An illustrated history of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas counties; with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington, Part 81

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 81
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 81
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 81

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).

THE ELLENSBURG LOCALIZER.

The oldest newspaper published in Kittitas county is the Ellensburg Localizer, formerly known as the Kittitas Localizer, established in

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1883 by David J. Schnebly, one of the veteran newspaper men of the Pacific Northwest. This pioneer of pioneer editors many years later said regarding his experience in journalism :

"Today (February 6, 1893) the editor and proprietor of this paper (The Localizer) begins his seventy-fifth year. It is forty-seven years since he entered the field of journalism in Mer- cersburg, Pennsylvania, and he has been in the business the major part of the time since. He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, February 6, 1818, went to Peoria, Illinois, in 1835, but soon thereafter took up his abode in Mercersburg, where he went through Marshall's College. While in Mercersburg he bought the Visitor, now the Journal, but in 1848 returned to Peoria and worked on the Transcript. Having immigrated to Oregon in 1850, he took charge of the Oregon Spectator, the only paper in Oregon at that time, and indeed the only one in the Northwest. This paper was established at Oregon City, in 1845, by the missionaries, Rev. Jason Lee being the prime mover in its establishment. It was conducted for five years with different editors-Col. William T. Nault, Judge Aaron E. Wait, Gen. George L. Curry and the Rev. Wilson Blain. The latter handed the editorial shears over to us. The plant became the property of Hon. Robert Moore, who employed us to manage it for him one year. At the end of the year we purchased it. In 1854 the plant was sold to Dr. William L. Adams, who changed its name to the Argus. The old press, a Washington, is still in Oregon. The Spectator had a fine time clipping the news from exchanges, which came around the Horn and arrived here twice a year. There was no editorial piracy charged against the editor of the Spectator. The papers came by sailing vessels. The New York Tribune and Herald were among our exchanges. After we got through with them they were loaned to anxious parties who wanted to get the news."

,To narrate a little more of his life story: Mr. Schnebly, after leaving the Spectator, removed to a donation claim eight miles from Oregon City and there lived until 1861, when he removed to Walla Walla. In the meantime he had married Margaretta Ann Painter, a daughter of Col. and Mrs. W. C. Painter, among Walla Walla's best known pioneers. During the next decade Mr. Schnebly was engaged in newspaper work on the Walla Walla Union and Statesman, built a toll bridge across the Spokane river above the falls, erected the Eureka mills on that river, farmed and raised stock. In 1871 he came with his sons, Henry and Charles, to the Kittitas Valley and followed husbandry until 1883, at which time he founded the Localizer.

The first number of this journal made its ap- pearance Thursday, July 12, 1883. It was a four- page sheet, with "patent" outside, presented a

neat, tidy appearance and as might be expected, achieved success and reputation immediately. Even at that time its editor was approaching the allotted three score and ten years. At that time the agitation over a division of Yakima county was at its height and, judging from the tenor of the editorials, the Localizer considered the move- ment premature though inevitable. The plant suffered a serious disaster July 4, 1889, the great fire of that date almost completely destroying the office and contents. As some one expressed it "everything from shears to files was swept away." Notwithstanding; the energetic publisher and editor immediately contracted for the erec- tion of a new office, ordered new equipment and in a short time had the business running as smoothly as before the fire. Not a number was missed, though for a time the Localizer appeared considerably reduced in size. At this time Editor Schnebly changed its name from the Kittitas to the Ellensburg Localizer and instituted various other changes and reforms, all of which bettered the paper's condition. The paper was installed after the fire in a commodious brick block situ- ated on the west side of Main street between Third and Fourth streets, where it is still pub- lished.

During the strenuous campaign of 1896, J. M. Cummins, who had been for some time past an attache of the office, temporarily assumed the business and editorial management of the paper, which became at this time a silver instead of a gold advocate. While the venerable owner was making brave attempts to personally manage the business, he realized that the burdens of old age were upon him and that the enterprise required more strength and attention than he could pos- sibly give to it, so April 9, 1898, the plant passed into the hands of his cousin, F. Dorsey Schnebly, also a '71 pioneer of Kittitas. In his valedictory, the aged editor, says :

"Looking back through the years that are past, I can but note the many changes of the last half century. Forests have been leveled, cities grown up, political parties risen and fallen, and wars changed the geography of the world. All these have been noted in their turn and now on account of failing eyesight and declining years, I take leave of the Localizer. I have labored to benefit Ellensburg and our county and I hope have been successful. Having attained four score years and two months, I now lay down my pen and leave the work to younger hands."

