USA > Washington > Thurston County > Early history of Thurston County, Washington : together with biographies and reminiscences of those identified with pioneer days > Part 6
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The Governor, by proclamation, raised 1,000 volunteers, called upon the people to build block houses and proceed with tilling the soil. He required all Indians on the eastern side of the Sound to move into reservations, sent agents to Port- land, San Francisco and Victoria with urgent appeals for arms. ammunition and supplies. He issued territorial certifi- cates of indebtedness to pay the volunteers, he freely resorted to impressment of teams, supplies, etc., wherever necessary. and while he appealed to the patriotism and good feeling of the
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volunteers he enforced strict discipline and punished miscon- duct. The people responded to the Governor's appeal with true American spirit and patriotism.
The Governor's policy during the war which followed was an aggressive one. His volunteers pursued the bands of In- dians, routing them and keeping them from uniting with other bands.
The history of the Indian war of 1855-56 is not within the scope of this work. but vivid pen pictures of individual ex- periences are given from time to time in the reminiscences of the pioneers interviewed by the compiler. At the close of the war Governor Stevens disbanded the volunteers and disposed of the animals, equipment and supplies on hand at public auc- tion. Owing to the large number captured there were more animals sold at the several auctions than the entire number purchased for the volunteer service. The sales of property netted more than $150,000. As the expenses of the volunteers had been paid in scrip the sales were made for scrip and many of the settler volunteers were glad to purchase stock. wagons and supplies in that way, although scrip money depreciated but little below par value.
Owing to the discouraging condition of the territory after the Indian war and owing to the stand taken by the agents of the Hudson Bay Company, Governor Stevens was compelled at this time to issue a proclamation of martial law. This called for considerable censure from the enemies of the young Gov- ernor, but at a mass meeting held at the block house in the capital city. the course of the executive was fully endorsed with but 12 dissenting votes. Judge B. F. Yantis presided at this mass meeting and J. W. Goodell acted as secretary.
During the time of the Indian trouble the Stevens family remained in Olympia, the children attending the public school, presided over by Rev. George F. Whitworth and his wife.
Upon the return of peace the Governor began the con- struction of a home on the block of land he had purchased soon after his arrival in Olympia. which building is standing to this day. still in the possession of the son. Hazard Stevens.
Upon completion of the house. Governor and Mrs. Stevens gave a house warming. to which were invited the members of the Legislature. and all the townspeople. A description of this first Governor's reception to be held in Washington, is given
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in the reminiscences contributed by Mrs. J. G. Parker. The Governor, soon after his arrival in the West, adopted the garb of the country, slouch hat. woolen shirt and heavy riding boots-a garb suitable for one constantly undertaking long and arduous journeys horseback and by canoe.
In 1857 Stevens was elected Delegate to Congress, and in the Fall of that year resigned as Governor of Washington. re- tuining with his family to the National Capital by way of Fanama.
Congress adjourning, the Stevens family again returned to their Olympia home, where they lived in peace and happi- ness until Stevens was again elected for a second term as Congressman.
At this second term the Governor devoted his best ener- gies to securing payment of the Indian war debt. He was suc- cessful in securing good appropriations for military roads be- tween Fort Benton and Walla Walla and between Steilacoom and Vancouver, secured $4500 for a boundary survey between Oregon and Washington, $95,000 for the Indian service, and also secured a new land office and district for the southern part of the territory.
The war shadow was now hovering over the land and Stevens, upon his return to Washington, was instrumental in raising a company in Olympia, known as the Puget Sound Rifles, of which company he was elected Captain.
Stevens now engaged in waging the third campaign for election as Delegate to Congress. in which he was opposed by Selucius Garfielde, but before the election was held. news of the attack on Fort Sumter reached the Pacific Coast.
Governor Stevens at once withdrew his name as candidate for re-election to tender his service to his country.
Here properly ends the life story of Isaac Ingalls Stevens as connected with the early history of Washington. A record of his military career and the soldier's death at the battle of Chantilly belong by rights to the historian of the Civil War.
General Stevens fell in battle at the moment of victory. He had grasped the colors from a dying standard bearer, and was charging to the front. cheering to encourage his men, when the fatal shot found its mark. As he lay in death his hand grasped the flag staff. with the colors, for which the noble life had been freely given. resting upon his head and shoulders.
