An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 29

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 29
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 29
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 29

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).

"This booklet," said the preface, "is issued to answer such questions as naturally arise where investment is proposed.

"That the answer should be truthful and trustworthy, the company owning Grand Dalles hired a gentleman of ability to go upon the

grounds and examine carefully the condition and surroundings, charging him particularly to write nothing that he could not verify either by his own observation, the testimony of witnesses or official facts and figures."

The old story of the town's greatness was retold, though the wording was carefully studied and displayed much ingenuity in arranging statements in themselves not far from the truth in such a way as to create a wholly false impres- sion. When this could not be done, false state- ments were made without scruple. The Oregon & Washington Railroad Company was down on the map accompanying for a line along the Columbia. The Dalles, Goldendale & Northern went north over the Columbia river divide, which a mountain goat could hardly climb on the grade indicated; the Hunt railroad was still pictured, and the Portage road was also noted. A beautiful painting had been made of the coun- try at that point, a fac-siniile of which was shown in the booklet. In the picture a suspen- sion bridge, proposed, was shown connecting The Dalles, Oregon, with Grand Dalles, though the only one who ever proposed such a structure was Taylor himself or his associates.

In 1891 Taylor organized a shoe company. The Improvement Company subscribed ten thou- sand dollars, very little of which was ever paid, while the others, citizens of Wasco and Klickitat counties, subscribed ten or twelve thousand dol- lars more, and an imposing three-story frame building with a high tower was erected on a lofty promontory facing the Columbia. Machinery was installed; for two or three weeks forty or fifty men were employed, and some good shoes were manufactured; then the creditors closed the business down. The lumber that went into the building was never paid for; neither was the machinery, and only a small part of the laborers' wages was ever paid. The experiment cost the people about fourteen thousand dollars. Its monument is a weather-beaten, empty old shell in Grand Dalles. A box factory was also erected at this time, which never produced anything of moment, and the building is now in use as a barn. But, notwithstanding the complete fiasco of the two enterprises, they resulted in the exten- sive advertising of the town and the sale of many lots. Taylor was a past master in the art of advertising.

In Saginaw, Taylor sold two shares of Investment Company stock to the man who ulti- mately caused his downfall and nearly landed him in prison. This man was Dr. Daniel B. Cornell, a well-known physician. Taylor also entered into a contract with Cornell for the sale to him of three hundred and fifteen lots for thirty-two thousand one hundred and sixty dol- lars, the agreement being that on payment of one-third the price, Cornell was to receive bonds for deeds, and upon payment of eighty-five per

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cent., full possession. Cornell was aiming to sell at an advance, but before he completed pre- liminaries and began operations, he discovered things concerning Taylor which caused him to draw back and the contract was never carried out

In December, 1892, J. T. Rorick, of Michi- gan, the purchaser of one five thousand dollar- share of stock, came out to start a paper at Grand Dalles. Cornell also came out to investi- gate, and he and Rorick together began an inquiry. Finding that Taylor had made no reports, they cornered Skeels at Buffalo, put him in the "sweat box" and forced from him damag- ing confessions. Skeels blamed Taylor for every- thing that was wrong, excusing himself on the ground that he was only an employee, and turned over all the evidence he possessed. Later Skeels addressed the directors of the company and did all he could to straighten matters, claim- ing that formerly he had simply been following directions of his employer.

Cornell and Rorick succeeded in getting Tay- lor deposed from office in June, 1893. Going before the Multnomah county grand jury, they secured his indictment on about sixty different counts, charging embezzlement of fifty thousand dollars. However, after two years of waiting, the prosecuting attorney entered a nolle prosequi in the case, the only thing he could do because of a peculiar Oregon statute relating to embez- zlement known as the "mingling fund" law.

Dr. Cornell, S. H. Blakely and Joseph Sea- man, all well known Saginaw men who had subscribed Investment Company stock, there- upon made complaint in the circuit court of Sag- inaw county, charging Taylor with obtaining money under false pretenses. This was in 1895. At the same time the two companies began civil action to force Taylor to give an accounting, instituting litigation which did not terminate until January, 1902.