Not many more years did he, whom the Ta- coma Ledger termed "the patriarch of journalism in the Pacific Northwest," live, for early in Jan- uary, 1901, he was stricken with la grippe and never rallied from the shock, his death occurring January 5th. Only a few days before his death he did some work in the Localizer office and after his retirement in 1898 often contributed to its

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columns and aided the force. His demise re- moved one of the last of the old school of North- western editors, an able, aggressive writer, and one skilled in all branches of his work and de- voted to his profession.

Under the ownership and management of F. D. Schnebly the Localizer continued to maintain its high standing and success. However, he, too, soon turned over the business to still younger hands, the property passing into possession of the Cascade Printing & Publishing Company, April 15, 1903. This firm is composed of Amasa S. and U. M. Randall, the former being manager. Besides conducting the Localizer, it also owns and conducts the Cascade Miner at Roslyn. The company has spent several hundred dollars dur- ing the past year for new equipment. Randall Brothers changed the politics of the Localizer from Democratic, which it had been since 1898, to independent. The paper was Republican from 1883 to 1896, when it became Silver Republican. The Localizer occupies commodious quarters in the Schnebly block on Main street. This neatly printed and well edited eight-page journal is still issued once a week, Saturdays, and, with its con- temporaries, is energetically and persistently en- gaged in upbuilding and reflecting the life of the community.

THE ELLENSBURG CAPITAL,

A. H. Stulfauth, editor and proprietor, is now in its seventeenth year. It is Kittitas county's sec- ond oldest paper, having been founded Thursday, October II, 1887, by A. N. Hamilton, an experi- enced newspaper man who now resides in west- ern Washington. The Capital has been a credit to its publisher and the thriving little city from the beginning. The newspaper's first home was in the Capital block, corner of Pearl and Fifth streets, where it remained until October, 1890, when the plant was installed in the Bath block, its present location. At the time of its establish- ment, Ellensburg was a very prominent candidate for the location of the state's capital; hence the significant name adopted by Publisher Hamilton for his paper.

In June, 1889, A. H. Stulfauth, formerly tele- graph editor of the Evening Post, and connected with the Chronicle and Examiner of San Fran- cisco, was so strongly attracted by the advantages of Ellensburg that he purchased a half interest in the Capital and removed to the Kittitas valley. A few months later, October 10, 1889, he assumed full charge of the business, editorial and mechan- ical departments and by skillful, conscientious work soon brought the Capital into prominence. Ten years later Mr. Stulfauth obtained full con- trol of the business and he has since continued sole proprietor and editor of the publication, which ranks among the most successful and best

country weeklies in eastern Washington. Orig- inally the Capital was an independent sheet, but under Mr. Stulfauth's management, it became in 1892 a stanch supporter of Republican principles. Its political faith remains unaltered.

The Capital plant is modern and quite com- plete, including besides full lines of type, a news press, two jobbers, an Advance paper cutter, etc. The presses are operated by water power. It is comfortably located in the Bath brick block on Fourth street between Pearl and Pine streets, op- posite the Hotel Vanderbilt. The mechanical force is under foreman H. W. Rodman. The Capital is a neat seven-column, four page paper.

THE ELLENSBURG DAWN.

Third in point of age among Ellensburg's rep- resentatives of journalism, though second to none in the qualities that go to make a first-class newspaper, is the Dawn, now in its eleventh year. From a little six-page monthly magazine, six by nine inches in size, first issued in November, 1893, it has steadily grown and improved.

The Reformers' Dawn, as it was first called, was established by Robert A. Turner, who had been connected with reform work since 1876, to advocate the principles of the People's party as promulgated at Omaha, July 4, 1892. The paper was offered to the reading public for the insig- nificant sum of twenty-five cents a year. At that time the Populistic movement was sweeping westward with wonderful strength and had just reached Kittitas county in force. The result was that the little reform paper was so cordially re- ceived that after the fourth issue, the size of the paper was doubled, and in May, 1894, 1,250 sub- scribers were claimed by its publisher. The fol- lowing August it was again enlarged and with the campaign of that year really obtained its per- manent footing as a newspaper. The publication of the weekly Dawn was begun in August. It was eleven by fifteen inches in size and contained only four pages. Much skill and energy were re- quired to pilot the journalistic craft safely by the shoals and reefs of the hard times, but the feat was accomplished and when prosperity again came the paper forged ahead rapidly.

