An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 127

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146

USA > Washington > Kittitas County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 127
USA > Washington > Yakima County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 127
USA > Washington > Klickitat County > An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington > Part 127

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

After the court had rendered its decision, Be- thenia, now Mrs. Owens, renewed her efforts for the support of herself and child. Her father pre-

B. A. Owens-Adair

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

sented her with one of the first sewing machines brought into Oregon. She worked hard and faith- fully, sewing and nursing and assisting with house- work for more than a year, after which, at her sis- ter's earnest solicitation, she returned to Clatsop. She did not remain long, however, for the ambition of an education was still with her, and late in the fall of 1860 she accepted the invitation of her child- hood friend, Mrs. Munson, of Oysterville, to spend the winter there, attending school and assisting with the work mornings, evenings and Saturdays. She wrought hard and long, doing considerable wash- ing and ironing in addition to the duties she must perform for Mrs. Munson, for she had the expenses of herself and child to meet, but to her work was play, so the winter was very pleasantly and profit- ably spent.

Then came another call from her sister, Mrs. Diana Hobson, of Clatsop. She went with the understanding that at the end of six months she was to have the privilege of attending school at Astoria. While with Mrs. Hobson she cou- cluded to get up a little private school in the neighborhood, and with characteristic decision at once set about the task of interesting heads of families of the district in her scheme .. Soon she had the promise of sixteen pupils, who were to pay her two dollars each a month, and in the old Presbyterian church of Clatsop she had her first experience in teaching. She was quite successful in this venture, notwithstanding the fact that two of her group of sixteen were more advanced than she, and she had to learn the lessons ahead of them with the assistance of her brother-in-law. By teaching and picking wild blackberries, she accumulated her first small bank account.

Fall found her at school in Astoria with her son and nephew. It was mortifying to her, who had been herself a teacher, to be put in classes with young children, but by her own exertions and the aid of kindly teachers she soon gained a place far in advance of her youthful classmates.

During the next summer, that of 1862, she again worked for her sister on the farm, making butter, milking cows, doing housework, etc. While thus employed it fell to her lot to make a large cheese for the benefit of the soldiers in the Civil war. The cheese was sold again and again in Astoria until it had brought a hundred and forty-five dollars, then sent, with its maker, to the state fair, where it was sold and resold as before, yielding many hundreds of dollars for the boys in blue. It received much attention from the papers of the time.

Next winter the doughty Mrs. Owens was again at Astoria, supporting herself and son by doing, besides her own cooking and work, the washing for two families and the washing and ironing of a third. She would arise at four Mon- day morning and put out the big washing. By ten o'clock she would report at school. Tuesday

morning she would repeat the operation at her second customer's home, while the third washing and ironing she did at her own humble rooms. In this way she earned five dollars a week, which proved sufficient to her needs. Her efforts at- tracted the attention of the benevolent and worthy Captain Farnworth, a pilot on the Columbia bar and a friend of her family, who one night called upon her and found her ironing and studying at the same time. He conversed with her awhile, and finally said : "I have come to you as a friend and I want to be your friend. I am all alone in the world. The nearest relative. I have is a nephew. I have more money than I need and I think I cannot do better than to help you." Mrs. Owens positively refused to accept any monetary assistance from the captain, pre- ferring to work out her own destiny and enjoy the blessed boon of independence.

But there were others watching Mrs. Owens' heroic climb, and from some of these an offer came that could be accepted without compromise. The teacher's wife, who had been serving as his assistant, having fallen ill, Mrs. Owens soon re- ceived from the directors an offer of twenty-five dollars a month to take the place of the unfor- tunate lady. She accepted gladly, pleased with the larger opportunities for culture and study the position gave her. She was brought to realize the progress she had been making by the circum- stance that among her pupils was a young lady who had been far ahead of her when they at- tended school at Oysterville together.