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A brief resume of the results achieved by Governor Stevens' seven years management of the affairs of the new territory show that he had made exploration of the northern route for a transcontinental railroad, had made treaties with 30,000 Indians, had extinguished Indian titles to many thous- ands of acres of Washington land. established peace among hereditary enemies over a larger area than New England and the Middle States. and by waging an aggressive warfare against the savage foe had saved the settlements from extinction. In addition to this Stevens took such a firm stand against British aggression at the time the controversy over possession of the San Juan Islands arose that this valuable group was saved to the United States. At the end of the war he disbanded the volunteers and adjusted financial claims to the satisfaction of the majority. Over three quarters of a million dollars were disbursed for the government, all accounts for which were found to be correct.
In his career in Congress he secured the ratification of his Indian treaties, payment of the Indian war debt. the opening of the interior to settlement and the punishment of Indian murderers.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
AST PA, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
ELISHA P. FERRY
SELUCIUS GARFIELDE
..
ELWOOD EVANS
JAMES BILES
FOUR MASONIC PAST GRAND MASTERS
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ELISHA P. FERRY
Elisha P. Ferry, the first Governor of the State of Wash- ington, and Territorial Governor for two consecutive terms beginning with April, 1872. is remembered among the pioneers as the greatest of all Governors, I. I. Stevens alone excepted. During his many years' residence in Olympia Governor Ferry was acknowledged to have been a man of good business ability, prudent, taetful, painstaking, in thinking as well as in action, possessed of rare' good judgment and great firmness of char- acter, as well as a good lawyer. He possessed all the acquire- ments as well as the natural qualities that go toward making a good executive.
A native of Michigan. E. P. Ferry studied law there and later in Fort Wayne, Indiana, being admitted to the bar in 1845 at the age of 20. Ilis first start in life after his gradua- tion was made in Waukegan, Illinois, where he practised law until 1869. He was first Mayor of this town, twice Presidential Elector, a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1861 and afterwards a Bank Commissioner.
When the Civil war began, Ferry served for a time as As- sistant Adjutant General and helped materially in organizing and equipping many of the early Illinois regiments and getting them ready for the field. While engaged in this service he be- came acquainted with U. S. Grant, which acquaintance soon ripened into friendship, and after Grant became President he appointed Ferry Surveyor General of the rapidly developing Territory of Washington. This appointment was made in 1869, and Ferry brought his family to Olympia, which city they regarded as their home until the removal of Governor Ferry to Seattle a few years before his death.
In 1872 President Grant appointed Mr. Ferry Territorial Governor, and at the expiration of that four-year term re- appointed him to the same position. At the expiration of eight years as territorial executive Governor Ferry began the
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practise of law in Seattle, continuing until the admission of Washington into statehood, when he was elected Governor by an overwhelming vote of the people.
Governor Ferry returned to Seattle, but was claimed by death within a few years after the end of his term.
His widow made her home with their daughter, Mrs. John Leary, until the past few years, when she, too, passed away.
Besides Mrs. Leary. there are remaining of the Ferry family, Pierre and James Ferry.
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SAMUEL L. CRAWFORD
My father, Ronald C. Crawford, and my mother, Elizabeth Jane Moore, came to Oregon in 1847, my father from New York, and my mother from Illinois. Father's elder brother, Medorum, was of the immigration of 1842, and my maternal grandfather, Robert Moore, was of the Peoria expedition of 1840, and both were members of the Champogue meeting, where the provisional government of Oregon was formed, my grandfather being Chairman of the Committee on Reso- lutions, and drafted the organic law which, when adopted by the convention, became the law of the provisional government of the territory of Oregon, or more particularly what was called the Oregon country.
Mother was a little girl of 10 years of age when she reached her home in the West and the lad who afterwards became my father, ten years older. In the course of time the young couple became acquainted and were married, seven children having been born to them. Only five of these children are still living, I, Samuel L., being the second child.
