An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 46

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 46
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 46
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 46

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).

In the closing month of the year 1895, the North Yakima Commercial Club decided to act in the matter of endeavoring to secure the opening by congress of the Yakima Indian reservation. By a committee of its members the following memorial was prepared and forwarded to Wash- ington, D. C. :

To the Honorable Senators and Representatives of the Fifty-fourth Congress.

Your petitioner, the Yakima Commercial Club, embrac- ing among its members over one hundred of the leading citizens and largest property holders of this county, re- spectfully requests that the Yakima Indian reservation may be thrown open to settlement at the earliest practicable moment, for the following reasons:

This reservation embraces 887,040 acres and lies nearly

in the center of Yakima county. The lands along the river are level plains and rise gently to the mountains twenty- five miles distant. About 200,000 acres of these lower lands, having the finest of crop soils, are now desert and covered with sage brush, but can readily be put under irri- gation ditches at moderate cost, when 10,000 families could make prosperous homes upon them. There are about 1, 900 Indians on the reservation who have all accepted their allotment of lands in severalty from the government. They have made considerable progress in civilization, farm about 15,000 acres of sub-irrigated lands, are virtually self- supporting, and are good neighbors to the whites. If their surplus lands were purchased, 10,000 industrious white families would speedily redeem the irrigable sage brush lands now of no use whatever to the Indians, and turn them into fruitful orchards and gardens. There is, perhaps, no other body of land in the United States of the same dimen- sions which will give permanent prosperity to an equal number of intelligent agriculturalists, and without working any injury to the Indians. On the contrary, they will be enabled with the proceeds of the sale of their surplus lands to build comfortable houses and develop their own farms, while the bunch-grass hilltops and forest-covered mountain sides will remain the grazing ranges for their flocks and herds.

Whatever action may be taken regarding the entire reservation, your petitioner feels assured that the wisdom of congress will prompt instant legislation to purchase the desert sage brush lands of the Indians, and offer them for sale in small tracts. In this manner the government would be reimbursed for the purchase money, the land would be reclaimed and thousands of industrious inhabitants be added to the population of this bountiful valley.

Commissioners were sent in 1897 to negotiate with the Indians for the purpose of purchasing their tribal lands. Several conferences were held, the most important of which was that of July 20th and 21st, but though the government offered unusually liberal terms, the Indians could not be induced to sell. The commissioners stated that two hundred thousand acres would be required for the allotments made and to be made, and that for the rest of the reservation, they were author- ized to offer one million four hundred thousand dollars, deferred payments to bear four per cent. interest.

The year 1896 was not superior in general conditions to its predecessor, and though a state fair was held, it was not as successful as had been the citizens' fair of the year previous. The Yakima country, though it probably never experi- enced as much distress during the hard times as did many other parts of the Northwest, was some- what slow in rallying, owing to local causes, and 1897 could not be classed as a prosperous year. Many of the citizens sought to better their for- tunes in the Klondyke, among them R. B. Milroy, H. A. Griffin, Owen T. Stratton, Lester Coffin, Fred Jungst, Peter Norby, George Guilland, W. Cameron, Dan Simmons, Samuel Failing, Henry Fry, - Condon, William Bounds, John Bartholet, Anthony Krober and Dick McDaniels. These men started in July and August. Other parties followed, among them one on the 25th of October, which required for the transportation of its stock and baggage a special train of twelve cars. The members of this expedition purposed to pick up two hundred head of cattle at Victoria

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and to drive these and the horses, most of them under pack, as far inland as they could, then to slaughter all the animals and transport the best to the interior by dog-trains, using the horse flesh as food for the dogs. The Yakima men who joined in this venture were: Charles Lillie, George Weikel, C. J. Anderson, E. L. Bogart, J. H. Bogart, Herman Frank, R. Granville, A. E. Newlist, E. S. Hackley, T. P. Stubblefield, George Stubblefield, F. Willing, H. H. Fry, E. C. Elgin, Warren Walters, John Powers, Bogus Henderson and James Hanson.

By the spring of 1898, all signs of commercial stagnation and business depression had com- pletely disappeared. When the march of progress was once more resumed, it was resumed in good earnest, and the country experienced a rapid development and increase in population. The return of prosperity, the bright prospects for good crops and the fact that the war with Spain was progressing as well as heart could wish, caused a cheerful spirit among the people, a spirit which manifested itself in rousing celebrations on the nation's birthday.