Taylor was arrested at The Dalles in July, 1895, by Detective Parker Owen, of the Saginaw police force, who, after a series of adventures, succeeded in landing his prisoner at Saginaw. In December, 1895, the case in which Cornell was complaining witness came up for trial before Judge Snow. Taylor's attorney raised technical objections touching the legality of the statute upon which the prosecution was based, and the matter had to go to the supreme court. Defend- ant's counsel secured an agreement on the part of all concerned to rest the Cornell case and carry up the Seaman case. This was done, and in a short time the supreme court ordered the circuit court to try the case. In December, 1896, by consent of all arties, the Cornell case was taken up, and Taylor was found guilty and sentenced to six years' imprisonment. An appeal was taken to the supreme court, to which body the appellants somehow made it appear

that Taylor was a second time in jeopardy for the same offense when the conviction was secured, hence the court ordered the prisoner released. The prosecution, knowing that the other cases were much weaker than Cornell's, dropped everything, and Taylor went forth a free man. He beat his lawyers out of their fees and out of money borrowed from them, and they bitterly and unequivocally denounced him in the press as a criminal of the first water.

Between trials Taylor was liberated on a cash bond furnished by George H. Williams, of Ore- gon, his western attorney. After his first trial on the Cornell case, Taylor borrowed twenty thousand dollars, giving as security a property on Mill creek, in Oregon, which was mortgaged to Williams for its full value. The man who loaned the money had been present at the trial and heard all the evidence, yet he could not resist the subtle power of the gifted promoter. This mortgage was, however, discharged recently.

The only business building in the famous town of Grand Dalles at the present time is a postoffice. A drearier, more desolate-looking array of shacks and rock piles and sand cannot be found in the Northwest, though further back from the river is some fine grazing land. Per- haps not more than a score of people live in the immediate vicinity.

The year 1892 appears to have been one of activity and prosperity among the farmers and stockmen of the country. That those engaged in the lumber industry were not idle is evident from statistics compiled by the Puget Sound Lumberman, showing the output of Klickitat for the year as follows: D. W. Pierce & Son, 1,000,- 000 feet ; John Hoggard & Son, 1,000,000 ; Lever- ett & Company, 500,000; O. P. Shurtz, 800,000; Warren & Company, 500,000; Beaverstock & Jones, 500,000; N. C. Norton, 400, 000; Oto Saw- mill Company, 4,000, 000; Cameron & Company, 500,000 ; total, 9,600,000 feet. The same author- ity estimated the output of shingles as follows: M. S. Bishop, 2,000,000; Hale & Son, 1,300, 000; Thompson Brothers, 1,550,000; Flekinger & Buckley, 2, 100,000; Leverett & Company, 1,400,000; total, 8,350,000.

The most sensational occurrence of the year was the killing of William Dunn by John Green and the trial which grew out of it. The scene of the homicide was the Blockhouse settlement, seven miles northwest of Goldendale, and the date June 25th. It appears that the victim and his slayer had had a quarrel previously over some cattle which Dunn claimed that Green had stolen from him, and of course there was ill- feeling between them in consequence. On the fatal day Green and a companion named William Mehan were at John Cleaves' hotel at Blockhouse when Dunn rode up and began tying his horses to the hitching post just west of the house. Green, who was within, came out and said,

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from Goldendale, a specimen was found which assayed one hundred and ten dollars in the pre- cious metals. Soon the whole mountain was located by Goldendale people, and as there were many other mountains in the vicinity of similar formation, it was hoped that something of great value might be found. Several men worked for a time on the Van Vactor, Baker, Tenderfoot and other claims, but during the early days of March it was found that while an occasional rich piece of ore could be found, the average of value was low, too low to pay, and operations were soon suspended.

