TOLD by the PIONEERS - Washington Secretary of State

Told
by the Pioneers
WILLIS BENNETT
Benton County
Aboye a spring, on a spot overlooking seven counties, we built our
new home, Lookout Lodge. vVe had served our time as pioneers; this
time we would put up a good house. True, it lacked many of the conveniences
which the average housewife finds necessary today, such
as electricity, refrigeration, and modern heating equipment, but the
spirit of contentment pervaded the entire homestead. We children
were happy in our new surroundings. We had our ponies and calves,
and had the privilege of selling them occasionally. 'Ve bought our
own saddles and bridles, and little by little we learned the stock business.
We rode our ponies to school, which was built near the ranch.
We have had good and bad years in ranching, but we would rather
live here than anywhere else. We are never lonely, we have raised
our family here, and have educated them to take their places in the
world. 'Our sons went to France during the World war.
ALEXANDER McNEILL
Bringing Law and Order to the Range Country
Benton County •
For sixteen years a range rider, I knew every foot of the vast expanse
which was known far and wide as "the cattleman's paradise."
As a deputy sheriff of Yakima county, and later sheriff of Benton
county, I drove a team and open buggy over the trails in search of
bandits and outlaws. I helped break up Jingle's outlaw band after
they had committed a series of robberies, holding up a Mabton store,
a saloon in Arlington, Oregon, and some gambling joints in North
Yakima. With Sheriff Grant, I followed one of these men all one
night, waiting outside a cabin for daylight. We broke down the door
and the bandit opened fire, somehow missing us both, but for himself,
his outlawry was ended we"got our man".
Another capture was made in The Glade, single-handed. However,
I was not so fortunate when the hardware store was robbed at Ken~
newick. The marshal rounded up a man and a lad of sixteen. He let
them go, but being suspicious, he later called me. With both the day
and night marshals, I approached the man, who opened fire. Both
marshals fell dead and I was badly wounded. One robber was killed,
but the boy escaped, not, however, until another man was killed while
trying to capture him. The boy was never caught.
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