USA > Washington > Douglas County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 78
USA > Washington > Adams County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 78
USA > Washington > Franklin County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 78
USA > Washington > Lincoln County > An illustrated history of the Big Bend country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington, pt 2 > Part 78
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82
But the people of Adams county desired a paper and they were not destined to remain long without one. The Record plant still re- mained in Ritzville, and this was secured by WV. E. Blackmer, who launched the Adams County Times July 2, 1887. For many years Mr. Blackmer continued to preside over the destiny of this, the only paper in the county, until December, 1894. In the disastrous fire of June 6, 1888, the Times was almost com- pletely destroyed, the loss being placed at $1,- 200, covered by $500 insurance. A new outfit was secured within a few weeks and the Times like a phoenix, rose from its ashes. In his first issue after the paper was on its feet again Editor Blackmer said :
"Things in general are coming rather 'rocky' for us at present. Just as we were feeling at home in our new house it was burned,
and we were left homeless; our printing press was warped, twisted, sprung and melted until it looked like anything but material belonging to the 'art preservative;' one of the insurance companies, who had several losses, refuses to pay all except ours, and because there is no hole to crawl through we are compelled to wait the full 60 days ; and last, but not least, several of our exchanges have 'cut' us because the Times did not appear for 30 days. This is rough, especially so when taking into consider- ation that the only pair of scissors was lost in the late conflagration, and we now have to bor- row our wife's button-hole cutter to mutilate the exchanges which have stuck to us."
January 1, 1894, the Times became the property of F. P. Greene and J. D. Crosette, the latter having had editorial charge for some time previous. The name was changed from the Adams County Times to Ritzville Times. Again the Times came under the control of Mr. Blackmer as we find that he was in the posses- sion during the campaign of 1894, and he con- tinued as the owner of the paper until the fall of 1896. January Ist, of that year the plant was leased by Mr. Blackmer to James A. Ewell, who had been employed on the paper for some time. Under Mr. Ewell's management the Times was a free silver Republican organ.
October 3, 1896, Jesse Dorman, who was the proprietor of the Ritzville Mail, purchased the Times of Mr. Blackmer and consolidated the two papers, continuing publication under the name of Ritsville Times. It now became Populistic in politics. During the next few years there were many changes in the owner- ship and politics of the Times. Orris Dor- man secured control and published it for some time. The first of the year 1899 it passed into the hands of W. O. Lewis and R. N. Hender- son, who started out to publish a nonpartisan paper. Mr. Henderson remained with the journal only a short period, as we find that on January 27, 1899, W. O. Lewis was sole pub- lisher. February 10th, of the same year, Da-
995
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
vid W. Pettijohn who had been employed on the Times staff for some time, became a part- ner of Mr. Lewis. November 3d Mr. Petti- john's name appeared alone as publisher. The latter continued in this capacity until April 12, 1901, when W. S. Swenson, who had been in the service of the Adams County News for two years previous, purchased a half-interest. It has since been published by Pettijohn & Swen- son. The Times is Democratic. It is issued from a well equipped office and is one of the leading papers of the great wheat producing counties of eastern Washington.
Samuel E. De Rackin, who played such a sensational, but not always successful role in the newspaper and political history of Lincoln county during the middle '90's, enjoyed a brief journalistic experience in Adams county. In December, 1894, he brought a plant to Ritz- ville and established a Populist paper to which he gave the name Ritzville Mail. Within a few months' time Mr. De Rackin disposed of his Adams county newspaper to C. H. Scott. It appears that the Mail was not destined to re- main under any one management for a great length of time, and Mr. William King soon became the editor and proprietor. Later it passed into the hands of Jesse Dorman. Oc- tober 3. 1896, Mr. Dorman purchased the Adams County Times and discontinued the publication of the Mail. The plant, which had done service in Ritzville for a little less than two years, was taken to Pasco.
The Pythian Herald was a monthly pub- lication devoted to the interests of the Knights of Pythias. It was printed for a few months at Ritzville, its first number appearing in July, 1895. The publishers were Blackmer & Ewell, at that period proprietors of the Times. The Herald was, typographically, a handsome sheet, and the letter press exhibited evidence of care- ful preparation. Lack of financial support caused its demise.