Before the term ended, Mrs. Owens received an offer of a three-month school in Bruceport at twenty-five dollars a month, she to board around among the families of the district. She applied to Judge Olney, county superintendent, for the necessary certificate, which the kind-hearted gentleman readily furnished, together with many words of commendation and encouragement, for he knew of the course Mrs. Owens had been pur- suing. She taught a successful term at Bruce- port, so successful indeed that the patrons of the school raised money to pay for an extra term of three months. Before the end of this pleasant half-year, she contracted to teach a four-month term at Oysterville, where, three years before, she had been herself an humble learner; then for four months she taught at Clatsop. By industry with her sewing machine and crochet needle, she made all hier expenses out of school hours, saving the entire sum received as recompense for these months of constant teaching. At Clatsop she bought a half lot and contracted with a carpenter to build her a cozy little three-room house. It was located on the back part of that beautiful lot where now stands I. W. Case's residence. Around this first home cluster many pleasant memories. When the school term was ended she remained in it, getting her living and adding to

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her small savings by sewing, crocheting and many other forms of endeavor. Once her peace of mind was somewhat disturbed by the sudden appearance of her former husband, who had been endeavoring for years to get her to again enter into the marriage bond with him. He insisted that she permit him to take his child for a walk and she finally consented upon his promising not to run away with the boy, as he had frequently threatened to do. To make doubly sure, she hastened to the sheriff, who undertook to see that Mr. Hill should never leave town with the boy. As a matter of fact he made no attempt to do so.

In the fall Mrs. Owens rented her house and went to visit her parents at Roseburg. At their earnest solicitation she remained with them that winter. Next spring she engaged in millinery and dressmaking, and for the ensuing three years she had uninterrupted success in the business; then came trouble and opposition. An expert milliner named Mrs. Jackson appeared, who be- came the attraction at once, and left Mrs. Owens with all her money invested in a spring stock for which there was no sale. It was a severe blow to both her pride and her pocketbook, but her un- usual abilities never shone more brilliantly than when obstacles were to be overcome. She left her son in a clergyman's family, borrowed two hundred and fifty dollars; went forthwith to San Francisco and entered the apartments of the best milliner in that city. For three months she made it her business to hear and see all that went on and to learn every detail of the millinery busi- ness. Then she had circulars printed and sent on ahead to Roseburg announcing her great open- ing. On the day set, she was at her stand in Roseburg with the latest and the best that the San Francisco markets afforded. The tables were completely turned on Mrs. Jackson, who shortly afterward left town. Mrs. Owens realized fifteen hundred dollars profits from the sales of that year.

Money now came rapidly and easily, enabling her to give her son the advantage of a course in the University of California. With the improve- ment in her circumstances came a great desire for a medical education. She had been called upon at different times to nurse the sick, and her natural talents in that direction had caused her services to be eagerly sought by physicians and friends. One incident in her career as a nurse did much to determine her to study medicine and surgery. She was assisting a friend with a sick child. The doctor came and made a long, bungling effort to use a catheter, lacerating the little patient most cruelly. At length he laid down the instrument to wipe his glasses. "Let me try, doctor," said Mrs. Owens, and picking up the catheter, she placed it with a steady, skillful hand and relieved the young sufferer, though she had never seen such an instrument used before. The

doctor was angry, but the mother expressed her feelings in tears and manifestations of affection.

A few days after this Mrs. Owens called upon Doctor Hamilton, told him in confidence that she had decided upon a medical career, and asked the use of his books. As she came from the doctor's office she met S. F. Chadwick, her former attor- ney, who had overheard the conversation. Com- ing forward, he shook her hand and said: "Go ahead ; it is in you ; let it come out ; you'll win." Honorable Jesse Applegate, who had nursed her in childhood on the trip across the Plains, was the only other person who gave her any en- couragement about studying medicine. She did not tell her family of her decision, for she knew the opposition they would offer, but kept her own counsels, laboring early and late to get the necessary funds to enter the medical college.

In due time the plans of Mrs. Owens were matured. She arranged with Mrs. Abigal Scott Dunniway to give her son, who by this time had been educated in part, a position on her paper. She communicated to Mrs. W. L. Adams, of Portland, her intention to go to New York for a medical course, and was by that lady persuaded to go instead to Philadelphia, where Dr. Adams then was, partly for the sake of his health and partly for study. A storm of opposition followed the announcement of her intentions. Her family felt that they were disgraced, and even her son was made to believe that a great wrong was be- ing done him, while friends derided her as ex- ceedingly foolish. One lady, who expressed es- pecial disgust, afterward called upon Mrs. Owens in Portland for medical treatment, though she had emphatically stated she would never counte- nance a lady doctor.