To enumerate all the changes and improve- ments made in the course of the Dawn's growth would be an endless task and not of general in- terest. At present the Dawn occupies quarters in the Albany block, in the very heart of the city, into which the plant was recently moved from its old location on Main street. Previous to that the office was in the Geddis annex, from 1897 to August, 1902. The first office was in the Cad- well block, but this becoming too small, the pa- per was removed in 1895 to the Geddis block and thence to the annex. The Dawn was printed for the first two years on an old fashioned Cottage

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hand press. Then a Rose hand cylinder was in- stalled, but this, too, was insufficient and too old fashioned, so in the spring of 1902, the present fine Challenge cylinder book and news press was purchased. This has a capacity of about 1,500 per hour and is an up to date machine in every respect. Other mechanical equipment has been added from time to time until the Dawn printing office has become one of the most complete in the county. The mechanical department is in charge of J. Mark Martin, a thoroughly compe- tent workman.

Politically, the Dawn is strictly independent, though at one time it was an ardent champion of Populism. Since the passing of the People's party, however, Editor Turner has devoted him- self rigidly to the task of promoting the general welfare regardless of party doctrine, and if there is one thing more than another that the Dawn is noted for, it is this independence. The columns are well filled with news and editorial matter, carefully and accurately written, and the presence of a goodly local advertising patronage indicates the popularity of the Dawn as an advertising medium.

THE CASCADE MINER.

The Miner alone, of half a dozen newspapers established in the city of Roslyn, has survived and today it is the sole representative of jour- nalism in the Roslyn district, with the one excep- tion of the Echo, published at Cle-Elum. The Roslyn Miner, as it was originally called, was es- tablished by the Republicans in 1896 as a cam- paign paper, John B. Armstrong becoming its first editor and publisher. The first number ap- peared September 14th. The paper's first home was on First street between Pennsylvania and Dakota avennes. The plant was originally a small, inexpensive one, costing but a few hun- dred dollars, and for a time only a four column folio was published, but this was soon changed to a seven-column folio with "patent" inside. Be- fore going to Roslyn, Mr. Armstrong had been connected with a newspaper in Ellensburg and being an experienced, capable man he issued a good paper.

Amasa S. Randall, also a former Ellensburg newspaper man, purchased the Miner, December 26, 1898, taking charge the first of the new year. The following April he associated with himself as a full partner, his brother, Urellis M. Randall, and together they organized the present Cascade Printing & Publishing Company. The next May they purchased a portion of the defunct Ellens- burg Register plant, and in December, 1899, in- stalled a Cottrell cylinder, the largest press ever brought to Roslyn. The press complete weighs six thousand five hundred pounds, occupies ninety-six square feet of floor space, and stands over six feet high. The big cylinder alone weighs

over a ton. Upon assuming charge of the Miner, the new proprietors changed its name to the Cas- cade Miner, the name which it now bears. Amasa S. Randall continues to act as manager of the company. The firm added the Cle-Elum Echo to its holdings in 1902, and in the spring of 1903 bought the Ellensburg Localizer. At present only the Localizer and the Miner are owned by the company, the Echo having been sold.

The Miner now has a well equipped plant oc- cupying apartments on First street and in con- nection is run an excellent jobbing department. The machinery is operated by water power. As the city's official paper, a well edited, cleanly printed and public-spirited journal, the Miner en- joys the esteem of the community and a position of credit among the weeklies of the state. U. M. Randall, assisted by L. L. Warner, is in charge. The paper continues to be an ardent advocate of Republican doctrine. In size, it is now an eight- page, six-column sheet.

THE CLE-ELUM ECHO.

