USA > Washington > Thurston County > Early history of Thurston County, Washington : together with biographies and reminiscences of those identified with pioneer days > Part 25
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The dominie, with a glint in the eye, Said t'was a sin to let such a chance pass by. Now the mill's "furder," said old Squire Plum, As he patted his curls with his finger and thumb, Than two hundred yards from the water's edge, And lumber as heavy as an old iron sledge For 'twas green and filled with water and pitch. And might baffle to "tote" the wits of a witch. But the dominie murmured a "Thank you, sir," And grimly strode to where neighbors were, And there he supped and stayed all night, "Arising," Squire says, "with the first dawn of light," And prayed to the Lord for strength for his work, (Tho' he had no need and was not a shirk When duty hath called for a man to go In marriage, death, or through rain or snow) So he hoisted the sills on his shoulder broad, Likewise framed timbers that the captain had sawed, And down to the water he carried them all And tied them secure from tide's rise and fall. And all day long with his faith all afire, Backward and forward o'er the deep mire,
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He carried each piece that built that place Where his flock might listen to words of grace, E'en refusing the captain's bid to dine Least the work might lag while the sun did shine, Eating his bite of a sandwich or two,
And still toted lumber the whole day through, While the captain heaved a mournful sigh, And repressed an oath, while he smiled quite sly.
Then he said, in respect to the man of the cloth, "The Lord in him has none of the sloth," And when night fell over that little town, This minister pulled his shirt sleeves down O'er the hairy arms of his strength and brawn,
Then thanked the Lord and rested till dawn. He had gathered all lumber for the best church in the West And for that act of devotion he always was blest.
The writer of this poem, Lilla Spirlock, was the daughter of one of Thurston County's pioneer families, who for many years made their home at Plum Station. The mother, Mrs. Cordelia Spirlock, came to Washington when but a child of twelve years, in company with Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Plum. after whom that section of the county was named, and the "Squire Plum" mentioned in the poem.
MRS. JOHN G. SPARKS
Mrs. John G. Sparks-Grandma Sparks, as she is affec- tionately called by her intimates-was born and christened Margaret Isabella Scott, in the year of 1820. She was a na- tive of South Carolina, but removed with her family to Georgia when she was but five years of age and later lived in Arkansas. In 1841 she was married to William A. Brewer of that state. From this union ten children were born, six of whom are still living: Mrs. Martha A. Crowe, of Walla Walla ; John F. Brewer, of Eugene, Oregon; Mrs. Ed. Harris, of Boisfort, Washington; Mrs. A. C. Sherwood, of Satsop; James H. Brewer, of Tacoma, and Mrs. C. B. Mann, of Olympia.
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Mrs. Mann, in speaking of her mother's life, said: "The further West spirit was in the blood of father and mother when they were young and full of energy, and breathed ever stronger and stronger from the air of the early 50's. So on March 16, 1853, this heroic pair, with their small children, started by wagon over the Old Oregon Trail to the far-off North Pacific coast.
"When we talk of hardships in our lives we ought to blush with shame when we compare our trials with the dan- gers and difficulties encountered by this young couple. Eight long, weary months on the way from their old home were they until they finally reached Eugene, Oregon, in Novem- ber. Once they never tasted bread for five weeks; once, when they were travelling through a narrow valley, five hun- dred Indians seemed to rise from the ground and, surrounding the frightened emigrants, demanded all their food. The red- skins enforced their demands by stampeding all the emigrants' cattle and shooting a buffalo calf. It was only after a pow- wow lasting nearly all day that the Indians were shown that the party would all starve if robbed of their supplies that a final agreement was reached that the emigrants would give the robbers one-half of all their food and provisions if they would not further molest them. Every article of food which the emigrants were carrying with them to sustain life in the new country -- flour, bacon, dried fruit, corn meal-everything, was impartially divided before the Indians would allow the party to proceed on their way.
"On the trip a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Brewer. 'My husband was kind,' said mother, 'and wished to lay by for a few days, but I said, 'no, just put a feather bed in the bottom of the wagon and drive on. He did so and all was well with me.'"
In 1858 Mr. Brewer died, leaving the wife with a large family of small children dependent upon her. In 1860 the family moved to Grand Mound, Thurston County, thus giving the mother and children the right to be numbered among the pioneers of this county.