The day for the departure came. At 11:00 p. m. the ambitious but nearly heart-broken lady seated herself in the overland stage for California. The dark, rainy night was in keeping with her feelings, for she was greatly depressed, now that she had time to think, on account of the dis- couraging and sometimes unkind remarks of friends and relatives, but the cheering words of Governor Chadwick came to her, and she re- solved with all the energy of her ardent nature to prove them true. She would show the world that she could and would be a physician, she said.

Arriving at Philadelphia, she matriculated in the Eclectic Medical school of that city, engaging also a private tutor. She likewise attended lec- tures and clinics in the great Blockly hospital there, as did also all the other medical students from the various schools. In due time she re- ceived her degree, whereupon she returned to Roseburg to settle up her business affairs, which had been left in charge of her sister.

A few days after her return a friendless old man died, and the half dozen doctors who had attended him decided to hold an autopsy. Among

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them was the Doctor Palmer to whom she had given offense years before by using the catheter on his patient. He proposed that for a joke they extend an invitation to the new Philadelphia physician to be present, and as all the others as- sented, they sent a young man with a note to Doctor Owens. She knew that such a message emanating from Doctor Palmer meant no good to her, nevertheless she said to the young man: "Give the doctors my compliments and tell them I will be there shortly." She followed close be- I:ind the messenger and arrived outside the door in time to hear the hearty laugh which greeted the announcement of her reply. Stepping in, she shook hands with all the medical men, one of whom informed her, by way of final coup, that the autopsy was to be upon the genital organs. She replied that one part of the human frame should be as sacred to a physician as another. Doctor Palmer thereupon said: "I object to the presence of a woman at a male autopsy, and if she remains I will retire." Silence followed. Finally Doctor Owens said: "I came here by invitation, and will leave it to a vote whether I go or remain; but first I would ask Doctor Palmer why he considers it worse for a woman to attend an autopsy on a male than for a man to attend one on a female subject." A number of the doctors said they had voted that the invita- tion be extended and they would not go back on it now, while Doctor Hamilton said, "I did not vote, but I have no objection." Doctor Palmer thereupon retired amid the derisive cheers of some forty or fifty men and boys inside and out- side the old shed, who were fully cognizant of all that was going on.

Presently one of the physicians opened an old dissecting case and handed it to Dr. Owens. "Do you wish me to do the work?" she asked. "Yes, yes, oh yes; go ahead." She did so, and when the work was completed all hands joined in three hearty cheers for the lady doctor. The news had spread to every house in town, so that when Dr. Owens emerged from the autopsy room she had to face an excited crowd of men, women and children, all anxious to get a look at her. The women were shocked and scandalized; the men laughed; some few defended her, but all agreed that it was a good joke on the doctors.

Mrs. Owens began practice in Portland, entering into partnership with Dr. Adams. When, a year later, this partnership was dissolved, Doctor Owens retained the old stand. One morning, when she came in from her calls, she found a woman lying on the lounge in her back office, deathly sick. Before the lady expired she begged Mrs. Owens to take one of her three girls. The doctor promised to do so, and some weeks later, the girl came with her father. She was puny, delicate, under-sized, poorly clad and bashful, but the doctor's kindly manner soon placed her at her ease, while a good bath and some fine new

clothing converted her at once into a very present- able child. A homeopathic lady physician, who had passed some uncomplimentary remarks upon the girl when she first appeared in Doctor Owens' office, saw her two years later, when kindness and care and the culture of the schools had done their work, and could hardly be made to believe that the Mattie of that date and the Mattie of two years before were one and the same.