It is doing no injustice to the many other excellent newspaper offices in the Big Bend
country to state that the neatest and best equip- ped office in the territory of which this history treats, is that of the Adams County News, pub- lished at Ritzville by E. D. Gilson and J. R. Thompson. The Newe's owns its own home, a handsome brick building erected especially for a newspaper. office. As one enters the editorial rooms the idea thoroughly impresses one that a mistake has been made, and that instead of entering a printing office he is being ushered into a parlor. The walls are lined, the tables are covered and the windows are filled with curios and works of art, in the examination of which one might profitably spend many hours. But not alone in the editorial rooms does the News appear to good advantage. In the com- posing and press rooms are all the equipments necessary in a modern printing office. This handsome collection of curios belong exclu- sively to Mr. Gilson.
The Adams County News was established February 2, 1898, by J. A. Thompson, who was at that time sheriff of Adams county. Al- though an office holder Mr. Thompson con- ducted the Newes as an independent paper. It was established as a seven-column folio, with two pages of patent matter, which form it still retains. On October 10, 1898, Mr. Thomp- son died, and for a short time the paper was conducted under the proprietorship of Mrs. N. E. Thompson, and the management of J. R. Thompson. In November, 1898, Mr. E. D. Gilson secured an interest in the business and since that period it has been conducted by Mr. Gilson and Mr. J. R. Thompson. The Nere's is a Republican journal.
July 20, 1901, M. P. Stephens, who had been engaged in the newspaper business at Har- rington, printed the first issue of the Paha Hub. The Hub ceased to revolve just prior to the election of 1902.
One of the most interesting, spicy, and best edited papers in Eastern Washington, one that is more generally copied than any other in the same territory, is the Lind Leader, published at
996
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
Lind by Al P. Haas. Mr. Haas is a brilliant and able writer and is thoroughly versed in the mechanical branch of the newspaper business. As a result he has succeeded in bringing the Leader to the front as one of the prominent journals of the great wheat belt of Washington. Mr. Haas came to Lind in the fall of 1899, and on November 4th established the Lind Herald, a six-column folio, with two pages patent matter. Politically, it was independent. He published the Herald for little over a year, and then, early in December, 1900, he pur- chased a complete new outfit in Portland, Ore- gon, and launched the Lind Leader. He has been gradually adding material to the plant until he now has an exceptionally well-equipped newspaper plant. Among the latest additions is a Simplex type-setting machine installed in the spring of 1904. This was the first Simplex in Eastern Washington outside of Spokane, and, according to the Simplex Company, Lind is the smallest town in the United States in which one of these machines is in use.
The Washtucna Enterprise was started March 21, 1902, by Eugene Lawton, formerly of Everett. The Enterprise under Mr. Law- ton's management was a four-column quarto, four pages being patent, and was independent in politics. October 9, 1903, Mr. Lawton sold the paper to Gale Smith and removed to Walla Walla, where he accepted a position as man- aging editor of one of the daily papers of that city. The Enterprise is now a four-column, twelve-page paper. Under both proprietors it has been an excellent paper, and has done much to advance the interests of Washtucna.
April 4, 1902, J. F. Dealy, who had form- erly been employed on the Adams County Newes, launched the Hatton Hustler, a six- column folio with "patent insides," which he has since published. January 2, 1903, the Hustler was enlarged to a quarto, but in July of the same year it was reduced to its old size. May 6, 1904, a new press was installed since
which period the Hustler has been a five-column quarto with four pages patent. It is a bright, newsy paper, and is fully appreciated by the citizens of Hatton.
Another attempt was made to publish a paper in Paha. Early in 1904 the Adams County Hub, a seven-column folio, with two pages of home print, was established by the Hub Publishing Company, of which L. O. Stewart was the manager. After a few months' life the Hub suspended.
FRANKLIN COUNTY.
The Pasco Headlight, the pioneer paper of Franklin county, was thrown to the breeze February 10, 1888. The paper was in editorial charge of I. N. Muncy, not the least versatile member of the press association. Aside from editing the journal and managing its business Mr. Muncy was agent for the sale of a patent lamp, was a real estate agent, attended all the county and city conventions as a delegate, and was also a tiller of the soil. By combining these various avocations he managed to make both ends meet.