Mrs. Brewer was afterwards married to Henry L. Pal- miter, who died in 1867. Later on she was married to John
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G. Sparks of Olympia, where she afterwards resided until the time of her death in March, 1913.
At the time of her death it was said by one who loved "Grandma Sparks": "In laying away the body in which her heroic spirit had dwelt for over ninety-two years we parted "vith one who was strong, cheery, courageous and religious. We shall miss her."
EARLY NEWSPAPERS
The Columbian was first printed in a small building im- mediately opposite where the Washington Standard was printed for so many years, by T. F. McElroy and J. W. Wiley. The name of the Columbian, in its second year, was changed to the Pioneer. A few years later R. A. Doyle bought the ma- terial for another newspaper, but it was merged into the Pioneer. which afterward appeared as the Pioneer and Demo- erat. This journal continued publication until 1861. The material afterward passed into the hands successively of A. M. Poe, Poe & Watson, Wilson & Head, B. F. Kendall. Abbott & Co., and was used by all these firms in the publication of the Overland Press, a semi-weekly paper, the first number of which appeared in 1862. The name was changed to Pacific Tribune in 1864 and its publication continued by R. H. Hewitt. succeeded by Chas. Prosch. The Washington Standard com-
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menced publication November 17, 1860, before the demise of the Pioneer and Democrat.
The newspaper men of the early days were as a rule men of exceptional ability, some of them practical printers, who saved the time of making copy by standing at the case, stick in hand, and composing able articles on state affairs, economics, and devoting much space to current politics.
As a sample of scathing denunciation indulged in in those days we cite the following :
A correspondent signing his name as Scorpion attacked Governor Stevens, and the Pioneer and Democrat replies as follows :
"Scorpion-the name means a vile snake-a reptile-a venemous serpent, with poison on its tongue, vengeance in its heart, and ready to deal death to all who may come in contact with it. It moves noiselessly along the path of the unsuspecting passerby hissing. bites and retreats, leaving a loathsome, slimy trail. And now let us contrast the conduct of our valiant citizen soldiery with his snakeship Scorpion-heaping its vile abuse upon an absent soldier. We mean Governor I. I. Stevens. Can the white-livered, cowardly, crawling reptile Scorpion look such a man in the face and utter one word of disparagement against him. No! No !! He would rather seek employment at one cent per day to dig for himself a coward's grave, beneath the bosom of the earth! And such a Scorpion's grave should be in some dark, gloomy and se- cluded spot, where the sun's glorious rays, that greens the grass, can never reach his resting place. Let him rest in igno- minious solitude, and depart
" 'To the low, vile dust from which he sprung, Unwept. unhonored and unsung.'
"To Scorpion and the troop of assailants of the Executive and Territorial Administration we would say :
" 'Avaunt and quit my sight ! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless ! Thy blood is cold ! Hence! Horrible shadow !
Let justice be done though the Heavens fall!' "
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The same paper referring to James Buchanan, Demo- cratic candidate for President. says. "he is riding on the top- most wave of Eternal Democracy, which is ever rising higher and higher and like the tide of
" 'The Propontic Sea Knows no retiring ebb." '
J. Newton Gale. a pioneer editor, thus described his method of securing inspiration for his editorials :
"By reflecting, sitting alone in our room with our eyes closed and our mind's eye soaring away into the eternal realms of thought. and gathering knowledge from the falling spray of the fountain of eternal realities, while scintillations from the great central sun of intellectual light awaken latent powers of the mind into active existencies."
In the year 1867 Frank Clark, on the Democratic ticket, ran against Alvin Flanders. on the Republican ticket. Flanders was not a speaker, while Clark was quite a fluent talker. To even up in the campaign the Republicans put Selucius Gar- fielde, a brilliant orator, on the stump. and he accompanied Flanders throughout a hard fought campaign. This situation gave rise to the following poem, printed in the Washington Standard :
Alvin Flanders rode upon A horse that wouldn't mind him, And so to act as fugleman, Selucius rode behind him.
Selucius was a proper man And had so good a straddle, That he could ride two horses, with One office for a saddle.
His classic seat was full of grip. His brain was scientific. And large enough to hold a train Of cars for the Pacific.
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His mouth o'erflowed with oily words, In fact, 'twas even hinted
That he could make an off hand speech Just like a book that's printed.