When the war with Spain was declared there was one military organization here, Troop A, First Washington Cavalry, which certainly de- served the favorable consideration of the governor for a place in the Washington regiment of volun- teers. Some two years before Company E and Troop C had been abandoned by legislative enact- ment, and Troop A had then come into being as an independent organization. Since that time it had maintained itself without the slightest assistance from the state, and now it wished to participate in the war as an infantry company. Governor Rogers wisely decided to give it a chance. Soon it was recruited to full numbers, and at Tacoma it was mustered into the regiment as Company E, officered as follows: Captain, M. S. Scudder; first lieutenant, F. T. Briggs; second lieutenant, W. L. Lemon. The names on its muster roll, a few facts concerning some of its members, and an outline of its adventures as a part of the forces of the United States, are here given for reference:

Company E, Second Battalion, First Washing- ton Volunteers.

Organized at North Yakima, Washington.

Captain-Marshall S. Scudder.

First Lieutenant-Fred T. Briggs, later Reg- imental Adjutant. Died after the war from its effects.

Second Lieutenant-William L. Lemon, later Regimental Quartermaster.

First Sergeant-E. J. Young, subsequently promoted to First Lieutenant.

Second Sergeant-J. F. Alderson, later pro- moted Second Lieutenant. Died in January, 1 900.

Sergeants-J. H. Wright, J. N. Scott, J. L. Druse, C. K. Brown, Clyde Stewart.

Corporals-A. N. Ross, H. L. Leeper, J. M. McCleary, Harry F. Coombs, James Spahr, Wil- liam Washburn, George S. Sexton, E. E. Grover, Frank Rodes, F. H. Millican, Dean D. Stair, N. G. Bunce, Walter P. Fox.

Cook-Paul W. Mathieson.

Musician-Frank E. Dillon.

Artificer-Allen Converse.

Wagoner-Horatio R. Jennings.

Privates-F. H. Aylworth, Paul K. Boyer, Henry R. Brasselle, Walter J. Brick, John Cam- eron, Charles C. Coombs, William T. Corder, Edwin Dane, Charles L. Dowell, Oral F. Gibson, Charles Gosling, Curtis S. Greene, Henry H. Hagendorn, Harry O. Hawley, Howard D. Hazard, Christian O. Horn, William A. Kelsay, George T. Lahar, Gerrit Leeuwrick (now dead), F. B. Lippincott, Leo McDonald, Joseph J. Mitchell, George W. Nunally, Raymond W. Orkey, George S. Palmer, John J. Sandmeyer, William G. Schaefer, William Schoenhals, Fred T. Sherwood, Cecil M. Smith, E. C. Spaulding, William C. Stephens, Herbert E. Stowe, John E. Tomberlin, James G. Triplett, Mart Troy, E. W. Waddington, A. H. Waddington, David B. Wall, Peter P. Walker, Oliver A. Westfall, C. T. Gray Wilgus, Harry A. Williams, Frank W. Woolsey.

Death Roll-Privates, Frank Smith, February 5, 1899, at Artillery Knoll; Mathias H. Cherry, February 5, 1899, at Artillery Knoll; George B. Reichert, February 5, Santa Ana; Ralph E. Shearer, February 6, 1899, Artillery Knoll; Ralph E. Van Bushkirk, March 14, Pateros; Spencer Swain, Presidio, California, October 27, 1899; John C. Baggott, Presidio, California, 1899.

Wounded-Sergeant Henry Leach, February 5th, Fortson's Knoll; privates, John Cameron, February 22, 1899, Guadaloupe; Walter P. Fox, February 5, 1899, Fortson's Knoll; Oral F. Gib- son, Santa Ana, February 5, 1899: Christian E. Horn, February 5, 1899, Guadaloupe; Herbert L. Osborn, February 3. 1899, Guadaloupe; William C. Stephens, Santa Ana, February 5, 1899: A. H. Waddington, February 22d, Guadaloupe.

Company E was mustered into service May 9, 1898, at Tacoma as part of the First Battalion. With the First Washington Infantry it went to San Francisco and was there quartered in the famous Presidio garrison until the regiment de- parted for the Orient. During the early days at Manila it was quarterd in the "tobacco factory," and on the morning of February 5th formed a part of the now famous "Fortson's Batallion," which covered itself with glory by a desperate charge on Bloody Knoll, held by a force number- ing twice that of the attacking party. Immedi- ately after this battle the company quarters were transferred to Santa Ana, while the company itself went into the trenches in front of San Pedro. It participated in the operations of the provi- sional brigade, March 13th to 19th, and from that time was stationed at Pasig, participating in the

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skirmishes about that point, including Tay-Tay and Morong, up to Calamba. This company was one of the heaviest losers in the regiment, having five men killed in action. Of the original officers, the two lieutenants became regimental officers. Pateros, San Pedro Macati, Guadaloupe, Pasig, Tay-Tay, Santa Cruz, Santa Ana and Calamba are all names of importance in the company's history.

