USA > Washington > Spokane County > An illustrated history of Spokane county, state of Washington > Part 46
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superintendent of schools, Elmer Drake; sur- veyor, John Wetzel: attorney, J. Z. Moore; coroner, Dr. N. M. Baker : physician. B. R. Freeman ; justices of the peace, H. L. Kennan, city hall. G. H. Leonard, county court house, C. E. Bisbee : state representatives, senate, W. H. Plummer. W. E. Runner, Herman D. Crow (in place of H. E. Houghton, deceased ) ; legis- lature, H. E. Allen, Wallace Mount, Harry Rosenhaupt. R. N. McLean. J. F. Sexton, P. P. Witter, A. Harrison.
CHAPTER XXXII.
PIONEER REMINISCENCES.
"Every pioneer may justly feel proud of the city whose growth he has watched with paternal anxiety." "The pioneer's work is done, and the pioneer has ceased from his la- bor. Some have gone the way of all the earth; some linger still, while the shadows creep far- ther to the east. Fortunate men! Heaven hath bequeathed you a felicity unusual to those of earth. You look out upon a land, which from the wilderness you reclaimed, and see it filled with happy homes and peaceful firesides."
It has been said that the conditions sur- rounding the early settlers developed some of the best traits of character. "They were all honest because there was nothing to steal ; they were all sober because there was no liquor to drink ; there were no misers because there was no money to hoard; and they were all indus- trious, because it was work or starve." Pio- neer life, with all its struggles and sacrifices, is not without its compensations. With all its seriousness, it has its humorous features. In- deed not a few who have experienced to a large degree the deprivations incident to it come to enjoy it, so as to choose it in preference to so-
ciety life. In presenting these reminiscences it is far from the mind of the writer to reflect in any degree upon any of the living or the dead.
TIIE CONQUERING EDITOR.
Early in the 'eighties, when Spokane Falls was beginning to emerge from a country town to a city of importance, what may be desig- nated as a peculiar catastrophe occurred near what is now the center of the city. It is one of those events which, though serious at the time, the old settlers can never think of but it provokes a laughter. The editor of the weekly paper was disposed, as some thought, to have moral convictions and quite liable to interfere in public affairs, and expose what seemed to him corrupt methods in a manner that proved quite aggravating to some prominent citizens. It is well known that editors can be dreadfully provoking sometimes, as if they had some pleasure in hurting people's feelings. When they pick on common folks, it matters little. but when they "get at" prominent citizens. it occasionally leads to serious trouble. This ed- itor, was one of the kind that a man's position,
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or assumed importance in the community, had very little restraining or modifying influence over his ready and caustic quill. Some con- sidered him altogether too radical, and he did not escape being called a "crank." He became so bold in his arraignments of some forms of evil that some would rather that he be in hades than in the city on the falls. Things developed so that certain citizens of prominence, who had come here, like many others before and after, for their health, but had changed their minds and decided to have a little mammon too, had become objects of the editor's condemnation. The accusation was in the nature of taking too much liberty in appropriating certain pub- lic property. The people generally were not especially interested in the matter, for many thought that what belonged to all could be taken by anyone who needed it and could con- veniently put his hand upon it. The editor started with mild warnings, then rather strong remonstrance. But finally he became dread- fully in earnest. Some would call him hot. And when the blood was flowing warm in his veins and the flush of indignation spreading o'er his countenance, he sat down and wrote a burning article. There was no equivocating, no mincing matters. But straight hits from the shoulder. It stung some like an adder, for it was altogether too true. The paper was dis- tributed. A prominent citizen read the article. He shouted out : "I won't stand any more of that - insults." Although generally calm, amiable and self-possessed, he became wild with rage: "No more of this stuff." He then threw down his hat without knowing it. stamped the floor with his heel and pounded the desk with his fist. He verily roared : "I'll sweep the floor with that - editor." He who was accustomed to be sweet and select in his diction became so reckless and hot that his language permeated the air with odors of Ge- henna. "Give me my gun!" he demanded of his chief clerk; "he'll retract or he'll be a dead man in less than five minutes." Out he rushed