Cle-Elum is fortunate in possessing such a wide-awake, able weekly as the Echo. The paper is much above the average and cannot help but aid materially in strengthening and upbuilding the community around it. Between the years 1891 and 1902 Cle-Elum was without a newspa- per, but in January of the latter year, Randall Brothers, of Roslyn, determined to enter the un- occupied field and began preparations for the publication of a paper. A very good small equip- ment was at once installed and a six-column folio commenced telling the local news. Charles S. Freeman first had charge of the business, but was later succeeded by Charles S. Fell. The latter purchased a half interest in the business in No- vember, 1903, from Randall Brothers; the bal- ance is owned by Walter J. Reed. The Echo is printed in a convenient office on Pennsylvania avenue. It is now a seven-column folio, all home print ; politically, it is Republican.

THE TEANAWAY BUGLE.

Among Kittitas county's pioneer journals that have long since become a memory was the Tean- away Bugle, published by G. W. and Fred Sea- ton, who dabbled in journalism as amateurs. Be- ginning some time in 1884, the little sheet, four pages nine by twelve inches in size, appeared at irregular intervals for about a year. Fred Seaton was the practical printer of the firm. Of this unique publication, the Cle-Elum Tribune, in 1891, gives the following interesting description :

"One of the earliest enterprises in Kittitas county that partook of the character of a news- paper was a little two-column folio which bore the title of The Teanaway Bugle. Its editor was Fred O. Seaton, and the office of the publication

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was a little old shack, located on the west bank of the beautiful Teanaway. In its initial number, an editorial announcement appears to the effect that the sheet would appear quarterly, but from a careful perusal of the files of the paper, it was made manifest that its editor, with conscious dis- regard, had twisted the 'quarterly' into broader 'periodically,' and made the periods conform to his unqualified convenience.

"The Bugle was a very newsy little paper, however, and it served its purpose. It dwelt 'freely and fearlessly' on the public and private life of the Teanaway valley, its varied resources, picturesque location, scenic beauty, and other at- tractive features, and regularly presented a very roseate word picture of its prospective future.

"Just about the time the Bugle was at the zenith of its prosperity there was a marked ab- sence of petticoats in the upper Kittitas country and, presuming from the tenor of an advertise- ment that appeared in several issues of the paper, it was evident that the sons of Adam, who were scattered throughout this region, in their solitary and hermit-like life, longed for the companion- ship and the civilizing influences of at least a few sympathetic daughters of Eve. 'PARTNERS WANTED! MUST BE FEMALES !! BEAUTY NO OBJECT !!! ' were the attractive headlines to the announcement in bold type, which read as fol- lows :

"'After roaming around this cold, cheerless and unsympathetic world for many years, with nothing to love, no one to caress us, we, the undersigned old bachelors, have at last settled down on lovely ranches in the charming valley of the peerless Tean- away. All that is wanting to complete our happi- ness is partners of the female persuasion. No cap- ital required and but few questions asked. Women of uncertain age and questionable beauty accept- able, provided they can otherwise pass examination. Sound teeth and strong constitutions are the essen- tial requisites. Address either S. L. Bates, J. B. Stevens,. A. Helmer, A. Haas, S. L. Taylor, J. H. · Moore, C. M. Giles, Colonel Mason, Ephraim Allyn, T. L. Gamble, Gus Pletat, N. Plaisted, H. Board- well, S. A. Bacon.'

"The proposition courted investigation and the postinaster at Teanaway was given as a reference. It is not known to the Tribune whether the an- nouncement was made at the request of the men whose names are affixed, but some inquiry devel- oped the information that two or three of the above named gentlemen are now enjoying the complete happiness sought, and that the little proclamation in the Bugle opened the way to the matrimonial en- tanglements. In this respect at least it is hoped that the paper served a good purpose.

THE GOSPEL PREACHER.

This journal was issued monthly in magazine form, beginning with May, 1893, for about two

years, in Ellensburg, the Rev. W. W. Stone being editor and publisher. It was the official state or- gan of the Christian church, and really a very ably edited little sheet. The Gospel Preacher went out of existence when Rev. and Mrs. Stone were com- pelled to go south for the health of the latter in 1895. They were pioneers of the Kittitas valley.

THE KITTITAS WAU-WAU.

The distinction of having been the first news- paper published in the region now embraced by Kittitas county unquestionably belongs to the Kit- titas Wau-Wau, a small amateur paper published in 1879 by Austin A. Bell and Harry M. Bryant, con- ducting a general store at Ellensburg under the firm name of Austin A. Bell & Co. Number one, volume one, appeared July 4th, 1879, and one other issue ended the career of this venturesome lit- tle journal.