In response to. the request of Colonel Wholley to make special mention of men who had signal- ized themselves by bravery in the field. Captain Scudder presented the following names from Company E: First Lieutenant E. J. Young, First Sergeant Henry H. Leach, Second Lieuten- ant John F. Anderson, William Stephens, Ser- geant John H. Wright, Corporal William Wash- burn, Corporal D. D. Stair, James J. Mitchell, George Palmer and Edward C. Spaulding.

The arrival of the Washington volunteers upon American soil was made the occasion of noisy demonstrations in North Yakima. By a preconcerted plan the welcoming committee had arranged that cannonading should be begun as soon as the news should be received. The news came at 11:40 a. m., October Ist, in the form of a dispatch stating that the Pennsylvania, with the First Washington aboard, had been sighted enter- ing the Golden Gate; and forthwith guns were fired, whistles sounded, bells rang, and the entire town was thrown into a commotion. The en- thusiasm was only surpassed by that of Novem- ber 7th, when the boys of Company E reached North Yakima. The Herald's account of this event is as follows :

About nine o'clock Tuesday night, the home-coming of Company E was heralded by the firing of cannon and other martial noises. The famous "Terrors of Pasig" were accompanied by thirty-five of the Walla Walla company and fifty-six of the Waitsburg hoys. An informal reception was held at the depot. It was a glorious sight to see the avenue ablaze with lights and gaily caparisoned with bunt- ing. The mothers and sisters of the boys vied with each other and the sweethearts in welcoming them with the affection that passes all description. The visiting troops were banqueted in fitting style at Switzer's Opera House, but Company E fled to domestic quiet and avoided any public display. No parade was attempted, that part of the programme being deferred until the next day.

The joy of the greeting of friends of the returned vol- unteers was next in heartiness to the welcome by the im- mediate relatives of the soldiers Lieutenant Briggs was literally crushed by the reception extended him by his old Northern Pacific associates. Lieutenant Lemon was like- wise greeted. As for Captain Scudder, it is almost needless to say that he was the hero of the hour. Company E brought with it a mascot in the person of Pedro, a Filipino. the protege of Lieutenant Lemon. No untoward incident marred the general rejoicing, and taps were not sounded until at least three o'clock in the morning.

At ten o'clock Wednesday morning, under the direction of Marshal Fred Parker, a procession was formed on Yaki- ma avenue, and Company E, marching in the lead, pro- ceeded to the Yakima Hotel. Following them came the G. A. R., the Uniformed Rank, K. of P .. and Company F. W. N. G., successor to Company E.

The band, under the leadership of Professor Nagler, rendered patriotic airs, and in the intervals eloquent

speeches were made by Post Commander Druse, of the G. A. R .; H. J. Snively, E. B. Preble, L. S. Howlett and H. M. Bartlett. The benediction was pronounced hy Rev. A. H. Lyons. Captain Scudder also spoke. In the after- noon a banquet was served to the soldiers at Switzer's Opera House by the ladies of the Red Cross Society and others. Everywhere business houses and private residences were aflame with bunting and flags, and the day, in accord- ance with the proclamation of Mayor Fechter, was a gen- eral holiday.

A subject of considerable general comment during the year 1899, and one which excited not a little the passions of those immediately inter- ested, was the action of the Interior Department regarding the pasturing of sheep on the Ranier forest reserve. In March, Dr. Cloes, the super- intendent, received instructions regarding the boundaries of the sheep lands, and was informed that a limited number might enter the rest of the reserve provided no reservoir supply or public resort should be encroached upon, and that the grazing season should be from June 20th to Sep- tember 20th.

A few months later, upon recommendation of Professor Lawson Schribner, chief of graminol- ogy of the Interior Department, Secretary Hitch- cock canceled the sixty-eight permits that had been granted sheepmen within the reserve. This action took away the customary summer range from two hundred and sixty thousand sheep and dealt a severe blow to the wool-grow- ing industry of Yakima county. Indignation meetings were held by the local sheepmen, who framed forceful protests against the order, and promptly subscribed a fund to send representa- tives to look after their interests in congress.

