USA > Washington > Spokane County > Spokane > History of the city of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 56
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Governor Willey promptly placed Shoshone county under martial law, and militia and regulars were hurriedly mobilized from Fort Sherman, Fort Spokane. Walla Walla and Vancouver. Large numbers of the rioters fled into the hills, hid- ing in abandoned cabins and sceretly receiving supplies from friends and sympathiz- ers, but several hundred were arrested and imprisoned in a large stockade at Ward- ner. Under protection of the armed forces of the state of Idaho and the United States, most of the fugitive non-union miners returned and work was resumed in the Bunker Hill and Sullivan, the Sierra Nevada and other mines. Nineteen of the suspected ringleaders were taken to Boise and placed on trial in the United States court. Ten of these were discharged, and nine sentenced to six and eight months terms in jail.
Throughout the farming districts political unrest found expression in the Farm- ers' Alliance and Industrial Union, forerunner of the advaneing tidal wave of populism. This society organized at Cheney in 1891, held its second quarterly meet- ing at Marshall, and in January, 1892, met at the courthouse in Spokane.
January 13 the State Agricultural college and School of Science informally opened at Pullman, with forty-seven students and a faculty composed of George Lilley president, John O. Seobey, E. R. Lane, George H. Hitchcock, C. E. Munn, and Naney L. Van Doren, preceptress. S. B. Conover was president of the board of regents.
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The Odd Fellows, January 14, dedicated their new temple on First avenue, erected on a site they had bought in 1885.
Chief Garry of the Spokanes died in January, and his funeral, held from the First Presbyterian church, the 16th, was attended by many pioneers and nearly all the survivors of Garry's meager band. White people and Indians filed by the open coffin and took a last look upon the sleeping features of the old chief. His aged wife, completely blind, was led to the coffin, and as she passed her withered hands over the familiar features, and smoothed for the last time the long gray tresses, tears coursed down her wrinkled cheeks, a pathetic spectacle which moved many to tears. The aged chieftain sleeps in Greenwood.
For mayor at the spring election of 1892. the democracy nominated D. M. Drumheller, and the republicans advanced Jay P. Graves. Drumheller was elected by 255 majority.
The Spokane Bar association organized April 2: President. R. B. Blake: vice- president, J. B. Jones; secretary. S. P. Domer : treasurer. P. Wikoff.
Fire on May 23 consumed the plant of the Spokane Mill company, the Echo roller mills and several other buildings. Four men lost their lives, several others were injured. and a property loss of $300,000 was suffered.
The first through train over the Great Northern arrived May 27. It carried a single passenger coach and brought three through passengers from St. Paul, who were landed at the end of the Ross Park electric line and came into the city by street- car. Two days later connection was made with the O. R. & N., and trains ran regularly into the old Union depot.
This year raged the state flower controversy, and a group of Seattle ladies sent over some rhododendrons for exhibition in Spokane. "Away with the soulless stranger sent hither by the ladies of Seattle," protested the Review, "leave the clover to the cows (Ella Higginson wanted the clover blossom) and the camas to the squaws; and vote for some blossom that carries with its colors or its perfume all that is true, ennobling and refining. Such a blossom is the regal fleur-de-lis; such a flower is the wild rose, shy queen of the wilderness and the garden."
The "safety" bicycle was coming into extensive use, and to demonstrate its military usefulness, Sergeant Major Davis of Fort Sherman rode the round trip of seventy miles from Lake Coeur d'alene to Spokane. He passed several hours in Spokane, transacting business for General Carlin, and was back at the fort before dusk.
Open gambling had been resumed, and in June two gamblers, Billy Fay and Jack Delmore met in a pistol duel at Main and Howard. They opened fire simul- taneously and several shots were exchanged. Fay shot Delmore through the body. and the wounded man, Hecing. fell in the entrance to the Old National bank, then on Howard street, and died within an hour.
On the afternoon of fuly 12, William Masterson was shot and instantly killed in a room in the Pacific hotel, while attempting to rescue his son-in-law. Edward Harris, from an officer of the law. John Burke, a well known citizen of Spokane. assisted the desperado, and was severely wounded. Luke Rawls, a plneky deputy sheriff, was shot in the arm and shoulder while trying to hold his prisoner. Harris had been arrested in Montana for horse-stealing in the Palouse country, and the officer was taking him to Colfax for trial. Mrs. Harris was with her husband when
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the pistol battle was fought in the hotel room, but escaped uninjured. Masterson had figured in many desperate encounters in the Inland Empire, and had killed four men.