Prosperity attended Doctor Owens. She put her son through the medical college and set him up in the drug business in Goldendale, Washington. She gave her sister a course in Mills' seminary and dis- pensed ·not a little money in charities, yet from the sale of her millinery and other Roseburg properties and from her earnings as a professional woman, she had, in 1878, about eight thousand dollars in cash. She was doing well, but the thirst for more learning had taken possession of her and she eventually de- cided to take a three-year course in an "old school" medical college. Again her family and friends re- monstrated, her old friend Jesse Applegate being among the number who advised her against such a course, but, nevertheless, the Ist of September, 1878, found her again en route for Philadelphia. Her ambition was to be admitted to the renowned Jef- ferson Medical College, so with that in view she called on Professor Gross, the greatest surgeon then living in the United States. He invited her to break- fast and otherwise received her kindly, but said that, though he would like very much to open the doors of Jefferson college to her, he could not do so, for the power lay with the board of regents, and they were an age behind the time. He advised going to the woman's college, which was just as good and gave the same examination. She replied that wom- an's colleges were not very highly esteemed out West. "Then," said he, "the University of Mich- igan is the school for you. It is a long-term school and second to none in America."

Dr. Owens acted at once upon this suggestion. For the next two years she averaged sixteen hours a day study, except during vacations, when ten hours were devoted each day to answering ques- tions in anatomy out of Professor Ford's question book. When she went to her teacher for help with a few of the questions, the answers to which she had failed to find, he said: "Dr. Owens, you have done more than any other student in this university and more than I ever expected any one would do."

Her previous knowledge of medicine and close application enabled Dr. Owens to complete her course in allopathy in two years. She then went to Chicago and spent some time in clinical and hos- pital work. While there Dr. Hill joined her, and the two went to the University of Michigan, the mother for advanced courses in theory and practice and materia medica, in the homeopathic department, also for further study in history and English lit- erature ; the son for a post-graduate course. After six months, the mother and son, in company with

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two lady physicians, sailed for Europe for a three- month trip. They visited Glasgow, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Dresden, Berlin, Potsdam and other towns. At Dresden the ladies parted with Dr. Hill, who returned forthwith to Goldendale, Washington, and entered into a life partnership with the girl he had left behind him there. The lady doctors con- tinued their journey through Austria, Prussia, France and England, in the great cities of all which countries they visited the leading hospitals and wit- nessed operations by the world's most eminent sur- geons. Dr. Owens' letters of recommendation with the state seals on them proved an "open sesame" everywhere. These and her diplomas also saved her trouble on her return to New York, for the custom house officer was determined to charge heavy duty on instruments she had bought in Paris, and only consented to let them pass when satisfied that she was indeed a physician and had the instruments for her own use.

Hastening back to Portland to minister to the pressing wants of a patient there, she was soon again buried in the practice of her beloved profes- sion. She secured beautiful rooms over the drug store of her old friend, Dr. O. P. S. Plummer, on the corner of First and Main streets. "I was more than gratified," says the doctor. "I was astonished at the patronage that came to me from my old and new patients, friends and enemies, if so they might be called, of the days of my struggles and trials." From no other place came so much encouragement and patronage as from the doctor's old home at Roseburg. Verily, the daring and courage of this born leader (this woman who dared to perform an autopsy in the face of the established rules, customs and prejudices of her time, though fully cognizant of the fact that, just a few years before, the stu- dents of Jefferson Medical College had publicly rot- ten-egged certain young women who had the au- dacity to attend clinics at Blockly hospital) were receiving an abundant and unusually speedy reward. Dr. Owens considered that she was paid an hundred fold for all she had endured in that long climb from ignorance and obscurity to an honored place in an honorable profession, by the help she was daily per- mitted to render to mankind. Once at least it was her privilege to return good for evil. A woman entered her office one morning, pale and trembling, and stated that for many years she had been ill with a disease of which the doctors said she could never hope to be cured. "I have heard so much about you," continued the lady, "that I have come to see if you can give me any relief." The doctor exam- ined her patient carefully, then said : "I am sure you can be helped, possibly cured. I will treat you a few weeks, then teach you to treat yourself, and if you will follow my directions faithfully for a year, I believe your health will be restored." The doctor then took the patient home in her carriage. She went to the house day after day, giving the full ben- efit of her years of study and experience, and in time

the lady recovered fully. It was none other than her quondam rival, Mrs. Jackson, who had caused such a disturbance in her millinery business at Roseburg: Mrs. Jackson was deeply moved by the doctor's kindness, but the latter said: "I owe you a great debt of gratitude, for by your opposition you spurred me on to greater endeavor. You have been in reality my good angel, and I shall repay you with interest." The two ladies have been fast friends ever since.