THE KITTITAS STANDARD

next entered the Kittitas journalistic field and im- mediately became one of Ellensburg's substantial and popular business enterprises. With the Stand- ard the name of its founder, publisher and editor is inseparably connected, for Richard V. Chadd's strong personality made it what it was and gave it a territorial reputation. Before coming to Ellens- burg in 1883, Mr. Chadd had established and pub- lished for some time the Yakima Record, a paper that all old pioneers of central Washington will vividly remember. From an excerpt taken from Editor Chadd's salutatory, appearing in No. 1, Vol- ume I, of the Standard, June 16, 1883, we may fairly judge the character of the man :

"Hence, we simply announce our presence and simply make the promise that we shall publish an independent paper. It will be tied to no man's collar, in the interest of no clique, or ring, and is not a 'branch' establishment. Its publisher has in- vested solely his own means as a business venture. His well known independence is a guarantee of the truth of this assertion. Our aim shall be to pub- lish a local paper devoted exclusively to the inter- ests and development of Kittitas valley and vicinity. This is all the promise we make. People of Kit- titas, how like you the platform?"

However, it is not unlikely, indeed it is gener- ally understood to be a fact, that John A. Shoudy gave the Standard his personal support. This was considerable, as Mr. Shoudy owned the townsite, conducted an immense business and was otherwise publicly interested in the progress and welfare of the valley. At any rate, the Standard prospered and experienced a healthy growth for a number of years.

Editor Chadd was an able newspaper man and, true to his promise, gave the people an excellent journal, fearlessly independent, public-spirited and clean.

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Thursday evening, September 10, 1885, Charles Voorhees, the Democratic candidate for territorial delegate, addressed the people of Ellensburg upon the political issues of the day. Mr. Chadd, who had not been in good health for some time, at- tended the meeting, afterwards returning to his little office on Pearl street, near Third, to work. A noisy demonstration, with booming of anvils, fol- lowed the meeting. But Editor Chadd was not well and kept within. When citizens visited the office a little later, they found him at his desk, dead. Evidently his weak heart had been unable to with-

stand the shock occasioned by some unusually loud explosion and the cord of life had snapped. With his death, the publication of the Standard ceased and the plant was shipped to do duty elsewhere. Robert A. Turner, proprietor of the Dawn, possesses an incomplete file of the old Standard, which has been freely used in the compilation of the county's history. There are several other newspapers in the Kittitas journalistic graveyard but we will not trouble the reader with the inscriptions on their tombstones. Pace quiescant.

CHAPTER IV.

THE YAKIMA INDIANS.

Such are the difficulties in the way of him who would search deeply into the inner character and life of the Indian that they can be overcome only in a limited measure. The Indian is by nature reticent. To none but his true and tried friends will he unbosom himself at all, and even the man who has won his confidence must exercise much tact to gain from him an insight into his tradi- tions, folk-lore, religion and aspirations. "His language," says Dr. G. P. Kuykendall, "is difficult to comprehend ; its idioms are peculiar, and his manner of thought is widely different from ours. In his heart the Indian sincerely believes the tra- ditions and myths of his fathers; but it is diffi- cult to get him to open his mind and communi- cate them to the whites. In their zeal to correct the erroneous beliefs of the Indians, the white people usually laugh at his stories; and then he becomes silent. These things are sacred to him, and he cannot complacently bear to have them ridiculed. They are his bible, his code of laws, his system of philosophy and his religion. From him infancy he has heard these things related by his father as facts-sacred facts; and to him they are sacred."

It would seem, however, that Dr. Kuykendall has been quite successful in his efforts to reach the sanctum sanctorum of the Indian heart and to win from it its treasure of tradition and legend. Having been for years engaged as agency phy- sician on the Yakima reservation, he enjoyed un- usual opportunities for the study of Indian char- acteristics, and much of the material for his ex- cellent article on the Indians of the Pacific North-

west was doubtless compiled at this time. Very few writers have ever been so intimately asso- ciated with Indians in their every-day life as to admit of personal investigations into their char- acter and habits. The writer cheerfully acknowl- edges himself indebted to the researches of the doc- tor and to information furnished him by Indian Agent Jay Lynch for material assistance in the preparation of this chapter.

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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 81

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