During the earliest days of 1900 the sheepmen of Yakima valley, in compliance with a request from Congressman Jones that they should furnish him with such information as would enable him to best look out for their interests, sent an open letter to congress containing some valuable data. After reciting a circular of the Interior Depart- ment, bearing date June 30, 1897, which set forth that the pasturing of sheep on the reserve would not be interfered with if it could be shown that no injury would result therefrom to young trees or to the water supply, the sheepmen's letter argued in substance "that in the counties of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas the lower range where sheep are pastured in the winter months are semi-arid and therefore not suited to sum- mer pasturage. It is then necessary to drive the sheep to the mountains on the east side of the Cascades, on the higher altitudes where it is impossible for sheep to eat trees or destroy the water supply. Here the sheep have been pas- tured for twenty years, and their feet are golden in the way of improving and enriching the soil. There is no grazing or grass for obvious reasons where the trees and undergrowth are thick. It has been the constant effort of sheepmen to pre- vent forest fires, and on the range reserve there

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were practically no fires last season. The charge that sheepmen are nomadic, with no fixed place of abode, is combated, and it is pointed out that sheepmen pay a larger proportion of taxes than the representatives of any other branch of indus- try. In Yakima county there were assessed for 1899 168,745 head of sheep, valued at $299,921, or a fourth of the personal property valuation of the county. Besides owning large quantities of land, the sheepmen have leased from the North- ern Pacific Company 318,550 acres. If the reservation ruling is enforced all this land will be practically valueless."

The letter recommended that the existing sys- tem of leasing should be continued until the geological surveys could be extended on to the Ranier and Washington reserves, that the tree- less areas and agricultural lands might be ex- cluded from them; also that sheep should be grazed under the following conditions:

"Limit the sheep to the number constantly grazing there, with five-year permits, each owner to have a specified tract. Require as a condition of each permit that the owner use every effort to prevent fires and to report their causes. Secure the co-operation of the Wool Growers' Associa- tion, through a committee of three stockmen, who shall assist the government officers and the department in controlling and looking after the reservation."

The interior department issued an order allowing grazing on the eastern slope of the reserve, and the secretary authorized the grant- ing of permits for two hundred and fifty thou- sand sheep to enter not earlier than July ist and continue not later than September 25th. Cattle and horses in the same numbers that had usually grazed on the reserve were permitted to continue doing so on certain conditions.

April 25th the cattle and wool growers' asso- ciations held meetings in North Yakimna to ar- range for a division of the grazing lands. The following sheepmen, namely, John Cleman, S. J. Cameron, Dan Goodman, Alexander McAllister and W. H. Vessey, were appointed to confer with a committee of cattlemen consisting of Daniel Sinclair, P. A. Bounds, Elmer Marks, Milton Burge and A. J. Splawn. These men agreed with each other in the division of all the ranges except those in the Ahtanum and Klickitat dis- tricts, claims to which had to be submitted to Superintendent Sheller for adjustment.

The United States census returns for 1900 show that Yakima county has made a greater percentage of gain in population than any other in the state. In 1870 our county, which then embraced Kittitas, was credited with a popula- tion of 432; in 1880, 2,811; in 1890, 4,429, and in 1900, 13,462. It will be seen that the gain in the decade was over 200 per cent. and in the previ- ous twenty years nearly 380 per cent. In 1850 the population of Washington was 1, 201 ; in 1860,

11,594; in 1870, 23,955; in 1880, 76, 116; in 1890, 349,390 ; in 1900, 518, 103.

A single serious crime darkened the record of the year 1900 in Yakima county. It occurred at Prosser on the afternoon of September 30th. According to the best information obtainable, the story of the tragedy is about as follows: Three men who had been picking hops boarded an empty car at Mabton, intending to beat their way east. At Prosser in came two other men who forthwith covered the three with firearms and robbed them of all their belongings, consist- ing of about forty-five dollars in money and a sil- ver watch. The robbers jumped off the car at a siding beyond Prosser, and at Kiona the hop pickers also left the train. They notified the sta- tion agent at once. The latter was about to tele- graph to Prosser for the arrest of the men, when W. W. Scott, formerly a telegraph operator, invited the hop pickers to go back with him on a west-bound freight to identify the robbers. Upon arriving at Prosser, they discovered five men boarding a freight car. Scott ordered these to alight; then demanded that one of the hop pick- ers should identify the robbers if in the crowd. The hop pickers pointed out a large and a small man as the persons wanted. When Scott took his eyes off the large man and turned his atten- tion to the small one, the former miscreant fired twice at him. One of the bullets penetrated the body of the unfortunate Scott just above the heart, the other passed through his head, killing him instantly. The murderer fired again, seri- ously wounding one of the hop pickers in the side; then murderer and witnesses all fled precip- itately from the spot. An arrest of the supposed guilty man was made at La Grande, Oregon, early the following November, but the accused, when brought to North Yakima, could not be satisfactorily identified, and no one was punished for the dastardly homicide.