into the street, moving with a velocity that astonished the bystanders. When the chief clerk saw him going he also armed himself and hastened after, and was able to overtake his employer only by running as he entered the doorway leading to the second story, where the editor worked. The stalwart editor and wife were somewhat startled when they heard the racket of the two men rushing up the stair- way. A moment after the editor saw before him the flashing eyes, trembling lips and burn- ing cheeks of the prominent citizen, who, with revolver in hand, thundered out : "Retract, sir; retract, sir, in a moment, or you're a dead man." There was no time for an ordinary man to think, but the editor had time to pick up the iron side-stick near at hand and, quicker than lightning. the prominent citizen's arm was lamed and his revolver was thrown to the other side of the room. The young man en- tered the affray with pistol in hand, but the printer's iron did the work again-the weapon was knocked out of his hand. The prominent citizen had found his pistol by this time and was aiming again, but a missile from the edi- tor hit his arm just in time. The weapon dis- charged, struck the stove-pipe. The wiry edi- tor began to realize his ability and the super- iority of his weapons. He went at it like a wild lion, using his iron stick with great rapidty and marvelous effect. There was close struggling, blood was scattered over the room, cases of type were pied, and the prominent citizen and chief clerk were soon tumbling over each other down the stairs, and the editor helped them to roll over the sidewalk into the gutter and left them with their heels pointing to the skies. The attacking party received severe scalp wounds, which had to be sewed up. This is the way the editor crowed in the following issue of the paper: "Warrants for the arrest of have been issued. but neither will be able to be out, perhaps, for weeks. The ed- itor was not injured, but is somewhat tired." In due time the matter was amicably settled.
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and they became fast friends, and it was the last attempt, as far as we know, at assaulting a Spokane editor.
AN EMBARRASSED OFFICIAL.
In early days a municipal official was called to participate in the ceremony connected with the laying of the corner-stone of a public building, He had not counted that the official position which he occupied would demand the discharge of such duties, and the gravity of the situation appalled him. His genuine de- sire to be courteous, and also to fili his place in a manner that commended him to the public, were the only reasons why he did not flatly de- cline the honor. Though a man of excellent parts, he did not deem himself endowed with the desirable gift of speech-making. The in- vitation brought upon him an oppressive feel- ing, and he began to think that municipal bur- dens were more than he could bear. He pleaded unfitness, of course, but to no avail, for it has always been taken for granted that to fill a high position implies the ability to make a public speech. He made futile attempts at finding a substitute, but that would not do unless he went on a trip far away, which was not very conven- ient in those days. Finally, after much fear, and trembling, and consulting, and gathering pointers here and there, his courage assumed itself, and a speech became a possibility. The spare moments were improved, and the speech was laboriously prepared. After the final re- vision, it seemed to him quite a respectable ef- fort, and worthy of almost any occasion. The great day came, and the august occasion with it. The audience was a select one. After some preliminary exercises, the city official was called to perform his part. He was sufficiently im- posing in appearance to grace any occasion, but self-possession failed him. The speech, which had been read, and re-read, and repeated over and over, until it was thoroughly mas- tered, slipped from his mind in a mysterious
manner. After some hacking and stuttering, he was able to say : "Mr. President," and the sec- ond attempt carried him successfully over "La- dies and gentlemen." He informed them that he was not accustomed to make speeches, but he said "I thought-I would come-and-and -do my best, and at least offer a few extem- porary words, and. and-to be safe. I wrote down my remarks," whereupon he took a man- uscript from his pocket and proceeded to read. There is no probability that his vision served him well enough to observe the smile that spread over the countenances of the congrega- tion. It is sufficient to say that the paper took well, although it was quite difficult for some- especially the ladies-to forget the humorous feature of the performance.
ELECTION JOKE.