The Franklin Recorder was established at Pasco about the first of January, 1897, by C. T. Geizentanner. The plant was one formerly used in the publication of the Ritsville ( Adams county), Mail. In May, 1897, Mr. Geizen- tanner purchased the material and good will of the Pasco News, and consolidated the two under the name of the News-Recorder.
Number I, volume I, of the Franklin County Register, published at Connell, was is- sued Friday, September 20, 1901, by A. H. Harris. Mr. H. L. King, an able newspaper manager and forceful writer, was installed as manager. At its inception the Register was a five-column folio. May 2, 1902, the paper was enlarged to a seven-column folio, which form it still retains. February 6, 1904, the Register
997
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
passed into the sole possession of Mr. King, who is making a most excellent paper of the property. Mr. King is, also, United States Land Commissioner, located at Connell.
The Pasco Pilot was established Septem- ber 7, 1889, by M. V. Harper & Sons. It has since gone the way of all its predecessors, leav- ing the. Express alone in the field.
CHAPTER II.
REMINISCENT.
LOST ON THE PLAINS OF THE BIG BEND.
(From a series of sketches written by Mrs. W. W. Foote on "Early Times and Old Time Folk," for the Spokane Spokesman-Re- viere. )
By the year 1878 something like a hopeful and permanent growth had begun in all the material interests of the vicinity of Spokane. The little town of Spokane could muster a population of nearly 200 white persons. With the influx of population to our city in the year mentioned came J. J. Browne, always a promi- nent figure in every enterprise for Spokane's good. In a field so ripe for harvest Mr. Brown naturally, practiced for some years his chosen profession of the law and no better idea can be gained of the breezy characters and customs which prevailed in our community at that time than by listening to his inimitable portrayal of some of the experiences which he calls so com- monplace. The tales of frontier life which he tells in leisure moments have all the human and pathos of "Georgia Scenes," and the picturesque vividness of Eggleston's Hoosier sketches. One incident which illustrates many phases of pioneer life in the new country Mr. Browne thus relates :
Two men had located upon adjoining ranches in the Medical Lake country, and each claiming a coveted 40 which adjoined both farms, there was constant bickering between
the men, and a fresh law suit considerably oftener than a new moon. At length a violent encounter occurred and that night, or rather about four o'clock next morning, Mr. Browne was awakened by the succession of war whoops by which it was customary to summon a neigh- bor to his door in those days. The somewhat unseasonable caller proved to be a man-Cav- anaugh by name-who was in the hands of the sheriff for suspected complicity in the shooting affray between the two men before mentioned, Akers and Conover, namely, and was on his way to Liberty Lake for examination. This call was to engage Mr. Browne's professional services in his defense, so in a short time the attorney followed his client and was on hand when the trial began early in the day.
The justice who presided at the examina- tion was one of those typical solons whose con- ception of official duties comprises nothing further than strict construction of the law and evidence absolutely cited. The prosecuting at- torney produced such slight evidence as could be obtained, and read from an old statute book the law in such case made and provided. Mr. Browne, provided with a more recent digest, saw that he could afford to dispense with the evidence in favor of his client, and read im- pressively to his honor the act by which the law quoted by his learned adversary had been repealed. The scrupulous judge dismissed the prisoner for lack of a law by which to commit
998
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
him, Mr. Browne prudently refraining from reading the amended re-enactment of the law which instantly followed the repeal so oppor- tunely cited.
But the Akers-Conover imbroglio was still to be adjusted, and the same witching hour of the next morning Mr. Browne, as attorney for the latter, was again summoned from his bed by the same matin haloo from Mr. Cavanaugh and requested to go to Crab Creek, some fifty miles away, and defend his client, Conover, against the charge of shooting his neighbor, Akers. Arriving a day later at the scene of the trial, Mr. Browne again encountered the pro- secuting attorney, a fiery little Frenchman, whose English made him a butt in the un- tutored community. The justice in this case was prone to decide his case in court upon grounds not strictly covered by law and evi- dence, and the vor populi in this instance was that of the rancher and the cowboy. These Mr. Browne propitiated by an' adroit mimicry of his opponent's struggles with our language, thereby ruffling the Gallic temper and afford- ing unconcealed amusement to the court and spectators. Ascertaining the drift of public sympathy, Mr. Browne entered the unblushing plea that the plaintiff in the case was no good, anyway, that he was more than suspected of cattle stealing, that his client was perfectly justifiable in shooting so dangerous a man as a means of self defense, and that, as he had only shot him slightly, by way of a hint, instead of fatally, as he deserved, the shootee should take warning and reform, and the inno- cent shooter be dismissed. And he was, though the session of this frontier court was prolonged until 3 o'clock a. m.