Fire, July 25, destroyed half the business district of Oakesdale, with a prop- erty loss of $70,000.
S. C. Hyde entered the lists this year against John L. Wilson and the primaries in July were sharply contested. Wilson carried the county and Hyde gave up the struggle.
George Turner became an avowed and aggressive senatorial candidate against Senator John B. Allen of Walla Walla.
At a special city election in December, a projeet to buy an up-river water power site offered by F. Lewis Clark and others, and bond the city for waterworks ex- tensions fell a little short of the necessary two thirds vote.
One of the picturesque characters around Spokane, winter of 1892-93, was Arthur Higgins, more widely known on lower Howard street as "Gold Dust Ar- thur." He posed as a prospector who had discovered a placer mine of fabulous richness, and for a few weeks sustained the character by spending his money with a lavish hand. Arthur soon reached the bottom of his flour barrel, and had recourse, then, to a "turn" on the stage of a local variety theater. While he lasted he made good "copy" for the newspaper boys.
CHAPTER XLVIII
YEAR OF TURMOIL, GLOOM AND DISASTER
MR. CANNON'S AFFAIRS BECOME INVOLVED-HIS BANK FAILS-OTHER BANKS CLOSE THEIR DOORS-MENACING DEMONSTRATIONS BY UNEMPLOYED-THREATS OF VIOLENCE- LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE FORMED-ASSISTANT POSTMASTER COMMITS SUICIDE-ALLEN AND TURNER SENATORIAL CONTEST-LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS WITHOUT ELECTING - BEGINNING OF BEET SUGAR INDUSTRY-RETRENCHMENT AT CITY HALL-WHEEL CLUB'S FIRST RUN-DESERTION AND DEATH OF COLGATE, GUIDE OF CARLIN PARTY -MAYOR POWELL STARTS HOME INDUSTRY SENTIMENT.
The sea of Fortune doth not ever flow ; She draws her favors to the lowest ebb; Her tides have equal times to come and go; Her loom dothi weave the fine and coarsest web: No joy so great but runneth to an end, No hap so hard but may in time amend. -Robert Southwell.
E IGHTEEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-THREE, year of gloom and disaster, of erashing banks and erippled industry, of riotous demonstrations and counter organization for law and order, will linger unto death in the memories of our pioneers.
The year dawned fair as a summer morn. Trade and industry had prospered through 1892, as reflected in a large increase in railway business-a total tonnage of 506,597,389 pounds, compared with 307,531,561 the year before. Apparently the financial flurries had blown away, and Spokane looked confidently forward to a prosperous year. The Great Northern was completed, and the publie still eher- ished expectations of lower rates; in the rich Coeur d'Alenes mining had been re- snmed on extensive seale; another great mineral area had been discovered and opened to the north ; heavy snowfall gave promise of abundant erops, and irrigation was gaining a foothold at various points in the Inland Empire.
In 1892 more than a million dollars had been expended on new buildings, in- eluding the city hall, the new Eeho mills and the marble bank palace, erected by A. M. Cannon with a courage bordering on sheer audacity. Unfortunately for himself and the town, Mr. Cannon had cast his financial lines into pools too numerous and distant. Under the bold leadership of Panl Mohr. he had been lured into heavy investments in coal mines and a eoking plant in the Caseade mountains, and a Vol 1-29
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portage railroad scheme around the rapids in the Columbia river above The Dalles. Mohr went cast in a desperate effort to unload these elephants on New York in- vestors, and Mr. Cannon, realizing his critical condition, eagerly seanned his agent's reports by mail and telegraph. With characteristic optimism, Mohr held out the lure of hope, but in the end he failed, and Mr. Cannon was driven to the humilia- tion of asking help from the local banks. After an examination of his affairs this was denied, and on the morning of June 5, 1893, the bank of Spokane Falls, or- ganized in 1879 as the first banking institution north of Snake river, failed to open its doors for business.
This startling news created a tremendous sensation, and deep sympathy was expressed for the white-bearded and kindly-hearted old pioneer. To "inability to make collections and to realize upon a mass of valuable securities" he attributed his bank's suspension. "Fo the task and duty of paying every ereditor in full. with in- terest to date of payment." ran his announcement to the publie, "I pledge my efforts and my fortune. Of my friends and neighbors, my creditors and debtors. I now crave only that forbearance, indulgence and charity which the past may seem to have fairly won," an expectation that was never to have realization, for desperate times yet to come quite extinguished his private equities, and the bank's liabilities of $200,000 proved a total loss.