My early youth was spent in Walla Walla, Oregon City and Salem, in all of which towns I attended school. When while quite a young lad, and still living with my parents, I attended school in Olympia. My teacher here was the late Professor L. P. Venen, who, at that time, was conducting a private school in Olympia. Then I went to the public schools of the town, and enjoyed the companionship of lads and lassies who, many of them, have become among the prominent men and women of the now prosperous State of Washington. Among those whom I am able to recall at this writing are : Levi Shelton, now a prominent citizen of Tacoma; Cynthia Shelton, who afterwards became the wife of P. B. Van Trump. who with Hazard Stevens, made the first complete ascent of Mt. Rainier in 1870; Clarence W. Coulter, now prominently connected with Seattle business affairs; Bradford W. Davis,
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now with the railroad mail service; Anna Pullen. afterwards Mrs. Matthew A. Kelly. Mr. Kelly was formerly a prominent druggist of Seattle. George E. Blankenship, who took up the printing business, and has stayed on the old stamping ground, Fannie Yantis. who afterwards married Capt. J. J. Gilbert. prominent in the Coast and Geodetic Survey; Anna Stevens, who afterwards became the wife of the Hon. John F. Gowey who was connected with the United States land office in Olympia and later was made minister to China. where he was residing at the time of his death, in the early part of the present century ; S. C. Woodruff. Superintendent of the Hos- pital for Defective Youth at Medical Lake; Georgia Percival. now the widow of the late T. N. Ford, at one time Treasurer of the Territory of Washington; her brother, Samuel M. Per- cival, being until recently connected with the state road bu- reau and whose wife. Druzie Percival, is well known in all the Sound cities as a musical composer of more than ordinary talent; Francis A. Treen, who afterwards developed a beau- tiful tenor voice, with which he gave much pleasure to his friends and acquaintances for many years; Emma Clark, who afterwards married her teacher, the late L. P. Venen ; Josie Clark, afterwards Mrs. Dellie Woodard; Nellie Parker, now Mrs. Herbert MeMicken, and many others whose names are now but a dim and cherished memory.
After graduating from marbles in the field of amusements. at which game I was proficient and kept my pockets well filled with the winnings from the other boys when we played "for keeps," base ball demanded my attention for several years. In our team were Clarence Bagley, L. A. Treen, Cal, Jim and Frank McFadden and many other Olympians.
In September, 1871, I entered the office of the Washington Standard, published by John Miller Murphy, as "devil," to learn the printer's trade. There I worked until 1875, when I left the office to accept the position of assistant Clerk in the Lower House of the Legislative Assembly, of which my father was a member from Lewis County.
At the expiration of the term of the Legislature I worked for Clarence Bagley, who was at that time public printer. When the public work was finished I went to work for Francis Cook at that time publisher of the Morning Echo. Cook had :
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chicken ranch on a place called Hardscrabble, in Mason County. The skunks were numerous and detracted from the financial returns of the chicken ranch, and as he found it difficult to be at both places at once he arranged with me to run the paper so he could devote his energies to the chickens. The paper could only afford one salary and that, of course, to go to me, and I was left to rustle my own assistance as best I could.
Now. I developed a regular Tom Sawyer genius for work- ing my boon companions, and with such jolly spirits as Harry K. Struve, Ren Patterson, Yakima Jimmie and Peter' Stanup. I managed to get along very well. The work was rather strenuous, as I commenced rustling news early in the morning. wrote up the paper in the late forenoons and early afternoons. then helped the boys set the type, and in the evening worked off the forms, and finally distributed the paper throughout the city myself, getting to my bed (which was located in the banking house of George Barnes & Co.) about two o'clock in the morning, after eating up everything in the way of fruit and cake that Mr. Barnes had remaining from his lunch at noonday.
During the summer of this year I arrived at my majority. Mr. Cook, who had visited the paper from his chicken ranch. had inserted an item to the effect that on June 22 the Echo man would be 21. Imagine my surprise on reaching the office that morning to find a table loaded down with all sorts of presents. My old friend and Sunday school teacher, the Rev. John R. Thompson, had sent me a handsome copy of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, George A. Barnes a copy of Hill's Business Forms, and a number of other books from Francis H. Cook and other friends. Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Treen, then living in Olympia, sent me a can of milk, Mrs. T. M. Reed, wife of the lamented Hon. Thomas Reed, the well remembered and loved pioneer, sent me a large fruit cake, all decorated with frosted flowers, together with this little note :
"To the Echo man of twenty-one This little token's offered, May the joys of life, like Summer sun,
E'er shine on Sammy Crawford."
