USA > Washington > Thurston County > Early history of Thurston County, Washington : together with biographies and reminiscences of those identified with pioneer days > Part 9
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Henry was well enough then to eat some ham which I had cooked for supper. After eating he complained of a terrible thirst and kept drinking water. Soon cramps set in and he was dead before morning. I thought father would go crazy at this terrible last blow.
"We reached Salmon Falls in Idaho before mother died, and although I did not know of it till a year afterwards when I again met my cousin. Sarah Yantis, in Olympia. I must tell of her resting place. We had to roll the body in a blanket- there was, of course, no way to make even the rudest coffin, and after the mortal remains of our dear mother had been covered the best we could. father took off a piece of the end board of the wagon and wrote her name. Naomi Hayes, on it. Then we had to go on and leave her there.
"Well, when Uncle Lapsley's train came along several days after we were on our way, they espied a newly made grave beside the road and on going to it read mother's name. Mrs. Yantis, who was very delicate and suffering from the hardships of the trip. had become very ill on the way. When she knew that her old friend was buried there she lost all hope, and although the train made a couple of stages further on their way, the poor lady was unable to stand the shock and sank to rest. Her last words were 'Take me back to sleep beside Naomi.' Her broken hearted husband and children respected these last words and retracing their way to where mother was laid, buried her there and beneath mother's name wrote 'Ann Yantis.' And there they sleep side by side. Ah. it was a hard and bitter time.
"After the death of my third brother father decided that the time had come to do something. so he had one of the lighter wagons emptied of all but our actual necessities for light camping and hitching the freshest of the mules to the wagon, started my brothers, myself and some other women and children of the train on as fast as the animals could travel. He hoped we could reach The Dalles and so on to Portland before winter set in.
"When we reached The Dalles we women and children were put on flat boats and floated down to the Cascades. Here we were obliged to walk across the portage to the landing and then take a little steamboat on down to Portland.
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"At this place I was met by an unele, Andrew Cowan, who took me home with him and I spent the winter very com- fortably with my uncle and aunt.
"Portland was then a mere village with a two plank sidewalk extending along the few blocks which were built up, and mud, mud everywhere. It was certainly the muddiest, dirtiest place I had ever seen at that time.
"When father finally reach The Dalles with the ox teams he bought a good many of the emigrants' cattle and turned them out on the ranges in the vicinity. But the hard luck with which he had been followed throughout the latter part of the journey still pursued the poor man.
"One of the coldest winters on record for that region set in and the cattle were caught by the heavy snows. The beasts were weakened anyway with their thousands of miles travel and in no condition to withstand the rigors of the cli- mate. There was no hay or feed to be bought for any price so almost the entire drove perished. This almost bankrupted father and was a severe blow to the high hopes of wealth and prosperity he had entertained when he started from Missouri. Four of his family left back on the plains, his money spent for the cattle and four helpless children on his hands. For I was little more than a child in years and having always lived on a plantation with servants to do everything about the house and mother to depend on, you may be sure I was very incapable and inexperienced.
"Came the Spring of 1852 and father was restless and wanting to go on to the promised land-Puget Sound-so chartering a flat boat to take us up the Cowlitz river after we left the steamboat at Monticello landing, we were again on our way.
"The memory of that trip will be with me as long as memory lasts. The flat boat, loaded with our very few house- hold effects, was poled up the Cowlitz, but there was no room on the boat for us women and the children, so there was noth- ing to do but walk along the trail. This trail was through. in many places, brush so dense, that we crawled on our hands and knees to get along at all. In other places we were in mud well up to our knees.
"In addition to this I had to carry my little brother,
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Robert. The poor little fellow was only three years old and had never become very strong from his attack of the measles the summer before. I, too, was weak and sick and in my mind thought I was not long for this world, and I must say, I didn't care much, life seemed so full of trouble and hard- ship. When we reached the Cowlitz landing we were met by mule teams which had been sent down from Olympia to haul our freight. The wagons were so filled and the roads in such a condition that I still had to walk across the country past where Chehalis now is and on to Mound prairie. My com- panion on this dreary jaunt was Mrs. Hillory Butler, who with her husband was also coming to the Sound with us. She was very kind and good to the motherless girl and helped me carry my little brother. Turn and turn about we plodded all those weary miles through knee-deep mud, hot, tired and discouraged.