And thus they rode from place to place. Wher'er their pony bore them ;
When Flanders had to speak a piece, Selucius spoke it for him.
'Tis mostly thus with those who shriek Of Congress orthodoxy, When called upon to fight or speak, They do it best by proxy.
Some of the early editors were nothing if not grandiloquent and elaborate, given much to poetic quotation. The simple announcement of a dance for Fourth of July. 1854, is made in the following language :
"Active preparations are on foot by the votaries of Terpsi- chore to celebrate the evening of the Fourth at the new and spacious hall in process of erection by Mr. L. Ensign, which will be in readiness for the occasion. Room for the million can be obtained at the low price of $5 per couple, for which more than value received cannot fail to be derived by an in- dulgence in the nice things which will be provided for the occasion.
" 'On with the dance, let joy be unconfined ; No sleep till morn when youth and pleasure meet, To chase the glowing hours with flying feet.'"
But the above excerpts are not intended to lead the reader into the erroneous idea that these journalists devoted their talents solely to fierce denunciation or frivolous generalities Frequently when occasion demanded these men wrote editorials that would command notice in any publication, ranging from the ridiculous to the pathetic, running the gamut from bitter personal and political attack to the finer expressions of brother-
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ly love and good will, always uniting in eloquent tribute to the fellow pioneers, as they, one by one, quit the scene of their activities. Then, too, they were a unit in their efforts for the upbuilding of the Territory and developing its latent resources.
These early editors, of whatever party or creed. were powerful factors in the advancement of this then unknown section of the United States, and were poorly rewarded pecuni- arily for their efforts.
THOMAS MILBURNE REED
Thomas M. Reed, who at the time of his death in 1905. was the oldest Grand Secretary of Masons in length of ser- vice in the entire world, and was honored by that noble frater- nity as no other man in Washington. When death came to Mr. Reed in the 80th year of his age he had survived all but one or two of the brethren who were associated with him when the Washington Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons was organized in 1859, and his funeral was attended by per- haps the most notable assemblage of Freemasons ever gathered together in Washington. The Masonic funeral ceremony was conducted by the Honorable Louis Ziegler, of Spokane. Some fifteen or twenty years before Mr. Reed's death a fraternal compact was made between three Past Grand Masters of Washington : Colonel Granvile O. Haller, U. S. A., of Seattle ; Hon. Louis Ziegler, of Spokane, and Hon. Thomas Milburne
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Reed, of Olympia, to the effect that one or other of the sur- vivors should conduct the Masonic ceremony at the burial of the departed. With the death of T. M. Reed, Louis Ziegler was the last remaining one of the three friends and the Ma- sons who were gathered from all corners of Washington to at- tend the funeral will not soon forget the words of philosophy, love and eulogy so touchingly pronounced by the last sur- vivor of the compact.
Thomas M. Reed was born at Sharpsburg, Bath County, Kentucky, on December 8, 1852. He was of sturdy North Ire- land Presbyterian stock and until the day of his death pre- served unshaken the faith of his ancestors and never ceased to take an active part in the management of the Presbyterian congregation to which he belonged, although singularly free from trace of prejudice or bigotry.
Thomas M. Reed's mother died when the lad was but twelve years of age and he went to live for a while with a brother of his deceased mother. At the age of fourteen we find him laboring on his uncle's farm for eight dollars a month and his board for nine months of the year. The winter months were devoted to school. Out of the $72 earned during the working months the young man clothed himself and paid for his winter's schooling.
When Mr. Reed was about 18 years of age he was em- ployed to teach a country school, and after a summer's ex- perience at this work he secured a position in a country store, earning several promotions in the course of the five years following.
The most important step the young man took upon reach- ing his majority was to join Holloway Lodge No. 153, F. & A. M., in his native Bath County. He received on July 7, 1847, the Sublime Degree and became Secretary in his Lodge.
When the news of the great gold strikes of 1848 in Cali- fornia found its way into the Blue Grass state, Reed decided to cut loose and strike for the Eldorado of the Pacific. He ar- rived in California on July 26, 1849, and engaged at once in the pursuit of the Golden Fleece and alternately filled posi- tions of Postmaster, County Treasurer, County Superviser and Justice of the Peace, which latter occupation was the incentive to his study of the profession of law.