I still cherish this kindly token from Mrs. Reed, and I am
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sorry that both she and her husband have passed to the Great Beyond.
While these joyous days, fraught with hard work but plenty of fun, were passing in Olympia, things were also do- ing in Seattle. While a Clerk in the 1875 Legislature the whole assembly of Legislators made a trip to Steilacoom and to Seattle. the latter place to investigate the needs of the Uni- versity. The "fast and commodious" steamer. the Zephyr, had been chartered for that junket, and was to leave Olympia at 7:30 in the morning, stopping first at Steilacoom. When I got up that morning I found the steamer had left-so was I. While wondering what I was to do, I met Bob Abrams and several other members of the Legislature, who were in my predicament also. We rushed to interview Ed. Harmon, a well remembered Jehu of Olympia, and after telling him of our troubles, arranged with him to beat the steamer to Steila- coom. He agreed to forfeit a considerable consideration if he failed. But he didn't fail. We came on from Steilacoom to Seattle with the rest of the bunch-my first visit to the Queen City.
The citizens gave a dance that evening in honor of the visiting Legislature in Yesler's Hall. Bailey Gatzert was mayor. All the old settlers, including Mr. and Mrs. Yesler, turned out. Seattle then had a population of 1500, but they were all alive and kicking. There was not hotel accommoda- tions enough to care for the visitors, and the members and their wives were entertained at the homes of the private citizens. Father and mother were entertained by Mr. and Mrs. L. N. Robbins, whose beautiful home then stood on the block directly south of the late old Hotel Rainier.
I had been invited to spend the night with my boyhood friend. George E. Blankenship, then employed on The Dis- patch, by Brown & Bell, who roomed at the house of M. A. Kelly on Third and Seneca Streets. On reaching his room some time after midnight, we found the bed occupied by Ed. Pullen, a brother of Mrs. Kelly, who had "dropped in unexpectedly." We returned down town and after visiting the various hotels and not finding accommodations, decided to spend the re- mainder of the night on the hay stored in the open warehouse at the end of Yesler's wharf. We found this hay literally
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covered with sleeping men, and after amusing ourselves a while tying some of them hand and foot with heaving lines. we again started up town. George to seek his rest on a pile of paper in the office and I to fare much better. During the day my friend. the late Howard W. Lewis, had told me his room was the third door on the left hand side from the head of the stairs in the Wyckoff House, and I could sleep with him. About two o'clock in the morning those kind words recurred to me very prominently and going to the Wyckoff House, which stood on the present site of the Alaska building. I climbed the stairs, opened the third door on the left, and found my friend sleeping in a spacious bed, and there ended my first night in Seattle.
During this brief visit I was so impressed with the business enterprise of Seattle, although it was then a smaller town than Olympia, that I told my mother I would venture my fortunes here at the first opportunity. This chance came the following year. The Daily Intelligencer was launched on the first day of June, 1876, by the late David Higgins. I had gained some reputation as a pressman in Olympia, and as Mr. Higgins had introduced a power press in his establish- ment. he wrote and offered me charge of his press room, to- gether with what composition I could do when not occupied about the press. As the salary offered was satisfactory, I ac- cepted the offer, and on the 24th of June I left Olympia and took up my work on the Intelligencer the following morning. After I had boarded the steamer Alida at Olympia. Mr. Cook sent two of the Milroy boys to the wharf to induce me to de- fer my trip. I hid away to avoid temptation till after the steamer had left the wharf, and there was never thereafter an issue of the Morning Echo published. Mr. Cook moved his plant to New Tacoma and published the Tacoma Herald for some time, after which he again moved his plant to Spokane Falls, where he founded the Spokane Chronicle.