The next matter on the program of this celebrated case was the settlement of the at- torney's fees by both of his grateful clients on the spot in promissory notes, as they were in the condition laconically described as "broke." Mr. Browne had with him on this trip his wife and eldest son, then a baby of one year. Desir-
ing to come home by way of Deep Creek, he obtained explicit directions over the lonely and unfamiliar road, and thought he should recog- nize instantly the spring and bunch of willows at which his course was to deviate from north to east. But the sky clouded over, a heavy rain came one and as they traveled in an open car- riage, and must have been struggling with an umbrella at the turning point, they went on and on, presumably to the east, until as the sun shone out almost at setting, they discovered that they were on the wrong side of that lum- inary, as it were, and decided that the line of timber then heaving into sight was none other than the banks of the Columbia, and that they were not less than eighty miles from home.
A ranch-blessed sight-was visible, the first one seen during the day, and they cast themselves upon the hospitality of the owner, a kindy soul who had mated with one of the daughters of the native race and rejoiced in a family of a half a dozen half-breed children. The host made them welcome to the best he had, and, as his wife was absent, he prepared the evening meal himself with the skill of long apprenticeship. A pig's head was boiling over the fire-place, and to this was added a mixture of flour and water which served for bread, and a thinner compound of the same ingredients was served in the form of gravy. These viands, with a cup of tea, completed the menu, to which they sat down with the whole family, the hostess having returned. The one room, with its fire-place and earthen floor, served all purposes for the family and guests, and all hands passed the night upon buffalo robes around the walls. The feelings of the travelers can be imagined, perhaps, but certainly never portrayed, when morning revealed the escape of their team from the ill-fenced pasture, with small probability of recovering the horses nearer than Spokane. The alternative of an eighty-mile walk with a young baby and other impediments was only a degree less formidable to Mrs. Browne than a forced sojourn at that
999
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
place alone until the horses could be recovered. Fortunately the ranch afforded a saddle horse, upon which the eldest son of the farmer soon set out by short cuts of the road to Spokane, hoping to head off the fugi- tives, while Mr. Browne took their trail to overtake them if possible, and Mrs. Browne abandoned herself to waiting, she knew not how long. By special interven- tion of Providence, however, the boy sighted the runaways after a two hours' ride, and Mr. Browne heard with joy his significant war- whoop from the hill-tops in communication of the fact. The two soon "surrounded," and turned and corralled the animals, and a two days' drive to Spokane was soon begun.
Of the two promissory notes given as at- torney's fees in the cases mentioned, Mr. Browne says that of Mr. Cavanaugh was pre- sently paid, but the other, a happy-go-lucky, or unlucky Irishman, let the payment lapse once and again, promising to pay in stock, hay, eggs, etc., but never fulfilling until years rolled away, and Mr. Browne, but for an occasional reminder from Conover himself would have forgotten the debt; though, as it covered for- mer transactions, also, its amount was con- siderable. Finally there came, some five years after the date of the note, a letter from Mr. Conover couched in the following language: "Mr. Browne :- Dear sir-I am very sorry I have been unable to pay your note, but cir- cumstances have made it impossible. I have no doubt you saved me from the penitentiary. I fully appreciate your efforts in my behalf, and I am not ungrateful. I have been more anxious in the matter than you have, and my failure to pay has worried me almost beyond endurance. I cannot sleep and am almost mad with despair. I will call in a few days, but thought best to write," etc.
The letter enclosed a clipping from the Irish World, with the request to read care- fully and return-the clipping being an outcry of the laboring man at $1.50 per day against
the professional man at $10, was taken by Mr. Browne, in connection with the harrowing let- ter, as a piece of facetiousness on the part of his queer client. But some two days later the Irish gentleman appeared in person at Mr. Browne's office and retracted the pathetic state- ments made in his letter.
"Well, I am glad you have had the grace to worry about it, at least," said Mr. Browne.