The exuberant spirit of the pioneers made them thoroughly appreciative of a joke. There is usually no particular sensitiveness as to who it hits or hurts, for it's only a joke, which is deemed a necessary stimulant. There are those who believe that the most genuinely humorous thing which ever happened in the history of Spokane was an election joke. The most of the people in those days were too busy and ambi- tious in other things to think much of politics. Candidates for offices were not as numerous and ravenous as they are today. It looked as if there would be but one candidate for the highest office within the gift of the people. Some of the jolly fellows began to talk the mat- ter over, and decided that it would not do. A man who had strayed into the city from some unknown quarter, who was in the tinkering business, possessing no qualifications for the office, was selected as an opposing candidate. The joke proved contagious, and went like wild-fire. The candidate appreciated the com- pliment, and went into the campaign with all the earnestness of his being. He had some money and used it freely in making votes. The
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election resulted in a surprise to many, and there were those who intimated that if strict count had been made, the tinker would have been elected.
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
It is evident that the old settlers knew how to have good times. Why not? They were clever folks on the whole. A description of the celebration of the Fourth of July, 1879, as found in the Spokan Times for July 10. 1879, is full of interest :
"The celebration at this place on the Fourth was a grand success, and with the ex- ception of the slight rainfall in the afternoon, all who participated considered it one of the most pleasant days they had spent for a num- ber of years. The exercises were carried out in accordance with the program published in our last issue. As Mr. Wellington was not present, Mr. J. M. Nosler was appointed pres- ident of the day. After calling the audience to order, a prayer was offered by the Rev. S. G. Havermale. An address of welcome by Hon. D. F. Percival followed. Mr. Percival's efforts to convince the large gathering that they were welcome to join in the festivities of the day were successful, and all seemed to join in the pleasures with one accord. At the con- ciusion of his remarks, that grand old tune, 'America,' was sung, and all seemed to feel what it expressed in words. This was followed by the reading of the Declaration of Independ- ence by J. T. Lockhart, which was excellent and enjoyed by all present. After the reading of the Declaration, 'Hail Columbia' was sung. The oration by J. J. Browne, Esq., was a well- rendered piece of oratory. The orator recalled many of the acts of independence of our fore- fathers, which elicited hearty applause from the audience. One of the many acts was the cast- ing overboard of the tea in Boston harbor. On hearing this, one person in the audience became so patriotic as to shout 'Bully for the Boston tea party!' At the conclusion of the oration
Mr. Rowe sang as a solo 'The Star Spangled Banner,' the Glee Club joining in the chorus. The rendition of this solo was excellent, and was responded to by the crowd with a hearty applause. The forenoon's program having been exhausted, preparations were made for dinner, which was enjoyed by all.
"After dinner the audience was called to- gether by the firing of the anvil, when the toasts were offered and responded to by those called on. Next was an address of welcome to the Northern Pacific Railroad by Dr. Water- house, which was responded to by Mr. Weeks, chief of the surveying party, who said he felt safe in saying that by another Fourth of July the people of this part of the country would hear the whistle of the locomotive mingling with the anvil. Another toast was next offer- ed, and at the conclusion of the response, Mr. Percival amused the people with a humorous speech, which was appreciated by the fun-lov- ing part of the gathering, as it was replete with wit and humor. Several others favored the audience with short speeches.
"The crowd next adjourned to the base ball ground to witness a game between a nine picked from the survey party and the Spokan Falls club. The surveyors had their choice, and took the field. The Spokans made thir- teen runs and then took the field, the survey- ors making eight runs before getting out. At the conclusion of this inning the rain began to fall. and the game was called by the um- pire. Capt. Pease, the score standing, Spokans 13. Surveyors 8. This ended the afternoon's sports.
"In the evening a large number assembled at the hall and, although the building was crowded, a very enjoyable time was experi- enced. Dancing was kept up until a late hour. The supper, which was served at the Califor- nia House at about 12 o'clock, was gotten up in good style. The Fourth will come again, and we hope our friends will come again then, at farthest."
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PIONEER MERCHANTS.
Editor Frank M. Dallam wrote some rem- iniscences of Spokane for the "Palmer Moun- tain Prospector" a few years ago (1883) : "Jim Glover's residence, where the Tull block now is, was out of town, and horse races took place where the magnificent Review building now stands.