The office of the Intelligencer at this time was in a two story and basement wooden building belonging to H. L. Yesler. on First Avenue, at the foot of Cherry street. The First Pres- byterian church, corner of Third and Madison Streets, had recently been completed and was staggering under a load of debt and was heavily mortgaged. My old friend, Rev. John
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R. Thompson, of Olympia, out of the bigness of his heart and his love for the Christian organization with which he was allied, had taken it upon himself to relieve the church of this burden, and he travelled from Portland to Seattle, soliciting funds from his personal friends, whom he numbered by the hundreds. Arriving at Seattle he told me of his mission, and asked me what I was willing to do. I told him I had just finished my first week's work in this town and when I got my pay I would settle my board bill and give what was left to help him in his cause.
Rev. Thompson, years afterwards, accompanied the First Washington Volunteers to the Philippines as Chaplain of the regiment. He was dearly beloved by all the brave soldier boys but was stricken with the fever prevalent in that country, and did not live to return to his adopted State of Washington, which he so dearly loved.
When I came to Seattle I brought a baseball and bat with me and at odd times would go out on what was then known as Occidental Square and pass the ball around. I soon found a number of congenial spirits, but no organization of a nine was effected for several weeks. One day a challenge appeared in a paper from an organization in Newcastle. offering to play any nine in King County, Seattle preferred. on any day in the future, on any grounds selected by the challenged team. I called this to the attention of my friends of Occidental Square. who arranged for some practice games on the old University grounds, and we found we could play some ball. They au- thorized me to accept the challenge, on behalf of the Alki Base Ball Club of Seattle. The game was played two weeks from the following Saturday. I do not remember the score, but I do remember that no one of the challenging team ever got be- yond second base. The Alkis at once sprung into prominence, and for years met all comers from Olympia to Victoria. In those days amateur ball was played exclusively, and each community had its team made up of its young citizenship, and took great pride in their performances and success. It was through baseball that I went from the mechanical to the news department of the Intelligencer. The Alkis had been to Vic- toria on the Queen's birthday of, I think. 1878, and won a great victory over the famous Amity team of that City. On our re-
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turn I asked the managing editor if they had arranged for a report of the game. He said, in apparent great distress, that the matter had been overlooked and asked me who he could get to write the story. I told him I didn't know. "Can you do it?" he asked. "I can try," I answered. So well pleased, apparently, was he with my brief account of the game, that he sent for me the next morning and requested me to take charge of the local page of the paper. I remained in that de- partment during the remainder of my career on the paper, and its successor, the Post-Intelligencer, extending over a period of about 13 years.
A couple of years after my connection with the Intelli- gencer Thaddeus Hanford, a young college man, and brother of Judge C. II. Hanford, bought a half interest in the paper and assumed its editorial control, and later acquired the Hig- gins interest. Soon afterwards I induced Mr. Thomas W. Prosch, an experienced newspaper man of Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle, to buy a half interest in the paper. He and Han- ford were so unlike in their tastes and ideas and manner of operating a daily publication, that they decided to agree to disagree almost immediately and Hanford agreed to sell his interest in the paper for $5000. Prosch came to me to buy it. "But," said I, "I have only $960; where am I to get the balance of the purchase price ?" He answered, "I think if you rustle around a little, you can borrow it. I will let you have, on your note, $540. to be paid out of the earnings of the paper. This leaves you only $3500 to borrow." I went to Judge Orange Jacobs, who had just returned from a term as Delegate to Congress, and told him of my wants, and to my joyous surprise, he lent me the money, taking as security my stock in the paper secured by an insurance policy on the plant. I paid him the then going rate of interest, 11/2 per cent. a month, and paid 10 per cent premium on the fire in- surance policy to secure him. By hard work and careful man- agement I succeeded in discharging all my debts, principal and interest, besides a lot of indebtedness against the paper, some $3000, for white paper and telegraphic services, of which neither Mr. Prosch nor I knew anything at the time of our purchase, within two years.
In 1882 the Intelligencer was consolidated with the Post,
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a daily, owned by John Leary and George W. Harris, but which was proving a losing venture. This was the beginning of the long and glorious career in the newspaper field of the Post-Intelligencer. About this time trouble arose with the Printers' Union, and I was unwilling to accede to terms de- manded by this body of workmen, so sold my interest in the P .- I. to Mr. Prosch and became an employe on the paper.
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