The first matter to agitate the people of Yaki- ma county in 1901 was a scheme for the segrega- tion of some of their territory into a separate political organization. The proposal was not altogether a new one, but its friends had not theretofore been numerous enough to canse their opponents much apprehension. In January of that year, however, the question became one of no little concern. There seemed to be small rea- son to doubt that Representative Rich would introduce in the state legislature a bill creating the county of Riverside, with the dividing bound- ary running north and south through a point three miles west of Mabton. The opposition got to work in good earnest, circulating petitions, circular letters, etc. In its issue of February 14th, the Herald said: "It is quite probable that those agitating for a division of the county- namely, those interested in making Prosser a county seat-will meet with but poor success, for remonstrances are pouring in from all quar-

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ters and thus far Representative Rich has been persuaded not to introduce his bill. It is claimed that taxes will be increased considerably just at the time when new settlers are wanted. The new county would be obliged to assume its share of the old county indebtedness, which share will amount to $66,000; then there will be required new buildings, abstracts of books, printing and other expenses amounting to $100,000, making a total debt of $166,000 to start with. This is too much for the southern and eastern portion to swallow. Besides, Klickitat is fighting the scheme, as the plans embrace the cutting off of several precincts of the Horse Heaven country to add to Riverside county. The scheme is doomed to defeat."

Nevertheless, a bill was introduced by Repre- sentative Rich and became known as House Bill No. 120. It provided that the boundaries of the new county should be as follows: Beginning at the point of intersection of the middle of the main channel of the Columbia river with the township line which divides ranges twenty-one and twenty-two east of Willamette meridian; thence running north along said township line to the point where it intersects the township line dividing ranges twenty and twenty-one east of Willamette meridian; thence north along said last named township line to bound- ary line between the said counties of Yaki- nia and Klickitat; thence west along said bound- ary line to where said boundary line inter- sects the south boundary line of the Simcoe Indian reservation ; thence along the said bound- ary line of the Simcoe Indian reservation in a general northeasterly direction to where the boundary line intersects the township line divid- ing ranges twenty-one and twenty-two east of the Willamette meridian ; thence north along said last named township line to where it intersects the township line which divides townships eleven and twelve north: thence east along said last named township line to where it intersects the township line dividing ranges twenty-three and twenty-four east of the Willamette meridian; thence north along said last named township line to where it intersects the middle of the main channel of the Columbia river; thence down the middle of the main channel of the Columbia river to the point of beginning." The bill was never voted upon.

As the year 1901 advanced, it brought many blessings. It witnessed the completion of the Selah-Moxee canal, the construction of which had begun in December of the preceding year. The formal dedication of this important aque- duct took place June 8th, though the water had been flowing through it for nearly a month. Those who witnessed the ceremonies were dele- gations of business men from Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane, besides many noted in local circles. By these gentlemen the canal and lands watered

by it were inspected that afternoon, and in the evening a banquet was tendered them at the Hotel Yakima at which, it is said, J. W. Clise, W. T. Clark and G. S. Rankin were the guests of honor. The original officers of the Selah- Moxee Canal Company were: President, George S. Rankin; vice-president, Edward Whitson; treasurer, J. D. Cornett ; secretary, W. T. Clark.

The year under review also witnessed a very successful state fair, one that is said to have beaten the record of all preceding exhibitions of the kind. It brought also bountiful harvests and good prices. The fruit grower, the hay raiser, the cattle man, the sheep man, the hop grower and every person whose business was the tilling of the soil was made happy by an abundant reward for his labors. The Herald tells us that, at a low and safe estimate, the productions of the county could not have been less than $3, 000,000, and that of this sum over $2,000,000 represent the value of hay, potatoes, hops, fruit and grain. It distributes the production among the different crops as follows: 170,000 tons of hay at $4.50, $765,000; 2,000 cars of potatoes, $620,000; 1,400 bales of hops, $280,000; fruit, $260,000; wheat, $70,000; barley, $20,000; oats, $ro, ooo; total, $2,025,000. The remainder of the $3,000,000 represents its estimate on the production of cattle, sheep and horses.

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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 46

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