The other went on to tell how he had worked on the railroad at Pasco until sickness had laid him up and dissipated all his hard earnings but $15, which he wanted Mr. Browne to take and relinquish the note. Mr. Browne thought this hardly fair, as the note and interest by that time amounted to some $75. At the mention of interest, Mr. Conover jumped up-a full-fledged populist orator- and delivered a carefully prepared speech, one and one-half hours in length, upon professional and social topics, quite in the inflammatory style of his cherished clipping from the Irish World. He quoted every line Shakespeare ever wrote upon avarice, greed, and hearts of stone, and, as it was not a busy day, Mr. Browne abandoned himself to the entertain- ment thus offered, and felt that he was realiz- ing something on the old debt at last. When the tirade was ended Mr. Conover offered to add a good Winchester rifle to the $15 in pay- ment of the debt, if Mr. Browne would give up the note then and there. The money was paid down, the gun promised in a few days, and the note handed over, with little expecta- tion on the part of Mr. Browne of ever seeing or hearing from his queer client again. But the next morning, upon going to his palatial residence in the only brick building in the town, at the corner of Mill and Riverside, there upon the outer stairs sat Mr. Conover, smiling contentedly. Mr. Browne asked him to enter, but he said politely, "After you ; after you."
Presently he came up the stairs with meas- ured tread and entered the office in military style, with head erect and gun at shoulder, and
1000
HISTORY OF THE BIG BEND COUNTRY.
marching up to Mr. Browne with perfect grav- ity, saluted and said: "Mr. Browne, it gives me pleasure to present you with this gun; the finest gun in America; the very gun I shot Ben Akers with. Do me the favor to keep it always as a trophy."
Thus ended the pioneer lawyer's experience with one "bad man from Bitter Creek."
HELL GATE.
Most everyone in eastern Washington knows of Hell Gate, on the Columbia river. There are very few, though, that have heard how a semi-civilized tribe of Indians attempted to dam the Columbia river at this point for the purpose of securing a large nugget of gold that had dropped into the river from an overhang- ing ledge of quartz. For the benefit of those who have never visited the place a short de- scription of it, as it appears at present will be given.
The river at Hell Gate is about 60 yards wide. The north bank is a butte, or mountain of quartz formation, about 1,000 feet high, into which the river has cut so that a perpen- dicular wall of quite a height rises abruptly at the water's edge. About 150 yards from this wall, out in the river, lies a huge rock or island. It is about a hundred square yards and stands fifty feet out of the water. About the same distance from the rock toward the opposite bank of the river, lies another island almost the same size. A short distance farther lies another island which extends almost to the river's brink. A few rods below the rock wall on the north bank and the first island lies an- other huge rock about the size of the opening between the wall and the first island. The south bank is of a sandy soil which has a gentle slope to the plateau, about a mile distant.
The Indian legend goes that a white man was wrecked on the Pacific coast several hun- dred years ago, and being very intelligent and the first white man ever seen by the Indians,
was in a short while chosen ruler over one of the most powerful tribes in the northwest. After assuming the title of chief he began ex- ploring in the interior country. He followed the course of the Columbia river until he came to the place now known as Hell Gate. Here he discovered a vein of rich quartz. Having obtained considerable gold prior to this time he had interested his followers in the yellow metal and soon had them working diligently. The river at this time flowed in a canyon, the south bank being a wall of cement and solid sand. The north wall had been undermined by the river so that the top of it extended several hundred feet out over the water. While work- ing on this overhanging wall a pocket, or a large nugget of gold, was discovered. It was about the size of a full moon, as the Indians described it, and was thoroughly examined and tested before the work of removal began. All the members of the tribe had been summoned to the place to view the wonderful find and also to assist in the work of taking it out. Several years were spent in rigging a contri- vance to lift the wonderful nugget, but at last all details were completed and the day arrived for the, by this time, sacred task to begin.
Everything worked like a charm and in a short while the nugget was on the surface and being rolled toward the village that had been established since the first work, several years before, had begun. When within about 100 feet of being on solid ground the nugget top- pled a trifle to the left and rolled into the river. A dozen stalwart braves cast their bodies be- fore the moving body, but not in time, for they were crushed to death in their fruitless at- tempts to stop it. A great commotion was caused by the accident and numbers of the tribe jumped into the water in their wild despair and were drowned. Time passed slowly to the disappointed Indians and they grieved over their lieavy loss. The white chief had not been idle, though, and one day an- nounced to his followers that he would recover
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.