"Coming out on Mound prairie we spied a cabin in a clearing. The eternal feminine asserted itself even under those distressing conditions, so before going to the house Mrs. Butler and myself stopped beside a stream of water flowing by and wading up to our knees, washed the bottoms of our skirts off the best we could. they being literally caked with mud. straight- ened our hair and then proceeded to the house where we pro- posed to ask shelter for the night.
"In the door of the cabin stood the fairest sight I have ever seen. It was my own dear cousin and chum, Sarah Yan- tis. Imagine the greetings received. Although over fifty years have passed over my head since then and I have changed from a pretty, young girl to a great-grandmother, I still re- call the thrill of rapture with which I rushed into Sarah's arms and listened to her dear voice once again. When the train was divided Uncle Frank Yantis with family had re- mained behind and on reaching Portland had proceeded straight on to this section of the country. He had taken up a donation claim out on the prairie and was comfortably settled.
"We rested there visiting with Uncle Frank's family for a while and then came on to Olympia.
"Our first place of refuge on reaching this place was with a bachelor who had a comfortable log cabin a couple of miles from Newmarket-now Tumwater. This man's name was Ben-
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jamin Gordon, or Old Ben, as he was commonly called, and he was very good to us all. Aunt and Uncle Andrew Cowan had come to this section of the country with us and for quite a while we all lived in Mr. Gordon's cabin-the Cowans, all the Hays children and father, when he was at home. There was a garden around the place and we had all the milk and butter we wanted from Mr. Gordon's cows.
"I began to grow strong and well again and life opened up many fair promises. The young men from around the country began to find their way to the eabin and I had a great deal of attention and admiration. There were only four young ladies within a radius of many miles, Sarah Yantis, Charlotte and Lucy Barnes and myself. The young men used to come out to the cabin Sunday afternoons in considerable numbers. Those who had riding horses would ride and those who had not would walk and seem to think nothing of the miles traveled over the trail to spend a few hours in my com- pany. There was generally a generous supply of buttermilk on hand and the boys made the excuse that it was for this cooling drink they had come. They were a brave lot of lads, gallant and stalwart. I felt an interest and friendship for everyone of them. Ah. me. where are they now ? All, all gone.
"The young man who used to come most frequently to see me was young Benton Moses, who afterwards married my dear friend, Sarah Yantis. One Sunday when Mr. Moses arrived on his usual afternoon visit he was accompanied by another young man whom he introduced as John Parker. I will never forget the appearance of this youth that day. He had a beautiful riding horse, which he managed with splendid skill, but it was his getup which made the lasting impression on me. Mr. Parker had a trading store in Olympia and carried principally articles for barter with the Indians. From this stock he had selected a pair of riding leggings which came to the knees. on his feet were beaded moccasins and on his head was a queer looking Scotch cap. He made a great impression on my young fancy even at this first visit. Afterwards, when he became a regular visitant at father's house, Mr. Moses used to tell with much glee how he inveigled Parker to the cabin with tales of the nice fresh buttermilk to be had, but
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said never a word about the young lady who would pour the buttermilk for him. Mr. Parker at that time was extremely bashful and had never called on a young lady before.
"By this time father had taken up his donation claim. which is, as near as I can tell now, was situated where the road makes its first turn in going towards the Hays school house after passing the Masonic cemetery. I kept house for him and the children the best I could. Tom Prather, who was a distant relative, lived with us part of the time, and it was he who taught me about all I knew about cooking and general housework. He was always good and kind to all of us and his unfailing friendship has been one of the brightest remembrances of my life.
"Olympia then was merely a collection of shacks, with only two or three places of business of any kind. Mr. and Mrs. George Barnes were about the only married couple here when I first arrived, although others soon came. Mr. Parker's store was opposite the Pacific House, which place was after- wards kept by Col. Cock, whose young wife became one of the warmest of friends to both myself and Sarah Yantis. We girls used to go in to stay all night at their hotel and Mrs. Cock was so good to us, throwing many a pleasant time our way.