"Christmas .- We sailed out, accompanied by our better half, to secure the customary Christmas wares. Charley Sweeney had a general merchandise store on the corner of Howard street and Front avenue. Harry Hay- ward eked out an existence with a small stock of pipes and tobacco, and a very punk assort- ment of men's furnishings. Henry French kept stick-candy and a little of nothing. Wol- verton Brothers carried hardware. The late lamented A. M. Cannon had a stock running from dry goods to country produce. R. W. Forrest had a stock of groceries that would not load a wagon. Bloody Blooming Morris, an erratic Englishman, had a job-lot of nick-nacks that would now be looked upon with contempt at the Siding. J. B. Blalock sold shoes, when not pegging them. Charley McNab had a shelf full of drugs, and Louis Ziegler had one cook stove and a few boxes of assorted hardware. There were a few others in trade, but they were all short in stock and long in hope. We made the round of the whole town, but there was not a toy, not a single doll, not a single book, not a single pound of candy, that had not lost its color from contact with flies. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could be purchased appropriate for a child's stocking, or a gift for a grown person, and the collection for the family was abridged to a very homely wooden rocking-chair for a little girl, the en- tire stock of ten-penny nails of one hardware firm and a claw hammer for an infant boy. some doubtful candy and a few handfuls of pop-corn. The things were not very alluring, but we did not propose to let those stockings
hang there limp and empty Christmas morn- ing. even if we were forced to stuff them with scrap-iron and tin cans. Yet those were happy days, when the greed of gain had not curdled the milk of human kindness, when men treated each other as friends and brothers, when every individual was on the same plane, in a worldly sense, when loyalty to the town and the inhab- itants thereof stood next to the love and fear of God. There were big. warm-hearted, tried and true men in the community, and none who were there will ever look upon their like again."
FIELD DAY.
Oh the simplicity of the early days! The genuine fellowship, the co-operation! It is in- teresting to find how essential public improve- ments were accomplished by the pioneers. The word "boodle" was not found in their dictionary. We will give a sample of the call given through the weekly paper twenty-one years ago :
"We are determined to try the mettle with which the population of Spokane Falls is made. The Lord helps those who are willing to help themselves. If we want a road between our city and the beautiful plains just outside the suburbs of our city limits, let us put our hands to the undertaking and construct the same. We are deeply interested in this matter. Many strong and willing hands are ready to give valuable assistance only waiting the op- portunity to serve the best interests of the traveling public and this community.
Come one, come all, both great and small. Ye handsome and ye gay: Come, go your length; display your strength. In rolling rocks away. -Selected, of course.
"On Friday morning of next week. all able-bodied men-without regard to position or circumstance-who are interested in the welfare of this community will be found on the route of the new road east of town, to con- tribute one day's hard labor to a good cause.
ALBERT D. HOPPER SPOKANE
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"Better, still : The day's work will be made one of pleasure by the presence of ladies, who will prepare and spread the laborers' dinner at the noon of day. This will make the occa- sion an enjoyable one.
"Committee on location, Captain J. M. Nosler. L. M. Rima and William D. Parks; committee on dinner, Mrs. A. M. Cannon, Mrs. W. C. Gray. Mrs. Dr. Masterson and Mrs. S. G. Havermale : committee on tools and organi- zation, Captain George A. Pease, Herbert Per- cival and Sam Arthur. We will give further particulars next week."
A large company came together. irrespec- tive of class or condition, and a full day's work was done and all felt good A similar call was made with favorable results to make a bridge over Hangman creek The above call was to make the first road from the city to what is now Union Park. The road was a little cir- cuitous, but quite passable. How different the method as compared with that of later years, when the cost of grading, or at least the amount which some had to pay, was more than the market value of the property. No wonder that some fail to see that civilization civilizes-and prefer the "old ways."
A DISAPPOINTMENT.
A good story is told of one of Spokane's early professional men. He had a good ranch a few miles out of town and was fond of gar- dening. The spring seemed to have come very early and garden was planted accordingly. He was elated over the prospects and wrote glowing letters to his friends, and finally in- vited them to come and visit him on a certain day and help him eat peas. string beans and lettuce. This invitation was accepted, and al- though the friends arrived a day or two later than the date set, they found the garden cov- ered with four inches of snow. The profes- sional man had to resort to the common apology, "unusual season," but his friends
were rather suspicious that his description of his garden was rather extravagant.
