the benefit of navigation. Boats continued to arrive from S. F. for the business of the Sound for several seasons: the tug-boat Resolute, Capt. Cuindon, in 1859, which blew up in 1867; the small side-wheel steamer Ranger No. 2, Capt. J. S. Hill; the Black Diamond in 1861; the Cyrus Walker, a tow-boat, in 1865; the Josie Mccar, Capt. Crosby, in 1868, which carried the mail for the con- tractors, Hailley, Crosby, & Windsor. She ran on the Sound for less than a year, when she was traded to the O. S. N. Co. fer the New World, Capt. Windsor, which had been a Hudson River steamner, but ran away and catne to the Pacific coast. Her history was eventful, having carried passengers on the Hudson, Sacramento, and Columbia rivers, and Puget Sound. She proved too large and expensive, and was sold to the Wrights of Victoria. The Olympia was the next mail and passenger boat, Capt. Finch. The next contractors were L. M. & E. A. Starr, who ran the steamer Alida, Capt. Parker, a good passenger boat, to Victoria, sometimes connecting at Port Townsend with the English steamer Isabel. The Zephyr, Capt. Thomas Wright, ran at the same time. They subsequently built at S. F. the North Pacific, which was brought up to take the Alida's place in 1871, and was carrying the mail in 1878. Parker's Puget Sound, MS., 8-9. In the mean time small jobbing and freight steamers have multiplied, owned chiefly by individuals, as the J. B. Libbey, Chehalis, Goliah, Favorite, Phantom, Polit- kofsky, Ruby, Success, Cello, Mary Woodruff, Addie, and the A. E. Starr. In 1876 the l'uget Sound Transportation Company was incorporated, aud built two boats, the Messenger, Capt. J. G. Parker, and the Daisy, Capt. C. H. Parker, making a line from Olympia to Mount Vernon on the Skagit River. The company has since bought and sold several other boats. In 1881 a spirited competition was kept up for a season between the boats of the Puget Sound Transportation Company and Starr's line, the Otter and Annie Stewart. In the autumn of 1881 the O. S. N. Co. purchased Starr's line, and added some of their old boats, the Welcome, Idaho, and Emma Hayward. In the following ycar another company was formed, called the Washington Steam Navigation Company, whose boats were the City of Quincy, Daisy, Washington, and Mervin. J. G. Parker, in Historical Correspondence, MS., 1884.
13 Message of Governor Moore, Washington Jour. House, 1867-8, 30-1. The policy of the Alaska Company was not to encourage trade, but rather to oppose it.
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VARIOUS MEASURES.
A reciprocity treaty had also been negotiated with the Hawaiian Islands, from which it was expected that Washington would obtain sugar at a reduced price, and the Hawaiian kingdom purchase more largely of the territory's lumber and other products.14
The inadequacy of the mail service it was suggested should be made the subject of a memorial to congress.15 The legislature accordingly petitioned for a mail route by sea from San Francisco to Olympia, instead of by land from the Columbia; for steamship service be- tween Olympia and Sitka; for a weekly mail to As- toria by the way of the Chehalis, Gray Harbor, Shoalwater and Baker bays; and for improvements in other routes, and for increased compensation in certain cases, which have since been granted. The necessity of codifying the laws was urged, and of ap- pointing commissioners for that purpose without delay. An act was accordingly passed authorizing the gov- ernor to appoint "three discreet persons" as code commissioners, to revise, digest, and codify the statute laws of the territory. The three persons chosen were J. H. Lassater, Elwood Evans, and B. F. Dennison,16 who made their report to the legislature of 1869, which met in October, in accordance with an act passed in January 1868 changing the time of hold- ing the sessions of the legislative assembly.
Another subject of executive advice was the proper care of the insane, at the time provided for by con- tract with the lowest bidder. No territorial asylum was provided where their condition could be amelio- rated until 1871, when an asylum at Steilacoom was prepared for their reception.17
14 No such benefits resulted as were anticipated by Gov. Moore; the effect of reciprocity with inferior nations being to assist them at the expense of the other side.
15 The government discriminated unjustly, by paying a subsidy of $6,000 in coin for carrying the mail from Victoria to Fort Pickett on San Juan Island, and $10,000 in depreciated currency for carrying it from Victoria to Olympia and back, once a week. The tri-weekly mail from Portland to Olympia was detained at the latter place from two to four days.
16 Olympia Standard, Oct. 9, 1870; Wash. Stat., 1867-8, 64.
17 The legislative assembly of 1861-2 authorized the gov. and auditor to HIST. WASH .- 18
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GOVERNMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.
For several sessions previous to 1862 the legislature had granted divorces indiscriminately.18 When Gov- ernor Pickering came to observe this, he made a serious appeal to the legislature to cease dissolving the marriage bond and leave this matter to the courts, where the impediments were few enough, but where, at least, some examination would be made into the merits of the applicant's case. Notwithstanding, six- teen unions were dissolved by the legislatures of 1862-3, and at the following session Pickering again called attention to the practice, which was not there-
contract for the care of the insane, the contract being let to the St John luna- tic asylum at Vancouver, in charge of the Sisters of Charity. A fund was set aside out of the general fund of the territory to pay for their keeping, and they were kindly cared for. A memorial was forwarded to congress, asking that an appropriation might be made to erect a building somewhere on the Sound which should serve both for a marine hospital, which was needed, and an asylum for the insane. But congress had not responded, when the legisla- ture of 1866-7 passed an act again authorizing the governor and auditor to make contracts for the care of the insane, the contractors giving bonds for the proper performance of their duties, and the law requiring them to report an- nually to the governor. A board of inspectors was appointed to visit the asylum quarterly, and to audit the accounts submitted by the institution. The patients were removed from St John's, Vancouver, to a private asylum in charge of James Huntington and son, located in the Cowlitz valley oppo- site Monticello, where the accommodations were inadequate, and where by the unusual flood of Dec. 1867 the improvements were swept away. It was in reference to these facts that Gov. Moore called for a radical change in the system adopted, and advised the purchase of a farm and the erection of an asylum which would meet the requirements of those suffering from mental diseases, who, with intelligent treatment, might be restored to society. At the session of 1867-8, however, nothing was done except to petition congress for a grant of land, the proceeds of which should be expended in providing a fund for the erection of a suitable building and the support of the insane. But at the following term an act was passed authorizing the purchase of the government buildings at Fort Steilacoom, should they be offered for sale, and appointing the governor and auditor commissioners to secure the prop- erty. The purchase of the abandoned military quarters was effected in Jan. 1870, by James Scott, territorial secretary, and other commissioners appointed by the legislature, Delegate Flanders having in the mean time proposed to congress to donate them to the territory. H. Ex. Doc., 202, 42d cong. 2d sess .; Id. Doc., 175; Cong. Globe, 1868-9, 554; Olympia Transcript, Feb. 27, 1869. The price paid for the buildings was $850. In March 1873, soon after the settlement of the Puget Sound Company's claims, congress did donate the military reservation for asylum grounds, giving Washington one of the most beautiful sites on the Sound for the use of the insane. The patients were re- moved in Aug. 1871. The number of patients in 1870 was 23. In 1877 it was 67. There were 25 acres of ground in cultivation, and 300 fruit-trees set out. Tacoma Herald, April 14, 1877. The disbursements for the insane in 1879 were $52,325. Olympia Standard, Oct. 10, 1879.
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