"About the only amusement we young folks had in those days was horseback riding. There were no roads and, of course, no buggies or other means of conveyance. The young men used to come out to our house riding one horse and lead- ing another for me. Later I learned that they generally bor- rowed Mr. Parker's horse for me to ride on. But that was before we had met, after that event it was always John who would come. He had sent to San Francisco for a side saddle for me, probably the first article of that description in the Northwest. One of those three-horned affairs such as girls used to ride. Sarah could ride a man's saddle with perfect ease, sitting straight as an arrow and graceful as a reed, but I wanted a side saddle. I never saw a woman ride astride in those days and we would have thought it a very immodest thing to do. Times have changed in many ways since I was a girl.
"But I must tell about my wedding. I had lived on the
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homestead about two years. keeping house for father and do- ing the best I could with what I had to do with. Mr. Parker had kept coming to see me, and although we were not really engaged, I thought we would be married some time. But there was nothing definite. Father began to grow restless again and wanted to go back east once more. But what to do with me and the boys? He talked of it for several weeks, and I could see he was moody and uneasy. My cousin, Sarah, had come from her father's home, still on Mound Prairie, to spend a few days with me and we were planning to take a horseback ride one day in company with Mr. Parker and Mr. Moses, who were coming out from town a little later. Father had gone on out to do some burning on the land he was clear- ing up in the far lot, so I was surprised when he came back to the house and said 'Rushe, get me some hot water for shav- ing and put me out a clean shirt.' 'Why, father,' I said, 'are you going to town?' 'No,' he replied, 'I am going to attend your wedding.' 'My wedding?' I gasped. 'Yes, your wed- ding. You might as well be married one time as another, Parker wants you and I want to go east.' I was almost dumb with astonishment and chagrin. I asked Sarah what I had better do and she very strongly counseled me not to listen to such a proposition. I was almost distracted. I didn't know what to do. I knew I loved John and knew that he loved me, but I had no wardrobe and was not ready to be married. I sat down by the fireplace brooding and thinking, when Mr. Parker arrived. He saw at once something was the matter and asked me if I was sick. I told him I was not and he would have to ask father about what was the trouble. He went out in the yard and had a long talk with father and then came in and asked me to sit on the steps of the doorway with him to talk matters over. He said he wanted to marry me more than he ever had wanted anything on earth, but he had hoped to get in a little better financial shape before asking me to cast my lot with his. He told me he was a poor man and in debt-a former partner in an express venture had ab- sconded with $5.000. for which loss Mr. Parker became per- sonally responsible. 'But, Rushe,' he said, 'if you are will- ing to undertake the life I can offer you now I will love and
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cherish you forever.' And so I agreed. Mr. Parker then rode back to town and returned with Judge Landers.
"I got ready the best I could and Sarah helped me. My best dress was a black silk which I had made with a low cut neck and short sleeves. I thought I looked quite nice in that dress and so did John. Tom Prather cooked our wedding dinner and, besides Sarah as attendant at the wedding, was Uncle Frank Yantis. We stayed at father's house the first night and the next day took our deferred horseback ride to Mound Prairie and that was our wedding trip.
"Afterwards we went to housekeeping in a little cottage and there in the course of time our first child was born, our daughter Helen, now Mrs. Herbert McMicken.
"Father then went back east, but returned by the time of the Indian war in 1855. He organized the first volunteer troops in the Northwest for the defense of the settlers, and was honored by being made commander of the united volur- teer troops before the war was over.
"My cousin Sarah by this time was married to young A. Benton Moses and was living in Olympia also. When the In- dian war broke out Mr. Moses was one of the first white men to lose his life by the Indians. He was killed out on Connell Prairie while in company with a small body of men who were going to join the volunteers. The others were obliged to flee for their own lives and leave the poor lad there. on the prairie. He was wounded but not killed outright. When he fell from his horse he begged his companions to save themselves and sent a loving message to his young girl bride. A few days later Tom Prather and a small company of men went out and brought the body back to Olympia.