Twenty-four hours later the Washington National and the Washington Savings bank, institutions of close connection with Mr. Cannon, also suspended payment, and a hard run on the Citizens National foreed that bank to elose its doors and draw its curtains one hour before the time for closing. The Washington National had $250,000 capital and its principal shareholders were Mr. Cannon, H. L. Tilton and E. J. M. Hale. The Citizens National was capitalized at $150,000, and its chief stockholders were E. B. Hyde. A. A. Newbery, John L. Wilson and Henry L. Wilson.
July 6 the Washington National resumed business in quarters previously oceu- pied by the broken Spokane National, at Riverside and Howard, which had stood vacant for two years.
These disasters subjected the remaining banks to heavy strain, and on July 26 the First National. after a steady run of fifty days. beeame insolvent and went into liquidation. J. N. Glover was its president. H. W. Fairweather vice-president, Horace L. Cutter cashier. and F. K. MeBroom assistant cashier. It had $284,000 liabilities, and owed $230,000 to its depositors.
At a special election July 25, 1893, the voters, 1,303 to 293. ratified the council's project to buy the site of the present waterworks. develop power with a dam and lay the necessary mains from the city to the proposed pumping station. In No- vember, on complaint of A. I. Davis, the city officials were temporarily restrained from building the system. This action excited an angry protest from the unem- ployed, and in public meetings, harangued by agitators, menacing utterances were directed against the courts, citizens who opposed the plan. and city officials. Alarmed by threats of personal violence Mr. Davis withdrew his name from the complaint.
In a speech at Auditorium hall W. A. Helm. the chief agitator, said: "If I should tell you to hang Simon Oppenheimer, you would say that was unlawful. so I won't tell you that. If I should tell you to give A. M. Cannon and A. L. Davis a coat of tar and feathers, you would say I was an incendiarist, so I don't tell you to do
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that. Neither do I advise you to tear down the Review building. 1 am in favor of seleeting 100 good men who will go to Mr. Davis and say, 'Withdraw your in- junction and get out of this town, or we will tar and feather you and ride you on a rail down Riverside avenue.' I am in favor of doing everything to feed my starv- ing wife, but mind you, I don't counsel violence."
"We warn the law-abiding people of Spokane," said the Review, "that they are facing conditions which always run ahead of riot, violence and bloodshed. We have heard sentiments cheered that should be hissed by patriotie men. We have heard the chief leader of yesterday's gathering boast that he had to use his influence to prevent his friends blowing up buildings."
The day following a publie meeting of different character was held in Audi- torium hall, on a call signed by George Turner, N. Fred. Essig, H. W. Fairweather, A. K. MeBroom and J. T. Lockhart. Two hundred well known citizens attended, and Robert Easson presided.
The spirit of the assemblage was voieed in these resolutions:
"RESOLVED, That this meeting is unalterably in favor of the maintenance of law and order.
"RESOLVED, That this meeting unhesitatingly condemns the ineendiary senti- ments put forth by the speakers and the resolutions at the meeting of Wednesday night.
"RESOLVED, That each and every member of this meeting pledges himself to rally at call to the assistance of the civil authorities to prevent and suppress such demonstration in future.
"RESOLVED, That this meeting is hereby organized as a Law and Order League.
"RESOLVED, That if. as the result of the recent lawless and ineendiary eondi- tions in our midst, any destruction of property or injury to person ensue. we pledge ourselves not to desist until the ringleaders and promoters of said lawless and in- eendiary eonduet be brought to justice.
"RESOLVED, That we demand of the city government and the lawful authorities of our country the arrest. indietment and punishment of all persons guilty of lan- guage in a publie meeting of an incendiary character, or tending to provoke riot and disturbance of publie or private property."
These resolutions, framed by George Turner, E. Dempsie. J. P. M. Richards, M. M. Cowley and H. L. Wilson were unanimously adopted.
A committee of fifteen was appointed to confer with the mayor and other city officials. It comprised Barney Barinds. George M. Forster, Gus Seiffert, Chauncey G. Betts, A. R. Johnson. C. F. Clough, D. Holzman. James Monaghan. H. W. Fair- weather. Adolph Munter, A. W. Doland, B. Gard Ewing. F. H. Mason, R. R. Grote and Fred. Chamberlain.
Commenting further on the riotous demonstration the Review editorially said : "Who ean doubt that Spokane is now grappling with anarchy of a dangerous form? Avowed and audacious efforts have been made to intimidate the courts. A suitor at the bar of justice has been intimidated and required, at peril of his life, to with- draw his suit. A mob of 200 men has gathered on the steps of a newspaper office and served notice that the paper's course must be shaped to the liking of anarchistie leaders, or the building would be razed to the ground. From the rostrum and a
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seore of street corners open threats have been made of using dynamite and blowing up buildings."