It was also the doctor's pleasure, after she re- turned from her course in the University of Mich- igan and her tour of Europe, to renew her maternal relationship toward her foster child, Mattie Belle. The girl had been left in charge of a friend during the absence of Dr. Owens, and had spent the time in school. Easily persuaded by her adopted mother to take up the study of medicine, she in due time added the degree of M. D. to her name, but she never left Dr. Owens until death summoned her away, in October, 1893.

After three years of constant application to her profession, years of great financial profit, and what was far better, great satisfaction, Doctor Owens met once more a friend of her girlhood, Colonel John Adair, son of General John Adair, of Astoria, Oregon. The renewed friendship soon ripened into a more intimate attachment, and in the First Congregational church of Port- land, Oregon, the twain plighted their troth on July 24, 1884, and Doctor Owens became Doctor · Owens-Adair.

Twenty years have sped by on eagle wings. since that happy wedding day. In the excellent autobiography from which this necessarily im- perfect and incomplete sketch has been compiled, the doctor has not seen fit to be very detailed in her narrative of more recent events. She tells us, however, that the years have been years of strenuous endeavor and that into her later life some rain has come as well as much sunshine. Notwithstanding the fact that at the time of her- marriage she had an income from her rentals and practice of over seven thousand dollars a year, she has been at times embarrassed to maintain the heavy obligations which have come to her through having allowed herself to be persuaded into buying large properties near Astoria, and through other land speculations. Her husband,. a refined and cultured gentleman, is of a sunny, optimistic disposition. His penchant for large speculations, in which he can always see millions of dollars has caused some trouble to his wife at times, but her energy and pluck have enabled her to conquer so far in every fight.

When Dr. Owens-Adair was forty-seven years old she became the mother of a sweet little girl, but unfortunately the child soon passed away, leaving an aching void in her heart. Soon after- ward she left Portland, going to her husband, who with twenty-five Chinamen was trying to.

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reclaim the tide lands adjoining their eight hun- dred acre farm. She felt that, whatever the financial sacrifice, she could not remain away from Colonel Adair, now that her babe was gone. The ensuing two years were passed in Astoria, amid the activities and exactions of a large prac- tice; then the doctor contracted typhus fever, due to bad drainage. She went very near to death's door, so near that she made her will and settled up her affairs in anticipation of the end, but the strong constitution she had inherited from her ancestors along with her invincible force of char- acter enabled her to beat back once more the forces of dissolution.

.After her recovery, she yielded to the per- suasion of her husband to go to their farm, which, he thought, the railroad must soon cross, making them eminently wealthy. For eleven years she remained there, actively engaged in professional work, assisting also on the farm during all her leisure moments. She never refused to go when called, no matter what the hour or the state of the weather. At length the constant riding through that rainy country over muddy roads began to undermine her health, for she had a rheumatic heredity, and Colonel Adair, becoming frightened, begged her to go to North Yakima, Washington, for a holiday with her son and his family. She did so. The dry climate acted like magic, and in a few days she felt twenty years younger. Soon her son, Dr. Hill, had her per- suaded to let the old farm go and to take up a permanent residence in North Yakima. Having decided on this course, she returned to the coast, sold off all the stock, rented the farm and straightened up her business affairs generally. April 6, 1899, found her again in North Yakima, ready for business. To her surprise and delight she found many who knew her personally and by reputation and to secure a practice was a matter of little difficulty ; indeed she performed an operation the first week of her residence in the town, for which she received a hundred dol- lars cash. Her business has since increased rap- idly, and she says that if she can have two or three years more of active practice, she can straighten out all the tangles in her affairs and place her properties in shape to furnish herself and family a sufficient income to make them com- fortable the remainder of their lives.

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An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 127

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company Number of Pages: 1146

Author: Interstate publishing co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Chicago] Interstate publishing company
Number of Pages: 1146