From the manuscript autobiography of the late Rev. H. G. Stratton, for the use of which we are indebted to the courtesy of his widow. Mrs. Louise Stratton, we quote the following :
"On the evening of the 3rd of September, 1878. our old express wagon, drawn by two cayuse ponies with United States mail and several passengers, climbed up the Hangman creek hill, and I got my first view of the little hamlet of Spokane Falls. The Brownes had moved there about the first of July. that sum- mer. to grow up with the country. I found them in two unfinished rooms in the old Post dwelling house. now a part of the Falls View Hotel. Mr. Frederick Post had just finished a part of the flouring mill. the old structure south of the C. & C. mill. This was the pio- neer enterprise of all this vast region, which now produces twenty million bushels of wheat yearly. I saw unloaded from the backs of cayuses sewed up in skin sacks among the first, if not the very first. lot of wheat sold in this market. The quality raised by the Indians and brought many miles in this primitive method of carriage was hardly equal to that graded now as AI. Mr. Post had a government contract to supply the soldiers necessary to keep hostile Indians in check. As the Indians grew the only grain in the country, buyers were glad to get whatever was offered. Anna was not well. and to give her a chance to sleep I took Master Guy with some lumps of loaf sugar to inaugurate the weaning process. Mr. Browne I found piling lumber at the small up and down saw-mill owned by the firm of Cannon, Glover. Browne. & Warner, which practically owned and controlled everything about the town. Mr. Browne had a law office in the front room of the story-and-a-half store building at the corner of Front and Howard. diagonally across from where the city hall now stands. Back of this office was a small hall, the only place for a public gathering in the place, where
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I preached Sunday, September 6. 1878, to about forty people, probably nearly half of them Indians, who crouched on the floor by the door. We borrowed an organ somewhere and Anna played. The Cowleys were there, the Post family. Mrs. Cannon, Mrs. Warner, and most of the people. This was probably one of the first religious services ever held for white people in Spokane. Mr. Cowley preached to the Indians in a church built for them near his present residence on land claimed by Enoch. Mr. Cowley then and for several years afterward, held a commission from our Board of Foreign Missions, and he was hold- ing meetings for them-Indians-at different places, Deep Creek and others. After one morning service, steps were taken to organize the first Sabbath school, which was consum- mated the succeeding Sunday with A. E. Ellis as the superintendent. Mr. Ellis was still su- perintendent of the Union Sunday school when I returned in 1881 to make Spokane my home. I volunteered to provide lesson helps and papers for the first six months. Monday morning Mr. Browne hired a hack and team for a trip to Mica Peak, expecting to ascend the mountain and get back to camp about 4 P. M. Mr. Browne became sick and nearly used up. Before Sunday I had visited the William- sons on Moran Prairie, people from Albany, Congregationalists, Cowleys, and others, and had a list of twelve or fifteen people ready to go into a Presbyterian church as soon as a man could be sent to organize and take charge of the work. When I returned and reported the matter to Dr. Lindsley the prospects for growth seemed to him too remote to warrant imme- diate action, and so the matter was dropped. I was very favorably impressed with Spokane as the leading point for a vast region and would have tried to get hold of some property if I had not been obliged to return to Portland and prepare for the fall meeting of presbytery.
"The Indians were in force across the river,
and very jealous of any attempts of the whites to get land or settle there. There were a few settlers on Peone, but what is now Five Mile Prairie was then exclusively claimed by the Siwashes. There was no way of getting across the river except by small boats. and when across the danger from the Indians was immi- nent. But if one could only have foreseen the future at that time. there would have been for- tunes in it.
"Sunday Mr. B. and I walked out to the banks of Hangman, up which Mr. B. said the Northern Pacific Railroad then projected, both from the east and the west. must come up on the great Spokane plains, over which the road could be built much more economically than by any other route. Results showed the truth of his prognostications, and after my return, Guy, and I think Earle, rode with me on the first engine that climbed up the Hangman hill, back to Cheney and return. That Sunday afternoon, Browne. Anna, Guy and myself by walking over logs, etc., crossed the south channel and sat down at a point I think below the present water works station, from which we could count twelve falls or cascades.
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