"Never will I forget the tragedy of that funeral. Besides Mr. Moses there were the bodies of Lieutenant McAllister and Col. Miles, who were also killed at the same time. These bodies, placed in rude coffins, were placed in one of the two wagons in the settlement. In the other wagon rode Sarah. Mrs. Cock and myself, the men walking in a procession be- hind the wagons. Our wagon was without springs of any kind and such as are used to haul dirt in. There were no seats and only some boards laid across the bed. Several times these boards slipped off and let the mourners down in the
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bottom of the wagon bed The day was dark and dreary and the road but little more than a rough trail. It was a terrible experience. To do honor to the brave boys who had lost their lives in the attempt to protect others, the citizens decided that a military funeral was proper, so music must be included. This consisted of a drum and fife. As we wended our way out to the graveyard over and over again did this drum and fife sound out the strains of 'The Girl I Left Behind Me." That was the only tune they could play and they did the best they could, but I thought Sarah's heart would surely break. The graveyard was the one out on the road leading to what is now Little Rock, near Belmore. Here the three graves were made close to the road, side by side. And here soon after was laid the remains of Chas. H. Mason, the first Secretary of the Territory, a gallant young man of good family, who died of fever when only 29 years of age. I think the Thurston County Historical Society could do no better work than mark the last resting place of these heroes of the Indian war.
"But enough of these sad reminiscences. I will now tell about when the first State ball was held in Washington. It was in the nature of a housewarming, when Governor and Mrs. Stevens moved into the Governor's mansion, which the Ex- ecutive officer had built soon after the arrival of his family from the East. This very same house is still standing on the błoek now owned by Mr. Hazard Stevens, on Eleventh street, between Main and Columbia. It was considered quite a pala- tial residence when it was completed, and the invitations to attend the housewarming were eagerly accepted by Olympia society. Almost every one was present. Sarah and I with our beaux attended. The night was dark and the trail rough. so lanterns were hung every few feet in the branches of the trees to guide us to the mansion. There was a dance fol- lowing the reception and then a big supper. The dance was held in the parlor of the house and if room was scarce the jollity and good fellowship made up for all shortcomings. I think I can say that in the long and brilliant line of legisla- tive balls and receptions that has followed this initial one. there has never been more genuine happiness and enjoyment
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than was the share of Governor and Mrs. Stevens' guests that night.
"My husband at that time kept the Gold Bar store and when the question of finding some place where the first meet- ing of the Territorial Legislature could be held, my father suggested using the room above his store. This suggestion was adopted and the place made in readiness for that historical event.
After a few years Mr. Parker went to steamboating. building and operating, I think, the first steamboat on Puget Sound, The Traveller, on the run between Olympia and Vic- toria. Later he was owner and captain of the Messenger, go- ing to Seattle from this place. It took two whole days to make the trip down to Seattle and return, providing the tides were right and they had no breakdowns. Then for several years he was on the Alida, between the same ports. We went to San Francisco and staid there for ten years, but finally re- turned to the Sound.
"My dear husband died in Olympia on October 2, 1908. and is buried out in the Masonic cemetery.
"Besides Mrs. McMicken our children are: Gilmore Hays, Maude, now Mrs. Anderson of Tacoma, Herbert and John G., Jr., both of Seattle. Gilmore Hays died quite recently."
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JOHN MILLER MURPHY
Mr. John Miller Murphy has been more prominently identified with the growth and development of Olympia and Thurston County, and for a longer continuons time, than any of the men who braved the hardships and dangers of the wilderness. For fifty years Mr. Murphy, through the columns of the Washington Standard, worked for the advancement and prosperity of the community. For over two thousand six hundred weeks the Standard was a welcome visitor in the majority of the homes of Olympia and Thurston County. The editorials in these many issues Mr. Murphy penned with his own hand.
Mr. Murphy has recorded the appointments, through the columns of the Standard, of eleven Territorial Governors, com- meneing with Governor Wm. H. Wallace, and including Gov- ernors Pickering, Cole, Moore, Flanders, Salomon, Newell, Squire, Ferry, Miles C. Moore, and the elections of Washing- ton State Governors Ferry, McGraw, Rogers, McBride, Mead, Cosgrove and Hay. When the Standard was born James Bu- chanan was President of the United States. A search through the back files of this paper show the announcements of the inaugurations of Presidents Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur. Cleveland (twice), Harrison, Mckinley, Roosevelt and Taft. Among the most interesting of Mr. Murphy's reminiscences, as recorded in The Standard, tells about the young editor being in Portland, Oregon, for the purpose of attending his own wedding. Just as the young couple were about to take the stage for their home on Puget Sound, a San Francisco steamer arrived in port with the late newspapers on board, bearing black letter headlines. "Fort Sumpter Fired On."