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Resolving to shift the scene of his activities to Puget Sound, Mr. Reed came to Olympia in 1857, and became the agent of the Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express. Later he kept a store in the Capitol City. From 1872 to 1880 he devoted most of his time to the survey of public lands in Western Wash- ington. In the year of 1877, the counties of Thurston and Lewis elected him to the Territorial Council, which elected him their President. At the close of the session Mr. Reed was elected Territorial Auditor, which position he held until 1888.
In 1889 he was elected a member of the Convention to frame a Constitution for the new State of Washington and was then elected State Auditor, where he remained until 1893. this term closing his career as a public servant.
From December 8, 1858, Mr. Reed's thirty-third birthday, when he was installed as its first Grand Secretary, to the day of his death, nearly forty-seven years later, he loved and cher- ished the Grand Lodge of Washington with marvelous devo- tion and in all those years never missed a State Communica- tion except once when he was unavoidably detained in Idaho and the one which occurred in June, 1905, a few weeks prior to his death. His inability to attend the latter Communica- tion was the source of intense and pathetic disappointment to him.
On the occasion of a visit to his old home in Kentucky, Mr. Reed was married to Elizabeth Hannah Finley and two sons were the result of this union-Thomas Milburne Reed, jr., now of Nome, Alaska, and Senior Warden of Anvil Lodge, of that place, and Marcus Edward Reed, manager of the Simp- son Logging Company and a Past Master of Olympia Lodge No. 1. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Reed married Miss Eliza Carter Giddings, who became the mother of Emma Reed Ingham. By a third marriage to Hattie A. Fox, he had a son, Garnett Avery Reed. All of Mr. Reed's children are married, respected and prosperous.
Thomas Milburne Reed died at his handsome home in Olympia on the 8th day of October, 1905, thus fulfilling a wish he had often expressed in life that his life might go out in glor- iously fine weather. The day of his death and the day on which his funeral was held were heavenly bright and peace-
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ful. In the words of his friend of many years, Hon. John Arthur, in a memorial service in memory of Thomas Mil .. burne Reed, voices the question of King David mourning over the death of Abner, "Know ye not that there is a prince and great man fallen this day in Israel?" in giving expression to his grief over the passing of Thomas Milburne Reed into his reward.
SOME TUMWATER REMINISCENCES
Contributed by Ada Sprague Mowell.
In 1869 Mr. and Mrs. Alfred D. Sprague with their seven children arrived in Olympia after a trip full of hard- ships-coming by wagon, by foot and again by wagon from Boise City, Idaho.
Mr. Sprague was the type of man that is always a pioneer, a descendant of those English pioneers to New England and who later joined what was called the great Ohio Exodus.
After the marriage of Alfred Sprague to Whilmina Sager the young couple took up a constant quest for new places. They lived in five different states, each one a little farther west.
Three children were born to them in Arkansas, two in Kansas, two in Colorado, one in Idaho and two in Washing- ton. Of these ten children three girls and three boys are now living. The oldest daughter, Belle (Mrs. David Dodd), was married and living in Idaho, and was never in Washington. She had five children. She died in 1888. Olive lives at Friday Harbor. Etta, now Mrs. Gelbach, lives at Spokane. Hattie, Mrs. Underwood, lives in Mexico and California. Fred lives in Alaska. Roderick lives at White Bluffs, Wash. The latter is well known in Olympia on account of his editorial work on the morning Olympian.
Two girls, Kate and Meda, died in their early 'teens, and
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Alice, Mrs. E. R. Rabbeson, a universal favorite, died in her young wifehood leaving two children. Winfield and Randolph. The latter died in childhood and Winfield lives in Olympia.
Ada, the seventh child and the youngest daughter, is the only one of the children living in Olympia. She is the wife of Dr. J. W. Mowell, a Pennsylvanian who came to Washington in the '90's. Mrs. Mowell lives within a block of the first house in which the Spragues lived in the state of Washington. The original house was much smaller, of course. It was known as the Hayden place to old timers. It is on Main Street be- tween Tenth and Union. Though not among the early pioneers, coming as they did in 1869, the Spragues knew all the pioneers and in complying with a request for her to contribute some of her reminiscences of early days in Tumwater, Mrs. Mowell relates the following :
"As most of my journey to Washington was made in my mother's arms, it is not strange that I do not remember the exciting incidents of the trip, though I listened with bated breath in later years to the hair-breadth escapes and thrilling adventures.