The promise of better times given by the upward tendency of wheat during the fall of 1896 was fully realized the following year. Dur- ing the hard times many farmers had become involved to such an extent that they were about to lose their places. Not a few of them were comparatively new settlers and ill-prepared for a period of low prices and dull markets, hence their serious financial embarrassment. The stimulating effect of the combined good crops and good prices during 1897 may well be imag- ined. Early in July reports began coming in from the No. 6 country, the country above Hart- land, the Centerville country, the Bickleton country and all other parts of Klickitat county where wheat was raised, stating that larger yields would be had than for years before. The price at that time was sixty cents, and as time went on it rose rapidly. It is said that the wheat yield in some instances sold for as much as the land upon which it was raised was consid- ered to be worth. "Klickitat farmers, sheep- men, merchants and everybody," says the Agri- culturist of November 13th, "are enjoying the wave of prosperity. Men who one year ago were gloomy and morose and who saw no prospect of saving their homes, are now jubilant and can now see their way clear to get out of debt and have something left. There has been more build- ing done this fall than for a long time before. New houses, new barns and other substantial improvements are to be seen in every part of the country, and instead of mortgages being recorded, they are being cancelled. Sixteen have been cancelled during October."

The farmers also realized not a little revenue from potatoes and other vegetables, the prices for which were much in advance of those quoted the previous year. Sheep went from one dollar a head in 1896 to three dollars in 1897, and the price of cattle also materially increased. All other classes enjoyed the benefits of the farmers' and stockmen's good fortunes; indeed, the east- ern country was suddenly lifted from the depths of depression and despondency to the heights of prosperity.

In the year 1897 a cause of unusual impor- tance came on for trial in the superior court of Klickitat county. Upon the decision finally ren-

dered depended the title to some two hundred and thirty thousand acres of land in Oregon and Washington, so that the progress of the trial elicited not a little general interest. The case was that of the Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany vs. Alcana Miller, George Miller, C. N. Bickle and J. C. Sigler for the ejectment of the defendants from lands held by them under United States patents. June 2, 1864, an act of congress was passed "granting lands to aid in the construction of a railroad and telegraph line from Lake Superior to Puget Sound, by the northern route." June 26, 1870, the company filed maps of general location with the secretary of the interior showing two proposed roads extend- ing westward from Pasco, a main line through Yakima and Kittitas counties and on to the sound, and a branch down the Columbia to Port- land. In accordance with the provisions of the granting act, withdrawals of alternate sections for a distance of forty miles on each side of the proposed roads from settlement were made by the secretary of the interior, but the roads for a part of their course being less than eighty miles apart, the grants necessarily overlapped each other.

September 29, 1890, a forfeiture act was passed providing that all the land to which the company had not made good its title by the con- struction of the roads in aid of which such land was granted should revert to the government. The Northern Pacific had completed its line to the sound, but had failed utterly to construct the line down the Columbia river, hence all lands *contiguous to the latter road were lost to it by operation of the forfeiture law. Naturally, the question arose whether the alternate sections which were within forty miles of both roads should be considered earned by the building of the Puget sound line or forfeited on account of the failure to build the Columbia river line. It was understood by the department of the inte- rior that as the two grants were made simultane- ously, the territory where they overlapped was covered equally by both grants and the title to all of it could not be perfected without the build- ing of both lines. Half the odd numbered sec- tions of land was therefore thrown open for set- tlement, and the four defendants in the case under consideration filed upon and eventually received their patents for a section of it. Then came the railroad company and sought to have the owners of the land ejected, notwithstanding their patents, claiming that the land was its property, earned by the building of the road through the Yakima valley, and that the United States had no right to grant patents thereto. In the trial the company was represented by Stall, Stephens, Bunn & McDonald, while Nelson B. Brooks, of Goldendale, appeared for the defense.