A few days later the injunction suit of A. L. Davis was withdrawn, on motion of Frank Graves, counsel for plaintiff-"not because it was without merit," ex- plained Mr. Graves, "but because Mr. Davis had been intimidated into a promise that he would withdraw the suit, and desired to keep his word."
The Law and Order League exerted a wholesome restraining influence, and put a prompt quietus on riotous demonstrations and ineendiary utterances.
At the beginning of 1893 the enrollment in the city schools had grown to 2,702. as against 1,565 two years before, with fifty-eight teachers as compared with twenty- two. The Union library, with quarters in the Auditorium building, had 2.000 vol- umes. and received some support from the city government.
New Year's day, 1893. Chief Mertz ordered the closing of all keno games, ou the ground that they were too noisy a form of gambling. The keno men asserted that the order was instigated by the faro gamblers. and in April were permitted to resume business. Early in the spring the council ordered the closing of the variety theaters on Sunday, but Judge Miller of the police court held that the order was in- valid.
More than 300 citizens petitioned for a bridge at Cedar street. but J. N. Glover, I. S. Kaufman, HI. L. Tilton and others, opposing the bridge as a needless extrava- gance, secured a restraining order forbidding the county commissioners to receive or open bids.
At a point thirteen miles below the summit, on the western slope of the Cas- eades, the last spike was driven in the Great Northern, January 6. 1893. Two tun- nels were uncompleted, and for some time the company ran trains over a picturesque switchback.
George A. Silvey, assistant postmaster under Arthur J. Shaw. committed suicide February 9 by firing a bullet through his brain. Inspection of his accounts revcaled a shortage of about $7,000 which he had cunningly concealed from Postmaster Shaw. Women and gambling were his undoing.
In February Austin Corbin. E. J. Roberts, Wm. H. Sampson, George K. Reed. George M. Forster and S. L. Burbridge bought the War Eagle mine at Rossland from its locators. Joe Morris and Joe Bourgeois.
Perhaps the most spectacular and stubbornly fought political battle in the state's history was the senatorial contest, winter of 1892-3. between John B. Allen, of Walla Walla, who sought reelection, and George Turner of Spokane. Allen had the aggressive support of the historic "King county ring," dominated then by L. S. J. Hunt who owned the Post-Intelligencer. Numerically Allen had the larger support. but not sufficient to elect or to hold a binding and effective caucus. The Turner sup- porters refused to enter a caneus unless the Allen men would assent to a secret bal- lot, alleging that many legislators were voting for Allen under the cracking of the boss's whip who would support Turner if allowed to express their real desire. The legislature adjourned March 8, with the deadlock unbroken, the final ballot giving Turner 23, Allen 49-57 necessary to a choice.
"The senatorial contest closed today," said Turner in a statement to the public. "without result and without any change in the ballot. We have vindicated freedom of thought and action, and have emancipated the republican party from the control
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of an imperious and domineering political ring. Spokane receives just commendation for her heroic part in this glorious work. She will be listened to and her just wishes respected for the future." Governor John H. MeGraw promptly appointed Allen to the vacant seat, but the senate, after a long debate, held that the legislature having failed to elect, the governor could not appoint.
Col. E. H. Morrison of Fairfield, Spokane county, had long been conducting tests in the growing of sugar beets and had demonstrated with the aid of extensive analyses at the State college at Pullman that beets grown in the Palouse country contained a high sugar content of exceptional purity. John R. Reavis long secre- tary of the Spokane chamber of commerce, went to Olympia that winter and induced the legislature to encourage development of the beet sugar industry by offering a bounty up to $50,000-one half to go to the growers of beets, and the other half to the manufacturer.
Joel Warren of Spokane, indicted for leading into Idaho a body of armed men from other states at the time of the Coeur d'Alene riots, went to Rathdrum in March to stand trial. He was acquitted, and on the 28th of March the cases against a number of the strikers, on trial in the same court, were dismissed.
Miss Effie Clark, daughter of the Rev. Nelson Clark, a pioneer minister of Spokane. while attending Northwestern University near Chicago, was fatally shot April 1 by E. Ross Smith, a rejected suitor, also a student there from Spokane. who followed his mad act by committing suicide.
Vigorous agitation was waged in April, 1893, for retrenchment at the city hall. The street department was costing the city about $50,000 a year, with teamsters at $3.50 a day, and laborers $1.75. The engineer's office eost about $11,000 a year. The finance committee of the council advised a sweeping reduction in salaries, from mayor to policemen and firemen.