Mr. Murphy called the boy selling the papers and bought the entire supply. saving nothing of the great news to the rest of the passengers until reaching Olympia.
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Arriving here he hurriedly turned his bride over to the care of the hotel people and rushed for the Standard office. All the printers in town were set to work at the cases and within a few hours an extra was cried upon the streets of Olympia with huge headlines announcing the beginning of the war. "And," added Mr. Murphy, "as I told the story of the firing on Fort Sumpter all in the headlines, the people saw at a glance the reason for the extra's appearance and not one cent did I realized from the issue. Besides, I paid the boys $1 for selling the papers on the streets. Since that time I have kept part of my story for the columns of the paper instead of spreading it all out in the headlines."
The description of the way the news of Lee's surrender was received in the Capital City was very amusing. There was no better way to celebrate important events in those days than in patronizing the saloons, and as the news spread along the streets a rush was made, first for the Standard office. then. all together, to where the men could properly air their en- thusiasm as well as quench their thirst. There were very few men in Olympia in early days who never visited saloons. hut on this glad time no one was exempt, and if a man refused to do his share of the drinking it was up with him to the bar. spread him flat on his back and pour brandy down his throat until the crowd felt that a sufficient amount of patriotism had been imbibed.
To this day the veteran editor's voice falters when he re- calls the reception in Olympia of the news of the assassination of President Lincoln and the impression made upon the citizens.
"We had planned a big celebration of some local event." said Mr. Murphy, "and had brought the Fourth Infantry band from Vancouver at an expense of more than $200 to play for the celebration and ball in the evening. At that time the first telegraph office in the Northwest was just across from the old New England hotel. The band was on the balcony of the hotel playing lively airs to the delight of the entire popu- lation of the town. The telegraph operator came to the door of the office with a face as white as a sheet. Without speak- ing a word to anyone the operator stepped to the band leader and handed him a slip of yellow paper. The leader glanced at the slip and gave a hurried order to his musicians. Without
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preliminary warning they played the strains of one of the saddest dirges I have ever heard.
"The crowd was appalled and when the last strains died away a man stepped to the front of the balcony and an- nounced : 'President Lincoln has been assassinated.' There was not a dry eye in the assemblage when the people realized the meaning of the message."
When the Standard was started Olympia was a village of about 1,000 population, Seattle consisted of two or three houses with a store and saloon to represent its business, and Tacoma was unknown. There was a five column weekly pub- lished in Seattle-The Seattle Gazette-but the proprietor was unable to handle any job work at all. the consequence being that for several years every line of job work for Seattle and all of the territory this side of Portland was sent to Olympia and turned out in the Standard office.
Among Mr. Murphy's proud boasts is that he was the first newspaper carrier ever employed on the Oregonian, of Port- land; and that he was an attendant at the first school ever organized in that city. It was in that city, also, that he learned the printer's trade, setting his first type on the Ore- gon Weekly Times, within two years rising from office "devil" to foreman. The Standard has fought the Democratic fight for the past half century with the exception of the civil war period. when Mr. Murphy upheld the Lincoln administration.
John Miller Murphy was born in Indiana and left an or- phan at an early age, living with his elder sister. Mrs. George Barnes. When nine years of age the lad, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, crossed the plains with the regulation yoke of oxen and underwent all the hardships attendant upon the trip across the continent with that means of conveyance. This trip was made in the year of 1850, and Mr. Barnes de- cided to settle in Portland, where he started a store, selling general merchandise. John was put to work as a clerk in this store, although little more than a baby. Among the pleas- antest of the recollections of these early days are memories of the good times the lad enjoyed as a singer in the famous church choir with Dr. Griffin, of the M. E. church, leader. Mr. Murphy, as boy and man, loved music and took keen de- light in musical associations.
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