The land in dispute, though at present a por- tion of the town site of Bickleton, was not then of

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sufficient value to admit of a trial of the cause in the federal courts, so the superior court of Klick- itat county was resorted to. Attorney Brooks, on behalf of the defendants, contended for the correctness of the view of the department of the interior that only half of the odd sections of right belonged to the railroad company. He was suc- cessful in the lower court, Judge Miller render- ing a decision in his favor September 5, 1897. The case was appealed to the supreme court of the state. On the 4th of October, 1898, an opin- ion was handed down by Justice J. B. Reavis and concurred in by Justices Elmon Scott, R. O. Dunbar, T. J. Anders and M. J. Gordon, affirm- ing the decision of the lower court and sustaining Attorney Brooks. The railroad company accepted this decision as final, and never attempted to establish its claim to the remainder of the two hundred and thirty thousand acres similarly situ- ated with reference to its constructed and projected lines or any part of it.

For the immense service rendered the people of Oregon and Washington, Attorney Brooks never received any compensation whatever, not even all of his expenses, as the persons immediately concerned were not financially able to pay a rea- sonable fee. His only reward for the months of labor expended on the case was the approval of his fellow-citizens and the consciousness of a good work well done.

The events in our nation's history which made the year 1898 one of transcendent impor- tance in the affairs of this land and the world were watched with intense interest in Klickitat county as elsewhere. In no section of the state were the youth more ready to take part in the war, and that the county was not represented by an enthusiastic and courageous military company was in no wise due to a lack of patriotism. Unfortunately, old Company B had been mus- tered out and abandoned long before the out- break of hostilities, and as the first call was for militiamen alone, there was no show under it for the Klickitat boys. But on Wednesday, May 18th, instructions were received by Captain H. C. Phillips to enlist a company of volunteers and have them in readiness for response to the next call. Thursday, June 2d, the organization of this company was effected by the election of H. C. Phillips, captain, and Nelson B. Brooks and H. C. Hodgson, first and second lieutenants, respectively. This done, a petition was sent forthwith requesting that the company be mus- tered into service in response to the call which had just been issued. It was thought that inas- much as the company was made up of ex-militia- men, it would be accepted among the first, but for some reason it was never given a place in the Washington regiment and had no part in the war.

During its earliest months the year 1899 promised greater things for Klickitat county than any in its previous history. A despatch

sent to the Seattle Times in the latter part of January said: "The hope of a coming boom looms high before the vision of all Klickitat resi- dents in the beginning of this gracious year. The expectation that a railroad will soon be built through this country is arousing activity in all lines of business. There are to be four new business firms established in this town as soon as store-room can be prepared for them, and all the businesses already operating are increasing their efforts along all lines. Many new settlers are coming into the county in search of homes, and farms that are changing owners are bringing good figures."

The cause of all this activity was the opera- tions of the Columbia & Southern railway, which had taken hold with apparent earnestness of the project of building a road from Lyle to Golden- dale. The terms upon which this company offered to build the road were explicitly set forth in a letter from its president, indited as follows:

WASCO, OREGON, January 21, 1899. MR. W. F. BYARS, Goldendale, Washington.

Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of the 17th inst., beg to say that it is our intention to commence work on the Columbia & Klickitat railroad as soon as the survey is completed, provided, however, that the estimates we have already made as to cost of construction are not exceeded as shown by the survey, as the statistics of your country now in my possession will not admit of a greater outlay than our present estimate of cost of construction. Reports already received from our engineer would indicate that our estimate would not be exceeded, in which case the only donation I will ask from your people will be the right of way a hundred feet wide along the survey line with suffi- cient ground at each end of the road for terminal facilities. as well as two hundred feet wide by fifteen hundred feet long for side tracks and depot purposes wherever we might find it necessary to erect the same. This I believe is not asking too much at the hands of your people, considering the great advantages and enhanced valuation to be derived from the completion of such a line as we expect to give you.

It is my intention, if possible, to complete the line for this year's crops. I am pleased to know that you are interested in the enterprise, and any assistance you can give us will be highly appreciated and reciprocated by Yours truly,

E. E. LYTLE.

Before the first of April the engineers were in the field, two parties of them, one operating between Lyle and the old Happy Home stage station; the other between that point and Gold- endale. According to report of the Agriculturist of May 27th, ensuing, the surveying was ap- proaching completion at that time. "The right of way," says the paper referred to, "is being given free in most cases, but it will be necessary to raise from five to eight thousand dollars before a free right of way can be furnished the com- pany, as it will require this much to pay for lands for which the owners require compensation. Parties are now in the field soliciting contribu- tions and report progress."