"We did not stay long in Olympia, as Tumwater was the first settlement and was much the most promising place then.
"We lived for a time in the old Barnes place, and later moved to Bush Prairie, as being the only house obtainable nearer the homestead my father wished to take up. There at the Kuhn place, my brother, Frederick, was born, and here we lived until a small clearing was made on the homestead and a substantial log house was built.
"Roderick was born on the old homestead.
"While pioneer life was full of hardships for the elders it was full of joy for the youngsters. Looking back over our childhood, it seems like a long day of playtime. We had wonderful adventures in the woods about the place. We built houses of round sticks of several stories for our dolls, which often were sticks themselves, or at best 'rag dolls'. My first china doll was given me by a neighbor, Mrs. Harn, whose little girl had died. It was a precious possession, but never so dearly loved as my rag babies.
"The first definite childhood remembrance I have is the death of my sister, Kate, in 1871. I remembered someone
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carrying me through the room, and a few years ago Mrs. Mills told me that it was she who lifted me up for a last look at my sister's face.
"Though the real pioneer days were past when we came to Thurston County, the pioneer spirit still throve, and a family in trouble as we were with sickness and other hardships incident to making a living in a new place, found sympathizing neighbors as far away as South Union.
"My sisters, Kate and Meda, are remembered by many pioneers. Meda, who died four years later, had gone back to the home of our oldest sister, Belle, hoping the change might benefit her health. She failed to regain her health, however, by this change and we never saw her again.
"Adjoining our farm was that of the Dittman's. Mrs. Dittman spoke nothing but German and my mother and she found much comfort in being able to talk in their mother tongue. Our next nearest neighbors were the Helsers, and all old settlers remember the time-honored joke on the man in search of an introduction at a dance in Olympia when Mr. Helser was one of the floor committee. The gentleman asked for an introduction to a certain lady and was hurriedly told to 'Go to Helser'. A fight was only averted by an explanation. "Mr. Benj. Gordon's place on Bush Prairie was always a joy to me. I know every nick of the orchard, and Mr. Gordon alway treated me to big sticks of cinnamon bark.
"Jesse Ferguson's farm was another place I loved to go. At threshing time my mother always helped the Ferguson girls cook for the threshers. Work was traded in these days and at log rolling time on our place the neighbors helped my mother. One of the sorrows of youth, that is still a regret, was a wonderful dinner I could not eat because of sickness, when there was a log rolling bee at our place.
"My father's death in 1875 was a cruel blow to my mother and to us all. He was such a buoyant, hopeful disposition, that hardships and discouragement that would have crushed many men, only stimulated him to greater effort. But his physique was never strong, and the extremely hard work clearing a place and logging it, too, broke him down and he died in the prime of life.
"On the shoulders of the older children descended the
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burden of the support of the family. My brother, Oliver, left school and went to work, and to him we owe more than we can ever repay. He was my mother's stay and comfort till her death in 1881 at the early age of 48.
"With my mother's German and my father's New England ancestry, it is small wonder that the every nerve was strained that the children should have as good an education as the times permitted. Consequently during all these years, with few exceptions, we moved into Tumwater every winter for the term of school, usually six months, and out to 'the place' as we always called it, in the spring in time for the usual spring work on the farm. I think my father went back and forth during the day to go on with the dairy.
"During these winter sojourns much Tumwater history was fixed in my mind and the names of many old families were household words.
"When we first came to Tumwater the Crosby, Biles, Ostrander and many others families were there. We lived one winter in the Brewer place, upstairs. This was later known as the Cameron place and was a familiar landmark for many years. Later we lived in a part of the down-stairs, and it was here my father died. Directly opposite the place lived the Dudley Barnes'. Linre Barnes. now of Seattle, and I. being near the same age became great friends. The Shattucks lived next door and beyond them the Scotts, across the street I think the Bakers lived, and also I think the Lees. Mrs. Lee taught in Tumwater. The S. K. Taylors also lived here- the Coopers further down, near the bay; the Cornels, Hugh, Joe and John ; the Cambys; the Ira and Sam Wards.
"The Crosbys had the historical mill and a large store. George Biles also had a large store and Mrs. Biles tells me Olympia people traded in Tumwater to a great extent.
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