The long standing "boodle" cases against Denber, Waters and Gillespie were dismissed April 13, on motion of Prosecuting Attorney J. E. Fenton.
Several years before the original city limits were extended, a Dr. Morgan went out on the grassy prairie north of the river and founded a rival town which he called Denver. When the city of Spokane, sprawling out in that direction, swal- lowed up its ambitions rival. Dr. Morgan contested in the courts the act of annexa- tion. He bronght suit this year to restrain the city from collecting taxes in his burg. over which he claimed to preside as mayor. Dr. Morgan lost, and Denver winked out as an individual entity.
A republican city convention in April nominated E. L. Powell for mayor. Fred. E. Baldwin was the democratie nomince. Powell won by more than 700 majority, and with the exception of one couneilman. the republicans swept the city.
A notable entertainment this year was the public contest at the Auditorium April 29. to select a singer to represent eastern Washington in a great song festival at the world's fair in Chicago. The aspirants were Miss Bernadine Sargent, Miss Margaret Stewart, Miss Anna C. Turner, Miss Mattie C. Sharpe and Mrs. Fred. B. Grinnell of Spokane. and Miss Estelle Berry of Walla Walla. Dr. C. S. Penfield, Eugenne Fellowes and Prof. Fred Hoppe, the committee. awarded the honor to Miss Sargent, then only 17 years of age. The contest awoke extraordinary inter- est. and hundreds were unable to gain entrance to the theater.
The Spokane Wheel club made its first run. Sunday, May 11. to Cowley's bridge,
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eighteen miles cast. In the party were Robert Glen, M. A. Cisna. Joseph Henry, Robert Burruss, H. T. Burruss, W. F. Hazlett, E. A. Palmer, Al. Ware, N. W. Neimes, H. O. Russell, JI. C. Randall, H. M. Ryan, I. Cornthwaite, J. E. Wallace, O. Kratzger, E. Brewer, and H. W. Hall.
On Decoration day was run the first bievele road race. James A. Drain, who later became adjutant-general of Washington, won the medal-time, 33:3. George Rusk, second, in 33:29, won a silver eup. The course was ten miles.
Vice-President Adlai Stevenson was in Spokane the afternoon and evening of July 29, and addressed a large open air meeting near the hotel Spokane.
A new city directory in August contained 13,267 names, an increase of 1,928, in- dicating that the eity had grown right through panic times. The publishers esti- mated that Spokane had a population of 36, 184.
The Northern Pacific went into the hands of receivers August 15.
Councilmen Peter Graham and Peter Steep, of the Second ward. were arrested August 15, accused of accepting bribes from a contractor who had a elaim pend- ing for extras. Their trial in the superior court brought a verdict of not guilty, but Graham was removed from the conneil and Steep resigned. E. N. Corey and W. W. Waltman succeeded them.
A city indebtedness of $1,415, 122 was revealed by a statement of November 1; Old water bonds, $120,000; water bonds of 1891, due in 1911. $500.000; general municipal bonds, $700,000; accrued interest. $18.683; outstanding warrants, $74,- 501.
The city had then an annual payroll of $124,795 (its present payroll is nearly as great in a single month). The police force, with twenty-four men, were paid $24,500; the fire department, forty-five men, $10.380; water department, eight men, $8,760; streets, $17,583; city engineer's office, $6.240; health department, $2,112.
At the November school election, George H. Whittle and Charles L. Knapp were elceted directors. Of the 2,000 votes polled fully one half were cast by women.
A hunting party headed by William E. Carlin, son of General Carlin who was long in command at Fort Sherman, became snowbound in the autumn of 1893 in the wild country drained by the headwaters of the Clearwater river. Military ex- peditions went to their resene, and a party under Lieutenant Elliott found them November 22 as they were slowly working their way down one of the forks of the Clearwater, greatly exhausted from lack of food and buffeting the ice-cold waters. George Colgate, their guide, of Post Falls, had developed dropsy, and him they had abandoned on the trail. soon after starting from their hunting encampment. This conduct was stigmatized by many as cowardly and in gross violation of the un- written law of the wilderness. Members of the party defended themselves by eon- tending that Colgate was in a dying condition, and could not by any possibility have been helped out to the settlements; that to linger with him would have quickly exhausted their seanty supply of food and imperilled the lives of all ; and weighing these facts, they reluctantly abandoned him to his fate. Nearly a year later the scattered remains of poor Colgate were found by a searching party. He had crawled on hands and knees a long distance from the spot where his alarmed companions had left him the year before.
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