Little doubt was entertained that the rich Klickitat valley was to have a road this time, but

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the long-suffering citizens were to be disap- pointed again, notwithstanding they did, or showed a willingness to do, everything that President Lytle, of the Columbia & Southern railroad, demanded. The good faith of the com- pany is not doubted, but it was prevented from carrying out its plans by the Northern Pacific, which claimed the territory north of the Colum- bia and was unwilling to have it invaded by another company. The failure of the Columbia & Southern did not greatly depress the Klickitat valley citizens, as all felt certain that the day was not far distant when the steel gladiators should be journeying up and down over their pathway of steel. Too many in different parts of the country had become interested in the pro- posed road to admit of its construction being much longer delayed.

But there was one railway project that did materialize in 1899, after many years of waiting. The story of Paul Mohr's famous portage railway at the Celilo rapids of the Columbia is one of the most interesting chapters of Klickitat county's history and extends over more than two decades of time.

Those familiar with Northwest history will remember, as heretofore stated on a preceding page, that in 1864 the government gave an immense land grant to any company that would build a railway from the mouth of Snake river down the Columbia to the sea, this line to be a section of a transcontinental road. However, it was not until 1870 that the Northern Pacific filed its map of general location for the transconti- nental road, and not until 1881 that this corpora- tion gave substantial evidence of its intention to build the Columbia river line. Work was begun at a point one mile below the village of Colum- bus on the north bank of the river. By reason of its rough topography, that point is a strategic one in railroad building, a fact which strength- ened the Northern Pacific's desire to occupy it at once. The work of building the Oregon Rail- road & Navigation Company's line down the southern bank of the river was then in progress, and no doubt this was still another strong incen- tive to the Northern Pacific.

At a cost of several hundred thousand dollars, the Northern Pacific graded two miles of road- bed west of Columbus. One rock cut alone cost the company approximately two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. However, no steel was ever laid, and after six months' work the com- pany decided to abandon, at least temporarily, the Columbia river branch and throw its energies into the construction of the Yakima line.

After the abandonment of the works at Columbus, they lay neglected until the year 1883, when Paul F. Mohr conceived his well- known scheme of building a portage railway alongside the Celilo rapids. He purposed build- ing a line twenty-two miles long, utilizing the

Northern Pacific's old right of way. Accord- ingly, he organized the Farmers' Railway, Navi- gation & Steamboat Portage Company, com- monly called the Farmers' Transportation Com- pany, composed principally of Spokane, Walla Walla and Portland capitalists. The corporation was capitalized at one million dollars. By opera- tion of a statute forfeiting rights of way through government domain after their abandonment for a period of five years, the Northern Pacific's claim had lapsed, and the Farmers' Transporta- tion Company soon secured possession of its old roadbed by filing location maps with the secre- tary of the interior, a thing permitted by act of congress approved March 3, 1875, entitled "An act granting to railroads the right of way through the public lands of the United States."

The Mohr company succeeded, in 1891, after many years of effort, in floating a small loan. It had in the meanwhile soid considerable stock and made several surveys. April 16, 1891, a mort- gage in the sum of one million dollars was given the State Trust Company of New York, trustee, to cover a bond issue of the same amount. Presi- dent A. M. Cannon and Secretary J. R. Allen signed the papers in behalf of the Transportation Company. As a matter of fact, President Can- non, of Spokane, also pledged himself personally to secure this loan. Although the mortgage called for a million dollars, only three hundred thousand dollars' worth of bonds were taken up; subsequently, the remainder were turned over to Mohr, who in turn transferred them to another as security. Perhaps, in all, the company real- ized between two hundred and fifty thousand and three hundred thousand dollars by the sale of its bonds and stock. Still but little was done toward building the road, except to survey and resurvey, grade a few miles, pay salaries and other minor expenses.

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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 29

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